Chapter 1183

Tang Jingyu closed in like a ghost, raised his white jade bow, and shot an arrow at Yan Nujiao's heart-back; at this life-and-death juncture he showed no mercy. Though he had come intending to capture the Yan siblings alive, Hu Xiaotian's appearance forced him to change his plan on the spot, and he lacked confidence to take both siblings away.

Yan Nujiao was struck squarely in the heart‑back by the arrow, cried out, and her body lunged forward to the ground.

Seeing his sister struck, Yan Boguang's eyes nearly burst with shock as he cried, "Sister—" before he could finish, Tang Jingyu appeared behind him, sealed his pressure points, and pinned him under his arm.

Hu Xiaotian heard Yan Nujiao's startled cry, his heart leapt to his throat; he waved his soft sword wildly, slashing at the surroundings, felling several crystal pillars in succession. Tang Jingyu heard the booming crash of the falling crystal pillars and was instantly alarmed. He had originally wanted to carry off Yan Nujiao's corpse, but fearing that Hu Xiaotian might blunder into him and get killed, he realized he would likely be no match for Hu Xiaotian, so while Hu Xiaotian had not yet arrived, Tang Jingyu hastily took Yan Boguang and fled.

Hu Xiaotian knocked down several crystal pillars in a row, yet still could not see anyone else; just as he was burning with anxiety, he heard a faint breath say, "Master, I… I'm all right…"

Upon hearing Yan Nujiao's voice, Hu Xiaotian realized she was still alive, but worried that Tang Jingyu had not yet left, he warned, "Be careful."

Although Yan Nujiao had just been struck in the heart‑back by Tang Jingyu's arrow, she wore a protective treasure armor; the arrow did not pierce it, but the internal force within the arrowhead shook her meridians, causing pain that pierced to the marrow. Though she had not fainted, she knew she lacked the strength to rescue her second brother and could only watch helplessly as Tang Jingyu abducted him. Only after being certain Tang Jingyu had left did she grit her teeth and climb to her feet.

Tang Jingyu's decisive shot at Yan Nujiao was actually intended to kill two birds with one stone: after her death, Hu Xiaotian alone would lack the ability to escape this labyrinth, and no matter how skilled his martial arts, he would likely be trapped to death inside.

Yan Nujiao struggled to find Hu Xiaotian; although the distance was less than ten zhang, it had already exhausted more than half of her strength.

Hu Xiaotian saw her finally appear, delighted he rushed forward, but before he could get close, Yan Nujiao spat out a mouthful of blood, her delicate frame swayed and she collapsed toward the ground; Hu Xiaotian hastily extended his arm to embrace her fragrant shoulders, asking anxiously, "Miss Yan, are you injured?"

Yan Nujiao shook her head weakly and said, "Let me go…"

Hu Xiaotian knew that if he let her go she would surely collapse right away, so he said softly, "Let me help you sit down first." Seeing blood staining the corner of her lips, he raised his sleeve to wipe it clean. Yan Nujiao turned her pretty face to one side, then turned it back, fixed her gaze on his eyes, and asked, "You… who exactly are you?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I am Wang Sanxi!"

Yan Nujiao said, "You needn't lie to me; I know who you are!" Her emerald‑like eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian, and she had already determined his true identity in her heart.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "No matter who I am, I bear you no ill will."

Yan Nujiao said, "My second brother has been seized by him. Let's hurry to rescue him!"

Hu Xiaotian then produced a Soul‑Returning Pill for Yan Nujiao to take; before she could swallow it, she felt a surge of boiling blood and spat out another mouthful of blood—Tang Jingyu's arrow truly packed a formidable punch.

Hu Xiaotian produced another pill and handed it to Yan Nujiao, comforting her, "Don't worry; Tang Jingyu is likely only interested in abducting people, and for now he probably won't harm your second brother." If Tang Jingyu intended to kill them, he would have done so already; there's no reason he'd bother taking the troublesome Yan Boguang along.

Yan Nujiao caught her breath, insisted on moving forward, but after a single step her gait was obviously labored. Hu Xiaotian said, "Let me carry you on my back!"

Yan Nujiao bit her cherry lips and shook her head firmly.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Or I could hold you in my arms? Miss Yan, I truly don't mean to take advantage of you; given your condition, if we wait until we get out, your second brother may already be in danger."

Yan Nujiao said, "Who exactly are you?"

Hu Xiaotian really felt a mix of laughter and tears; at such a moment, she still preoccupied herself with this question, and he chuckled, "You've already guessed, haven't you? Why keep asking?"

Yan Nujiao insisted, "Take off your mask."

Hu Xiaotian helplessly shook his head, turned away, then turned back, having restored his original appearance. Seeing his true face, Yan Nujiao realized she had guessed correctly; her heart raced, her qi and blood surged, her chest ached, and she hastily covered her chest, her brows furrowing slightly.

Hu Xiaotian silently thought, "Even if I'm handsome, there's no need for her to be this worked up!" Yet he understood, after all, he was the first man in Yan Nujiao's life—indeed, the only one—and it's natural for a young woman to be excited.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Shall I carry you on my back?"

Yan Nujiao lowered her head, clearly acquiescing; having confirmed that the person before her was Hu Xiaotian, she would not say no even to being held, let alone carried on his back.

Hu Xiaotian hoisted Yan Nujiao onto his back, gazed ahead at the crystal forest, and felt a headache; in any case, he knew he couldn't get out.

From Hu Xiaotian's shoulder, Yan Nujiao whispered, "Go to the right… this… is a formation…"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I knew it was a formation; too bad I don't understand it."

Yan Nujiao said, "Just follow my directions and move forward."

Hu Xiaotian praised, "I've discovered you are truly ice‑snow clever, beautiful outside and wise within; not only do you know detoxification, but you also understand formations."

Yan Nujiao whispered, "Is there anyone in this world smarter than you?" A young lady's thoughts are delicate; she secretly mused that even if what you said were true, in the end she would still have fallen into your trap and boarded your pirate ship. Actually, the karmic bond between her and Hu Xiaotian is hardly his fault—back then she sought to save her brother and thus actively asked him to do this. Yan Nujiao had thought she could take things up and put them down at will, yet afterward she found herself unable to forget Hu Xiaotian, something she never anticipated. When she reunited with Hu Xiaotian on the Serpent‑Dragon Isle, her heart surged with an indescribable joy, and she felt her pain ease considerably.

Hu Xiaotian said, "You siblings should be staying peacefully in Xichuan; how did you end up crossing the entire Central Plains to reach Serpent‑Dragon Isle?"

Yan Nujiao said, "I haven't even asked you yet, and you're the one questioning me."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Is Yan Tianlu really your uncle?"

Yan Nujiao nodded and said, "Yes!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Then you must be a prefectural princess of Bohai State."

Yan Nujiao secretly thought, "He seems to know quite a lot, but that's not acceptable—I don't even know his true purpose for coming to Serpent‑Dragon Isle, and I cannot let my feelings for him make me overlook the most important matter: whether he is friend or foe."

From Yan Nujiao's silence, Hu Xiaotian already guessed what she was thinking; he smiled and said, "You needn't be so wary—we're in the same boat now, and even if I were to harm the world, I would not harm you."

Yan Nujiao whispered, "That's not necessarily true! Ah!"

Hu Xiaotian deliberately loosened his grip, making Yan Nujiao scream in fright, but immediately his warm, strong hands seized her legs again, his contact point unintentionally shifting slightly upward; her cheeks flushed, she bit her cherry lips—had anyone else done this, she would not have tolerated it, but with Hu Xiaotian it was different.

Hu Xiaotian said, "What exactly is the grudge between your uncle and the Falling Cherry Palace?"

Yan Nujiao said, "I'm not sure; I've never met that person before, nor have I ever heard of any grudge between my father, my uncle, and the Falling Cherry Palace."

"That's strange," Hu Xiaotian said, "I don't know what Tang Jingyu's true aim is in attacking you." Yet in his heart he was certain that Tang Jingyu intended to use the Yan siblings as leverage against Yan Tianlu, or perhaps to threaten Yan Kui as well.

The Crystal Palace does not have only one entrance; after Tang Jingyu had people seal the main entrance, he took Yan Boguang out through another cave mouth, and as he left he did not forget to fire an exploding arrow. The exploding arrow shattered the crystal on the cave ceiling, sealing the exit. Tang Jingyu personally saw his arrow strike Yan Nujiao's heart‑back and deemed her certainly dead. He thought that, even if she dies, Hu Xiaotian alone would be unable to break the formation and escape the maze he had set up—no matter how high that fellow's martial arts, his only fate would be to be trapped to death. Nevertheless, Tang Jingyu had considered everything and taken precautions; even if Hu Xiaotian stumbled out of the maze by chance and arrived here, he would still be unable to leave.

Yan Boguang was jolted awake by the blast, stared at the blocked cave mouth, recalled how his sister had just been shot dead by Tang Jingyu, and grief welled up in his heart as he wailed, "Tang Jingyu, our Tianlang Mountain and your Falling Cherry Palace have had no past grudges nor recent enmity—why do you harm us like this? By killing my sister, you have made the entire Tianlang Mountain your enemy, and the entire Serpent‑Dragon Isle your enemy."

Tang Jingyu snorted contemptuously, "What Tianlang Mountain? Just a bunch of bandits. The Yan family—one a pirate, the other a horse thief—these scourges of the world deserve to be exterminated by all."

In the distance, a group of people was rushing up the mountain.

Seeing the figures down the mountain, Yan Boguang thought he saw a savior and shouted loudly, "Save me! Save me!"

Tang Jingyu flung him to the ground, did not seal his mute point, merely covered his eyes with a black cloth, and then coldly watched as the group down the mountain gradually approached.

Of the forty‑plus people coming up from the mountain, the one marching in the middle of the troop was the master of Serpent‑Dragon Isle, Yan Tianlu, known as the Iron‑Backed Azure Dragon; he not only commanded tens of thousands of well‑trained pirates, but also cultivated an exterior‑hardening martial art that rendered blades and spears ineffective.

To Yan Tianlu's left stood the sixth chief, Lu Qingyuan; to his right walked the third chief, Qin Dongluo; behind them were the fourth chief, Jiang Xingquan, and the fifth chief, Luo Qianfu. Unless something major happened on the island, it was rare to see all five chiefs gathered together, and the second chief was presently not on the island.

Seeing the crowd approach, Tang Jingyu showed no trace of fear; he slowly lowered his white jade bow, drew it, nocked an arrow, and pointed the icy tip of the arrowhead at Yan Boguang's throat.

Yan Tianlu's party came to a stop ten zhang from Tang Jingyu; although they were numerous, they hesitated, for seeing Yan Boguang under Tang Jingyu's control, none dared to step forward rashly. (To be continued…~^~)