Feng Xiao, Qiao Xian, Jin Lian, were three people in total.
One man in blue, bringing along twelve man in black, who were all top martial artists. The one in blue was perhaps the strongest among all of them.
This was not the most difficult, and neither was it the toughest battle that Feng Xiao has never encountered in his life.
That year when he had just descended from the mountains, he has once fought, alone, against three top martial artists from the Demonic Sects upon the peak of Snow Mountain. He has never fallen behind back then, even when he fought with the zither as his weapon upon the shores of the Wei River, braving through all the traps and ambush laid by his own sect. Therefore, these people now are not the worse scenario he has found himself in, but their determination to keep him here was to prevent him from meeting Cui Buqu. The more he was delayed here fighting, the more Cui Buqu's life would be in danger.
Qian Xian was aware of this, so she gave all she can to escape from being heavily surrounded. However, her old wounds has not yet healed, so she could not push her strength to its full potential, and after ten rounds or more of fighting, she had begun to pant heavily, expanded down to the last of her stamina.
Those men in black complimented each other's moves perfectly, acting like they were one. Their effectiveness also increased by a few times. Jin Lian and Qiao Xian were trapped among these people, taking turns to cross hands with them. They were exhausted to the bone, so let alone having the remaining strength to lend a hand to Feng Xiao.
A flattering of clothes, Feng Xiao used his inner strength to shake off the other's metal chains, but in the blink of an eye, a few hundreds came at him again from different directions. Feng Xiao changed the stance of his body to the side, remaining where he stood as his foot stomped on one of them, lending its strength to heave himself up into the air!
The other party was well prepared, so he leaped into the air as well as he pursued him, refusing to relent. Both men fought in the air for over ten moves, creating a whirlpool of wind like rolling waves around them with the strength of their palms. Both of them were soon lifted by the wind, their moves getting faster and faster alongside the speed of the currents, to the point that any watchers could not differentiate them from each other.
The other party had long knew before that Feng Xiao's skills were not one of the ordinary, but he was confident in himself and knew that his skills were not bad. Even if they were on different levels, the difference would not be huge. Additionally, Yu Xiu even told him that Feng Xiao carried wounds on himself, so it boosted the blue-clothed man's confidence even more. Yet, who could have guessed that once they fought, he realized that he had underestimated Feng Xiao's abilities, for the latter had already achieved an unfathomable level.
The other had counted: it was already shocking with the amount of strength Feng Xiao infused in each of his attacks. The other's impression of Feng Xiao overturned from before, he couldn't help hating himself for losing the chance.
The he looked again at the way Feng Xiao was dressed in ethereal white clothing, his handsome complexion with added elegance and grace, a look of laid back relaxation on his face. He did not look like someone who was fighting to the death, so how could he look like he was someone who was wounded?
Two strips of metal chain flew out from his sleeves like shooting stars, spreading out to Feng Xiao's left and right with the intention of attacking. It was silent like drizzling rain, for only when it hit its target will it be discovered.
Ever since he stepped into Jianghu, from the Northern Kingdom to the Central Plains, this technique has never disappointed him. Those metal chains were flexible and narrow, and the bodies who died under it could not even be counted by both hands.
This time, he knew that it would not disappoint him either.
The man in blue absolutely believed in himself. He infused a hundred percent of his strength into the chains, and his weapon became like broken bamboo, if it clashed with a palm made of flesh, the latter would surely experience shattering of bones as it cut into his flesh.
Feng Xiao has two choices: to take it head-on, or avoid it.
The man in blue knew that he would pick the second choice, so he took the initiation to seal up all Feng Xiao's escape routes. Unless Feng Xiao flew into the air and left the ground, otherwise it was impossible for him to escape. He could only chose to sacrifice his hand to survive this attack.
As long as he was willing to receive the attack, the moment his hands are wounded, it would also be the moment the man in blue would deliver his next attack.
"I remembered." Feng Xiao suddenly said.
Then his figure vanished right in front of the man in blue.
Those chains were met with thin air.
The man in blue was shocked, as he found it difficult to believe.
How could this be?
All of a sudden, his plans were in a mess.
Behind his neck, suddenly, a huge killing intent swept over him.
Not good!
Feng Xiao was not a supernatural being, so naturally it was impossible for him to disappear. The method that he used, had been illusion. However, it was merely just the most commonly used illusion technique from the Higashi Ninjutsu to deceive others. It made use of the human's natural vision and the ambit of how far the eye can see, to create a deception.
Although it was not strangr once the secret was laid out, but the man in blue really did fell for it for one spilt of a second, and the attack which he had poured all his efforts and strength into had gone to waste.
His reflexes were quick, as he scraped against the ground with his feet and turned around, he thrust his long chains out!
However, when top martial artists crossed swords, every second counted, for the tides would change, and in the blink of an eye, strength and opportunities would go to waste. He had lost his chance so he was expectant that he had also stimutaneously gave his opponent a chance.
Feng Xiao's palm collided with his back.
The man in blue spat out a mouthful of blood, lending the strength of the attack, he flew forward to avoid the subsequent attack that the other would give.
"Without Cui Buqu to remind me, in the beginning, I really could not guess who you were." Feng Xiao did not continue to attack mercilessly and continuously, he instead paused, and walked with a grace as if he was sauntering a large manor's garden. Feng Xiao beckoned the man in blue to come closer to him with the back of his hand.
With every step he took, it looked completely normal, yet it brought a sense of mysteriousness and foreboding. In the blink of an eye, he has moved a great distance, and with how the man in blue ran forward previously, the distance of both men were neither near nor far from each other.
"Although your weapon was special, but it was obvious your moves were similar to Qin Miaoyu and Su Xing, only that they have not learned to utlize them the way you do, and their inner strength are not as strong as yours that you could fight a draw with me. I suppose, you are the nephew of the Sect Leader of Fuyu Sect, are you not?"
The man in blue did not admit to that, yet he did not deny it either. He knew that it was even more difficult for him to kill Feng Xiao now, but that was his only goal today, so if he was unable to take Feng Xiao's life, then it was not considered an achievement.
As he plotted in his heart, his figure leaped from the tree in front of him, using the momentum to spin his body across the air, his chains spinning wildly around him as they wrapped themselves around Feng Xiao's wrist and his leg aimed a kick to Feng Xiao's knee.
Jin Lian's gaze swept across the scene, and she saw the shoe of the man in blue divulge something sharp, so she yelled in a loud voice, "Becareful of his shoes!"
As those words came out, it was already too late. That hidden knife in his boot, which was most certainly dipped with poison, has already stained Feng Xiao's robes. It would pierce into his flesh. There was no need for Jin Lian to think more, she knew that once the poison came into contact with blood, it would spread to its victim's heart and caused him heart failure.
But at that moment, a few men in black came with a huge killing intent, holding a few long swords as they flew towards her. Jin Lian reluctantly has to avoid it before turning back to look in Feng Xiao's direction.
When she looked back again, her heart stopped for a moment!
She only saw Feng Xiao's body fell backwards, as if he was put down by the poisoned knife.
Jin Lian let out a frustrated cry. She stopped caring for the men in black behind her, lunging herself in Feng Xiao's direction without a second thought.
Because she knew that if Feng Xiao died, then everything would be over. There would be no hope in saving Cui Buqu or reclaim their name and honour. And all three of them would also die here.
Qiao Xian's thoughts reached the same conclusion as hers, so both of them flew towards Feng Xiao's direction together, yet they watched as the one whose body should be on the ground down suddnely picked himself back up and pulled a soft sword from his waist. It was soft like waves, yet tough like metal, shoving through the man in blue's chest!
He killed him with a single strike!
The Sect Leader of the Fuyu Sect, Gao Yun, would never have thought that this mission, where he was absolutely confident that victory was in his grasp, would have become the very mission that claimed his life.
His eyes were widen open, yielding a look of disbelief, before he stopped moving, pinning his deadly gaze on Feng Xiao.
The sword pierced his body and even pierced through a tree trunk not far off.
Qiao Xian's reflexes were quick, she immediately pulled out the soft sword before casting it back to Feng Xiao. The latter did not turn his back, his arm raised and caught it with a perfect motion, before he lunged himself at the group of people in black that were in chaos, and like a wolf pouncing onto its prey, in the blink of an eye he has cut down the heads of a few of them.
Those men in black were all doomed soldiers. Once they saw that the tides have turned, they have no choice but to die here as well. However, there are some who valued their lives and tried to escape, but they were all taken down by Jin Lian and Qiao Xian.
"Leave a few of them alive, gag them!" Feng Xiao walked freely among the men in black as if there was no one in the venue.
He managed to say it in time, and Qiao Xian also managed to act in time. She immediately gaged the mouth of two men to prevent them from swallowing the poisoned pill in their teeth.
"We will take care of everything here. Go save the Commander quickly!" Qiao Xian said urgently.
She was able to recall who the Sect Leader of the Fuyu Sect was. Even someone like him would come all the way here on his own, then whoever had the caliber to order him, would naturally be someone who held a higher degree of authority and power. In that case, Cui Buqu's situation would have been even more dangerous.
Feng Xiao laughed a good-natured laugh, "Are you not afraid that I would bully your Commander? At this moment you would usually ravish the chance to rescue him instead. How am I your match?"
Qiao Xian gritted her teeth, she would give everything in the world to bite down Feng Xiao's head in that moment.
"I beg Commander Feng to save my Commander. I am willing to do anything to repay you!"
"There is no need. I have no interest in seeing someone's stepmother sulking in front of me everyday. Think about it, at this moment your Commander is probably being tortured, he might have even be already half dead. At this time, the most he needed is for others to rescue him at the deepest, darkest moment of his life, only can the deed be effective. Don't you think so?"
Qiao Xian was so mad that she practically burst in anger. In the end, this person was simply trying to get attention, refusing to act unless there was enough benefits for himself. She knew that the Jiejian Bureau and the Zuoyue Bureau were never allies, so how could she have depended on Feng Xiao? She should have convinced Cui Buqu to brought Zhangsun Bodhi along with them instead!
She stomped on her fury, not willing to say anything more, before rushing into the direction of Cui Buqu's yurt on her own. However, she hadn't taken much steps before feeling something brimming in her chest, because her inner strength was flowing unevenly in her body, so she immediately fell to the ground, blood flowing down the corner of her lips, and was temporarily unable to move.
Feng Xiao smiled, "In the end, I am still the one to act. Cui Buqu ah Cui Buqu, you owe me your life once again, what are you going to give me in return?"
Qiao Xian spoke hatefully in her heart: You damned dreamer!
Feng Xiao laughed a good-natured laugh as he rose from among the men in black robes and leaped into the air, heading into the direction of the King's yurt. After a few leaps into the distance, his figure gradually dimished into a black dot.
Qiao Xian forced herself to sit up, looking towards the same direction, and saw two figures tore open the yurt as they rose up into the air.
One of them was naturally Feng Xiao.
As for the other...
"Khan?!" Jin Lian shouted.Under broad daylight, before everyone's eyes, they have all seen themselves that the aging, old Khan Apa, was fighting with a qinggong that has achieved an unfathomable level, a level that could leap into the stars and pluck the moon from the sky.