On Ridgecrest Peak.
A black Hummer was parked there.
Next to the Hummer stood two men.
One was Leo Liu, pale-faced and wearing a green cap; the other was a man with a noticeably fierce look.
That man’s arms were covered in tattoos, making him look especially intimidating. He wore ripped jeans, and despite being in his thirties or forties, he actually looked more like someone in his twenties.
Between his fingers, he held a cigar and took big drags, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the winding mountain road.
“Leo, was it really worth falling out with Gavin Guan over some kid? The Guan family isn’t exactly small fry in Oceanport. They might not cause our Liu family serious trouble, but if things get tense, a lot of stuff will be harder to handle in the future.”
Byron Liu sat half-perched on the Hummer’s hood, took a drag from his cigar, and blew out a smoke ring.
“He’s not an ordinary person,” Leo Liu shook his head, his gaze drifting.
“Not ordinary? So what if he isn’t? What’s backing him—a big family, or some hidden sect?” Byron Liu snorted. “All I heard was that he got dragged in as a human shield for the Wu family girl. Now Old Master Wu has grounded her at home, and that kid hasn’t made a peep.”
“Uncle, don’t say that. You haven’t seen what he can do, so don’t talk nonsense. If he overhears and gets pissed off, I won’t be able to save you!” Leo Liu frowned repeatedly, looking helplessly at Byron Liu.
“Save me? What do I need saving for, kid? Anyway, let me make this clear: you begged me to bring that tag-along to the alchemy conference, and fine, I agreed.
But honestly, our Liu family doesn’t even qualify to enter the Jinnan Alchemy Conference. You know that—it’s the Miracle Hand Sect’s event. We’re just tagging along for the fun. When we go in, we’ll have to follow someone else’s lead. You’d better remind your friend to keep his head down and not cause trouble, or I’ll kick him out myself.
Byron Liu took another drag on his cigar, looking utterly relaxed. “If he stirs up trouble, I don’t care how ‘special’ he is—he can get lost. The farther, the better!”
Byron Liu’s tone was harsh. Leo Liu could only rub his forehead, looking exasperated.
A short while later, a taxi wound its way up the mountain road and stopped in front of Ridgecrest Peak.
“A taxi?”
Seeing the car, Byron Liu raised an eyebrow.
Not many people come up Ridgecrest Peak by taxi; almost everyone drives themselves.
“The fare’s 168,” the taxi driver said cheerfully, looking at the young man in the front passenger seat.
That trip was definitely worth it for the driver.
Evan Lin took out two hundred-yuan bills, handed them over, and got out of the car.
"You’re here!" Leo Liu’s eyes lit up when he saw Evan get out of the car. He quickly walked over, smiling as he stood in front of Evan. "Let me introduce you—this is my uncle, Byron Liu."
"And this is…"
Leo Liu looked at Evan Lin, mouth half open.
Evan “Nine Mysteries” Lin.
Evan Lin calmly spoke his alias.
"Evan ‘Nine Mysteries’ Lin? What kind of name is that? Did your parents read too many xianxia novels?" Byron Liu burst out laughing.
Byron Liu gave Evan Lin a once-over.
As soon as Byron spoke, Leo Liu felt a chill—afraid Evan might snap right then and there.
He’d seen Evan’s strength firsthand—especially how he could pull a fully drawn bow, a feat that took more power than most could imagine.
"When do we head out?"
Evan ignored Byron completely and turned to Leo.
Byron looked annoyed, but held his tongue for Leo’s sake.
Leo Liu opened the rear door of the Hummer especially for Evan.
Byron Liu saw this and snorted coldly.
The Liu family was well known in Oceanport, so when had its members ever opened car doors for some nobody?
“Let’s go, it’s getting late. We’re supposed to meet at noon—let’s hope we get there by tonight.”
Byron Liu climbed into the driver’s seat.
Leo Liu took the front passenger seat, while Evan sat alone in the back.
So, Evan “Nine Mysteries” Lin, where’s your family from?
Byron Liu started the car, turned it around, snuffed out his cigar, replaced it with a Zhonghua cigarette, and lounged back in his seat.
Seacrest.
Seacrest, huh? I’ve heard there’s a Medicine King Valley out there. Ever heard of it? They say some top alchemy masters live in Medicine King Valley.
“I’ve heard of it.” Evan nodded.
Oh, so you know a bit. But people from Medicine King Valley are hard to meet—I doubt you’ve had many chances yourself.
Byron nodded, then glanced at the rearview mirror. Seeing the calm boy in the back seat, he felt inexplicably annoyed.
How come Byron Liu was stuck driving, and this kid could just sit there so at ease? Was he really that important, or did he just think too highly of himself?
Annoyed, Byron floored the accelerator as they reached a steep hill and sped straight over it.
Whoosh!
The Hummer lifted off the ground for a moment, jolting hard.
Leo Liu, riding shotgun, was caught off guard and jumped in his seat.
Byron’s lips curled up in satisfaction—he’d pulled off his prank.
Both Byron and Leo had seatbelts on and were fine, but with a bump that big, the kid in the back without a seatbelt should’ve been thrown all over the place.
He expected the guy in back to be shaken up, but when Byron glanced in the mirror, he saw the boy sitting as if nailed to the seat.
He hadn’t budged—not even an inch!
Byron was quietly amazed.
Uncle, watch your driving!" Leo Liu protested, annoyed.
Byron grumbled, but seeing how solidly the boy sat, he let it go.
It was just one more person tagging along for the ride.
As long as he didn’t cause trouble, Byron would let him be.
A moment later, Byron felt a sudden chill and shivered. He muttered, “Why’d it get so cold all of a sudden? I didn’t even turn on the AC.”
Byron was completely baffled.
He had no idea that, right above his head, the Three Maiden Spirits were staring daggers at him.
If Evan hadn’t stopped them, Byron would’ve been halfway to the underworld by now.