Chapter 287 - The Return (2) (1/2)

Chapter 287 The Return (2)The seven dark-cloaked assassins had been waiting for them! The students of Elder Plum were startled to see themselves ambushed, “YOU! Who are…”

Two magic bolts flayed at them before they could finish, but Xiao Chen reappeared out of nowhere to parry the magic bolts. He looked coldly at the seven assassins pursuing them. “You’ve come for me. Spare the others.” He sent a jolt of True Energy into the Flying-cloud Stone, giving it a nosedive down to earth. With a deafening crash, it landed on the ground.

“We’ll be able to get to Tianyuan City from here. Leave everything else to me and go back!” With that, Xiao Chen lunged at the seven men.

Elder Plum’s students immediately steered their stone conveyance up into the sky and bolted back in the direction from whence they came.

Huangfu Xin’er threw herself into the fray to assist Xiao Chen. With most of her powers returned, she turned into a deep scarlet mist that enveloped the seven men, lashing them raw with her razor-sharp fingernails which had elongated like menacing fangs, leaving death and decay in her wake.

The battle waged for tens of minutes with hardly any side showing any signs of giving or taking the battle. The seven men held their ground with a synergy so impeccable that could only be whetted from countless hours of tireless training, hardly dissimilar to the modus operandi of the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon.

In a brief moment of respite, Xiao Chen landed before a huge boulder. An angry glare from him flashed furiously at his attackers. “At least allow me the name of the man who has commissioned you for my life.”

By now, Xiao Chen was quite as good as certain that these seven men were operating under commands from neither the Clans of Ling and Zuoqiu. Their tenacity and skills were proof enough that they must be working for a faction far stronger and powerful.

“Nothing that a dead man needs to concern himself with!” The leader of the seven hissed ominously. As he spoke, he pounced forward, sending an arc-like magical bolt from his saber that missed Xiao Chen barely by tens of feet and slammed into the boulder behind him, smashing it to smithereens.

“Your skills and synergy are immaculate and even rare. But hark my words: you are still miles behind the most dangerous and deadly assassination squad that walks this earth: the Hidden Fragrance Wafting Under the Moon…”

A deathly and putrid aura, reeking of blood and decay, immediately shrouded the woods around the clearing, before twelve voices echoed across the glade in unison, “PRAY FORGIVE OUR LATENESS, MASTER!”

The leader of the seven yanked his head back in surprise, only to find that all six of his subordinates were lying in puddles of blood, their heads all missing.

“Your courage to dare intercept me so near to Tianyuan City is admirable. But how will that courage fare you against my most subordinates…”

For once, the lone man found himself almost petrified by fear. Frantically weaving the spell for his Earth-fleeing Skill, he rushed to formulate his escape when Xiao Chen breathed with ice in his voice, “Qingluan.”

Two shafts of light streaked from the thickets around the man, followed by a loud crack that rang like the splitting of wood and blood began pouring from him. He collapsed to the ground, trisected at his head and waist.

Xiao Chen watched with dismay; he had wanted Qingluan to capture the man alive to find out the secret identity of his enemy. But everything was too late now.

“MEOW! What a horrible this is!” Zhiluan shrieked with fright, its cat head finally appearing from behind a tree.

Huangfu Xin’er walked to Xiao Chen and surveyed the twelve ravishing lasses now standing before them. “I’m leaving,” she muttered frigidly without allowing Xiao Chen to respond and transformed into a brilliant red glow that streaked towards Tianyuan City.

“Xin’er…” Xiao Chen sighed. This parting would see them both as strangers once more, he feared.

After a heartbeat, Qingluan came to him. “Master,” she addressed Xiao Chen, “Shall we be returning to Tianyuan City?”

Xiao Chen grinned gently at her, amused at her ever-so-serious demeanor. “Ah,” he said suddenly, “How did you know I’m returning today?”

“We have been patrolling around here for signs of you, Master,” Ziyun’er quipped, “We’ve discovered the trails of these seven men loitering suspiciously around here lately, so we laid around here in hiding. Where have you been, Master? We were worried sick and were beginning to think if you’d abandoned us for good.”

“Impudence!” Qingluan snapped at once.

Ziyun’er stuck a tongue out playfully. Xiao Chen giggled and replied, “It’s fine. I’ll tell you everything when I have the chance later. How fares Tianyuan City now? Is there anyone else who had been missing?”

“You were right that you were not the only one missing, other than the Empress of the Heartless Palace who was evidently with you, Master,” Qingluan revealed, “There’s another who’s yet to return, Xiaoyue of the Thousand Feathers Sect.”

Xiaoyue? So she’s missing too? Xiao Chen mused quietly. Immediately he asked, “So she’s not back yet until now?”

“Indeed, Master. Lady Xiaoyue has yet to show herself.”