CUI BUQU had seen Feng Xiao at his most wretched.
Back when Feng Xiao had insisted on leaving Liugong City to save Pei Jingzhe, Cui Buqu had been suffering the effects of incense of helplessness and resigned himself to being dragged along. Despite knowing they were walking into a trap, they had rushed to the meeting location and—as expected—landed in hot water. They'd had no choice but to take temporary shelter in a cave and wait for reinforcements. Even so, Cui Buqu hadn't thought Feng Xiao fully at the end of his rope, and certainly not primed for slaughter. If Fo'er had returned for a match, it would have been hard to pick a winner.
Feng Xiao was a narcissist, obsessed with himself; he'd never make his own life difficult. Though he often took pleasure in annoying Cui Buqu and from time to time made a show of affection, Cui Buqu had always viewed their relationship as a collaboration between rivals. When they worked together, it was with a strict goal in mind. If Feng Xiao mocked him or threw him to the wolves, Cui Buqu had no qualms about returning the favor. And when they did cooperate, no further words were needed between them. They worked quickly and decisively.
When Feng Xiao had betrayed him, Cui Buqu had calmly computed his gains and losses. When Feng Xiao stopped Yuxiu and stabbed Cui Buqu himself, Cui Buqu hadn't been upset in the slightest. He'd known it was their only option. Afterward, he'd serenely agreed with Feng Xiao's claim that his hand had been forced.
Until that moment, Cui Buqu had been solely focused on escaping. He knew Feng Xiao would never put himself in danger. But this time, he was wrong—not only had Feng Xiao failed to leave, he'd returned to look for him. Why would he do that? Feng Xiao had absolutely no reason to come back.
Yet what Cui Buqu was most wrong about was himself.
He could have ignored Fan Yun's words and simply left. He'd have to pass through the Ursa Major Twin Jade Array, but since Fan Yun was the creator, Cui Buqu was confident he knew it well enough to traverse it without running into either Feng Xiao or Yuxiu.
Outside, the Jiejian Bureau was waiting to help them. If he extricated himself and ordered them to watch the cave entrance, even if they failed to capture the powerful fighters like Yuxiu and Yuan Sansi, they'd at the very least sweep up the stewards and guards. Perhaps they'd even manage to snag Lin Yong or Ning Shewo. They would be a massive step closer to taking down the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai.
Conversely, if he went to look for Feng Xiao now, and Yuxiu managed to find him first, Cui Buqu would be in grave danger.
He made his way to the entrance of the array in stops and starts, thoughts racing like a spinning carousel. All of them were cold and rational, urging him not to worry about Deputy Chief Feng—he should leave first and think later. If he were to wander the array, even a costly victory might be too much to ask of his ailing body. He would likely crumple before he found Feng Xiao, even without the aid of Yuxiu.
What insane notion had gotten into that fool's head this time? Why would he return to look for Cui Buqu?
Cui Buqu sighed. He could feel his own searing breaths. When he touched his forehead, his palm seemed to burn with alarming heat. He no longer had the energy to curse Feng Xiao aloud, so he cursed him over and over in his mind. His legs felt as if they were tied to a millstone, and a chilly breeze whipped his face and scattered the scorching heat of his breath. He shivered.
Finally he stood on the edge of the array. Another step and he'd enter it. If he wanted to escape, he should go around to the other side so he could pass through safely.
Cui Buqu hesitated just a moment, then stepped forward.
***
Feng Xiao, it seemed, had underestimated Fan Yun.
After getting a general summary of the array from Cui Buqu, he'd thought he could trap Yuxiu. Instead, things had spiraled out of control. Yuxiu wasn't the only one trapped—Feng Xiao was as well.
There shouldn't have been any light in the array, yet the occasional flame leapt into the sky, and the faint glow of fireflies flickered into existence. If he was rash enough to approach them, he was guaranteed to fall into a trap. He'd already had several close calls. The first time, the array had almost scrambled his mind; the next, he'd nearly been discovered by Yuxiu. Each was searching for the other as they sought a path out of the array, yet they were also trying to avoid being ambushed by their adversary. They crept forward inch by inch, yet seemed only to circle back to the same spot over and over again. Even Feng Xiao was beginning to feel fatigued.
Yuxiu's hidden weapon was taking effect, suppressing Feng Xiao's internal energy. Feng Xiao's energy was plentiful, but it wasn't infinite. He had to keep it circulating to fend off the cold of the array while staying on guard against Yuxiu. At the same time, he was keeping an eye on the needle inside his body. If he remained trapped like this, a single fate awaited him.
It was cold consolation that, as far as he knew, Yuxiu wasn't doing much better. Feng Xiao already injured the monk in their previous battle. Unless Yuxiu escaped the array, it would eventually wear him down, and he'd perish.
Feng Xiao had no desire to die with him.
The path forked ahead, separated by three boulders. He was almost certain he'd seen this exact place not long ago. Frustrated, Feng Xiao realized he was going in circles. He'd taken the left path last time, so this time he took the right. The further he walked, the colder the air became. A faint glow emanated from deep within the fog.
Light was more likely to mark a trap than an exit. Feng Xiao felt no relief; instead, he slowed his pace.
Without warning, a group of people rushed toward him through the thick and icy fog. At the front was Ming Yue, the third chief of the Jiejian Bureau. When he caught sight of Feng Xiao, his honest face lit up with joy.
"Erlang!" He strode over with his men. "I've finally found you. You left such vague messages! If I hadn't met Cui Buqu, I would never have spotted the entrance to this place!"
Feng Xiao blinked. "Cui Buqu got out?" he asked slowly.
"Yes! He said you were still inside and asked me to bring reinforcements! Thank goodness we found you! Let's go; we should leave first and talk later!"
Ming Yue stretched out a hand to pull him over, but Feng Xiao flinched back. Ming Yue's hand closed on nothing. He looked at Feng Xiao in confusion.
"Do you know the way out?" asked Feng Xiao.
Light glinted in Ming Yue's eyes. "I do. Cui Buqu showed me!"
Feng Xiao's lip curled. He struck at Ming Yue without another word.
"What are you doing?!" Ming Yue was stunned. He couldn't avoid Feng Xiao's palm brimming with internal energy and took the blow head-on. There was a bang like a clap of thunder, and the wind from the strike scattered the surrounding fog. Ming Yue and his men crumbled into a fine powder.
Feng Xiao snorted coldly.
The Jiejian Bureau had always acted on his orders. Ming Yue wasn't the type to overstep his authority: If Feng Xiao had yet to make his decision, Ming Yue wouldn't push him. On top of that, this was a terribly complex array. Feng Xiao refused to believe Ming Yue could learn its solution with just a few words from Cui Buqu. It could only be another illusion.
He'd already encountered several such illusions since entering. They blurred the boundaries between time and space, leaving Feng Xiao unable to tell how long he'd been trapped. He could neither see nor touch the enemy. Never before had he been in such a predicament—yet he was the one who'd willingly stepped into the array.
Feng Xiao was at the end of his patience. At this point, he'd prefer to run into Yuxiu and Yuan Sansi. Two against one would still have been better than drifting about in the mist like this, wandering in endless loops.
At the thought, he sensed someone approaching him from behind. They were still some distance away, perhaps several boulders back. But Feng Xiao noticed them immediately. Those footsteps were too heavy to be Yuxiu's.
Another illusion?
Feng Xiao stood motionless, quietly waiting for the newcomer to approach. His hands flexed within his sleeves, ready to kill at a moment's notice.
The smudge of a figure appeared from behind the boulder, moving toward him through the fog. Whoever it was appeared to be holding an orb of glowing green, most likely a night pearl. But that figure, those clothes… They were in complete contradiction. Feng Xiao narrowed his eyes, watching the figure struggle forward, holding onto the stones for support. At last they stopped a short distance from him, as if waiting for him to come meet them.
Feng Xiao sneered and obliged. A slight shift of his feet, and he was right before them, striking out with his palm.
The strike was largely a feint, with little internal energy behind it. An illusion of condensed mist would dissipate the moment his hand connected. But this time, his palm met a warm body. The newcomer quaked and staggered back into the boulder behind them, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
As warm blood splashed over the back of his hand, doubt finally surfaced on Feng Xiao's face. "It's you?"
Hoping to confirm his guess, he stepped forward and caught the body—it was solid. He grabbed the person's face for a closer look. A hint of surprised joy colored his voice. "It's really you!"