IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, Cui Buqu had fallen into the hands of the person in white. What looked like a palm lightly placed on his shoulder seemed somehow to weigh thousands of pounds. Cui Buqu felt as if his shoulder had been removed entirely: in an instant, one side of his body went completely numb.
His throat grew itchy, like it was being tickled by a feather, and he broke into another fit of coughing. The motion aggravated his injured shoulder, and pain raced through his body.
The person in white saw his paling face and the cold sweat that soaked him, and reached out to support him with their other hand.
"Are you all right?" Their tone was gentle and concerned, as if speaking to an old friend of many years, yet each word was probing. "Your footsteps are unsteady, and your face is wan. But that didn't just happen now. It looks like you've been poisoned." They clicked their tongue. "You're dragging this sickly body around, yet still helping the Jiejian Bureau look for the jade? Is it worth it? Why not come with me instead? I'll neutralize this poison and set you free; you'll be spared the pain of being trapped at the mercy of others."
Cui Buqu looked up sharply, his gaze piercing both the darkness and the veil, locking onto his captor's eyes. The veiled figure didn't shy away from his stare. They gazed back; perhaps there was even a kind and gentle smile on their lips.
"Oh my," said Feng Xiao. "My lover and my subordinate have both been captured. Whom shall I save first? Now you're making things difficult for me on purpose!"
Fo'er didn't slow his attack to let Feng Xiao speak; he pressed forward with strike after strike. The sea of qi surged and roiled, enveloping Feng Xiao and leaving him no avenue of escape. Fo'er leapt from the ground, sending a palm toward Feng Xiao in midair.
The gesture was like a wave breaking against the shore or a storm at sea—relentless, and leaving its target with nowhere to run or hide. It was as if Feng Xiao was surrounded on all sides by enemies, with an abyss before him and a cliff behind him, precarious and on the verge of plummeting into the void.
This palm technique was part of the first set Fo'er had created after completing his apprenticeship, and it was also the one he took the most pride in. He'd named it Qiluo—Invincible. Fo'er had used it to defeat many experts in the Central Plains, and now his mind was made up: he vowed to himself that he'd slay Feng Xiao with this strike.
"It seems Feng-langjun is occupied." The person in white smiled, then grabbed Cui Buqu's arm and dragged him upward. Cui Buqu felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as he rose into the air.
Go Nyeong snorted coldly at the sight. Then he grabbed Pei Jingzhe and he, too, left.
But just as Fo'er's palm was about to slam down on his opponent's head, Feng Xiao's long sleeves swished, and the ancient zither in his arms soared into the air to block Fo'er. The strings twanged and the zither shuddered, but it didn't splinter or break—instead, the sound of the zither slowed Fo'er just enough that Feng Xiao's attack connected first. When the ancient zither fell, he caught it smoothly in his arms and stopped before Fo'er, taking the chance to slam the zither outward again.
Startled, Fo'er withdrew, but the sound of the zither was like a towering wave. Its powerful energy transformed notes into weapons, piercing every orifice of Fo'er's face. The sound waves slammed into his organs and scoured his body. A sweet taste rose in the back of his throat; blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He swiped at the bloody foam and glared icily at his opponent.
Feng Xiao was unruffled. He didn't even glance toward where Cui Buqu and Pei Jingzhe had disappeared. He simply stood, his hands behind his back as he leisurely raised his eyes to meet Fo'er's.
"You're quite strong," Feng Xiao said. "You've already caught your first glimpse of the grandmaster's path, but unfortunately you encountered me tonight." He continued, smiling brightly. "If everyone has a destined nemesis, the heavens must have sent me to polish you. You're talented to be sure, but now that you've met a true genius like me you'll have to admit defeat. Go back to your grasslands and practice for another five years or so. Then maybe you'll be my match, hm?"
Fo'er was panting lightly. Pain twinged in his chest; Feng Xiao's counterattack had left him with internal injuries. He knew his opponent must have suffered some injuries himself, but they were at most lacerations caused by the flaring of Fo'er's true qi. Between the two of them, Fo'er was worse off.
It would be impossible for him to kill Feng Xiao tonight.
Earlier, when it'd been five to one, he'd easily have achieved his goal if someone else had made a dramatic move. But those who had come for the Jade of Heaven Lake chose either to stand aside, run when things didn't go their way, or capture someone close to Feng Xiao—anything but attack Feng Xiao directly. Certain victory had turned to failure.
All of these were factors in his current predicament. But ultimately, Fo'er lost because he was the weaker of the two.
"A warrior must be wholly focused in order to reach greater heights, but tonight you are clearly distracted. I disdain such opponents," Fo'er said coldly, then turned and left. Though his martial skills were strong and domineering, his qinggong was light and agile. In a blink, he'd leapt several yards away and disappeared into the night.
His words were nothing but a salve to his dignity. The Göktürk Khagan's best martial artist was most certainly someone who cared deeply for his own reputation.
Feng Xiao didn't give chase. He watched as Fo'er's figure vanished from sight, then discarded his careless demeanor and turned to enter the house.
Unsurprisingly, various buildings within Qiushan Manor were now in shambles. The servants had hidden themselves where they could, too afraid to make a peep. When they saw Feng Xiao, they crawled out, trembling, from under the tables and wailed at him. "Sir, just now while you were outside, two people burst in and started tearing up the place. They left emptyhanded—whatever they were looking for, it seems they didn't find it!"
Feng Xiao hummed in affirmation. Their guests tonight had been certain the destroyed jade was a fake, so they were trying to locate the real one.
And as for the real Jade of Heaven Lake…
Feng Xiao's mouth slanted in a mocking smile.
Any expression looked different on the face of a beauty. The servants were terrified and crying, but when they raised their heads and saw this smile, they were caught off guard and froze in awe.
***
The person in white had whisked Cui Buqu away, but now that they had him, they took their time. Cui Buqu was forced to blindly follow. If not for the sharp pain in his shoulder and his old illness flaring up, he'd have almost believed his kidnapper was simply looking for someone with whom to take a stroll.
From afar came the clang of the night gong, and in the distance several lights flickered. The night was deep, and the heavy dew added to the chill. Cui Buqu was wearing several layers, yet he still felt the cold and shuddered.
"You're not from the jianghu," he said, then followed it with two hoarse coughs. He thought absently that he must have gotten a fever from the chill: his entire body was sore, and he longed to find a bed and lie down as soon as possible. But life was unpredictable; instead, he had to follow this stranger and play a game of riddles.
The person in white smiled and said, "I'm not. Are you?"
Cui Buqu acted like he hadn't heard him. "You came here tonight and joined the excitement, so you must want the jade. But if you're not from the jianghu, the legends about it strengthening one's martial arts wouldn't interest you. People like you seem easygoing on the surface, but deep down they're arrogant. You're not the type to readily submit to another, yet you came here personally. That means the one whose orders you follow must be of high status indeed. You wish to obtain the jade and present it to them."
"Has anyone ever told you that clever people die quicker deaths?"
"You needn't waste so many words," Cui Buqu said coolly. "Four are enough to sum me up: heaven envies the talented."
The person in white chuckled. "Daoist Cui, you're really too fascinating. If we hadn't met at such an inopportune time, I'd have liked to take you tea-tasting and enjoyed some scenery together."
"If it was with you, I wouldn't be able to drink any tea, nor enjoy any scenery."
The person in white ignored this quip. "Are you hungry?" they asked. "Is there anything to eat in the city at this time of night? Take me around for a look. Hot soup would be best."
"My shoulder hurts, and I'm not hungry."
The person in white smiled behind their veil. "If you don't take me, your shoulder will hurt rather more, I'm afraid." He spoke with complete politeness and without a hint of anger, but his threats were extraordinarily vicious.
"Even if I don't take you, someone else will," Cui Buqu said.
The person in white laughed. "Who?"
"Me." A tall and slender figure strode forward out of the night. He stopped several paces away, his back to the lights of the city.
"Feng-langjun is so fast. You dismissed the Göktürks' number one martial arts master, just like that?" the man in white exclaimed in surprise.
Feng Xiao said, "Not so. You caught my lover, so why shouldn't I be a bit faster?"