"Little beggar, you sure live a comfortable life, huh?" A member of the Bai Family walked up and mocked.
Jax Jia noticed something was up and came out of the hut, just in time to hear Evan Yang laugh and say, "And who might you all be?"
"We're from the Bai Family. Surely you're familiar with that name?" The Bai Family leader sneered.
"So it's the Bai Family. May I ask what business you have with me? Need pills refined? Too bad, I'm not refining today." Evan Yang, knowing the rules here, mocked them without hesitation.
"You!" An irritable Bai Family member stepped forward angrily.
"What, want to fight? Don't forget where you are!" Jax Jia cut in with a cold snort.
"The thief?" Someone recognized Jax Jia on the spot.
"Well, you are who your friends are!" The Bai Family member seized the chance to mock them.
Faced with their provocation, Evan Yang just smiled, unfazed. "My business with my friend is none of yours. I hope you won't get in my way!"
"Kid, our Bai Family is challenging you!" Knowing the rules here, the Bai Family could only throw out this shameless duel condition.
"Just because you challenge me, doesn't mean I have to accept." Evan Yang sneered.
"Exactly! You Bai Family folks should just give it up!" Jax Jia, who clearly disliked the Bai Family, stepped forward to oppose them.
"We'll make you accept!" the Bai Family leader said, then left with more than a dozen people.
After the Bai Family left, a familiar woman walked over. It was none other than Tara Chu, who had been uneasy seeing the Bai Family arrive, so she brought her family disciples along.
"Long time no see!" Tara Chu smiled at Evan Yang.
"Seems like we just met a few months ago." Whenever Evan Yang saw Tara Chu, he always felt a strange awkwardness—maybe some lingering 'shadow'—and his face turned red again.
Jax Jia caught this detail and, without warning, pinched Evan Yang's backside, making Evan glare at him just as Jax pretended nothing had happened.
Tara Chu glanced at Jax Jia, then at Evan Yang, and said, "Little beggar, you really fooled me!"
"Miss Chu, please forgive me. Circumstances forced my hand—I never meant to deceive you." Evan Yang knew he'd hidden things during the Foundation-Building trial realm, and now that the Bai Family had announced he'd killed their two brothers, there was no way to keep it secret any longer.
Tara Chu was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "It's fine. If it were me, I'd have pretended I knew nothing, too."
"Miss Chu, you really have a broad mind!" Jax Jia suddenly blurted out.
"Did this guy eat something weird today?" Evan Yang glanced at him, cursing silently.
Jax Jia ignored Evan Yang's look and smiled at Tara Chu, even trying to touch her other hand. Sensing Jax Jia's odd gaze, Tara quickly stepped back a few paces and smiled, "And who might you be?"
"I'm Jax Jia, his sworn brother." Jax Jia withdrew his hand and patted Evan Yang's shoulder with a grin.
Evan Yang could only smile helplessly. "He's a new friend I just met."
"Your friend is quite interesting." Tara Chu found Jax Jia's actions strange, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was off.
"So, Miss Chu, what brings you here? Are you like the Bai Family, here to catch someone?" Jax Jia didn't miss the chance to keep sparring verbally.
"Catch someone? You're overthinking it. I just wanted to tell you, little beggar, someone from above wants to find you. We're only out here looking for you, and as for the Bai Family, they don't dare take your life now, so you don't need to keep hiding in here." Tara Chu, ever mischievous and innocent, couldn't handle Jax Jia's repeated provocations.
"Oh? Someone's looking for me? Even your families have to obey?" Evan Yang asked, surprised and skeptical.
Jax Jia interrupted, "Evan, don't listen to her—maybe they're just luring you out to catch you!"
"If you don't believe me, go ask around and see what the news is outside." Tara Chu didn't want to keep arguing with Jax Jia, so she left with her people.
Before leaving, Jax Jia muttered a bunch of things behind her back that Evan Yang couldn't understand.
Watching Tara Chu's departing figure, Evan Yang felt a complicated, uncomfortable emotion.
"What, are you falling for her?" Seeing Evan Yang so captivated by Tara Chu's back, Jax Jia asked angrily.
Evan Yang snapped out of it and glared, "What's with you today?"
"What's with me?" Jax Jia replied, completely ignoring the question.
"You're either pinching me or bickering with Miss Chu. What did she ever do to offend you?" Evan Yang asked, frustrated.
"Why do you care? I just can't stand beautiful women, okay?" Jax Jia snorted coldly.
"Are you jealous?" Evan Yang noticed Jax Jia's angry face was a bit red and asked suspiciously.
"Jealous? Get your facts straight! I'm not jealous!" Jax Jia replied angrily.
"If that's not jealousy, why do you get so mad when she looks at me? Or is it that you can't stand being ignored?" Evan Yang found Jax Jia's angry expression cute and started teasing him.
"Get lost, you damn cold brat! Don't talk nonsense—I wouldn't be jealous of you. If I wanted beauties, I'd have plenty! Hmph!" Jax Jia stormed angrily back into the hut.
"Geez." Evan Yang muttered, overwhelmed by Jax Jia's barrage.
As Evan Yang was about to enter the hut, a man stopped him and handed him a letter.
Curious, Evan Yang opened the letter and saw it contained a record of the conversation between the four families and the Yellow Envoy.
After reading the letter, Evan Yang realized it was from Tara Chu.
"Yellow Envoy? Could they be the family backing them?" Evan Yang muttered to himself, his eyes lingering on the mention of the Hundred-Year Pact.
The letter contained many things Evan Yang didn't understand—never having seen the wider continent, much was unclear to him. He went into the hut and said, "Jax, I have something to ask you."
"What is it!" Jax Jia asked, still angry.
"What's wrong? Still mad? Fine, I won't say you're jealous anymore." Evan Yang laughed.
"You dare say it again?" Jax Jia glared at Evan Yang.
"Alright, I won't say it. Just tell me, what's this Hundred-Year Pact mentioned in the letter?" Evan Yang handed the letter to Jax Jia.
Jax Jia glared at Evan Yang, but still took the letter. After reading it, he said angrily, "They've really got it all planned out!"
"What's up?" Evan Yang asked, confused.
"They want you to join the Hundred-Year Pact, help them win, and then they'll definitely cause trouble for you afterwards!" Jax Jia said angrily, staring at the letter.
Evan Yang stood there thinking about the letter's contents. They seemed to assume he'd agree to join—any sane person would see that's impossible.
"You're not seriously thinking of joining, are you?" Jax Jia's anger faded, replaced by worry for Evan Yang.
"I'll decide later. Let's deal with things here first." Evan Yang thought about the four families—the Situ Clan and Wong Clan—wondering what their true nature was.
Seeing Evan Yang didn't immediately agree, Jax Jia finally relaxed and started mulling over the letter.
Just then, another person entered and handed Evan Yang a second letter.
"Why so many letters today?" Jax Jia grabbed it, opened it, and after reading, handed it to Evan Yang. "It's an invitation from the four families!"
"Oh? They're all here?" Evan Yang checked the letter—it was a joint banquet organized by the younger generation of the four families.
"Are we going?" Jax Jia asked, curious.
"What do you think will happen if we don't go?" Evan Yang wasn't afraid of trouble here, but worried refusal would lead to endless harassment and disturb his cultivation.
"With your reputation, it's your call!" Jax Jia sighed.