Chapter 699: Martial Arts: Even Archrivals Can Become Lovers 33

Chi Lian's gaze toward Jiang Zhu was somewhat doubtful, quickly concealed; he lowered his eyes, curled his lips, and nodded.

He is acquainted; you are… the Young Master's friend, sometimes coming to rest at Not Seeing Spring and drinking together with the Young Master.

Not Seeing Spring is precisely the name of Jin Chen's residence in the Magic Palace.

Even Mu Huaizhi had never known of it.

But he frowned, always feeling that the name Not Seeing Spring was somewhat familiar.

Jiang Zhu let out a sound, exchanged a glance with Jin Chen, and slightly curled his lips.

You tell me, how does he even know Not Seeing Spring? That's your bedroom, after all—I rarely go there.

Sang Ning silently took back the words condemning Jin Chen that were in his heart.

It's outrageous not to know the true identity of this bastard Jiang Zhu—it must be fake!

Mu Huaizhi's eyes dimmed slightly, a dense ache rose in his heart, painful to the point of feeling somewhat suffocated.

He could no longer bear to listen, drew his sword intending to kill Chi Lian, but the remaining reason again stopped this action.

He had not yet uncovered the secret of this man.

In the silence, Jin Chen suddenly let out a soft laugh.

He did not retract his sharpness, merely speaking to Chi Lian with a much lighter tone; his inner force shattered the cage's bars, leaving an opening large enough for one person to come out.

Come out.

He extended his hand toward the alluring man inside, although he did not know when he had put on gloves.

Jin Chen's tone could be described as gentle.

Sang Ning sucked in a breath of cold air, cautiously glanced at Mu Huaizhi behind him, and moved a bit farther away.

Chi Lian's eyes showed delight, as if overwhelmed by favor.

Young Master… do you still want me? I just knew……

He was overjoyed to tears, slowly placing his hand on Jin Chen's palm.

The glove's fabric was somewhat rough; upon contact it still prickled and chafed the hand, but Chi Lian didn't mind, stepping out of the cage following the force.

Jin Chen led him, smiling, yet his expression was inexplicable.

In the next instant, Chi Lian cried out, violently shook off Jin Chen's hand, and fell to the ground.

His palm had turned black, a small bulge rose on his wrist where the veins protruded; something was wriggling, continually crawling upward.

"What is this……" Chi Lian felt utterly bewildered.

Jin Chen, expressionless, took off his glove and threw it onto Chi Lian.

"Idiot."

Fang Xun and Fu Zhiyuan's faces were also full of astonishment.

They all believed it, after all it was too reasonable and well-founded.

Chi Lian tilted his head, looking at Jin Chen in disbelief, "You don't trust me?"

"Although I don't know where you got this token, if I were a member of the Magic Palace, how could I not know Jiang Zhu's identity?"

Jiang Zhu smiled faintly, shaking his fan, one hand behind his back, hiding his talent and fame.

"Besides being a Guest Elder of the Clear Skies Sect, I am also the Right Protector of the Nine Abyss Sect—pleased to meet you."

Fu Zhiyuan, Fang Xun: "What?!"

In just one day they had endured too many frights, leaving them shocked and unable to maintain proper composure.

Mu Huaizhi's complexion relaxed somewhat; when he loosened his grip, his palm already bore a deep groove from the sword hilt.

Chi Lian's complexion changed instantly.

Damn it, actually not having investigated thoroughly.

"You have gall, knowing I lost a period of memory, and taking the opportunity to deceive me."

Jin Chen activated the toxin; having just approached the nose poisoned by some strange fragrance, it was still quite unpleasant.

"Well done, Young Master Jin Chen, indeed full of schemes."

Chi Lian no longer pretended; although he had inadvertently been poisoned, he was ultimately the topmost of the Earth Fiend Seven Garb Assassins—how could he be easily controlled by toxin?

For a moment, he actually fought Jin Chen to a standstill.

Swish—

Mu Huaizhi drew his sword and also went forward to meet it.

He struck with extreme ruthlessness, each move carrying undisguised killing intent, his blade fully exposed.

The three fought fiercely; Jiang Zhu occasionally assisted with hidden weapons, yet Chi Lian also could not gain the upper hand.

The remaining three were not as skilled in martial arts as they; unable to join in, they simply observed the underground area.

Since this Chi Lian did it intentionally, it proves that the crying the townspeople spoke of does not come from him, but from someone else.

Fu Zhiyuan found the innermost corner of the cage, also the place where Chi Lian had just been hiding.

He seemed to hear movement inside, so he and Fang Xun crouched and knocked on the cabinet door.

"Anyone inside?"

"Wuu…"

It was a child's crying!

Fu Zhiyuan was about to directly open the door, but Fang Xun felt it wasn't that simple.

"Something's off."

He spoke softly in Fu Zhiyuan's ear, utmost caution.

"If it were truly an ordinary child, how could it cry every night for so long without anything happening?"

Fu Zhiyuan felt his words made sense: "Then how should we confirm it?"

I open the door, you take the sword.

Okay.

Fang Xun cautiously opened the cabinet door a crack; inside there was no movement, and instead he probed further inside.

He opened it a bit more, then froze.

The child inside the cabinet was covered in filthy bloodstains, pitifully thin, yet showed no other abnormality.

Just an ordinary child!

Both were startled, hurriedly flung the cabinet door fully open, 'Whose child are you?'

But the child only cried, as if anyone's approach would frighten him.

Fang Xun carefully lifted him out, not daring to exert force, fearing to break the child's overly thin arms and legs.

The child trembled constantly in his arms, yet did not struggle, or rather dared not struggle.

'Sang Brother!' Fu Zhiyuan shouted, 'Come quickly to examine this child.'

'Hey, I'm coming.'

Sang Ning, who had been nervously watching the battle, also felt a jolt upon seeing this, hurried over and produced various wound-treating and hemostatic medicines.

Who would have thought the child would especially resist these bottles, even developing fear toward Sang Ning; thus, in Fang Xun's arms he kept trembling, his breathing becoming rapid.

'Don't get agitated, don't get agitated!'

Sang Ning again put away the bottles and jars, looking helpless, 'This child has probably been cut many times for bloodletting, thus fearing treatment.'

Just looking at his arms shows countless wounds, new injuries and old scars continuously.

Fang Xun had experience bringing along his junior brothers; he held and soothed, 'No one will harm you now; if you feel uncomfortable, just sleep, we'll take you out.'

'Do you want to go home?'

Perhaps the two words 'go home' struck the child; scalding tears fell, and his wooden, lifeless fearful expression finally flickered.

He nodded, clutching Fang Xun's clothes, 'Home, find mother...'

His voice was hoarse to the extreme.

Fang Xun responded, tapped the child's nape to seal his acupressure point, letting him sleep and rest.

Fu Zhiyuan frowned, glanced at the already nearly defeated Chilian, 'Don't you feel this child's condition resembles what Chilian just lied about?'

Being imprisoned and bled was because his blood had...

Fu Zhiyuan startled, hurriedly looked at Fang Xun holding the child, 'His blood contains poison! Hold him for me.'

'It's fine, I haven't touched any blood.'

Fang Xun gave a light smile and shook his head at him.

Sang Ning fished out a detox pill from his cloth bundle and handed it to him, 'Take this and you should be fine.'

The fight over there also ceased as Chilian suffered defeat and severe injury.

Mu Huaizhi turned ruthless, determined to see Chilian die; seeing him roll to the ground, Jade Hilt Dragon again flourished a sword flower, stabbing toward Chilian.

Jin Chen again activated the poison within Chilian's body, leaving him nowhere to hide.