The explosion’s blast wave swept up dust and lifted the hem of Ding Nan’s clothes.
The voice came from the sky, piercing straight through the silencing formation and landing in everyone’s ears.
The crowd looked up and saw a young woman with shoulder-length hair.
It was none other than Xian Yuyan.
And at this moment, she was suspended in midair.
As everyone knew, flight was forbidden within the capital, so her figure quickly drew the attention of the crowd and the Wancheng City Guard.
Three Golden Core Stage cultivators approached Xian Yuyan from different directions.
“Milady, flight is prohibited in the capital…”
Those who arrived were all wearing identical armor and red robes, appearing to be military officers.
Ding Nan had seen people like this before.
The City Guard had patrol officers, inspectors, and a violent government apparatus tasked with protecting the peace of the region.
Normally, they maintained public order in the city, and when necessary, the city’s garrison would cooperate to defend it.
Although their attire and forms differed from those of the Tianfeng Dynasty, they were definitely from the City Guard.
“Everyone, take a look below first.”
Hearing this, the three burly male cultivators looked down and saw the gathering of gang members.
When the Patrol Officer saw his superior’s superior arrive, he immediately sat on the ground, trembling all over, utterly disheartened.
“Mass brawl?”
“No, it’s something else.”
“Everyone, circumstances are urgent, so I had no choice. If I hadn’t come quickly, my people would have been beaten to death by you.”
Hearing this, the three Golden Core cultivators’ expressions changed slightly, looking in surprise at the young woman who seemed quite unconventional.
Why did Xian Yuyan’s words carry a hint of threat?
Then, they saw Xian Yuyan pull a beautifully bound official document from her Spatial Ring. It was unmistakably a Travel Document.
Xian Yuyan didn’t hand the Travel Document to them but opened it herself, showing them its contents.
The Travel Document served as both an official travel permit and a kind of identification card.
Seeing the name “Xian Yuyan” on the document, they didn’t recognize either the name or the embossed portrait, but they clearly saw the line below:
“Rank: Tribulation Transcendence Stage Late Phase.”
In an instant, they nodded repeatedly and agreed:
“Milady is right. Circumstances are urgent, indeed!”
With that, they immediately flew toward the gang members of the Yihe Association.
The three subdued these Qi Refining Stage thugs.
“Huh? They were that easy to deal with? No fines?”
Ding Nan wondered.
From his understanding, they should have fined him by now, since the City Guard patrol officers and squad leaders loved issuing tickets.
He suddenly grew curious about what Xian Yuyan had shown those Golden Core Stage cultivators.
Earlier, Xian Yuyan had always shown the Travel Document with her back to him.
He hadn’t seen what she was holding.
Xian Yuyan slowly descended in front of Ding Nan.
“How did you get involved in something like this?” Xian Yuyan said, looking at Ding Nan with exasperation.
“You were just out buying clothes.”
“Can’t be helped. I just saw it happen,” Ding Nan said, shrugging as he lowered his battle stance.
“You’ve been tailing them for a while, haven’t you?”
Xian Yuyan said.
“So the Black Stone Necklace on me is yours?”
“That’s right. That Black Stone Necklace has a special feature: it blurs your presence and conceals the wearer’s aura. But if the wearer’s actions are too obvious, they can still be noticed.”
“For example, when I enter a shop alone, the shopkeeper notices me. But if I’m standing on the street with other people around, I’m barely noticed.”
“That’s correct.”
Xian Yuyan nodded.
Ding Nan’s expression shifted slightly.
He sneaked a glance at the Golden Core Stage City Guard squadron leader who was scolding the gangsters behind Xian Yuyan.
“This thing isn’t exactly a thief’s tool, is it?”
“No, it just conceals your aura and weakens your presence. You weren’t wearing a mask. If you stole something and the shopkeeper saw you, you’d still be caught—unless someone else was stealing with you.”
“I see.” Ding Nan understood.
He couldn’t help but touch the Black Stone Necklace.
“There’s another function: it reveals the wearer’s location,” Xian Yuyan muttered to herself.
The Black Stone Necklace was made by her personally.
Its concealment effect was useless against Xian Yuyan herself; instead, it constantly exposed the wearer’s position.
At this moment, Ding Nan had no idea that the thing in his hand was a powerful artifact capable of blocking even the divine sense searches of a Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivator.
It seemed pretty ordinary, but for Ding Nan at his current level, it was a good find.
He didn’t want to become famous right now.
Since Luo Yao could produce such high-grade techniques, the Luo Family must have considerable power.
With this item, he wouldn’t have to keep hiding.
“But why did you give this to me?”
Ding Nan asked, puzzled.
“Because you’re weak. And lying by the river looking like a mental wreck—I figured you’d been through some inhumane abuse. To keep anyone from finding you, I gave this to you for protection.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Ding Nan carefully put away the Black Stone Necklace.
“Don’t break this thing. After you pay me back, you still need to return the Black Stone Necklace.”
“Regardless, you’ve helped me. Thank you,” Ding Nan said—and you’re not charging me rent, anyway.
“Big brother…”
Behind Ding Nan, the little girl, barely eleven or twelve with still-chubby cheeks, poked her head out.
Her small hands tightly gripped Ding Nan’s thigh as she spoke timidly.
“Little sister, you’re safe now. Where’s your home? Want big brother to take you back?”
Ding Nan gently stroked the innocent girl’s head.
She stared blankly at Ding Nan, as if not yet fully rid of her fear.
Xian Yuyan paused.
She looked down at the little girl, then up at Ding Nan, who was skillfully patting her head with a gentle expression.
Xian Yuyan couldn’t help but smirk.
“You perverted lolicon.”
She scowled, sneering coldly.
“Huh?”
Ding Nan lost his composure.
He tilted his head with a huge question mark and said, “Why do you say that?”
“Perverted lolicon” was a euphemism.
What she really meant was a natural-born evil pedophile.
She was like the calm before a storm—still, cold, staring at Ding Nan with an icy gaze.
“Are you planning to make this little girl wear white silk stockings and use her tiny little feet to stomp all over your face?”
“How can you already have a whole scenario worked out!”
Ding Nan laughed bitterly.
“Then why are you meddling with this little girl?”
Xian Yuyan stared at the girl.
The little girl was stunned for a few seconds before slowly hiding behind Ding Nan.
“I initially wanted to find a Patrol Officer to deal with this, but I didn’t expect the Patrol Officer to be in cahoots with those two traffickers. So I had no choice but to fight.”
“I see.”
Xian Yuyan moved closer to Ding Nan, her beautiful eyes fixed on him.
Ding Nan clearly noticed her irises were a beautiful deep amber, with green-yellow patterns contracting.
Her eyes were lovely, but her shadow fell on Ding Nan, giving him a sense of pressure.
Even though she was shorter than him, she could fly.
She hovered in midair, pressing down on Ding Nan from above.
She was a Golden Core Stage cultivator, stronger than him.
And her face was so close.
Besides the pressure, Ding Nan felt shy.
He didn’t know why, but he felt like a husband caught cheating, being interrogated by his wife at home.
“Are you sure you don’t want to be a pervy father figure?”
Xian Yuyan stroked her chin, keeping a skeptical tone.
Pervy father figure…
“Hey, what kind of image do you have of me in your head? We haven’t even known each other for a few days!”
Ding Nan couldn’t help but exclaim.
He could accept liking silk stockings, but being accused of liking little girls and lolis?
That he couldn’t take.
“I prefer mature women.”
Ding Nan wearily pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Mature…”
Xian Yuyan suddenly thought of Ji Lanruo.
That woman had heights that ordinary people could hardly reach.
For someone like her, who wasn’t very tall or generously proportioned, Ji Lanruo was a lifelong rival.
“Hmph—”
Xian Yuyan’s tone rose a notch.
She gave Ding Nan a dead fish stare, her pale pink lips and white teeth forming clear, cold words:
“Pervert!”
“Uh…”
Caught in the middle with no winning move, Ding Nan was at a loss for words.
“We’ve been together for a few days now. Guess what kind of ‘good deeds’ you’ve done?”
Xian Yuyan said with a sudden, cold smile.
“Huh, I didn’t do anything weird, did I?”
Ding Nan’s expression turned grim.
Mental breakdowns accompanied by amnesia—Alzheimer’s would’ve been a kinder fate than this.
“Hmph!”
She turned her head away and said nothing more.
Ding Nan watched her for a few minutes, realized she had no intention of explaining, and let out a long, uneasy sigh.
He decided to put Xian Yuyan aside for now.
She was an adult with her own thoughts.
The priority was still helping this child.
Ding Nan gently patted the little girl’s back and spoke softly, “You’re okay now. It’s all over.”
“Are you going to help her?” Xian Yuyan said.
“I can lend a hand. It’s not too hard. She’s probably a kid from Wancheng. The city looks so prosperous, the public order must be decent. I think the City Guard will do their job.”
“Is that so? You’re really nosy.”
Xian Yuyan murmured.
As she spoke, she lowered her head.
“?”
Your voice sounds sad.
Why?
Ding Nan wondered.
“You can’t help her.”
Xian Yuyan looked up.
“Why not?”
“Because, this little girl was already dead from the start.”
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