Chapter 90
At Hai Hour (9-11 PM), Wanfu Inn.
The dinner rush had long since ended. Only a handful of tables remained occupied in the main hall, scattered beneath the warm lantern light.
Behind the counter, the accountant was bent over his ledger, fingers flicking across the pages as he calculated the day's earnings.
Just as he was thinking his shift would soon be over, a hand suddenly slapped down on the counter with a solid thud.
Startled, he looked up.
The hand belonged to a female cultivator.
His excellent memory immediately supplied her identity. She was the guest who had rented a room earlier that afternoon.
"Welcome back, Guest," he greeted warmly with a practiced smile. "Your room is upstairs, Room Fifteen. Your two companions also returned to the inn not long ago."
Lou Yuqing nodded casually.
Outwardly, she remained calm.
Inwardly, however, a spark of excitement flashed through her eyes.
She had won one of the auction's three grand finale treasures-the Heavenly Heart Pill.
The value of such a pill hardly needed explaining.
The moment she left the auction house, she discovered several people tailing her. Their intentions were obvious: kill her and seize the treasure.
Fortunately, her Lightning Escape Technique proved more than sufficient. After shaking off the pursuers, she successfully returned to Wanfu Inn without incident.
Now all that remained was to consume the pill. Once she did, her cultivation would rise effortlessly to the next realm.
As for whether that cultivation could be brought out of the small world...
She had already thought about it. Most likely, everything would revert to its original state once she left.
Still, while inside the small world, greater strength meant greater confidence. Especially when it came time to obtain the Snow Lotus.
Lost in thought, she stood motionless before the counter.
The accountant waited a moment before turning toward a nearby waiter.
"Take the guest upstairs."
The waiter hurried over immediately, bowing repeatedly. "Please follow me, Guest."
Lou Yuqing finally snapped out of her thoughts.
Clearing her throat, she nodded.
"Alright."
Upon returning to her room, the first thing she did was open her gossip panel.
The results nearly made her grin.
During the brief appearance of Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng at the auction house, her gossip points had skyrocketed by another ten thousand.
What a harvest.
Unfortunately, the pair had been kicked out by the auction house owner. Otherwise, the gossip value would've continued climbing.
Leaning back in her chair, Lou Yuqing began weighing her options.
If she wanted more gossip points, she had two potential targets: the Hu Family or the Baishi Sect.
The Hu Family was located within the city and would be easier to reach, whereas the Baishi Sect lay farther away beyond the city walls.
After a brief moment of consideration, she made her choice.
The Hu Family.
After all, she already had an inside connection there.
Ling Yunxiao.
He had infiltrated the Hu Family and was bound to have gathered useful information.
Tomorrow, they could exchange intelligence and compare notes.
Once all the clues were combined, the whereabouts of the Snow Lotus would probably become clear.
And there was Chu Qingyang as well.
Investigating the hunters' side of the story should produce additional leads.
"Leads?"
A helpless smile appeared on Chu Qingyang's face when he heard her question.
"I can honestly say we've come up empty-handed."
Lou Yuqing blinked. "What about Luo Buqi?"
Chu Qingyang fell silent briefly before answering.
"We both ended up following the same person-Old Xue, the hunter.
After selling his snow rabbits at the slaughterhouse, he went to a village outside the city to visit a friend who'd been seriously injured by the Baishi Sect.
After that, he headed home looking pretty dejected and hasn't done anything unusual since. "
Surprised, Lou Yuqing asked, "You didn't investigate the other hunters?"
"No."
A voice answered from the doorway.
The door swung open, and Luo Buqi strode in with an equally frustrated expression.
"Other than Old Xue, none of the others showed any clues at all. Why waste time on them?"
He dropped into a seat and continued irritably, "I'm certain Old Xue knows where the Snow Lotus is. But even after using the Illusory Eye, I couldn't get an answer from him."
The Illusory Eye's primary purpose was trapping and killing opponents. However, it could also cloud a target's mind and extract information.
Against ordinary mortals, it was usually quite effective.
Lou Yuqing glanced between the two of them.
"You've certainly got patience. What if Old Xue decides to make a move after you leave?"
Luo Buqi waved a hand dismissively.
Not the slightest bit concerned.
"I left a backup arrangement at his house. If he makes any unusual move, I'll know immediately."
Lou Yuqing nodded before asking, "And after that? Do you want to come with me to the Hu Family?"
She briefly summarized everything she had learned.
"The Hu Family Head has clues related to the Snow Lotus. If we help solve the demon problem, maybe we can get the information out of him."
Luo Buqi's eyes immediately lit up. "What cultivation level is he?"
"Late Foundation Establishment."
The excitement instantly faded from his face. A trace of disappointment appeared.
"That's troublesome. His cultivation is higher than mine. My eye technique won't be very effective against him."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something far more important, he leaned forward.
"Oh right. What happened to Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng afterward?"
His eyes gleamed with unmistakable curiosity. Clearly, he was far more interested in scandal than in cultivation.
Lou Yuqing lifted her chin. "If you're that curious, go outside and ask-the whole city already knows. Their story is everywhere."
And it was true.
The scandal from the auction house spread through Baishi City at astonishing speed. In less than two hours, nearly everyone on the streets had heard some version of it.
Part of that was simply human nature.
People loved gossip.
But there was also another force at work behind the scenes.
The auction house had clearly helped fan the flames.
Furthermore, Xie Wenheng had spent years relying on the Baishi Sect's influence to act arrogantly and throw his weight around.
Now that such an embarrassing scandal had surfaced, countless people were delighted to watch him become a laughingstock.
After all, the law could not punish everyone. No matter how powerful the Baishi Sect was, they couldn't possibly silence an entire city.
In a mansion somewhere within the city, Xie Wenheng paced back and forth across the courtyard, his expression dark enough to drip ink.
Ever since being thrown out of the auction house, his mood had been abysmal.
He had never imagined that one day he would be expelled in such a humiliating fashion.
It was a complete disgrace.
"Y-Young Sect Master..."
A subordinate hurried into the courtyard. The moment he caught sight of Xie Wenheng's frightening expression, his heart nearly stopped.
If he reported this news, he might not survive the night.
"Get over here!" Xie Wenheng barked the order.
The subordinate trembled and stepped forward.
"What is it?!"
"Reporting to Young Sect Master..." The man's face crumpled. "Outside... they're saying... they're saying..."
His voice died in his throat.
Xie Wenheng's expression instantly turned icy.
"You can't even speak properly?" he snarled. "Do you want your tongue cut out? Or shall I personally send you to the afterlife?"
A chill shot down the subordinate's spine.
Grinding his teeth, he forced himself to continue. "On my way back from the Hu family, I heard people saying... that Young Sect Master is having an affair with Second Miss Hu... and that the two of you openly did something shameful at the auction house..."
For a brief moment, Xie Wenheng froze.
Then he exploded.
"What did you just say?!"
The subordinate immediately dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against the ground, not daring to utter another word.
But Xie Wenheng no longer needed an answer.
The veins on his forehead bulged violently, twisting like writhing snakes. His face darkened until it was almost black.
He was furious beyond reason.
"Anyone who dares spread rumors about me..." he hissed through clenched teeth, "will die a miserable death!"
The subordinate looked as though he was about to cry. "Everyone's saying it..."
"Damn it!"
A surge of spiritual power erupted from Xie Wenheng's body. The shockwave blasted the kneeling subordinate backward.
His hair stood on end. Bloodshot eyes fixed themselves on the direction of the auction house.
"It must be him!" His voice dripped with murderous intent. "I won't let him get away with this!"
Even a powerful dragon could not suppress a local snake.
No matter how high the auction house owner's cultivation was, he still couldn't withstand the wrath of the Baishi Sect.
Xie Wenheng intended to teach him exactly who he could and couldn't afford to offend.
"Young Sect Master!"
Another subordinate came rushing in.
The moment he saw Xie Wenheng's nearly demonic appearance, he froze. His legs immediately weakened.
Xie Wenheng looked at him coldly. "What now? Have you come to deliver more bad news?"
This humiliation was already unbearable.
If it happened again, he would kill someone to vent his rage.
The subordinate panicked. "Young Sect Master... you already know?"
A vicious expression twisted across Xie Wenheng's face.
His right hand clenched tightly.
Dense killing intent spread through the courtyard.
"That's right. I already know." He took a step forward. "So now you can die."
"Young Sect Master, spare me!"
The subordinate stumbled backward in terror and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"I came under the Sect Master's orders! The Sect Master commands me to bring you back immediately!
A mine slave killed the foreman, escaped from the mine, disguised himself as one of our disciples, and infiltrated the Sect Master's herb garden!
The Sect Master personally discovered him and ordered me to bring you back to discuss the matter! "
Xie Wenheng paused.
His expression eased slightly.
Only slightly.
"What kind of trash is a mine slave?" he snapped. "How could one escape from the mine? Are all the foremen and supervisors useless?!"
The subordinate swallowed hard before answering. "That mine slave may be lowly, but he's extremely cunning. He escaped even after being discovered by the Sect Master. His current whereabouts are unknown. This matter is extremely important. Please return to the sect immediately, Young Sect Master."
A look of surprise flashed through Xie Wenheng's eyes.
Then he took a deep breath.
"Let's go."
He had assumed the mine slave had already been torn to pieces.
He never expected even his father would fail to catch him.
While the Baishi Sect was thrown into chaos by the escaped mining slave, Lou Yuqing and her two companions finalized their plans for the next day.
They would visit the Hu family and continue gathering clues.
Afterward, they prepared to return to their rooms and rest.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
The waiter's ingratiating voice drifted inside.
"Honored guests, since you've returned so late, would you like something to eat? Our inn just received a fresh batch of snow rabbits. Prepared by our chef, the meat retains eighty to ninety percent of its spiritual energy. It's extremely nourishing."
Lou Yuqing exchanged glances with the others.
The three of them were clearly interested.
In the end, she made the decision.
"Bring us three dishes. One grilled, one braised, and one spicy."
"Right away!"
The waiter's footsteps quickly faded down the corridor.
Lou Yuqing turned toward the others. "Isn't it a little too coincidental that this inn happens to do business with that slaughterhouse?"
Luo Buqi leaned lazily against his chair.
"You think there's something wrong with the inn?"
Lou Yuqing shrugged. "I'm just taking a wild guess. Whether it's true is another matter."
"You're thinking too much." Luo Buqi dismissed the idea outright.
Lou Yuqing merely smiled.
It did feel like a coincidence, but not enough to justify turning the entire inn upside down.
After all, buying meat from a slaughterhouse was perfectly normal for an inn.
Chu Qingyang pondered for a moment before suddenly speaking. "Those hunters are mortals. They didn't take any special precautions after hunting the snow rabbits. It's been so long... shouldn't the meat have spoiled by now?"
Lou Yuqing stared at him. "...You really know how to ruin the mood."
Chu Qingyang coughed awkwardly. "Junior Sister, don't mind me. I was only joking. When the snow rabbits arrived at the slaughterhouse, there wasn't the slightest trace of spoilage. I can guarantee that."
Only then did Lou Yuqing's expression improve. "Old Xue and the others seem to use some kind of powder."
Luo Buqi narrowed his eyes as he received images from the surveillance method he had left behind.
"It keeps the rabbits looking almost exactly as they did when they were first killed. It won't preserve them forever, but ten days to half a month shouldn't be a problem."
At the hunters' pace, that was roughly how long it took to travel from the snowy mountains to Baishi City.
The direct route was blocked by flocks of strange birds, forcing them to take a longer but safer path.
Suddenly-a rich, mouthwatering aroma drifted in from outside.
The waiter's cheerful voice followed.
"Guests, your snow rabbit dishes have arrived!"
Lou Yuqing immediately brightened.
That was fast.
She stood and headed for the door, anticipation rising.
Meanwhile, Luo Buqi sniffed the air repeatedly. A familiar scent lingered beneath the aroma of food.
Chu Qingyang noticed his reaction and silently questioned him.
Luo Buqi hesitated. "I think I've smelled this somewhere before..."
Then his expression suddenly changed.
"Oh no! Be careful!"
Almost at the same moment, Lou Yuqing pulled open the door.
Waiting outside wasn't a waiter carrying rabbit meat, but a masked assassin dressed in black.
With a flick of his wrist, the assassin sent a cloud of white powder hurtling toward her face.
Crackle!
The Ten Thousand Thunder Body Technique activated instantly. Arcs of lightning burst across Lou Yuqing's body, scorching the powder before it could come within several inches of her.
The moment Luo Buqi shouted his warning, she had reacted on instinct.
The ambush failed completely.
The assassin froze for the briefest moment before immediately pulling out a formation plate and forming a series of rapid hand seals.
A magical formation unfolded around the room.
At the same instant, Luo Buqi's golden sword flag and Chu Qingyang's wind blades shot toward the newly formed barrier.
What happened next was bizarre.
The shield rippled like the surface of water before opening like a giant invisible mouth and swallowing both attacks whole. Not a single sound followed.
Refusing to believe it, Lou Yuqing unleashed a bolt of lightning. It vanished just like the others.
She immediately followed with several stronger spells, but every one of them disappeared without a trace.
Worse still, Lou Yuqing quickly discovered another effect of the formation.
It concealed their presence completely, neither their bodies nor their voices could be detected from the outside.
To the rest of the world, they had simply vanished.
"I smelled this fragrance at Old Xue's house before."
Luo Buqi sat cross-legged and began using spiritual power to drive the scent from his body.
"It's similar to a sleeping drug. It weakens the muscles and bones. That's why I warned you."
His expression darkened.
"I left a backup plan there but the connection was severed just now. Old Xue is definitely suspicious."
Chu Qingyang closed his eyes and circulated his spiritual energy.
"This man can neutralize our spells. If I'm not mistaken, he's a cultivator disguised as a mortal. Now that we've attracted attention, someone's trying to silence us."
Luo Buqi's breathing grew uneven.
"If I find out this inn is involved..."
His eyes flashed with killing intent.
"Once I recover, I'll burn this place to the ground."
Chu Qingyang let out a cold laugh.
Lou Yuqing looked at the two of them.
Protected by a magical artifact, she was completely unaffected by the drugged incense.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "I originally thought someone from the auction house had tracked me here."
Chu Qingyang blinked. "The auction house?"
"I forgot to mention it." Lou Yuqing's tone remained perfectly calm. "I won the Heavenly Heart Pill."
The room instantly fell silent.
Luo Buqi and Chu Qingyang both opened their eyes.
Their gazes locked onto the pill in her hand, burning with intensity and utterly unblinking.
Lou Yuqing calmly put it away again.
"I don't think the pill is the main issue right now."
She looked around at the shrinking barrier.
"We should focus on breaking this formation. The formation is constantly contracting. If it touches us..."
She paused.
"We'll probably be dissolved into nothing."
The hearts of both men skipped a beat.
A short while later, the effects of the incense were fully expelled.
Their strength returned.
Lou Yuqing took out a formation plate and established a second formation inside the first, using one formation to resist another.
Despite their efforts, the situation remained grim.
The outer formation continued to wear down the inner barrier, producing a constant hiss as the trembling white light gradually shrank inward, on the verge of collapse.
"Do either of you know how to break formations?"
Lou Yuqing's understanding of formations was extremely shallow. She only remembered her master's advice about using formations against formations and had tried it as a last resort.
It worked-but only barely. The contraction had slowed, but it hadn't stopped.
Luo Buqi remained silent.
He excelled at fighting and killing, but when it came to the six arts of cultivation-alchemy, weapon forging, formations, talismans, beast taming, and spiritual planting-he knew practically nothing.
Chu Qingyang was silent for a long time before finally speaking. "Every formation has a core. If you find the core and destroy it, the formation will break. If you can't find the core..."
He looked into their hopeful eyes.
Then slowly finished, "You can only forcefully break it. Whether through spells or magical artifacts, you wear it down little by little."
Lou Yuqing pointed at the steadily approaching outer barrier.
"You expect us to outlast that?"
At its current speed, they would be reduced to nothing long before the formation showed any signs of giving up.
Outside the small world, silence hung in the air for a brief moment.
Then everyone burst into laughter.
Even those who knew little about formations could tell at a glance that the formation trapping Lou Yuqing and the others was no ordinary one.
The formation masters gathered around Lingzhu Zhenren, however, recognized it instantly.
"The assassin's formation is the Bone-Corroding Array," one elder said. "It erodes both body and soul. The key to breaking it lies in its one hundred and twenty formation nodes. Destroy all the nodes, and they'll be able to escape."
Lingzhu Zhenren glanced sideways at him.
"Do they even look like they know what formation nodes are?" Her tone was flat. "Those three juniors barely know what a formation is."
The formation master froze, his hand still stroking his beard. A look of embarrassment crossed his face.
Gu Buqi silently sighed.
My little disciple is in trouble this time.
In theory, brute force could break any formation. Given enough time, every formation would eventually exhaust its spiritual energy and collapse.
The problem was that Lou Yuqing and the others lacked exactly one thing.
Time.
This method was generally used from outside a formation, where one had sufficient time to wear it down.
Inside the formation, it was practically a death sentence.
Just then, Lou Yuqing's voice echoed from the image.
"Tell me something."
She looked at the others.
"If a magical artifact gets destroyed inside the small world, will it be restored after we leave? Or will it stay broken?"
Gu Buqi's eyes immediately lit up.
His little disciple was thinking.
"The small world is an illusion, so the Heavenly Heart Pill is fake," Chu Qingyang said calmly.
Then he added, "Our magical artifacts are real. If they're damaged, they're damaged."
Lou Yuqing's heart skipped at the first half of his sentence and sank at the second.
In other words, all the losses would come out of their pockets.
Wonderful.
She immediately made a decision. "The combined strength of the three of us can't shake this formation."
Her voice was firm. "But what if we add the power released by self-destructing magical artifacts?"
She looked at the shrinking barrier.
"Can it still withstand that?"
Gu Buqi's lips curled upward.
He knew it.
So what if some magical artifacts exploded?
He could always buy more. His little disciple could play with them however she wanted.
Around him, countless disciples stared in disbelief.
Leaving aside the danger of self-detonating magical artifacts-one mistake and they could easily blow themselves up as well-the idea itself was outrageous.
People spent enormous amounts of resources obtaining magical artifacts.
Who used treasures like these as disposable weapons?
This senior sister's ruthlessness knew no bounds.
Unfortunately, the one suffering from it was her own wallet.
Luo Buqi and Chu Qingyang both changed expressions.
Luo Buqi gave Lou Yuqing a long look.
"Of course that would work."
As he spoke, he pulled out an inkstone, a lamp burner, and a stone tablet.
His posture made one thing abundantly clear: he was fully prepared to burn through his entire fortune.
Chu Qingyang's wealth couldn't compare to Luo Buqi's.
After a moment's hesitation, he silently produced two artifacts-a hammer-shaped one and a mirror-shaped one.
His expression looked as though his heart were bleeding.
Then Lou Yuqing casually brushed her storage ring.
A flash of white light filled the room, followed by a series of clatters as magical artifacts rained onto the floor.
Red umbrellas, handkerchiefs, longswords, steel rings-one treasure after another appeared, piling higher and higher until they formed a small mountain.
The room fell silent.
Luo Buqi: "..."
Chu Qingyang: "..."
Both men stared blankly at her.
The ease with which she produced them made it look less like she was taking out magical artifacts and more like she was unloading a pile of ordinary vegetables.
Compared to the pain they felt, she wasn't even playing the same game.
"How do you have so many magical artifacts?"
For perhaps the first time in his life, Luo Buqi's pride suffered a severe blow.
These weren't decorative trinkets.
Every single one was high quality.
Lou Yuqing answered matter-of-factly.
"My master gave them to me."
Outside the small world, Gu Buqii nodded proudly.
That's right, I did.
The eyes of countless disciples instantly turned red with envy.
They wanted a master like that too.
Luo Buqi looked at Lou Yuqing.
Then at the mountain of magical artifacts.
Then back at Lou Yuqing.
Finally, he forced out a smile.
"Your master is... quite wealthy."
This was a sentence others had always used on him. Now he was saying it to someone else.
Life truly was unpredictable.
"Thank you."
Lou Yuqing accepted the compliment on her master's behalf without hesitation.
"I rarely use these anyway."
She pointed at the pile.
"Take whatever you want. We'll blow them up together later."
Luo Buqi's smile instantly disappeared.
His own master was a Nascent Soul cultivator. Occasionally he would receive high-grade magical artifacts as rewards.
But this many?
Impossible.
His core treasures were already enough for him to command.
Who exactly was her master?
For one terrifying moment, a rebellious thought surfaced in his mind.
What if... he changed masters?
No.
No, no, no.
Luo Buqi hurriedly shook his head.
How could he sink so low?
Beside them, Chu Qingyang remained silent. Yet somehow he looked even more depressed.
Compared to these two monsters, he was practically destitute.
The fact that he could produce two decent magical artifacts was already impressive enough.
Moments later, the inner formation was completely devoured.
The three moved immediately.
Magical artifacts shot toward the barrier.
Then they retreated into the defensive formation they had prepared earlier.
A dazzling white light erupted.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The explosions thundered through the room one after another. It was as though a heavenly catastrophe had descended upon the inn.
Under the terrifying force of the self-detonating artifacts, the seemingly indestructible barrier finally trembled.
Ripples spread across its surface as it struggled to absorb the impact.
Before it could stabilize-three more artifacts slammed into it.
Another series of explosions erupted.
The room shook violently.
Lou Yuqing immediately sealed her hearing with spiritual energy. Even then, the roaring blasts nearly rattled her soul apart.
Her weapon rose into the air.
Together with Luo Buqi and Chu Qingyang, she launched another attack.
The combined strike crashed into the barrier and interrupted its recovery.
If the Bone-Corroding Array possessed a spirit, it would probably feel as though it were drowning in an endless sea.
Wave after wave crashed down upon it.
Relentless.
Merciless.
Until destruction became inevitable.
Meanwhile, in the inn's rear hall.
The innkeeper slapped a hand onto the table.
Two wine gourds appeared instantly.
He tossed one toward the black-clad assassin seated opposite him.
"Drink." He grinned. "Those three won't survive tonight."
The assassin pushed the wine aside.
His voice was hoarse.
"The young master ordered their deaths. I won't relax until I see the result with my own eyes."
As he spoke, he removed his cloak, revealing a familiar face-the owner of the slaughterhouse.
After receiving the young master's orders earlier that day, he had secretly come to Wanfu Inn and planted formation flags throughout Lou Yuqing's room.
The innkeeper shook his head. "You're no fun."
He grabbed the wine himself and drained it in one gulp. The strong liquor burned down his throat.
"Refreshing!"
The slaughterhouse owner glanced at him but remained silent.
The innkeeper continued muttering to himself. "They were unlucky enough to stay at our hideout. Otherwise killing them would've been troublesome."
Then he asked, "What did Old Xue say? Not even interrogate them first?"
The slaughterhouse owner replied coldly, "They're investigating the Snow Lotus. Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty escape. Afterward, erase every trace of them. If they have accomplices, we can't leave any clues behind."
The innkeeper finished another gourd.
"Fine."
A trace of drunkenness appeared on his face, though his eyes remained clear.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion rocked the inn. Scorching heat surged through the corridors, melting everything in its path.
The slaughterhouse owner's expression changed instantly.
"They broke the formation!"
His figure vanished at once. The innkeeper's drunkenness also disappeared as he hurried after him.
He wasn't overly concerned. The Bone-Corroding Array wasn't easy to break, and even if they had somehow succeeded, they must have paid a terrible price.
A few more attacks should be enough to finish them off.
That confidence lasted only until he arrived at the scene.
His pupils contracted.
Lou Yuqing, Luo Buqi, and Chu Qingyang were all standing there, alive and well.
Aside from slightly disheveled clothes, they appeared completely unharmed. Not a single visible injury could be seen.
The innkeeper immediately turned to flee, only for a flash of blue light to appear before him.
Chu Qingyang blocked his path.
His expression turned cold.
"Running? Stay."
Bang!
The two collided head-on.
At the same time, Lou Yuqing and Luo Buqi moved to intercept the slaughterhouse owner. Purple lightning intertwined with golden sword light, sealing off every possible route of escape.
The slaughterhouse owner was blasted backward, crashing into a wall and coughing up a mouthful of blood.
His heart sank. Having witnessed their strength firsthand, he knew he couldn't win. Escape was his only option.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a teleportation talisman.
Just as he was about to activate it, darkness swallowed his vision.
The world shifted, and an endless abyss stretched out around him.
The slaughterhouse owner froze.
"I was waiting for that."
Luo Buqi's cold voice echoed through the darkness.
"You think you can run? Dream on."
Golden light flashed as the Illusionary Eye activated.
Luo Buqi appeared before him, snatched away the teleportation talisman, and drove a punch squarely into his face.
The illusion shattered, and reality returned.
The slaughterhouse owner coughed up blood, his face turning deathly pale. Before he could react, Luo Buqi had already sealed his spiritual energy.
At nearly the same moment, Chu Qingyang subdued the innkeeper as well.
Lou Yuqing looked coldly at the two captives. "Start the interrogation."
Elsewhere in the inn, everything remained quiet. None of the other guests had noticed the battle.
The intoxicating incense had already put them all into a deep sleep.