Withering Heart was described in great detail in Lunatic Guan's chip, enough to make Ye Chong suspect that it was one of Lunatic Guan's own inventions. That was how Ye Chong managed to identify the drug the moment he smelled it.
Inhaling Withering Heart carelessly, even in small amounts, would have highly detrimental effects. For someone who knew so much about Withering Heart like Ye Chong, he was aware of the consequences.
Since his life was threatened, Ye Chong retaliated.
The truth was, Ye Chong was not too angry about it. These situations were normal for him. On the contrary, he was feeling very calm. He was more interested in the motive behind the woman's attack. His reckless killing in the past had taught him much, and he had since learned to think before jumping to conclusions. Besides, this woman was most likely from May's Night Ridge. He was not intimidated by May's Night Ridge per say, but Lunatic Guan had asked to visit the place, so he decided to tread with care.
If it was his younger self, Ye Chong would probably have just killed the woman who ambushed him outright. Now, however, Ye Chong did not mind stopping at some light form of punishment.
His cold, severe voice reverberated in the air, and everyone around him felt shuddered involuntarily!
"You … You …" Shi Mingbei stuttered through gritted teeth. She was afraid. All her life she had been bold and daring where others wavered, but now she was truly afraid!
"B*stard, what's there to proof by bullying a woman?" The man was loud, but Ye Chong could hear the fear and weakness behind his facade.
In any case, Ye Chong did not pay much attention to the man. He was focused entirely on the woman who had ambushed him.
"How dare you!" A low and menacing voice was heard.
Suddenly, Ye Chong felt danger coming towards
him. He leapt to the side without hesitation.
Swish swish swish!
Half a meter away from where he stood, green smoke wafted into the air. There was a sharp, unpleasant smell coming from a small puddle of green liquid on the ground. The liquid corroded the floor, which turned charred black. The green smoke came from this small puddle.
What a powerful corrosive, definitely no less powerful than the Liquid of Shang!
Ye Chong watched the spot nervously.
A menacing looking middle aged man was looking at Ye Chong coldly. He wore a brown, old shirt, which Ye Chong could see was full of patches. His sunken cheeks gave him an angular look.
Ye Chong did not fight back. That move was obviously just a warning. If the man was serious, that green liquid would land exactly where he was standing, and not half a meter off the mark.
Guan Qingheng's expression turned respectful when he saw the middle aged man.
The middle aged man studied Ye Chong for a moment, and went straight to Shi Mingbei. He crouched down, examined her, and muttered, "Hmm, comminuted fracture, odds of recovery are at 70 percent."
When Shi Mingbei saw the middle aged man, she immediately turned docile like a kitten, and much of the tension was drained from her face.
"What happened?" The middle aged man finally stood up and asked plainly. Both Guan Qingheng and Shi Mingbei did not reply.
"Who are you?" Ye Chong stared fixedly at the newcomer. The middle aged man felt very familiar, with an aura that he could identify as Lunatic Guan's. This aura made Ye Chong feel threatened.
The middle aged man turned around and scrutinized Ye Chong closely.
What sharp eyes! Ye Chong did not expect an alchemist do have such piercing eyes.
"Are you the one who injured her?" The coldness in the middle aged man's voice
voice could not be missed.
The bystanders who were standing around before the middle aged man appeared had all vanished. Even the brave man who yelled at Ye Chong scurried away quickly when he saw the middle aged man.
"Yes," Ye Chong answered with his usual brevity. He was prepared to make his move any moment now, as his muscles tensed in anticipation. The September Lan Family's techniques shone brightly through him. Ye Chong could now control all the muscles in his body in incredible ways, and unleash astonishing power.
Unexpectedly, the middle aged man did not attack, but looked at him straight in the eye and asked without expression, "Why did you hurt her?"
The middle aged man was the exact opposite of Lunatic Guan. One was severe and rigid, the other lazy and carefree. Logically speaking, they were two entirely different types of people. However, Ye Chong could not help but be reminded of the teacher who introduced him to alchemy, Lunatic Guan, when he looked at the middle aged man in front of him.
"Self defense!" Ye Chong answered as briefly as possible. His answer surprised the man, from the look in his eyes. However, the middle aged man quickly recovered himself.
He turned to the other two and said, "Both of you, describe what happened." His calm words were undefiable.
Guan Qingheng was intimidated by the look in the middle aged man's eyes, and told the full story.
When Guan Qingheng described Ye Chong's wanting to enter May's Night Ridge, the middle aged man stole a glance at Ye Chong, and Ye Chong saw the flash of disbelief in the man's eyes. When the man heard that Ye Chong claimed to have the surname Guan, the middle aged man no longer tried to hide his surprise as he watched Ye Chong keenly.
Ye Chong was not afraid, and looked back calmly at the man.
When the
/> When the man heard that Ye Chong could recognize Withering Heart, his expression turned serious.
After Guang Qingheng was finished, the middle aged man turned quiet, thinking to himself. After a while, he lifted his head and asked, "You said you're going to May's Night Ridge?"
"Yes." Ye Chong nodded.
"What business do you have in May's Night Ridge?" The middle aged man continued. He was indifferent in nature, but this hooked his curiosity. He believed he was good in reading people, and this young man seemed the calm type, who would not do something for no reason. He must have his reasons for going to May's Night Ridge. More importantly, the young man had said that his teacher asked him to go, and that was strange. All alchemists knew of the rules of May's Night Ridge. If this young man could recognize Withering Heart, then how could he not know of the rules? On the other hand, he was also interested in knowing how Ye Chong could recognize Withering Heart.
As expected, Ye Chong replied, "My teacher asked me to go to May's Night Ridge. It's her hometown." Lunatic Guan did not specify exactly what she wanted him to do there, so Ye Chong could only provide a vague answer.
"Ah!" All three of them gasped, including the injured Shi Mingbei.
"You teacher is?" The middle aged man look at Ye Chong solemnly.
Guan Qingheng's face reddened, and his breathing turned short. The surname Guan … His teacher … Hometown … These words flashed in his mind, and he shuddered at the thought that came to him!
"Her surname is Guan," Ye Chong replied. He did not know Lunatic Guan's full name, after all. Guagn Qingheng's breathed even faster as he gulped anxiously.
"Guan?" The middle aged man took some time to digest that information. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he lifted his head to look straight at Ye Chong with Ye Chong with an odd expression.
After a full half a minute, the middle aged man finally spoke again with great difficulty, "Is your teacher a woman?"
"Yes!" Ye Chong nodded calmly as he answered.
"Ah!" Guang Qingheng could not help but gasp again, unable to suppress his excitement. He could guess roughly who Ye Chong's teacher was.
The middle aged man looked at Ye Chong with mixed emotions, and said, "I believe I know who she is. I will report your matter to the Ridge Council, and the Ridge Council will make the final decision. Before the decision is made, you cannot enter May's Night Ridge." He then turned to Guan Qingheng and said, "You are temporarily relieved of your duty as Vice Captain of the procurement squad. Bring this young man to the Ridge Lodgings to stay in the meantime, see to his needs while the Council makes its decision." He spoke like a man of high ranking, as though Guan Qingheng was his subordinate.
"Yes Sir!" Guan Qingheng accepted his orders immediately, his eyes positively radiating with joy, like Ye Chong was some kind of living treasure. Even Ye Chong could not help but feel a little irked. He did not understand why the man would behave that way.
"You will return with me for now," the middle aged man said to Shi Mingbei. "Yes Sir," Shi Mingbei assented respectfully, bowing her head low. However, Ye Chong saw the hate in her eyes right before she bowed. She was trying her best to maintain a meek expression on her pale face.
"Wait!" Ye Chong cried coldly. The middle aged man was about to leave, but now he turned to Ye Chong and asked, "What other questions do you have?"
Ye Chong looked at the man calmly in the eye and asked something wholly unexpected, "What do you have to prove that you're from May's Night Ridge?"