Chapter 98: What the Hell Is This

The black shadow escaped into the ground, and Cheng Xi did not stop it; she could not spare attention for Li Zhi'an and went to check on Ji Muzhi's condition. Fortunately, it was only superficial wounds.

She looked at Li Zhi'an and said, "Chi Laicheng hasn't been rescued yet; if we are any later, I fear he won't survive."

"Do not worry, Dean Jiang has taken people there."

Cheng Xi was stunned, "Dean Jiang?"

"The commotion this time was quite large; the entire Academy felt it. Are you alright?" Li Zhi'an walked over, first checked on Ji Muzhi's situation, then turned his head to ask Cheng Xi.

Cheng Xi shook her head, "I'm fine."

As she spoke, she looked at Ji Muzhi again, "Stretch out your hand."

Although Ji Muzhi did not know what the Eldest Miss was going to do, he still obediently stretched out his hand.

Cheng Xi's fingertips traced a few strokes on his palm, and suddenly, black lines flashed across Ji Muzhi's back.

Just as expected!

Cheng Xi called Feng Huo over, and Feng Huo spat out a flame onto Ji Muzhi's back. Ji Muzhi felt a sharp pain in his back, and then it felt as if something was being forcibly plucked out from his back.

The black lines turned to ash. Li Zhi'an watched and asked Cheng Xi, "What is this?"

Cheng Xi said, "A Puppet Technique of an Array Talisman. It must have been planted in Ji Muzhi's body before he noticed it. Even I didn't detect this Puppet Technique earlier, which shows how ingenious the opponent's methods are."

Ji Muzhi was covered in cold sweat. Hearing this, he caught his breath and said, "Is that why they were able to find us so quickly?"

Cheng Xi nodded, "It is fortunate your Prince arrived in time, otherwise your little life would have been hard to guarantee."

"What does that mean?" Li Zhi'an asked; he was not very proficient in arrays.

"The Puppet Technique borrows the vitality of the person being puppeted. If you hadn't decisively severed half of that black shadow's arm with your Sword just now, Ji Muzhi might have been drained into a husk."

Ji Muzhi felt lingering fear upon hearing this and muttered, "No wonder I felt my vitality draining away just now; was it because of this?"

Cheng Xi nodded, "You will need to recuperate for a while."

Li Zhi'an glanced at Ji Muzhi, and Ji Muzhi guiltily looked away.

Li Zhi'an withdrew his gaze and said to Cheng Xi, "I will send you back to rest."

Cheng Xi shook her head, "Let's wait until Chi Laicheng returns."

Since waiting around was idle anyway, she looked at Ji Muzhi's weak appearance, clicked her tongue, and said to Baohua, "Fetch my brush and cinnabar."

Baohua ran off at full speed and soon brought the items back, "Xixi, what are you going to do for Ji Muzhi? The Pills he refines taste great; you must save him, otherwise I won't have any snacks to eat."

What kind of decent person eats Pills as snacks?

Cheng Xi's mouth twitched. No wonder she felt Baohua's intelligence was growing fast; the reason was right here!

Ji Muzhi:...

Clearly he had done a good deed, so why did he feel so guilty?

Li Zhi'an was also speechless. He looked at Ji Muzhi and said, "It seems the whereabouts of your salary have become clear."

Struck by another knife, Ji Muzhi was speechless.

Cheng Xi drew a Small Spirit Array on Ji Muzhi's back to help him recover from his injuries. As the brush fell and the Rune was completed, Ji Muzhi felt his strength to breathe increase significantly.

The Eldest Miss truly has too many strange things.

After finishing the drawing, Cheng Xi went into the courtyard. Li Zhi'an followed her out, while Baohua and Feng Huo stayed behind to keep Ji Muzhi company.

Ji Muzhi stared at Feng Huo with great envy; this was a Spirit Fire, after all.

The Eldest Miss is truly the Eldest Miss!

Cheng Xi sat on a stone stool and exchanged information with Li Zhi'an.

Li Zhi'an learned about Cheng Xi's trip to the City Lord's Mansion. He frowned and said, "The Ji Family is somewhat sinister; do not go alone next time."

"We will go together when you are free." Cheng Xi intended to visit the City Lord's Mansion again to scout the truth, "There must be a connection between the Ji Family and Ye Wujin. Tonight's Array Talisman must also be related to Ye Wujin. It is just that we cannot yet figure out what the nature of this relationship is."

As the two were talking, a burst of hurried footsteps came from afar. They saw Dean Jiang rushing over with Chi Laicheng. Chi Laicheng's face was pale and his breath was weak; he was clearly severely injured.

This was the first time Cheng Xi had seen Dean Jiang. He wore long robes, and his elegant temperament truly made him look like a great scholar who taught and nurtured people.

Li Zhi'an introduced the two. Jiang Zhongqiao looked at Cheng Xi with great interest, "So you are Young Friend Cheng. I have long heard of your name, and today I have finally met you."

Cheng Xi:...

What on earth is a "young friend"?

"Dean, I am an Outer Student of Qingtian Peak under your tutelage."

If this "young friend" of yours gets out, the Academy will go crazy tomorrow.

Jiang Zhongqiao waved his hand, "You are Zhi'an's fiancée, and he and I are friends across generations."

Cheng Xi:...

She coughed lightly and looked at Chi Laicheng, "How is he?"

Dean Jiang gently placed Chi Laicheng on the stone stool and sighed, "The trap set by that black-robed person was extremely bizarre. We spent a great deal of effort to rescue Chi Laicheng."

Cheng Xi looked at the wounds on Chi Laicheng's body with a furrowed brow. She took a small jade bottle from her bosom, poured out a Pill, and fed it to Chi Laicheng. The Pill melted upon entering his mouth, and Chi Laicheng's complexion gradually regained a hint of color.

"Many thanks, Eldest Miss," Chi Laicheng said weakly.

Cheng Xi waved her hand, "How did you end up like this? Weren't you going to buy the Blood Begonia Flower?"

Chi Laicheng then said, "That Blood Begonia Flower was a trap itself, intentionally used to lure me there."

Cheng Xi was stunned, then immediately understood. The opponent had dealt a blow to Ji Muzhi and must have known what was needed to treat the injury; it was no surprise they used the Blood Begonia Flower to set a trap to catch Chi Laicheng.

"I discovered some strange Runes in the black-robed person's lair; they seem to be related to an ancient secret technique of the Ji Family." Chi Laicheng had recovered a bit after taking the Pill and spoke of what he had discovered.

"The Ji Family?" Cheng Xi and Li Zhi'an exchanged a look; they had just mentioned the Ji Family earlier.

"Correct," Chi Laicheng continued, "The arrangement of those Runes is extremely similar to the secret technique Runes recorded in the Ji Family's ancient inherited texts, but I was discovered by the black-robed person before I could study them in depth."

Li Zhi'an pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, the relationship between the Ji Family and the black-robed person is likely not simple."

Cheng Xi nodded in agreement, "It seems we must investigate the situation of the Ji Family as soon as possible. However, the Ji Family has a massive influence in the city; if we act rashly, we might alert the enemy."

Jiang Zhongqiao, who was listening on the side, spoke up at this moment, "It is not without a solution. The Ji Family are the guardians of Wanxing Mountain, which is why Wanxing City exists. With the deans of the Four Great Academies gathered here, we are discussing matters regarding Wanxing Mountain; we can invite City Lord Ji to discuss matters, and at that time, you can act separately."

"Luring the tiger away from the mountain?" Li Zhi'an said, "That is feasible."

Cheng Xi, however, said: "The Young City Lord of the City Lord's Mansion, Ji Hang, is not simple. Last time I exchanged a few moves with him, it was not easy to take him down."

"Ji Hang?" Jiang Zhongqiao realized, "I haven't seen him in over a dozen years; is he really that formidable now?"