"Is it because you want to steal something that you know so much about it?" Evan Yang asked curiously, provoking Jax Jia to pinch him hard.
"Say that again!" Jax Jia snapped angrily at Evan's remark.
"Why are you pinching so hard? Fine, I won't say it anymore." Evan protested, seeing his arm turn dark purple from Jax's pinch.
Though he knew Evan was just pretending, Jax Jia let go and grinned, "Let's see if you dare say that again next time."
"Alright, you win. So, where are we heading next?" Evan calmed himself and prepared to leave for their destination.
"Just wait, something good's about to happen." Jax said mysteriously, leaving Evan puzzled.
Jax Jia led Evan Yang along the main street, eventually leaving the city through the east gate. Stopping in the outskirts, he asked, "Do you know who Rockwell Nance really is?"
"Him? You mean the city lord?" Evan asked, confused.
"Of course it's him. Who else could it be?" Jax Jia shot him a glare.
Evan thought for a moment and said, "He should be the manager of a second-tier city, overseeing the surrounding third-tier cities, right?"
"That's just the surface." Jax Jia replied.
"The surface? What do you mean by that?" Evan asked, unable to resist questioning Jax, who seemed busy with something on the spot.
"You'll see something good soon." Jax Jia grinned, continuing to carve on the ground. After finishing, he stood up and said, "Let's sit inside here."
"Inside here?" Evan pointed at his feet, puzzled by the markings all around him.
"Close your eyes and rest. Don't say a word." Jax Jia gestured to his mouth and eyes.
Evan had been suspicious of Jax ever since they entered the city, so he was curious to see what Jax was up to. He followed Jax's instructions and closed his eyes.
Time passed bit by bit. If anyone walked by, they'd be surprised to see two people sitting motionless under a tree. Luckily, this spot was far from the city, so no one came.
Evan was thinking the same, and just as he was about to ask Jax how much longer they'd wait, something changed around them.
Suddenly, a glowing ring appeared around Evan and Jax. Right after, a hoarse cry sounded, and a figure materialized behind Evan.
The sudden turn of events startled Evan—how could someone suddenly appear right behind him? He jumped up at once, staring at the person behind him.
Jax Jia finally stood up and laughed, "Did you really think you could kill someone that easily?"
"Who are you!" the hoarse voice demanded, as black qi seeped from his body, like something evil exposed to light.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is you tried to kill my friend, so you're not leaving today." Jax Jia sneered, then threw a handful of powder at the shadowy figure.
The shadow tried to dodge the powder, but his feet wouldn't move—like he'd been hexed, he stood frozen until the powder struck him. With a shrill scream, "Ahhh!"
The scream was piercing, and as it faded, the figure vanished, leaving behind a puddle of black blood. Evan stared in disbelief at what had just happened, then turned to Jax Jia and asked, "Jax, you—"
"I didn't tell you earlier because the situation was urgent," Jax Jia explained, finding an excuse naturally.
"Hey, hey, now you have to tell me what just happened, right?" Evan recalled the fright—someone could appear behind him without a sound. If Jax hadn't been there, he really would have died here.
"I mentioned Rockwell Nance earlier, didn't I?" Jax Jia said, tidying up the things around them as he spoke to Evan.
Evan nodded, "You mean this thing was sent by him?"
"Yeah. What just died was a Ghost‑Shade Stalker, a sinister construct cultivated through secret arts. It can silently approach people—unless your cultivation is really high or you have special treasures, you'd never know one was hiding nearby." Jax Jia explained as he thought aloud.
"Ghost‑Shade Stalker? What's that?" Evan grew more confused the more he listened.
"It's a unique secret art from the Thirteen Demon Cults, used to try and control the continent. They cultivated many Ghost‑Shade Stalkers, and the stronger the cultivator, the stronger the stalker. This one was made using Rockwell Nance's blood and spiritual power, so its strength was at peak Core‑Formation." Jax Jia pointed at the puddle of black blood.
"The Thirteen Demon Cults were that powerful? Wouldn't the continents be helpless against them?" Evan wondered—these things could sneak up silently, and their strength matched their master's. If there were a whole batch, they'd sweep through everywhere.
"Where there's evil, there's good. Back then, there was a sect specializing in dealing with these ghostly creatures—like the protective formation I just used. It doesn't do much for ordinary people, but it's perfect against Ghost‑Shade Stalkers. Over time, many sects learned this formation, and the stalkers gradually disappeared." Jax Jia explained, sounding like he knew the history of everything.
"So what you just made was a formation?" Evan asked, curious about the array Jax had set up using random items as spiritual supports.
"Pretty simple, right? That's why Ghost‑Shade Stalkers don't dare show up easily. But this time, one tried to kill you so openly—Rockwell Nance must really hate you now." Jax Jia said as he packed up their things.
"How did you know a Ghost‑Shade Stalker was coming?" Evan couldn't understand how Jax knew someone would try to kill him.
"Here, take this." Jax Jia pulled out a black wooden block and handed it to Evan, who looked at the ordinary piece of wood and asked, "What's this?"
"It's the heart of a Ten-Thousand-Year Wood. When something like that gets close, it'll turn scorching hot." Jax Jia explained.
(End of this chapter. Please click next page to continue reading!)
"Ten-Thousand-Year Wood Heart?" Evan had read about this wood in the Herbal Classic—it was extremely rare even across the continent. He was curious how Jax Jia had such a thing.
"Yeah, I have a few pieces. I'll give you this one—now you can ward off anything like that." Jax Jia was surprised Evan recognized it, then smiled.
Evan took it without hesitation, then looked at Jax Jia and asked, "How did you know Rockwell Nance wanted to kill me?"
Jax Jia had expected Evan's question, so he smiled, "Actually, I've been to this city before. By chance, I discovered something and followed it for a while. I found two of these always near Rockwell Nance. This was just one—so be careful next time."
"So that's why." Evan finally understood why Jax had been so alert since entering the city.
"Alright, enough talk—let's get out of here. Once that thing dies, Rockwell Nance will sense it. If he comes, we won't be able to escape." Jax Jia said once Evan understood.
Hearing Rockwell Nance might come, Evan didn't plan to stay any longer. He'd never fought a Core-Breaching expert, and didn't want to reveal his strength now. As for this grudge, Evan decided to remember it and settle with Rockwell someday.
Soon, the two left the area.
Sure enough, not long after, Rockwell Nance appeared, surveying the scene. His eyes widened as he spotted a puddle of black blood, stunned.
"How could this happen!" Rockwell Nance shouted angrily when he saw the black blood.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind Rockwell Nance and spoke, "Before it died, it sent word that it was injured by a protective formation!"
"How could that beggar have a protective formation like this? And how did he know I was trying to kill him?" Rockwell Nance couldn't believe a beggar could have such skill, or know someone wanted him dead, setting up a formation in advance for the Ghost‑Shade Stalker.
The shadow shook his head, unable to explain.
Now, Rockwell Nance hated Evan Yang to the bone. He'd spent twenty years cultivating that Ghost‑Shade Stalker, and now it was gone—a waste of two decades.
"Should I go kill him?" the shadow asked.
"No, not now. That beggar isn't ordinary. After this, keep out of sight. I want to see just how capable he really is." Rockwell Nance said, barely containing his anger.
"What do you mean?" the shadow asked, confused.
"I'm going to attend the Hundred-Year Pact and check out that beggar's true identity. If I can, I'll make sure he dies with no burial." Rockwell Nance's anger grew stronger—if before he wanted to teach Evan a lesson, now he wanted revenge.
The shadow stood silently, staring at the puddle of blood, lost in thought, until Rockwell Nance spoke again, "I'll visit the White Family first. You head back to the City Lord's Manor."
Before leaving, the shadow asked, "What about that guy?"
"Walter Wang? He's useless now, but he can still be used to provoke that beggar. Where is he?" Rockwell Nance asked, expressionless.
"He's waiting in the northern outskirts for the beggar to pass by," the shadow replied.
"Once the beggar leaves, I'll go deal with him. You head back first." Rockwell Nance said, then turned and left, the shadow vanishing silently behind him, like a faceless ghost.
Walter Wang had no idea what was going on. He was still searching for Evan Yang in the outskirts, flying back and forth without finding a trace. Just as he was about to return to the city, a familiar voice called out to him.
"City Lord?" Walter Wang turned to see Rockwell Nance.
"Walter Wang, what are you doing here?" Rockwell Nance asked, feigning surprise.
Hovering in the air, Walter Wang couldn't reveal his true intentions, so he laughed awkwardly, "I'm looking for my men."
"Oh? You lost your men?" Rockwell Nance asked in surprise.
"Yeah, so I came here to look. Lucky to bump into you, City Lord." Walter Wang smiled, cursing his luck—he couldn't find the beggar, but ran into his boss instead.
"No problem. Just say the word and I'll have the city's guards help you search." Rockwell Nance said, laughing heartily.