Long Rui knelt on the ground, trembling from head to toe.
Jia Lingyi was even worse — struck completely dumb, her face ashen, the very picture of someone whose mind had snapped from sheer terror. The arrogance she had worn like armor moments ago had not merely faded; it had been utterly obliterated.
As for the other members of the Alchemy Immortal Sect, fear was written across every face. They looked as though they were standing at the edge of the apocalypse, not daring to so much as draw a deep breath, terrified that a single wrong word might bring catastrophe crashing down upon them.
They all knew that they had provoked someone they absolutely should not have provoked.
This was the weight of Long Muxi's identity.
"Jia Lingyi, weren't you just saying that I would have to pay a price for helping Chu Feng?"
"Then tell me — do you know what price you'll pay for that slap you just gave me?" Long Muxi asked, her gaze fixed on Jia Lingyi.
Jia Lingyi said nothing. She swallowed hard, and her complexion grew even more ghastly.
"Jia Lingyi, what happened?" Long Rui suddenly roared.
He only knew that Jia Lingyi had a grudge against Chu Feng. He had no idea what had just transpired between Jia Lingyi and Long Muxi. But from Long Muxi's words, he could sense that something was terribly wrong.
"Lord Long Rui, I had no idea this young lady was Miss Muxi of the Totem Dragon Clan."
"She kidnapped my son and threatened to help Chu Feng deal with me, which is why I struck her." Facing Long Rui's questioning, Jia Lingyi made no attempt to conceal what she had done.
"You slapped Miss Muxi? Are you… are you out of your mind?"
Hearing this, even Long Rui was badly shaken. As a member of the Totem Dragon Clan, he knew all too well just how deeply the clan leader doted on Long Muxi.
Forget about Jia Lingyi — how many people within the Totem Dragon Clan itself would dare lay a hand on Long Muxi?
"Still standing there in a daze? Kneel and beg Miss Muxi's forgiveness this instant! Which hand did you slap her with? Sever it yourself!" Long Rui bellowed, pointing at Jia Lingyi in fury.
But Jia Lingyi did not comply. Instead, after hearing Long Rui's roar, the flickering in her eyes steadied and turned resolute.
It was as though she had made a decision. Her entire bearing shifted. The fear was still there, but the panic had drained away. She turned to Long Rui.
"Lord Long Rui, you don't understand the relationship between Miss Muxi and Chu Feng."
"From the very beginning, she intended to deal with me. Whether I apologize or not makes no difference — she won't let me go. She kidnapped my son and lured me here specifically to help Chu Feng settle scores with me."
"My fate is already sealed."
"But Lord Long Rui — your young lady is so close to Chu Feng. When he sees today that you and I were conspiring together, what do you think your fate will be?" Jia Lingyi asked.
"Jia Lingyi, stop your nonsense! When did I ever conspire with you?"
Hearing this, Long Rui panicked as well, hastily trying to distance himself. He looked up at Long Muxi with an expression of abject deference.
"Miss Muxi, I have no connection with Jia Lingyi beyond the one between the Totem Dragon Clan and the Alchemy Immortal Sect."
"Just now she twisted the truth, claiming Chu Feng had slain numerous junior members of her sect. That was Chu Feng's fault in the first place, which was why I lowered the protective formation."
"But that was all Jia Lingyi's side of the story. I don't actually know the truth of the matter. It was my own stupidity, my own foolish trust in her. Miss—"
"Enough!!!"
Before Long Rui could finish his defense, a furious shout rang out — and it was not Long Muxi who had shouted, but Jia Lingyi.
Swish— In the next instant, Jia Lingyi reached out and seized Long Muxi by the throat.
This sight left everyone dumbstruck. Even the members of the Alchemy Immortal Sect were frozen in disbelief.
Had Jia Lingyi gone completely insane?
To lay hands on Long Muxi even after learning her true identity?
"Jia Lingyi, what are you doing?!" Long Rui demanded, his voice cracking with fury.
"Lord Long Rui, don't you see yet? Your young lady here is terribly close to Chu Feng."
"Begging for mercy and making explanations won't help. There is only one path for both of us to survive — and that is to make sure no one outside ever learns what happened here today."
Jia Lingyi tightened her grip on Long Muxi's throat as she spoke to Long Rui.
The moment those words left her lips, every person present who was not from the Alchemy Immortal Sect turned deathly pale.
If there had been any doubt before, there was almost none now. Jia Lingyi intended to silence them — permanently.
Everyone here would die!
"Lord Long Rui, I'll take care of it. You simply need to pretend you know nothing." Jia Lingyi continued.
"Long Rui, what happens here today has nothing to do with you. I won't hold you accountable. But if I die, you must inform my father immediately and have the entire Alchemy Immortal Sect destroyed." Long Muxi spoke to Long Rui.
She understood perfectly well. The reason Jia Lingyi had not yet killed her was that she was waiting for Long Rui's answer.
If Long Rui refused to join her, and word of today's events reached the Totem Dragon Clan, it would not be Jia Lingyi alone who suffered — the Alchemy Immortal Sect would be dragged down as well.
After all, offending the young lady of the Totem Dragon Clan, and murdering the young lady of the Totem Dragon Clan, were two entirely different crimes.
"Lord Long Rui, trust me. As long as today's events stay buried, both you and I will walk away unscathed."
"But if Long Muxi is allowed to live, not only will I be doomed — you won't escape death either. And it won't just be you. Your family will all be dragged into it." Jia Lingyi pressed.
"Long Rui, don't listen to her lies. You know what kind of person I, Long Muxi, am. I said I won't hold you accountable, and I mean it." Long Muxi hurriedly tried to persuade Long Rui as well.
Though Long Rui was not directly involved, he was the key to whether she and Chu Feng would survive.