Chapter 682: Wuxia: Even Archrivals Can Become Lovers 16

"Do I like Fang Xun? Are you crazy?"

Mu Huaizhi glanced at the wine jug on the table; this person hasn't drunk yet—what drunken act is this?

Seeing his genuine‑surprised expression, Jin Chen froze for two seconds, then silently picked up his chopsticks again, eyes suspicious.

"You really don't like him?"

Mu Huaizhi gritted his teeth, "I and Fang Xun are just friends." Or rather, we used to be friends only.

"Then that's good."

Jin Chen, satisfied, slurped his noodles, not forgetting to advise him, "You must not like him—you can't, and you must not."

"Then why do you say Fang Xun and Fu Zhiyuan can't be lovers?"

Mu Huaizhi gave him a look, feeling completely baffled.

"Fu Zhiyuan harbors ill intent, his conduct extremely odd; if Fang Xun spends too much time with him, his thoughts will be assimilated and he'll become Fu Zhiyuan's accomplice……"

"If the Thousand Mechanism Palace and Heaven Sword Alliance merge, the martial world will surely fall into chaos."

"Now I understand."

Jin Chen realized, "What are you worried about? Isn't there still me?"

He said while picking a few slices of meat for Mu Huaizhi, "I'm a great demon; I'll definitely not let Fu Zhiyuan have it easy."

But this did remind Jin Chen—he hadn't forgotten that in the later plot, Fu Zhiyuan suddenly mastered the Blood-Colored Sea Begonia Technique.

Looks like we still need to test things out.

Thinking about it, Mu Huaizhi's earlier gloom at the manor might be because his friend was deceived and hasn't yet taken his side, so he's not happy.

Jin Chen fully understood, his expression softened; he finished the noodles in a few bites, then propped his chin and watched Mu Huaizhi's leisurely movements.

"Mu Huaizhi, I'm very trustworthy—if you befriend me, I will definitely not betray you."

Meeting Mu Huaizhi's surprised gaze, Jin Chen winked his left eye, his pupils full of interest.

Mu Huaizhi took it as a joke.

Expecting someone from the Demonic Sect to be a friend—he must be crazy to agree.

Jin Chen didn't want to wait for his answer either; settling the present matter first wouldn't be late.

——

The feedback came fast—had the news of Nuo Nuo's birthday banquet been out for only two days?

That night, the third, Mu Huaizhi heard the commotion.

He quickly rose, only to find Jin Chen no longer in the room.

Stepping outside, he saw Jin Chen already following behind a few black‑clothed figures, appearing and disappearing as he beckoned, signaling to follow.

And the leader of the black‑clothed men cradled the unconscious Nuo Nuo in his arms.

He felt a slight start, yet followed without showing it.

Passing the bedroom, Mu Huaizhi instinctively glanced inside, his pupils suddenly contracting; he quickly hid in the tree shade and shut the door with its slit.

In the room, the woman called A Yun was holding Nuo Nuo, hiding in the cabinet.

How could the black‑clothed man's arms hold an identical child?

No time to think further, Mu Huaizhi instantly recalled what Jin Chen had said that day.

——"But the child in the room will be fine."

This was Jin Chen's deliberate arrangement?!

Mu Huaizhi knew Jin Chen's tailing was obvious; the black‑clothed men surely knew and were using the infant as bait.

He couldn't follow too closely.

Thinking this, Mu Huaizhi waited until they had gone a while, then followed at a distance; as he passed the residence where Fang Xun and the other were temporarily staying, he silently threw a concealed weapon as a signal.

The moon was dark, the stars sunk, the street dim; faint rustling of a fierce wind in the woods could be heard.

The three followed far behind, highly vigilant; Fu Zhiyuan also temporarily set aside their grudge, first to rescue the infant, then talk later.

Not knowing how long they'd followed, Mu Huaizhi suddenly noticed Jin Chen's figure had vanished.

And precisely because of that, he abruptly realized one of the black‑clothed men was missing too!

One person missing—did you see when they disappeared?

Mu Huaizhi gestured to ask, thinking he'd missed it—who would have thought Fang Xun and Fu Zhiyuan had just noticed too, their eyes widening in shock.

If you don't say, I wouldn't have noticed.

Fang Xun also gestured back, his steps unceasing.

That's because Mu Huaizhi's attention was on Jin Chen; otherwise he wouldn't have noticed.

It's astonishing they could vanish right under our noses—such concealment art is practically divine.

The three followed them all the way, leaving the small town farther behind until they detoured onto a small path and arrived at a temple.

Almost instantly, Mu Huaizhi recalled the strangeness of that evil‑suppressing copper coin, and he and Fang Xun exchanged a glance, both solemn.

Seeing the black‑clothed men's movement halt, they too stopped at once, hiding behind the grass and watching closely.

The black‑clothed man holding the swaddled infant stood in place, waiting for his companion to clear the weeds beside the well before jumping down.

Immediately, the other four black‑clothed escorts also jumped in.

After waiting about the time to finish a cup of tea, there was still no movement.

Mu Huaizhi rose, hand already pressing the hilt of the Jade Hilt Dragon sword, cautiously stepping forward.

Looking into the well, it was empty; only the left‑side weeds showed signs of being trampled.

It seems there is a passage inside the well.

He didn't look back, just raised his hand in a gesture, then stepped first into the opening.

Fang Xun and the other followed closely behind.

No moonlight, no torches; the well mouth grew ever darker, even insect sounds had vanished, inexplicably filling people with fear.

Even though the three were highly skilled in martial arts and could see in darkness, the chaotic weeds in the passage confused their sight.

Not to mention the filth and the inability to see the road ahead, these weeds were utterly dry and crackled underfoot.

Mu Huaizhi took a probing step forward, mobilizing his inner energy to make his steps as light as possible, nodded at them, then continued onward.

The passage seemed to have been frequently used for years; although the floor was overgrown with weeds, the walls on both sides appeared to have been carefully polished.

Mu Huaizhi lightly touched it with his finger and could still feel a layer…

His expression changed instantly—wax oil, how could there be burning wax oil in such a place?

At that moment Fang Xun happened to see a black-clad person holding a swaddling cloth not far ahead, about to follow, when he saw the person casually toss the swaddling cloth onto the ground.

Then he coldly turned and stared at them; his eyes behind the black cloth looked extraordinarily eerie, like a corpse.

"Get out, now."

Mu Huaizhi didn't have time to signal; he instantly realized they'd been tricked, instinctively grabbed Fang Xun's arm and ran outward, moving extremely fast.

Fu Zhiyuan, lagging a few steps behind, smelled the burning dry grass, then realized what was happening, cursed under his breath, and hurried to catch up.

That swaddling cloth was completely empty!

Retracing their original route, they found two black-clad persons blocking the way ahead, their exposed eyes dead and expressionless.

They showed no fear of the thick smoke spreading throughout the passage, using their bodies to block the path of life.

Mutual destruction.

This was their goal.

Mu Huaizhi's eyes turned fierce; the Jade Hilt Dragon had already been drawn, its sword aura so fierce it could even cut through the thick smoke.

He rushed forward to clash with the two black-clad persons blocking the road, every move carrying killing intent.

Fang Xun looked back; Fu Zhiyuan seemed to have inhaled the smoke and was coughing nonstop, struggling to keep up.

Meanwhile the fire could no longer be contained; the black-clad person at the very rear had already vanished.

Whether it was death or another path to life, they had no way of knowing.