As for the reason...
The ease with which Bian Yixia had just absorbed Song Sixing’s Inner Qi was a dead giveaway.
One had to understand that Inner Qi was not something that could be absorbed indiscriminately unless one was using a Cultivation Skill specifically designed to devour and convert it.
Otherwise, absorbing it recklessly would most likely cause a conflict with one’s own Inner Qi. At best, one would be injured; at worst, one would immediately suffer from qi deviation and become Fallen into Demon.
So, it would have been strange if her smooth absorption earlier hadn’t revealed that something was wrong.
"I... I originally thought..."
On the way here, Bian Yixia had started to excitedly tell Zou Feng about her vision for the future—how before long, the Black Flood Dragon Gang would have two Gang Qi Realm masters and unite all the gangs in Yuan Guang County.
But just as she saw a glimmer of hope, it was all shattered by Deng Guangxin’s sudden return.
Bian Yixia was no fool. Deng Guangxin’s return at this exact moment couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.
Either Uncle Xiang had used some secret method known only to him to inform Deng Guangxin as soon as he discovered what was happening with Song Sixing...
...or Deng Guangxin had already placed some kind of tracker or spell on his six adoptive children, allowing him to immediately sense if something was wrong with any of them.
This meant Deng Guangxin’s place of seclusion had never been far from Yuan Guang County Town at all; he must have been in an extremely hidden location somewhere within the city.
That was how he was able to arrive so quickly.
Seeing this, Zou Feng wanted to offer a few words of comfort and tell Bian Yixia not to overthink it. What if this was all just her imagination?
But he couldn’t bring himself to utter such a clumsy lie. His lips moved, but the words wouldn’t come out.
After all, upon seeing Deng Guangxin and observing him closely, the conclusion was painfully obvious.
Deng Guangxin’s strength after coming out of seclusion had already placed him among the top Seventh Grade Martial Artists. It even felt like he was ready to attempt a breakthrough to the Gang Qi Realm.
And yet, he hadn’t gone straight for that breakthrough, which would have allowed him to emerge from seclusion in an even more dominant position.
Was his rush to return and stop Bian Yixia from finishing off Song Sixing really because he couldn’t bear to see his adoptive children kill each other?
One look at the man’s cold, emotionless eyes was enough to know that was highly unlikely.
Realizing this, Zou Feng cut to the chase and said solemnly, "Miss, there should still be time!"
"Still time?" Bian Yixia repeated, stunned. She didn’t understand what Zou Feng meant.
Zou Feng nodded. "That’s right. The Gang Leader... he doesn’t seem like he’s going to make a move immediately. He must be waiting for something..."
His words immediately jolted Bian Yixia back to her senses.
’First, although my second brother, Yan Li, has been found, it seems Deng Guangxin hasn’t captured him yet. Also, among the six disciples, my fifth sister still hasn’t cultivated the Six Harmonies Reincarnation Skill to the point of Integration and Mastery. On top of that, Deng Guangxin was clearly forced to come out of seclusion early to prevent this incident, so his own preparations must be incomplete... So... there’s still time!’
A moment later, Bian Yixia nodded emphatically. "Yes... You’re right. There’s still time!"
"It’s not time to lose hope yet!" After saying this, Bian Yixia looked at Zou Feng again. "Then you..."
Zou Feng declared without hesitation, "This subordinate will naturally stand with you, Miss!"
’He didn’t care about the Gang Leader. In fact, if he didn’t know that Bian Yixia had no chance of escape, he would have immediately advised her to run as far away as possible. The reason she couldn’t escape, to put it bluntly, was probably something similar to the slave contract he signed when he sold himself into servitude. Deng Guangxin must have put some kind of leash on his six disciples long ago. Speaking of which, why did he always run into this kind of messed-up situation? First, it was Yang Yanpeng raising a "Great Medicine" in his own home, and now it was the Black Flood Dragon Gang’s Leader raising his own. Although he had done it himself, the targets he chose were all scum who deserved to die. But Deng Guangxin chose his own disciples, the adoptive sons and daughters he raised himself... How black did a person’s heart have to be to do something like that? He had always considered himself an Evil Cultivator, but compared to these true Evil Cultivators, he was just a rookie. But there was nothing to be done about it. He had his own bottom line; there were a lot of dirty deeds he just couldn’t bring himself to do. Of course, there was another possibility: Deng Guangxin might only absorb his disciples’ Inner Qi without actually killing them. But things were rarely that simple. When Song Sixing’s Inner Qi was being drained earlier, he looked like he could kick the bucket at any moment. The "absorption" of the Six Harmonies Reincarnation Skill was definitely more than just crippling one’s Martial Arts...’
Hearing Zou Feng’s firm reply, Bian Yixia’s heart eased considerably.
She placed great importance on camaraderie within the gang and had always treated Zou Feng well, having long considered him a trusted confidant.
Seeing that he hadn’t lost his nerve just because the Gang Leader had returned, Bian Yixia felt her chances growing.
’That’s right. Adoptive Father is strong, but I’m a Seventh Grade now, too. And with Zou Feng... Perhaps we can really put an end to Adoptive Father’s scheme?’
"If it comes to it and things look impossible, don’t worry about me. Just get out of here as fast as you can!" Even at a time like this, Bian Yixia didn’t forget her code of honor.
Zou Feng said, "This subordinate believes our chances are high. There’s no need to be pessimistic, Miss."
"Good... that’s good..."
After murmuring those words, Bian Yixia’s expression returned to normal.
"Let’s go back!"
With that, she took the lead and started walking toward the Dragon Gate Boat.
Although Zou Feng wanted to go to the Guangfa Gambling House first to check on his master, he thought better of it and followed behind Bian Yixia.
’He had just concluded that Deng Guangxin probably wouldn’t act immediately, but it was better to be safe than sorry. So, he had to stick with Bian Yixia for now, just in case.’
On the way to the Dragon Gate Boat, Zou Feng felt a strange, unsettling chill in his heart.
He silently focused his mind and checked the List of Gods.
"Available targets for transference: Fang Jingchuan, Lu Sen, Li Li."
’Fuck, just as I thought. Fang Jingchuan has his eyes on me! I expected it, but being targeted by a Gang Qi Realm expert was still a massive pain in the ass. And there’s a new name on the list, Lu Sen. I don’t know him at all.’