“Under broad daylight, you dare to abduct a man? This young master won't stand for it!”
As soon as the words fell, the pedestrians on the street made way. The pale-faced youth was rather ethereal and handsome, with a hint of smugness on his face, as if he greatly enjoyed being the center of attention.
Jin Bao'er heard the familiar voice and instinctively turned around, her eyes filled with complexity… The person who arrived was none other than Li Qingjiu!
“Jin… Brother Jin?!”
A startled cry came, and Li Qingjiu's eyes widened in surprise, his face full of excitement and elation. His ethereal demeanor vanished instantly, and he lunged towards Jin Bao'er in a single stride!
Before Jin Bao'er could respond, the joy on the youth's face quickly faded, replaced by overwhelming grievance and complaint! He accused the youth before him with a choked voice.
“You unfeeling wretch! You abandoned me and left alone. Did you ever consider my feelings? Do you know! I’ve been looking for you for a year! A whole year!!”
His heart-wrenching cries made one’s imagination run wild, wanting to laugh yet feeling pity, wanting to sympathize yet always feeling a sense of incongruity…
The little white cat looked over upon hearing the sound, its haughty gaze appraising the man before it. Appearance… mediocre! Strength… a weakling! Brains… clearly not intelligent at first glance! The only merit… well, he was a living man, Jin Bao'er’s taste couldn't be *that* bad.
Jin Bao'er rubbed her forehead. The reason she didn't bring him along back then was because she was used to traveling alone, and Li Qingjiu was extremely flamboyant and attention-seeking. More importantly, there was his current tearful state!
“Enough! I’ll inform you next time! Stop crying, aren't you embarrassed?”
Her tone was not without comfort and care, completely different from her usual indifferent and calm demeanor. The little white cat, who had been nonchalant moments ago, instantly widened its eyes, certain that this person was not ordinary to Jin Bao'er, and became instantly vigilant!
That dragon hasn't been dealt with, and now another useless pretty boy appears?
This scene, however, was interpreted differently by the onlookers…
The refined and cool youth was dotingly comforting the young man beside him, who was a head taller than him. An intimate connection bloomed between them, tinged with the ambiguity of a long-awaited reunion!
The passionate love-hate relationship between the handsome youth and the proud young man, a soul-stirring love story, was about to unfold… Was it a collapse of morality or a twist of fate!
Long after the two had left, the gossip on the street continued to spread.
In the inn, Li Qingjiu, with a somber expression, relayed all the information he had gathered to Jin Bao'er.
“This is clearly aimed at you! Ever since you won first place in the Seven Sects competition, who in the entire cultivation world doesn't know that you, Jin Bao'er, are a pure-element innate with formidable talent? Golden Core at sixteen, and now Nascent Soul at seventeen. Even I was envious when I found out!”
As he spoke, the complexity on Li Qingjiu’s face deepened. Recalling when they first met, Jin Bao'er was merely a beginner at Foundation Establishment. In less than three years, she had already reached Nascent Soul… This speed was simply terrifying!
Jin Bao'er, however, paid him no mind. Her expression was grave, and she was rapidly contemplating the identity of the old woman who made the prophecy. Regardless of anything else, she had never heard of such a person in her previous life. Could it be someone operating outside the known circumstances?
That night, two dark figures stealthily infiltrated the City Lord's mansion…
“Hey, are you sure this is a good idea? If we get caught…”
Before the man could finish speaking, he was met with a cold glance from the pair of eyes beside him.
“Scared? If you're scared, then go back!”
Hearing this, the man sullenly shut his mouth.
Soon, the two quietly approached the City Lord's inner chambers…
“Wow, this City Lord's mansion is indeed rich! It's several times bigger than my dad's courtyard!”
Jin Bao'er, however, stood at the entrance, hesitant to move, her expression growing more solemn.
“Don't move!”
Li Qingjiu turned his head at her words, a look of bewilderment on his face.
“What's wrong?”
As he spoke, he took two more steps. The surroundings remained calm and undisturbed, yet Jin Bao'er frowned, feeling that something was amiss. It was as if…
Everything was too smooth! Exactly! Too smooth!
As soon as she arrived in Fenghua City, she encountered Li Qingjiu and learned the entire cause of the situation, even skipping the investigation! Just as she was about to infiltrate the City Lord's mansion, with barely any guards visible in the dead of night. Despite it being a vast City Lord's mansion, she and Li Qingjiu had effortlessly and quickly found the location of the City Lord's inner chambers. Moreover, she could just walk into the inner chambers of the dignified City Lord?
An extremely bad premonition surged in her heart. She looked up at Li Qingjiu, who was walking inside, curiously observing his surroundings. Every step he took was safe and sound, yet she felt a sense of immense danger.
“What are you doing? Come in quickly! Otherwise, we'll be discovered!”
Li Qingjiu, already in the center of the inner chambers, turned back, finding her still standing at the entrance, his eyes filled with confusion, a hint of impatience in his expression.
Jin Bao'er frowned, a realization dawning in her heart.
“Li Qingjiu…”
As she called out, the man not far away froze and turned to look at her, his fair face etched with confusion.
“What… is it?”
Before he could finish speaking, an ice cone shot out rapidly, piercing directly into his heart! Blood quickly dripped onto the ground. Li Qingjiu's face instantly turned pale, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at her, his body slowly slumping backward.
“You… Brother Jin… Why?”
Jin Bao'er took two steps back, perfectly positioned at the doorway. She looked at him from afar with a cold expression. The silver moonlight fell, illuminating her slender figure, her face becoming even more indistinct in the shadow.
“You acted quite well, even I was almost deceived!”
Her simple words instantly turned Li Qingjiu's face ashen. He gritted his teeth and insisted.
“What are you talking about? What acting, what deception? Jin Bao'er, have you gone mad! I am Li Qingjiu!”
At this moment, Jin Bao'er was almost certain he was a fake!
“Tsk, you know quite a lot about what happened between me and Li Qingjiu. I presume… you've captured him?”
Upon hearing this, the man on the ground completely lost hope. He let out a cold chuckle and slowly stood up, his eyes filled with admiration.
“You are indeed clever! I thought this play would be a success.”
Still with Li Qingjiu’s face, the man before her, after standing up, no longer deliberately suppressed his aura. The pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator washed over them, his steady and powerful presence incredibly overbearing!
“You are City Lord Fenghua An?”
Under the moonlight, Jin Bao'er nodded slightly, her expression cold and defensive. The aura of a fellow Nascent Soul cultivator quickly spread, neither of them yielding!
This aura caused the man to look at her with surprise, his eyes filled with greed.
“When I first heard you reached Nascent Soul at seventeen, I had some doubts. Now, seeing you, you truly are a pure-element innate talent, absolutely astonishing! Excellent! Hahaha! With this, what that person said turns out to be true. As long as your inner core is refined, ascension will be within reach!”
Jin Bao'er listened intently and immediately analyzed a key point: the rumor indeed originated from someone within the City Lord's mansion. Most of what this person said earlier was likely true!