As he watched the scattered group charge toward him, the Gray-Clothed Man's smile grew ever more sinister.
"Seethe, rage! In the end, you will all become nourishment for my Sword-Sacrificing!"
Yet just as the wind blades were about to slice through Ning Fan and the others' throats, they suddenly vanished.
The yin wind slowly died down, and another figure walked over from a short distance away.
"Do you still remember what you promised me?"
The Gray-Clothed Man's expression abruptly stiffened.
"So you intended to kill them behind my back?" As the figure approached, his voice drew closer as well.
"I believe I told you that we were merely partners. I help you achieve your goal, and you do not lay hands on my people at will."
The Gray-Clothed Man gradually recovered from his stiffness. "Your people? If they knew your identity, would they still acknowledge themselves as yours?"
"That is none of your concern."
The Gray-Clothed Man's expression grew increasingly gloomy, but in the end, he said nothing more. Just as the other man had said, they were merely partners. All they needed to do was abide by their contract.
The words "Heaven-Connecting Tower" circled in Su Jiu's ears like a curse.
Dao Lord Qing Ci seemed quite pleased with everything he saw. After all, he had always wanted to see what Su Jiu would look like once her outward composure shattered.
"I always thought you were heartless. Now it seems I misjudged you."
"Why... why tell me?" When Su Jiu spoke again, her voice had long since lost its former coolness, and even carried a faint rasp.
"I simply felt that there were things you had a right to know. Otherwise, if you only learned after he died, wouldn't it be even harder to recover? Telling you beforehand