Supreme Alchemist-Chapter 2402 - 2392: Targeted

Long Yan let out a long sigh of relief, his body softened and nearly collapsed onto the ground, but he wasn’t certain whether those two black-clothed men had truly left yet, so Long Yan could only remain fully prepared.

After a good while, Long Yan finally exhaled deeply and sat down on the ground, looking somewhat exhausted. He clutched his hand, grimacing from the pain.

Is Xiong Lie’s body made of steel or something? After a series of continuous attacks, Long Yan couldn’t be sure whether Xiong Lie had sustained any injuries, but as far as Long Yan was concerned, his own hand hurt like hell.

This can’t go on. Those black-clothed men were just small fry, and yet it was this difficult to deal with them. It seems that during this time when I can’t use True Qi, I can’t simply sit here waiting for death.

Despite the worry filling his heart, Long Yan still sat beside Lingxi just as he had been. Interestingly, even though the fierce battle created a lot of noise, Lingxi showed no sign of being disturbed from sleep.

Whether or not you’re truly the Lingxi from the Real World, at the very least, I will do my utmost to protect you.

Long Yan silently made up his mind. Whether she was Lingxi or just a figment of his imagination, he would never abandon her.

On the other hand, the Emperor Clan was far from calm. After all, the news Xiong Lie brought back was too shocking.

"What? You’re saying that useless fool actually possesses this kind of strength?"

A voice echoed from the darkness, and a middle-aged man slowly stepped forward, bearing the face of Di Lingtian. Yet, even in the Real World, Long Yan had never seen this leader of the Emperor Clan. So even if Di Lingtian stood before Long Yan now, Long Yan probably wouldn’t recognize him.

"Yes, I swear I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. If it weren’t for Long Yan’s slack training, I might’ve already been defeated by him."

Xiong Lie sensed the terrifying aura emanating from his master ahead, and a surge of fear welled up in his heart. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, knowing that a single misstep in his words could lead to dire consequences.

"Is that so?"

Unexpectedly, when Xiong Lie said these words, Di Lingtian’s momentum shrank. The previously oppressive atmosphere vanished entirely. Taking a bold risk, Xiong Lie raised his head and began recounting the details of his battle with Long Yan to Di Lingtian.

Di Lingtian’s previously indifferent expression changed multiple times—from initial surprise to seriousness, and finally to relaxed brows. Xiong Lie’s heart underwent several shifts throughout—they felt as if it was being churned inside out. After all, the man before him wielded the very power to determine his life and death. A single displeased look could seal Xiong Lie’s fate with death.

"Listening to what you said, this Long Yan seems rather intriguing, but no matter, bring him to see me tomorrow."

As Di Lingtian spoke, the surrounding air grew icy cold. Just yesterday, he had arranged Lingxi’s marriage into another noble family, and he absolutely wouldn’t allow this disruption to cancel his plans. He had to eliminate this unstable factor.

Di Lingtian, long accustomed to his high position, found people like Long Yan to be the most controllable kind of threat. Although killing wasn’t permitted within Chang’an City, creating a little "accident" was certainly no issue. Even though that pretty boy lived peacefully in Chang’an City, these were chaotic times, and incidents of mountain bandits committing murders were all too common.

"If my intelligence is correct, isn’t there a group of mountain bandits on the mountain near Chang’an City?"

During times of chaos, it was common for ordinary villagers to flee to the mountains and become bandits. Even within Chang’an City, many people had relatives among the bandits. Although they robbed the rich and aided the poor in appearance, in reality, they were still bandits.

"What is your intent, Sir?"

Kneeling on one knee, Xiong Lie squinted his eyes in slight surprise. Di Lingtian was indeed ruthless; just to remove a potential threat, he had come up with this strategy of borrowing someone else’s blade. At the same time, Xiong Lie couldn’t help but feel a bit of pity for Long Yan.

He could’ve become one of the top experts in this dynasty. With outstanding perception, the martial arts technique Long Yan used had unlimited potential. Given time and training, he could become one of the continent’s foremost experts. But the Emperor Clan wasn’t known for patience—they lacked the willingness to wait at all. So, for Xiong Lie, this was a shameful situation for Long Yan.

After all, anyone targeted by the Emperor Clan was sure to have a grim fate ahead.

Meanwhile, Long Yan had no idea he’d become the bane of his future father-in-law’s wishes. He had finally managed to find an inn to stay in. As for why, well, it was because he didn’t have a single coin to his name.

He couldn’t figure out why his counterpart in this world was living such a miserable existence, with pockets emptier than his face. Let alone money for lodging—he didn’t even have enough to buy food despite being painfully hungry.

"But it looks like I won’t starve to death for now."

Long Yan narrowed his eyes as his attention turned to two kids walking by. One was a boy, and the other a girl. The boy was rather adorable, with particularly otherworldly charisma. Change his attire and equip him with a sword on his back, and he’d look like Jian Wuchen come to life. The girl, on the other hand, was more ordinary—not unattractive, just lacking any standout features.

"Shame I can’t use True Qi. If I could, I might be able to imprint this scene and show Jian Wuchen the sight of these two kids’ close bond—it’d be pretty amusing."

Long Yan mumbled to himself. However, with his True Qi sealed, such thoughts were futile. Still, the two children had piqued Long Yan’s curiosity, especially when he noticed that the boy resembling Jian Wuchen was staring straight at him.

"No way, right?"

Long Yan could hardly believe it—the boy’s gaze seemed as though he recognized him. It looked like he needed to get to the bottom of this.

"Are you okay?"

The girl beside the boy noticed his absent-mindedness and spoke to him.

"I’m fine."

The boy, who bore a striking resemblance to Jian Wuchen, hastily withdrew his gaze. Yet no matter how he tried, he couldn’t conceal the distinct aura about him. But by now, it didn’t matter anymore.

"Oh, this is the first time I’ve seen you make that kind of expression—like an ice cube," the little girl said, following the boy’s gaze to the spot, only to find no one was there. Tilting her head in confusion, her actions added a layer of charm.

"It’s nothing, just that I thought I saw someone familiar," the boy replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. Meeting here was certainly unexpected, though he wasn’t sure how such things worked on the Heart Inquiry Road. Sneaking a glance at the girl beside him, he made up his mind.

In a moment of resolution, the boy vowed silently: this time, he would definitely protect her and the others.

A flash of bloody red crossed his eyes, and with a determined resolve, he thought—since he had the chance to relive this moment, he would ensure those people paid the price.

"Let’s go. We barely managed to scrape together enough money—if my mom catches us, you’ll get scolded again," the girl said with a gentle smile. Though her appearance was ordinary, in that moment, her smile stunned the boy slightly.

"Let’s go, Jian Wuchen."

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