C15 We Reached an Agreement

Both of them exchanged a helpless glance.

"As long as you agree to let us accompany you, no matter how exhausting it is, we're prepared to endure it."

Upon hearing the elder's words, Xuan Yi shook his head with resignation. After all, he had no intention of visiting the Wind Sect.

After a day's journey, they finally reached the border between the Aibruba Kingdom and the Thanid Empire.

"Look, we're going to be leaving Aibruba's territory tomorrow. Are you both certain you want to continue following me?" Xuan Yi asked them, a smile playing on his lips.

They both nodded in response.

Acknowledging their determination, Xuan Yi sighed and nodded. Clearly, they weren't going to give up on him easily.

"Let's sit down and talk this through."

Ultimately, Xuan Yi conceded to a discussion. With his own plans about to unfold, having the two of them in tow would certainly be disruptive.

Thinking Xuan Yi had agreed to accompany them, they eagerly nodded when he suggested a serious conversation.

"Spell it out for me, what are you after? There's no way I'm going back with you. You've had enough time to understand that. So, please, propose something I might actually agree to," Xuan Yi said, a wry smile on his face.

The two exchanged looks.

"Elder, please, go ahead," Feng Shun said, deferring to the elder's wisdom.

The elder paused, considering his words carefully, then ventured, "Well, we could leave you be, but you did kill our people, and we have no wish to harm you in return. You ought to make some gesture of goodwill."

"Alright, what is it you want?" Xuan Yi asked, sensing the conversation was still open.

"We realize that convincing you to return with us is off the table, so let's both compromise. In two months, the sect competition will take place, and we risk being expelled from the level three sects. We're asking for your assistance just once, especially with pills. We need to gain some prestige to support our Wind Sect."

The elder realized that Xuan Yi was beyond his grasp, so he simply stepped back.

"Two months? That's acceptable. However, I may need to utilize your protective formation, so be prepared. That said, I might not have to. I'll attempt to construct my own formation first, and only if that fails will I resort to using yours."

Xuan Yi was aware that he had wronged them by taking a life. If it only required one intervention on his part, it wouldn't be much of an issue. He considered it a form of reparation.

Upon hearing Xuan Yi's proposition, the elder nodded in agreement and inquired, "Understood. May I ask, what rank are you as an alchemist?"

"Rank? I'm around seventh grade. You can report that," Xuan Yi replied.

With a wave of his hand, Xuan Yi then retreated to the sanctuary of his tent.

The elder, visibly stirred by Xuan Yi's words, nodded with renewed hope. They hadn't anticipated such a positive twist.

Yet the night was far from calm.

Shortly after Xuan Yi had withdrawn to his tent, the Wind Sect elder's attention snapped to a tree behind him. He barked, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

In response, a cadre of figures clad in black leapt from the tree, swiftly encircling the camp.

"The Shadow Squad is at work. Stand aside if you're not involved," came a chilling voice.

The mention of the Shadow Squad froze the Chen family traders in their tracks.

Revered almost as deities within the Thanid Empire, the Shadow Squad was rumored to leave nothing but ashes in their wake.

While the Chen family members were petrified, the Wind Sect, as a third-level sect, was undaunted. They believed that no matter how formidable the Shadow Squad might be, it couldn't possibly rival their sect.

"What Shadow Squad? This is Wind Sect territory, and we've never even heard of you," the Wind Sect elder retorted with a scoff.

"Shadow Kill," was the only reply.

As the command was issued, the shadow of the man in black who had spoken eerily came to life, launching forward to send the Wind Sect elder flying with a single punch, before he crashed to the ground.

"Pfft."

The elder managed to rise, blood spilling from his mouth, his gaze fixed on the group in black, his face etched with shock.

"Spiritual attack?"

Indeed, Xuan Yi was aware that the Shadow Technique's strength lay in two areas: its unmatched poison and its spiritual attacks—mysterious and unpredictable. It was arguably the most potent and enigmatic of the treasure techniques in his arsenal, perfectly suited for assassinations.

Xuan Yi had originally imparted the Shadow Technique to Mingyan, who possessed a lethal potency, because he had seemed too naive at the time. Xuan Yi believed that such a technique was fitting for someone of Mingyan's character.

Yet, Xuan Yi had never anticipated that such an honest man would change so drastically.

"You realize our strength now, don't you? If I were in your shoes, I'd leave this instant. Otherwise, you might not even have a life to worry about," the man in black jeered.

His words rendered the Wind Sect elder momentarily speechless, recognizing he was outmatched. He hadn't expected such a formidable treasure technique from an ostensibly ordinary organization.

"You there, come out. I'm sure you know who I'm looking for. If you don't show yourself, I'll make the entire caravan pay for your silence."

With that, a slit appeared in Xuan Yi's tent, and a green flame shot out, striking the man in black.

"Boom!"

A fierce blaze erupted in an instant.

"Ah!"

The man in black, engulfed in flames, let out a scream that quickly turned into a wail of agony before silence fell and he was reduced to ashes.

Witnessing this, the remaining men in black eyed Xuan Yi's direction with caution.

"You're all part of the royal family, yet here you are, using your own civilians to threaten a foreigner. How very intriguing," Xuan Yi remarked as he emerged from his tent.

Upon seeing Xuan Yi, the men in black swiftly encircled him.

"Sir, you must escape quickly; these people are quite peculiar," the Wind Sect elder called out urgently.

"Even the Shadow Squad shouldn't be harming people willy-nilly, should they? Encircle them. I've heard tales of the Shadow Squad's might. Today, I'm eager to see firsthand how that might is wielded against their own."

Chen Xue's voice echoed from within the tent.

The caravan's guards, despite their fear, found a measure of bravery following Xuan Yi's impressive display and Chen Xue's command, emboldening them to confront the Shadow Squad.