Chapter 85: Tacit Understanding

When Pei Ye rode his horse to the foot of the city, the huge yellow dust was like a monster baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, slowly lunging toward the city wall.

On the stage paved by yellow dust, two figures were fighting in close quarters, drawing blood with every strike.

It was hard to imagine that this was a battle conducted at the Heavenly Tower realm; it was so plain and unadorned. But if one really looked closely, one would immediately understand that this was absolutely not an exchange that the Mystic Gate realm could intervene in.

Pei Ye looked at the sword light that appeared and disappeared, and suddenly understood the meaning of the old man's words "come to watch the sword."

Earlier today, while resting at the County Magistrate's Office, Pei Ye had exhausted his vocabulary to describe to the old man the excitement, shock, and obsession that Ming Qitian's sword had brought him last night.

Since he started touching the sword, even when he first saw 【Cloud Sky Obscuring the Feather Loss】 flowing from his own hands, he had never had such an experience.

The old man just hummed and said nothing.

Now he understood that the old man was on an entirely different path.

Pei Ye naturally hadn't faced the Immortal Lord head-on, but last night he had witnessed the exchange between Him and Ming Qitian from the Immortal Lord's perspective.

He still remembered Ming Qitian's response vividly—thousands of sword techniques were used at will in her hands. Some sword techniques were already amazing, and some were amazing because they were in her hands. He doubted whether he could see so many sword techniques in his life.

At that time, he didn't pay much attention to "his own" movements. Later, thinking back, the Immortal Lord didn't have any high-level moves. He used the most primitive means—fists, palms, claws, stabs, combined with frost fire—always able to hit the weakest point of Ming Qitian accurately, responding to Ming Qitian's sword moves in such a silent way.

Or conversely, facing the Immortal Lord's normal attacks, Ming Qitian had to use incomparably broad and vast sword techniques to resolve them.

And now it was Yue Muzhou's turn to face it, but he adopted... the exact same means as the Immortal Lord, using spear against spear.

Pei Ye naturally didn't know that this transcendent sensitivity and instinct for combat was precisely what Yue Muzhou had honed in countless fights since stepping into the Jianghu, relying on it to surpass countless enemies, cross countless perilous realms, and finally enter the Crane List—the so-called "Naked Heart Seeing the Blade."

And now, it was also the first time Yue Muzhou had met his match.

Pei Ye dismounted and ran toward the city tower. However, as his gaze rose, he saw a figure in white walking on the steps, already reaching the top.

Although the white clothes were no longer clean, Pei Ye recognized the posture at a glance.

Ming Qitian? Why was she... still walking up the steps?

Pei Ye's thoughts were on her when the black cat beside him suddenly said: "Let's break the contract."

Pei Ye's eyes widened for a moment: "You really want to go find her?"

The black cat was stunned, then saw the figure in white on the city wall, and looked at him angrily: "What does it have to do with her? I want to find an opportunity to join the battle, and I'm afraid of implicating you."

"You join the battle?" Pei Ye grabbed it by the neck and lifted it up, looking at this small cat that wasn't much bigger than his palm.

The emerald eyes looked back at him coldly.

"Fine, even if you join the battle, you don't have to break the contract. With this contract, can't you absorb Mystic Qi from Heaven and Earth?" Pei Ye said.

"That's just a tiny boost in this battle," the black cat said, looking at him with emerald eyes, calmly. "I'm serious, Pei Ye, you can already stop here. Killing the Taiyi True Dragon Immortal Lord was the goal I had to achieve by any means necessary from beginning to end, and you care more about Bowang Prefecture, Fenghuai, and a young girl on the road, don't you? You should also care about your own life—you don't even have internal energy."

"..."

"You should just stay here and watch, or I suggest you ride your horse out of the city and leave here," the black cat extended a plum-blossom paw. "Come on, the next thing has nothing to do with you again."

Pei Ye looked at it in disbelief.

"What's wrong?"

"What kind of bullshit are you talking? My grandfather is still in the sky!"

"..."

"Are you sure you don't want to break the contract? I might really die this time."

"No need," Pei Ye walked quickly. "I'll do what I can."

"The fact is, you might not be able to do anything." The black cat lay down gently on the youth's outstretched arm—not knowing if this laziness was its nature or an unavoidable influence after becoming a cat.

"Wait, no," the black cat suddenly turned its head to look at him. "You... seem to be really a bit useful."

"Is that so? What should I do?" Pei Ye lowered his head.

The black cat was silent.

After a good while, it turned its head and said: "Do you think... we have tacit understanding?"

Pei Ye was stunned for a moment.

In fact, this question appearing between an Immortal Hunter and a Contractor was very strange. They should be the most trusted partners, entrusting their lives to each other, naturally having tacit understanding.

But Pei Ye and the Black Dragon were different. Their contract came from mutual help in a predicament; they were just fellow travelers on a journey, not fellow travelers with the same goal.

And more importantly, the Black Dragon was too special. It wasn't as ignorant and young as a normal Immortal Hunter descending to the world, having natural trust and affection for the person it contracted with. It was a complete soul, with already formed likes, dislikes, and personality, and its own goal that it was determined to pursue.

"I think..." Pei Ye hesitated, "not really before..."

"Correct," the black cat said. "But now, shall we try to believe in this tacit understanding once?"

"..."

"Good."

"Then, let's start from now." The black cat looked at him deeply.

Pei Ye nodded, puzzled: "Then, you haven't told me what I should do yet?"

"Tacit understanding." The black cat's voice was as calm and low as ever.

"..."

Pei Ye didn't expect to hear this kind of ambiguous riddle from it again after so many days. Looking at the swaying tail and buttocks, he gritted his teeth and raised his hand, wanting to slap it.

But he tried twice and didn't dare.

But this time the black cat was indeed more considerate. It explained without turning its head: "It really can't be said; if it's said, it won't work."

"Fine."

The two walked up the city tower. Ming Qitian was standing on it, looking at the battle in the distance with a solemn expression, her sword in her hand.

Pei Ye hadn't reacted yet when the black cat, which had just "had no such intention," had already leaped onto Ming Qitian's sword hilt.

Ming Qitian turned her head, first nodded to greet Pei Ye, then lowered her head and reached out to lift it up: "What's the matter?"

The black cat looked down at the sword hilt under its feet: "Can it still work?"

Zhanxin Liuli vibrated.

"It can still hold on for a bit, but it's also very reluctant," Ming Qitian sighed lightly. "I'm thinking about how to make good use of this last sword strike. Do you have any method?"

"I can cooperate with you," the black cat said, then turned its head to look at Pei Ye. "You stand further away, don't listen."

"?" Pei Ye was baffled and walked further away.