Chapter 464: Cat and Mouse Hunt

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Old Moth watched One Willow get torn apart, dumbfounded. Li Mibi, the leader of Spider Web, had personally instructed the three of them to act together, a plan that was well-considered. Princess Murong Longshui possessed a Vajra Physique and excelled in close-quarters combat. Paired with One Willow, who was skilled in assassination, they were almost flawless. With Old Moth, one of the two Cocoon members, assisting from the side, drawing on his seasoned experience to provide additional support or fill in gaps, they could even contend with two Liyang Finger-Proficiency Realm masters.

Even though One Willow had suffered two sword wounds and a knife wound, severely weakening his combat ability, Old Moth couldn't believe the situation would be resolved in such a short time. In a fight to the death between masters, it is not just a contest of strength but also of wits. Old Moth had, in fact, noticed some clues: when One Willow teamed up with him, creating a torrential downpour of sword qi, Xu Fengnian had raised the ground like an umbrella, deliberately exposing a fatal weakness at the empty handle. One Willow had initially suspected a trap and even made a move to withdraw his sword midway. However, through a chain of interconnected events, One Willow, renowned in Northern Mang for his skill in seizing killing opportunities, changed his mind again and decisively thrust his sword at the forehead. In fact, he almost succeeded; the sword nearly penetrated the skull. If One Willow had succeeded and retreated, not only would Spider Web have achieved great merit, but it would not have been difficult to get the Empress to bestow several princesses or county princesses. Furthermore, the three-way balance of power between Northern Mang, Liyang, and Northern Liang might have loosened. That would truly have been a case of 'planting a willow without intent, yet it grows into shade.' But how could Old Moth have imagined that the young man, the esteemed hereditary Prince of Northern Liang, would go so far as to put himself in mortal danger, allowing One Willow's sword to pierce his glabella, only to strike fatally at the very threshold of life and death?

It was fortunate that Old Moth didn't anticipate it, but One Willow, highly valued by Li Mibi, could only perish in a foreign land. Old Moth was no stranger to restrictive quagmires; years ago, he and another Cocoon member had besieged a Finger-Proficiency Realm master who refused to be recruited by Northern Mang—a fight that was almost a death-for-death exchange. Like a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, a person begins to fear death in middle age. This was especially true for Old Moth, an elderly man in his sixties who had lived a life on the edge for most of his life. He increasingly longed for the canaries he kept in his private courtyard in Northern Mang, and the soft, tender-skinned young woman who could be his granddaughter, on whom Old Moth always liked to pinch out bruises. If he had known earlier that they would encounter the Crown Prince of Northern Liang, who had achieved a pseudo-celestial phenomenon realm through dark artifacts, then for a foolproof plan, they should have brought along Silkworm Cocoon, who was skilled in various Finger-Proficiency realm secret arts, or invited Jian Qijin, whose original name was Sun Shaopu.

Murong Longshui sat cross-legged on the ground, the severity of her injuries indiscernible. She smiled at Xu Fengnian, saying, "I once heard that you encountered Tuoba Chunshun on the grasslands and were besieged by him, Thunder Spear Duan Bo'er Huihui, and Rainbow Serpent Jinxiulang. At that time, you had probably only recently entered the Vajra realm, yet you still managed to kill one of them. I believed it, but I was always curious how you did it. Now I understand a bit better. My trip to Liyang was not in vain."

Xu Fengnian walked unhurriedly towards Old Moth, but addressed Murong Longshui: "That time, I was chased like a dog, and Duan Bo'er Huihui's thunder spear even pierced a hole in me. It was quite miserable. But to be honest, after killing the demon Xie Ling at the Duckhead Green Inn, I don't have much fear of so-called first-rank masters, especially since I've fought both Luoyang and Fifth Hao. So, whether I'm a pseudo-realm user merely bluffing or not, I don't expect to eliminate you all in one go. But if we talk about who would pay a greater price if this drags on, it would definitely be you, who are unfamiliar with this place."

Murong Longshui stood up and said playfully, "Regarding the matter of cultivation feeding back, there seems to be a saying about 'well water not interfering with river water.' Concerning Fifth Hao's death, I once asked the Qilin Immortal Master, and the Imperial Advisor said that the 'well water' within you was completely dry, not a single drop remaining. Naturally, this allowed the 'river water' from the Princess's Tomb's dark artifacts to flow back into you. For anyone else, their meridians would probably have shattered. However, I wonder if my eyes deceive me, or if Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince is calculating against us again, deliberately using a smokescreen. It seems your 'dry well' is no longer dry. If you were to let the Vermilion Robe's dark artifact infuse you with cultivation again, it would likely leave irreversible sequelae. Repeatedly resorting to risky tactics ultimately deviates from the proper military strategy of combining orthodox and unorthodox approaches. Today, One Willow stumbled; tomorrow, it might be the Crown Prince, who holds the promising future of the Prince of Northern Liang, who faces his turn."

Xu Fengnian stopped, smiling, "You can tell that, too?"

Murong Longshui was slightly taken aback, seemingly a bit annoyed, and pointed at Xu Fengnian's hair: "Isn't Your Highness stating the obvious? Your frosted hair is gradually turning black. The witheredness of winter is giving way to the vibrancy of spring; anyone who isn't blind can see it."

Xu Fengnian nodded then shook his head, speaking in a fluent Northern Mang accent: "You're not wrong. After losing my Great Yellow Court, I've finally started to recover my vitality. Logically, I shouldn't be creating new problems at a time like this. However, you, Murong Longshui, the esteemed Princess of Northern Mang, the beloved daughter of Commissioner Murong Baoding, have come to Liyang to assassinate. You also have Jian Qijin Huang Qing, One Willow, and this senior from Spider Web right here. I don't know why you didn't act in Tai'an City and Shenwu City twice, but you most likely don't want to return empty-handed. There's a high chance you'll shamelessly continue to oppose me. Since I've finally gained the upper hand today, even if it means losing eight hundred to kill a thousand, that's still a profit of two hundred. After I return to Northern Liang, whether I'm a second-rank martial artist or a first-rank master when I succeed my father, it won't matter much. Why not resolve you all cleanly and decisively in one go?"

Murong Longshui smiled with sincerity in her eyes: "To be honest, on this southern journey, Spider Web deployed two Cocoon members and several Rod wielders, with the initial intention of assassinating Your Highness. However, they were thwarted in Tai'an City and dared not act rashly. But from the start, I had no intention of getting involved in this messy business. My journey south was to investigate the whereabouts of the demon Luoyang, to determine if Broken Spear Deng Mao and Yelü Dongchuang had defected from Northern Mang with Luoyang. After Grand Eunuch Han Diao was killed by Your Highness outside Shenwu City, Spider Web completely abandoned the idea of stirring up trouble and shifted to investigating Luoyang's plans, who is a major concern for us in Northern Mang. It's just that Xu Longxiang and the young girl behind Your Highness interfered, which caused us a great deal of trouble. These two conflicts have indeed left Northern Mang not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Luoyang should have noticed by now. As for how Spider Web will conclude this, and return to Northern Mang unscathed, Grandfather Li will surely worry himself to the point of twisting off several beard hairs. If Your Highness is willing to stand by and watch the tigers fight, Murong Longshui will owe Your Highness a favor. How about it?"

Xu Fengnian said, surprised, "Isn't Yelü Dongchuang a member of your Northern Mang imperial clan? How did he get involved with Luoyang? Broken Spear Deng Mao is an expert ranked even higher than 'Man Mao' on the martial arts ranking; how could he act as a pawn for Luoyang? Has he no arrogance befitting a top master in the world?"

Murong Longshui gave a wry smile: "What Your Highness is asking is precisely what I secretly infiltrated Liyang to find out."

Xu Fengnian narrowed his eyes playfully: "Murong Longshui, our statuses are roughly similar, not far apart. Look, I went to Northern Mang and killed two demon lords ranked among the top ten of the demonic path, plus a mountain lord of Tibing Mountain. Aren't you envious?"

The robust Murong Longshui smiled charmingly: "You are a man, I am a woman; what is there to compete over? Sooner or later, I will marry, become a wife, and raise children. If anyone is to compete for this, it's the responsibility of that silent gourd, short winter melon Yelü Dongchuang."

Xu Fengnian smiled: "Straightforward, I like that. Then you may leave. Don't forget, you owe me a favor."

Murong Longshui asked with a smile, "Seriously?"

Xu Fengnian waved his hand.

Old Moth, who had been ignored for a long time, finally felt a great weight lift from his heart. He truly did not want to risk his life fighting a reckless pseudo-celestial phenomenon. In Northern Mang, no one would give any deference to Xu Xiao, the Prince of Northern Liang. The fact that this white-haired young man could survive such a journey and return home with two heads earned Old Moth a reluctant admiration. He also increasingly lamented that new talents constantly emerge in the martial world. Even if Northern Mang had Hong Jingyan, who had already achieved great influence, and Tuoba Chunshun, who grew stronger with each setback and gradually accumulated power, as well as Princess Murong and Young Prince Yelü, it was only by truly experiencing the Liyang martial world firsthand that one realized its profound depth. Jian Qijin of the Qijian Yuefu, whose original name was Sun Shaopu, changed his name to Huang Qing after Taiping Ling jokingly remarked that Northern Mang's swordsmanship was like withered rice in barren fields, struggling to produce new talent. However, here in Liyang, sword masters were as common as worthless weeds, mown down one after another. The people of Liyang themselves paid little heed, but it struck fear into their neighbor, Northern Mang. When fortune prospers, the land thrives, and when the land thrives, heroes emerge – this has been a universal truth throughout history. Her Majesty the Empress could no longer bear to watch the Zhao family of Liyang slowly grow stronger, calmly absorbing the power of the eight Spring and Autumn states. Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. The God of War, Tuoba Pusa, was outmaneuvered by Luoyang in the far northern ice fields, causing a ripple effect that caught even Taiping Ling, now an Imperial Grand Tutor, off guard. The Empress was furious, but within a year, tens of thousands of elite cavalry were still led by the nose by the white-robed Luoyang, suffering heavy losses. Finally, she even escaped to Liyang. If Luoyang were to pledge allegiance to the Zhao family of Liyang, it would undoubtedly plunge Northern Mang's already low morale, already hit by the Northern Liang Iron Cavalry's raids on border strongholds, into rock bottom.

Murong Longshui turned around and left casually, while Old Moth was much more cautious, slowly retreating.

Xu Fengnian fixed his gaze on Old Moth and chuckled softly: "I said the Princess could leave, but I didn't say you could. Last time, a large group of assassins from Northern Mang's martial world tried to infiltrate our border and assassinate Northern Liang officials. If I recall correctly, that scheme was planned by Li Mibi, with six of Spider Web's senior and junior Rod wielders personally leading it. This account needs to be settled clearly."

Murong Longshui turned back indignantly: "Your Highness, saying that is quite unfair, isn't it?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled: "The Princess has sincerity, but that old man from Spider Web isn't so straightforward. Pulling out a small bee from his sleeve, he was likely sending a secret message to Spider Web, clearly showing he hasn't given up, hoping to seize this opportunity while I'm alone to accomplish the great deed they couldn't achieve in Tai'an City or Shenwu City."

Xu Fengnian flicked his sleeve, and eight flying swords neatly hovered before him. "Since you're using sleeve-bees to send messages, don't blame me for using the most convenient sword-tomb flying swords to 'slay butterflies and kill spiders.'"

Murong Longshui and Old Moth exchanged a glance and simultaneously flew back in retreat. At the same time, Xu Fengnian unhesitatingly pursued them relentlessly, maintaining a close distance to prevent their escape. The young girl carrying a withered sunflower silently followed behind Xu Fengnian.

In the distance, Murong Longshui imperceptibly slowed her pace, subtly probing his qi. Xu Fengnian suddenly accelerated, and the distance between them instantly shortened from forty to thirty zhang. Murong Longshui, whose original intention was to test if Xu Fengnian was just putting on a brave front, sighed and only then began her true retreat. She didn't believe Xu Fengnian would let her go just for a verbal favor. Xu Fengnian not immediately pursuing them after tearing One Willow apart suggested two possibilities. One was that he was exhausted; fighting three opponents single-handedly was a strenuous effort, and his situation was likely not good. If that were the case, Murong Longshui wouldn't mind exchanging severe injuries for Xu Fengnian's death. The other possibility was that this cunning Crown Prince, familiar with fighting to the death, was repeating an old trick, deliberately feigning weakness again to more easily kill her and Old Moth, whose strengths were considerable. While Old Moth could involve Spider Web's hidden forces, Xu Fengnian might also be able to summon reinforcements, in which case the outcome would still be a fifty-fifty chance.

Xu Fengnian pursued the two through the air, with the young assassin, whom he nicknamed 'Hehe Girl,' constantly following behind him.

Xu Fengnian wiped his face with his hand, his palm covered in blood. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke frankly in a low voice: "That Princess is full of schemes; I had to put on a brave front. If it weren't for her relentless desire to kill me, I would have dragged you and run away long ago. I fought Zhao Ningshen on Chunshun Lake and can no longer let her infuse me with cultivation without restraint. This is good for me personally, as my inner qi is growing wildly, but for the current situation, it's not beneficial; in fact, it's a hindrance. Even if my internal energy were to advance rapidly in a day or two, it wouldn't reach the first-rank realm. Moreover, she was severely injured in her fight with 'Man Mao' in Shenwu City. Killing One Willow this time was mostly a bluff. If One Willow hadn't foolishly charged in, after a bit more time, she and I would have been exposed. But don't worry, they absolutely cannot kill you. And if they want to kill me, even if I stand still and don't flee, it still won't be easy for them. We can broadly say we are in an invincible position. This whole endeavor is just a matter of earning more or less."

The young girl scoffed.

Xu Fengnian looked into the distance: "It would be best if we could capture that Princess and the old man alive; then I'll make a huge profit. Later, we'll split the spoils right here, and with our friendship, I guarantee I won't shortchange you."

The young girl kicked Xu Fengnian in the backside. The agile Crown Prince deftly somersaulted in the air, continued gliding steadily forward, and chuckled softly: "Even if Spider Web has reinforcements hidden, they wouldn't dare to rush in recklessly. Besides, I also have backup plans. Let's play cat and mouse with these two Northern Mang big shots slowly. I can also take this opportunity to recover my cultivation through battle and solidify the realm I've regained. You are good at finding the precise timing and location for surprise attacks, and Xu Ying by my side is skilled at sensing qi. They're going to have a hard time!"

For an entire day, Murong Longshui and Old Moth felt utterly stifled by the dangerous 'game' of cat and mouse. Xu Fengnian consistently kept within half a li of them. When they rested, Xu Fengnian would leisurely stop as well, harassing and provoking them from a certain distance. When they moved forward, Xu Fengnian would continue to tail them. On two occasions, he even actively launched an interception, retreating decisively if the attack didn't succeed. Murong Longshui had considered turning back to seize the initiative, but Xu Fengnian gave her no such chance. He was skilled in pursuit, but his escape was even more remarkable—he made a swift getaway, shedding all pretense of being a master more than anyone else when it was time to escape.

If One Willow had been present, participating in this hunt where both sides had a chance of victory, Murong Longshui and Old Moth wouldn't have been so passive. But there are no 'ifs' in this world. In the deepening night, Murong Longshui cupped water from a stream in the deep mountains and wild forest to wash her face. Xu Fengnian squatted on a large rock a dozen zhang away, even having the leisure to ingratiate himself with this Northern Mang noble lady, advising her to stop being a princess and simply find a scholarly man in Northern Liang to marry. This made her so angry her teeth itched. When Old Moth tried to circle around for a sneak attack, he was blocked by a figure in a vermilion robe.

Three days later, the two parties entered a town, one after the other. Murong Longshui was fine, supported by her Vajra Physique, her complexion still good. However, the anxious Old Moth inevitably looked somewhat dispirited.

At the market, Xu Fengnian casually took two mink hats of different sizes. He put one on himself and, without explanation, placed the other on the young girl's head. The fluffy little mink hat covered her eyebrows and forehead. If one were to ignore the sunflower on her shoulder, she looked somewhat like an ordinary girl.

Collapse Replies:— From the Dignity-Saving Squad, Yitian. (App user)2013-11-16 03:13: jjsndid2013-11-16 03:14: Spirit Summoning Art2013-11-16 03:14: Front row lurker2013-11-16 03:15: Money2013-11-16 03:16: sjiejhdjjzjwj2013-11-16 03:17: Crap2013-11-16 03:17: Post2013-11-16 03:19

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