Abducting Xu Yuanshuang

Xu Qian, Gongsun Xiangyang, who was looking for Senior Xu, was surprised, but on the surface he showed no sign of it. He pretended to be thoughtful and frowned as he repeated the name.

Then, shaking his head helplessly, he said, "Xu Qian, that's an unremarkable name. I'm afraid quite a few people in Yongzhou have this name. Does it have any distinctive features?"

Ji Xuan said, "This person's appearance is quite ordinary, just like his. The only distinguishing feature is that he wears a blue robe, but of course, that may not be a distinguishing feature. Patriarch Gongsun, just keep an eye out for him, and remember not to alert him."

"The woman in green is indeed looking for Senior Xu." Gongsun Xiangyang revealed a friendly smile.

"It's nothing, nothing at all. By the way, since you esteemed heroes have come from afar, would you do me the honor of staying at Gongsun Manor for a while?"

He deliberately adopted this enthusiastic attitude, partly to conform to his persona. As a local strongman in Yongzhou, it would be suspicious if he didn't fawn over and be enthusiastic towards a group of fourth-rank experts.

On the other hand, Gongsun Manor is his territory. He will lure people there first, then inform Senior Xu and see what Senior Xu decides.

Ji Xuan smiled broadly, "I have important matters to attend to, so I won't bother Patriarch Gongsun any longer."

Are these people friends or foes seeking out Senior Xu? If they're enemies, they wouldn't even be enough to fill Senior Xu's teeth. Gongsun Xiangyang nodded regretfully and tentatively asked:

"Well, if you don't mind, I'll have to trouble you gentlemen a bit more in the future."

He subtly conveyed his desire to make friends.

Ji Xuan smiled like an innocent, sunny young man and said, "Welcome, welcome."

After chatting for a few minutes, Gongsun Xiangyang got up to take his leave.

"Ji Xuan is accompanied by a dragon energy host, clearly inquiring about my movements. These guys are from the same lineage five hundred years ago, Xu Pingfeng's men."

On the other side, Xu Qi'an withdrew his Primordial Spirit fluctuations, and the first thought that flashed through his mind was: Kill!

"Hmm, they all seem to be experts. With my current level, I'm naturally not afraid, but it's almost impossible to kill so many strong people quickly. Moreover, most of these people are probably bait laid out in the open."

"Observe first, then make a decision."

The reason he withdrew his Primordial Spirit was because he had guessed the identities of this group of people. This would make him unable to control his hostility, which would then be sensed by a martial artist's keen intuition.

Martial artists at the Spirit Refining Realm and above have a very strong premonition of danger.

Any gaze that contains hostility or malice will be sensed by the other party, which is why martial artists are difficult to ambush or assassinate.

An emotionless gaze, however, will not arouse a martial artist's premonition.

Xu Qi'an did not want to alert the enemy, so he decisively withdrew his Primordial Spirit to investigate.

As Gongsun Xiangyang left the courtyard and returned to the training ground, a sparrow circled in the air for a moment before landing on his shoulder.

"Master."

The Gongsun family members behind him were about to drive him away, but Gongsun Xiangyang waved them aside.

He calmly held the sparrow in his hand, gently stroked its head, and smiled, as if it were just a spontaneous act of interest.

Who are those people?

Sure enough, Gongsun Xiangyang heard Xu Qian's telepathic message.

Senior Xu used sparrows as a medium to communicate with him telepathically.

"They claimed to be from Qingzhou, but their accents didn't quite match. They asked me to find two people, one of whom is you."

Gongsun Xiangyang, with an expression of playing with a pet, continued to stroke the sparrow's head and replied telepathically:

"Senior, do you know them?"

Xu Qi'an chuckled and transmitted his voice, "I don't know them, but I know their elders. Never mind, it's a messy affair, better not to talk about it."

"Senior Xu's words are full of vicissitudes; he's a man with a story to tell," Gongsun Xiangyang thought to himself.

"Are they all martial artists?" Xu Qi'an asked telepathically.

Gongsun Xiangyang briefly recalled and analyzed:

"Three of them had no protective aura around their bodies, and two of them didn't seem like martial artists in terms of demeanor."

Gongsun Xiangyang's analysis was that none of the three—the exceptionally beautiful young woman, the man from Southern Frontier wearing a brightly colored robe, or the middle-aged man carrying a knife—had any protective aura.

That is to say, they haven't reached the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm.

The girl and the people of Southern Frontier did not resemble martial artists in temperament and demeanor.

"I see."

After Xu Qi'an finished speaking, he manipulated the sparrow to flap its wings and fly towards the two-courtyard house.

In the outer hall, Liu Hongmian sat languidly in a chair, her left leg crossed over her right, her feet, clad in red embroidered shoes, dangling under her skirt.

"Speaking of which, we've completely lost track of that kid."

The outcast from the brothel twisted a strand of hair around his temple, wringing it between his fingers. "If I were him, I would definitely run away."

Xu Yuanshuang sneered, "Who told you that kid knew we were coming to Yongzhou?"

The old Daoist priest, stroking his beard, smiled.

"Miss Xu is right. In that kid's eyes, we and he were just people who met by chance on the way and had a conflict in the heat of the moment. There was no great hatred between us, and there was no need for us to relentlessly pursue and kill him."

"After shaking us off in Qingzhou, he probably thought the matter was over. Since that's the case, how could he not stay and take a look at this grand event?"

The imposing and aloof Baihu nodded and said in a deep voice, "Yongzhou City is a gathering place for the heroes of Yongzhou. If he's smart, he might already be plotting how to use one tiger to devour another."

Ji Xuan added, "Have you forgotten what the Imperial Advisor said? There's a phenomenon of mutual attraction between dragon energy hosts. As long as they're not too far apart, they'll eventually meet. We have a dragon energy host right next to us; who knows, one day we might step outside and run right into that guy."

"But what is the young master looking for Xu Qian for?" Old Daoist Banana Leaf suddenly interjected.

"Yesterday I received a secret report from the Heavenly Mystery Palace. The Buddhist School and the Heavenly Mystery Palace are cooperating in hunting down a man named Xu Qian. This man stole one of the nine dragon energies in Leizhou, and then intercepted it from the Buddhist School sect again in Xiangzhou."

Ji Xuan said in a deep voice, "And now, he has also come to Yongzhou City. According to the intelligence from Tianji Palace, this person is unpredictable and is one of the best among the fourth-rank officials."

These words caused everyone present to raise an eyebrow, and not one of them Qi Ingestion.

Liu Hongmian laughed and said, "Is it up to Cao Qingyang's level?"

Ji Xuan shook his head slightly. "I don't know, but it's at least at the level of a Golden Gong."

Upon hearing this, Baihu said calmly, "As for Jinluo, Hongmian and I together are more than capable of handling him."

Cao Qingyang, the martial arts leader of Jianzhou, is almost the ceiling among the fourth-rank martial artists, half a step into the third rank.

Ji Xuan shook his head. "We must not be careless. This person is in cahoots with Sun Xuanji, and a third-rank Warlock is not someone we can handle. Fortunately, the Buddhist School and the Azure Dragon Constellation are responsible for dealing with them. Our current task is to capture that kid, and then we may need to cooperate with the Heavenly Mystery Palace and the Buddhist School to capture Xu Qian."

He took a sip of tea and remarked with emotion, "I wasn't wrong. The Imperial Advisor was appointed later, and the task of collecting dragon energy isn't just ours."

Liu Hongmian smiled and said, "Gathering dragon energy is a trial given to you by the Imperial Advisor. Of course, he won't put all the bets on you. Tsk tsk, I hope that the young master's journey through the martial world will be a complete success, and that I will rely on you in the future."

She knew very well that this small team was the one chosen for Ji Xuan by the Imperial Advisor and the City Lord.

If Ji Xuan becomes his successor, they will rise to prominence along with him. Otherwise, they will be relegated to the sidelines for life.

"Who exactly is Xu Qian? Have the Heavenly Mystery Palace and the Buddhist School found out?"

Xu Yuanshuang suddenly said.

She asked the question that everyone had been asking, and everyone looked at Ji Xuan in unison.

Ji Xuan shook his head. "The Heavenly Mystery Palace did not reveal this person's background to me."

After saying a few more words, Xu Yuanhuai picked up his gun and walked out, saying calmly, "I'm going out to have a go at that rabble."

Ji Xuan smiled and said, "Remember to show mercy, don't kill anyone, and keep a low profile."

He then turned to Xu Yuanshuang and said, "Yuanshuang, go outside and keep watch. If any dragon energy host approaches, remember to notify us immediately."

Xu Yuanshuang hummed in agreement, caught up with her younger brother, and left together.

At this moment, Qi Huan Danxiang suddenly strode out of the inner hall, looked up at the sky, and a moment later, a sparrow chirped and landed in his palm.

The old Daoist priest with the banana leaf was extremely perceptive and asked, "What's wrong?"

Qi Huan Danxiang stared at the little sparrow in her palm, frowning as she said:

"This bird flew back and forth in the yard twice, which is strange. I quickly manipulated it with my Heart Gu power just now, but I couldn't find anything amiss. I was being too sensitive."

Ji Xuan smiled and nodded, "It's always good to be careful, but we're keeping a low profile for now, so there's no need to worry too much."

People then stopped paying attention.

"That was close. There was actually a Heart Gu Master among them, and in terms of Heart Gu cultivation alone, he's stronger than me."

Outside the barracks, amidst the crowd, Xu Qi'an slowly exhaled.

Those people were more perceptive and cautious than he had imagined. If he hadn't been quick-witted and managed to regain control in time, he might have already been discovered by his "colleagues."

With the dragon energy hosts staying right next to them, I reckon there's no chance. I also have to consider the ambush by the Buddhist School and the Heavenly Mystery Palace. The others are all martial artists; a sneak attack is almost impossible.

It wouldn't be fair to have come all this way for nothing. We could grab someone, take them back for interrogation, and maybe even use them as a hostage.

Hmm, that woman in the red dress is quite something, a good target, but unfortunately she's Martial Dao.

As he pondered, he glanced toward the barracks and happened to see a young girl leap onto the roof, intently looking down at the crowd of spectators.

At the same time, a young man carrying a gun emerged from the alley.

As the boy walked, he untied the long spear from his back and threw it out suddenly.

The spear transformed into a black shadow, pinning itself to the arena and sending shards of stone flying.

He leaped and bounded across the crowd, landing atop a slanted gun barrel, looking down at the people below:

"Who dares to step forward and fight me?"

The crowd cursed and swore, clamoring to teach this arrogant and ignorant brat a lesson.

"This young man is quite the show-off."

Xu Qi'an shifted his gaze and glanced at the girl on the rooftop in the distance. He waited patiently for a moment, but her companions did not come out.

"The Qi-Watching Technique —that's a Warlock. The Buddhist School and the Heavenly Mystery Palace are all focused on the host of the dragon qi; no one would have guessed that my target is that girl."

"She practices the Qi-Watching Technique, so she's most likely a disciple trained by that bastard Xu Pingfeng. She might know some secrets; knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory."

Not far enough away, Xu Qi'an pretended to look at the scenery around him, silently moving closer to the building where the girl was.

When they were less than twenty feet apart, the girl seemed to notice him, frowned, and looked down.

Their eyes met, and Xu Qi'an grinned, his figure enveloped in a shadow, slowly "melting" away.

Xu Yuanshuang's expression changed slightly. She still hadn't expected that this strange man's target was her. She widened her beautiful eyes and used her Qi-Watching Technique to search for the man's whereabouts.

Suddenly, a hand emerged from the shadows beneath her feet and grasped her ankle.

Despite her panic, Xu Yuanshuang remained calm. The jade bracelet on her snow-white wrist lit up, emitting a clear light, in an attempt to repel the hand.

The hand was slightly pried open by the force of the jade bracelet, but it couldn't completely break free.

Meanwhile, the opponent was also unable to penetrate the light, resulting in a stalemate.

Xu Yuanshuang pulled a musket covered in array patterns from her bosom with her right hand, aimed the muzzle at the shadow at her feet, and calmly fired.

Bang! Bang!

The bullet struck the shadows but failed to injure its target.

When the musket failed to work, Xu Yuanshuang's face darkened, and she indeed discarded the Law Artifact musket. The second and third Law Artifact then appeared: a bronze mirror and a round jade pendant, respectively.

As Xu Pingfeng's eldest daughter, she was not lacking in magical Law Artifact.

Xu Yuanshuang flipped the mirror over, pointed it at the shadow at her feet, and scolded, "Show your true form!"

The bronze mirror hummed and emitted a beam of golden light that shone into the shadows, gradually dispelling the darkness and revealing the outline of a man.

The man, shrouded in shadow, slowly raised his head and grinned:

"With so many Law Artifact, his identity must be extraordinary."

With a sudden burst of force from her palm, the jade bracelet on Xu Yuanshuang's wrist shattered with a "bang," and the bronze mirror cracked.

At this moment, Xu Yuanshuang exerted force with her fingertips, about to crush the round jade pendant.

This is a teleportation Law Artifact. Crushing this artifact will teleport you to any place within a radius of thirty feet.

"Eek"

Xu Yuanshuang's delicate body trembled, and she instantly became weak and powerless, causing the round jade pendant to fall from her hand.

Love potion!

She instantly sank into the shadows and disappeared.

The next moment, with a "bang," a long spear flew through the air, piercing the eaves and scattering broken tiles everywhere.

Xu Yuanhuai, who was "playing" on the ring, noticed the commotion and threw his spear to support his sister, but it was too late.

His figure descended from the sky, crashing onto the roof ridge, causing the entire house to shake violently and dust to fall in a flurry.

Xu Yuanhuai looked around but couldn't find his sister. He let out a long howl in anger.

The roof ridge could no longer support the structure; beams broke one after another, and the eaves collapsed.

Outside Yongzhou City, by the black ridges of the fields, Xu Qi'an threw the girl he was carrying on his shoulder onto a haystack made by the villagers.

Xu Yuanshuang's delicate body bounced on the soft haystack. She braced herself with her hands on the ground, sitting up against the haystack. Her face was burning hot, and her breath was hot.

Hormones are being released rapidly, causing dry mouth and weak legs.

I'm poisoned, it's love poison. When did I get it?

As Warlock, Xu Yuanshuang was well-versed in pharmacology and made the most accurate analysis of her own physical condition.

There is no cure for the poison of passion; it can only be suppressed by willpower, or...

A flicker of fear and panic crossed her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it, staring coldly at Xu Qi'an: "Who are you?"

PS: Requesting monthly votes.