Chapter 1250: Feint East, Strike West (Part II)

Xia Zhangming said: "I will handle support from the air; when you need to leave, just send me a signal."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "Don't worry, we'll solve the problem soon." He rode the flying eagle to below Yan Tianlu, letting Yan Tianlu jump down; the flying eagle's sturdy physique could bear their two weights; the Snow Eagle, because its feather color is too conspicuous, if flying too low easily exposes the target, whereas the flying eagle is not like that, its feather color almost blends with the night, not easily detected by the opponent.

Xia Zhangming added: "Then I wish you both victory right from the start!"

After the flying eagle picked up Yan Tianlu, it swiftly dove downward; the buildings of Heavenly Star Manor rapidly enlarged; when they were about ten zhang above the ground, Hu Xiaotian whispered: "Jump down!"

Yan Tianlu nodded and together with Hu Xiaotian leapt from the flying eagle's back; the eagle immediately performed a lightning-fast climb, flying toward the night sky as dark as black velvet, pursuing the two streaks of white light like meteors in the high sky.

Hu Xiaotian employed the Art of Soaring, gliding diagonally downward, heading straight for the unlit northwest corner of Heavenly Star Manor; he spread his arms like a hawk gliding in the dark night; Yan Tianlu's landing method was completely different, his body tumbling continuously in midair, appearing like a spinning black ball; just before hitting the ground, Yan Tianlu punched outward in midair, this strike hit the weed-covered slope, using the recoil's air wave to buffer his falling speed, his body lifted upward over a zhang, then slowly landed on the ground.

Looking again, Hu Xiaotian was just above his head, gliding like a bird, landing lightly like a withered leaf; Yan Tianlu secretly praised, solely in terms of lightness skill, Hu Xiaotian undoubtedly surpassed him by far.

After they landed, they met up. Yan Tianlu used voice transmission: "I'll deal with the outside; you go destroy his place where he concocts poison."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "There are many people outside; can you handle it, old sir?"

Yan Tianlu took off the Profound Iron Gauntlets from his waist and put them on, full of confidence: "I'll slaughter this bunch of bandits."

Hu Xiaotian pointed to his face; Yan Tianlu then took out a bronze mask from his pouch and put it on; this mask not only conceals his true appearance but also protects his face. Although not as exquisite as a human-skin mask, it wins in practicality.

Hu Xiaotian clasped his fist toward him.

Yan Tianlu said: "After I kill and set fire, I'll go to the cave entrance to wait for you to meet up."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Good!"

Yan Tianlu had already strode toward the place where lights flickered.

Hu Xiaotian saw him leave, immediately employed Tendon Changing Bone Shifting; in a short time his tall, upright body turned into a hunchbacked, pigeon-chested ragdoll; he removed the mask, using change of appearance to alter his looks. Now he had completely become another person; unless seen in person, no one would connect his current self with the one just before. Finally he took out his specially made Crystal Wind Mirror from his pouch and put it on, then quickly walked toward the earthen cave where Beize Lao Guai concocted poison.

Hu Xiaotian had not yet reached the cave when he heard distant wails; Yan Tianlu had already opened a killing spree; he and Hu Xiaotian were one light, one dark today; Yan Tianlu intended to create noise to draw out the guardians left in Heavenly Star Manor.

The cave was right ahead. Hu Xiaotian drew the Against the Wind from his waist, seeing more than a dozen people rush out of the cave one after another. Obviously they had heard the commotion and come to assist; after those ten-plus left, Hu Xiaotian was certain no one else would appear, so he emerged from darkness and charged toward the cave mouth.

At the cave entrance, the two Variegated Sect disciples guarding the door only saw a black shadow flash before them. Before they could make out what it was, Hu Xiaotian had already raised his blade and brought it down; the Wind-Slicing Blade swept horizontally across their necks, their heads flew sideways, blood gushed like a fountain from the severed cavities.

Hu Xiaotian's steps did not pause as he rushed into the cave; at the instant he entered, he saw three characters written above the cave mouth: Entwined Cave.

Hu Xiaotian secretly wondered: how could this earthen cave have such a strange name? Could Beize Lao Guai have hidden a beauty inside?

Inside the Entwined Cave it was extremely spacious, with torches placed every five zhang on the cave walls, lighting the whole interior brightly. Hu Xiaotian had walked over twenty zhang when he saw more than ten Variegated Sect disciples rush forward; several simultaneously spotted his trace, and one shouted loudly: "Who are you? Dare to intrude Heavenly Star Manor!"

Hu Xiaotian said nothing, tapped his toe and darted into their ranks with lightning speed; his Wind-Slicing Blade flashed repeatedly, and in an instant another six were separated head from body. Seeing his ferocity, the surviving few panicked and retreated backward, shouting for help as they withdrew; two Variegated Sect disciples raised their crossbows and fired volley after volley at Hu Xiaotian; their bolts were all poisoned, and as soon as they left the bow they filled the air with a foul stench.

Hu Xiaotian dared not be careless; he swung his Wind-Slicing Blade up and down, knocking all the poisonous arrows aimed at him aside; he leapt into the air, planted his right foot on the cave wall, then unleashed a midair slash; the blade's qi detached from the blade and flew out, a two-zhang-long cold light sliced straight across the waists of three men; three soft puffs sounded, and the three were severed at the waist by the substantial yet invisible blade qi.

The remaining three Variegated Sect disciples fled desperately inward; Hu Xiaotian followed closely, raising his blade to stab, but then heard a relentless buzzing ahead; looking up, he saw a black mass of hornets flying out of the cave; he hurriedly protected himself with his blade's light.

Although the countless hornets were fierce, they could not breach Hu Xiaotian's blade shield; once they entered the radius of his blade's qi radiation, they were instantly shattered into powder; Hu Xiaotian suffered no injury, but his advance slowed considerably.

After advancing another ten-plus zhang, the hornets thinned; Hu Xiaotian saw a man in blue robes appear ahead—this man was none other than Lu Qingyuan, who had once been the sixth chief of Python Flood Island. Hu Xiaotian previously did not know Lu Qingyuan had any connection to the Variegated Sect, but since he appeared here, he must almost certainly be a disciple of Beize Lao Guai.

Lu Qingyuan gazed at Hu Xiaotian, his expression showing some confusion, and said coldly: "Who are you? Do you not know what Heavenly Star Manor is? Do you intend to oppose our Variegated Sect?"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "Variegated Sect? Sounds impressive, but I've never heard of it before. Lu Qingyuan, what's your relationship with Beize Lao Guai?"

Lu Qingyuan, hearing his name spoken outright, was startled, nodded, and asked: "May I dare ask your exalted surname and name?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "What use is telling a dying man?" He swung his blade, cleaving a hornet that tried to sneak attack him; his inner breath surged rapidly in his Dantian Qi Sea, and killing intent spread throughout his body.

Lu Qingyuan nodded, then suddenly shook his hands, shooting out two pellets; before they could hit Hu Xiaotian, they exploded midair with a pop, pink smoke quickly spreading. Hu Xiaotian had already held his breath before entering the Entwined Cave; he knew the Variegated Sect's methods, fearing the unlikely despite his possible immunity to all poisons—if he were careless, he might end up in trouble.

Hu Xiaotian had long learned from his grandfather the art of feigning death breath control; he could hold his breath underwater for extended periods; having prepared thoroughly before coming to exterminate the Variegated Sect, the Crystal Wind Mirror he wore on his face was precisely to prevent the enemy's poison powder from damaging his eyes.

While Lu Qingyuan fired the poison gas pellets and retreated, a figure burst sideways through the pink toxic mist—this was Hu Xiaotian, utterly unaffected by the poison mist, pressing forward to confront Lu Qingyuan.

Lu Qingyuan inwardly startled, he seized a black pellet and hurled it forcefully onto the ground; with a bang, it exploded instantly, sparks flying, the ground ignited, and between Lu Qingyuan and Hu Xiaotian a three-zhang-long wall of fire arose, the flames a lurid green, spreading with astonishing speed; all cave walls within three zhang were burning, leaving only a central opening three chi in diameter untouched.

Hu Xiaotian had no choice but to stop.

Lu Qingyuan, opposite the flames, sneered: "You dare to storm Heavenly Star Manor? I think you're tired of living!" As he spoke, his crossbow fired in unison, bolts continuously shooting toward Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian waved his Wind-Slicing Blade repeatedly, striking down the opponent's covert arrows; he had thought the fire would quickly dwindle, but instead the lurid green flames showed no sign of weakening, only growing fiercer; now the central opening was only two chi in diameter, not yet sealed by fire.

Hu Xiaotian silently thought: "Not good." If this continued, he'd be blocked outside, unable to kill Lu Qingyuan, and even his plan to destroy Beize Lao Guai's poison lair would fail.

Hu Xiaotian stepped back several paces, fixing his gaze on the center of the green fire ring, seeing Lu Qingyuan's smug smile; Lu Qingyuan assumed Hu Xiaotian would most likely retreat when facing difficulty, but instead discovered that after withdrawing a distance, Hu Xiaotian advanced again toward him.

Hu Xiaotian leapt into the air, his Wind-Slicing Blade thrusting straight ahead; his body spun like a top, the invisible blade qi forming an intangible vortex; the green toxic flames were flung outward by the vortex's centrifugal force, the central gap instantly widening; Hu Xiaotian united blade and self, his whole body becoming like a fired arrow, shooting through the fire wall at astonishing speed straight for Lu Qingyuan.

Lu Qingyuan panicked and shot more than ten crossbow bolts, but all were struck down by Hu Xiaotian's blade and fell to the ground; seeing the fire wall could no longer block Hu Xiaotian's advance, he grabbed a subordinate and hurled him at the oncoming Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian burst out of the fire ring, swung his blade and cleaved the man thrown at him in half at the waist; the corpse split in midair, and what astonished Hu Xiaotian was that no blood flowed from the wound; from the man's innards crawled out black, chestnut-sized insects, which in an instant covered the ground. (To be continued~^~)