Inside the great hall of the Southern Sparrow Hall where Xia Ran was recuperating from his injuries.
Xia Ran remained unconscious, but his condition had stabilized. His severed body had been restored, and his aura was relatively steady.
However, those five elders still wore expressions of tension and unease.
They were naturally not worried about Xia Ran — they were worried about Tuoba Jianshu, who had gone to assassinate Chu Feng.
Logically speaking, with Tuoba Jianshu's strength, assassinating Chu Feng should have been a guaranteed success.
But in the Wulong Martial Sect, an elder assassinating a disciple was a capital offense. That was why they were anxious.
"Pour me a cup of tea."
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the hall.
The already on-edge elders all flinched, thoroughly startled.
But when they looked toward the source of the voice, the space above the seat at the head of the hall rippled, and a figure materialized.
It was Tuoba Jianshu.
Since Tuoba Jianshu had taken the Invisibility Soul-Avoiding Pearl, his ability to return without anyone noticing was not surprising.
Yet the sight of his current appearance left them feeling uncertain.
Tuoba Jianshu's face was ashen, his expression tense — he looked as though he had been badly frightened.
When one of the elders handed him a cup of tea, Tuoba Jianshu couldn't even hold it steady, his body trembling violently.
But none of them dared speak. They simply stood in a neat row to the side, waiting as Tuoba Jianshu drained the cup of tea.
"Listen well, all of you. From now on, no one is to trouble Chu Feng again."
After finishing his tea, Tuoba Jianshu addressed the five elders.
"Lord Tuoba, what happened?"
The elders could all tell that something had occurred.
"I was discovered. The Invisibility Soul-Avoiding Pearl was useless against that person."
Tuoba Jianshu said.
"That..."
"Who was this person?"
"Could it be Zhao Yushu?"
The elders' faces turned pale with fright.
This matter was of grave importance. If they were discovered, they could lose their heads.
Not only Tuoba Jianshu — they themselves might very well be implicated.
"It wasn't Zhao Yushu. The voice didn't match."
"I have no idea who this person was."
"But the fact that he could detect me even while I was using the Invisibility Soul-Avoiding Pearl — even if this person isn't Zhao Yushu, his strength must be no less than Zhao Yushu's." Tuoba Jianshu said.
"Then... what are we supposed to do?"
The elders were thoroughly panicked.
What kind of existence was Zhao Yushu? He was a figure comparable to the Wulong elders.
If this person was comparable to Zhao Yushu, then he was most likely one of the Wulong elders.
And what kind of existence were the Wulong elders? They were figures who held the power of life and death outside the Wulong Martial Sect.
"You don't need to worry too much."
"If that person had truly wanted to make things difficult for me, I wouldn't have come back alive."
Tuoba Jianshu said.
"So he only wanted to protect Chu Feng and has no intention of troubling us?"
"Lord Tuoba, what did that person say to you?"
The elders asked.
"He simply said that he would let me go this time, but if I ever dare move against Chu Feng again, then..."
Tuoba Jianshu didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.
"Lord Tuoba, could it be that he's only letting us go for now, and will actually come after us later?"
The elders asked.
"This matter was carried out by me. Even if there's any reckoning, it will be directed at me. You don't need to be this afraid."