The moment He Xiaolong spoke, I cautiously began backing away.
By the time I reached the doorway, I spat out a mouthful of True Yang Essence, shattering the oppressive energy field.
The concealed door reappeared, and I immediately turned and rushed outside.
Once in the open air, I coughed violently, fingers down my throat, trying to vomit out the Buddhist relic I'd accidentally swallowed during the fight with Nine Paths Top Scholar.
No matter how sacred it was, it was still human bone.
The thought alone made me sick.
But without the relic in my mouth, I wouldn't have been able to unleash the true power of the Nine Word Seals.
This was a secret I'd stumbled upon by accident.
At the time, my reasoning had been simple—the Buddhist relic was a sacred artifact, and the Nine Word Seals originated from esoteric Buddhist traditions. Since both were tied to Buddhism, I figured they might complement each other.
To my surprise, the experiment worked.
After several failed attempts to gag it up, I gave up. The damn thing had probably already reached my stomach.
Worried about Xiaocui, I didn't dwell on it. I sprinted out the gate, racing toward the main road.
As I ran, I prayed silently that their target this time wasn't Xiaocui.
If not for the unsettling aura around He Xiaolong, I would've strung both him and Lai Youwei up and beaten the truth out of them.
But his abnormal blood energy had made me hesitate. Escaping had been the wiser choice.
While running, I reminded myself—
I wasn't the only one who could act in this world.
Schemes and deception weren't my exclusive domain.
Most importantly, I needed *information*.
I couldn't afford to stay blind and deaf. Otherwise, the next time something like this happened, I'd still be the last to know.
After about five minutes, I reached the nearest main road.
The city, though vibrant by day, had fallen into slumber under the cover of night. This being the suburbs, only the occasional private car passed by—no taxis in sight.
With no other choice, I started flagging down private vehicles.
But instead of slowing down, drivers sped up the moment I raised my hand, avoiding me like the plague.
As precious minutes slipped away, my anxiety grew. When a rugged SUV approached, I stopped hesitating—I dashed straight into the middle of the road and stood firm.
A screech of brakes later, the SUV halted less than half a meter from me.
*"Trying to get yourself killed?"* the driver, a woman, yelled out the window.
I didn't answer. I ran to the passenger side and yanked the door handle.
Locked.
Fearing she'd drive off, I smashed the window and started climbing in.
Between the broken glass and my frantic scrambling, the woman shrieked and hit the gas, lurching forward before I was fully inside.
Half my body still hung outside as cold wind whipped past, snapping me back to my senses.
*"Sis, I mean no harm!"* I shouted over the roar of the engine. *"I'm in an emergency—I just need a ride!"*
By the time I finished, I'd managed to haul myself into the seat. I pulled out every bill I had and dumped the cash on the dashboard.
*"Take me to Tianbao Pavilion! If this isn't enough, I'll pay you more tomorrow!"*
I met her eyes in the rearview mirror—she was young, maybe in her early twenties.
*"Tianbao Pavilion?"* she asked, suspicion giving way to curiosity.
I nodded urgently. *"It's life or death."*
Maybe it was my age—barely more than a kid—that made her relax slightly. She took the next turn. *"It's not far. I'll take you."*
*"Thank you!"* I said, guilt gnawing at me as I glanced at the shattered window.
From what I'd picked up from my uncle and Aunt Su Yimei's cars, this SUV wasn't cheap.
*"I'm from Li Ji Omens on West Pedestrian Street,"* I added quickly. *"I'm the owner, Li Yang. Come find me tomorrow—I'll pay for the repairs."*
She didn't respond, focusing on the road.
Ten minutes later, she pulled over. *"We're here. Tianbao Pavilion's on the left."*
Wary of being tricked into getting out only for her to speed off, I leaned forward to check.
To the left stood an antique tower resembling the Yellow Crane Tower from my middle school textbooks.
A plaque above its entrance read: *Tianbao Pavilion*.
But the building was dark—no lights, no movement. The entire street lay silent, illuminated only by the occasional flickering streetlamp.
*"Is this the only Tianbao Pavilion in the city?"* I asked.
She scoffed. *"You think a place like this is common?"* Her tone suggested deep familiarity with the pavilion. Growing impatient, she snapped, *"Are you getting out or not?"*
Afraid she'd drive off, I opened the door and jumped out.
Sure enough, the second my feet hit the pavement, she floored it and vanished into the night.
No time to worry about whether she'd call the cops. Steeling myself, I approached the shadowy pavilion, Blood Thorn in hand.
The ornate wooden doors were shut tight, not a sound from within.
The street was eerily still.
Then again, Hu Wenhui had said this was a "funeral street"—maybe nighttime silence was normal.
Clutching at straws, I knocked.
No response.
Had the owner taken everyone elsewhere?
*"Sister Zhan Ling?"* I called softly. *"Xiaocui…"*
Just as I was about to add Aunt Su Yimei's name, the door creaked open a sliver.
Zhan Ling peered through the gap. Recognizing me, she whispered, *"Why are you here? Get inside!"*
I slipped through, and she immediately shut the door behind me.
With my Spirit Eye's night vision, the scene before me was chaos—
Tianbao Pavilion, evidently an antique shop, lay in ruins. Shattered porcelain littered the floor, display cases toppled, glass shards everywhere.
My stomach dropped. *"Where's my wife?"*
Zhan Ling hesitated, biting her lip. *"Upstairs."*
Her expression told me everything. I bolted for the stairs.
The moment I entered the room, I saw Xiaocui—pale, unconscious, sprawled on the couch.
Zhan Ling followed me up. *"After we split up, I called Xu Wanrong. She said she'd come tomorrow, so I came here instead. Not long after, a group showed up, demanding Xiaocui hand over some 'Mountain Lord Token.' Luckily, the owner here is strong—he drove them off."*
*"But as they left, one of them pulled out something like a statue. The moment Xiaocui saw it, she collapsed. She's been like this ever since."*
Kneeling beside the couch, I took Xiaocui's hand. Her pulse was steady, and hearing she'd fainted on her own eased the knot in my chest.
*"Were they from the Mystic World? Or the Three Yin Sect?"*
Zhan Ling shook her head. *"No idea."*
Then a voice cut in from the shadows—
*"Both. And there were people from the Ten Thousand Mountains, too."*