The long night had not yet ended, and it was still before dawn.
Baisu Town had completely quieted down. Only in the restaurants and taverns far away could one hear the shouts of some soldiers.
In the room on the second floor of the inn, Yejingtang sat cross-legged on the bed, practicing the techniques of the Jade Bone Dragon Elephant Diagram to temper his muscles and bones, while keeping his ears attentive to any slightest movement around.
After an unknown period of silence, the sound of a bird flying by came from outside the window of the inn, followed by the soft sound of claws scratching at the window.
Da da da~~
Yejingtang opened his eyes, picked up the long saber, got up, walked to the window, and opened it. A white ball squeezed in, landed on the bed, and then fell straight back, lying on its back with its claws pointing upwards:
"Jiji..."
Yejingtang knew that the bird had been flying all night and was very tired. He came to the bedside and sat down, picked up the bird, placed it on his lap, and stroked its feathers:
"Did you find the place?"
"Jiji..."
The bird could distinguish the directions of east, west, south, and north and the approximate distance. Yejingtang learned that Bai Siming had gone to a place more than two hundred li to the northwest. He took out the map and searched according to the direction. It was near Heyuan County in Wuzhou, within the sphere of influence of Qihuang Villa.
Qihuang Villa didn't have great influence, and Heyuan County was located at a transportation hub. There was basically no possibility that the Prince of Wu was hiding there.
Bai Siming wasn't injured. He probably went there to take a temporary rest and handle some matters. If they wanted to keep the clues going, they definitely had to go there as soon as possible...
But the True Person Xuanji still hadn't woken up...
Thinking of this, Yejingtang frowned, looked back at the silent room next door, placed the bird on the pillow, and got up to go out the door.
There were no outsiders in the small inn, and the corridor on the second floor was dark.
Yejingtang listened attentively by the door. He couldn't even hear the sound of breathing inside, so he couldn't determine the situation. Then he opened the door.
In the not very spacious room, the red candle in the candlestick had already burned out, leaving a pool of candle wax.
The Hehuan Sword, which had been put back into the white scabbard, was placed flat on the dressing table. Beside it were also personal items such as a purse and a small gourd.
Between the curtains, the True Person Xuanji, whose age couldn't be guessed, was wearing a snow-white long dress and lying quietly on the pillow. A thin quilt covered her chest. The flush on her face had faded, and she looked peaceful. Her hands were crossed over her waist, and her sleeping posture was proper.
The True Person Xuanji's appearance and demeanor were clearly gentle and elegant, and her beauty could be described as stunning at first glance. However, the indifferent expression that naturally appeared on her face always gave people a feeling of "I don't care about anything, so I can do anything," making people feel that she wasn't easy to provoke...
Yejingtang knew that she was a highly respected Imperial Preceptor of the current dynasty and a distinguished Taoist master. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was the leader of the righteous path. Naturally, he wouldn't judge her character based on her appearance or his feelings.
After taking a careful look and seeing that the woman didn't move, Yejingtang walked slowly to the bedside, wanting to check her physical condition by feeling her pulse.
However, as soon as he stretched out his right hand and before he could touch her wrist, he found a pair of bright black eyes silently opening in front of him and looking at him.
"..."
Their eyes met, and the room was silent for a moment.
The True Person Xuanji was awakened from her sleep, and a moment of confusion flashed in her eyes. Then the experiences before she lost consciousness flooded into her mind:
Yesterday, she had been hit by the Blood Coagulation Powder of the Thief Saint of Beiliang. Its power was indeed quite strong. When she was expelling the poison, this handsome arrestor had barged in, forcing her to choose to leave as the best option...
He chased, and she fled. As a result, she didn't escape. She showed off by increasing her speed violently, but it caused the Blood Coagulation Powder to take effect...
She thought this arrestor wasn't a threat, so she first suppressed the toxicity. But then this guy came over and actually stabbed her in the buttocks with a needle...
Thinking of this, the peach-blossom eyes of the True Person Xuanji narrowed slightly, revealing a dangerous look.
?!
Yejingtang secretly thought it was bad. Just as he was about to retract his hand and back away, he found that the True Person Xuanji's left hand, which had been crossed over her waist, shot out like lightning and grabbed his right wrist.
Yejingtang knew how powerful the other party was. If she overreacted when she was awakened, his arm might be broken. So he immediately let his hand follow the force, trying to counter-grab her wrist.
Seeing that this audacious young arrestor actually dared to compete with her in hand-to-hand combat, a hint of amusement flashed in the True Person Xuanji's eyes. She immediately sprang up, and at the same time, her left hand pulled hard, wanting to use her superb skills to let this young arrestor know his place.
The scene the True Person Xuanji envisioned was probably like this —— She, dressed in white like snow, would spring up from the bed, and at the same time, pull Yejingtang towards the bed. As she leaped over Yejingtang, she would wrap Yejingtang into a caterpillar with the thin quilt and throw him onto the bed.
Then she would land gracefully, pick up the wine gourd on the dressing table in a smooth motion, and leave Yejingtang with a dashing back that was beyond his reach.
It was a good idea, but as soon as the True Person Xuanji moved, she found that the aftereffect of the Blood Coagulation Powder was quite strong. Her body hadn't fully recovered, and the circulation of qi and blood was not smooth, causing the force of her springing up to be just a little bit weaker.
And Yejingtang's speed of gathering his qi was much faster than that of a martial artist at the same level, so his reaction could actually keep up with hers. When she pulled hard, Yejingtang also planted his feet firmly on the ground at the same time, trying to stabilize his body.
The result was that the True Person Xuanji didn't spring up, and Yejingtang didn't stand still either. They actually rushed towards each other.
Yejingtang was pulled into a stagger by the True Person Xuanji's terrifying explosive force and directly fell towards the bed. At first, he thought the True Person Xuanji was going to press him onto the bed, and he was just about to say:
"Miss, wait a moment!"
But soon he realized that this woman in white had a different idea. After pulling hard, her body actually crashed into him horizontally, and the height was not enough to leap over his head at all.
The posture looked as if she was going to crash into him like a watermelon.
(⊙_⊙)?!
Peng~
A dull sound of bodies colliding came from the silent room, and then it fell into silence.
Yejingtang was pulled to the bedside and then took two steps back after being hit before he managed to steady himself. He raised his arms and caught the woman in white, who seemed to be at a loss.
The True Person Xuanji crashed into Yejingtang and then fell down. Her back was supported by his right arm, and the back of her knees was supported by his left arm. She landed in Yejingtang's arms in a standard princess carry posture. Her eyes, which had been indifferent and somewhat both righteous and evil, twitched slightly in a barely noticeable way.
!
But the True Person Xuanji had an extremely strong psychological quality. She managed to keep a straight face and looked at Yejingtang calmly, pretending that "this was exactly what she had planned" to cover up her small mistake.
Yejingtang was completely confused by this gesture of throwing herself into his arms as soon as they met. The "Miss, wait a moment" that was originally about to blurt out now became:
"Miss, please respect yourself! Well... Saving you yesterday was a normal execution of my official duties. It's only natural for you to want to express your gratitude, but... I'm not that kind of person. You..."
As he spoke, he quickly put the True Person Xuanji back on the bed.
The True Person Xuanji couldn't very well say that she had failed due to a lack of strength, so she didn't explain. She propped up her face with her hand on the bed and made a half-smile expression:
"Taking advantage of a woman's fainting state and using hidden weapons to attack her lower body. How can you have the nerve to say that you're not that kind of person?"
"..."
Yejingtang really couldn't imagine that this enchanting woman in white was actually the Imperial Preceptor of the current dynasty of Dawei and Benben's master.
If he didn't know her identity, he wouldn't have the slightest doubt if someone said that this was a demoness of a demonic sect who took pleasure in harming martial artists in the Jianghu.
"I showed my waist token and conducted a routine inspection. Miss, you didn't state your identity and even resisted arrest. When I wasn't sure of your background, using the golden needle to subdue you was following the procedure..."
The True Person Xuanji squinted her eyes slightly: "Young Master, do you think I'm a woman who is very reasonable? Just because you act according to the law and have valid reasons, I won't cause you trouble?"
Judging from these few words, Yejingtang felt that this girl might indeed not be very reasonable. He said seriously:
"I believe I have a clear conscience. If Miss harbors any resentment, I can't do anything about it. Also, regarding your injury, I asked the female physician in the town to help treat you. I've been staying in the next room all the time. If Miss hadn't taken the initiative to throw yourself into my arms just now, I wouldn't have offended you in any way..."
The True Person Xuanji carefully observed Yejingtang's expression and felt that he wasn't lying. So she gracefully got up, put on the plum blossom embroidered shoes, took the small wine gourd on the dressing table, and brought it to her red lips to take a sip.
Gulu~
The strong liquor slid down her throat, and more memories of yesterday flooded into her mind.
After the young arrestor gave her a needle, he came closer. She saw that there was only focus and caution in his eyes for handling official business impartially, and there was no malicious intent, so she no longer tensed up...
Although she let down her guard, the instinct developed over years of practicing martial arts was still there. Whether she was seriously injured and fainted or was dead drunk, when she sensed danger, her intuition would wake her up. Just like when the young arrestor came close and touched her wrist just now, she woke up immediately...
Vaguely, she seemed to remember that someone had patted her face and there were women's voices. Then someone took off her clothes, massaged her buttocks, and pulled out the needle...
Her body had felt it, but she hadn't been awakened. It could only mean that subconsciously, she had judged that she was in a very safe environment and didn't need to force herself to wake up to resist...
The True Person Xuanji's state was like that after a hangover. She vaguely remembered something but couldn't remember it clearly. After determining that there was no major problem, she didn't think about it anymore. She put down the wine gourd and raised her hand slightly:
"The 'Sadness of the Chaste Woman' from Shazhou. Do you want to have a sip?"
Yejingtang's hometown was in Liangzhou, which was relatively close to Shazhou. He had heard of the fame of this wine. Its original name was "Heart-Burning Saber." It tasted smooth when it entered the mouth, but its aftereffect was extremely strong. Even the most chaste woman would lie down and let others have their way after drinking a cup, and the same was true for men. So it had the nicknames of "Sadness of the Chaste Woman" and "Kneeling Immortal."
Because of its astonishing price and scarce production, Yejingtang had never actually drunk it. But he couldn't predict at all what the True Person Xuanji would do next, so how could he accept the wine.
"I'm on official business, so it's not convenient for me to drink. There has just been news from outside. If Miss's injury is healed..."
The True Person Xuanji hung the wine gourd around her waist, came to the chair and sat down. Her sitting posture was quite gentle and elegant. She raised her hand and slowly poured tea:
"You helped me pull out the golden needle. Did you recognize my identity?"
Yejingtang nodded and sat down opposite her:
"I'm Yejingtang. I've long heard of your great name, Miss. Today, seeing you in person, you are indeed extraordinary..."
The True Person Xuanji raised her finger slightly and interrupted the polite words:
"Young Master Ye, you can just call me Miss Shui'er. Titles like True Person or Taoist Priest are too old-fashioned."
Yejingtang thought for a while and then asked: "Miss Shui'er, your martial arts skills are rarely matched in the world. But yesterday, you were... I dare to ask, who knocked you unconscious yesterday? I'm investigating the whereabouts of the Prince of Wu, and I don't know how many powerful people are under the Prince of Wu..."
"..."
The True Person Xuanji felt that her invincible image had completely collapsed in the eyes of this young arrestor in front of her.
She was searching for the Minglong Map outside under a secret decree. The matter of her relentlessly chasing the Thief Saint of Beiliang couldn't be known by anyone. But if she didn't explain it clearly, Yejingtang was in charge of tracking down the whereabouts of the Prince of Wu. Facing a powerful figure who could knock her down, he might not dare to enter Wushan again.
The True Person Xuanji pondered for a moment and casually explained:
"I was traveling around the mountains. Passing through this place, I encountered a black snake with three hundred years of cultivation. It had the appearance of transforming into a dragon. To prevent it from bringing disaster to the common people at the foot of the mountain, I drew my sword and killed it, and I was poisoned a little by the snake."
?
Yejingtang felt that this woman was probably drunk. He frowned and said:
"This matter concerns the safety of the court's arrestors. Miss, such an explanation, I'm afraid..."
"Young Master, you can rest assured. This matter has nothing to do with the Prince of Wu. I hope you can keep my appearance in Wuzhou a secret and not spread it out. Otherwise..."
As the True Person Xuanji said this, she glanced at her waist:
"I'm a very vengeful person. If new and old grudges are settled together, Young Master, you may regret meeting me for the rest of your life."
To be honest, Yejingtang didn't really want to meet the True Person Xuanji a second time. He cupped his hands and said:
"Miss, please rest assured. I will definitely keep it a secret."
After drinking two sips of the small wine, a touch of blush appeared on the True Person Xuanji's face. Having failed several times in front of others continuously, she might have felt that she had lost face. So she didn't stay any longer. She stood up, took Yejingtang's bamboo hat, and put it on her head:
"When the sun rises and the wine wears off, people will leave. Although separated by thousands of mountains, we share the same clouds and rain. Meeting is fate. We'll meet again in the Jianghu."
Seeing the True Person Xuanji say such a literary sentence, Yejingtang stood up, raised his right hand slightly, and after a little deliberation:
"Have a pleasant journey."
"?"
The True Person Xuanji looked at Yejingtang's posture and thought he was going to show that he was both civil and military. When she heard this sentence, she was suddenly speechless. She picked up the Hehuan Sword, moved slightly, and then floated out of the window like a willow leaf in the wind, extremely fast yet silent. Her posture was as ethereal as that of an immortal.
Yejingtang admired the True Person Xuanji's extraordinary movement skills, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly heard another sound outside:
Hua la——
The sound of the roof being stepped on and collapsing.
??
Yejingtang quickly turned around and came to the window to look. He saw that there was a hole in the roof of a house not far away, and the tiles were falling down.
And a white back with an ethereal air rose and fell above the buildings, gradually moving away, as if nothing had happened.
Yejingtang opened his mouth, originally wanting to comment a few words, but then thought better of it. In his heart, he just thought that if the top three of the Eight Champions were like this, then it didn't seem that he had no chance if he went to fight against Xuanyuan Chao...
——
A moment later, outside the inn at the end of the street.
The sky in the east was turning pale, and it was probably only a little past five o'clock in the morning. The street was quiet with not a single person in sight.
Yejingtang led the horse to the outside of the inn. Seeing that the people in this inn had also run away to avoid the military disaster, he tied the horse to the stable by himself. Then he held the bird, which was sleeping soundly like a little pig, and leaped onto the window of the second floor.
There was no light in the spacious room. The long spear was leaning against the shelf bed by the wall.
For the convenience of observation, the curtains hadn't been drawn. The two women were sleeping fully dressed on the bed.
Luo Ning's combat power was slightly lower