Chapter 859

Hu Xiaotian's body, suspended in midair, swiftly fell toward the courtyard.

The grey-clothed man gave chase, his right foot tapping the eaves; his body visibly contracted then swiftly extended, performing an astonishing ejection maneuver that doubled his downward speed. He raised his curved blade overhead with both hands, cleaving the wind and rain flying toward him, and a cold light wrapped in a strong gust surged toward Hu Xiaotian's crown, seeming to split him in two.

Hu Xiaotian merely made light contact with his soft sword against the opponent, then immediately retreated, using softness to overcome hardness; when facing an enemy, one must choose a fighting style according to the weapon in hand. Hu Xiaotian did not launch a head‑on clash at the outset; he lured his opponent underground to create enough opportunity for Huo Shengnan.

Huo Shengnan had already reached the eaves, drew her long bow, nocked a feathered arrow, the bowstring pulled tight, rain striking the arrowhead; the originally fierce cold gleam turned somewhat bleak. She fixed her gaze on the grey‑clothed man's back, whoosh! the arrow shot forth like chasing wind and lightning. Huo Shengnan was full of confidence in this shot—striking when unprepared, unexpected, and with the wind and rain masking the sound, the enemy would hardly notice the attack.

To Huo Shengnan's surprise, when the arrow was still about a chi away from the grey‑clothed man's back, his figure suddenly vanished into the rainy night.

Facing the grey‑clothed man, Hu Xiaotian felt a flash before his eyes and the opponent had already disappeared; before he could locate him, he saw the arrow Huo Shengnan had shot flying straight at his chest. He hurriedly slapped the arrow with his soft sword; the sword struck the shaft with a soft "pa!" sound. At the same time he pivoted on his left foot clockwise, the arrow brushed past his chest, its tip scraping a long mark across his front garment.

Huo Shengnan broke out in a cold sweat; such a thing had never happened to her before. Not only had she missed her target, she had nearly shot Hu Xiaotian—if he had not reacted in time, her arrow would have struck his heart.

The grey‑clothed man's specter then appeared ghost‑like behind Hu Xiaotian, his curved blade thrusting straight toward Hu Xiaotian's back.

Hu Xiaotian's right arm twisted impossibly in reverse. With his soft sword coiled like a distorted snake, it wrapped around the curved blade; as his body kept turning, the sword's spiral centrifugal force ensnared the blade and pulled it outward.

The grey‑clothed man obviously had not expected Hu Xiaotian's inner strength to be so formidable.

Having steadied her mind, Huo Shengnan locked onto the grey‑clothed man's throat and let fly an arrow that was swift and ruthless. This time she added extra caution to avoid accidentally wounding Hu Xiaotian.

At that moment the grey‑clothed man suddenly released the curved blade, and his body vanished again in a miracle. Huo Shengnan's arrow naturally missed, striking the corridor pillar with a "duo!" sound, embedding two cun deep, its tail trembling incessantly.

Hu Xiaotian shook his soft sword, and the curved blade discarded by the grey‑clothed man flew to the right, tracing an arc toward the flowerbed—when a hand suddenly reached out from mid‑air. It was the grey‑clothed man reappearing, who seized the blade in one grasp.

Both Hu Xiaotian and Huo Shengnan felt it utterly unbelievable; though the grey‑clothed man's martial arts were formidable, he could not possibly be a match for their combined forces, yet his movement was so swift that even Hu Xiaotian's eyes could not follow how he escaped.

After seizing the curved blade, the grey‑clothed man charged at Hu Xiaotian again. Hu Xiaotian snorted coldly, and his Spirit Snake Nine Swords surged forward like the great rivers Yangtze and Yellow—yet when the opponent had closed to about a chi away, his figure vanished once more.

Hu Xiaotian's thrust met empty air; turning around, he saw the grey‑clothed man's figure already on the eaves, heading straight for Huo Shengnan.

Huo Shengnan loosed arrow after arrow, but the grey‑clothed man's body twisted and shifted on the eaves, displaying the top‑tier lightness skill Phantom Shadow Shift. Although her arrow speed was not slow, the man's shifting speed was greater; every arrow struck only his afterimage, leaving him unscathed.

In an instant the grey‑clothed man stood before Huo Shengnan; a flash of blade light went toward her throat.

Huo Shengnan discarded her long bow, the dagger hidden in her right hand flicked outward to knock aside the grey‑clothed man's curved blade, then she stepped forward to close the distance, for only in close combat could the dagger's strengths be brought to bear.

At this moment Hu Xiaotian had also returned to the eaves; he shook his soft sword and launched another attack at the grey‑clothed man's back.

Caught between the two attackers, the grey‑clothed man showed no panic; seeing their strikes about to hit him, his body vanished again in a miracle. Hu Xiaotian and Huo Shengnan, now prepared, withdrew their hands in time, and saw the man's figure reappear about three zhang away.

Hu Xiaotian glared at the grey‑clothed man and said, "You sneaky rat, dare you face me in an open fight?"

The grey‑clothed man nodded and said, "Traitor to the Commander, villain who sells his lord for glory—someday I will cut off your head." After speaking, his figure faded once more; Hu Xiaotian looked around and next saw the grey‑clothed man's silhouette on the outer wall ten zhang away.

Hu Xiaotian and Huo Shengnan stared into the distance until they could no longer see the grey‑clothed man, then they leapt down from the roof back into the room.

The appearance of the grey‑clothed man weighed on Hu Xiaotian's mind; from the man's parting words it seemed he was a follower of Ji Feihua. The court now proclaims outwardly that he had feigned being a eunuch to infiltrate the palace in order to gather evidence against Ji Feihua, earning great merit in her removal. Though Hu Xiaotian had done nothing to offend Ji Feihua, this story has been widely spread, casting him as a great hero in her downfall. Although he thereby gained the court's praise and promotion, misfortune inevitably follows blessing—and trouble has indeed arrived because of it.

Back in the room, Huo Shengnan saw some bloodstains on Hu Xiaotian's chest; on closer look she realized it was from her own arrow, which had missed the grey‑clothed man and grazed him instead, filling her with regret.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and comforted her: "It's nothing, just a scraped spot; apply some Golden Trauma Medicine and it'll be fine." He produced the medicine, Huo Shengnan took it willingly and helped him apply it, then Hu Xiaotian took off his outer robe, clad upper body.

Huo Shengnan applied the Golden Trauma Medicine to the half‑inch‑long blood opening on Hu Xiaotian's chest, then gazed at his sturdy chest, her pretty face unconsciously warming.

Hu Xiaotian said, "You keep staring at me here—am I not at a disadvantage?"

Huo Shengnan spat, "When do I enjoy looking at you?" She turned, put the Golden Trauma Medicine back, and said softly, "That person's movement is marvelous; it must be Phantom Shadow Shift."

"Phantom Shadow Shift? I've heard of it; reportedly few people in the world have mastered this technique."

Huo Shengnan said, "How did you provoke such a formidable enemy? He lurks in the dark while you are in the light—from now on you must be extra careful."

Hu Xiaotian said, "It may be because of Ji Feihua; the court proclaims abroad that I am the great hero who eradicated Ji Feihua, so her remaining followers regard me as a mortal enemy and wish to kill me to avenge her."

Huo Shengnan did not expect that she and Hu Xiaotian would share this plight, yet his situation was clearly far better than hers; thinking of her own fate, she let out a sigh.

Hu Xiaotian rose and stepped behind her, speaking softly, "You needn't worry for me; even if I can't catch him, he won't find it easy to kill me."

Huo Shengnan said, "I'm not worried about you; your life or death is nothing to me——" Before she finished, she felt a heat approaching—it was Hu Xiaotian already within less than two chi of her. She turned, glowering fiercely at Hu Xiaotian: "What do you intend to do?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I don't intend anything; I'm just thinking…" His gaze fell on Huo Shengnan's cherry lips.

Huo Shengnan thrust out both hands, pressing them against Hu Xiaotian's chest: "Get lost!"

Hu Xiaotian gave a wry smile: "You actually attacked my chest!"

Huo Shengnan said, "This is to keep distance; speak when there's something to say, don't stay so close to me."

Hu Xiaotian said, "The Emperor plans to go to Heaven Dragon Temple after Princess Anping's burial to fast and chant sutras for a month, and he has specifically ordered me to accompany him."

Huo Shengnan blinked her eyes; hearing that Hu Xiaotian would be away so long, she felt a twinge of reluctance. She whispered, "Why don't I go with you? That way we can look after each other."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "The Emperor's side has many experts; if you followed you'd surely expose your identity. I want you to stay here; these two days I plan to bring my father back, and with you guarding the manor I can leave without worry."

Huo Shengnan bit her cherry lip and protested softly, "Are you treating me like your household guard?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Only family will do!"

"Who would believe you?"

Hu Xiaotian seized the opportunity to take her soft hand and place it over his heart: "If you don't believe me, feel it—is my heart thumping, am I speaking the truth to you?"

Huo Shengnan tried to pull her hand back, but Hu Xiaotian held it fast; her face flushed ever more, her head bowed, as Hu Xiaotian's face drew near, sensing the moment ripe to pluck her cherry lips—yet she lowered her head, aligning her hair bun with Hu Xiaotian.

If Hu Xiaotian lunged forward, all he could bite would be hair—truly a mix of laughter and tears; he whispered softly, "Shengnan, I…"

Huo Shengnan suddenly thrust out a hand to cover his mouth: "No speaking, say nothing—I promised you I wouldn't leave…" Having said that, she dared not look at Hu Xiaotian, flung the door open and fled in panic. This former battlefield heroine who once made the black‑barbarians tremble at the wind was utterly flustered before Hu Xiaotian; he chased to the door, watching her retreating graceful figure, and a faint knowing smile touched his lips.

Because many books were tragically censored, Zhangyu's divine light is now pitifully only 50, I earnestly request that qualified readers go and claim one, it's the little pentagram next to the pen name, at least it's over three digits, it also looks better on the face, after mixing for so many years I'm actually worse than a newcomer…… Zhangyu tears running…… (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome you to come

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