Chapter 200: Untitled
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In Haitang's hand, the blade was like the wind, twirling around Fan Xian. He jumped and leaped and crouched and fell prone, assuming all kinds of strange and comical positions. Between each pose, he used all of his formidable physical control to string the postures together.
The blade stuck into the mud just by his left year, the grass by the little finger of his right hand, and fell onto a dewdrop next to his throat.
He was impossible to hit.
A strange look slowly filled Haitang's eyes. She had been training since childhood, and her innate skills were outstanding. She had a natural confidence with the blade, and save for the four grandmasters, she considered none her equal. This young Fan Xian, no matter how one considered him, was not her equal... But then why, with him being in such a difficult situation, was her blade still not enough? Every time she tried to stab him, his body seemed to have anticipated it, and at the moment of greatest danger, shifted by inches!
The sweat on Fan Xian's brow dripped onto the meadow. Things were getting too dangerous. At a number of points, he had come close to impalement. Although her speed and accuracy with the blade was not quite that of Wu Zhu, it was still remarkable. He felt some regret, and felt that he shouldn't try to evade her but instead face her head-on as recklessly as before, overwhelming her calmness with his intrepidness.
But as things stood, there was no other way.
At a life-or-death moment, Fan Xian rolled across the dew-moistened meadow, battered and exhausted as he dodged. He would have no chance to complain about Wu Zhu's quality of teaching if such a talented fighter was still unable to harm him.
With a whoosh, a black arrow broke through the air, headed toward Haitang's face. At that moment, Haitang's attention was completely focused on Fan Xian. She turned her body slightly, allowing the arrow to whistle past her cheek.
Following after it were two more—three more arrows!
A densely packed and deadly hail of arrows missed Fan Xian, who was rolling around on the floor like a puppy, dodging toward Haitang.
Haitang sighed and brandished her blade in a circle, sweeping away one arrow after another. Her wrist began to feel numb, and could not help but become somewhat startled; how could the puny bows of the cavalry let forth such a powerful volley?
Shortly after, a blade flew forth with unstoppable force - it belonged to Tiger Guard Gao Da! The point of the blade stuck into the mud just in front of Haitang, forcing her to step back.
The sound of horses' hooves rumbled like thunder. The Black Knights had finally dashed to the meadow from outside the village. Hundreds of hooves restlessly galloped. They seemed to bring an air of terror to the meadow. Immediately, with their faces covered, the Black Knights drew their bows, aiming at the powerful master who was dressed in the clothing of a village girl.
"You're lucky." Haitang floated lightly away, retreating a distance from the terrifying cavalry. She softly ran her fingers through her hair as she spoke to the distant Fan Xian, who was struggling to get up.
Fan Xian laughed bitterly, not saying a word as he watched the distant village girl wave goodbye.
The meadow fell silent. Ordered to do so, the Black Knights dismounted their horses one by one and chanted all at once. "Commissioner, it is an honor."
Fan Xian turned around and saw the chilling cavalry. He finally calmed down somewhat and spoke rather wearily. "This place is poisonous. Be careful that your horses are not harmed."
Returning to the camp, an imperial physician who had followed them saw to Fan Xian's wounds, bandaging him liberally. Fan Xian's face was grave and stern as he entered the camp. He told his subordinates that today they would rest, and tomorrow they would enter the village of Wuduhe.
"Who was it?" Fan Xian was not in a good mood. He looked at Wang Qinian coldly.
Wang Qinian bowed. "The person who opened the carriage door was someone from Xinyang. The spy in the Council also had some connection to Xinyang. As for outside the village of Wuduhe, the army responsible for receiving him were in disguise, but we discovered that they were private forces of the Northern Qi general Lü Jing. Lü Jing first served in the army of Shang Shanhu a decade ago, and since then he has risen quickly through the ranks.
Fan Xian nodded. The wound on his shoulder had begun to ache. He frowned. "Xiao En is connected to Shang Shanhu, I could guess that. So it's only normal that Lü Jing came. As for Xinyang... Xiao En was able to leave prison thanks to Xinyang's tricks. But if they knew we were going to arrive safely in Shangjing, I don't see why they arranged an attempt to set him free?"
His head ached, and he could not understand just what the secret agreement between the Eldest Princess and Northern Qi entailed.
"It's very clear. The Eldest Princess and Shang Shanhu both hope that Xiao En does not fall into the hands of the royal family of Northern Qi," Wang Qinian conjectured. "It seems that the royal family of Northern Qi wants Xiao En's secrets, but not Xiao En himself."
"In that case, if Xiao En arrived safely in Northern Qi, perhaps he would die of old age in prison instead of wielding power. No wonder he was so desperate to escape." Fan Xian frowned as he talked to himself. "It seems that the young Emperor of Northern Qi is no fool. Perhaps he also understands the connection between Shang Shanhu and Xiao En."
"But... what kind of secrets could make the royal family of Northern Qi so nervous? Why did Ku He dispatch Haitang to silence him? Why was Chen Pingping willing to let him go free? Why was he not willing to have him killed?"
"I feel like such an idiot." Fan Xian looked at the wounded Xiao En and propped his chin on his hand in thought. This was how things were. Before he had fought Xiao En, his enemy had been a tiger. After they had fought, he had found that he was merely a paper tiger. His mother had taught Chen Pingping well.
"I definitely wanted to kill you," he continued. "And in the end, after all that work, at the crucial moment, I became your bodyguard." The way things had developed was truly absurd. Xiao En's aged voice rang out. "Many things in life are thus. If they were not absurd, then they would not be true."
Fan Xian laughed. "But the lure of killing you is still strong."
"Haitang is a student of Ku He. When that bald fool Ku He speaks, everyone in Northern Qi listens," said Xiao En calmly. "Since she knows that I am alive, then you can't plant me among those corpses outside the village. If you were to kill me now, then it is doubtful that Master Yan would make it out alive."
"Then what secrets are you hiding?" Fan Xian looked at him quietly. "Something that would make Ku He go to the trouble of killing you."
"It's a few old stories and nothing more."
"When we were in the meadow, speaking of your secrets, that was when she appeared, ready to kill you." Fan Xian looked at him coldly. "The secret indeed seems to be a great one, if it could cause such chaos to the tranquility of an upper ninth-level master."
Xiao En laughed at him. "Why do you presume that she was not preparing to kill you?"
"There is no enmity between her and me. Why would she want to kill me?" Fan Xian looked into Xiao En's bloodshot eyes as if he were trying to divine the secret long hidden behind them.
"You're wrong." Xiao En laughed gently. The cold air of fear that had surrounded him when he had first left the prison of the Overwatch Council had long since disappeared.
"It seems that Ku He does not want you to return to Northern Qi alive."
"Correct. The reason I knew that you had laid a trap and yet still dared to escape was because I knew that, ultimately, whether it was the royal family of Northern Qi or even this Eldest Princess - who I have never met - no one would let me die so easily. The Eldest Princess you speak of would perhaps wish to use my death as part of some agreement with Shang Shanhu. After all, she is too young, and knows nothing of the secrets of the past...
"More importantly," Xiao En continued, "Ku He wants to shut me up, so he rushed to kill me before I crossed over the border... You are quite a remarkable person. No doubt you will wonder what sort of secrets could provoke him to kill me. Since this is the case, you had no choice to turn from my assassin into my protector."
Fan Xian was silent.
"You set a trap, I sprung it, and ultimately I lost. But I have one last thing to rely on. All I can do is play that last card, which will stop you from killing me. Tomorrow we cross the border, and you will have no more chances to make your move. So now... it is up to you." Xiao En's face did not change. Although the old fox did not have his former strength, it seemed his calculating mind could still see clearly through men's hearts.
"I'm interested in that card of yours; more so than anyone else. I'll admit that's enough to spare you for now." Fan Xian did not seem discouraged in the slightest. Instead, he smiled to himself. "But you haven't escaped. When we get to Shangjing, Shang Shanhu has no way to save you. You will still be locked up by the royal family of Northern Qi, tormented until you die of old age or reveal your secrets."
There was a sudden flash of fear in Xiao En's eyes. After his serious injuries today, it seemed that he had been weakened.
"So what kind of secret is it?" Fan Xian continued his questioning from the meadow. "Since you don't fear death, why won't you talk? Don't tell me that there are things worse than death, I don't believe that nonsense."
Xiao En seemed to have finally discovered the coldness deep in Fan Xian's heart. He smiled, his mouth shut tight.
Fan Xian suddenly closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He extended his hand like a gust of wind, and softly took hold of the needle in Xiao En's neck. It had not been removed since it had been stuck into one of Xiao En's meridians when they were in Aishan Forest. As the needle slowly left his body, the old man suddenly groaned, a pained expression on his face. All at once, blood suddenly began to leave the many wounds, large and small, on his body!
"This needle can stop the flow of your blood vessels, but in truth it can also help you staunch bleeding. After pulling it out, by the time I count to about 20, you'll have died from blood loss." Fan Xian spoke calmly as he fingered the needle. "This is the only way you can keep yourself alive, so proceed carefully."
The blood dripped from Xiao En's body, soaking his clothing and dripping onto his chair. His face became increasingly pale, and the old-man odor that hung around him became increasingly thick. It seemed to slowly morph into the stench of death.
But his mouth remained closed.
Drip. Drip. Some time passed. Fan Xian frowned. His finger flew like lightning, sticking the needle into another of Xiao En's acupoints, helping him to staunch the bleeding. Then he carefully smeared knockout drops under the nose of the semi-conscious Xiao En.