Chapter 87: Beast Tamer (Part 2)

In the treetops, two more arrows were fired in succession. Murong Feiyan deflected them consecutively, feeling that the power of these two arrows had weakened compared to before. Usually there are two possibilities: either the opponent's stamina is starting to wane, or, seeing the Beast Tamer slain, the opponent has begun to flee, causing the arrows' power to diminish with distance.

Seeing the treetop branches sway in the distance, Murong Feiyan concluded the opponent had begun to flee and shouted angrily, "Where are you going?" She leapt onto the treetop, saw a black shadow launch from a branch ahead, then twist in midair and fire three consecutive arrows.

Murong Feiyan used the branches as cover to dodge the shots—thud, thud, thud! —the arrows struck the branches one after another. Taking advantage of her dodge, the opponent widened the gap, about to enter the bamboo forest ahead.

Murong Feiyan made up her mind not to let this person escape. She stomped heavily on the branch with both feet; the branch bent like a bow under her full force, then, thanks to its great toughness, sprang upward. Murong Feiyan used the rebound to launch her lithe body upward three zhang, spreading her arms like a bird's wings at the highest point and gliding forward.

Seeing Murong Feiyan shadowing him relentlessly, the black-clad archer could not shake her off and temporarily gave up the idea of fleeing further. He drew three arrows from his back quiver, nocked them, pulled the bow taut like a full moon, then swiftly released. The three arrows flew at different angles toward Murong Feiyan. Their fletchings varied slightly: the two outer arrows had unbalanced fletching, a special structure that determined their flight paths. The central arrow flew straight for her chest, while the outer two traced arcs, ultimately still aimed at Murong Feiyan.

Facing the three arrows flying from different angles, Murong Feiyan did not swing her sword to deflect; instead, she dropped straight down like a broken kite, and the three arrows whizzed past above her head.

Murong Feiyan's longsword flew from her hand, spinning like a windmill in the air, its icy blade hurtling toward the black-clad archer.

The black-clad archer had expended all his arrows; facing the longsword hurled by Murong Feiyan, he could only raise his horn bow to block. The sword struck the bow, which cracked with a snap and broke in half. The sword's momentum did not wane; its narrow blade pierced the archer's chest. He stared in disbelief at the hilt protruding from his chest, then fell straight down onto the rocks, emitting a clear sound of breaking bones.

After landing, Murong Feiyan hurried over, grabbed the sword's hilt, fearing the archer might still be alive, and pressed the blade down another inch. Seeing no movement, she pulled the sword free, wiped the blood from it on his body, then rushed toward the pile of rocks.

Hu Xiaotian and the little girl were struggling to survive, their bodies already covered in blood. Black eagle feathers littered the area around them, and more than a dozen black eagle corpses lay scattered on the boulder, most slain by the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle. Yet the deaths of their companions did not deter the black eagle flock; they continued their desperate assault at any cost.

The evil wolves below quickly devoured their fallen comrades, then launched another fierce wave of attack. After repeated desperate battles, Hu Xiaotian had reached his limit; he summoned all his strength and swung his Water Fire Staff at the head of a Blue Wolf that had managed to climb the boulder. The wolf darted to the right, the staff struck empty air and hit the boulder with a crack, snapping the staff in two and sending a jolt of pain through Hu Xiaotian's tiger's mouth.

Having dodged Hu Xiaotian's full-force blow, the Blue Wolf lunged at him ferociously. Hu Xiaotian now held only a broken stick less than two chi long; in his haste he could only point the broken end of the Water Fire Staff at the wolf—a futile gesture that could not possibly inflict a mortal wound.

Hu Xiaotian's eyes locked with the evil wolf's orchid-colored pupils; his mind went blank, hearing only his own heartbeat. Could he really be doomed to die here?

At this critical moment, the little girl raised her Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle, aimed at the Blue Wolf's head, and fired it all at once. Unsure whether her nerves or uncertainty about the shot's effectiveness drove her, she simply pressed the trigger three times in succession, emptying the needle completely.

The Blue Wolf collapsed in a whimper, and before Hu Xiaotian could regain his senses, a black eagle swooped at his face, its sharp talons aiming for his eyes.

The little girl cried out in alarm: "Watch out!"

As if waking from a dream, Hu Xiaotian flung the half‑stick of wood from his hand and hurled it hard at the black eagle. The eagle spread its wings, tracing an arc in the air and skimming the boulder's edge, dodging the stick—but then, as the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, a gray wolf sprang from below the boulder, stepping on a companion's body, and seized the eagle's neck. Immediately after, three evil wolves scrambled up the boulder in succession.

The little girl's Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle was expended, and Hu Xiaotian's Water Fire Staff was completely gone. Each now held a dagger, watching as evil wolves climbed the boulder one after another. Though dozens of black eagles had temporarily halted their attack, they still circled overhead, unwilling to leave.

Hu Xiaotian had never in his memory faced such a perilous scene. He inwardly sighed, "I have endured countless hardships to come here, intending to become a ninth‑rank official in Qingyun County, yet I never imagined I would end up delivering meat to the evil wolves."

The little girl's voice rang in his ears: "It's my fault for dragging you down—I'm sorry!"

Hu Xiaotian turned his face in surprise, only to see the little girl's pallid countenance, her bright eyes fixed on him—not because he was handsome, but because she dared not look at the ferocious wolf pack.

Facing imminent death, Hu Xiaotian was oddly unafraid and smirked, "I won't stoop to squabble with a little girl, but dying together counts as a kind of fate."

The little girl handed Hu Xiaotian a porcelain bottle.

Hu Xiaotian exclaimed in surprise: "What?"

"An antidote!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed and cried at the absurdity—now, at this very moment, she thinks to give him an antidote? What difference would it make? Whether he takes it or not, he will die either way; it's the Seven‑Day Soul‑Severing Needle! He hoped his own flesh was poisonous, so that if the wolves ate him they would all be killed by the toxin.

The evil wolves closed in step by step; Hu Xiaotian shielded the little girl behind him. Though death was certain, at this life‑or‑death juncture he could still show his magnanimity and fearlessness—a commendable trait of his character.

The little girl, however, was stubborn: "Don't shield me—I'm not afraid to die!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Better a shameful life than a noble death—I've been struck by your Seven‑Day Soul‑Severing Needle; my flesh is toxic. Let them eat me first; if we can poison them as well, you might still have a slim chance." The words were moving, but Hu Xiaotian knew in his heart such a scenario could never happen; both of them were destined to become the wolves' meal.

Seven evil wolves had already scaled the boulder; they were not rushing to attack, but instead formed a circle, slowly closing in. To the wolf pack, the two were already prey in their bellies.

Hu Xiaotian sighed, "It's too late!" His gaze still drifted toward the distance.

The little girl said coldly, "Are you still hoping she'll come to save us?" She shook her head. "When disaster strikes, each flies for themselves—she's already left!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled. Though the little girl was young, she was extremely wary and lacked basic trust in others. He believed Murong Feiyan would never abandon him, but today he feared it was already too late.

Hu Xiaotian gripped his dagger tightly, preparing for a desperate last stand, and whispered, "What's your name? Who are you?" Even on the brink of death he wanted to be clear—he needed to know for whom he was dying.

"I'm Qiqi!"

Hu Xiaotian pondered the odd name; even at death's door, the girl remained wary, reluctant to reveal her surname—was 'Qiqi' a nickname or her birth order? He had no inclination to investigate, for he had no time to think or ask. He raised his dagger and lunged at a Blue Wolf, his sole thought being to take down one wolf and gain an advantage.

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