Free Web NovelChapter 659: Chapter 659: Falling Victim to a Sneaky Move
"Jiang Clan boy, these people you’ve brought pose no threat to me at all," Elder Yang chuckled, looking toward Jiang Qi.
However, just as he finished speaking, a woman in red appeared in the center of the hall. From a distance, one could tell she was of a certain age, yet she still possessed a mature charm.
Seeing the woman in red appear, Jiang Qi ran over joyfully. "Elder Li! You’re here too! Quick, don’t let that old coot escape!"
The woman in red had her back to Elder Yang. Just as he was about to unleash some icy sarcasm, she suddenly turned around. The moment Elder Yang saw her face, his expression froze.
"How... how could it be her?!"
In the next instant, without a second thought, Elder Yang grabbed Ye Qingchen and Qin Yue from behind the beaded curtain and vanished on the spot.
"Damn it! Elder Li, hurry and catch him!" Jiang Qi grew frantic when he saw Elder Yang escape like that.
The woman seemed to recognize Elder Yang. She watched his retreating back, silent and motionless. After a long moment, she finally turned to face Jiang Qi.
"He’s impossible to catch. Even if we sent all our people after that man, we wouldn’t be able to catch up." Elder Li gazed into the distance, seemingly lost in memory.
Jiang Qi was stunned, his face a mask of resentment. "That old bastard struck me so viciously, and we just let him get away? He’s getting off way too easy!"
"By the way, Elder Li, how did you know we couldn’t catch him? Do you know him?"
Elder Li turned her head, glanced at Jiang Qi, but said nothing. Then, as Jiang Qi watched, she vanished without a trace.
Elsewhere, Elder Yang quickly spirited Ye Qingchen and Qin Yue away from the Jiang Ancient Clan’s territory.
"Thank you, Elder Yang." Ye Qingchen lay on a bed, clutching his chest as he coughed twice.
Elder Yang gave Ye Qingchen a cursory glance and nodded. "You’re just a bit injured, it’s nothing serious. A couple of days of rest and you’ll be fine."
Ye Qingchen didn’t think much of it. Jiang Qi had indeed struck him hard, so it was only normal for him to be injured.
Qin Yue, however, held Ye Qingchen’s hand with a worried expression. "Elder Yang, thank you so much. Even if Qingchen’s injuries aren’t serious, he still needs to rest and recover properly for the next few days."
"You young people are so lovey-dovey," Elder Yang chuckled, looking at them. "Don’t you worry, Qin Yue. This fellow, Ye Qingchen, is very resilient!"
The group couldn’t help but laugh.
But unbeknownst to them, deep inside Ye Qingchen’s body, a wisp of inky black energy was slowly meandering through his system.
"By the way, Elder Yang, judging by your expression earlier, you seemed to be in a real panic. Why did you run off in such a rush?" Ye Qingchen asked, his curiosity piqued.
Elder Yang’s frantic haste was as if he had encountered some horrifying monster. He had never seen Elder Yang look like that before. Besides, even if everyone present back then had joined forces, they likely would have been no match for Elder Yang. So, what was he so afraid of?
Hearing Ye Qingchen’s question, Elder Yang immediately laughed it off. "You have the nerve to ask! Wasn’t I concerned for the two of you? Those people are no match for me, but it would have been troublesome if they took you two hostage!" Elder Yang finished, waving his hand impatiently.
Are you kidding me? As if I could admit I ran because I saw an old flame! But I have to admit, even after all these years, that woman is still so captivating. Ah, I wonder if I’ll ever see her again...
Little did Elder Yang know, Ye Qingchen had heard every word.
"Haha, Elder Yang, that woman in red... she seems to have quite a special relationship with the Jiang Ancient Clan!"
Those words snapped Elder Yang back to reality. "What does a kid like you know! How could that woman possibly..."
"How could she possibly what?" Ye Qingchen leaned in, his face alight with nosy curiosity.
Elder Yang gave him a thump on the head. "Mind your own business. Haven’t you ever heard that curiosity killed the cat?"
Ye Qingchen rubbed his head and grinned cheekily. "Oh, I get it. You and that Elder Li have a ’history’, don’t you!"
Elder Yang suddenly shot up to his feet in exasperation. "Qin Yue, you take care of this brat. If he gets out of line, don’t hesitate to give him a good thrashing!"
With that, Elder Yang strode out without a backward glance.
Qin Yue was completely baffled. "Qingchen, what just happened? Elder Yang seemed... angry..."
"Don’t worry about him, haha," Ye Qingchen said with a wave of his hand.
However, just as Ye Qingchen was about to lie down, Elder Yang suddenly reappeared in the room.
"Whoa, Elder Yang! Don’t tell me I hit a sore spot and now you’ve come back to silence me!" Ye Qingchen joked, putting on a playfully fearful expression.
But Elder Yang approached his bed with an utterly serious face. "Wipe that smirk off your face and sit up straight!"
Elder Yang’s stern demeanor piqued Ye Qingchen’s curiosity. He sat up straight, confused. "Seriously, Elder Yang, what is it? Is something wrong?" Elder Yang was rarely this solemn.
Elder Yang placed a hand on Ye Qingchen’s chest. The next second, he closed his eyes.
Ye Qingchen felt a warm current surge chaotically within his body.
Soon after, Elder Yang opened his eyes, his expression grim.
"Just as I thought. There’s a problem. I knew something felt off! That brat from the Jiang Clan actually dared to use such a technique!"
His words instantly put Ye Qingchen and Qin Yue on high alert.
"Elder Yang, is there something wrong with Qingchen’s body?" Qin Yue hurriedly asked.
Elder Yang nodded. "I gave you a quick look earlier and felt something was off. At first, I just thought your injuries were severe. But as I was leaving, the more I considered it, the more something felt wrong, so I came back to check again."
"And I was right. You’ve been afflicted with the Demon Clan’s Corpse Refining Technique!"
They both stared with wide eyes.
"The Corpse Refining Technique? What is that? Is it dangerous for me?" Ye Qingchen had never heard the name before, so he had no idea how formidable it was.
Elder Yang coughed lightly and slowly sat down. "The Corpse Refining Technique, just as its name suggests, can turn a living person into a lifeless puppet! However, this technique is typically only effective against members of the Demon Clan."
Hearing this, Qin Yue’s heart clenched with anxiety.
"But Elder Yang, he isn’t a member of the Demon Clan. Why would the Corpse Refining Technique affect him?"
Ye Qingchen frowned in thought for a moment. "Could it be because I absorbed too much Demonic Qi before?"
"Yes, that’s exactly it!" Elder Yang nodded. "Broadly speaking, the technique only works on the Demon Clan. But by absorbing so much Demonic Qi, you, in a narrow sense, have become one of them! That’s why the Corpse Refining Technique can take root in you."
Qin Yue clutched Ye Qingchen’s hand, her face filled with guilt. "If you hadn’t been looking for me, you wouldn’t have been hurt like this."
"Elder Yang, do you know of a cure for this Corpse Refining Technique?"
...
