FO'ER, UNDER ISHBARA'S ORDERS, had come to Liugong City with a single purpose: not to obtain the jade stone, but to disrupt negotiations between Great Sui and Apa Khagan.
Before Jinlian arrived in Liugong City, killing the Sui dynasty's envoy was the best way to accomplish this. But now Jinlian had appeared, and killing her would also bring negotiations to an abrupt end. Even if Apa Khagan somehow found another envoy with courage, smarts, and the willingness to risk life and limb traveling alone to the Central Plains, Jinlian's death would undoubtedly estrange the two sides, and their alliance would crumble before it began.
Thus, when Jinlian and Cui Buqu appeared in front of him at the same time, Fo'er didn't hesitate to disregard Cui Buqu and target Apa Khagan's lesser khatun.
Jinlian was a martial artist in her own right. She shot arrows on horseback and dueled on foot; in the Khaganate, she too was considered a heroine. Still, there was a clear gap in ability between her and the Göktürks' number one martial artist. She was driven into a corner within ten moves. Her two guards rushed in to save her; one was struck fatally in the chest, coughing up blood and dying on the spot, while the other's arm was broken, taking him out of the fight.
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi had returned some time ago. Now they stood on either side of Cui Buqu, protecting him, but didn't move forward to rescue Jinlian.
Panicking, Jinlian shouted, "He's going to kill me! Do you plan to stand there and watch me die?!"
Slowly, Cui Buqu said, "Jinlian Khatun, Ishbara has forced your khagan to retreat time and again. If you perish, our Great Sui will still have allies in Bagha and Tardu Khagan. With or without you—it makes little difference. My position as an official will see neither promotion nor demotion on your account. Consider this carefully."
Jinlian was staring death in the face. She stood no chance against an elite martial artist like Fo'er. Still she fought onward, hanging onto her life by her fingernails. After fifteen moves, she could retreat no further. The force of a palm blast scraped past her shoulder and blossomed into agony, but Fo'er didn't stop. He truly intended to kill her.
Perhaps the Göktürks weren't as subtle as the people of the Central Plains in how they handled affairs, but their nobles engaged in no less backstabbing and infighting. Their bloodshed was no gentler than the power struggles seen elsewhere. Jinlian had married Apa Khagan in her teens and had climbed step by step to her current position. It had cost her unimaginable effort. How could she be willing to die so suddenly, in such a comical fashion?
"If Cui Buqu won't save you, I will."
A soft chuckle rang in Jinlian's ear. Seconds later, the overwhelming pressure before her eased. A figure stood in front of her, receiving the full brunt of Fo'er's all-out palm strike.
True qi burst outward from the two elite martial experts and shoved Jinlian several feet back.
Having walked the boundary between life and death seconds ago, Jinlian ignored the ripping pain in her upper back and felt only the drumming of her heart and the throbbing of her temples. She felt as if her feet were stepping on clouds, her entire body limp. At that moment, she was like anyone who'd barely escaped death. Her shocked gaze swept over her subordinates, one dead and one wounded, then fell upon the man who was fighting Fo'er.
Both moved as swiftly as wraiths; despite Jinlian's skills, she couldn't distinguish their strikes. She'd retreated a good distance, yet she could still feel their internal energy expanding toward her. She shifted farther away.
"Jinlian Khatun, how are your deliberations going?" Cui Buqu asked carelessly. "I seem to have heard Ishbara has several other extraordinary martial artists at his disposal. Besides Fo'er, there are two more powerful experts almost at the level of grandmaster. Should he dispatch a few more men, I fear you might not return to the Khaganate at all."
Jinlian gritted her teeth. She understood perfectly why Cui Buqu had stood by and refused to save her. This had been his goal.
But what could she do? This man's words had expertly targeted her weakness. She'd concealed her name and disguised her appearance to travel to the Central Plains, and her journey had been fraught with danger. She had managed to survive, but that didn't mean she'd be so fortunate on the return trip. Jinlian had believed that, once the alliance was established, Great Sui would dispatch soldiers to escort her back. But now they were at a stalemate, and if it couldn't be resolved, she'd have to return empty-handed and alone.
"The number of quality horses can be negotiated, and the nature of the alliance between the two sides has already been agreed. The khagan will have no objections, and I can finalize the details on his behalf. However, I can't make the decision in regard to tribute. Here's what I suggest: Cui-langjun can travel with me to the khagan's encampment and meet with him personally. That will be far more effective than sending me back by myself."
Cui Buqu knew this was the limit of what Jinlian could offer, so he didn't push her further. He nodded. "Then I request that Jinlian Khatun please pen a handwritten letter and stamp it as proof of authenticity. I'll send it to the capital for His Majesty to review."
Quickly Jinlian said, "That won't be a problem. I already brought a letter from the khagan with me. I only need someone who can read Turkic."
"I can," said Cui Buqu. His brief, matter-of-fact answer made Jinlian look at him in a new light.
The negotiations were thus concluded, but the battle between Feng Xiao and Fo'er was far from over.
Fo'er's martial arts were slightly inferior to Feng Xiao's—but only slightly. While Fo'er might not be able to defeat him, he should certainly be able to escape without coming to harm. However, he'd come here tonight with two goals: an assassination and a rescue. Until he'd achieved both, he didn't intend to leave.
Fo'er's rise to prominence came at a time when the famed experts of the past had either become sect leaders or secluded themselves within the mountains and forests. They were difficult to trace and even more difficult to actually find. Since coming to the Central Plains, Fo'er had challenged masters one after another. His martial prowess was great, and the difficulty he'd had in finding worthy opponents led him to believe the reputation of Central Plains martial artists was overblown—until he met Feng Xiao.
Feng Xiao was a rare foe, the kind one might meet once or twice in a lifetime. His martial arts were swift and unpredictable, but his internal energy was steady and profound. His level of skill should have been impossible to achieve at his young age. Fo'er had suspected since their first encounter that Feng Xiao had learned under the tutelage of a great expert, or that Feng Xiao himself was a grandmaster who'd managed to reverse his aging. Fo'er had been beaten back at Huyang Forest, and now it seemed defeat was once again inevitable.
On top of that, while Feng Xiao alone was a daunting opponent, Zhangsun and Qiao Xian also lurked nearby. Though they merely watched for now, their presence sealed potential routes of attack and retreat, hemming him in from all sides until he was overwhelmed.
He caught a glimpse of Cui Buqu standing in the far corner, and a plan came to mind.
From within the dancing sparks, Fo'er's figure leapt toward the rafters. Though he was tall and broad-shouldered, the leap was like a white crane soaring into the air: light, nimble, and almost soundless. Feng Xiao pursued at once, but Fo'er had already burst out onto the roof. His aim wasn't to escape or even to rescue his disciple—instead, he raised his palm and struck down at the rooftiles beneath his feet.
Oh hell, thought Feng Xiao. He only had time to shout "Run!"
With a roar, the entire roof collapsed. Broken tiles and bricks rained down, and the ten-foot pillars supporting the rafters swayed and fell under the shock waves of Fo'er's internal energy, burying the people inside.
In the blink of an eye, the place was flattened.
Those with some martial arts, like Jinlian, were better off. Though injured and caught off guard, she managed to avoid the worst of the collapse. But her surviving guard, who'd broken his arm, was not so lucky. He was crushed beneath the rubble, his fate unknown.
Feng Xiao's face was like a thundercloud. He finally discarded his carefree expression and turned to perform a rescue.
Pei Jingzhe had nearly been crushed by a pillar, and though he'd managed to dodge death, his cheek was patterned with scratches from flying debris, and his back burned with pain where it'd been struck. As he looked around, he remembered Cui Buqu, who knew no martial arts. His face paled. "Sir, Cui…"
Feng Xiao strode over and kicked at a pillar. Though he didn't appear to exert much force, the ten-foot pillar went flying and crashed down some distance away. Where it had been, a pale hand stuck out of the rubble.
Shocked, Pei Jingzhe ran over to help. When they managed to clear the debris, they found the hand didn't belong to Cui Buqu, but to Qiao Xian.
Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi had shielded Cui Buqu with their bodies, protecting him. All three were pulled from the wreckage; though his deputies had suffered some minor wounds, Cui Buqu himself seemed to be entirely unharmed.
"How did Deputy Chief Feng allow Fo'er to escape?" Cui Buqu asked with raised eyebrows.
Feng Xiao answered in his usual breezy way. "Of course it's because I saw you buried beneath the rubble. My heart burned with worry, and all I could think of was saving you. Ququ, it's really too unkind of you to complain. Here, feel my chest! My heart's still pounding away!"
Pei Jingzhe thought, Whose heart wouldn't pound? Are you a corpse? But he was still Feng Xiao's subordinate, after all. He couldn't embarrass his superior, so he schooled himself to silence.
It was clear Cui Buqu was in no mood to debate with Feng Xiao either. He looked at Jinlian and said, "Apa Khagan's letter."
Jinlian's arm was injured, and she struggled to pull the document from her lapels. Qiao Xian took it and verified it wasn't poisoned before handing it to Cui Buqu, who shook the dust from his clothes and opened it.
A head suddenly leaned in close. Cui Buqu almost slapped the letter right into the interloper's face. "Hey, what language is this? Turkic? Daoist Master Cui is truly extraordinary. You can even read their language fluently!"
Ququ or A-Cui or Daoist Master Cui—the address he used depended entirely on his mood. Cui Buqu had long since grown numb to it. He skimmed the letter, making sure it really was penned by Apa Khagan himself. Then he stuffed it into Feng Xiao's hands and said to Jinlian, "We will accompany you to the Khaganate to personally meet with Apa Khagan."
Delighted, Jinlian straightened her spine to answer: "Wonderful! I must ask Cui-langjun to please set a date so we can depart as soon as possible. Fo'er has escaped, and Ishbara's faction will soon learn of this alliance. They won't hesitate to send someone to kill us on the road."
Bringing Cui Buqu back with her meant not only would she have protection on her journey, she'd return with an envoy of Great Sui. It was a contribution that would buttress the stability of her position within the tribe.
"There is much we must still discuss," said Cui Buqu. "It's getting late, and the khatun has had a shock tonight. Please rest first, and I'll send someone for a doctor to treat your wounds."
Jinlian nodded, finally allowing herself to slump with exhaustion. "Thank you very much, Cui-langjun. As for my two subordinates, I must ask Cui-langjun to arrange their burials."
She left with the aid of a maid's supporting shoulder.
Feng Xiao saw Cui Buqu about to turn away as well and grabbed his arm. Cui Buqu drew in a sharp breath. He'd just been crushed beneath a pillar; even with Zhangsun and Qiao Xian protecting him, he'd still sprained his wrist in the chaos. Now, as Feng Xiao tugged on him, his injury became apparent.
Qiao Xian glared and struck out immediately at Feng Xiao. He smoothly let go and stepped back saying, "Hold it. What did you mean by 'We will accompany you?' Who's we?"
The corners of Cui Buqu's lips turned up. "Me and you. That's the definition of 'we.'"
Feng Xiao was finally shocked into silence.