The men looked at each other, momentarily silent.

Ghost Hand finally snorted. "He’s just a junior. You think he can really turn the world upside down? Let’s keep looking! A million-silver bounty, plus the treasures on him... it’s enough for us to live carefreely for the rest of our lives! Who knows, we might get a lead any second now." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The men conferred in low voices for a few more moments, then left some money for the wine and hurried downstairs. They were clearly going to continue their stakeout and search.

Chen Qing watched them disappear down the stairwell, then raised his teacup and took a light sip.

’It seems my Golden Cicada Transformation Technique is truly marvelous,’ he thought. ’Even people from Yidao An, who specialize in tracking and assassination, couldn’t see through it.’

’As long as I can make it through tonight and pass through Tongping City, I’ll be home free.’

"My, what refined tastes!"

Just then, a light chuckle abruptly sounded from across the table.

Chen Qing’s heart jolted. He looked toward the sound.

A figure in a wide black robe, wearing a conical hat with a draping veil, was now sitting silently in the seat opposite him. It was as if he had been there all along.

’Just a moment ago, that person was clearly drinking alone in a corner on the other side of the room!’

"Who are you?"

Chen Qing’s brow furrowed slightly, but the True Qi in his body was already circulating silently, like a taut bowstring.

The man in the conical hat picked up the teapot on the table as if it were his own and poured himself a cup, acting as if they were old friends meeting.

The veil swayed, obscuring his face, but his voice, tinged with a smile, was clear. "Surrounded by assassins from Yidao An, yet you still have the leisure to sit by the river and sip tea. Should I praise your extraordinary courage? Or should I admire your... fearless confidence?"

As he spoke, he actually raised the teacup and praised, "Mm. Though it’s common stock, it’s quite refreshing. Good tea."

"Enough with the theatrics!"

Chen Qing’s brow tightened. He wasted no more words. His left hand, hidden under the table, curled slightly, and a sudden suction force shot out, pulling the teacup from in front of the man.

This move of retrieving an object from a distance, with its precisely controlled Power, demonstrated the exquisite control an Embrace Pill Realm expert had over their True Qi.

SWOOSH!

The teacup flew up and shot toward Chen Qing.

However, the man in the conical hat just chuckled softly and flicked a finger casually.

DING!

With a light sound, a sinister and strange Power struck first despite being launched second, accurately hitting the teacup.

The teacup’s momentum halted as if gripped by an invisible hand, and then with a CRACK, it fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.

The commotion immediately drew the gazes of everyone in the tavern.

The man in the conical hat, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He cupped his hands to the surrounding patrons, his voice apologetic. "My apologies for disturbing you all. This brother of mine is a bit of a brute, clumsy by nature. He accidentally broke a teacup. Please bear with us, please bear with us."

"Tch!"

"Thought a fight was breaking out!"

Seeing there was no excitement to be had, the diners muttered a few words and went back to their food and drinks.

Chen Qing, however, was shaken to the core, his pupils constricting.

’An Astral Force expert!’

’And that Finger Wind just now... sinister, cunning, its Power focused and un-dispersed with a long-lasting aftereffect... It was definitely not a technique of the Righteous Path. It carried the faint... aura of the Demon Sect!’

"Young man, no need to be so hot-headed. Come, have some tea." The man in the conical hat chuckled lightly, as if nothing had happened.

"Who exactly are you? What is your purpose?"

Chen Qing’s voice was ice-cold, his entire body tensed.

"Young people are so impatient."

The man in the conical hat shook his head, his voice coming through the veil. "It’s no matter. I can tell you. I am Jiangchuan Bridge."

’Jiangchuan Bridge!’

Chen Qing’s heart jolted.

He had some recollection of the name. He wasn’t from the Demon Sect’s Yunlin Sub-Pavilion, but a renowned expert from the Lin’an Prefecture Demon Sect Sub-Pavilion. He was known for his Concealment, Tracking, and bizarrely fast Body Technique, making him a notoriously difficult character in the Demon Sect.

"Kid, that Stealth Transformation technique of yours is truly one of a kind."

Jiangchuan Bridge’s tone held a hint of appreciation. "If I hadn’t spent decades studying this art, and if my Spiritual Sense wasn’t sharper than most, I might not have been able to pluck you from this sea of people."

"Are you also here for the bounty?" Chen Qing asked in a low voice, already secretly surveying all possible escape routes.

"The bounty? Hahaha..."

Jiangchuan Bridge laughed as if he’d heard a joke. "You think too little of me. To me, gold and silver are nothing but dirt."

He lowered his voice slightly and said with a smile, "I... came for you."

"For me?"

"That’s right."

Jiangchuan Bridge’s tone was firm. "Talent like yours shouldn’t be buried. You are decisive in killing, meticulous in thought—you’re excellent material. The shallow waters of the Wutai Sect cannot nurture a True Dragon like you. How about joining our Holy Teachings? If you just nod, not only can I guarantee your safe departure from Lin’an Prefecture, but I can also recommend you to the Altar Master. Your future prospects would be far beyond what a mere Wutai Sect chief disciple could ever compare to."

Hearing this, Chen Qing almost laughed out of sheer anger.

He was the chief disciple of the Wutai Sect’s Cyan Wood Institute, a disciple of the Righteous Path with a pure lineage and a boundless future. And this man wanted him to defect to the Demon Sect, a faction that everyone had the right to execute?

Seeing Chen Qing’s silence, Jiangchuan Bridge threatened, "You have two paths now. The first is to come with me obediently. Glory, wealth, and a future in Martial Arts will be yours for the taking."

"And the second path?" Chen Qing asked coldly.

"The second path?"

Jiangchuan Bridge chuckled. He tilted his hat slightly, seemingly glancing at the street outside the window. "I only need to gather my True Qi and shout ’Chen Qing is here!’... What do you think? Will those six assassins from Yidao An who just went downstairs immediately turn back? And what do you think? Will all the Assassins and Lone Travelers in this city who’ve been stirred by the news come swarming like sharks that have smelled blood?"

He paused, his tone becoming even more leisurely, as if everything was under his control. "Even if you were lucky enough to escape from that rabble... heh, with me sitting here, do you think you can get away?"

"If I capture you and hand you over to the Yunlin Sub-Pavilion, I imagine they would owe me a great favor and be endlessly grateful, wouldn’t they?"

It was as if Chen Qing was already trapped with no way out, completely at his mercy.

He leisurely picked up the teapot again, intending to refill his cup.

’Could a mere Embrace Pill Realm junior really turn the tables on an Astral Force Demon like me, who has been famous for so many years?’

Chen Qing’s pupils contracted. In a flash, his mind raced, and he knew there was no peaceful way out of this.

The very instant Jiangchuan Bridge’s fingers touched the teapot—

He bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, then struck his own left chest with a merciless, wind-swift palm!

"Hm!? Something’s not right!" Jiangchuan Bridge’s motion of pouring tea froze, and the expression under his hat changed drastically.

In that split second of his shock—

"Chen Qing! Where do you think you’re going?"

Chen Qing used all his strength to let out a shrill, desperate roar. The sound instantly filled the entire tavern, even overpowering the noise from the street below!

At the same time, using the force from the palm strike to his own chest, he slammed himself backward!

"CRACK—!"

The wooden window shattered on impact!

Chen Qing’s body, like a kite with a broken string, plummeted from the second-story window, blood spraying from his mouth!

It all happened in a flash, so fast it was breathtaking.

Jiangchuan Bridge’s outstretched hand froze in midair. By the time he reacted, he only managed to grab a handful of shattered wood splinters and the scent of blood lingering in the air.

He cursed inwardly, ’Damn it! I’ve been tricked!’

...

Down on the street below.

The Huashan Three Monsters and the three assassins from Yidao An had not walked far and were discussing their next search area.

Suddenly—

THUD!

The dull sound of a heavy object hitting the ground, mixed with the sound of splintering wood, came from behind them.

All six were highly cultivated and reacted with extreme speed, whipping their heads around in alert.

They saw a man, his face covered in blood and his clothes torn, struggling to get up from the ground.

"Chen... Chen Qing... is up there."

Chen Qing said haltingly, his face pale.

The six were shaken to their core, instantly ignited by this sudden turn of events!

"Chen Qing!?"

"Don’t let him run again!"

"KILL!!!"

The six figures erupted with the full force of their Cultivation. They stomped hard on the ground, and as the flagstones shattered, their bodies shot upward—a Dry Land Pulling Leeks—charging murderously toward the broken window on the tavern’s second floor!

......

......