"I've long heard that the two guardians of Hundred Mile City, 'Azure Waters and Flowing Clouds,' are as beautiful as flowers. Now that you're here, why not show yourselves?"
The voice was gentle, clear, and carried a hint of detachment that had come from years of experience; it could only belong to the Ghost King.
At that time, hundreds of disciples from Baili City, each holding a lantern, had surrounded the area, illuminating the pitch-black night as if it were daytime.
I looked around and saw that most of the ghost soldiers were still lying on the ground. Although Hua Ye and the others were not seriously injured, the little ghost had been killed and Jue Ye had been injured by me. The situation was very unfavorable for them... Even so, the ghost king was still hiding in the sedan chair and refused to show himself.
—So calm, it's almost unusually composed.
Something's not right! I suddenly frowned: something's very, very wrong!
According to Feng Xiansu's speculation, Baili City and the mountain ghosts were allies, so how could they have injured the most skilled ghost in the group with just one move?
Could it be that they deliberately tricked me?
However, at this moment, in terms of the situation, we are undoubtedly the weakest. Why would they put on such a show for me?
But if the mountain ghosts and Baili City are not allies, why is the Ghost King so calm, and why have the people of Baili City come here?
I was completely baffled. Seeing that Feng Qiansu was still unconscious, clearly her heart meridian had been damaged by the shock, and no matter how much Jin Zhaoyu shook her, she could not be woken up, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
He heard that steady and gentle female voice say, "Ghost King, don't be anxious, it's here!"
Before the final sound of the word "么" had faded, a sudden sound of something rushing through the air came from above. Looking up, one could see a white silk ribbon, about ten feet wide, traveling across the night sky from afar, gracefully tracing an arc before crashing into the ground with a "thud."
A collective gasp filled the air, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
I was also astonished. What kind of martial arts skill and internal strength was this that could make the soft silk make a sound like metal or stone when it hit the ground?
Even more terrifying was that after the "whoosh" sound, the white silk still remained suspended in mid-air with its arc. In the night, it looked as if some immortal had used magic to build a white jade arch bridge out of thin air.
Two women in white appeared one after the other on the white silk, lifting together something that was neither a carriage nor a sedan chair, shrouded in a white curtain. Like fairies, they slid down along the curve of the silk, stopping lightly about three zhang away from me without making a sound.
I was secretly alarmed: such lightness skill was not just high, but terrifying!
Looking at the two women, one had a round face and the other an oval face. They were both around twenty years old. Their white clothes fluttered and their black hair flowed like waves. Although they had no ornaments on their bodies, they naturally exuded a refined and elegant aura. If one did not see it with their own eyes, it would be hard to believe that these two young and beautiful women could have such terrifying martial arts skills.
The situation has developed to this point, and its unpredictable nature has completely exceeded my control. In particular, the appearance of the two guardians of Baili City, who immediately displayed their amazing martial arts skills and took control of the entire situation, turned the mountain ghosts, who had just held an absolute advantage, into the disadvantaged side in an instant.
But for me, the situation not only did not reverse, it even got worse!
Because, if I'm not mistaken, the "young master" they were talking about must be Xiao Zuo... and he is the most untrustworthy, cunning, and terrifying enemy I have ever met!
The ghosts have not yet retreated, and a powerful enemy has arrived. Is it destined that my Jade Palace will perish on this night?
So be it! It's all the same anyway, I'll just die... If Father is watching from heaven, just protect me from being humiliated by the enemy, that's enough.
With this thought in mind, I bent down to pick up the sword that had just fallen to the ground, just in case.
Unexpectedly, just as my hand touched the hilt of the sword, something suddenly flew from the side and struck the sword with a "thud," instantly making my entire arm go numb and causing me to lose my grip. The sword then fell back to the ground.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be... I blinked. Yes, it was the invitation card used for my family's generations-old exhibition, Yuan Yin Cui Ye!
Before I could give any instructions, Jin Zhao beside me had already picked it up. He glanced at it in the light, and his expression suddenly turned very strange. He then handed it to me and said, "Miss, you... look."
Seeing her face change drastically, I had already guessed what was going on. Even so, when I saw the words on the green leaf, I couldn't help but be shocked: "By the grace of the silver green leaf, I extend my invitation to Mr. Xiao. Spring day in Luoyang, the seventh day of the month, a grand gathering. We await you with flowers in hand."
Invitation to Mr. Xiao... Yes, that's the invitation that Xiao Zuo shamelessly took.
In an instant, the events of that first meeting flashed vividly before my eyes: the shameless bad boy, the arrogant young lady—every movement, every glance was so lifelike, as if someone had set up a shadow puppet show in front of me.
Xiao Zuo… Xiao Zuo… I silently uttered his name again and again, calling out the name of the person who had shattered my very soul. A torrent of utter hatred and despair surged within my heart…
"What other tricks are you trying to pull?" I suddenly turned around and roared, "My life is my own, whether I live or die is my own business! Who needs you..."
"Who says your life is yours to command? Who says you get to live or die as you please? I don't think Miss Gong needs me to remind her of the principle of 'the victor is king, the loser is villain'?"
Xiao Zuo's voice came through clearly, a familiar tone but an unfamiliar one, cold and resolute.
Looking in the direction of the sound, one could only see the white curtains rippling like water, but no one was in sight.
"At this moment, in this place, perhaps only that Jade Leaf of Silver Edge truly belongs to you; apart from that, you have nothing..."
The familiar voice paused, then rang out coldly again: "Liu Yun?"
"Yes, young master," the round-faced woman in white standing to the side replied with a charming smile.
The sound was still ringing in my ears when a white silk ribbon suddenly flew over and wrapped around my waist with a "snap".
At the other end of the white silk was the hand holding that flowing cloud.
This turn of events happened so fast. I had just realized that something was wrong when I felt an irresistible force coming from the other end of the white silk, which suddenly pulled me into the air. The speed was extremely fast, and it looked like I was about to collide with the flowing clouds. But then she flicked her wrist, and the white silk created a vortex, sending me straight into the layers of curtains.
I fell heavily inside, and as soon as I awkwardly raised my eyes, I looked into those familiar eyes—dark and bright, like a bottomless pool, with lively ripples flowing within them.
He's smiling!
"You deserved to take a hard fall..." he chuckled and asked me, "Still dare to be stubborn?"
I gritted my teeth and remained silent, glancing around. It turned out that this thing, which was neither a car nor a sedan chair, was the most common mode of transportation in Sichuan, a sedan chair, but it was much more spacious than an ordinary sedan chair, so it wouldn't be a problem to make a move inside.
As soon as I thought that, I felt a numbness all over my body. Without seeing him make any move, I was struck in an acupoint and couldn't move.
"There's something I've been too embarrassed to tell you..." He leaned back leisurely on the cushion, looking down at me, "Your martial arts skills are really terrible."
His smile vanished abruptly, replaced by a cold remark: "Not even half as good as you at hurting people!"
After saying that, he even pressed my speech acupoint.