The commotion at the airport was considerable. Just then, a group of people carrying powerful searchlights rushed in from the entrance.
Chen Yang, however, couldn't feel relieved. What good would more people do? They were all members of the Xuan Yi Sect. He and Qin Moyao were uninvited guests; these people would never believe his word.
Among the newcomers, an elderly man led the way. He wore a long gray robe, had graying hair and beard, and exuded an air of otherworldly elegance. He was the younger martial brother of the Sect's Patriarch, known as He San, or Third Master.
As Third Master He and his group approached, they immediately took in the scene. He quickly asked Cheng Jianhua, "Jianhua, what's going on here?"
Cheng Jianhua replied coolly, "These two are the murderers who killed our Patriarch. They were trying to steal a helicopter to escape, but I apprehended them."
Upon hearing this, Third Master He and his group flew into a rage. The younger members shouted angrily, demanding that Chen Yang and Qin Moyao be torn to pieces. The scene quickly descended into chaos.
Third Master He raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to quiet down. He gave Cheng Jianhua a long, penetrating look before saying, "We've never seen these two strangers before. Why would they want to harm my senior brother? I suspect there's more to this than meets the eye."
Cheng Jianhua nodded, "Indeed. That's why I didn't kill them. I planned to capture and interrogate them thoroughly."
Chen Yang, noticing that Third Master He seemed to be at odds with Cheng Jianhua and carried some authority, perked up. Fighting through the pain, he said, "I didn't kill the Patriarch. It was Cheng Jianhua who did it. I have evidence!"
He then took out his phone, intending to play the recording. At this point, he wasn't afraid of Cheng Jianhua anymore. If Cheng dared to destroy evidence openly, that would be grounds for serious discussion.
Strangely enough, Cheng Jianhua remained eerily calm. He stood motionless, as if Chen Yang's actions had nothing to do with him.
Chen Yang couldn't figure Cheng Jianhua out. The man was full of mysteries, impossible to read. Without further hesitation, Chen Yang pressed play.
To his shock, all that came out was static. There were no other sounds.
"Damn it!" Chen Yang immediately understood. As expected of a Xuan Yi Sect master, Cheng Jianhua had interfered with the magnetic field, disrupting the recording device's ability to receive signals.
The scene fell silent, and Chen Yang stood there awkwardly holding his phone. He sheepishly put it away, at a loss for words.
Third Master He's face darkened as he said, "Jianhua, I'll leave this matter to you. I hope you can provide us with a satisfactory explanation."
Cheng Jianhua replied, "Rest assured, Uncle Master. In three days, I'll give everyone a satisfactory answer."
"Let's go!" Third Master He led his group away, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
The younger members wanted to say more, but with Third Master He's orders, they held their tongues.
Chen Yang quickly realized the truth. Third Master He was clearly in league with Cheng Jianhua. The commotion must have become too big to cover up, forcing He to bring people over. Neither He nor Cheng wanted to publicly try Chen Yang, fearing they might expose themselves.
Now that Third Master He had spoken, the younger generation dared not say more.
"Fuck!" Chen Yang cursed. Exhausted beyond measure, having suffered severe injuries and endured this ordeal, he could no longer hold on. He slumped to the side and lost consciousness.
Chen Yang didn't know how much time had passed when he finally regained consciousness. The moment he woke up, remembering his predicament, he broke out in a cold sweat. He jerked upright, but the sudden movement sent waves of pain through his body.
Letting out a soft groan, Chen Yang began to survey his surroundings.
He found himself in an ancient-looking alchemy chamber. In the center of the floor was an intricate Eight Trigrams diagram. Above it hung an enormous alchemical furnace.
At present, the furnace was cold and lifeless.
In the upper left corner of the chamber was a small window, through which a beam of bright sunlight now streamed.
With his keen senses, Chen Yang could tell it was around 8 AM. He had been unconscious for about eight hours.
"Where's Qin Moyao?" Chen Yang suddenly thought of her, scanning the room but finding no trace. His heart sank. Qin Moyao was just a young woman; now in Cheng Jianhua's hands, who knew what fate awaited her?
He then laughed bitterly. Damn it, he should be more worried about his own fate.
Chen Yang had always been lucky, navigating life's challenges with cunning and skill. But this time, falling into Cheng Jianhua's hands, he felt utterly helpless. He had no plan for escape, knowing that whatever he did, he couldn't outmaneuver Cheng Jianhua.
Cheng Jianhua was like the Buddha, and Chen Yang was the Monkey King, unable to escape his palm.
Chen Yang took a deep breath, which immediately caused pain in his chest. Dragon Xuan's knee strike had been devastatingly precise, causing severe internal injuries. Without at least a year of recovery, these wounds wouldn't heal.
Moreover, Chen Yang had been shot in the shoulder. Normally, if he hadn't suffered internal injuries, he could have controlled his muscles and bones to force the bullet out. But now, that was beyond his capabilities.
The surroundings were quiet. Chen Yang had been left lying on the floor. He lay there, looking up at the high dome above.
This alchemy chamber was truly ancient in design.
Chen Yang's mind raced. Was this really how he would die? Could a miracle happen? Even if it did, Cheng Jianhua would probably crush it. Cheng was a man who left nothing to chance.
His thoughts turned to his master. Where was he now? It had been eight long years since Chen Yang left the mountain, and he hadn't seen his master since. His master was such a formidable person – where had he gone? Why was he avoiding Chen Yang?
When faced with death, one often thinks of loved ones.
Chen Yang then thought of Lin Nan, and of all the people he had killed on African battlefields.
How many people had he killed? He couldn't even remember the exact number anymore.
Death itself didn't frighten Chen Yang much. He only felt regret. Although he had killed countless people, he didn't regret a single kill. That's why Chen Yang had always slept soundly, his conscience clear.
His mind quickly shifted to Su Qing. If only he had insisted on leaving her that bank card. After his death, perhaps Su Qing would be the only one to mourn him?
The image of Su Qing in the shower flashed through his mind. Oddly enough, at this moment, Chen Yang's biggest regret was not having slept with Su Qing. To die without experiencing such an exquisite body – that was truly unfair!
As Chen Yang's thoughts wandered, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside.
Two sets of footsteps.
It was Cheng Jianhua and Li Yang. Despite his severe injuries, Chen Yang's hearing was still acute enough to recognize them.
Soon, the door was pushed open.
The bright morning light flooded in.
The alchemy chamber was instantly filled with warmth. The sunlight fell on Chen Yang's body and face. He savored the comforting warmth, realizing what he truly longed for was freedom.
Two silhouettes in the doorway blocked most of the light. They were indeed Cheng Jianhua and Li Yang. Cheng still wore his elegant cyan robe, exuding calm sophistication. Li Yang had changed into a black shirt and stood impassively to the side.
Chen Yang sat cross-legged, facing these two men.
Cheng Jianhua and Li Yang entered. Cheng gestured for Li Yang to close the door.
Li Yang nodded and shut the door.
As the door closed, the sunlight was completely cut off, plunging the alchemy chamber back into dimness.
Li Yang then brought a chair for Cheng Jianhua, who sat down, looking down at Chen Yang.
Li Yang stood behind Cheng Jianhua.
"Chosen One, do you have anything else you'd like to say to me?" Cheng Jianhua's gaze was cold, his expression seemingly unchanging. His voice was equally devoid of emotion.
Chen Yang looked at Cheng Jianhua and smiled wryly, "Am I definitely going to die?"
Cheng Jianhua nodded, "That's correct."
Chen Yang asked, "Then can you at least let Qin Moyao go? The girl who came with me?"
Cheng Jianhua smiled faintly, "She's a police officer and knows the location of this place. Do you think I can let her live?"
Chen Yang fell silent. If he were in Cheng's position, he would have killed Qin Moyao too. The problem was that she was a cop.
"Is there anything else you want to ask?" Cheng Jianhua said.
Chen Yang replied, "There's one thing I don't understand. If you're going to kill me, just do it. Whatever you plan to do to me, I'm powerless to resist. Why are you wasting time talking to me? A man like you must have a purpose for everything you do."
Cheng Jianhua looked at Chen Yang with slight surprise, then said, "Chosen One, you truly are a clever one. You're right, I have my reasons for talking to you like this."
"What reasons?" Chen Yang asked, "Can you tell me?"
Cheng Jianhua said, "I plan to refine you in the alchemical furnace tonight at the hour of Zi, when Yin and Yang intersect and the magnetic fields are strongest."
"What?" Chen Yang couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath. Even someone as tough as him couldn't hide the fear in his eyes. "Refine me in the alchemical furnace? Why?"
Cheng Jianhua calmly explained, "Don't be too frightened. This refinement isn't like boiling the Monkey King in 'Journey to the West'. I'll use magnetic fields and the Eight Trigrams to refine your willpower. At the same time, I'll extract the fortune from your body into the furnace. You won't die in the furnace because if you did, your soul and resentment would contaminate your fortune. That would render all my efforts pointless."
Chen Yang relaxed slightly, then said, "You've told me all this. Aren't you afraid I'll commit suicide in there? You won't let me live anyway, I'm going to die sooner or later."
Cheng Jianhua replied calmly, "I've told you all this to make you accept your fate. How can I refine your willpower if you don't accept it? As for suicide? You won't do it. Because if you do, your companion – that girl – will suffer a fate worse than death. Remember, in this world, there are fates far more terrifying than death."