Chapter 91: Quick Thinking in a Crisis
Jiao Han’s eyes widened, and a black light shot out from them.
Black was usually the absence of light, absorbing all colors.
But this black light was blindingly bright.
Cultivation techniques derived from the Demonic Realm defied logic.
Jiao Han punched, his demonic fist crossing several zhang instantly, striking the young man’s back with a thud.
The young man coughed up blood and was thrown forward.
Jiao Han’s Crescent Moon Demon Fist was a rarely used killing move, a fatal blow to anyone who had ever faced it.
A figure burst through the wall of the pavilion ahead. A young woman caught the staggering young man and carried him into the building.
Night Lily? Jiao Han snorted, quickly recovering his breath, and gave chase, his speed like lightning.
The pavilion exploded behind him, collapsing into a pile of rubble.
He was forced to stop. The young woman and the young man had already escaped through a hole on the other side of the building. She held a brick-shaped object, slapped it against the ground, and leaped into the opening with the young man, disappearing.
The Leopard Gate experts arrived, “Master!”
Jiao Han said coldly, “Night Lily and that Hao Xinghua were here. Hao Xinghua is severely injured, if not dead. Night Lily’s magical weapon contains the Path Opener divine crystal. Although it allows for quick escapes, its range is limited to a few li.
“Deploy our men and search the area within a ten-li radius. She’s carrying an injured man; they can’t have gone far.”
“Yes, Master!” They quickly mobilized their forces.
Jiao Han, watching the collapsed building, snorted and left.
In a nearby alley, a circle of light appeared, and the young woman, carrying the young man, emerged.
“What’s this?” she said, pulling back the black tunic covering the figure she carried. It was a wooden dummy.
Shi Hao had stayed behind.
Xu Xiaoyan didn’t understand what he was doing.
She had seen Jiao Han’s killing intent, his powerful attack striking Shi Hao’s back.
No matter how skilled Shi Hao was, he was only seventh-rank. He couldn’t have escaped unharmed.
She had been worried, but she had to stay in that strange room, filled with erotic statues, waiting for him, her face burning with embarrassment.
He left me in a place like this, she thought, annoyed.
While waiting, she had used her subtle Daoist energy to weaken the pillars and beams of the building… With her knowledge of architecture and her unique energy control, it had been easy.
That way, if Shi Hao was discovered and fled here, she could collapse the building, creating an obstacle for their pursuers.
And while waiting, she had also… studied the statues, acquiring some… interesting knowledge.
She couldn’t be blamed… Alone in a room like that, with nothing else to do but wait, learning new things was a way to pass the time.
Hearing the explosion in the distance, she knew something was wrong… He had been discovered!
She had seen Jiao Han’s attack strike Shi Hao, and she had been too far away to help.
A fifth-rank demonic expert, unleashing a full-powered attack, was beyond her ability to counter.
She had only been able to pull Shi Hao into the building and then collapse it, forcing Jiao Han to retreat.
In that brief moment, Shi Hao had removed his outer robe and placed it on one of the wooden statues.
“Have Yue Ya’er bring troops before dawn,” he had said, pushing the statue towards her.
Having worked with him for a while, Xu Xiaoyan understood his plan.
He’s crazy! she thought.
Although she had followed his instructions, carrying the statue dressed in his robe, she still thought he was insane.
How could he not be seriously injured after taking such a blow?
And why would he stay there? Was he waiting to die?
Xu Xiaoyan gritted her teeth, not daring to hesitate any longer, and rushed towards the Jade Flower Courtyard—
Shi Hao wasn’t actually injured, or rather, his internal organs had been jolted, but that was all.
That night, when he had tried circulating both the Gathering Essence Flowing Pearl Technique and the Unfettered Demon’s Boundless Art simultaneously, he had discovered it was useless for combat.
The two techniques, diametrically opposed, one expanding outwards, the other contracting inwards, created a stalemate, the energies converging around him, unable to be projected or contained.
He had even thought, amused, that perhaps the energies themselves were confused.
The opposing forces, pulling in opposite directions, had become locked in a stalemate.
He had thought it might be useful as a defensive technique in certain situations.
He hadn’t expected to use it so soon.
In reality, the chances of using it were slim. With both techniques active, he couldn’t use either energy or any of their corresponding techniques.
But it also created a powerful, dual-layered defense.
An attacker’s energy would have to penetrate both his Daoist and demonic energies to injure him.
He had used this to feign injury before Zhuo Mulan, quickly switching between the two energies, and then, catching her off guard, he had captured her.
Now, circulating both energies simultaneously created an even stronger defense.
He had no choice. He knew he couldn’t escape. He had to take Jiao Han’s attack to create an opportunity.
So, he had prepared himself, channeling both techniques to their peak.
Even so, Jiao Han’s attack had shattered both layers of his defense.
But as he had anticipated, an attack that had to penetrate two opposing forces, even if successful, would be significantly weakened.
Although Jiao Han’s attack had broken through his defenses, it no longer had enough power to injure him internally.
His internal organs had been jolted by the impact, but for a martial artist, such minor injuries were insignificant.
However, he was now completely exhausted, his energy depleted. If Xu Xiaoyan hadn’t caught him, he would have collapsed.
His plan to have Xu Xiaoyan escape with the “injured” him had been a desperate, last-minute improvisation.
Although not physically injured, he was drained of energy, practically powerless.
The Void Traversing Brick, although useful, had a limited range. Jiao Han, believing him to be “severely injured,” would order a thorough search of the surrounding area. In his weakened state, he would only be a burden to Xu Xiaoyan.
Without him, she could easily escape. With her skills, the Leopard Gate would never catch her.
And Jiao Han would never expect him to stay behind after being “severely injured.”
Jiao Han couldn’t have imagined he wasn’t actually injured, merely exhausted, and even less that he would be so daring, so reckless, as to stay behind.
As the building collapsed, Shi Hao, using his Primordial Energy and the Sacred Heart Clear Mirror Technique, had managed to find a small, protected space amidst the falling debris.
A tilted beam and a partially collapsed wall formed a narrow triangular space where he lay, resting and recovering.
If Jiao Han had been truly clever, he would have ordered his men to dig through the rubble instead of scattering to search the surrounding area.
Fortunately, Jiao Han wasn’t that smart, so Shi Hao had been able to rest undisturbed.
He slept for about half an hour, his energy slowly returning.
After two cycles through his meridians, even the minor injuries from the impact had healed.
A seventh-rank martial artist, having taken a full-powered attack from a fifth-rank demonic expert, fully recovered in just half an hour.
It was unbelievable.
Although Shi Hao hoped there wouldn’t be a “next time,” if it weren’t for Xu Xiaoyan, he would be dead.
He listened carefully, confirming there were no sounds outside, then carefully removed the debris above him and crawled out.
Outside, the courtyard was dimly lit by torches in the corners.
This was the inner sanctum of the Leopard Palace, their main defenses focused on the perimeter, so there weren’t many guards here.
Shi Hao thought, *Jiao Han believes I’m injured. They’ll be searching the surrounding area. If they can’t find us, they’ll assume Xiaoyan is hiding me somewhere nearby and intensify their search.
But Xiaoyan escaped easily, and I’m still here. After they’ve searched all night and given up by dawn, they’ll be exhausted. And I’ll have plenty of time to search this place.*
His desperate improvisation had turned into a brilliant strategy.
He quietly slipped into the shadows…
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