After stepping out of the store, Yanwei sneered.

Did they really think they could fool me?

As an old demon, it was laughable how obvious their intentions were. Just a glance at that woman’s malicious gaze had told him everything.

Should I bait these idiots or act cautiously? He pondered, lips curling into a playful smile. But I am curious... why did she hesitate?

He made his decision. While he continued shopping, only the first store dared to track him. The others? They weren’t even aware he had visited. His disguises, his careful purchases—everything was deliberate.

"I have the ingredients for my poison, an array to trap those so-called geniuses… but what kind of bait should I use?" He mused, treating the situation as nothing more than an entertaining puzzle.

A few days later, Yanwei finally left the market. He knew his pursuers wouldn’t dare make a move inside—it was too risky. The market wasn’t under a single sect’s control. The three sects, and possibly even the Marquis family, kept order here. Fighting was strictly forbidden.

But outside? Outside, he was fair game.

Yanwei walked at an easy pace, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable. He was patient. He waited. And waited.

Then, at the perfect moment, he struck.

A dagger shot from his hand.

His stalker was startled, but years of battle instincts kicked in—he twisted his body at the last second, the blade slicing through the air just inches from his face.

"You knew?" Chu Xu’s voice was sharp, his narrowed eyes filled with suspicion. “It seems you’re not as simple as you pretend to be. But so what? You’re still going to die here.”

Yanwei tilted his head, studying him with an amused look. "Oh? Interesting. You appear to be Rank 1 Late Stage on the surface, but you're actually Peak Stage inside. Playing pig to eat the tiger, huh?"

Before Chu Xu could respond, Yanwei dashed forward.

Caught off guard, Chu Xu hesitated for a split second—just long enough for Yanwei to take advantage.

But Chu Xu wasn’t a fool.

He didn’t dodge. He didn’t retreat. Instead, he lunged forward as well, sword flashing.

Sword cultivators were the strongest in direct combat. At the same rank, no one could match their killing power. And Chu Xu was confident—confident that a mere Rank 1 Middle Stage at most Rank 1 Peak Stage cultivator stood no chance against him.

Too bad.

Yanwei’s charge was a feint.

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At the last second, his wrist flicked—three daggers shot forward.

Chu Xu barely had time to react. He twisted mid-step, two of the blades missing him entirely. But the third—

Sharp pain lanced across his arm. A shallow cut. Nothing fatal.

Chu Xu smirked. "That the best you got?"

This time, he closed the distance in an instant, his sword whistling through the air.

Yanwei’s expression wavered. A flicker of hesitation.

Chu Xu's heart leapt. This is it.

His blade arced forward, slicing straight toward Yanwei’s throat. Victory was within reach—

Then his body stopped.

Frozen.

His breath hitched. His muscles locked. The sword in his hand felt like dead weight.

Panic flooded his mind. His heart pounded wildly. He struggled, but his body refused to obey.

What… what is this?!

A bone-deep coldness slithered into his veins. Not the kind that came with winter, but something far more terrifying—the suffocating chill of death wrapping around his throat.

He tried to move his fingers. Nothing.

Tried to step back. Nothing.

Tried to even breathe properly. Nothing.

His instincts screamed. His mind roared at him to run, to fight, to do anything—

But all he could do was stand there. Helpless.

Then, he saw it.

Yanwei’s smile.

It wasn’t the smile of a young, inexperienced cultivator.

It was the smile of a predator. A demon who had played this game a thousand times before.

This guy… was pretending all along?!

Dread pooled in Chu Xu’s stomach. He tried to suppress the fear crawling up his spine, but his body betrayed him. His limbs trembled. His breath came in short, ragged gasps.

He wanted to beg for mercy.

But he couldn’t even speak.

Yanwei crouched down, tilting his head. “Feel it?” His voice was calm. Almost gentle. "That’s the look I love seeing in my enemies—regret, despair, disbelief, shock, fear... and finally, submission."

Chu Xu's mind spun.

No. No, no, no, no. This can’t be happening.

Yanwei chuckled, raising a hand. "Now, be a good boy and let me search your soul."

Pain exploded inside Chu Xu’s head.

Not physical pain. No, this was something deeper—like thousands of needles stabbing directly into his soul, ripping apart his very existence. His memories, his thoughts, his emotions—all were being peeled away, layer by layer, in the most excruciating way possible.

His consciousness reeled. He screamed. The agony was unbearable. It felt like his very being was being unmade.

But Yanwei had already prepared a soundproofing array. No one would hear him.

The torture dragged on.

Seconds stretched into eternity. Every moment was an unending nightmare of suffering.

His pride, his arrogance, his dreams—none of it mattered anymore.

At this moment, Chu Xu knew only one thing.

Fear.

And then—

It was over.

His body slumped, drained of all strength. His mind barely clung to consciousness.

In fact, Yanwei could have ended the fight instantly. With his Rank 2 puppet and Rank 2 growth-type dagger, crushing a mere Rank 1 cultivator would have been effortless. But he wanted to test the potency of his poison. More importantly, he needed this man’s soul, not just his corpse.

Yanwei exhaled lightly, rubbing his chin. So that’s how it is.

The Marquis family’s fierce genius, Lingfang, had ordered some of the same medicines on his list. The shopkeeper had hesitated but ultimately chose to sell to him—then kill him. They thought he was an easy target, a naive young cultivator with money to spare.

Yanwei smirked. Too bad for them.

"Tomorrow, Lingfang is supposed to collect her order," he murmured. "I think I’ll stick around a little longer. I'm not a vengeful person… but I am curious how they'll explain this mess when their shop is held accountable."

The battle, though intense, had lasted less than a hundred breaths—including the soul search.

Yanwei took the body away and put it on the Space in his body, cleaned the mess that he made, and leave as if it’s just a normal occurrence.

This was just the beginning.