Chapter 69: Capture and Seizure (Seeking Followers)

In an instant, the front bedchamber blazed bright on all four sides, voices clamoring in an uproar.

"Your Highness…" Tong Guan said hurriedly: "This servant will escort Your Highness back to the cultivation chamber. So long as this servant still has breath in him, I swear I will not let Your Highness suffer the slightest harm!"

Zhao Ti seemed lost in thought: "After all these years, this is actually the first time I've encountered an assassin. Let's go take a look."

"Your Highness, you must not!" Tong Guan said: "Your Highness should go inside and take shelter for now. This servant will face them at the door. If the assassin wants to force their way in, they'll have to step over this servant's body first!"

Zhao Ti glanced at him: "Let's see what skill this assassin has. If we can capture them, that counts as a Great Art in itself."

"Great Art…" Tong Guan was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

"Let's go see what manner of person this is — leftover remnants of the Ghost Breeze Tower outside, or some other blind-eyed rogue from the jianghu." Zhao Ti walked forward with his hands behind his back, and Tong Guan hurried to follow.

The guards within the residence had by now completely surrounded the bedchamber. Zhou Dong, Bai Zhan, and several others peered up from below, each face looking grim — an assassin had broken into the residence, which counted as dereliction on their part.

They saw a black shadow crouching motionless on the long ridge of the bedchamber roof. From this angle, arrows could not hit the person at all, and crossbow bolts likewise could not reach them.

Zhou Dong shook his flower spear, and Bai Zhan drew his waist saber with a "clang." Zhou Dong shouted at the roof ridge: "You wretched thief, bold as brass — breaking into the Wang Fu at night, and you still won't come down and accept death!"

The black shadow on the ridge said nothing, as if melting into the night. Zhou Dong glanced at Bai Zhan, then tapped his spear tip against the ground for leverage and shot up in a flash, leaping straight toward the rooftop.

He had not used his iron spear — the flower spear was more flexible and suited for fighting at heights.

The moment his body reached the rooftop, with a "whoosh," the spear shaft borrowed momentum and lashed out in a strike.

Cold light flickered in the black shadow's hand as a single sword like a rainbow appeared. They heard "ding ding ding" — a continuous ringing of clashing blades — and in the blink of an eye the two had exchanged three moves.

Zhao Ti gazed at the roof ridge with an expressionless face. The black shadow's Wu Gong could not be called overly powerful — somewhat weaker than the likes of the South Sea Crocodile God. If on the ground, Zhou Dong would have the greater chance of victory, but using a spear on the ridge was a disadvantage; the long spear's wide sweeping motions necessarily made the body technique less agile, and one had to constantly watch one's footing.

After several more moves passed, the black shadow's voice came out aged: "Hound of the court, why do you serve the dynasty!"

Zhou Dong flew into a rage upon hearing this. His spear tip trembled, and the flower spear head shook out three tassel flowers, locking straight onto the shadow's throat and chest.

They saw the black shadow suddenly flip its body, sweeping the sword downward through the air in a slashing arc. This sword stroke was cunning and risky, but on the rooftop it was extremely effective. Zhou Dong had no choice but to retreat backward and actually leapt down to the ground.

Seeing this, Bai Zhan raised his saber and wanted to continue the fight. At this moment Tong Guan shouted: "All you masters, fall back — let me take this thief!"

Before his words had fully fallen, his body had already darted out, like a wisp of smoke or a phantom shadow, landing on the rooftop.

Zhao Ti slightly raised an eyebrow — why did the Sunflower Manual technique that Tong Guan used seem somewhat different from his own?

Although Tong Guan's current performance differed from the ghostly, sinister quality produced by practicing the incomplete manual, with more bewitching charm, it still did not resemble his own light, smoke-like quality.

Could it be because of the Illusory Yin True Qi?

By now the two had already begun to fight. Tong Guan had practiced the manual's Wu Gong for nearly a year — even earlier than Zhao Ti. The Sunflower Manual's Cultivation Technique took an unorthodox path, emphasizing intent over internal energy, emphasizing variation over fixed moves. The already mutilated Evil-Repelling Sword Art had veered off course due to its damage, and the Red Thread Flying Needles had no fixed moves at all — the variations within were inexhaustible, and it was also the quickest to master.

They saw Tong Guan's twin sleeves dance, with almost no sound of cutting through air. Two flying needles drifted in eerie paths, shooting toward the black shadow's vital points.

The black shadow let out a startled cry of surprise — clearly Tong Guan's Wu Gong had greatly shaken them; they had not expected such a master to exist within the Wang Fu.

In the blink of an eye the two had exchanged more than ten moves. Tong Guan was in his element on the ridge, while the black shadow was already hard-pressed on every side. They saw Tong Guan suddenly slide his steps, reaching the shadow's rear flank. The shadow started in alarm and had just tried to dodge when it felt a chill at its shoulder and ribs — it had already been pierced through by the flying needles.

Red threads hung from the needles. Tong Guan shook both hands and chuckled: "Get down you!"

The black shadow's body plunged straight down from the rooftop. Zhou Dong, Bai Zhan, Su Da, and others rushed forward urgently, weapons swinging in unison, and had already pinned the opponent down motionless.

They saw this person clad head to toe in night-traveling clothes, face covered with black cloth. Su Da ripped it off in one motion, revealing an aged, furious face — it was precisely the white-browed, white-bearded old man Zhao Ti had seen that night at the Pu-Mai Assembly.

Tong Guan jumped down from the rooftop, trotted over to Zhao Ti's side, and sought credit: "Your Highness, this servant's skills are passable, no?"

Zhao Ti laughed: "Your godfather's passing wasn't that long ago, and you haven't practiced the manual for long either, yet this Wu Gong is quite quick to master — not bad, not bad."

The moment Tong Guan heard Zhao Ti mention the manual and speak of quick mastery, his face immediately changed color. He was terrified that Zhao Ti might want it, yet he didn't dare refuse to give it. If he gave it, he would become a sinner. He stammered at once: "Your Highness, th-this servant has already practiced it for a year. My godfather passed it to me while he was still here."

Zhao Ti smiled and stepped forward. The old man was bound hand and foot, his mouth furiously cursing.

Yu Er said: "Your Highness, should this subordinate gag his mouth?"

Zhao Ti shook his head, extended a finger and tapped the old man's Tianchi acupoint. The old man raged in shock: "What do you think you're doing, you evil prince?"

He saw that Zhao Ti had actually employed a rare acupoint-striking technique, and could not help feeling a jolt of alarm in his heart. But then he discovered it was not that any acupoint had been struck — rather, a sudden chill had bored into his body. He shivered violently, feeling an unbearable cold throughout his body, so much so that he could not even curse out loud.

The Illusory Yin Finger technique was somewhat like the Life-and-Death Symbol — a thread of yin-cold internal energy attached itself and roamed through the four limbs and hundred bones. Without internal energy specifically meant to counter it, it was virtually impossible to eradicate.

Zhao Ti said calmly: "You've come for Yang Yang Yun Chong, haven't you?"

The old man could not speak, only glared with furious eyes. Zhao Ti scoffed: "Yang Yang Yun Chong has already pledged himself to this prince. He will not be meeting the likes of you rebel scum again."

The old man's eyes nearly split with rage. Enduring the torment in his body, he forced out two words: "You — lie…"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "What position do you hold within the Ming Cult? And where is that little girl now?"

The old man's face changed drastically upon hearing this, revealing a look of shock and astonishment. Then he pressed his mouth tightly shut, biting his lips until they bled.

"Was it that little girl who told you this prince's identity?" Zhao Ti said, stroking his chin: "What position does she hold in the Ming Cult? What is her surname and name?"

The old man was naturally unable to speak at this moment, but his heart was churning with monstrous waves of shock, unable to fathom how the other party could have called out his background and origins.

Zhao Ti looked at him for a moment, then shook his head: "If you won't speak, so be it. Yang Yang Yun Chong will tell this prince."

The old man had originally been a hundred percent disbelieving, but thinking that the other party should not, under any circumstances, have penetrated his origins, a measure of doubt arose again in his heart.

Zhao Ti waved his hand: "Take him away."

Zhou Dong and Bai Zhan shoved the old man off and led him away to be imprisoned. Zhao Ti glanced at the sky, had people clean up the rooftop and ground, and then retired for the night.

Early the next morning, he rode straight to the Gold Wind Drizzle Tower. Entering the rear courtyard, Hou San was just carrying food toward a certain room. Seeing him, he hurried to bow: "Young Master has arrived."

Zhao Ti said: "How is that person doing?"

Hou San said: "This subordinate was just bringing food. I imagine at this hour he's started his kowtowing to the void again."

Zhao Ti nodded and entered the room. Sure enough, he saw Yang Yang Yun Chong kneeling on the ground, facing west, lips moving in prayer, performing the ritual of kowtowing.