"Ah? You you you..." The Grand Preceptor Changxu was so terrified that his eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets. He frantically pulled out a dark yellow talisman from his pocket, his trembling, bluish-purple lips frantically chanting scriptures.

Are they treating him like a ghost? Hehehe...

Xuan Di's smile grew increasingly wicked and arrogant. He glanced indifferently at a certain crevice in the rock with his icy eyes, then met Huo Chengche's gaze and suddenly raised the corners of his lips in a provocative manner.

The next moment, he suddenly leaned close to the Changxu Grand Preceptor, who was already ashen-faced with fear, and whispered coldly in his ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Did your master ever tell you why you shouldn't mess with the people from Hengchang?"

Heng, Hengchang?!

Upon hearing those two words, Changxu's already ashen face turned even paler and more unsightly, and his trembling body became so weak that he could barely stand.

Xuan Di's deep gaze met Chang Xu's terrified eyes.

His gaze was devoid of any emotion, yet it seemed to be filled with something, which forcefully penetrated the moment it met Changxu's eyes. In that instant, it seemed as if something was about to begin.

Suddenly, Changxu's face contorted into a ferocious expression.

Xuan Di narrowed his icy eyes, dodged aside, and the next instant, the once perfectly fine Grand Preceptor Changxu coughed up a mouthful of black blood from his mouth and nose, and fell straight to the ground.

Upon hearing the noise, Huo Chengche's eyes flashed, and he immediately jumped off the artificial hill with the chubby little baby in his arms.

The little boy only heard the noise and before he could see what was happening, he was taken away by his older brother, the Crown Prince. He let out a soft, sweet "ah" in dissatisfaction, but Huo Chengche pressed his little head down.

The force was as gentle as ever, yet it carried an unyielding strength that left no room for resistance.

The little dumpling tried to turn his head, but seeing that he couldn't move, he could only pout and huff angrily before becoming quiet and docile.

Seeing that the little bundle of joy in his arms had calmed down, Huo Chengche's expression darkened, and he walked over there.

Xuandi was squatting down, checking on the condition of the Grand Preceptor Changxu.

"How is it?" Huo Chengche's gaze swept over the pool of black blood on the ground, which looked particularly sinister and vicious in the darkness.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Di looked up at Huo Chengche and saw him pressing the little boy's head against his chest. He pursed his lips, but didn't say the words "Why did you bring Niannian here?" that were on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he turned the face of the Changxu National Preceptor Qiqiao Heixue to him with a gloomy expression.

“He’s out of breath,” Xuandi said calmly.

Huo Chengche narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice, "Is it poison?"

Xuan Di stood up, but did not answer Huo Chengche's question. Instead, he silently observed Huo Chengche.

Suddenly, there was silence, with only the soft whistling of the wind blowing across the stone wall.

Huo Chengche shifted his gaze from the Grand Preceptor of Changxu to Xuandi. Meeting his eyes, he felt a slight displeasure and raised an eyebrow coldly, "Why is Fifth Young Master looking at me like that? Don't tell me you still have the leisure to put on some kind of disgusting show with me?"

Xuan Di listened to Huo Chengche's sarcasm and gave a perfunctory smile, instead of answering, he said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince has grown up in the palace since childhood. You have witnessed such a horrifying scene and did not even frown. You are truly courageous."

He still spoke in that playful tone, but his eyes were now fixed on Huo Chengche's.