Chapter 282: Mysterious Old Man

At this moment, in Fentian's courtyard, dozens of Dark Guards surrounded an old man in a black robe.

The long sword glimmered coldly in the moonlight; the old man in the center, wielding twin blades, wore a mask, his withered hands showed bulging blue veins, his eyes glowed crimson as he stared at Fentian beyond the circle of Dark Guards, his gaze filled with deep hatred.

"Who comes?" Fentian said coldly. "Under the City Lord's blade, I do not slay the nameless."

"You are not yet worthy to know my name." The old man flicked his twin blades, a whistling wind echoed in the ears.

Chi Nan Yi watched clearly from within the space.

The old man's internal force was exceedingly profound.

But two fists could not match four hands, let alone being surrounded by dozens of highly skilled Dark Guards in the City Lord's mansion.

Escaping would not be easy.

"Hmph, the City Lord gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it. Those who dare to breach my residence must be ready to be torn apart." He waved his hand, said lightly, "Kill him, the City Lord wants his head."

"Fentian, you think you can kill me, but it's not that easy." He swung his twin blades toward the nearest Dark Guard.

The Dark Guard thrust out a long sword to block, never expecting that the cold‑glinting blade could not even parry the old man's strike.

In close combat, the Dark Guard's sword was cleaved into three pieces, and his twin blades sliced down, cutting the guard's two arms clean off onto the ground.

A harrowing scream echoed through the City Lord's mansion.

The siege ignited instantly.

"Charge! Kill him!"

Dozens of Dark Guards lunged at the old man.

Fentian's expression hardened as he watched the black silhouettes flipping up and down; his skin twitched a few times, and the scar on his face grew even more ferocious.

As Chi Nan Yi had anticipated, the old man's martial skill was indeed rare, and in the blink of an eye several Dark Guards fell beneath his blade.

A dozen or so Dark Guards were left with blood splattered on them.

Fentian furrowed his brows, about to slam the table and rise, when a dull pain struck his chest; today's wound had not fully healed, and any large movement caused excruciating pain.

He could not act now, but if this continued, the Dark Guards he had painstakingly trained would all be slaughtered by this old man.

A hidden weapon from his sleeve fell into his palm.

Seizing the chance, he swung his arm, and three short daggers flew out.

They shot straight toward the old man's back.

At that moment, the old man was grappling with several Dark Guards, sensed danger behind him, but could not evade.

The short daggers were about to pierce his body.

Fentian sneered, "Seeking death, sneaking into the City Lord's mansion at night—this is your fate!"

Before he could burst into laughter, a dark flash streaked by.

"Ding!"

A crisp sound rang in the ears; on closer look, the short daggers had been pierced by several Silver Needles, which were lodged into a nearby tree.

The sudden scene set off Fentian's alarm bells.

Could it be that this old fool had accomplices?

Looking around, there were no other figures in the courtyard besides the Dark Guards.

Yet the tips of the Silver Needles on the pillars were still trembling.

"Who? Who is there?" Fentian sprang up, bearing the fierce pain in his chest, gripping tightly the great sword beside him.

"Stop playing ghost here and quickly come out for the City Lord!"

The humid wind reeked of blood, making one gag, and prevented Fentian from keenly sensing others' positions.

"Come out! Come out! Get out for me!"

As the words fell, dozens of Silver Needles materialized out of thin air, soaring toward Fentian with full force.

Startled, Fentian darted aside quickly; the large motions repeatedly tugged at his chest wound, causing the healing wound to rupture outright.

He let out a muffled hum.

In the next instant, white mist rained down from the sky; Fentian hurriedly covered his mouth and nose, and those Dark Guards who hadn't managed to hold their breath fell to the ground.

When the mist dissipated, was there any sign of the old man in the courtyard beyond the Dark Guard corpses?

Seeing this, his anger surged; he could not hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood.

By the time the other guards arrived, Fentian had already fainted.

"City Lord! City Lord! Quickly, quickly summon the Divine Doctor!"

"Seal off the entire city; no one may leave. Anyone who harms the City Lord must be torn to pieces!"

In an instant, all the City Lord's guards were mobilized, and the city became like a sealed iron barrel.

Back at the inn, Chi Nan Yi extracted the old man from the space.

At this point, he was already unconscious, his mask still on, his tattered robe torn open with dozens of cuts, and blood soaked the edges.

He took out Spirit Spring Water and gave it to him to drink.

"Cough cough cough…"

Soon after, the old man slowly regained consciousness.

Seeing the unfamiliar illusion before him, his eyes hardened, and his hands instinctively reached to the side.

His waist was empty; the twin blades were nowhere to be seen.

"You have woken."

The old man sat up abruptly, his gaze fixed on Chi Nan Yi.

"Who are you?"

"I am the one who saved you." Chi Nan Yi stared at the murderous glint in his eyes, momentarily stunned.

That look was somehow familiar.

"Young master, you saved me; I am endlessly grateful."

"May I know your esteemed surname?"

The elder frowned slightly as she asked; Chi Nan Yi, observing, laughed and said, "Sir, do you not trust me?"

"Young master, though you saved me, we are strangers; my identity cannot be disclosed to you now."

The elder, though gravely wounded, had bright eyes.

He knew that, although the person before him had saved him, it could still be a play staged by her and Burning Heaven.

He was besieged, and the young master before him happened to appear.

How could such a coincidence exist in the world?

If she and Burning Heaven were allied, then this act now would be to trap him with words.

The secret he hides concerns the lives of tens of thousands.

When facing anyone, he cannot give his true heart or his bottom line.

Chi Nan Yi naturally saw what he was thinking.

In fact, she didn't care who the person before her was, but he was Burning Heaven's enemy; the enemy of an enemy is a friend. Moreover, she didn't know why, but it seemed a voice inside told her: if she didn't save him, she would surely regret it.

She trusted her sixth sense completely.

Therefore, even at risk, she took him away from the City Lord's residence.

Chi Nan Yi stood by the window, watching soldiers pour onto the street outside, and whispered, "You don't trust me; I understand, but for now, the only place you can hide is here with me."

The elder's hearing was keen, so he naturally heard the countless footsteps outside.

He furrowed his brows, endured the pain of his wound, and rose slowly: "Young master saved my life; I cannot stay and add to your worries. Burning Heaven's methods are cruel; if he finds even a trace, he would rather mistakenly kill ten thousand than let a single one go. The life‑saving debt you owe me, I fear I cannot repay in this life; in the next life I would bind grass around my neck to repay your great kindness."

Having said that, he prepared to leave.

"Wait." Chi Nan Yi took out a porcelain bottle: "This is a wound medicine. The city is under martial law; once you step through that door, I need not tell you what will become of you. It's fine if you don't trust me; as long as you stay here, no one can find you." Chi Nan Yi said calmly, "As for Burning Heaven, I, a junior, do not know what grudge you hold against him, but I hope you will not kill him."