Second Time

Chapter 18 - Stalking

Shao Yue's premonition turned out to be mostly correct.

Mimi no longer made attempts to escape early and focused on her cultivation. They both broke through three stages in half a year, bringing Mimi to the Qi Refinement Realm's Sixth Stage, while Shao Yue reached the Core Formation Realm's Sixth Stage.

Though their speeds appeared to be similar, Shao Yue's breakthroughs required several times more effort than Mimi's. They only coincidentally had a similar pace due to their realm difference and Shao Yue's alchemical distractions.

One day, when Shao Yue sent Mimi to purchase a batch of grade four herbs, she noticed something alarming.

A Spiritual Manifestation master was following Mimi.

Shao Yue quickly headed out to investigate.

The man kept a distance of a hundred meters behind Mimi. Whenever she stopped, he would casually hide in the crowd, behind a stall, or in an alley.

Mimi didn't suspect anything. After Shao Yue's huge commotion, nobody dared approach her and even avoided her. After all, who would want to offend an alchemy grandmaster?

As the man watched from an alleyway, he suddenly felt a blade across his neck.

"Why are you following my assistant?"

A chill ran down his spine. For someone to notice him and sneak up behind him, they would have to be far stronger than he was. In other words, a Heavenly Realm master.

"Wait, you're one of Bai Duyi's people." Shao Yue frowned. "Why is the Night Emperor involved?"

The Night Emperor, Bai Duyi, hid in the shadows and had ears in every city on the continent. In terms of information gathering, nobody could compare to him. He also controlled most of the black markets in some way and specialized in assassination, kidnapping, poisons, and other unsavoury things. Despite that, he was considered a neutral Emperor, neither good nor evil.

"If you don't tell me, I will kill you," Shao Yue stated. A dozen illusory blades pointed at the man, manifested by her Sword Intent. "If you do tell me, your employer will probably kill you, but there's a chance you'll keep your life."

"I'm not here to hurt anyone," the man promised. His mission didn't actually have a high level of secrecy attached to it.

"Are you here for me, or for her?"

"My only task is to report if it seems like you will be leaving this city."

"I'm planning to stay here for three more years at minimum," Shao Yue stated. "You can report that. If I notice anyone else following her, I will kill them without asking questions. Then, I'll find you, kill you, rip the memories from your soul, and kill everyone you've ever loved. Understand?"

"I understand!"

"Then get out of here and don't let me see you again."

Shao Yue withdrew her sword. The man rubbed his neck and looked back, flabbergasted at the teenage girl he saw.

"I said get lost."

Sword Intents cut through his body one after the other until he finally left her sight. She sighed and returned home.

"I didn't expect to attract an Emperor so quickly," Shao Yue complained to herself. "What did I even do?"

Shao Yue didn't think the Night Emperor himself had an interest in her, but the number of people who could employ his services was quite limited. The observation instead of kidnapping also confused Shao Yue. The Night Emperor wouldn't care about offending an alchemy grandmaster.