Chapter 32: A Single Suspicion, Suffering on Both Sides
"Master, you all carry on for now. I'll take Xiao Bai and leave first."
As Fan Chen spoke, he scooped Xiao Bai up in his arms, grabbed Qian Renxue's hand, and left without hesitation.
Watching the three small figures depart, the expressions of the people left behind grew somewhat complicated.
Thinking back to what had just happened, their faces felt inexplicably hot.
Being mistaken for someone who would snatch a junior's belongings was already humiliating enough, let alone when that junior belonged to their own side. That was humiliation on an entirely different level.
At this moment, Golden Crocodile Douluo felt as though the jade bottle in his hand was burning hot. He turned his head to look at the others behind him.
"This time, we've really embarrassed ourselves. What do you all think?"
They exchanged glances. In the end, it was Luan Yuqing who spoke first.
"Putting aside what exactly is inside this bottle, the place where it was found alone is highly suspicious."
Luan Yuqing leaned closer, carefully examining the jade bottle in Golden Crocodile Douluo's hand, his expression turning grave.
The place where Fan Chen and Qian Renxue discovered the bottle was in a relatively lively area on the outer edge of Spirit City.
That area usually had a heavy flow of people. If the bottle had been there for any length of time, it should have been discovered long ago.
There was no way it would have waited until Fan Chen and the others came across it.
"The location itself is suspicious enough, but the condition of this bottle is even more suspicious. Haven't you noticed that it looks far too new?"
An item buried in a corner—even if it had only been there for a few days—should have been covered in grime.
Even if someone cleaned it afterward, it would be impossible to completely remove the traces left by time and exposure.
The contents of the jade bottle were indeed something precious, but the bottle itself wasn't particularly valuable.
At most, it was just a somewhat expensive ornament—good-looking, but otherwise useless.
After Luan Yuqing's analysis, everyone present realized that something was clearly wrong.
"Bait?!"
Xiao Bai possessed a special ability to detect energy traces—this was something everyone there knew.
And it was also something they kept absolutely confidential from the outside world, with only a very small number of people aware of it.
The purpose was precisely to prevent situations like this. Yet, judging by Luan Yuqing's reasoning…
This was very likely bait prepared specifically for Fan Chen and the others, meant to lure them over.
"If that's really the case, then the alley in that city district was probably an ambush site."
"If Fan Chen had actually walked in then, he probably wouldn't have come back out."
Realizing this, Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression instantly turned extremely solemn.
"Don't get agitated. Leave this matter to me. Don't alert the enemy."
Luan Yuqing pressed a hand down on Golden Crocodile Douluo, stopping him from taking action and signaling him to calm down.
Golden Crocodile Douluo's combat strength was formidable, but he was best suited for confrontation—not investigation or reconnaissance.
Tasks like this were far more suitable for Luan Yuqing.
After all, flying-type martial souls naturally possessed powerful scouting abilities.
Their eyesight and spiritual perception were stronger than most other martial souls of the same level, and their bodies were agile and flexible.
Luan Yuqing was also well-versed in handling such matters. Having him investigate was the most appropriate choice.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Third Brother. I need to hurry over and keep an eye on that kid."
At present, it still wasn't completely certain whether this was truly aimed at Fan Chen—but caution was never a bad thing.
Before a sapling grows up, it's no different from ordinary weeds—and even easier to snap.
Simply because it stands out too much.
Those who are too rigid break easily. This was the common fate of countless fallen geniuses from major powers.
Golden Crocodile Douluo handed the jade bottle over to Guang Ling and the others, instructing them to take it to Qian Daoliu and have him identify exactly what was inside.
After all, Qian Daoliu was the most knowledgeable among them—if anyone could recognize it, it would be him.
As for Golden Crocodile Douluo himself, he needed to hurry to Fan Chen's side.
He had no intention of letting anything happen to that troublesome brat.
Luan Yuqing first went to find the Angel Legion member who had been used as a "tool person" by Fan Chen and questioned him about the specific circumstances.
After that, he personally set out to investigate the scene.
Thus, without anyone noticing, the overall atmosphere within Spirit City quietly underwent a subtle shift.
---
On a patch of grass, Qian Renxue was playing with Xiao Bai.
Meanwhile, Fan Chen lay quietly off to the side. His eyes were closed, making him look as though he were asleep.
In reality, his mind was racing at full speed, sorting through everything that had happened that day.
"The jade bottle… Xiao Bai… the golden threads."
Countless fragmented images shattered and overlapped in his mind, and he too sensed that something was off.
Now that he carefully recalled every detail surrounding the discovery of the jade bottle, the problems became increasingly obvious.
Using a valuable treasure as bait to draw Xiao Bai's attention, then letting Xiao Bai lead him and Qian Renxue over—
Throwing out a brick to lure in jade. Clearly, this had been a trap.
However, even after realizing this, there were still doubts Fan Chen couldn't resolve.
How did the other party learn about Xiao Bai's abilities? And was their target Qian Renxue—or himself?
He had no answers to any of these questions, which only made him feel increasingly irritable.
'Being watched from the shadows really pisses me off. Don't let me find out who it is—otherwise, I'll make sure you regret it.'
That was what Fan Chen thought to himself. After all, no one liked being constantly watched from the dark.
And he wasn't the only one feeling this way.
Hidden in the shadows, Di Tian felt the same.
At this very moment, he was being driven nearly mad by Luan Yuqing.
If he weren't restricted from acting freely, he would have long since wanted to kill that damn birdman outright.
"Isn't this group's vigilance a bit too high? It's just a bottle of Water of Life—was there really a need to investigate this thoroughly?"
Luan Yuqing's search could practically be described as a carpet search, spreading outward from the spot where the jade bottle had been discovered.
Judging by his momentum, it seemed like he intended to flip the entirety of Spirit City upside down.
With Di Tian's strength, avoiding Luan Yuqing's investigation wasn't difficult.
However, if this continued, it would severely hinder his actions.
His chances of approaching the Auspicious Beast would become even slimmer.
Yet, compared to the relentless Luan Yuqing, the one Di Tian hated even more was Fan Chen.
The Auspicious Beast had practically been delivered right to his doorstep. As long as that human boy had taken a single step into the alley, he could have immediately captured her.
Who could have imagined that the human brat would instead pull someone else in to check first? That move left Di Tian completely stunned.
He hadn't left the Star Dou Forest in many years—had human children become this cautious now?
Because of Fan Chen's vigilance, Di Tian not only missed this opportunity but also attracted the troublesome attention of Luan Yuqing.
"Looks like I'll have to wait for another chance."
Faced with such a result, Di Tian could only feel helpless.
And there was one more crucial point he couldn't understand—
Why was the Auspicious Beast so obedient to that human?
Thinking back to the one in his own home who had nearly run away, it was practically a carbon copy.
---
After conducting a detailed investigation throughout Spirit City, Luan Yuqing did indeed discover some suspicious individuals.
However, upon further examination, they turned out to be spies from the two great empires or lackeys of various sect forces.
They were all insignificant small fry, completely inconsistent with Luan Yuqing's original suspicions.
"Could it be that I was mistaken… and that it was really just such a coincidence?"
—
End of Chapter