Chapter 92: Can't Be Shaken Off

Hearing this, Zhang He’s eyes flickered, and he instinctively cast a questioning glance toward Han Meiyan.

Han Meiyan gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head, then turned to Li Muxian, offering a pure, elegant smile, and said softly:

“Young Master, rest assured—I shall do my humble part to guide you out of this water maze.”

As she spoke, she bowed slightly, then signaled Zhang He to propel the wooden boat toward the mist-shrouded depths of the cave ahead.

Li Yuanling, who had watched this scene, felt nothing amiss and immediately used her martial qi to propel her own boat, following behind Han Meiyan and Zhang He.

At that moment, Li Muxian suddenly asked:

“Sister, do you think that woman ahead is more beautiful, or are you more beautiful?”

Li Yuanling’s delicate brows furrowed; after a moment’s hesitation, she looked at Li Muxian and said:

“Can’t we just both be equally beautiful?”

Hearing this, Li Muxian stroked his chin, gazing at the backs of Han Meiyan and Zhang He on the ahead boat, his expression thoughtful.

Though Han Meiyan’s seduction arts had no effect on him, Li Yuanling’s reaction revealed something telling: for a Great Li princess to abandon her feminine rivalry and praise a stranger’s beauty, the woman’s seduction must be extraordinary.

Moreover, Li Muxian could plainly see that Han Meiyan’s martial cultivation was no weakling’s.

Two demonic cultivators arriving at Floating Boat City could hardly be here without ulterior motives—perhaps they too sought the divine artifact that enhances martial cultivation.

If so, letting them lead the way would save him considerable trouble.

Meanwhile, on the ahead boat, Han Meiyan and Zhang He propelled their vessel forward while transmitting qi-threaded whispers to each other.

“Why didn’t the Holy Maiden continue your attack?”

“This Eighth Prince is no ordinary man. My Smoke Gaze and Seductive Glance have no effect on him—and there’s something deeply odd about him.”

With her back to Li Muxian’s boat, Han Meiyan’s expression suddenly turned grave.

“You must have noticed—he appears to have no qi fluctuations at all, no martial qi shielding his body, yet the mist and toxins around him affect him not at all.”

Zhang He frowned in thought, then nodded:

“Perhaps he swallowed an Anti-Toxin Pill—but to remain unmoved by the Holy Maiden’s enchantment? That’s truly baffling.”

“Also, there must be martial experts guarding them nearby—we truly cannot act rashly.”

Yet Han Meiyan shook her head, her eyes flickering uncertainly.

“You don’t understand. My Six Desires Sacred Scripture has unique properties—it can sense hidden dangers beyond perception and warn me.”

“Just now, when I met his gaze, for a single instant, an inexplicable fear arose in my heart.”

Hearing this, Zhang He’s expression changed, and he instinctively turned to look back at Li Muxian—but Han Meiyan stopped him.

“Don’t turn around. I now suspect there may be no protectors behind them at all—the true expert has always been this Eighth Prince himself.”

At these words, Zhang He’s eyes widened with shock.

“But he’s only a prince exiled among commoners for twenty years—and still so young. Could he truly possess such formidable martial cultivation?”

Han Meiyan said nothing, only nodded gravely.

“Even if there’s only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, we cannot afford to be careless.”

Then she gave a solemn warning:

“When the chance arises, find a way to break their line of sight. Our goal is the Qilin Blood—we cannot afford to have an unknown expert trailing us.”

At this moment, Han Meiyan already regretted her earlier move against Li Muxian.

She had suspected he had protectors, but confident in her “Smoke Gaze and Seductive Glance,” she believed she could seize the Eighth Prince even under the watch of a hidden expert.

What she hadn’t expected was that the true expert might be Li Muxian himself—she had kicked a steel plate, and now dared not even attempt to sway him again.

Hearing this, Zhang He’s expression shifted, then he gave a firm nod.

Han Meiyan was not speaking without reason—he too now felt a sudden chill at his back.

From then on, Han Meiyan and Zhang He silently propelled their boat through the mist.

The underground cave ahead branched in every direction, waterways crisscrossing; the deeper they went, the more disorienting the labyrinth became.

Han Meiyan and Zhang He constantly analyzed the emerging cave passages, searching for the path to their destination.

Suddenly, Han Meiyan’s expression changed, and she whispered to Zhang He:

“Ahead is our chance—accelerate and take the left-front waterway; use it to break their line of sight.”

The water ahead suddenly narrowed, and a sharp bend lay just ahead—if they surged forward now, they could vanish into the blind spot and lose Li Muxian and Li Yuanling.

Zhang He nodded without a word.

As their boat passed the bend and briefly vanished from Li Yuanling’s view, both released their martial qi at once, propelling the boat with startling speed, slicing through the water and vanishing into the mist at the fork ahead.

At the same time, Han Meiyan spun and struck with both palms—one palm stirred a gale, ruffling the water in another cave passage, while the other smoothed the ripples behind them.

Not long after, Li Yuanling finally reached the bend.

She gazed blankly ahead—the mist hid Han Meiyan and Zhang He’s boat entirely.

But her mind quickly turned, and she bent down to examine the water’s surface.

Just as her eyes brightened and she prepared to steer toward one of the cave passages, Li Muxian gently tapped her head and pointed elsewhere.

“Go this way.”

Li Yuanling paused, about to protest—but Li Muxian glanced at her.

“My martial cultivation is taller than a ten-story tower. Don’t you trust me?”

Hearing this, Li Yuanling opened her mouth, then closed it, pouting silently as she followed his direction.

“How did they catch up?”

Soon, Zhang He, who had believed they’d lost Li Muxian and Li Yuanling, spotted the boat slowly reappearing behind them—and his face paled.

Han Meiyan cast a barely noticeable glance backward, saw Li Muxian now calmly meditating, hesitated, then whispered:

“Keep trying to lose them. No matter what, we cannot let them follow any longer.”

Zhang He nodded.

From then on, every opportunity they found, they pushed their boats to the limit, attempting to shake off Li Muxian and Li Yuanling.

Yet each time they thought they’d succeeded, the other boat would drift lazily back into view—like a stubborn patch of glue, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t shake them off!

(End of Chapter)