AWB Chapter 160 Being Bullied
Chapter 160 Being Bullied
"Fellow Daoist Xu, how have you been?" The man in black spoke with a smile, yet it was like a winter wind that sent a chill down one's spine.
Xu Xiaoli stopped struggling. His hands were handcuffed by the chains extending from the restraining array. The more he struggled, the hotter the chains became, stinging his arms.
"It seems Fellow Daoist Xu is a sensible person. Then our conversation will be more pleasant from now on." The man in black smiled even more broadly, though the smile was sinister.
“Fellow Daoist, if you want to talk to me, I hope we can be more frank. For example, remove the restraints on me, or tell me your identity.” Xu Xiaoli’s tone was very cold; he really didn’t like the person in front of him.
The man in black stood up, walked up to Xu Xiaoli, snatched off Xu Xiaoli's mask, and then kicked him hard: "As you wish."
Xu Xiaoli straightened up in pain. He wanted to break the formation, but with his current late-stage Foundation Establishment strength, he couldn't do anything. He tried to reach for the magical artifact in his storage bag, but his hands were firmly bound, and he couldn't break free at all.
"What exactly do you want? Do you want to kill me?" Xu Xiaoli looked coldly at the person in front of him, his brows furrowed.
The man in black sat on a wooden chair with his arms crossed, leaning forward. He crossed his legs and said nonchalantly, "No, your life is worthless. I can take your life at any time. Fellow Daoist Xu, I 'invited' you here because you are a skilled medical cultivator. I have a question I'd like to ask you. How can we cure the demonic poison?"
Xu Xiaoli remained silent, his head bowed, thinking of a way to escape. He realized he could leave this body and return to Xie Wanning's consciousness space.
Unexpectedly.
"Fellow Daoist Xu may choose not to answer; after all, everyone has the right to refuse. However, the longer Fellow Daoist Xu remains silent, the less I can guarantee Qiao Qingzi's safety. Can Fellow Daoist Xu bear this price?" The man in black's voice was tinged with a smile again, his tone conveying a sense of absolute certainty.
Xu Xiaoli's face paled slightly. He lowered his voice and questioned, "You're going to harm Qiao Qingzi? How dare you!"
The man in black was very satisfied with Xu Xiaoli's reaction. He shook his leg and laughed, "I keep my word. With just one order, Qiao Qingzi can be killed in one blow. However, Fellow Daoist Xu still has a chance to save her. As long as Fellow Daoist Xu tells me how to cure the demonic poison, I can take back the people I sent."
Xu Xiaoli almost ground his back teeth to powder before he managed to squeeze out a few words: "Fight poison with poison."
"Fellow Daoist Xu means to use demonic herbs to combat demonic poison. Of the items on the auction list, only the Ten-Thousand-Year Mad Demon Grass is toxic enough. However, Fellow Daoist Xu is here to acquire this Ten-Thousand-Year Mad Demon Grass as well. Is that right, Fellow Daoist Xu?"
Xu Xiaoli's eyes widened in shock. His and Qiao Qingzi's purchase of medicinal herbs from the black market was a highly secretive matter; apart from the Nine Cauldrons Sect Master, no one else knew about it. However, Xia Rujing would never allow others to compete for the herbs, leading to Xia Mengqi's death. Therefore, there was a spy within the Nine Cauldrons Sect.
Xu Xiaoli recalled that Ye Qianqian had put the Mad Demon Grass into the spirit beasts' food at Qingyun Sect. The person in front of him was all black except for his golden eyes. Could he be Ye Qianqian's man? Xu Xiaoli harbored this suspicion in his heart.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, it's the Mad Demon Grass, isn't it!" The man in black's voice carried a hint of threat.
Xu Xiaoli's eyes darkened. Thinking of Qiao Qingzi, who might be in danger at any moment, he reluctantly nodded.
"Oh, then please be sensible, Fellow Daoist Xu, and don't compete with me for that Ten-Thousand-Year Mad Demon Grass." The man in black spoke coldly, his tone full of threat.
Xu Xiaoli gritted his teeth and nodded.
He is currently unable to fight, so he can only wait until he escapes before figuring out what to do next.
"Xu Xiaoli." The man in black suddenly called his name, leaning forward, his golden eyes filled with inquiry: "I've always wondered, who exactly are you?"
“It’s as if there are two people inside you. Although you are very similar, there are subtle differences. He is more innocent, while you are more composed.”
Xu Xiaoli's eyes darkened. He knew, of course, that the man in black was referring to Xie Wanning. But why did the man in black know him so well?
"However, what you all have in common is that you seem completely out of place with this body."
"Everyone has secrets, and so do I. But your secrets seem even more difficult to reveal to others."
The man in black's voice was slightly mocking, and Xu Xiaoli stiffened, avoiding the probing gaze he was directed at.
The person in front of me seemed to be able to see through everything; nothing could escape his eyes.
Xu Xiaoli didn't notice that the array beneath him was glowing slightly, and the smile behind the black-clad man's mask was even wider.
Xu Xiaoli lowered his head and remained silent. He couldn't speak to the person in front of him; he had a premonition that the person was exceptionally dangerous.
The man in black walked up to Xu Xiaoli, broke the spell, and said with a smile, "Now, you are worthless. You can leave."
Xu Xiaoli felt a surge of anger, but dared not make a move. He left the room and hurried back to where Qiao Qingzi was.
However, he did not notice that the man in black waved his right hand, and a tiny black insect the size of a sesame seed flew out and landed in Xu Xiaoli's hair.
As soon as they stepped outside, the room behind them vanished. This was a unique method used in the black market to protect auctioneers, hiding the room where everyone was located, and only those with a token could enter.
Xu Xiaoli angrily punched a tree beside him, but the pain made him wince.
He is not currently inside Xie Wanning's body, and his physical condition is no different from that of an ordinary person. This punch even caused his hand to cramp.
Xu Xiaoli stomped his feet in frustration. He had never been threatened like this before, and he didn't even know who the person was.
He took out his communication token, intending to send Xie Wanning a message: "Come quickly, at the auction house entrance." But he stopped what he was doing.
The man in black had threatened him with Qiao Qingzi, so he couldn't abandon her now.
When Xu Xiaoli returned to the room, he found Qiao Qingzi still there, but she seemed to be holding something in her hand and staring at it intently.
Xu Xiaoli quietly approached Qiao Qingzi, only to find she was holding a storybook. It read: Xie Ning caught Qin Luoluo as she fell from a tree, gripping her waist tightly, and chuckled softly, "Luoluo, now you can't escape. This time, you won't leave my sight."
Qiao Qingzi couldn't help but laugh out loud. She was holding the storybook, and even the tips of her ears turned red.
"Senior Sister." Xu Xiaoli suddenly spoke up, startling Qiao Qingzi so much that she jumped up from her chair. She hurriedly hid the storybook behind her back and turned her head away from Xu Xiaoli.
"Junior brother, why didn't you say anything when you came back? It was scary." Qiao Qingzi shrank back helplessly and secretly put the storybook back into her storage bag.
Xu Xiaoli did not expose Qiao Qingzi's actions. He apologized and said, "I'm sorry, I will definitely let you know when I come back next time."
He then carefully surveyed his surroundings, finding no one hiding in the room. Nevertheless, he took out ten defensive talismans from his storage bag and evenly affixed them to the room.
"Junior brother, what are you doing?" Qiao Qingzi asked in confusion.
“The black market is dangerous. Just in case, I’ll put some protective talismans on you to ensure your safety,” Xu Xiaoli explained.
After doing all that, Xu Xiaoli found a wooden chair, sat on it, and quietly fell asleep.
Although Qiao Qingzi found Xu Xiaoli's behavior a bit strange, she thought he was just a little tired.
Xu Xiaoli was not actually asleep; his consciousness had returned entirely to Xie Wanning's consciousness space.
Xie Wanning was chatting with Qin Muyang when she suddenly sensed movement in her consciousness space, so she quickly returned to it.
But Xie Wanxun was filled with anger, and demonic energy emanated from her body.
"Sister, what's wrong with you?"
"I was bullied."