Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Encountering Xue Gong

Meanwhile, Shen Haoran, who had just left the Thick Earth Hall for the Red Flame Hall, found himself standing on a secluded path. He stared ahead, his expression grave, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Not far in front of him, an effeminate young man in white robes stood holding a feather fan. A wicked smile played on his lips as he watched Shen Haoran in silence. This was Xue Gong, a key subordinate of Ouyang Chen.

Xue Gong smiled faintly at Shen Haoran, unleashing a chilling aura that surged directly toward him. The temperature plummeted in its wake, and frost began to crystallize in the air.

Sensing the frigid aura, Shen Haoran’s brows knitted together. His opponent had attacked without a word, and a flash of anger surged through him. The Spiritual Power in his body erupted, and an overwhelmingly domineering aura burst forth to meet Xue Gong’s chilling pressure!

BOOM! With a muffled explosion, the two visible auras collided. Ripples spread out across the path as the two forces became locked in a stalemate.

BANG!

A moment later, a sharp crack echoed out. The deadlocked auras annihilated one another, and a fierce shockwave radiated outward, snapping the ancient trees lining the path in half!

The force of the blast sent both Shen Haoran and Xue Gong stumbling backward.

SCREECH... Digging his heels in, Shen Haoran forced himself to a stop. His expression turned grim as he looked at Xue Gong, who had only retreated half a step. ’He’s so strong!’

Xue Gong, for his part, looked at Shen Haoran with a hint of surprise. ’To think he can stand up to me with the power of a mere Tier Two Spirit General. It seems the rumors are true—his combat prowess far exceeds his apparent cultivation level!’

However, Xue Gong’s surprise was fleeting. He retracted his aura, and his demeanor shifted back to that of a delicate scholar who looked as though a strong gust of wind could blow him over.

"Shen Haoran, is it?" Xue Gong asked.

Hearing the man call him by name, Shen Haoran frowned and asked coldly, "Who are you?"

Instead of answering, Xue Gong gently waved his feather fan. His voice was languid as he said, "Who I am isn’t important. I’m merely curious. Using such a goading tactic on Su Xing... are you trying to recruit him? He’s only ranked 400th on the Dragon and Tiger List. You can actually find a use for someone that weak?"

At his words, Shen Haoran snorted. "That’s my business. It has nothing to do with you!" Shen Haoran valued Su Xing not for his strength, but for his character.

’When choosing allies, strength is important, but character is paramount. If someone’s integrity is questionable, then no matter how powerful they are, you can’t be sure they won’t turn on you someday. That’s a risk I’m not willing to take. I need people who are absolutely loyal to me, not ungrateful traitors who could betray me at any moment.’

"Oh, but your business has everything to do with me," Xue Gong purred, his expression suddenly twisting into a ferocious snarl. "My orders are to make you... disappear... from this Sect!"

"But now that I’ve met you, I’ve had a change of heart. Perhaps toying with you, breaking you slowly... that might be far more fun! I do hope you won’t disappoint me," he cooed. In a flash, Xue Gong’s expression shifted once more. The ferocious snarl vanished, replaced by an utterly harmless facade, yet his voice was laced with a boundless, bone-chilling cold.

Staring at the young man who seemed to have multiple personalities, Shen Haoran frowned. ’I don’t remember ever crossing this guy.’

After speaking, Xue Gong gave Shen Haoran a smiling glance and turned to leave. But as he turned, Shen Haoran saw a black snowflake tattooed on his wrist.

The sight of that black snowflake made Shen Haoran’s pupils shrink. He cried out internally, ’Xue Gong! It’s actually Xue Gong, the man ranked fourth on the Dragon and Tiger List!’

’He said his orders were to make me disappear from the Sect? The only person who could give him that order... is Ouyang Chen!’ Shen Haoran’s mind raced.

’Ouyang Chen? He actually wants me dead? But why?’ Shen Haoran’s eyes narrowed as he watched Xue Gong’s figure slowly fade into the distance, a cold light flashing in their depths.

"Ouyang Chen, number one on the Dragon and Tiger List... Hmph. Interesting," Shen Haoran snorted, a strange smile touching his lips. Anyone who knew Shen Haoran would recognize that look—it meant he had just decided to kill someone.

"Since you’ve decided to pick a fight with me, don’t blame me for being ruthless," Shen Haoran muttered, his voice ice-cold. He took a deep breath, suppressed the killing intent welling inside him, and turned back toward the Red Flame Hall.

Upon returning to the Red Flame Hall, Shen Haoran immediately secluded himself in his small courtyard. All he had to do now was wait for a certain person to seek him out.

「Three days later.」

On a wooded path of Red Flame Peak, Zi Mo and Su Xing were hurrying toward the Red Flame Hall.

"Sigh... I wonder if Brother Shen will forgive me," Zi Mo lamented, his face a mask of misery.

Three days prior, he had misjudged Shen Haoran, wrongly assuming he intended to kill Su Xing. He had even felt a surge of killing intent himself. Today, he had come specifically to apologize.

"I don’t know," Su Xing replied flatly. His injuries had long since healed, and the aura he now faintly exuded was far more powerful than before. He had clearly broken through to the next realm.

Hearing Su Xing’s response, Zi Mo’s chubby face crumpled further in despair. He cursed himself inwardly, ’It’s all my fault for being too rash! I completely misunderstood Brother Shen’s good intentions!’

"It’s no use saying that now. We’ll know soon enough," Su Xing said, glancing at Zi Mo before quickening his pace. Zi Mo had no choice but to scurry after him.

They moved quickly and arrived at Shen Haoran’s courtyard a short while later. Staring at the closed gate, Zi Mo took a deep, apprehensive breath and pushed it open.

CREAK... As the gate swung open, Zi Mo and Su Xing saw Shen Haoran sitting in the courtyard pavilion. He was holding a cup of fragrant tea, a warm smile on his face as he watched them approach.

That’s right. The person Shen Haoran had been waiting for these past three days was none other than Su Xing. Provoking Su Xing in the arena had been a deliberate move to leave an indelible impression on him. Shen Haoran’s goal was simple: he wanted Su Xing on his side.

The moment he saw Su Xing, Shen Haoran knew his words from that day had struck their mark. He rose to his feet and stepped forward. "Welcome, Brother Su. Please, come in."

Whether it was intentional or not, Shen Haoran didn’t spare Zi Mo a single glance during the entire exchange, leaving the latter to smile awkwardly.

"You knew we were coming?" Su Xing asked in surprise.

In response, Shen Haoran simply smiled, which was as good as a confirmation.

Seeing Shen Haoran’s confident expression, Su Xing chuckled lightly. ’Looks like I made the right choice,’ he thought. ’Shen Haoran is someone worth following.’