Although Zhan Luori did not have much skill in reading people’s hearts, he understood enough of how things worked. Especially after Feng Jiu’er’s reminder, he had an even clearer picture of what he needed to do next.
“I have to go.” Jiu’er gave him one last glance, then turned and headed off in the direction of the back mountain.
Zhan Luori opened his mouth as if to speak but held back. He watched her retreating figure, wanting to follow, yet fearing that he would only slow her down.
“Are you certain… that the Ninth Imperial Uncle is truly all right?”
“For now.” There were things she could not guarantee, so Feng Jiu’er dared not make reckless claims — but that he was safe for the moment, at least, she could say with certainty.
“Take every precaution, and tell the Ninth Imperial Uncle to take care of himself.”
“Understood.”
Jiu’er’s silhouette had already vanished into the trees, leaving only a faint voice drifting away on the wind.
Take care of yourself too… Zhan Luori stared into the dim depths of the dense forest, shrouded in the murky night. Many words failed to leave his lips — but they would all understand, without being said.
He hoped the Ninth Imperial Uncle would come through this unharmed. He hoped that Feng Jiu’er would keep herself safe.
Right now, anxiety gnawed at him relentlessly, and the days ahead would likely be no different.
Until Long Yi came looking for him, there was nothing he could do beyond feigning ignorance of the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s whereabouts and continuing to search. Nothing more than that.
……
After plunging into the dense forest, Jiu’er did not immediately make her way toward Blackwind Cliff. She was afraid there might be other unexpected dangers.
A high-level martial artist like Zhan Luori had been trailing her all this time without her detecting a thing — only because he had deliberately allowed himself to be noticed. If there were other experts of similar caliber lurking about, she would have no way of evading them at all.
Suddenly, for reasons she could not quite explain, she found herself thinking of the man in black who had once gravely wounded her and forced the Ninth Imperial Uncle to risk his very life to save her.
That man in the black robes — his martial arts were unfathomably deep. Aside from the Ninth Imperial Uncle and Mu Mu, even Zhan Luori might not be his match.
Jiu’er had no idea who he was, but ever since that incident, the black-robed man had not appeared again.
Given his unwavering intent to kill the Ninth Imperial Uncle — now that the Ninth Imperial Uncle was in danger and the imperial capital was in chaos — would this not be the perfect opportunity for him to strike?
So she had to tread with extreme caution. She could not let anyone discover the path leading down to the base of Blackwind Cliff.
Whether it was only her imagination or not, thinking of the black-robed man at this moment sent an unshakeable chill creeping through her.
She had the constant sense that someone was following close behind her.
Yet every time she turned around, there was nothing — not even the faintest trace of a presence — and by all reason, no one should have been there.
So why did she feel so persistently watched?
Feng Jiu’er’s own cultivation was by no means weak, but against a supreme-level expert, it was far from enough — to say nothing of the fact that she was already carrying an injury.
Was she truly being followed?
The thought grew more and more insistent in her mind. She dared not head toward Blackwind Cliff; instead, she turned and went the other way.
The sensation of being watched remained, yet she could not detect even a trace of that person’s presence.
If she was not simply being paranoid — if this was not her own nerves playing tricks on her — then someone truly was following her, and that person’s level of cultivation… the black-robed man!
All at once, Feng Jiu’er stopped in her tracks. She sat down beneath a tree, rummaged through her bag, and retrieved something, holding it in her hand.
“Come out,” she said. “You’ve been trailing me long enough. Even if you’re not tired, I am.” A cold sweat had broken out at her temple — inside, she was nearly terrified to death — but outwardly, she remained as composed as ever.
The air held nothing but the sound of the wind and the soft rustling of leaves. No other movement. Not even a birdsong.
Feng Jiu’er lowered her gaze to the small vial in her hand and spoke again. “If you don’t come out, I won’t be leading you to where I’m going. If you have the patience to wait me out, then by all means — continue.”
She did not look back. She only pretended to fuss with her vial, because in truth she had no idea where the other person was. She merely had an inexplicable feeling that someone might be there. If she turned to look, whoever it was would surely see that she had no idea where they were — and that she had no way of knowing for certain whether she was truly being followed.
In the darkness, a cold gust of wind suddenly swept up.
Feng Jiu’er closed her eyes briefly. She felt something close to despair. Someone truly was following her — and it was a presence she could not resist in the slightest.
She had been gambling on a hunch. She simply had not expected the gamble to pay off.
Not even the faintest trace of presence — how extraordinarily powerful must his inner energy cultivation be!
The figure was once again clad in black robes, looking much the same as the last time. Jiu’er held the small vial in her hand, but her fingertips were trembling ever so slightly.
The moment she saw him, the memory of the agonizing pain when he had shattered her heart meridians came rushing back. That pain — even now, just the thought of it sent her heart racing with dread!
“To be frightened to this degree and yet still speak to this lord with such composure — you are indeed remarkable,” said the black-robed man.
He walked unhurriedly toward her, tilting his gaze downward to study her lovely face in the dim night. A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips — one that seemed, strangely, to carry a touch of regret.
“Pity. You are far too important to Zhan Qingcheng. A chess piece of such value must naturally be put to good use. Were it otherwise, this lord would have been willing to take you in.”
“Pfft! Have you even looked in a mirror? What makes you think you have any right to want me? How could you even compare to my Ninth Imperial Uncle?”
Feng Jiu’er cast him a cold glance — just one glance — and yet that fear surged back into her heart all over again.
The pain of shattered heart meridians was not something an ordinary person could endure. She had suffered it once, and she had no desire to suffer it a second time.
Moreover, most people did not survive having their heart meridians destroyed — she had been fortunate enough to have the Ninth Imperial Uncle sacrifice himself to save her. If it happened again, would she still have the same chance at survival?
She gripped the vial tightly in her hand, forcing herself to keep her eyes fixed steadily on the mask covering the black-robed man’s face.
The black-robed man smiled faintly, his voice deliberately kept low and hoarse. “Provocation has absolutely no effect on this lord. But you, little girl — you truly are sharp-witted. If you could manage not to die, how would you feel about this lord taking you in?”
“You’re not even a tenth as handsome as my Ninth Imperial Uncle. If I chose you, I’d be the greatest fool in the entire world.”
“You—” The black-robed man’s composure finally wavered, just slightly. This wild girl dared to compare him unfavorably to Zhan Qingcheng, again and again!
“You have not yet seen this lord’s true face. How can you claim that this lord falls short of your Ninth Imperial Uncle?” He let out a cold, dismissive sound.
“The Ninth Imperial Uncle is the most extraordinarily handsome and the most formidable man in all the realm. Who could possibly surpass him? Furthermore, the Ninth Imperial Uncle is upright and open — whatever he does, he dares to act and dares to bear responsibility. You, on the other hand, won’t even show your true face in front of others. In what way, exactly, do you think you can be compared to him?”
“Hmph! This lord has said — provocation is utterly useless against this lord.”
“Is that so?” Jiu’er’s eyes suddenly darkened. With a flick of her wrist, an invisible, colorless fragrance was released into the air, dissipating instantly in all directions.
In the same motion, Jiu’er sprang up from the ground and sprinted at full speed toward the far end of the mountain slope……