Who Exactly Are You?

The Hall of Souls disciples collapsed to the ground, their faces filled with terror. They tried to get up, only to find that they could barely stand. Without their Dou Qi to support them, they were no different from ordinary people—perhaps even worse off.

The black-robed man leading them barely managed to brace himself against the ground and lift his head to look at Jiang Yuan, disbelief written all over his face.

"Who exactly are you...?"

Jiang Yuan walked over and crouched in front of him, saying casually, "Didn't I just tell you? I'm with the Pill Tower."

"Your Hall of Souls has been causing quite a bit of trouble on the Pill Tower's territory lately. I'm here to demand an explanation on their behalf."

The black-robed man's expression darkened further at those words. He gritted his teeth and said, "You dare interfere in the Hall of Souls' affairs? Aren't you afraid we'll come after you?"

Jiang Yuan couldn't help chuckling. "Come after me? I've sealed all your Dou Qi. What are you going to use against me?"

"Besides, even if I let you go back, do you really think the Hall of Souls would lift a finger for a few useless wretches who don't even have any Dou Qi?"

The black-robed man's face turned livid, but he couldn't find a single word to refute him. Jiang Yuan was right. The Hall of Souls had always been a place where the strong preyed on the weak. Anyone who lost their Dou Qi was worthless to them.

Even if they made it back alive, the Hall of Souls would probably abandon them—or simply dispose of them. The other Hall of Souls disciples had heard every word, too, and despair spread across their faces.

Some even began begging for mercy. "My lord! Please spare us! We were only following orders! We never meant to cause trouble for the Pill Tower! Please let us go!"

Hearing their pleas, Jiang Yuan stood and glanced at them, his expression unchanged. "I can let you go, but you'll have to answer a few questions first."

The black-robed leader gritted his teeth. "What do you want to know?"

Jiang Yuan asked, "Who's in charge of this Stronghold? Where is he?"

The black-robed man fell silent for a moment, seemingly unsure whether to answer.

Seeing his hesitation, Jiang Yuan added bluntly, "It's fine if you don't want to talk. You can just keep lying here. But let me remind you—there are a few Magical Beasts outside this Stronghold. If they catch your scent..."

Before he could finish, the black-robed man hastily blurted out, "I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"The man in charge is Liu Ming, a protector of the Hall of Souls. He's around the level of a Five-Star Dou Zun. Right now, he's cultivating in seclusion in a secret chamber at the back of the Stronghold."

Jiang Yuan nodded at that, then rose and headed deeper into the Stronghold. After a few steps, he looked back at them and said flatly, "Stay right here."

"Once I've dealt with your protector, I'll come back and decide what to do with you."

With that, Jiang Yuan headed straight into the depths of the Stronghold, leaving the Hall of Souls disciples trembling where they lay.

The disciples exchanged glances, each looking more despairing than the last. One young disciple couldn't help whispering, "He said he's going to deal with the protector..."

"Don't tell me he doesn't even consider Protector Liu Ming a threat?"

Another disciple gave a bitter laugh. "He sealed our Dou Qi without even trying. I doubt the protector will fare much better."