The party set off again.
Wan Liuyue and the young man were placed in the middle of the column, with Pacification Guards protecting them in front and behind.
Yi Yang walked at the head, his pace unhurried.
But his mental power remained fixed on the two people behind him.
They walked for roughly the time it took two incense sticks to burn.
The terrain among the trees gradually opened up, and the gravel beneath their feet gave way to a soft dirt path.
Yi Yang suddenly stopped. Without turning around, he asked:
"Miss Wan."
His voice remained as bland as ever.
"The lacquer-sealed patterns on your scabbard were made using Qing Province craftsmanship."
Wan Liuyue faltered for a step.
"The medicinal powder on your junior brother smells of ground heart-cleansing herb mixed with borneol. No one in Suining Prefecture uses that formula."
Wan Liuyue's expression changed.
"But the most important point-"
Yi Yang turned around, moving swiftly.
The Mysterious Abyss remained still, but his right hand, edged like a blade and cloaked in blue-green astral energy, struck Wan Liuyue's sword wrist.
Smack.
Wan Liuyue's arm went numb, and her sword slipped from her hand to the ground.
Immediately afterward, Yi Yang clamped the five fingers of his left hand onto her shoulder, pinning her in place.
Wan Liuyue struggled once, but could not budge an inch.
The strength in his hand was overwhelming. She could not find even the slightest room to maneuver.
The young man recoiled two steps in alarm, his right hand reaching for the sword at his waist.
"Don't move."
Xu Min surrounded him with three Pacification Guards, a crosswise saber held against the young man's neck.
At the sight, Wan Liuyue's expression shifted several times before finally settling into a forced calm as she asked:
"Senior,