Chapter 978 - 270: The Hypocritical Young Lord Covets Beauty, the Chivalrous Maiden Falls into Peril (Part 5)

Xie Wen seized the moment, shouting aloud, his voice echoing off the walls. The soft sword in his hand thrust toward the black-robed man’s throat like a dragon emerging from the sea. The sword move was fierce, carrying a determination to kill.

The black-robed man sidestepped with agility, easily avoiding the attack, as if he were a phantom. With a sweep of his staff, it was akin to a black whirlwind. Xie Wen hurriedly retreated a few steps to dodge the fierce strike, secretly marvelling at the formidable martial arts skills of the black-robed man.

Seizing the opportunity, Shi Xiong swung his sword towards the black-robed man, executing a move called "God-slaying Buddha-destruction" from the "Thirteen Life-taking Swords," his treasure sword cleaving down with a dazzling light.

The black-robed man sneered coldly, his smile as frosty as winter ice. He raised his staff to block, a sound like a great bell ringing out. Shi Xiong felt a tremendous force transfer over, his tiger’s mouth split, blood slowly flowing along the hilt, nearly causing him to lose his grip, and his arm trembled uncontrollably from the impact.

Guo Xiangyu knew that panic was not an option at this moment. She quickly surveyed the surroundings, her beautiful eyes scanning the area, spotting a pile of torches in a corner of the warehouse.

A bold thought flashed through her mind, and she dashed towards the torches with speed and decisiveness. She picked up one torch and hurled it towards the enemy, the torch drawing an arc through the air like a burning meteor.

The torch fell among the enemy, instantly igniting some flammable materials. The fire spread rapidly, like a rampaging fire dragon, devouring everything around it. The warehouse was soon filled with thick smoke, spreading acrid fumes that made breathing difficult.

Shouts and cries intermingled, chaos reigned, as if the world had become Hell.

The three of them took advantage of the chaos and fire to finally reach the small window.

With a solemn expression, Shi Xiong crouched down, saying in a deep voice, "Sister Guo, step on my shoulder and go up first!"

His voice was firm and steady, exuding an unquestionable strength, fully embodying his master Shi Feiyang.

Guo Xiangyu glanced at him with gratitude in her eyes, filled with trust, as if she saw Shi Feiyang’s shadow in Shi Xiong.

Her movements were swift, and she climbed onto Shi Xiong’s shoulders, quickly leaping up to the small window.

Her lithe figure moved like a nimble bird, quickly slipping through the window.

Then, with Shi Xiong’s help, Xie Wen also managed to slip through.

Shi Xiong was the last to climb up to the window, and just as he was about to squeeze through, a guard rushed over, a hideous expression on his face, thrusting a spear towards his back. The spear tip glistened coldly, like a life-taking viper.

At the critical moment, Guo Xiangyu leaned back in through the window. Her eyes flashed with resolve, and with a wave of her short blade, she executed a move called "Woodcutter Pointing the Way" from the "Three Talents Saber Technique," deflecting the spear. The short blade collided with the spear, producing a crisp sound.

Only then did Shi Xiong manage to successfully slip out of the small window.

After escaping the warehouse, the three dared not linger and ran frantically through the night.

The cold wind cut across their faces like a knife, feeling as though it would split their skin apart.

But they dared not slow down, with only one thought in their minds—escape this dangerous place.

Behind them, the flames from the warehouse lit up half the sky, roaring fiercely.

The sounds of shouting and killing still faintly reached them, akin to the roars of demons, echoing in the night sky.

They were well aware that although they had temporarily escaped, the conspiracy of the Hake Tribe and Western Regions forces was known, and they must quickly inform Shi Feiyang to devise a plan together. Otherwise, the people of Ningxia would be plunged into a significant crisis.

The next morning, gentle sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, resembling strands of golden silk, gently spilling onto the tranquil courtyard of Mingjian Manor.

In the courtyard, the flowers, grasses, and trees trembled slightly under this warm light, as if just awakening from slumber.

Dugu Chang slowly awoke, lazily stretching before rising to dress carefully.

He wore a luxurious brocade robe, tailored from top-grade Shu brocade, embroidered with a lifelike qilin pattern. Every stitch and thread exhibited exquisite craftsmanship, and in the sunlight, the robe shone with a gentle and noble light, highlighting his elegant figure.

Dugu Chang’s face was handsome, his eyebrows like curved swords stretching to his temples, eyes sparkling, nose high and straight, lips slightly upturned with a faint smile, resembling a graceful young gentleman stepping out of a painting, fully inheriting the demeanor of his father Dugu Yan before he was crippled by Shi Feiyang.

However, in his eyes occasionally flickered a hint of slyness and greed, like ghostly flames flickering in the dark, marring this perfect visage. Though he moved with apparent grace and composure, a depth of scheming lay within, and every action exuded a hypocritical air, subtly warning not to easily trust him.

After freshening up, Dugu Chang eagerly went to find Guo Xiangyu. The seedy thoughts from last night burned even hotter in his mind now, like a raging fire, impossible to suppress.

He arrived at Guo Xiangyu’s room, stretching out a slender, pale hand, delicate like that of a woman, and knocked gently on the door. His face bore what he believed was an irresistibly charming smile, yet it held an unnoticeable urgency as he said, "Miss Guo, are you up? I’ve come specially to invite you for breakfast, hoping you’ll honor me with your presence."

His voice was as gentle as jade, carrying an air of scholarly elegance. However, behind the seemingly polite words lay another intention. Yet, despite his prolonged knocking, there was no response from within the room.