The night in Tiandou City was like thick ink, making the streets and alleys, after the hustle and bustle had faded, exceptionally tranquil.
Only the streetlights at the street corner emitted a dim, yellowish light, casting dappled shadows on the stone pavement.
Jiang Li leaned against the mottled rattan chair in front of his small shop, casually tossing a gold soul coin into the air and catching it again.
He looked up at the starry sky, where countless stars were like shattered diamonds embedded in the heavens, and the cool moonlight shone on his sharply defined face.
Those eyes, which usually held a playful and languid air, now reflected the starlight, yet concealed a barely perceptible cold light within.
"I've finally found you, Jiang Li!"
Just then, a woman's voice suddenly rang out, filled with suppressed anger and determination, like an ice pick piercing the night.
Before he finished speaking, several solid soul-guided rays tore through the air, shooting straight toward Jiang Li's location with a sharp whooshing sound.
The rays gleamed with a pale blue, cold light, clearly indicating that it was a specially tempered soul-guided weapon with immense power.
However, Jiang Li's movements were as fast as a ghost. He only slightly turned his body and seemingly casually moved half a step, and his whole body was like a leaf blown by the wind, lightly avoiding all attacks.
The soul-guided rays struck the old wooden door behind him, instantly blasting several charred holes in the shop, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
He slowly straightened up, turning his profile from where he was gazing at the starry sky, his gaze calmly falling on the two figures slowly emerging from the shadows.
The moonlight gradually outlined the silhouette of a person, who was none other than Xian Lin'er, the dean of the Soul Guidance Department of Shrek Academy.
At this moment, her face was slightly tense with anger, and her eyes were filled with only a chilling killing intent.
Qian Duoduo, standing beside her, had a gloomy expression. His burly body stood there like a moving mountain, his gaze fixed on Jiang Li, filled with vigilance and suppressed anger.
"Aren't you afraid of dying by doing this?"
Jiang Li's voice was calm, yet carried a nonchalant mockery, as if the confrontation before him was nothing more than an insignificant farce.
Xian Lin'er paused, her soul tool condensing in her palm, and the soul power around her suddenly rippled outwards, exuding an oppressive aura: "Enough nonsense! Tell me quickly where you took Shao Zhe?"
Jiang Li seemed not to hear her question, and his gaze passed over Xian Lin'er, landing on Qian Duoduo beside her.
The vice dean of the Soul Guidance Department of Shrek Academy was pressing his lips together, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including anger towards Jiang Li, worry for Xian Lin'er, and a hint of unspeakable forbearance.
Seeing this, Jiang Li suddenly chuckled, his smile carrying a hint of playful provocation.
"Qian Duoduo, you are the vice dean of the Shrek Academy's Soul Guidance Department, and one of the top experts on the continent. How did you end up living like this?"
Qian Duoduo's face instantly darkened. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, clearly stung by Jiang Li's words.
But he was well aware of his current situation. Xianlin'er was blinded by anger, and if he were to be provoked further, the situation would only get worse.
He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Jiang Li, stop trying to sow discord here! My relationship with Lin'er is none of your business!"
"Sowing discord?" Jiang Li raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.
He then shook his head, his tone becoming increasingly mocking, "I didn't. Look at Xian Lin'er now! She's gone mad for Yan Shaozhe. Does she even still care about you as her husband?"
His voice wasn't loud, but every word clearly reached Xianlin'er's ears.
Xian Lin'er's body stiffened abruptly. She turned to look at Qian Duoduo, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, which was then overshadowed by anger: "Duoduo, don't listen to his nonsense! I'm just too worried about Shao Zhe!"
"Worried?" Jiang Li chuckled and walked slowly forward, the stone pavement under her feet making a slight creaking sound. "So worried that even when her own husband is standing next to her, she will turn on me first?"
"Qian Duoduo, think about it. Isn't she always busy with the Soul Guidance Department's affairs? How much time does she actually have left for you?"
Qian Duoduo's Adam's apple bobbed. Jiang Li's words were like a precise dagger, piercing the deepest, most hidden grievances in his heart.
He and Xianlin'er had been married for many years, but they rarely saw each other.
Xian Lin'er noticed the change in Qian Duoduo's expression and felt anxious. She reached out to grab his arm and said, "Duoduo, believe me, you're the only one in my heart!"
But before her hand could touch Qian Duoduo, Jiang Li spoke again: "Dean Xian, don't rush to explain. The most taboo thing between husband and wife is distrust, especially at times like this."
You told me to my face that you believed him, but does he really believe you?
"I didn't!" Xian Lin'er retorted sharply, her eyes slightly reddening.
She wasn't unaware of Qian Duoduo's emotions, but at that moment, Yan Shaozhe's disappearance weighed heavily on her heart, leaving her no time to consider anything else.
But after Jiang Li's provocation, she looked at Qian Duoduo's gloomy face and felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
Seeing this, Jiang Li sneered inwardly, but still pretended to be regretful on the surface: "See, I was right, wasn't I, Qian Duoduo?"
Think about it carefully. Over the years, how much have you sacrificed for Shrek Academy and for the cause of Soul Guidance? And what has Xian Lin'er given you in return? How many peaceful meals has she shared with you? How many uninterrupted nights has she spent with you?
Qian Duoduo closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, the restraint in her eyes was almost overflowing.
The past is like fine needles, piercing his heart one by one.
Jiang Li's words were not fabricated out of thin air; every sentence struck a nerve with him.
"Jiang Li, that's enough!"
Qian Duoduo suddenly opened his eyes, his voice filled with suppressed roars. He turned to look at Jiang Li, his eyes filled with rage.
"Even if Lin'er is wrong, that's between my husband and me, and it's none of your business to interfere! If you have the guts, come at me, don't try to sow discord between us here!"
"Coming after you?" Jiang Li laughed even harder.
But the next second, his gaze suddenly turned icy cold. "Do you really think you can leave here alive after offending me?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the playful and languid aura surrounding Jiang Li vanished completely.
Instead, there was a chilling, murderous intent, like a long-dormant beast suddenly baring its fangs.
He gave Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er no chance to react at all, and suddenly exerted force with his feet.
The bluestone floor instantly cracked with fine lines, and its figure transformed into an almost transparent afterimage, heading straight for the two!
His speed was so fast that only a faint afterimage remained in the air, and even the dim light of the soul-guiding street lamps was torn apart by his figure.
Upon seeing this, Qian Duoduo's expression changed drastically. He never expected Jiang Li to make a move so suddenly, without any warning.
His burly body instinctively stepped forward to shield Xian Lin'er behind him, and his hands instantly gathered a thick layer of earth-yellow soul power, causing his soul rings to rise up—two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings encircling his body.
"Lin'er, step back!"
Qian Duoduo shouted loudly, and suddenly activated his seventh soul skill, Martial Soul True Body, transforming his massive soul power into a solid black dragon shield in front of him.
But Jiang Li's goal was never to withstand Qian Duoduo's defense head-on. A sinister smile appeared on his lips, and his figure suddenly changed direction in mid-air, avoiding Qian Duoduo's frontal defense and rushing straight towards Xian Lin'er!
.........