Chapter 1320

"Do you agree?" Qi Xia asked again. "With just eight Canyu Zhe, you're taking far too long to think."

"I know what kind of person you are, so I can't afford to be careless with any decision," Qing Long said with a light laugh. "After all, this is such a major transaction—I need to handle it seriously."

Qi Xia knocked on the table: "Qing Long, if even I can't pull off 'making Tian Long die unexpectedly', then you won't have anyone left to use."

"This place sees self-important Lou Yi showing up every so often, so I'm not worried about running out of options."

"Do you believe it?" Qi Xia said. "How many more years do you think you'll have to wait before seeing another person like me appear here?"

Qing Long fell silent for several seconds before pointing to the paper on the table and saying, "About these eight strangers, how much of it can I trust?"

"Asking me that question is pointless," Qi Xia shook his head. "If I'm a partner in your eyes, then you can believe every word I say. But if you see me as a fraud, then you'll only trust half of what I tell you about these people."

After hearing this, Qing Long slowly stood up, took the paper from the table, and said softly, "Qi Xia, in my eyes, you're definitely a fraud."

"Then choose which half to believe," Qi Xia said. "Maybe it's just the 'names' part."

Qing Long let out a light snort and turned away, holding up the paper: "Fine, I'll handle this for you, but to make it completely unnoticed, it'll take at least a year to gradually eliminate all their current teammates. That way, no one in Taoyuan will remember them."

"Agreed," Qi Xia nodded. "Qing Long, I have one more thing to assign to you."

Qing Long walked to the door and paused, his figure slowing to a stop. He seemed dissatisfied with Qi Xia's tone, but for now, he had no better alternative.

"No matter how close my actions appear to failure, you must not interfere with me," Qi Xia said. "I need you to fully trust my actions and always provide support, so I can guarantee Tian Long's disappearance."

Qing Long turned his face halfway and said coldly, "That's too absolute. How will I know when you're truly failing?"

"Qing Long, remember this," Qi Xia said. "No matter when or where, if you choose to interfere with me, that's when I'll really start to fail."

...

Qing Long slowly opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Ran in front of him.

"Qing Long... what's wrong with you?" Xiao Ran forced a smile and asked. "I can barely breathe... could you put me down first..."

Listening to her words, Qing Long carefully assessed which of Qi Xia's teammates she might be.

Among these women, she didn't know anything about his Xian Fa, which meant she couldn't possibly carry exquisite artifacts; and she was so foolish that she couldn't have the audacity to make a mutually beneficial deal with Qi Xia.

So, she was the one Qi Xia had called "just filling the numbers".

A character that even Qi Xia had to lie and hide about... how could she be an ordinary person?

Qing Long felt the situation slipping out of his control. Was Qi Xia really turning his sights on Tian Long in this chaos?

The two generals he had sent, both bearing Tianxing Jian, hadn't laid a single punch on Tian Long. He dared to guarantee that when he returned to the room, Tian Long would still be sitting there unharmed.

"I have to kill him myself..." Qing Long looked at Xiao Ran again and decided to give her one last chance. "Hey, say once, 'Qing Long, wait for me'."

"Ah...?"

"Say it."

Qing Long seized the moment to release his Duo Xin Po, taking control of the woman before him.

Xiao Ran, not understanding what he meant, repeated the words shakily: "Qing Long... wait for me."

As expected by Qing Long, as soon as she spoke, his Duo Xin Po vanished without a trace, and he lost all control over her.

Where in the world were there truly loyal people?

She was clearly a final weapon with immeasurable destructive power.

Though he didn't know how Qi Xia had achieved such a bizarre effect, the result spoke for itself—as long as this woman existed, his Duo Xin Po could never be used.

"Qing Long... why don't you understand now..." Xiao Ran said with a bitter smile. "Whatever you ask me to do, I'll..."

Before she could finish, Xiao Ran felt Qing Long's grip tighten.

"Persistent ghost," Qing Long sneered. "With your abilities, you think you can doom me forever?"

Xiao Ran hadn't yet comprehended what was happening when she felt her tongue being forced out, no air reaching her lungs, and her eyes bulging unnaturally.

"Qing... Long..." Xiao Ran struggled to say. "I'm... here... to... help... you..."

She reached out and touched Qing Long's injured forehead: "You're... hurt... I'm here... to... help..."

"Then help me by dying," Qing Long laughed. "Dying by my hand is at least a proper end for you."

There was a strange "thud" as blood sprayed from Xiao Ran's seven orifices, with organs and brain matter bursting out and splattering onto the walls and Qing Long's face.

Her arm slid slowly from Qing Long's forehead, and she didn't resist until the end.

Her neck was squeezed in Qing Long's hand until it was like a thin string, her face contorted in a terrifying expression from the strangulation.

Not satisfied, Qing Long used both hands to dismember Xiao Ran right in front of the many Lou Yi, her body collapsing like scattered blocks. The characters on her chest, split in two, were revealed.

Qing Long stepped on those four characters, crushing her chest into a pulp.

"Your scheme is broken... Qi Xia, if you've got any more tricks, bring them on," Qing Long snorted coldly, walking out the door and casually striking down the Lou Yi in his path.

As he was about to use Yue Qian to leave and return to the battlefield of Tianxing Jian, he was suddenly drawn to the scene before him.

The corridor was filled with many Canyu Zhe and Sheng Xiao—some leaning against walls, others with heads bowed—all frozen in place like hundreds of statues stretching into the distance.

"What...?" Qing Long frowned slightly, puzzled by the situation and why so many people were immobilized here.

He had monitored Qi Xia's actions for a long time and had never heard of anything like this.

He knew time was critical; he cared more about Tian Long's fate than about the state of these Canyu Zhe and Sheng Xiao.

This battle had to end with Tian Long's life, or all his efforts would be in vain.

He leaped into motion, vanishing from the sight of the many Lou Yi, but he didn't notice that more and more Canyu Zhe and Sheng Xiao in the distance were stopping in place and slowly bowing their heads.