Huang Xiao was wild with joy. The two women were alive, definitely alive. There was no mistaking what he sensed.
But he soon turned toward the three old men, a trace of confusion in his eyes.
With Old Man Wang's strength, there was no possibility of a mistake if he wanted to kill Zhangsun Youyue and Jiang Liuli. Then that meant-
Before Huang Xiao could think any further, Old Man Zhu spoke. "Of course they aren't dead. They were merely in a state of feigned death just now."
"Why?" Huang Xiao asked.
By then, the two women had begun slowly coming around. They coughed a few times and rose from the ground, their injuries evidently nothing serious.
Both women looked equally bewildered. When Old Man Wang had attacked them earlier, they had lost consciousness before they could even defend themselves.
At the time, they had thought they were certain to die. They had never expected to find themselves apparently unharmed now.
"If we're letting you go out alone, we'll need something to keep you in check," Old Man Wang said coldly.
"Alone?" Huang Xiao's heart lurched, and he hurriedly cried, "What about the two of them?"
Old Man Wang sneered. "They'll stay here, naturally."
Huang Xiao was about to question him further when a thought struck him.
He soon understood. These three old men wanted to keep the two women here as hostages.
He should have thought of it long ago. Leaving required adapting to the Evil Qi here, yet the three old men had only made him attempt it, with no intention of having the two women try.
That alone was enough to show that, from the beginning, the three old men had intended to let only him leave.
The two women's expressions dimmed at those words. Of course