The other party obviously could not answer Liu Nanfeng. They remained silent, their gaze fixed on him.
"Then, can you tell me?" Liu Nanfeng suddenly asked the empty space beside him.
As his words fell, a figure emerged. It was Bai Xinghe, looking around with surprise.
He couldn't understand why the two people who had disappeared from his sight moments ago had suddenly reappeared, and why there was an extra person at the scene.
"Liu Nanfeng?" Bai Xinghe looked at Liu Nanfeng, his expression grave as he asked.
"So you do recognize me?" Liu Nanfeng said with a smile.
He continued, "You haven't answered my question yet."
Bai Xinghe fell silent for a moment before replying, "Don't you already know?"
Liu Nanfeng was somewhat surprised. He could guess the reason because he knew Yang Ruoyun's background.
Since the other party had also guessed his thoughts, there could only be one reason: they already knew Liu Nanfeng's background.
However, this was not difficult to figure out. After all, Feng Zhirun's past grievances with the Tide Society were well-known to both sides. And when the Su sisters transformed into demons, their conspicuous search for Feng Zhirun's whereabouts had naturally also been noticed by them.
After years of being alone, the sudden appearance of a man by their side made his identity almost obvious.
There were plenty of intelligent people in this world.
"Then are you the real Bai Xinghe, or?"
"No." This time, Bai Xinghe answered Liu Nanfeng's question directly.
His directness conveyed another meaning: even if you capture me, it will be of no use. I am merely a substitute for Bai Xinghe, a pawn that can be discarded at any time.
"Your true form is proficient in numerology and divination. You must also understand that many seemingly unrelated events in this world are often connected in ways we cannot see."
Bai Xinghe nodded subconsciously at this, not quite understanding Liu Nanfeng's words.
But at that moment, Liu Nanfeng suddenly made his move.
He raised his right hand, and the entire world began to collapse and contract. Houses, streetlights, concrete ground, everything began to twist, transforming into sharp gears that squeezed towards them.
Bai Xinghe and the other person were greatly alarmed. They had never witnessed such a technique. They were utterly powerless to resist, their myriad skills rendered useless.
They were crushed into a bloody pulp by the giant gears.
The gruesome scene stunned Yang Ruoyun beside them. However, she was not particularly frightened, only looking at Liu Nanfeng with immense curiosity.
"As expected, worthy of you," she murmured.
From the moment Liu Nanfeng began cultivating, no one knew him better than she did. To put it bluntly, she was the one who had drawn Liu Nanfeng into the world of cultivators.
"What do you mean?"
"ARun, even after reincarnating, you are still so exceptionally talented and brilliant."
"My name is Liu Nanfeng, not ARun."
"Alright, ARun."
Liu Nanfeng: ...
At this point, the world returned to its "flatness," leaving only a pool of bloody pulp.
Liu Nanfeng felt no discomfort. Recalling everything he had seen in the research institute that day, he felt these people deserved a thousand cuts. He ignored Yang Ruoyun and walked forward. His eyes flickered, and countless rays of light flashed, with concentric circles spreading out layer by layer.
To others, the two figures were just a pool of pulp, but they now revealed a wealth of information.
This was the true meaning of Liu Nanfeng's earlier words: although Bai Xinghe was not his true form, he was inextricably linked to it.
There was an intricate connection between them that ordinary people could not see, but to Liu Nanfeng, it was perfectly clear.
Soon, he obtained all the information he desired from the pool of blood and flesh.
Then, he extended a finger and pointed at the ground. A ball of flame ignited from nothing, instantly incinerating the bloody pulp on the ground.
Yang Ruoyun quietly retreated to the side.
"What are you doing?"
"You're so skilled at destroying evidence. Have you done this often before?"
Liu Nanfeng ignored her and, while his ocular analysis ability was still active, examined her carefully.
Yang Ruoyun defensively crossed her arms.
"What are you looking at?"
"This is mine, I'm not giving it to you."
"You're seriously injured, do you want to..."
"What are you talking about?" Liu Nanfeng asked with a helpless expression.
"Hehe, I thought you wanted me to return the Inverse Scale Armor to you," Yang Ruoyun said sheepishly.
Liu Nanfeng's divine light in his eyes faded. "Didn't you say it yourself? I'm not Feng Zhirun, so what right do I have to ask you to return it?"
Yang Ruoyun looked down and murmured, a pained expression on her face.
"Moreover, even if Feng Zhirun were here, I doubt he would ask for the return of something he gifted."
Yang Ruoyun smiled at this and nodded gently.
"You are seriously injured, find a place to recover. Also, these people were after Feng Zhirun. I don't think they were the first wave, nor will they be the last. Do you have a way to deal with them?"
Yang Ruoyun's eyes widened in realization. She had been wondering why these people had suddenly attacked her for no reason.
She usually behaved kindly towards others, never making enemies, and rarely interacted even with other cultivators.
"You're seriously injured, why don't you come back with me and recover first."
Liu Nanfeng said this because he had just seen that Yang Ruoyun's internal organs were severely damaged, and she was forcing herself to hold on.
"No way," Yang Ruoyun refused without hesitation.
"No? Can you still hold on?" Liu Nanfeng asked with a smile.
"Why..."
Before Yang Ruoyun could finish her sentence, her body swayed, and she fell to the ground, transforming into a small black cat.
"Look at you, still being stubborn." Liu Nanfeng bent down and picked her up.
"Meow..." Moyu rubbed against Liu Nanfeng's palm.
At this moment, due to her severe injuries, Yang Ruoyun relaxed, her consciousness sinking into a deep sleep and entering self-healing. Thus, Moyu began to control this body again.
"Moyu, long time no see. Let's go home."
Liu Nanfeng scratched Moyu's chin, and Moyu immediately squinted, displaying a lazy demeanor.
After Liu Nanfeng left with Moyu, another Bai Xinghe appeared at the scene.
He looked around, his expression puzzled. He then performed calculations with his fingers but found nothing.
He couldn't help but feel strange. It was said that where a person passes, their name remains; where a goose flies, its cry is heard.
As long as a living person existed, the world would retain traces of them. Perhaps ordinary people could not see these traces, but for those proficient in numerology, they could read this information.
But now, no matter how he calculated, these two had vanished as if they had never existed.
Unable to decipher anything, Bai Xinghe quickly disappeared from the scene.
Meanwhile, Liu Nanfeng had returned home with Moyu.
As for the other Bai Xinghe who reappeared, Liu Nanfeng wouldn't have cared even if he had known.
Because he had already learned everything he wanted to know from the deceased Bai Xinghe.