Chapter 996

Yan Boguang said: "Sister, I still have something to attend to; I'll come back later!" He turned to slip away, but behind him Yan Nujiao shouted sternly: "Stand still!"

Yan Boguang was startled into a shiver; after all, a thief feels guilty. He turned around, smiling, and looked at Yan Nujiao, saying: "Little sister, why are you shouting so loudly?"

Yan Nujiao said: "Why did you seize so many civilian women and bring them back?"

Yan Boguang said: "Sister, who are you listening to nonsense? I haven't done this sort of thing in a long time."

"You're lying! When you left Heavenly Wolf Mountain, how did you promise your father? Now you've gone back on your word, reverted to your old ways—do you have any sisters? How could you repeatedly commit such heinous acts?"

Yan Boguang, scolded by his sister until his face was ashen, replied with sweat on his brow: "Little sister, I really haven't done it."

Yan Nujiao said: "If I had no evidence, I wouldn't frame you. Do you know that among those you seized is the Elder Princess of Da Yong?"

"What?" Yan Boguang's face turned pale at once upon hearing this; if his sister spoke the truth, then he would have stirred up a tremendous disaster.

Yan Nujiao said: "If Father finds out, what do you think he'll do to you?"

Yan Boguang, frightened out of his wits by his sister, stammered: "Little sister, you must never tell Father about this; although I seized them, I did nothing to them—I… I didn't even touch their hands…"

Hu Xiaotian heard it clearly and couldn't help but want to laugh; Yan Boguang now probably lacks the ability despite his will, yet this guy is truly a pervert—he's practically a living eunuch, so why seize those women?

Yan Nujiao said: "Give me the antidote for the Mandarin Duck Union Powder!"

Yan Boguang stared in surprise: "What?"

Yan Nujiao said: "Do you want me to repeat that a second time?"

Yan Boguang looked bewildered: "I've never used that drug at all…"

Yan Nujiao angrily said: "Second brother, you've let me down terribly!"

At that moment, Qu Guangbai's voice came from outside: "Young master!"

Yan Boguang, feeling depressed, upon hearing this couldn't help but vent all his anger onto Qu Guangbai, snapping: "What's the matter?"

Qu Guangbai, somewhat alarmed, said: "A group of officials has arrived outside!"

Upon hearing this, both Yan Boguang and his sister were startled. Yan Nujiao's first thought was that the officials had discovered her second brother's abduction of civilian women and tracked them here. Although she was angry at his wrongdoing, deep down she still protected this brother and couldn't bear to see him fall into the law's net; she bit her cherry lip and said: "I'll go take a look!"

Yan Boguang now also looked somewhat flustered: "Little sister, you must be very careful."

Hu Xiaotian hid inside the wardrobe, also feeling very strange; he hadn't had time to inform his allies about the Elder Princess Xue Lingjun's situation—could it be that Guo Zhenhai and the others have been tailing and protecting her? Impossible, if they'd been following behind, he would surely have noticed.

Yan Nujiao pulled open the door and stepped out; at that moment she saw five people in official uniforms striding inside. Qu Guangbai hurried forward to block them: "Sirs, why are you barging into a private residence……"

The leading middle-aged man, with long brows and narrow eyes, had a sinister expression; his narrow eyes stared coldly at Qu Guangbai as he said: "You dare obstruct our investigation?"

Yan Nujiao stepped forward calmly, her expression composed, and said: "May I ask, Sir, what brings you to Azure Cloud Manor?"

Yan Boguang had already heard the commotion outside, never expecting the officials in uniform to arrive so quickly. He looked around for a hiding place, and in his haste entered an inner room, his gaze falling on the wardrobe, which he flung open.

Before he could see what was inside, a fist loomed large before his eyes—bang! —a punch landed squarely. Yan Boguang instantly passed out; Hu Xiaotian stepped out of the wardrobe, drenched in sweat at this point, with Elder Princess Xue Lingjun's skin pressed against his. Their cheeks rubbed together, and besides, it was August, the weather in Xichuan scorching hot—even someone sitting still would be soaked in sweat.

Hu Xiaotian bent over Yan Boguang and searched him, finding two porcelain bottles, but he couldn't tell whether they contained the antidote for the Mandarin Duck Union Powder; he would have to wait until the man woke up to ask.

It was already near dusk when the sky suddenly grew dark, clouds gathering overhead, a storm about to break.

The man with narrow brows and long eyes fixed his strange gaze on Yan Nujiao, scanning her up and down; his eyes finally settled on her lovely face, his manner rather rude.

Yan Nujiao, pampered since childhood and practically the center of attention in Heavenly Wolf Mountain, had never been stared at so brazenly; she felt this man radiated licentious energy, not like a good person. She said: "I don't know what position you hold, Sir, who commissioned you, and do you carry a search warrant?"

The man gave a sinister chuckle: "I needn't explain myself to you; although you don't know who I am, I know your background well. You are Yan Nujiao, aren't you? The master of this place is Yan Boguang, and you all come from Heavenly Wolf Mountain—isn't the mountain's chieftain Yan Kui your father?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Nujiao's heart sank; the man had outright revealed their identity, clearly coming prepared. Even if no civilian women had been abducted, merely exposing their true identities would already spell endless trouble, for Heavenly Wolf Mountain has long been a wanted target of Xichuan officials.

At that moment eight men burst in through the gate; all eight were experts of Azure Cloud Manor. Qu Guangbai, when those five officials forcibly entered the manor, had already gone to inform his subordinates, ordering them to lie in wait and, should the situation change, to eliminate these five officials at any cost.

The man glanced around; at that moment more than ten figures appeared on the surrounding walls—archers lying in wait, each nocking an arrow and aiming at them. A faint cold smile curled his lips: "What do you mean, Miss Yan?"

Yan Nujiao furrowed her brows; she hadn't expected her identity to be exposed so suddenly. For these people, exposure meant danger; Xizhou was no longer tenable, they must leave at once, and this Azure Cloud Manor held no value—surely her second brother had carelessly revealed his identity; this brother truly brings harm.

By now, Yan Nujiao had to face reality; she said calmly: "Sirs, you might as well go back where you came from; I can guarantee your safe return."

The man chuckled: "And if we don't leave?"

Yan Nujiao's lips curled with a faint smile: "I don't wish to cause more slaughter."

The four men behind him suddenly leapt into the air together, their black cloaks unfurling like giant bats, and they flew toward the wall.

The archers stationed on the wall and roof loosed their arrows simultaneously; feathered shafts whistled like chasing wind and lightning toward the four, who simultaneously drew their waist swords, slashing back and forth in midair, actually felling every incoming arrow. In an instant they reached the wall and roof, their swords swinging like cleavers through melons, cutting down more than ten archers on the spot.

Although Yan Nujiao was accustomed to scenes of carnage, she hadn't expected the enemy to strike so cleanly—without much explanation they had already wiped out the ambush archers.

Qu Guangbai and the eight experts were also secretly shocked; just from these four's moves they were clearly top-tier masters, his own men hadn't even had time to resist, and over ten archers couldn't withstand a single exchange.

Qu Guangbai roared: "Kill him!" The eight experts behind him surged forward together to encircle the long-browed, narrow-eyed man.

The man slowly shook his head; his waist sword leapt from its sheath, the blade resembling curved brows, in the deep twilight like a pool of autumn water. He didn't even glance behind, backhand drawing an arc; the autumn water instantly turned into a mist of light, wails rang without cease, and the eight experts simultaneously clutched their throats, blood spurting from between their fingers.

Although Qu Guangbai shouted the loudest, he was also the slowest to react; if he charged forward now, he'd likely die as well. Watching his eight companions slowly collapse, he was terrified to the point of losing his soul—their martial prowess was terrifying! These eight companions had been carefully selected experts from Heavenly Wolf Mountain, assigned specifically to protect Yan Boguang's safety; even eight working together, Qu Guangbai had no confidence of victory, yet the foe had severed all eight throats with a single stroke—such swordsmanship is truly shocking to heaven and earth.

Seeing the man's gaze turn toward him, Qu Guangbai trembled, shaking his folding fan; a whispering sound filled the air as the steel needles hidden in the fan shot toward the man's face. As he fired the needles, Qu Guangbai burst out the door—he was always crafty, adept at reading the situation; seeing the opponent's sword technique, he realized he had no chance to win, staying meant only death, so he could only choose to flee at once; at such a moment he couldn't spare a thought for Yan Nujiao or Yan Boguang.

The middle-aged man rotated his wrist, forming a spiraling white light before him; the steel needles shot into it like stones sinking into the sea, being shredded by the blade's glow. Watching Qu Guangbai's fleeing back, the man's eyes blazed with killing intent; he raised his long sword and slashed emptily, an invisible blade qi detaching from the sword and shooting forth, rending the dark, heavy twilight, racing forward at astonishing speed—the sword qi split the gate in two, the eaves crashed down with a roar, dust and smoke billowed everywhere; after the haze cleared, Qu Guangbai's distant body was seen frozen in place, time seeming to stand still; after a moment his corpse split down the middle, slowly toppling to either side, blood gushing from the ruptured cavity—a sight so gruesome it makes one nauseous.

Yan Nujiao was stunned by the sight before her; seeing the middle-aged man's back to her, she drew her waist dagger and lunged, thrusting it fiercely toward his heart. The man seemed to have eyes on his back; his long sword rotated rearward, and before she could approach, the blade was already at her throat, and he whispered: "Such beauty—killing you would be a real shame."

Guess who this expert is? Why did he come? You lot are so smart you'll surely figure it out—I'm off to write; around ten o'clock I should have the next chapter ready! (To be continued~^~)