Yu Heng's gaze flashes. Turning to Feng Xiao, he says, "The great Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau is in my grasp. If you refuse to let go of Xing Mao, then I will kill him. When that time comes, let us see whose loss is greater!"
Feng Xiao raises his brow, "Since you know his identity, then surely you are not unfamiliar to mine?"
Yu Heng gives a cold laugh, "The Second Commander of the Jiejian Bureau, and the Zuoyue Bureau, are the left and right arm of the current Emperor of Sui. To represent him and annihilate all the treacherous men, your capabilities are indeed of some admirable degree!"
When Xing Mao, Yan Xuexing, and the rest heard of Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu's true identities, they could not help but display a look of shock.
Feng Xiao, "It seems you are quite well-informed. Who is it that told you these?"
Yu Heng, "I have my own source, so let me teach both of you a lesson: that the waters beneath the Heavens are deep beyond imaginable. This is not a world that abides by your words. Qiemo is not the lands of the Sui Empire. So if you have the intention of coming here and sowing dispute, judge your own worth first!"
As he speaks, the few people who went out to attack Yan Xuexing returns. The archers on the roof also stop to await further orders. The Duan manor is surrounded by three lines of men. Even though Feng Xiao's martial arts skills here unparalleled and he could easily escape, it would be incredibly difficult for him to do so if he desires to protect both Cui Buqu and Duan Qigu.
Since their identities were exposed, Feng Xiao no longer held his throat as he spoke, returning to his usual voice. Even at that moment, he retains his usual playful self and did not look nervous or troubled at all, "Since you knew our identities, then you should also know that the Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue Bureau never liked each other. This time, I've only chose to work with him because our goals aligned. If you killed him, I still have to thank you for it, for removing one person that would cause me trouble, and to avert a future where I would have to waste my efforts constantly bickering and battling this rival."
Yu Heng mocks, "You speak easily, but if I really kill him now, let us see how you are going to tell the Sui Emperor about this!"
The moment he finishes speaking, he squeezes Cui Buqu's neck with considerable force.
Although Cui Buqu's face is not to visible in the night, but it was a given that his complexion would not look good.
"Hold!"
It is Bing Xuan who spoke.
She asks Yu Heng, "What are your requirements to set him free?"
Yu Heng, "Make him release Xing Mao first!"
Bing Xuan, "I cannot decide for him whether he will release Xing Mao or not, but I know where the secret vault of Duan Qigu is, and where it is situated in the Duan manor. What says you, if I use it to exchange Master Daoist Cui's life? Duan Qigu has ruled Qiemo for many years, his vault is boundless, this would surely be enough?"
Yu Heng gives a cold laugh, "This sickly fool is not unfortunate at all. To think there is still someone who wanted to save him. Could it be that you've fallen for him?"
With this sentence alone, Feng Xiao knows that Yu Heng definitely is not Yu Xiu. A strategist who gained the trust of Prince Jin would not have been so shallow.
But if Yu Heng is not Yu Xiu, then how can he explain the similarities between these two men? How would Yu Heng know their true identities?
Feng Xiao suddenly felt a very uncomfortable, anxious feeling that came from seemingly nowhere.
Yu Heng is only a little clown that worth little to nothing, but he originally could have taken down the entire situation to his own advantage, who knew that someone like Bing Xuan suddenly interfered and ruined it all for him.
Bing Xuan says plainly, "Just now Master Daoist Cui gave us a warning, so I owe him a debt, why does it not make sense?"
"My heart is incredibly moved. But if I wanted to know the location of Duan Qigu's vault, I could just get it from him with torture, there is no need for you to speak, but you," Yu Heng looked at her from top to bottom, "your looks are not bad, if you are willing to give yourself to me, perhaps I can consider it."
Feng Xiao urges impatiently, "After speaking nonsense for an entire day, do you want to kill him or not?"
Bing Xuan grows stun when she hears this.
She originally thought that Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu were men of the same path. Since both of them disguised as a couple, then their relationship was definitely not simple. But now, she thought, she was wrong.
Cui Buqu knew nothing of martial arts, for him to follow Feng Xiao into danger like this yet being abandoned in the midst, how was he feeling now?
She couldn't help casting Cui Buqu a glance.
The other man looks very quiet, even closing his eyes slightly, as if what they were discussing isn't his own life or death.
Among many people who are skilled in martial arts, his response is different than what she had expected—quiet and peaceful, to the point of drawing the attention of others wanting to know what he was thinking inside.
Bing Xuan moves her feet a little and immediately, her heart stops.
Originally she came here as a spectator, wanting only to watch the show, and seeing if she could take anything for her own advantage, but isn't this getting involved herself?
On the other hand, Feng Xiao laughs at Yu Heng and says, "If you don't move first, then I will!"
As he speaks, his hands really squeezed, and with the other hand he pulls out a dagger and immediately jabs it into Xing Mao's shoulder. Blood splatters and Xing Mao screams in pain.
"Master Yu, save me please!!!!!"
Feng Xiao holds the dagger and turns it a little in his flesh. Blood quickly spills all over his shoulder as Xing Mao continues to scream, his eyes already turn white, yet Feng Xiao did not stop. He pulls out the dagger and thrusts it into his other shoulder.
Yu Heng is shocked stiff. He never expected Feng Xiao to do as he said, and even to the point of this cruelty. He did not expect Feng Xiao to be completely uncaring to Cui Buqu's safety.
Did he have to do the same to Cui Buqu? Even if he killed Cui Buqu, would that make Feng Xiao give in to him?
Xing Mao is already half-dead, if this continues then he might even die, by then, nothing would be worth it anymore.
That's not right!
A sudden warning seeping into his mind and pulls all his consciousness back to himself.
When they were speaking to each other, everyone around them had no response, this is definitely not right!
He observes carefully and immediately discovers that not only the scholar and the rest, but even Xing Mao's screaming is a consistent voice. The pitch and volume of it are the same, repeating itself over and over again.
And Feng Xiao: that smile of his did not change at all.
This is an illusion!
An incredibly skilled illusion array!
Yu Heng realizes that the Cui Buqu in his hands did not move, behaving like he is nothing different from a wooden puppet.
At that moment, if he still isn't able to realize that he has fallen into an illusion array and is completely deceived, then he did not deserve to call himself a practitioner of the martial arts.
He immediately bites his tongue and once he tasted blood, he follows the pain into a clear set of mind. Everyone around him starts moving again and he feels the emptiness in his hand. Cui Buqu is gone, but at the same time, a wave of energy swept onto him, his sleeves bellow as the wind picks up, like an eagle beginning to take flight, inner strength brims fiercely like rolling waves, falling onto his head like a clap of thunder!
Under such a powerful attack, Yu Heng is completely depleted of energy to look for Cui Buqu and Xing Mao.
Earlier on when everyone is busy fighting among themselves, Duan Qigu has already climbed to the back of the hall and silently leaves the place.
The Duan family are still in the manor like sitting ducks, but at that moment in Duan Qigu's eyes, nothing is more important than his own life.
Yan Xuexing's hunt for him has been many years. How would he allow him to run free just like that? Once he sees it, he immediately goes after him.
Duan Qigu lets out a cold laugh, but it isn't because his faceis was completely devoid of shock. On the contrary, it is quite the opposite, it is as if he had finally found a silver of hope to escape, and that even Yan Xuexing could not do anything about it.
Just as Yan Xuexing is pondering questioningly over why Duan Qigu gives him such a strange expression, Duan Qigu suddenly vanishes.
A completely alive person actually disappear under his eyes, Yan Xuexing is in for a shock, but he could care less about other things and immediately lunges himself at it, yet he only reaches an empty space, and before he could even shout anything, he falls and sprawls across the ground!
Using the advantage of Yu Heng still under Feng Xiao's spell, Bing Xuan immediately uses a silver needle to prick Yu Heng's arm to help Cui Buqu out of his grasp.
"Master Daoist Cui, are you hurt?" She immediately helps Cui Buqu up.
Cui Buqu shakes his head and looked around, "Where is Duan Qigu?"
Bing Xuan, "Just now I saw him disappeared behind that pillar, but because I was occupied here, I did not approach there to take a look. Master Yan has already went ahead."
"Go over there and search!" If Duan Qigu is caught by Yan Xuexing, then his only choice is death. There would be no opportunity for Cui Buqu to inquire more secrets from Duan Qigu, so naturally, Cui Buqu wants him to live.
On the other side, Feng Xiao not only needed to fight Yu Heng, but he still needed to take care of the scholar Yue Xiafeng and the rest.
Once he sees Cui Buqu leaving with Bing Xuan, he couldn't help exclaiming, "Hey! I am helping all of you to deal with the enemies, yet both of you are eloping to be happy together?"
Cui Buqu did not even turn around, "The capable often contributes the most, you hold on to more of these burdens first."
Xing Mao crawls up from the ground, grinding his teeth and says, "Not even one of you are allowed to leave. Archers get ready!"
"Because I, the tiger here, hasn't shown his temper yet, you are really going to treat me like a sickly little cat?"
Feng Xiao smiles a long smile as his palm collides with Yu Heng's. The latter flies backwards and his body hit against a pillar in full force.
Yue Xiafeng and Hu Yun's weapons both, one right and one left, attack Feng Xiao, but under a wave of energy, Feng Xiao's hair is immediately cut loose. His long hair sways and dances in the wind. Although his makeup still made him look like a woman, at this moment his expression has grown incredibly wild and ambitious, his stance is elegant and suave that it definitely would not have lead others to misgender him.
This is only the true form of the Second Commander of the Jiejian Bureau.
Those childish behaviours he flaunts at first are simply a casual strategy from him, but if the other people underestimated it, then they were simply looking for a death wish for themselves.
Feng Xiao neither avoided nor moved away. Facing these two martial artists, at the flip of his robes, inner strength brims from his palms and took the form of an incredibly powerful attack. Immediately, he reaches out to catch Yue Xiafeng's metal fan and Hu Yun's golden knife.
A clanking of metals, and Hu Yun did not only feel his own golden knife thrusting into his own blood and flesh, his hand also falls slacken and become numb before the golden knife broke in half!
In the next moment, Yue Xiafeng's metal fan also met the same fate.
Feng Xiao would not allow them a chance to retaliate, seeing the situation, he immediately attacks again. Those broken pieces of knives and fan flew towards their owners. Yue Xiafeng and Hu Yun wail and immediately leap away.
As the more intelligent one, Wuming Jian Wang Hong sees the situation and immediately took two steps back, before turning around and leaping into the air, running away just like that!
Xing Mao is incredibly angered. If Feng Xiao and Yan Xuexing were not here tonight, he would have already annihilated the Duan family with his own hands. Tomorrow, when the sun rose into the sky, there would not be another soul in Qiemo who dared to defy him. Who would have expected that with these turn of events, his victory was turned into defeat.
"Set loose the arrows! Kill them all for me!" He already no longer cares whether those arrows would wound Yu Heng and the others, so he gives those orders.
But after a long moment, those arrows never came.
Xing Mao immediately turns his head around and saw that those archers did not move, behaving as though they weren't men he'd taken out from his own manor.
"All your men were laid down, who else did you expect would release those arrows?"
One person walks in from the outside. It is Qiao Xian who is tasked to go to the City of Six Crafts to lead that army back.
Xing Mao thought that he is the sparrow waiting for the cicada, but who could have guess that behind that sparrow, was an eagle.
Feng Xiao twitches his lips and flexes both his hands that have gone numb from all the fighting.
Those people from the Zuoyue Bureau really knew how to boast with a seal that is originally his to begin with!
However, it is truly a pity that Cui Buqu is not here to watch his impressive battle of one against four, otherwise he would have made the other personally admit this huge favour he'd did for him.
At he thought about this, he lifts his head and looks around, realizing that Cui Buqu and Bing Xuan both had gone missing.
Author's Note:
Feng Xiao: God dammit, I fought so hard, yet in the end I am only a fool. Where is Cui Buqu? Did he see me and my awesomeness?
Cui Buqu: No, I did not.
"...."