"Am I right?"
Almost as soon as Yang Qing finished speaking, Wuming's expression changed.
"You're very clever."
Wuming's voice suddenly grew low. "But clever people often die all the sooner."
As he spoke, he tightened his grip around Yang Qing's neck. "Put the Rootless Wood away, or today will be the day you die."
Yang Qing looked at the green branches and red flowers behind him, which had already spread past the stone statue's waist, and a faint smile lifted his lips.
"Whether I die remains to be seen. But if you really do that, you're certain to die."
Wuming tightened his grip further, and Yang Qing's feet began to leave the ground.
Bu Er, Jiang Zhizhou, and the others burned with anxiety. They wanted to act, but had to consider Yang Qing's safety.
Yang Qing, however, seemed entirely unconcerned about his predicament. He kept signaling to Bu Er and the others not to act rashly.
A bloody haze had begun to veil Wuming's eyes, and the veins on the back of the hand gripping Yang Qing's neck bulged fiercely.
Faint cracking sounds began to come from Yang Qing's throat, yet he continued to stare steadily at Wuming, without the slightest trace of fear.
The two remained locked in this stalemate.
In the end, Wuming was the one who took a step back.
The hand that had been gripping Yang Qing's neck slowly loosened as well.
Yang Qing was finally out of danger. Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou hurried forward to shield him behind them.
Yang Qing merely patted Bu Er's shoulder, signaling that he was safe.
Wuming looked at Yang Qing with a complicated expression. "As you said, I need the Rootless Wood. If you don't hand it over, none of you will leave this Law-Enforcement Hall."
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