Evan Chu heard the voice behind him and instantly felt it was baffling—he had no dealings with Young Lord Wenqin, so why was he being called out? Had Wenqin seen through something?
Though puzzled, Evan still stopped. He’d always lived by the rule: don’t mess with me, and I won’t mess with you. But if anyone dared disrespect him—even a Ninth-Layer Divine Martial Realm expert—he’d kill them without hesitation, Young Lord or not.
Evan turned around, looked at Young Lord Wenqin, and said, "May I ask why you’ve called me? If it’s about the Warren Manor incident, I’m afraid I can’t help you."
"You’ve misunderstood," Young Lord Wenqin said with a smile. "I just think you have an extraordinary presence and would like to get to know you. If I’m not mistaken, you’re at least at Fifth-Layer Divine Martial Realm. I love making friends, especially with talented young people. I hope you won’t refuse me!" Wenqin’s words made it clear Evan couldn’t easily decline.
If Evan refused, it would mean he looked down on Young Lord Wenqin—and even a fool could see what would happen next. If they couldn’t be friends, they’d naturally become enemies.
Normally, a Fifth-Layer Divine Martial Realm expert against a Ninth-Layer would be an egg striking stone. But Evan Chu was an exception—he could absolutely kill a Ninth-Layer Divine Martial Realm opponent.
"Young Lord Wenqin, you flatter me. If I could be friends with you, I’d be honored. But surely you have urgent matters to attend to and can’t leave just yet?" Evan didn’t accept directly—he wasn’t the type to flatter someone just because they were strong. He had his own principles.
"No problem," Wenqin smiled. "This case is urgent, but I still need to look for clues. My gut tells me you’re the one who can help me solve it, so I hope you’ll stay and assist me."
The onlookers all stared at Evan Chu with envy and jealousy. For a youth to be noticed by Young Lord Wenqin—what luck! Such an opportunity was rarer than finding a lantern in broad daylight.
After thinking it over for a moment, Evan decided that sticking close to this prodigy wasn’t a bad idea. He was unfamiliar with the Azure Tide Ruins, and maybe he could pick up some useful information from Wenqin.
Having made up his mind, Evan smiled and said, "Since Young Lord Wenqin thinks so highly of me, of course I’m willing to stay. It’s a great honor to be able to help you out!"
Evan wasn’t one for flattery, but he could play along when needed. Sometimes hiding his true strength worked out better.
If Wenqin really harbored any evil intent, the Flame Dragon Sword would soon claim another soul.
Hearing Evan’s reply, Young Lord Wenqin was visibly pleased. He glanced at Evan a few times and thought to himself, "It seems my reputation is still strong—maybe I really am on track to become first among the Four Young Lords!"
Then he said to Evan, "Come, accompany me to Golden Ram City. I need your help with something. Once that’s done, we can come back and handle the Warren Manor case."
Evan didn’t know what Wenqin was really up to, but he did know Golden Ram City. It was less than two thousand li away and a huge city—almost as large as the Heavenly Dragon Kingdom’s Royal Capital.
Evan didn’t say much. When Wenqin shot into the air, he followed suit, and the two of them left under the crowd’s puzzled stares.
Everyone knew perfectly well that once Young Lord Wenqin left, the Warren Manor bloodbath wouldn’t be investigated any further. All his talk just now was perfunctory—none of the Four Young Lords would ever bother with these trivial matters. Sometimes, when they got angry, the number of people they killed far exceeded these three hundred.
Young Lord Wenqin flew incredibly fast—he did it on purpose, wanting to show off his strength to Evan and make him submit. That way, whatever he needed Evan to do would be much easier.
Evan immediately saw through his intent and adjusted his speed to stay just a touch slower than Wenqin—no matter how Wenqin changed pace, it didn’t affect Evan at all.
Evan’s flight speed now surpassed even Fox King Cyril of the Saint Martial Realm—let alone Young Lord Wenqin. If he added Goldwing’s boost, he’d be even faster. In all of Azure Tide Ruins, there weren’t many who could outpace him.
At first, Young Lord Wenqin was smug, convinced he’d quickly leave the youth behind and show him what true speed was. But soon he realized Evan kept pace with him, never falling behind.
No matter how much Wenqin sped up or slowed down, it was always the same. That shocked him—he knew his own speed well, and among the youths of Azure Tide Ruins, only Soaring Feather Young Lord of Freewind Palace could match him. Yet Evan kept up, which was simply unbelievable.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Wenqin channeled all his Stellar Power, speeding up even more and quickly leaving Evan far behind.
"I thought I wouldn’t be able to shake you off—seems I was worrying for nothing," Wenqin muttered to himself.
But when he looked back again, Evan was right where he’d started, keeping the same distance. That’s when Wenqin finally realized—this youth was no ordinary person. Anyone with such speed had to be someone important.
He slowed down and stopped in midair, waiting for Evan to catch up. Evan understood his doubts but pretended not to, asking, "Why did you stop, Young Lord Wenqin? Is something wrong?"
Wenqin looked at the youth, who wasn’t even out of breath, and said, "You’re fast—I must’ve underestimated you. Which sect are you from? I don’t think I’ve seen you before."
"My speed is nothing special—you’re giving me too much credit, Young Lord Wenqin. As for my sect, you probably haven’t heard of it. It’s just a small place, not worth mentioning." Evan smiled, unwilling to reveal his origins when he couldn’t tell if Wenqin was friend or foe.
"You’re pretty wary of me, aren’t you? Don’t worry—I won’t do anything to you. I genuinely want to be friends. I don’t know why, but I feel drawn to you," Wenqin said with a smile.
"You misunderstand. To be friends with Young Lord Wenqin of the Four Young Lords of Azure Tide is an honor. But what do you need my help with?" Evan asked, getting straight to the point.
"Let’s talk when we get to Golden Ram City. It’s nothing bad. Since you’re fast, how about a race? Whoever loses has to agree to one condition from the winner," Wenqin suggested with a smile.
"I doubt I’m your match. What if I lose and you ask me to do something shady? I’m an honest guy," Evan replied, deliberately trying to knock Wenqin down a peg.
Wenqin’s face flashed with a hint of annoyance, but it quickly vanished. Evan caught it, though.
"I wouldn’t make you do anything bad. The Four Young Lords have a reputation to uphold—I wouldn’t ruin it. So, do you dare take the bet?" Wenqin asked.
(Author’s Note: Merry Christmas, readers!)