Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 81 Quick Escape

"Stop." Tuoba Feng suddenly stopped.

Jiang Xun also sheathed his sword and gasped for breath.

My chest started hurting again, but I couldn't care less; I just kept a wary eye on the other person.

He had a feeling that Tuoba Feng hadn't used his full strength just now.

Tuoba Feng stared at Jiang Xun for a while, then suddenly blurted out, "You really didn't take it."

Jiang Xun was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"I have my own methods," Tuoba Feng said calmly. "I didn't sense any dragon crystal aura during our fight just now."

Jiang Xun was speechless.

What method?

Can you find out if someone has it by having a fight?

Is this guy a battle maniac?

Tuoba Feng seemed to see through his thoughts, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

It wasn't exactly a smile, just an awkward tilt of the head.

"Dragon crystals are special; at midnight, even if they're hidden very well, they'll still emit an aura. You don't have any on you."

Jiang Xun suddenly realized, and felt a little scared afterward.

Luckily I didn't get it, otherwise I would have been beaten to death by this madman by now.

"Let's go back again," Tuoba Feng suddenly said.

"Huh?" Jiang Xun thought he had misheard.

"It's almost midnight." Tuoba Feng looked up at the moon outside the window. "The Dragon Crystal is still at the Meng residence. If we join forces, we might be able to get it."

Jiang Xun's mind was racing.

The Meng residence has just been attacked by the Golden Feather Guards, so it must be in complete chaos right now.

It will take them at least one or two hours to clean up the mess and redeploy their defenses.

At this moment, launching a surprise attack was indeed unexpected.

The problem is—he's only known this person for less than an incense stick's time, can he really trust him?

"Why are you looking for me?" Jiang asked.

"You're strong enough," Tuoba Feng said bluntly, "and you've been to the Meng residence before, so you're familiar with its layout."

Jiang Xun thought for a moment, then asked, "What happens after we get it?"

"It's a battle of skill," Tuoba Feng said, looking at him. "The winner takes all."

Jiang Xun smiled.

That's quite frank.

"Okay." He stood up, patted the hay off his clothes, and said, "Let's go."

The two sneaked down the mountain in the dark and headed towards the Meng residence.

Tuoba Feng walked ahead, his steps so light they were almost inaudible.

Jiang Xun followed behind, trying to keep his steps low, but he always felt that he was making too much noise.

"Your steps are too heavy." Tuoba Feng suddenly stopped and looked back at him. "When you land, land on your toes first and shift your weight backward."

Jiang Xun tried it and found it was indeed much lighter.

"Don't breathe too quickly either," Tuoba Feng added. "Inhale through your nose, slowly, don't take a full breath at once."

Jiang Xun did as instructed, and his breathing became much smoother, and his steps became steady.

He couldn't help but ask, "Do all people in the North walk like this?"

Tuoba Feng did not answer and continued walking forward.

Under the moonlight, his back was thin and straight, like a knife stuck in its sheath.

We have arrived at the Meng residence.

Most of the lights in the front yard were out, with only a few lanterns still lit, swaying gently in the night breeze.

There were twice as many guards at the gate as during the day, and they were all in high spirits, clearly having been put on high alert by the sneak attack earlier.

The two went around to the back wall.

Tuoba Feng flipped over first, landing silently.

Jiang Xun followed and climbed in. This time he was smarter, landing on his toes first and shifting his weight back, and sure enough, he didn't make a sound.

The backyard is much quieter than the front yard.

Four guards stood at the entrance of the courtyard, each with a long sword hanging from their waist, their eyes alert, clearly skilled fighters.

"There are too many people," Jiang Xun said in a low voice.

Tuoba Feng nodded, his gaze falling on the tall tower deep in the courtyard: "It's almost midnight."

Jiang Xun closed his eyes and sensed it.

Sure enough, my dantian heated up, and a warm current slowly flowed along my meridians—the dragon crystal was inside the tower.

He didn't say anything.

Tuoba Feng had his own methods of sensing, so he didn't need to remind him.

"I'll distract them," Jiang Xun said.

Tuoba Feng glanced at him: "You have injuries."

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." Jiang Xun grinned, pulling a tinderbox from his pocket. "I've done this kind of thing a lot, I'm an expert."

Tuoba Feng paused for a moment, then nodded.

Jiang Xun quietly went around to the other side of the courtyard, found a pile of dry branches and leaves, and lit them with a tinderbox.

Flames leaped up and quickly ignited the dry grass nearby, billowing thick smoke and shooting flames into the sky.

"Fire! Fire!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, then turned and ran.

The guards at the gate were indeed alerted.

"Over there! Go check it out!"

The four hesitated for a moment, then two stayed behind and the other two ran toward the firelight.

Jiang Xun hid in the shadows and waited for the two guards to get close before suddenly leaping out of the shadows and swiftly taking them down one by one with his sword.

Then he deliberately ran in the opposite direction, shouting as he ran, "Help! There's an assassin!"

This shout made the remaining two guards restless.

One chased after them, while the other hesitated for a moment before following.

The yard is empty.

Tuoba Feng emerged from the shadows, silently vaulted over the courtyard wall, and disappeared into the shadows at the base of the tower.

Jiang Xun led two guards in circles around the courtyard, using his azure lotus-like feet to move swiftly, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes forward, sometimes backward, making the two guards run around in circles.

He dared not run too fast, for fear of losing the person; nor dared he run too slow, for fear of being caught up.

It just hangs there, neither too close nor too far, like walking a dog.

Suddenly, a loud bang came from the courtyard.

Then came the sounds of fierce fighting—weapons clashing, palm strikes whistling, it was clear that the fighters were all skilled in martial arts.

Jiang Xun's heart tightened.

Was Tuoba Feng discovered?

He was hesitating whether to go back to save the people when a dark figure suddenly darted out of the courtyard at great speed, reaching him in just a few leaps.

"Got it, let's go!" Tuoba Feng shouted, swept past him, and ran forward without looking back.

Jiang Xun was stunned for a moment—he hadn't abandoned him.

This person is loyal and righteous.

Without saying a word, he turned and ran.

Two guards chased after him, but their lightness skills were far inferior to Tuoba Feng's, and they couldn't catch up with Jiang Xun, who was moving with the speed of a lotus flower.

In the blink of an eye, the two ran out of the Meng residence, climbed over the back wall, and raced towards Wu Mountain.

Behind them, the shouts of battle grew fainter and fainter.

Just as I was about to run into the alley, a person suddenly appeared in front of me.

Dressed in black, he stood silently like a mountain in the moonlight.

Her clothes were gently fluttering in the night breeze, but it did not shake her composed aura.

The snow-white shoes stepped on the bluestone slabs without getting a speck of dust on them.

It was Nie Mingfei, the acting leader of Mirror Lake Sect.

A master at the near-grandmaster level.

"These two juniors have quite the nerve." Nie Mingfei's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a powerful aura that made everyone involuntarily slow their pace.

Jiang Xun and Tuoba Feng exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, they attacked at the same time.

Hesitation at this point will only lead to certain death.

Jiang Xun moved swiftly, stepping on a green lotus, and unleashed the full power of the Spring Water Sword Technique, with sword light like a tide and water vapor filling the air.

Tuoba Feng's swordsmanship was fierce and powerful, each strike carrying the force of thunder and leaving no room for retreat.

The two men, one on the left and one on the right, one in front and one behind, sandwiched Nie Mingfei in the middle.

Nie Mingfei let out a soft "hmm," a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

But she was, after all, a renowned master. Her palms flew, each strike carrying powerful internal energy. She not only easily neutralized their attacks but also firmly enveloped them within her palm strikes.

Where the palm strike passed, the air seemed to freeze.

Jiang Xun and Tuoba Feng were no ordinary fighters. One had a meticulous swordsmanship, while the other had a fierce and powerful one. Although it was the first time they had fought side by side, they cooperated exceptionally well.

Jiang Xun's Spring Water Sword Technique entangled Nie Mingfei's moves, and Tuoba Feng took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack from the side; Tuoba Feng forced her to take the hit head-on, and Jiang Xun then struck out with her sword from a blind spot.

The two launched attacks in quick succession, which surprisingly resembled a combined attack technique, barely managing to block Nie Mingfei's assault.

Five moves, ten moves, twenty moves...

Nie Mingfei's expression grew increasingly grim.

The two young men's martial arts skills far exceeded her expectations. She thought she could defeat them in a few moves, but she didn't expect them to last so long.

After thirty moves, Jiang Xun suddenly changed his move.

The killing move "Dark Currents" from the Spring Water Sword Technique was unleashed. With a flash of sword light, three sword shadows simultaneously pierced Nie Mingfei's throat, chest, and dantian, creating a mix of illusion and reality.

Nie Mingfei struck out with both palms, scattering the sword shadows, but found that the third sword shadow suddenly solidified, turning into a tangible form, and the cold sword energy made her skin feel cold.

She had no choice but to slightly turn her body and take a step back.

This step created a gap of half a body length.

"Get out of here!" Jiang Xun shouted, unleashing the full power of his Azure Lotus Divine Speed, his figure shooting out like an arrow.

Tuoba Feng did not hesitate and followed closely. The two disappeared into the depths of the alley in the blink of an eye.

Nie Mingfei stood there, watching the two disappear into the night, without giving chase.

It's not that I don't want to chase, it's that I can't catch up.

These two boys are quite skilled in light footwork. If they go all out, even if she has some ability, she might not be able to catch up with them in this dark alley.

Under the moonlight, Nie Mingfei's clothes fluttered in the night breeze, his expression complex.