Chapter 382 137: The Fate of a Tool, a Perfect Setup, and Too Many Coincidences?

The moonlight flowed like water, but a cold, deathly silence pervaded the depths of the courtyard. Even the chirping of insects and cicadas seemed to have vanished, leaving only the rustle of the night wind blowing through the bamboo grove.

Inside the pavilion, Ye Shiyin's face was twisted in pain. Her features, as delicate as a painting, were gradually turning deathly pale from suffocation. She could barely breathe.

The hand gripping her neck was long and pale, almost bloodless. It was like a terrifying pincer, impossible to break free from, holding her fast as it slowly lifted her off the ground.

Her delicate hands clawed at the hand on her neck, trying to struggle free, but the terrifying, immense power behind it was as immovable as a mountain.

She tried to summon the Magical Power from her meridians and Spirit Sea, but it was completely suppressed by a mysterious aura. The moment she tried to call upon even a sliver of it, it dissipated like smoke.

At that moment, she finally felt an indescribable panic and fear. She wanted to speak, but no sound would come out.

"Let Jian Jia go! We can talk about whatever you want."

"Don't you dare hurt her."

Xiao Teng's expression was darker than thunder, but he was afraid of harming the hostage and didn't dare make a reckless move.

"Young Master Xiao, you truly are a lovesick fool."

The cold, eerie voice seemed to let out a sneer before slowly releasing its grip, all under Xiao Teng's gaze, which was filled with shock, anger, and heartache.

Ye Shiyin's feet finally touched the ground, and she began gasping desperately for air. Whether from the pain or for some other reason, glistening tears welled in the corners of her eyes, making her look pitiful and tugging at one's heartstrings.

Rage surged in Xiao Teng's chest, his fists cracking as he demanded coldly, "Who the hell are you? If you want something, come at me. What kind of person attacks a defenseless woman?"

"Who am I?"

"I'm the one you hate most."

The cold, eerie voice sneered again. Then, under Xiao Teng's shocked, furious, and disbelieving gaze, the blood-red mist shrouding the figure's face slowly dispersed.

His brows were sharp and his features unparalleled, like a Banished Immortal stepping out of a painted scroll. But his expression was cold and detached, as if devoid of all emotion.

"Jiang Lan..."

Recognizing the face, Xiao Teng cried out in disbelief. He was so stunned that his entire body began to tremble.

Gasping for breath, Ye Shiyin lowered her head and wiped the glistening tears from her eyes, her heart trembling.

"It's me."

"What's with that look of utter disbelief?" "Jiang Lan's" voice was still cold, laced with mockery and indifference.

"Impossible..."

"You're not Jiang Lan. He doesn't have this kind of power. Who are you?!"

At that moment, as if it had just dawned on him, Xiao Teng stared intently at the face he loathed and demanded in a low voice.

'If Jiang Lan had such terrifying, unbelievable power, why would he have needed to steal the so-called Immortal Embryo Creation Dew?'

'Among the younger generation, besides that mysterious girl in white, who could possibly be his match?'

'This person before me is definitely not Jiang Lan. It's someone else.'

"Heh, you don't believe me?"

"Then who, Young Master Xiao, do you think I am?"

"Jiang Lan" smiled faintly. As he spoke, mist once again rose to cover his face. It then morphed into a face familiar to Xiao Teng—that of Xia Jie, the third son of Prince Wuxuan. But that face didn't last long, shifting into that of another young noble... In an instant, the face underwent a thousand transformations before finally settling on one identical to Xiao Teng's own.

The one thing that didn't change, however, was the cold indifference in those eyes, which seemed to lack any living emotion and regarded all of creation as nothing more than straw dogs.

Xiao Teng watched this, his body trembling slightly. Then, almost enunciating each word, he said, "A remnant of the Blood Immortal Sect."

"Heh heh..."

"Young Master Xiao is a smart man."

"Jiang Lan" merely gave a noncommittal smile, neither confirming nor denying it.

"What do you people want with me?"

Xiao Teng stared coldly at the figure, his Pupil of Truth flashing wildly as mysterious Runes converged within it, trying to see through to the person's true form.

But no matter what he did, all he could see was a featureless, blood-red face shrouded in a thick, bloody mist. He couldn't discern the fiend's true identity at all.

"As the third young master of Prince Zhenbei's Mansion, Young Master Xiao should be able to guess why I've sought you out."

"Surely you wouldn't want to see Miss Xie perish tonight, would you?"

The voice remained as cold and eerie as ever.

As he spoke, however, that pale, bloodless hand once again tightened its grip on Ye Shiyin's neck, looking as if the slightest pressure would break it with a SNAP.

"Let Jian Jia go! If you want something, talk to me. You don't have to use her to threaten me," Xiao Teng said hurriedly, his heart skipping a beat. He was terrified the man would recklessly kill Xie Jianjia.

Judging by the power the man had just displayed, it would be nearly impossible for him to save Xie Jianjia before his opponent could react...

"Xiao Teng, don't worry about me..."

Ye Shiyin coughed, her face again showing a flicker of pain from the lack of air, but soon she couldn't make any sound at all.

As the hand tightened, her struggles grew feeble. Her pupils gradually dilated, losing all focus.

"Stop!"

"What do you want?!"

Xiao Teng was furious and on the verge of intervening at all costs, but he was terrified that provoking the man would lead to Xie Jianjia's gruesome death.

"Recently, the Emperor of Great Xia has summoned Prince Zhenbei, Prince Chong'an, Duke Zhongguo, and others to the palace. He has also recalled many generals from the borderlands. You should know what Emperor Xia is planning."