Weakness

They continued with their business, which was making sure these ice sculptures look exactly as one by having their posture changed.

However, it always ended up in accidents. They were killed when Xu An tried to change their postures.

It was either because of a miscalculation or a stupid mistake Xu An made. This happened until the last ice sculpture.

When they stopped walking, Heileen glared at Xu An. Not for the fact, those people were killed but because…

"Master, you tricked me," said Heileen with a pout. She was angry but cute nevertheless.

Hearing her words, Xu An turned his body around and laughed awkwardly.

"I swear I'm not doing it on purpose," said Xu An with a straight face.

"You're lying, I can sense it."

"You can sense it?" Xu An recited her words as he asked. He tilted his head to the side at the same time.

"Un, though we're not bound by a contract. I am still a Paladin released by you," replied Heileen.

"That sounds like you're in a prison and I set you free. I've been wondering, why does Paladin exist?" Xu An asked.

Heileen shook her head, "I'm sorry, Master. It's something I could not tell you unless you've met the circumstances."

"Again? Is it because of that contract?" Xu An asked

Heileen nodded her head.

"Is it applied to all Paladin?" Xu An wondered.

"Yes," answered Heileen.

This contract is quite something to be able to make Paladin kneeled, Xu An thought to himself as he frowned. Next, he put the thought at the back of his mind as he approached the last ice sculpture.

Which was the woman.

Aware of Xu An, the ice was shaking to the left and right.

"What's with the fuss? Not like I'll do something bad to you... yet."

Before Xu An said 'yet', there was a long pause.

"You're dead!" A woman's voice out of the blue entered his ears. Xu An wore a perplexed expression as though he did not expect it.

"Oh? You could talk through qi telepathy? Now, this is new." Xu An smiled.

"I'm a genius in my sect. Figuring out how to talk through qi telepathy from this ice is anything but an effortless matter. Now let me out before I contact my entire sect!" The woman threatened.

"I'm scared! Heileen, protect me!" Xu An pretended to be afraid as he hid behind Heileen. Heileen was surprised when this happened but quickly grasped what was going on.

"Heh," she sneered as she continued, "I'll give you a chance, release me and I'll act as nothing happened. But if you don't want to, I'll bring the entire sect to save me."

"Who are you anyway?" Xu An asked as he was behind Heileen.

"Who am I is something an exiled person like you should not know," replied the woman arrogantly.

"Then I'm going to call you bitch."

"Wha– how dare you call me with such a name!" She yelled as she was furious. It was quite loud that Xu An's ears were buzzing. He reflexively cut off the connection as he subconsciously touched his ears.

He let out a faint groan of pain.

"Ouch."

"Master, what's wrong?!" Heileen asked in great concern.

"It's nothing, she's just being a bitch like they usually did," casually replied Xu An. As soon as his words spread out in the air, the ice shook greatly. It was as though whatever inside was trying their best to break out.

Connecting back to the woman but lowering her volume down like it was a microphone, Xu An heard curses from her.

"I will cut you to eight parts, let dogs eat your intestine and skin you alive!"

"Isn't that too far just because I called you a bitch?"

"You!"

"Look, you don't want to introduce yourself so you can't blame me for calling you that, bitch."

"How is that word isn't censored while other curse words are?" The woman suddenly asked a strange question.

"What are you talking about?" Xu An frowned as he tilted his head to the side.

"Nevermind, fine. I'll tell you my name, I'm Chu Zen. Afraid now that I'm a member of the Chu clan?"

Xu An paused for a short moment as he replied, "The name does not ring a bell. Just because you're a member of a prominent clan, does not mean you are."

For Chu Zen, his reply sounded like an insult more than anything.

"You're saying that I'm not talented enough to be recognized by the clan and someone like you?"

"I'm not saying that," Xu An shook his head and added, "So who sent you here and why do you want to get rid of me? Do you realize that once Xu Yang found out I was killed by one member of the Chu clan.

"Things would not end up with an apology, right?"

"What can he do anyway? We could have just said you're killed by the monsters. As long as he can't find evidence leading to us, he cannot make any move," explained Chu Zen.

"It seems you underestimate my little brother. Do you care to tell me who sent you?"

"Like I will! Have you forgotten? Release me now or I'll call my clan members, right now! Don't mess with the Chu Clan!"

"I recall your clan's saying, mess with one of us. You mess with all of us. Each person only has one in a lifetime and once that person used it, one could not call help anymore. You guys call this, Red Call.

"It is a call for help that will reach every member within a hundred kilometers and could only be used once.

"Are you sure you want to call your clan members because of this? Don't forget that I'm not entirely a monster. If you tell me what I want to know, I'll let you free."

Seeing Chu Zen was still hesitating, Xu An added one last push. If Chu Zen was at the edge of a cliff, this push was enough to make him fall.

"You're a clan member of the Chu clan and our ancestors have worked together and it continued until today. For them, I will not hurt you. What I said much earlier, about killing you is anything but a joke.

"In the end, the decision lies on you." Xu An ended his piece, leaving Chu Zen pondered.

"Are you really not going to kill me? How can you prove that?" Chu Zen asked doubtfully.

"I have nothing to prove other than my words. You tell me what you know and I'll release you. I never tricked a woman." Xu An offered as he shook his head when he said the last few words.

As soon as he said it, Heileen looked at Xu An with a sharp look. If looks could kill, Xu An might die with his body filled with holes. Making him like a sponge.

Xu An casually ignored her sharp gaze.

"...Fi–"

Bam!

Xu An reflexively closed his eyes as he felt like something hard was coming at him and was blocked by something much sturdier. It was as though a truck crashed against a thick wall.

A loud thud exploded in the area as dust filled the environment. The ground reverberated as though there was an earthquake.

With his right arm covering his eyelids, Xu An slightly moved down and slightly opened his right eye.

Through the gap, he saw Heileen was next to him. Instantly turning his body, he saw someone before Heileen and that person's hand was clenched into a fist, hitting Heileen's crossed arm.

"Master, run!" Heileen urged as she had a bit of time to turn around and look at Xu An from the edge of her eyes.

Xu An was confused as to what was going on. Loud thud-like explosion but caused by a human, in front of Heileen was someone who had punched her arms and stopped attacking.

It was all clear at this point. Someone was attacking Xu An! Or at least tried to but blocked by Heileen on time.

Dust scattered as Xu An could finally perceive the person.

His eyes dilated to the point of a pen. It was the man!

"Master!" Heileen called out his name. Xu An snapped and returned from his daze.

Just as he did that, something black and blurry was coming into his vision.

Xu An reflexively dodged it but way too late as he felt a sharp pain coming from his head. He felt his brain bumping his skull and it temporarily stunned him.

He groaned in pain as he was blown away for a few feet.

Heileen's mouth was agape as she saw this. The man somehow passed her guard and went to attack Xu An!

But then, who was before her? Turning her head around, it was the brown skin of a human figure made of clay!

In the next moment, the clay crumbled as it fell to the ground. The intelligent man somehow tricked Heileen!

When did he do it? Heileen thought to herself and hurriedly put that thought at the back of her mind.

She rushed to the man as her figure disappeared on the spot.

At the same time, the man did not stop his attack after punching Xu An's head. He continued by appearing in Xu An's flying direction.

Xu An was oblivious of this as his vision turned blank and his body was in the air. His brain temporarily shut down. He could not do anything aside from waiting for his death.

Just as the man was about to give Xu An a dead blow on his head with his palm, a sense of danger abruptly tingled as the man instantly acknowledged it and leap back a few steps.

He made a wise decision as his last position was a gigantic spike of ice rising from the ground. If he was seconds late, that spike probably made a hole in his body.

Heileen was flying as her right palm was aimed at the man's last position. However, she was a bit too late and so, she grabbed Xu An and fly away as they increased their distance.

Heileen landed with Xu An on her back, unconscious.

"Who are you? How can you escape from my Sculpture Imprisonment?" Heileen asked as her tone was unfriendly. Her eyes narrowed in anger, as the man just attacked Xu An and almost killed him.

"It's easy to break out once you've given enough time," replied the man. He had no intention of telling Heileen the truth.

"Is that so?" Heileen frowned.

In the next moment, Heileen put down Xu An and caged him in a prison of ice. It was thick and sturdy, plus mana and a bit of Arcane Energy in it. Further thickening it.

The man had no chance of breaking it unless he concentrated all of his power.

Mana and Arcane Energy, who is this girl? The man asked himself as he slightly narrowed his eyes.