Chapter 345: Intuition Was Right

Two figures stopped at a point two hundred meters outside the snow‑beast encirclement; the ghost‑faced youth said softly, "There are many snow beasts ahead."

Yuan Yao held the map in her hand, lowered her eyes and said, "Ahead is the treasure location shown on the map."

She frowned and said, "Are these snow beasts guarding the treasure site?"

"Stay here and wait for me; I'll go ahead to check the situation," the ghost‑faced youth said, then tried to dash toward the snow‑beast herd, but Yuan Yao reached out and stopped him.

"Wait."

The ghost‑faced youth looked at her with an incomprehensible expression.

Yuan Yao explained, "To be safe, let me control Yuan Bati to scout; its body is small and can dodge nimbly."

Saying that, Yuan Yao took Yuan Bati out of the beast‑pet space.

Xie Yan lowered his gaze at the puppet in her hand, his mouth twitched slightly, "Yuan Bati?"

"Yes, it's called Yuan Bati," Yuan Yao said with a smile as she introduced it.

"Did you name it yourself?"

"Hmm." Yuan Yao nodded, then seemed to notice a hint of disdain flickering in Xie Yan's eyes; she snorted coldly.

She turned her back and set Yuan Bati down.

Immediately, she employed a mental‑puppet technique, commanding Yuan Bati to move forward.

Yuan Bati's form sped forward; it could move flexibly, evading the gazes of the snow beasts.

Soon it passed through layer upon layer of snow beasts and reached the frontmost position.

At that moment, Yuan Yao closed her eyes.

Using Yuan Bati's perspective, she gradually saw a team surrounded by snow beasts; the young disciples wore sky‑blue attire, were dealing with a mechanical formation, and her attention was quickly drawn to a familiar face.

Lu Xiangxiang?!

Then, Yuan Yao keenly sensed an icy, bone‑piercing gaze sweeping across toward Yuan Bati's direction.

Yuan Yao acted decisively, swiftly commanding Yuan Bati to turn back.

That gaze came from the fifth‑tier pinnacle snow beast.

Xie Yan saw the puppet turning back and turned his head toward Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao opened her eyes and whispered to Xie Yan, "Within the snow‑beast encirclement there is a team. One of them is Lu Xiangxiang."

Hearing the name "Lu Xiangxiang," Xie Yan seemed to recall something and asked, "What are the characteristics of this team?"

Yuan Yao said, "I see all the young disciples wearing sky‑blue clothes, with a Bagua pattern embroidered above the cuffs. Xie Yan, do you know anything?"

Xie Yan pursed his lips, his tone grew colder, "Do you still remember the Formless Immortal Patriarch Xu Yanzhi?"

Yuan Yao nodded.

This Formless Immortal Patriarch is the original novel's male lead; how could she not remember him?

Xie Yan said, "He took a second disciple."

Yuan Yao showed a shocked expression, "Could it be Lu Xiangxiang?"

"It's Lu Xiangxiang, also Lu Xiang."

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao understood.

She was a bit incredulous, "Lu Xiangxiang actually became a disciple of the Formless Immortal Patriarch; between them…"

"Wouldn't that violate human ethics?"

"If master and disciple were together, wouldn't it be the forbidden love described in the storybooks?"

Seeing that she lingered in thought, Xie Yan asked, "What are you thinking?"

Yuan Yao came back to herself and shook her head.

"You don't like Lu Xiangxiang," Xie Yan said with a definite tone.

"Don't like her," Yuan Yao replied, then lifted her gaze to stare at Xie Yan's authority, "Is the Formless Immortal Patriarch your enemy?"

Xie Yan pursed his lips, lowered his lashes, hiding the cold murderous intent in his eyes, and gave a soft "mm".

He lifted his eyes, "How did you know?"

Yuan Yao said, "Intuition—you have deep hostility toward the Formless Immortal Patriarch."

"Your intuition is correct."

"Of course."

"Since you dislike Lu Xiangxiang, why didn't you eliminate her directly in the Liuguang Secret Realm?" Xie Yan asked, puzzled.

Yuan Yao avoided his gaze, "In this world, not everything can go as we wish."

Xie Yan stared at her profile, silent for a moment, then said softly, "If you cannot kill Lu Xiangxiang yourself, I can do it for you."

Yuan Yao's heart jumped; she looked up straight into his calm eyes.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze solemnly fixed on her.

"Because my hands can be stained with anyone's blood."

Yuan Yao was stunned.

Xie Yan let out a muffled laugh, "Scared?"

He said, "If you want to hire me as an assassin, you must pay the fee. I, Xie Yan, don't do losing‑money deals."

Yuan Yao gave a faint smile, "You're not skilled enough as an assassin. If I need a killer, I certainly won't choose you."

Xie Yan's smile faded, "Then who do you want to hire?"

"I won't tell you," Yuan Yao said coquettishly.

Xie Yan's eyes darkened slightly, "Those senior brothers of yours?"

Yuan Yao said, "Stop dwelling on that. Our immediate priority is how to slip silently into the snow‑beast herd, see what Lu Xiangxiang and the others are doing, then act at the right moment."

Xie Yan gave her a cool glance.

"Aren't you not going?" Yuan Yao said, "Then I'll go myself."

Having said that, she was about to go forward.

But the next moment, he grasped her wrist.

She turned her head to look at him.

"Who said I'm not going?" Xie Yan sneered, and he did not release Yuan Yao's wrist.

At that moment, Yuan Yao saw several faint silhouettes in the distance behind, and her complexion changed; she immediately broke free from Xie Yan's hand.

Xie Yan's brows knit tightly.

"Look!" Yuan Yao, sensing a faint chill from Xie Yan, quickly pointed behind, "Someone's behind!"

Xie Yan looked in the direction she pointed.

Sure enough, he saw six figures.

One of them he recognized.

He recalled the sentence the other had said when sending a message some days ago, and his expression grew even sicker.

"Xie Yan, we must keep our distance."

Xie Yan pulled her, and the two hid behind a massive stone; he said, "You must also keep distance from others."

Yuan Yao remained silent.

Xie Yan said, "Why aren't you answering me?"

Yuan Yao took a deep breath and said seriously, "Because I don't want to agree with you. I have my own thoughts; I will do what I think is right. Who I get close to and who I keep at a distance should be decided by me."

Xie Yan looked at her cheeks, frozen and flushed, and those bright eyes showed such a serious expression, which was so captivating.

After Yuan Yao finished speaking, she saw his increasingly deepening gaze, and her heart jumped a few beats.

"As you wish."

He released her, leaving two words.

He turned his back, and his voice came, "Since we must keep distance in front of outsiders, I cannot openly protect you. You must be careful yourself."

"Hmm." Yuan Yao was startled for a moment, then said, "You too. Xie Yan, your serious injury hasn't healed; don't overexert yourself. If you truly can't hold on, you can send a voice to me for rescue."

Xie Yan felt a slight stir in his heart; he turned his head, his gaze complexly fixed on Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao smiled.

Her flushed cheeks showed two small dimples, and her eyes were bright and clear.