222: Brother-in-law...?

In a corner of the city's south, Zuoqiu Zhen huddled against the wall, covering her mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound. The fear in her eyes was almost palpable.

She had just witnessed someone being snatched away by something and dragged into an adjacent alley. The thing was too fast for her to see clearly; she only heard a scream, followed by intense tearing and gnawing sounds.

The alley was very close to her, less than a hundred steps away. She could still faintly hear the sound of bones being crunched.

She knew in her heart that the best option was to run, to quickly escape while the thing was feeding, but her limbs trembled uncontrollably. She was afraid that any movement would attract it.

Now, she could only hope she hadn't been discovered.

But fate had other plans; the feeding sounds stopped…

Zuoqiu Zhen's eyes welled up, and fear enveloped her, the immense pressure almost stopping her heart.

“Whoosh~~~”

A cold wind whistled through the cracks, letting out a mournful howl.

Zuoqiu Zhen stared intently at the alley entrance. After a long moment, nothing appeared there. Before she could sigh in relief, a soft chuckle came from behind her.

“Hehe~”

In an instant, a penetrating chill pierced her body. Zuoqiu Zhen's eyes rolled back, and she almost fainted.

That thing… was behind her?

Intense despair made her heart turn to ashes. She slowly closed her eyes, awaiting death, no longer wanting to struggle. She knew she couldn't struggle.

“Slap!”

A large hand landed on Zuoqiu Zhen's shoulder. Xu Sanyan clearly felt her delicate body tremble.

“Hehe~”

Xu Sanyan leaned close to her ear and gently blew air, watching as a cold sweat trickled down her cheek, which he found highly amusing.

Zuoqiu Zhen mustered her courage and opened her eyes. Her peripheral vision caught Xu Sanyan, and her expression visibly changed.

Her mouth pouted, and the tears welling in her eyes instantly spilled out. She sobbed and threw herself into his embrace, her arms tightly wrapping around his waist.

“Brother-in-law…”

“Wuwuwu… I'm so scared.”

Zuoqiu Zhen's emotions were like a roller coaster, rising and falling dramatically. She had fallen into despair only to find a lifeline. The feeling of being on the brink of life and death made it impossible for her to compose herself, and two lines of tears streamed down her face.

Xu Sanyan was stunned. Eh?

Brother-in-law?

Does your sister know you call me brother-in-law?

But he had always found it hard to refuse a beauty throwing herself into his arms. He unceremoniously put his arm around her shoulder, sniffing the fragrance on her body.

After a while, Zuoqiu Zhen recovered. She felt a little embarrassed seeing her tear-soaked clothes on Xu Sanyan's chest, but she didn't push him away. She just spoke softly, “Saint, why are you here?”

Xu Sanyan teased, “Why aren't you calling me brother-in-law anymore?”

Zuoqiu Zhen blushed and buried her head back in his embrace, which gave her a sense of security. “I was so scared just now. I thought it was that ghost…”

At this moment, Junior Sister Zhao felt a warmth on her chest. She took out the Mother-Child Stone to check it, then handed it to Xu Sanyan. There was a message on it:

“Beware of ghosts. Gather at the thatched hut under the city bridge.”

“Fang Qingge sent it?”

“Yes,” Junior Sister Zhao nodded.

Xu Sanyan was silent for a moment, saying nothing more.

Junior Sister Zhao looked at the scene, pursing her lips, watching the two hugging.

Xu Sanyan looked at the thick fog in the sky, wondering whether to continue patrolling. If every time he struck the gong, someone died, it would be completely worthless.

Because one life, taken to the old ghost at the Tooth Market, could be exchanged for three catties of Soul Refining. Even if he only took sixty percent, he would still get one catty and eight taels, while patrolling for one night only yielded eight taels of Soul Refining.

Looking at Junior Sister Zhao behind him, Xu Sanyan shook his head. He wasn't going to continue patrolling. It was too dangerous and not profitable.

“Bro… Brother-in-law, let's find a place to hide,”

Zuoqiu Zhen struggled out of his embrace.

Xu Sanyan nodded. The night here was indeed dangerous, mainly because their strength was too low. It was best to find a safe place to spend the night first.

So he looked towards the west of the city. Lin Fan had previously said he was hiding in a manor, perhaps they could go there to check. He then took out the Mother Stone and sent a message to everyone, telling them to gather in the west of the city.

…

At the same time,

In Moyang City, Mo Qianqian's clear eyes looked at a spot not far ahead. There were two paths side by side: one was very wide, a stone-paved road that was no different from other places.

The other was narrower, a small brick-lined path that was out of place with its surroundings.

The brick path was dim even in daylight, as if it repelled light, much like…

Oil and water, with a clear boundary yet slowly merging.

She had been observing here for a long time. The small path showed no abnormalities. So, after a slight hesitation, she tentatively extended her small foot and stepped onto it…

Instantly, a sensation of dizziness and disorientation came over her. Mo Qianqian's pupils widened. She watched as the surrounding scenery changed, the sky shifting from day to night.

The huge houses and pavilions returned to their normal size. She stared wide-eyed, looking at the silent street before her with a blank expression. She opened her mouth, “Where is this…?”

“This is another Secret Realm, connected to that Secret Realm for some unknown reason.”

A voice came from behind her. Mo Qianqian quickly turned her head and breathed a slight sigh of relief. She recognized this person: Luo Changtian of the Qi Dao Sect.

“The ghosts here are very strong. Even ordinary ghosts have the strength of Mystic Path Realm Perfection, and Soul Refinement Realm ones are everywhere. Fairy, please be careful,” Luo Changtian warned.

“Thank you,” Mo Qianqian nodded.

“Fairy, if you have nowhere to go, why not come with me? With my Junior Sister and Brother Fang, the four of us can look out for each other,” Luo Changtian suggested.

The four of them were among the top young talents, and their combined strength would provide great security.

“Alright,” Mo Qianqian agreed.

Just as the two were about to move, they heard the sound of frantic footsteps from behind them. Turning their heads, they saw a figure running towards them at high speed.

Upon seeing who it was, Luo Changtian gritted his teeth and squeezed out three words:

“Tu Wanshan!”

Ever since Qi Liang snatched his Jade Slip, almost costing him his life, and later his Junior Sister was severely beaten by Xu Sanyan and fell unconscious, he had harbored a deep hatred for those of the Demonic Sect. The animosity between the two sides had grown deeper and deeper.

“Demonic Cultivator!”

Luo Changtian said bitterly.

Beside him, Mo Qianqian narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping past Tu Wanshan to what was behind him. She saw a strong gust of Yin wind rapidly approaching, faintly visible in the dark night sky.

Seeing people ahead, Tu Wanshan was overjoyed. He activated his movement technique and rushed towards the two at full speed.

He wanted to divert the danger.

“Run!”

Mo Qianqian saw his intention, warned him, and turned to run.

“It's you Demonic Sect again!” Luo Changtian hated them even more, but he knew that escaping was paramount at the moment. He turned and followed Mo Qianqian.

“Don't leave!”

Tu Wanshan had finally encountered people; he wouldn't let them leave easily and followed closely.

Luo Changtian's movement technique was agile and extremely fast. He took a moment to look back at Tu Wanshan. Seeing that he was still following, he became furious.

“Why are you following us?”