209: Chapter 28 Su Wan

Chen Zilong's body stiffened almost imperceptibly as he slowly turned around.

At the entrance of the Pill Pavilion stood a young female cultivator dressed in a light purple long dress. She had a delicate appearance and a gentle temperament, looking at him with a hint of confusion.

This female cultivator's cultivation was at the Nascent Soul Early Stage. Chen Zilong found her somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had seen her for a moment.

"You are...?"

Chen Zilong frowned slightly, remaining vigilant.

"Fellow Daoist Chen doesn't remember me? I am Zhou..."

The female cultivator stopped mid-sentence, seemingly realizing something. She glanced around and lowered her voice, "I am Zhou Xiao's cousin, Su Wan."

"Ten years ago at the Zhou Family in Qingyan City, we met once."

"Later I heard... I heard that a major incident occurred in Qingyan City, and the Zhou Family remained unharmed thanks to Fellow Daoist Chen."

"I didn't expect to meet you here."

Zhou Xiao's cousin?

Su Wan?

Chen Zilong had a faint impression; it seemed he had indeed met such a woman from a branch of the family at the Zhou Family back then, but they hadn't interacted much.

His vigilance grew even stronger.

The incident in Qingyan City had caused quite a stir, and he was now the Xuan Yin Sect's most wanted fugitive. For Su Wan to recognize him at this moment—was it a coincidence, or...?

With an expressionless face, he said calmly,

"So it is Miss Su. It has been a long time. This humble Chen has matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave first."

After saying that, he prepared to leave.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, please wait!"

Su Wan hurriedly stepped forward, her voice even lower and tinged with urgency, "Fellow Daoist Chen, this is not the place to talk."

"I... I have some news regarding Qingyan City and the Xuan Yin Sect that might be useful to you. Could we speak in private?"

Chen Zilong paused, his gaze sharp as he looked at Su Wan.

Her eyes were clear and filled with worry, not appearing to be faked.

Moreover, she mentioned the Xuan Yin Sect...

Could there really be some inside information?

He pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Fine. There is a teahouse ahead; let's talk there."

One after the other, the two arrived at a relatively quiet private room in a nearby teahouse.

After setting up a soundproofing Restriction, Su Wan breathed a sigh of relief, a complex expression appearing on her face.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, to be honest, I am not here by chance. I specifically left my family and followed inquiries all the way to Lingxiao City."

Su Wan got straight to the point, her tone sincere.

"Following me?"

Chen Zilong's eyes turned cold. "Why?"

"To repay your kindness, and... also to warn you."

Su Wan took a deep breath. "After the incident in Qingyan City, everyone in the Zhou Family was immensely grateful to you."

"However, the Xuan Yin Sect is powerful and will certainly not let this go."

"Though my Zhou Family is weak, we still have some information channels."

"We heard that the Xuan Yin Sect headquarters has increased the bounty on you and... has sent out even more powerful figures to track your whereabouts everywhere."

"It is said that the leaders are elites under a Vice Sect Master surnamed 'Xue' from the headquarters. They specialize in tracking and assassination, and their strength is likely... even greater than Huang Chen's!"

Chen Zilong's heart sank slightly.

As expected, the Xuan Yin Sect would not let him off easily.

Vice Sect Master Xue Ming?

Just hearing the name, one could tell he was no easy target.

"Why are you telling me this, Miss Su? Aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself?"

Chen Zilong asked.

Su Wan gave a bitter smile.

"What the Zhou Family owes you cannot be repaid with just this bit of information."

"Furthermore... my aunt Su Ling, who is Zhou Xiao's mother, has always been concerned about your safety."

"She told me that if I ever had the chance to meet you, I must warn you to be careful."

"And... I have some selfish motives of my own."

She paused, a hint of a blush and determination appearing on her face.

"I... I don't want to marry the member of the Wang Family that my family has arranged for me."

"By taking the opportunity to come out and find you to deliver this message, I also wanted to... escape the family's arrangements."

"So, telling you this is also because... if you don't mind, perhaps you could let me follow you temporarily and leave this place of trouble."

"Although my cultivation isn't high, I am quite familiar with the eastern part of the Middle Domain, so I might be of some help."

Chen Zilong looked at Su Wan, his thoughts racing.

The woman's words sounded reasonable, and her emotions seemed sincere.

It was indeed possible for the Zhou Family to do this, and it was understandable for Su Wan, as a woman from a branch family, to want to escape an arranged marriage.

Moreover, her information regarding the Xuan Yin Sect's movements was crucial to him.

However...

Could all of this be too much of a coincidence?

He had just settled in Lingxiao City when he "accidentally" met an old acquaintance from the Zhou Family who just happened to bring key information?

Could the Xuan Yin Sect's pursuers have already used the Zhou Family or Su Wan to set a new trap?

He remembered the three vicious sword glows in front of the Heavenly Craft City teleportation array.

The Xuan Yin Sect had always been unscrupulous in its actions.

"I appreciate Miss Su's kind intentions,"

Chen Zilong spoke slowly, his tone betraying no emotion. "However, This humble Chen is used to traveling alone and has many enemies. Following me would likely only be more dangerous."

"As for the news about the Xuan Yin Sect, thank you for informing me."

"It would be best for Miss Su to return to your family as soon as possible or find another place to settle down."

He decided it was better to believe it than not.

The news that the Xuan Yin Sect had sent more powerful people to hunt him down was likely true.

But as for Su Wan, he couldn't fully trust her for now. He would keep his distance and observe first.

Hearing this, a flash of disappointment appeared in Su Wan's eyes, but she didn't persist, simply nodding.

"I understand. Then... please take care, Fellow Daoist. This is a special communication talisman from my Zhou Family. If you encounter difficulties near Pill City, you might be able to seek help at 'Baicao Pavilion' with this talisman; it's a pill shop that has an old connection with my family."

She handed over a small green jade talisman.

Chen Zilong took the jade talisman, scanned it with his divine sense, and upon finding no issues, put it away.

"Thank you."

The two left the teahouse and went their separate ways.

Chen Zilong watched Su Wan disappear around the street corner, his eyes deep.

He didn't return to the inn; instead, he circled around a few times, and after confirming no one was following him, he stayed at a more secluded inn.

He took out the black bone fragment and studied it carefully once more.

The clues about the "soul source" and the "spirit purifying soul calming powder" gave him new hope for treating his primordial spirit injuries.

He had to reach Pill City as soon as possible. Alchemists gathered there, and he might find specific information about the "soul source" or even complete the pill formula.

However, the news Su Wan brought hung over his heart like a dark cloud.

The more powerful pursuers from the Xuan Yin Sect...

When and in what way would they appear?

He booked a cloud boat ticket to Pill City for seven days later.

During these seven days, he had to recover as much strength as possible while being doubly careful.

The night in Lingxiao City gradually deepened.

Beneath the prosperity, undercurrents surged.

The final stretch of the journey to the Pill Mansion seemed even more fraught with danger than imagined.