One person: Lu Jin, do I look like your master?

"And coincidentally, I have a solution to this problem!"

"A noble horse can expel all external forces from its body."

That's right. When Wang Xuan first came to Guizhou and signed in with Granny Jin Feng, he obtained the horse charm from the movie Jackie Chan Adventures.

Considering the current situation, Wang Xuan felt that the person behind the system was definitely preparing this for Chen Duo to use.

Chapter 18 Choice

Wang Xuan was like the most hidden ghost in the night, his aura perfectly concealed, his figure blending into the shadows of the mountains and forests, silently following behind Chen Duo and the woman who was fleeing for her life.

His gaze remained calm as he watched everything unfolding before him.

He saw Chen Duo catch up with the target with an inhuman, precise, and ruthless efficiency.

Just as Chen Duo was about to succeed, a figure dressed neatly with long, casually draped hair suddenly appeared like a ghost – it was Ma Xianhong.

Ma Xianhong looked at Chen Duo and wanted to take the woman away, but Chen Duo would never agree. So the two broke out into a fight, and Ma Xianhong easily defeated Chen Duo with his excellent protective magic weapon.

The whole process was incredibly fast. Ma Xianhong used the food pouch to put the unconscious Chen Duo in, then turned and walked deeper into the mountains, seemingly unconcerned about the company's potential pursuers.

Wang Xuan remained quietly in the background, his mind as still as water. He watched as Ma Xianhong led Chen Duo back to Biyou Village, a secluded village hidden in the mountains.

Chen Duo was treated like something casually picked up and temporarily thrown into a warehouse full of miscellaneous items, where no one paid her any attention.

This was lost for two whole days.

Wang Xuan was very patient. He found a place in the dense forest on the outskirts of the village, sat down cross-legged, and cultivated while sensing the movements in the village.

Two days later, the faint presence in the warehouse began to become active and clear—Chen Duo had awakened.

When Ma Xianhong found out, he didn't make things difficult for her.

He walked into the warehouse, looked at the girl with empty eyes, and felt confused and wary. He bluntly told her that she could leave on her own, and even kindly said, "I'll get you something to eat." His true intention was obvious: I want you to leave on your own.

His feigned politeness, however, happened to meet Chen Duo, who was genuinely honest.

Chen Duo simply couldn't understand the complex subtext in the words of adults.

She only understood the literal meaning: "He's going to get something to eat," so she chose to follow the instruction: wait.

So, after Ma Xianhong dawdled for a long time, guessing that the person should have already left, he came back and found that Chen Duo was still obediently staying in the same spot, like a stone statue waiting for instructions, really waiting for him to bring her food.

Ma Xianhong's expression at that moment must have been priceless; he had truly shot himself in the foot. His feigned politeness had met with genuine honesty, leaving him utterly helpless.

Left with no other choice, he personally led Chen Duo to the entrance of Biyou Village and impatiently pointed out the direction and path for her to leave:

"Just keep walking from here, and you'll get out."

However, standing at the village entrance, gazing at the unfamiliar, winding path disappearing into the mountains, Chen Duo was once again plunged into immense confusion.

Because she had no choices in her life, and everything she did was according to the wishes of others, she was like a mindless Gu poison.

She stood there quietly, from afternoon until sunset, like a forgotten plant by the roadside, motionless. The setting sun cast a long shadow of hers, making her appear even more lonely.

As darkness completely fell, stars began to adorn the night sky. Ma Xianhong appeared once again.

This time, he didn't come voluntarily. It was Bi Yuan, the village's "housekeeper," who couldn't stand it anymore and told him that the girl was still standing there dumbly at the village entrance, not having gone anywhere.

This was probably the first time Ma Xianhong had encountered such a persistent and stubborn person, and he was completely exasperated.

They can't drive them away, and there's no need to kill them.

He could only sigh, resignedly beckon to Chen Duo, and then instruct Fu Rong:

"Let's set up a table and get some food."

A simple but steaming hot meal was laid out in an open space in the village.

Ma Xianhong, Chen Duo, and perhaps Bi Yuan, who had come to see what was going on, sat together.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was awkward and strange.

Ma Xianhong, perhaps out of a tech geek's curiosity, or perhaps to break the silence, began to inquire in detail about Chen Duo's background and situation.

Chen Duo's language expression skills are not good; her narration is disjointed and lacks emotional color, as if she is retelling a story that has nothing to do with her.

However, she still managed to give a general account of her background—a Gu-body Holy Child of the Medicine Immortal Society, and how she was later rescued by the company and became a temporary worker in South China, responsible for handling "dirty work".

She specifically mentioned one sentence:

"Uncle Liao from South China is very kind to me."

This is the most positive evaluation she could find in her meager emotional vocabulary.

However, Ma Xianhong interpreted these words in a completely different way.

He himself harbored great distrust and aversion towards large organizations like companies.

He immediately interrupted Chen Duo with an indignant air of "I am the only one who is sober in a world of drunks".

"Be nice to you? Humph!"

Ma Xianhong scoffed, his face displaying an expression that mixed sympathy and righteous indignation.

"Girl, you're too naive! Those people at the company are just using you!"

Use your poisonous abilities to do those dirty, shady jobs for them, like killing people to cover it up!

What's the difference between them and the Medicine Immortals? They've just changed the way they control you!

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, as if he had found a perfect example to prove the company's evil and to promote his own ideology.

He even pulled Chen Duo outside the house and pointed to the inconspicuous collar around her neck—it was the collar bomb that Liao Zhong had put on her.

"Look! This is the evidence!"

Ma Xianhong's voice carried an excitement as if he were revealing the truth.

"They don't treat you like a human being at all! This is a shackle that can take your life at any moment! The so-called 'goodness' they give you is nothing more than a few pieces of meat thrown by the zookeeper to a caged beast!"

During this intense and one-sided "enlightenment" process, perhaps due to emotional turmoil or genuine pity for Chen Duo, Ma Xianhong made a move that he would definitely regret later.

He inadvertently gave Chen Duo her first real opportunity to "choose" in her life.

He looked into Chen Duo's still bewildered eyes, which seemed to have stirred slightly at his words, and spoke in a tone that he considered righteous and savior-like:

"Everything will be done according to your wishes. If you want to stay, stay. If you want to leave, I will contact Uncle Liao right away to take you away."

Little did he know that this seemingly well-intentioned act was like placing a match next to a heart lamp that had never been lit before, a match that could ignite everything.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away in the mountains, Liao Zhong, the head of the South China region, was frantically searching for Chen Duo's whereabouts with a large number of employees.

The signal representing Chen Duo on the instrument had long since disappeared in that area. A huge sense of foreboding, like a cold, venomous snake, tightly coiled around this man who, despite his rugged appearance, had long regarded Chen Duo as his daughter.

His anxious roars and the weary search sounds of his team echoed through the mountains and forests.

Under the night sky over Biyou Village, Chen Duo stood quietly, looking at the man who had given her a "choice." For the first time, a faint light called "thinking" appeared in her empty eyes.

Wang Xuan, observing everything from the darkness in the distance, knew that a crossroads of fate had been laid out before Chen Duo. And the time for his intervention was drawing ever closer.

Chapter 19 No Sense of Proportion

Chen Duo remained silent for a long time when faced with the two choices offered by Ma Xianhong.

Her simple yet not entirely oblivious mind was undergoing the first difficult weighing of her life.

Finally, she raised her head and looked at Ma Xianhong with her eyes, which still lacked vitality but seemed to have gained some meaning. Her voice was calm but clear: "I... don't want to go back."

These words brought a mixture of "I knew it" and "This kid is teachable" to Ma Xianhong's face. He felt that his "enlightenment" had been successful.

But Chen Duo then added:

"But... I still want to... see Uncle Liao."

This request immediately made Ma Xianhong frown, and his tone carried a hint of disappointment:

"See him? What would you do with him? He won't let you leave!"

Ma Xianhong tried to persuade Chen Duo with his own logic to sever this "bond" that he considered meaningless.

However, Chen Duo displayed an unusual persistence in this matter. She simply repeated herself, her voice soft but carrying an unyielding stubbornness:

"I want to see Uncle Liao."

She couldn't express the complex emotions within her heart with sophisticated language. Was there a vague lingering affection for Liao Zhong's care over the years?

Was he trying to explain his abrupt departure and mission failure? Or perhaps he just wanted to ask why?

Or perhaps, she simply wanted to see one last time the only person in that world who had ever been "kind" to her.

Seeing Chen Duo's stubborn gaze, Ma Xianhong finally gave in.

He probably felt that it was good to make Chen Duo give up completely, so that she could see the "true face" of the company and feel at ease staying in Biyou Village.

Ma Xianhong sighed.

He quickly packed his things, then called upon the knowledgeable and meticulous Bi Yuan, and the three of them immediately set off, leaving Biyou Village under the cover of night and heading towards the nearest town.

Wang Xuan followed the three silently, like a persistent carbuncle.

His presence blended perfectly into the environment, and even the vigilant Ma Xianhong and the experienced Bi Yuan were completely unaware of it.

He knew that a crucial plot point was approaching, and it was time for him to intervene.

Ma Xianhong chose a remote, long-abandoned old factory as the meeting place.

The place was spacious enough to avoid being ambushed, which also suited his aesthetic sense as someone who was somewhat of an "underground worker."

Chen Duo stood in the center of the factory in an empty workshop, surrounded by rusty machine tools and scattered parts, with cold moonlight shining down from the dilapidated dome above her head.

She took out the temporary phone that Ma Xianhong had given her and dialed the number etched deep in her memory.

The moment the call connected, Liao Zhong, who was dozens of miles away and still searching like a headless fly in the mountains, almost instantly grabbed the phone.

The moment he heard Chen Duo's voice, the rugged man's voice choked up, a complex mix of extreme fear, ecstatic joy at regaining what he had lost, and deep worry.

The pressure from the board is mounting; the disappearance has exceeded the golden timeframe, and the collar bomb could be remotely activated at any moment!

He practically yelled at Chen Duo to stay put and send him her location immediately, saying he'd be there right away!

On another relatively intact high point in the factory, Ma Xianhong and Bi Yuan hid in the shadows, quietly watching Chen Duo, who stood alone in the workshop below like a small white flower.

Ma Xianhong's face showed a confident air of being in control of the situation, as well as a hint of anticipation for the upcoming "exposure of the truth."

Old Master Bi Yuan frowned slightly, seemingly feeling that the matter was not as simple as Ma Xianhong thought.

Just then, a calm and gentle voice, yet with a hint of coldness, rang out unexpectedly behind Ma Xianhong and Bi Yuan, right next to them!

"You really are... lacking in tact."

The sound came so suddenly, like a ghost! Ma Xianhong's hair stood on end. Without thinking, and without even turning around to see who it was, he instinctively grabbed Bi Yuan next to him and instantly teleported to another platform more than ten meters away. Only then did he turn around in shock!

Where they had just been standing, there was now another person.

The man was dressed in a white Taoist robe, which seemed to radiate a faint light under the moonlight. He had long, flowing hair, a young and handsome face, and calm, deep eyes as he looked at them indifferently.

Who else could it be but Wang Xuan?

Ma Xianhong was horrified! When had this person gotten so close? He hadn't even noticed!

If the other party had launched a sneak attack just now... he couldn't even imagine it!

When the old man Bi Yuan beside him saw Wang Xuan's face clearly, he was as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes widened instantly, his beard trembled, and he exclaimed in shock:

"The Great...Great Ying Immortal?! The Left...Left Sect Master?! You...you're still alive?!"

No wonder Bi Yuan lost his composure like that.

Wang Xuan's current image and temperament, especially his extremely pure white Qi aura, although restrained, could still be sensed by an old hand like Bi Yuan at close range, much like Zuo Ruotong, the head of the Sanyi Sect who amazed an era back then!

Ma Xianhong didn't care, because he had never heard of Zuo Ruotong before.

"who are you?!"

Ma Xianhong asked sternly, his whole body on high alert.

Wang Xuan did not answer Ma Xianhong's question directly, nor did he even glance at the horrified Bi Yuan.

His gaze passed over them and landed on the lonely green figure waiting in the empty workshop below.

"Ma Xianhong".

Wang Xuan's voice remained calm, yet it possessed an undeniable penetrating power.