But soon, the gazes that had landed on them quickly looked away, as if deliberately avoiding any conflict. According to custom, Shen Wuxiao took Jiang Huaiyue to pay their respects to the deceased first. After offering condolences, the family gave a slight acknowledgment, and guests were free to move around.
As they entered the mansion, a large mourning hall appeared in sight. Yellow and white chrysanthemums framed the top, and in the center of the room was a raised platform. On it lay a body covered with a white cloth, surrounded by flowers. Above it hung a large black-and-white portrait—Luo Han’s smiling face displayed solemnly.
Shen Wuxiao and Jiang Huaiyue only glanced at the body and didn’t bow. In his eyes, the dead man didn’t deserve it. Instead, they made a symbolic circle around the platform and expressed formal condolences. Shen Wuxiao said coldly, “My condolences.”
The family members didn’t speak. They only gave Shen Wuxiao a polite nod. After all, they had been warned in advance that he would be attending. They were told to act like they didn’t know him. Naturally, they couldn’t show any strange reactions. This, too, made perfect sense.
After leaving the mourning hall, Shen Wuxiao handed Jiang Huaiyue a glass of wine, and the two stood in a quiet corner.
“Yue’er,” Shen Wuxiao said gently.
“Hmm? What is it?” Jiang Huaiyue responded softly.
“You don’t need to go digging for information yourself. Just stand here and listen.”
He pointed to a group of guests chatting in the distance. Jiang Huaiyue understood immediately. The death of Luo Han had been so suspicious that naturally many people were gossiping.
Sure enough, people had formed small groups and were whispering to each other.“Do you think the person who killed Young Master Luo Han is still hiding in Zhonghai?”
“I think they must’ve already run far away. Why would anyone stick around?”
“Not necessarily. The Haisha Society has sealed all major entrances and exits in Zhonghai. Highways, airports, even national roads and river routes are under surveillance.”
“I heard they’ve already spent a huge sum to hire bounty hunters. That murderer won’t survive for long.”
The discussions were varied and conflicting. But as Jiang Huaiyue listened, she frowned. The Haisha Society seemed determined to pursue this to the end. Lin Fan would have to stay hidden until the chaos died down.
More conversations drifted over.
“It’s not just bounty hunters anymore. The three big powers in Zhonghai are in a deadlock. Even the other two major forces are helping out. The Martial Arts Association is involved, and even the White Path has joined the search.”
“Wait, the White Path too? Why would they get involved?”
“You don’t know? It was arranged by Master Shen. He and Luo Han were close, so he won’t just stand by.”
Hearing this, Jiang Huaiyue’s eyes narrowed slightly. Finally, she heard something about Shen Wuxiao.
Shen Wuxiao smirked. “That was me. Just listen and you’ll hear all kinds of things.”
Then, Shen Wuxiao gently tugged at Jiang Huaiyue’s hand. “Yue’er, stay here. I’m going to talk to them and see if I can learn more.”
“Be careful,” Jiang Huaiyue nodded. It was indeed better for him to go alone—she was too eye-catching.
“Don’t worry,” Shen Wuxiao smiled and strode off confidently.
“Hey, the Mr. Shen you mentioned—was that Shen Wuxiao?” he asked as he joined the group effortlessly.
But as soon as he said that, the voices dropped noticeably. Jiang Huaiyue didn’t move any closer but wasn’t worried. After all, “Young Master Sikong” was there and would share whatever he found.
It seemed like the discussion was lively, but in truth, they weren’t saying anything important. Shen Wuxiao simply took the chance to instruct someone to contact Uncle Wu and his wife. With such a perfect excuse and opportunity, how could he not make a move?
After a brief exchange, Shen Wuxiao returned alone.
“What did you learn?” Jiang Huaiyue asked.
“There’s some news, but nothing valuable. We won’t get anything more if we stay here. Let’s leave,” he said calmly.
Shen Wuxiao had originally wanted to linger longer, take advantage of the crowd, and maybe get a little closer to Jiang Huaiyue. But he had bigger goals in mind. They needed to return to the villa.
Jiang Huaiyue didn’t want to leave. Coming all the way here with so little to show for it made her uneasy.
“Listen to me,” Shen Wuxiao said seriously. “When I asked about Shen Wuxiao just now, a man with triangular eyes kept staring at me in complete silence. I think that bastard might be connected to Shen Wuxiao. If he realizes we’re asking around, it could bring us trouble.”
“Isn’t that good?” Jiang Huaiyue raised an eyebrow, confident.
“What do you mean? If we dig deeper and people catch on, they might suspect our motives. If we’re exposed and used to lure Lin Fan out, what do you think he’d do?”
“Lin Fan is loyal. He’ll show up without hesitation. That’s walking into a trap.”
Jiang Huaiyue paused, then nodded. He was right. With so many people around, it was impossible to know who was truly mourning and who was there to gather intel. The more they probed, the more attention they’d draw.
“Alright. I’ll listen to you,” she said softly.
Today wasn’t a complete failure. At least she confirmed that they didn’t know where Lin Fan was. He was still safe—for now.
Without wasting another second, Shen Wuxiao and Jiang Huaiyue left the mourning hall, returned to their car, and drove off.
However, not long after they left, a car began following them silently.
After a few twists and turns, they returned to the villa. The moment they entered and shut the door, Jiang Huaiyue’s expression changed. Her eyes turned sharp, and her body became tense and alert.
Shen Wuxiao knew exactly what was going on, but still asked with a concerned tone, “What’s wrong?”
“Someone followed us!” Jiang Huaiyue said, scanning the area.
“No way?” Shen Wuxiao acted surprised, then pulled out his phone and quickly sent a message to Uncle Wu:
“Uncle Wu, rush in. I’ll activate Field Freeze. Dialogue is up to you. Goal—trap the two of us together!”
Uncle Wu responded: “OK.”
Shen Wuxiao immediately deleted the message and pretended to panic. “Are you sure? I thought that guy with the triangular eyes looked suspicious too. You think he tracked us?”
Jiang Huaiyue nodded slightly, still on full alert. She slowly backed up and placed herself protectively in front of Shen Wuxiao. The two of them moved toward the wall—avoiding exposure from behind.
“Two of them. Both are fifth-rank masters or above,” Jiang Huaiyue said as she tried to sense their presence.
In the next moment, the glass windows on both sides suddenly shattered!
Jiang Huaiyue’s eyes locked on the figure to the right, preparing to strike. But just as she moved, Shen Wuxiao activated his special ability.
Field Freeze.
Time in the area came to a complete standstill—only in the specific space that included both him and Jiang Huaiyue. Even the clock on the wall froze.
Jiang Huaiyue’s expression changed drastically. She was clearly shocked.
Her body couldn’t move. Only her eyes shifted slightly. She couldn’t speak. She knew what this was.
The power to freeze time within a domain—one of the most powerful control-type abilities. How could someone like that appear here?
Was one of the people who broke in the same person who activated this?
She knew one thing for sure—once frozen, unless the user’s control was broken or they took enough damage to lose focus, there was no escape.
But why would such a powerful person target them?