THE MAN IN GRAY could have sworn he'd done nothing to the jade, let alone smashed it. But the stone had truly crumbled to dust, and he had no good explanation.
The other two left off tussling and moved together to block his retreat, one from the front and the other from the back.
Bing Xian smiled. "This distinguished master has a terrible temper. He's destroyed something he can't have just so no one else can have it either."
The person in white made no reply, but it was clear from the way they closed in that they wouldn't let the man in gray off easily.
"I didn't do anything. It shattered by itself," the man in gray said coldly.
"Both of us saw it plainly. We witnessed it with our own eyes—are you claiming we saw wrong?" Bing Xian raised an eyebrow.
Cui Buqu leaned against the door and coughed quietly. The instant the man in gray moved, he'd ascertained his identity. But now wasn't a good time to step into the limelight. No one paid him any heed because he was sickly and had no fighting ability. He wasn't about to take the initiative to put himself in danger. Besides, there were surely others here capable of recognizing the man in gray.
Sure enough, the person in white finally spoke: "You wield a sword like a katana user, and your style is reminiscent of the famous Soga clan of Japan. But there are some differences. I heard Goguryeo has a rising star known for his innovation whose master was Japanese. Go Nyeong—that must be you, right?"
These words were spoken gently, with a cadence as refreshing as a spring breeze. It was rather out of place in such a bloodthirsty moment.
Bing Xian couldn't help but examine the person in white anew. They'd been able to identify the man in gray with ease, so they couldn't be an ordinary person. But though she wracked her brain, she couldn't match this description to any of the top figures of the jianghu.
Unless—they weren't from the jianghu?
Bing Xian's brow furrowed. She'd come for the jade with full awareness that the Jiejian Bureau was no pushover. She'd known getting her hands on it would be no easy task—and this was before she'd seen how many other experts had appeared with the same goal. The Göktürk man alone was headache enough.
At that thought, Bing Xian smiled slightly and tucked back a lock of her hair that had whipped loose in the wind.
"Feng-langjun has too many honored guests right now. I can see you don't have time to entertain me, so I'll take my leave first. I'll trouble you another day." Without waiting for Feng Xiao to respond, she leapt into the air, light as a feather. She touched down on the eaves and disappeared into the darkness.
Across the way, Fo'er, the Göktürk man Bing Xian had identified as the greatest threat, was getting a shock. The reason was simple: Feng Xiao's appearance belied his skills. Those who underestimated him due to his excessive beauty would find themselves blindsided by his incredible martial arts.
The Göktürk man had never set foot in the Central Plains, but he had considerable confidence in his own skill. He'd been convinced that if he stepped into the jianghu he'd have few equals, that he was strong enough to stand among the best of grandmasters. Since entering the Central Plains, the man had challenged several sect and guild leaders, all top martial experts. Just as he'd expected, even within the expansive jianghu, there were few who could match him.
Until he met Feng Xiao.
Feng Xiao's martial arts were not bold and powerful like his, but fluid and agile, as if he were shaking dew from his sleeves or snow from his robes. They conjured the image of plucking flowers with a smile or taking a graceful stroll—every motion was beautiful. But Fo'er saw bloodlust concealed in that beauty. Feng Xiao's moves seemed effortless, yet each and every one threatened ambush from all directions. Fo'er discarded his initial carelessness and regarded his opponent with a renewed caution. Even the jade shattering didn't distract him.
A battle between two peerless martial artists was a rare sight. The person in white and the Goguryeon in gray, Go Nyeong, called a temporary truce in order to watch.
Cui Buqu coughed twice lightly, then whispered, "That man didn't come for the jade. He wants to kill Feng Xiao."
The words were meant for Pei Jingzhe, who was standing beside him. Pei Jingzhe was stunned. "How do you know?"
Cui Buqu scoffed. "Haven't you realized? From the moment he appeared, he's only had eyes for Feng Xiao. He didn't even glance at the jade, and he didn't participate in the scuffle for it either."
"Do you know who he is?"
"I've never seen him before, but if I'm not mistaken, his name is Fo'er and he's the top martial artist under Ishbara Khagan. He was taught by great masters, and his martial skill combines the strengths of various schools. That man has yet to lose a fight since entering the Central Plains. He's what they call a grandmaster."
Pei Jingzhe gasped in surprise. He'd never expected an ordinary night like this could attract such a powerful martial artist.
"Who's stronger? Him or my lord?"
"I don't know any martial arts," said Cui Buqu. "Why are you asking me?"
Pei Jingzhe didn't bother replying. He watched for some time as the fighters' sleeves swirled and their silhouettes flickered. But they were simply too fast; even Pei Jingzhe couldn't tell who had the upper hand. He was so anxious he turned and ran back into the house, reappearing with an object cradled in his arms. Peng Jingzhe called to Feng Xiao, "Sir, your zither!"
"Toss it over." Feng Xiao's voice was clear and calm with no sign of surrender. Pei Jingzhe's eyes lit up, and he threw the zither into the air.
They heard but a single twang, yet the sound called to mind a vast army, the charge of a thousand valiant soldiers. The very air went stagnant, and everyone's hair stood on end as they watched with bated breath.
There were many weapons in the jianghu—knives, swords, and spears. But this was the first time Fo'er had ever seen someone use a zither as a weapon. The zither was carved from lacquered black wood, and despite being solid and heavy, it looked weightless in Feng Xiao's hands, an obedient plaything. He attacked and defended, the thrum of the strings disturbing the minds of all who heard their sound.
"What a zither!" the person in white exclaimed.
Go Nyeong, however, turned away from the fight between Feng Xiao and Fo'er. His brow furrowed as he looked at Pei Jingzhe and Cui Buqu, who were still observing the battle. In a flash, he dove toward them. His katana transformed into a tide of qi as it swept toward the pair. Pei Jingzhe yanked Cui Buqu out of the way, but at the last second, Go Nyeong changed tactics and grabbed at them with his free hand.
Pei Jingzhe thought he was trying to take Cui Buqu as a hostage; he shoved Cui Buqu back and drew his sword to parry his opponent's strike. However, Go Nyeong's goal wasn't Cui Buqu, but Pei Jingzhe. His blade immediately reversed its trajectory to meet Pei Jingzhe's sword. His internal energy was deep and strong, the wind from his katana ferocious. Pei Jingzhe felt a numbness in his wrist, then a sharp agony between thumb and forefinger. His sword almost tumbled from his hand, and a moment later Go Nyeong's sword was against his neck.
"Hand over the jade if you value your life!" Go Nyeong rasped.
"You destroyed the jade!" Pei Jingzhe spat back.
Go Nyeong scowled. "Don't mess with me. That was obviously a fake!" He yelled to Feng Xiao, "If that jade were real, you would never have handed it over so readily! Give me the real jade or I'll kill him!"
Even inches away from death, Pei Jingzhe couldn't help asking, "Why me?!"
Didn't common sense dictate that Cui Buqu was a more suitable hostage, since he was essentially defenseless?
"Don't take me for a fool," said Go Nyeong coldly. "That man is Feng Xiao's lover, capable of traveling the jianghu with him; he must know at least a technique or two. You, on the other hand, are both weak and expendable. Why would I grab anyone else?"
Pei Jingzhe was utterly flummoxed.
As if Go Nyeong's words hadn't dealt his self-esteem a severe enough blow, Feng Xiao's quiet chuckle drifted down from above. "If you know he's expendable, why grab him? Grabbing my lover would be better! Maybe then I'd cooperate."
The moment these words were uttered, the person in white smiled. "Is that so? Then I'll give it a try."
A flash of white robes and he was at Cui Buqu's side.
Cui Buqu felt pain slam through his shoulder, rendering him completely immobile.