Kidnapped

After leaving Feng Fan's room, Huang Xue made her way back to her quarters. 

The moonlight cast a soft glow on the quiet sect grounds, but just as she stepped out of the building, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness. 

Clad in black robes that concealed his entire form, the figure silently began trailing her, his movements blending seamlessly with the night.

Huang Xue remained unaware of her stalker until she was halfway to her quarters. Suddenly, the shadowy figure stepped into her path, blocking her way.

"Hello, junior sister. Visiting Feng Fan, were you?" he asked, his tone light and accompanied by a seemingly harmless smile beneath his hood.

The sight of the figure, combined with the realization that she had been followed, sent a chill down Huang Xue's spine. 

She immediately tensed, putting her guard in place.

"Who are you? And why are you following me?" she demanded an answer, her voice firm despite the unease creeping into her chest.

Instinctively, she reached for the sword she usually carried at her waist, only to grasp air instead. 

Her heart sank as she remembered she had left it behind before visiting Feng Fan. It was a grave oversight; in a dangerous world like the Red Pole, being without a weapon could easily mean disaster.

Huang Xue was from Earth and had yet to adapt to the ruthlessness of the cultivation world.

The figure noticed her subtle attempt to reach for a weapon and chuckled darkly.

"Junior Sister," he began, his voice dripping with malice, "your friend Feng Fan took something that belongs to me. Wouldn't it be fair if I took something of his in return?"

Before she could respond, a surge of oppressive qi erupted from the figure's body, sending a shiver down her spine.

Her eyes widened in alarm as she sensed his cultivation level. He was two small realms above her!

"You dare to attack a disciple of the White Crow Sect on its main peak?" Huang Xue shouted aloud, afraid no one would hear her.

The figure chuckled, his tone dripping with amusement. "Junior Sister, you can shout all you want. There's a sound suppression array around us. Not a soul will hear you."

—

It was already late at night when Huang Xue left, but because he had just woken up from sleep, Feng Fan wasn't feeling tired at all.

He decided to take a look at the Heavens Suppression Arts manual once again.

'I hope to find what's missing to complete my body remodeling in the manual. If I can't figure it out by myself, my only option might be to fight against 2nd or 3rd Qi Gathering realm cultivators. Perhaps an attack strong enough to break through my defenses would be the key.'

Feng Fan immersed himself in reading the Heavens Suppression Arts manual, the clock ticking slowly.

Unbeknownst to him, Zhang Qi had already made his move against him, and the net he laid was closing in around Feng Fan.

After a while, Feng Fan closed the manual with a heavy sigh.

'I didn't find anything useful,' he thought, frustration etched on his face. 'It just says that to complete the body remodeling, the core must be cast aside, broken down, and recreated anew. But what does that even mean? What core is it referring to? I'm nowhere near the Golden Core Formation realm, so it can't be that.'

His brow furrowed as he pondered over the cryptic instructions. 

'I still have some days until Zhang Qi notices the missing map. At worst, I'll stay put in my room. Zhang Qi won't be able to kill me inside because of the protection array and many people inside the house. Tomorrow I'll try fighting a 2nd or 3rd Qi Gathering realm cultivator if that still doesn't work…'

Knock!

The sound broke Feng Fan's train of thought.

'Who could it be at this hour?' he wondered, rising from his futon and making his way to the door. "Who is it?"

"Senior Brother Feng, I'm Song Shan, a menial disciple. An official disciple asked me to deliver this letter to you," came the voice from the other side.

"A letter?" Feng Fan opened the door, his curiosity piqued, and took the letter from Song Shan's outstretched hand. "Who gave you this?"

Song Shan shrugged. 

"I don't know, Senior Brother. All I know is that it was an official disciple. He said it was very important and had to be delivered directly to you."

Feng Fan nodded, eyeing the letter with intrigue. "I see. Thanks for bringing it to me."

Feng Fan was reading his thoughts the entire time. The man wasn't lying, he truly didn't know the sender's identity.

Feng Fan closed the door and tore open the white envelope. Inside was a sheet of paper with hastily scribbled instructions and a strand of blue hair.

His eyes narrowed as he read the letter. Fury surged through him. "Zhang Qi!" he growled through clenched teeth. "Why did you have to drag Huang Xue into this? Are you insane?!"

The letter was unsigned, but Feng Fan didn't need a name to recognize the sender. Who would dare make such a bold move unless they believed the gains outweighed the risks?

Kidnapping Huang Xue, a disciple highly regarded by the White Crow Sect for her exceptional Qi cultivation talent, was the same as declaring oneself as the White Crow Sect's enemy.

The message was straightforward: it specified a location where Huang Xue was being held and warned him not to bring anyone along. 

If he disobeyed or failed to arrive within thirty minutes, she would be killed.

Feng Fan's hands trembled as he crumpled the paper. The weight of the situation bore down on him. 

If he informed the sect elders, they'd likely mobilize a rescue party to eliminate Zhang Qi. But would they be fast enough to save Huang Xue? Would Zhang Qi kill Huang Xue the moment he saw anyone but Feng Fan coming?

'Confronting him now is suicide,' he thought grimly. 'But how could I let Huang Xue pay the price for something that started because of me?'

Though Feng Fan cherished his own life and was shameless, he was no coward. If someone he cared about was in danger, he wouldn't shy away.

Determination replaced hesitation in his gaze as he stood tall, ready to face Zhang Qi.

"This is my mess to clean up," he muttered. "Hang on, Huang Xue. I'm coming."