213: Chapter 213 The Man in Black Robes

Coming mysteriously, leaving decisively.

Qin Yan only truly breathed a sigh of relief at this moment, his long-tensed nerves finally relaxing slightly.

"Brother Qin Yan! Are you alright? Where is Zhang Bei?"

Wang Meng arrived before Qin Yan, his face filled with urgency and concern.

Behind him, over a dozen association martial artists quickly fanned out, alertly surrounding the scene.

Qin Yan shook his head, signaling that he was unharmed.

He gave Wang Meng a concise account of everything that had just happened, including how he defeated Zhang Bei, Zhang Bei's wretched state after activating the evil weapon, the strangeness of the evil whip, and the sudden appearance of the Black-Robed Person who snatched the whip and attacked him.

Of course, regarding his specific strength and the details of the battle, he only glossed over them briefly.

As Qin Yan spoke, the expressions on the faces of Wang Meng and the surrounding association members, who were listening intently, shifted from initial urgency to gradual shock.

Defeating the notoriously vicious Zhang Bei, who was at the third grade late stage?

A bizarre evil weapon that drained essence and blood?

A mysterious Black-Robed Person appearing out of thin air, snatching the evil weapon, and even using a Storage Ring?

Each of these events exceeded the scope of the matters they usually handled.

Qin Yan also knew he had said a bit too much, so he chose to stop while he was ahead.

He pointed toward the withered, unconscious figure on the ground not far away: "That is Zhang Bei."

Several association members immediately surrounded the body.

When they saw that wrinkled face, which looked like a dried corpse, they were all stunned and looked at each other in disbelief.

"This... this is Zhang Bei? Isn't Zhang Bei in his early thirties? This person looks at least seventy or eighty!"

A young member couldn't help but whisper in shock.

An older member who had been involved in Zhang Bei's case frowned and squatted down.

Ignoring the uncomfortable aura of decay, he examined the body carefully for a moment.

His expression then became exceptionally grave.

He stood up, walked to Wang Meng's side, and whispered: "vice president, it's confirmed. Although the appearance has changed drastically, the bone structure matches perfectly. This person... is indeed Zhang Bei!"

Hiss—!

Wang Meng sucked in a cold breath. To turn a third grade late stage martial artist into this state—just what kind of terrifying thing was that evil weapon?

"Seal off the scene immediately! Maximum alert! Notify the President—no, I'll contact the President personally!"

Involving an evil artifact of this level and a mysterious faction was no longer something he, a vice president, could handle alone; it had to be reported immediately!

"vice president Wang, I've explained everything here clearly.

My sister is frightened, so I'll take her home to rest first."

Qin Yan spoke up at the right time, proposing to leave.

He didn't want to get too involved in the subsequent complex investigations and potential trouble.

Wang Meng originally wanted him to stay; after all, Qin Yan was a primary witness and the key person who took down Zhang Bei, and many details still needed verification.

But seeing Qin Xiaoxi behind Qin Yan, her face still pale as she tightly gripped her brother's sleeve...

And considering that Qin Yan had just gone through a fierce battle and an attack by a mysterious Black-Robed Person, he indeed needed rest.

"Alright, Brother Qin Yan, you two go back and get some good rest.

It's all thanks to you today! You've removed a major threat for our Linhai City!

And sorry for the scare.

If there's anything else we need, I'll contact you immediately. Stay safe on the road!"

Wang Meng said gratefully and solemnly.

Qin Yan nodded, said no more, and led his sister Qin Xiaoxi away by the hand.

...

On the way home, the streets were quiet, but Qin Xiaoxi's heart could not find peace for a long time.

She walked silently beside her brother, her small hand held tightly by his warm, large hand.

After a long silence, she finally looked up at Qin Yan, her eyes filled with complex emotions, and asked softly:

"Brother... is the world of martial artists... always this dangerous?"

Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of an imperceptible tremor.

Tonight's experience had extinguished her previous romantic and beautiful fantasies about the world of martial artists, showing her the shadows and cruelty behind the glory.

Qin Yan's footsteps paused slightly, and he pondered for a moment.

He looked at the street stretching ahead, illuminated by streetlights, and spoke slowly:

"Perhaps."

"I have also only just stepped into this world.

What I have seen might only be the tip of the iceberg.

The true world of martial artists has protection and light, but it must also have conflict and shadows, noble ideals, and perhaps base desires.

Wars between races, games between factions, struggles for resources, conflicts of ideology..."

"The teachers have spoken of these things, but I haven't experienced them personally yet."

He turned his head, looking into his sister's eyes which were filled with unease. His gaze became incredibly firm as he said word for word:

"However, Xiao Xi, there is one thing you can always believe in."

He stopped walking and gently placed his hands on his sister's shoulders.

"No matter how dangerous this world becomes in the future, no matter how great the storms it stirs up, or how powerful the enemies we encounter..."

"Brother will use all his strength to become strong enough."

"Strong enough to hold up an absolutely safe sky for you and for Mom and Dad!"

His words were not impassioned, yet they were filled with an undeniable sense of power and a promise as steady as a mountain.

Qin Xiaoxi stared blankly at her brother, seeing the unreserved intent to protect in his eyes.

The fear and confusion in her heart seemed to be gradually dispelled by this steady warmth.

She nodded vigorously, her eyes stinging slightly.

"Mhm! I believe in Brother!"

She said forcefully, her small hand also tightening its grip on Qin Yan's.

However, from an angle Qin Yan couldn't see, Qin Xiaoxi's other small hand hanging at her side was unconsciously clenching into a fist.

A vague but firm thought quietly took root in the depths of her heart.

...

Inside a high-end villa district in Linhai City.

That mysterious black-robed figure quietly emerged.

She walked to a large velvet sofa and sat down elegantly, completely shedding her previous coldness and wariness.

With a gentle stroke of her long, fair fingers, the Storage Ring shimmered with light once more.

In the next moment, the bloodthirsty evil spirit whip, radiating an ominous aura, appeared in her hand.

Unlike the violent restlessness it showed when held by Zhang Bei, the Evil Spirit whip appeared exceptionally "docile" in the Black-Robed Person's hand.

The blood-red light on the whip flowed slowly; instead of trying to backfire, it seemed as if it had met its true master, emitting a faint, whimpering resonance.

The Black-Robed Person's slender fingers gently stroked the first pattern on the whip, which was already lit up and dripping with crimson.

From under the hood came a soft sigh, filled with satisfaction and anticipation.

"The Bloodthirsty Pattern... has finally been preliminarily lit."

"Although it took some time, using that fool's hand saved me a lot of trouble."

A young female voice—completely different from the previous hoarse voice, being lazy and low, yet carrying a strange charm—rang softly in the room.