"Waiter, another set of bowls and chopsticks!" Evan Chu called out.
"I don't want to eat, that's not necessary!" the young woman replied with a smile.
The waiter quickly brought the utensils. Evan Chu poured her a full glass of wine and said, "Since you're here, have a drink first. The wine at this restaurant is pretty good."
"I don't drink," the young woman refused again. She was clearly wary of the unfamiliar young man sitting across from her.
"Afraid you'll get drunk? Or do you just look down on me? If it's the latter, you can leave. I don't like being watched while I drink alone," Evan Chu said, then raised his glass and drained it in one go.
"If you really like drinking, I can keep you company—but not here. I don't like drinking in places like this," the young woman backed down a little, surprised by how stubborn the young man was.
"Where? Don't tell me it's your auction house?" Evan Chu put down his glass and stared at her—not at her eyes, but at her figure.
Curves in all the right places, and her chest looked even bigger than Jenny Sima's. She really was a stunner—though who knew what she looked like under that veil.
"No, do you want to go somewhere with me?" The young woman stood up and asked.
"Lead the way!" Evan Chu stopped eating, then took out twenty Starstones and placed them on the table.
"I knew you'd agree!" the young woman said, then walked straight out of the restaurant. Evan Chu followed after her.
To Evan's surprise, the young woman headed out of the city, but he still followed. Once outside, her speed increased dramatically, and Evan found it hard to keep up.
Her speed kept rising, almost as if she was racing Evan Chu. She left behind a blur as she ran, and Evan had to use his Shifting Position movement art just to barely keep up, but the gap between them only grew.
He was even more shocked by the girl's speed and strength.
"Evan, this girl really isn't simple. Even I was almost fooled by her. I didn't expect her strength to be like this—you're basically bargaining with a tiger for its skin," Luna, the Sword Spirit, suddenly said.
"Sister Luna, why do you say that? Is she really at the Heaven Martial Realm?" Evan Chu felt this was a dumb question—anyone faster than him had to be extraordinary.
Besides, she's the master of Valorcrest Auctions—there's no way she'd have such a position without serious strength.
"You're underestimating her. This girl is at least at the Divine Martial Realm, but she's deliberately suppressing her aura to look like a first- or second-layer Heaven Martial expert. If she hadn't suddenly sped up and triggered a tiny energy fluctuation, even I wouldn't have noticed. You need to be careful—she could kill you in one move," Luna warned.
Evan Chu felt a chill—why did everyone he meet have to be so terrifying? Even though he couldn't see her face, he could tell she was about his age, yet she was already a Divine Martial Realm expert. Comparing himself to others was just depressing.
He'd fought so hard to reach fifth-layer Earth Martial Realm, but she was already at Divine Martial Realm. It was enough to make anyone feel crushed.
Soon, the young woman ahead stopped. It took Evan Chu almost two minutes to catch up, and he gave a wry smile: "Auction Master, your speed is incredible. I really have to hand it to you!"
"Heh, your speed's not bad either. I couldn't shake you off," the young woman replied with a smile.
Evan Chu looked around. They were outside the city on a huge natural grassland, with a small river nearby and wildflowers spreading a faint fragrance all around.
"Nice place. Did you bring me here because the scenery makes it the perfect spot for a killing?" Evan Chu joked.
The young woman was briefly stunned, then asked, "Why would you think that? Do I really seem like a villain to you?"
Evan Chu glanced at her and said, "You came to see me because you're curious how I know your identity, but now you're not mentioning it at all. That's honestly surprising."
The young woman didn't answer directly. Instead, she sat down, gazing at the distant river. "Whenever I'm feeling troubled, I come here alone, just to watch the blue sky and the flowing water. After a while, my mood always gets better."
"You have worries too? That's honestly surprising. We've talked this long and I still don't know your name," Evan Chu said, sitting down beside her.
"Everyone who's known my name is dead. Do you really want to know?" the young woman asked, looking at Evan Chu.
"You could kill me with a wave of your hand. Divine Martial Realm experts aren't something insignificant like me can compare to. Still, I'm a little curious why you're here," Evan Chu replied, not showing any fear.
"You really are mysterious. You even know my cultivation level. Honestly, I do want to kill you—anyone who knows my secret has to die, and you're no exception," the young woman said with a casual smile, as if killing was nothing to her.
Evan Chu took out a flask of wine from his storage ring, took a sip, and said, "You won't kill me—I know that. If you wanted me dead, you'd have done it at your auction house, not bothered to bring me out here."
You have a lot of secrets and important responsibilities weighing on you. It's exhausting, isn't it? That's why you often hide away alone.
Because you have no one to really confide in. Now I'm the only person you can talk to, so you definitely won't kill me."
A flash of killing intent appeared in the young woman's eyes, but vanished just as quickly. She was truly shocked by the boy in front of her—even though his strength was weak, his courage and insight were extraordinary. He even knew about her confusion and identity, and the items he'd brought proved he was no ordinary person.
"Who exactly are you? What are you doing in Bastion City?" the young woman asked.
"You still haven't answered my question. I told you, if you want the real answer, you have to show your true face," Evan Chu said with a smile. "Want a drink? This wine's pretty good."
"No man has ever dared speak to me like this—you're the first. As for seeing my true face, you might not be qualified yet. But I can tell you my name: I'm Selena," the young woman said.
"Selena? That's a strange name. Why can't I see your real face? Is it one of those rules—if I see it, do I have to marry you?" Evan Chu teased.
He'd been fooled once before—he might love her now, but if Selena turned out to have the face of a dinosaur, he'd be in trouble.
"You could say that, or not. Only if I choose to remove my veil does it count. Have you run into something like this before?" Selena quickly responded.
Evan Chu nodded, then smiled, "I'm just passing through Bastion City—my destination is the Royal Capital. Don't worry, I won't reveal your identity to anyone. Everyone has secrets, and I'm no exception.
My real name is Evan Chu, but right now I go by Niu Tian. It's getting late—let's head back!"
"You're Evan Chu?" Selena's expression changed instantly.
"You know me? No way—this is my first time in Bastion City," Evan Chu said, surprised.
"You killed the Third Prince of the Sea Dragon Kingdom—everyone knows about it. I can't believe you actually dared come to Bastion City. Don't you know the Assassin Guild has already sent its Four Great Assassins after you?" Selena said.
"I didn't know, but I doubt anyone can recognize me—as long as you don't say anything." Only now did Evan Chu truly start to worry; even Old Xu was afraid of the Four Great Assassins.
Selena saw the worry on Evan Chu's face and said immediately, "I can protect you, but you have to promise me one thing. Otherwise, you're guaranteed to die."
"What is it?" Evan Chu asked. He had no confidence the Four Great Assassins wouldn't discover his identity.
"I want..."