"I might as well tell you. Think about who you've offended recently?" Steward Li's voice came again.
"Are you referring to Young Master Zuo Youren?" Chen Xiao asked, feigning sudden realization.
"A teachable lad! No wonder you can draw Level Four formation talismans at such a young age. Truly sharp-witted. It's a pity I can't let you leave alive today," Steward Li said regretfully.
"Alas, it's all my fault for being young and impulsive. Now, I only beg Steward Li to give me a quick end, so I can report back to Young Master Zuo," Chen Xiao said with a look of despair, slowly closing his eyes.
"Heh heh, if you don't want to die, I can show you a way out," Steward Li said with a sinister chuckle.
"Really? Please guide me, senior!" Chen Xiao exclaimed with surprise, his voice laced with ecstatic joy.
"Become my male consort, and I will not only spare your life but also ensure you are well-provided for your entire life," Steward Li shamelessly declared.
Chen Xiao felt a wave of nausea, almost throwing up his dinner. He hadn't expected this pervert to have such a taste, but for the sake of his plan, he could only endure it for now.
He put on a pained, contemplative expression, appearing hesitant.
"Have you made up your mind yet? I'm telling you, it's your honor to be taken in by me. Once this opportunity passes, it won't come again," Steward Li urged.
At this moment, Chen Xiao's eyes lit up. His expression instantly regained its liveliness, and a cold sneer played on his lips as he said, "Go to hell! You're dreaming."
"You... you're asking for death!" Steward Li said, furious. "Arrow of Ice, gather!"
As soon as he spoke, the air above Chen Xiao's head changed drastically. An icy current rapidly approached. Then, an incredibly sharp Arrow of Ice slowly condensed above Chen Xiao's head. This was the killing move of the formation; unlike other illusions, the killing move of a formation could truly harm someone.
"Arrow of Ice, go!"
The Arrow of Ice, exuding a chilling aura, shot towards Chen Xiao. Chen Xiao, without a moment's delay, sprang into action, running as if the wind were at his heels.
The Arrow of Ice possessed an auto-tracking function, relentlessly following Chen Xiao. It was getting dangerously close to hitting him.
"Hmph, still trying to run? You overestimate yourself. This is the consequence of toying with me, heh heh heh heh..." Steward Li's arrogant laughter echoed around Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao dodged left and right, the distance between him and the Arrow of Ice shrinking with each passing moment.
"Now!"
Chen Xiao roared, leaping into the air. But the Arrow of Ice was already inches away.
"Thwack!"
The sound of the sharp arrow piercing flesh was heard, yet Chen Xiao remained unharmed. His vision blurred for a moment, and then he found himself back in the assessment room.
Behind him, Steward Li lay slumped on the ground, his chest riddled with a gaping hole from which blood continuously flowed.
"You, you are... how, how did you... discover me?" Steward Li stammered.
"Hmph, after playing with eagles for years, how could I be blinded by a mere sparrow like you?" Chen Xiao said dismissively, not bothering to explain further. In truth, his deliberate display of despair and timidity was a tactic to buy time to locate Steward Li.
Chen Xiao's divine sense was incredibly powerful, and Steward Li's formation was riddled with flaws. It only took him a moment to pinpoint the latter's location. He then directly lured the Arrow of Ice towards Steward Li. After Steward Li was severely wounded, the formation instantly dissipated.
"Actually, you didn't need to go through all this trouble. Your cultivation is higher than mine; you could have just killed me directly. Why play with formations in front of me? Showing off your skills before a master, truly courting death," Chen Xiao said mockingly, placing a foot on Steward Li's fat face.
Chen Xiao was right. Steward Li was at the sixth level of Body Refining. In a direct confrontation, Chen Xiao would have been no match for him. His downfall was solely due to his overconfidence.
"You, you..." Steward Li, already struggling for breath, coupled with Chen Xiao's taunts, died on the spot, his life force extinguished.
Thus, the dignified Steward of the Formation Talisman Master Guild, the feared smiling tiger, met his end in extreme humiliation.
Chen Xiao looked at Steward Li's corpse with disgust. Such a person deserved to die, but it was a pity that his efforts had been in vain, failing to obtain the Formation Talisman Master certification.
Chen Xiao left the assessment room and returned to his original room. Upon opening the door, he found no sign of Xiao Liuzi or Wang Ke.
"Clap clap clap!"
Just then, Chen Xiao heard a round of applause. Turning around, he saw a young man with a defiant expression standing behind him, clapping his hands.
The newcomer was naturally Zuo Youren. He said, "I truly didn't expect that even Steward Li couldn't do anything to you."
Chen Xiao's face darkened. "Since you know, why don't you go collect his body?"
Zuo Youren said dismissively, "Just a piece of trash who managed to die by his own hand. Such a fool deserves to die."
Steward Li had died by his own Arrow of Ice, so saying he died by his own hand wasn't entirely wrong. However, Zuo Youren's merciless attitude sent a chill down Chen Xiao's spine. This person was truly devoid of humanity.
Chen Xiao remained silent, unwilling to waste any more words on such an individual.
"Hahaha." Zuo Youren laughed to the heavens. "Worry about yourself. Don't you want to know the whereabouts of your two friends?"
"It was you after all!" Chen Xiao suppressed his anger and asked, "What have you done to them?"
"Hahaha, if you want to know, follow me!" As soon as he finished speaking, Zuo Youren leaped out of the window. Seeing this, Chen Xiao immediately followed.
Upon landing, Zuo Youren ran at full speed, with Chen Xiao close behind. After running for a while, Zuo Youren suddenly stopped in a dead-end alley, a sinister smile on his lips. "I didn't expect you to be so loyal."
"Less nonsense, where are they?" Chen Xiao asked urgently.
"Bring them up!" Zuo Youren shouted. Then, Chen Xiao heard the sound of footsteps from behind him.
Chen Xiao turned his head and saw two limp, unconscious figures being dragged across the ground. Chen Xiao's eyes twitched slightly. These two, bound like zongzi, had clearly been drugged.
"Despicable scoundrel!" Chen Xiao's anger surged to his chest. "Release them quickly, or I guarantee you'll regret it."
He would rather be bound himself than implicate his friends.
This was the first time Chen Xiao had been so angry since his rebirth. Zuo Youren had provoked him repeatedly, and now he had kidnapped his friends. Chen Xiao felt that he had been too kind before, like a sick cat that the tiger didn't bother to swat.
"Damn it, you dare to be arrogant when death is at your doorstep! Now that your helpers are captured and you're just a Level Two Body Refining trash, what good is your formation talisman skill? I'll still kill you!" Zuo Youren's demeanor was extremely arrogant.