Chapter Fourteen: The Battle of the Warehouse

"Fan Fan!" Seeing Fan Fan bound to the chair, Qin Xiaochuan's mind burned with urgency and he rushed forward to rescue her.

"Stop!" As Qin Xiaochuan lunged forward, Feiyan barked out an order, then pressed his sword against Fan Fan's neck. "If you come any closer, I won't be so polite."

"Alright, alright, I won't move, I won't move. Please, don't hurt her." Terrified that Feiyan might harm Fan Fan, Qin Xiaochuan frantically waved his hands in supplication as Feiyan's blade hovered at her throat.

"Up close, your face is even more annoying," Feiyan sneered, withdrawing his sword and tapping it idly on his palm. "I don't care if you're a spiritual detective or whatever. Trying to catch me? You're truly an idiot. But from the moment you saw my eyes to now, you haven't been affected at all. Seems your spiritual power is pretty strong..."

"Enough nonsense! Let her go. I brought what you wanted," Qin Xiaochuan interrupted, pulling the Hungry Ghost Jade and the Dark Mirror from his pocket and shouting, "Release Fan Fan! These treasures are yours."

"Wait," Feiyan's eyes lit up as he saw the two treasures, but quickly grew wary. "Put them on the ground and stand aside. I want to inspect them first."

Qin Xiaochuan, noting Feiyan's suspicion, immediately placed the Hungry Ghost Jade and the Dark Mirror on the ground and stepped back.

Feiyan, unconcerned about Qin Xiaochuan making a move, strode straight to the treasures, crouched, and examined them meticulously.

"They're genuine," he confirmed, satisfied that Qin Xiaochuan had not tried to cheat him with fakes. Beaming, he tucked the treasures into his embrace, then crossed his arms and watched coldly as Qin Xiaochuan struggled to untie Fan Fan.

By habit, Feiyan never left survivors once he acquired his loot. Yet he allowed Qin Xiaochuan to rescue the hostage without interference, suggesting he had some other plan in mind.

"Xia Dan," Qin Xiaochuan called, after untying Fan Fan. Together, they gently laid her on the ground. "Why isn't she waking up? Don't you have psychic healing arts? Hurry, try them!"

"Heh, feeling relieved now?" Feiyan pointed his sword at Qin Xiaochuan, smugly. "I was planning to kill Stone Ghost and White Shadow and seize their treasures, but you took care of them for me. Saved me a lot of trouble, haha! You messed up my plans, but now all three treasures belong to me alone. Tell me, how should I thank you? Hahaha!"

"Your treasures? Hahaha," Qin Xiaochuan laughed heartily, hands on his hips, his laughter drowning out Feiyan's. "You're even dumber than I thought. As long as Fan Fan is safe, I'll catch you and reclaim the treasures."

With those words, Qin Xiaochuan suddenly darted forward, raising his right hand and charging at Feiyan, determined to strike first. "Prepare to die, brat!" He swung a fierce punch, but it struck only Feiyan's afterimage—the ghostly remnant still echoing Feiyan's mocking laughter.

"Gone? Vanished?"

"Vanished? Hmph! I simply dodged at leisure." As Qin Xiaochuan scanned for Feiyan, Feiyan appeared before him, face twisted in scorn. "You tried to ambush me just now? You really startled me, heh. Calling me stupid? I think you're the idiot. Look at that woman's forehead, hahaha! Did you really think I'd let you rescue her so easily? Fools!"

"What!" Hearing Feiyan's words, Qin Xiaochuan rushed to Fan Fan's side and swept aside her bangs. A gash on her forehead was slowly opening.

"It's the Evil Eye!" Xia Dan cried. "That eye must not open, or Fan Fan will become Feiyan's demonic slave!" Xia Dan placed her hands over Fan Fan's wound, releasing spiritual power and using healing arts to temporarily seal the Evil Eye. Seeing Qin Xiaochuan's anxious face, Xia Dan urged, "You must defeat Feiyan! Only subduing him will break the Evil Eye's power and wake Fan Fan. Hurry!"

"Psychic Healing Arts?" Feiyan was surprised by Xia Dan's ability to suppress the Evil Eye, but remained confident in his own power. "Hey kid, looks like you have a decent partner. She even knows advanced healing arts. Things are getting interesting, hahaha! If you want to save her, come at me. Let's see if you defeat me first, or she becomes my slave! Hahahaha!"

As Feiyan laughed maniacally, Qin Xiaochuan suddenly appeared before him, landing a heavy punch to his face and catching him off guard.

"Wha...!" Feiyan landed hard, disbelief in his eyes. He instinctively wiped his mouth, staring at the blood on his hand. His eyes reddened with fury. "You made me bleed!? Unforgivable! Unforgivable! You caught me off guard and closed the distance in an instant—your speed is nothing like before. Who are you, really...?"

"The unforgivable one is you! I'm going to break you to pieces!"

Seeing the steely determination on Qin Xiaochuan's face, Feiyan wiped his mouth again, his expression growing twisted. "I see. When your friends are in danger, you unleash your true strength. What a troublesome type! I hate people like you the most!"

"You do talk too much!"

"Damned brat," Feiyan snarled, climbing to his feet and stripping off his shirt, tossing it aside. "Don't look down on me. I haven't gone full speed yet. Watch!" He left an afterimage as he dashed at Qin Xiaochuan, darting around him, "How about this? Can you keep up with my speed? Haha, your eyes can't even follow!"

Feiyan leaped behind Qin Xiaochuan, seeing him motionless. Sensing an opportunity, he lunged in for the kill, but as he closed in, Qin Xiaochuan suddenly turned, catching Feiyan mid-sprint and landing another fierce punch that sent him crashing to the ground, harder than before. The impact pressed Feiyan's face against the floor, dragging him through a streak of water.

"If not for the Evil Eye, you're nothing but a cockroach hopping around," Qin Xiaochuan said, advancing on the prone Feiyan. "I have no time to waste on you. Let's finish this."

"Damn...!" Feiyan scrambled backwards, retreating to a safe distance. Slowly, he unwrapped the bandage from his forehead, revealing the Evil Eye. Instantly, powerful demonic energy surged from Feiyan, pressing outward. The eye on Fan Fan's forehead began to open as well, heightening the tension.

"Ah!" Sensing the Evil Eye's growing power, Xia Dan's hands shook as she struggled to suppress it. "Xiaochuan! Hurry! I... can't hold on much longer!"

Hearing Xia Dan's cry, Qin Xiaochuan spun toward her. Feiyan seized the opportunity, leaping in front of Qin Xiaochuan and shouting, "What are you looking at, idiot? Look at me! Only by defeating me can you save that woman, fool!"

As Qin Xiaochuan looked at Feiyan, his gaze met the open Evil Eye. A surge of demonic power instantly bound Qin Xiaochuan in midair. "Damn!" he realized he'd been tricked, his concern for Fan Fan clouding his judgment and exposing him to Feiyan's Evil Eye.

Seeing Qin Xiaochuan suspended by his power, Feiyan laughed triumphantly, punching Qin Xiaochuan's face. "Even now, you care for others? Human emotions are so fragile!"

"Let her... go!"

"Hahaha! Even now you command me? Idiot!" Feiyan raged at Qin Xiaochuan's defiance. He jumped up and pummeled Qin Xiaochuan's face, body, and abdomen, venting his fury. "You dare talk tough, dare strike me, dare spill my noble demon blood! You'll pay for your recklessness. Die, die! Idiot!"

As Qin Xiaochuan gradually fell silent under the beating, Feiyan paused, then strode over to retrieve his sword, which had been knocked from his hand by Qin Xiaochuan's earlier blow. He approached Qin Xiaochuan, clearly intent on ending this nuisance with one decisive strike to prevent any further unexpected trouble.