The two of them wandered along, stopping here and there, until they found themselves on a bustling commercial street.
There stood a seven-story tavern called the Drunken Immortal Tower, one of the finest establishments in Dali City.
It was midday, and the tavern was packed with people, alive with noise and activity.
Lin Xuan was holding Zhong Ling's hand when he suddenly caught an unusual rush of wind with his keen hearing.
The crowd around them erupted in alarm.
"Ah! Someone's falling!"
"Someone's fallen!"
"Get out of the way!"
Lin Xuan looked up. A window on the sixth or seventh floor of the Drunken Immortal Tower stood wide open.
A slender figure was tumbling out of it, falling straight toward the hard bluestone pavement.
A fall like that would leave anyone dead or crippled.
The people nearby scattered in terror. Not one of them dared to step forward and catch the falling figure.
At that critical moment, Lin Xuan sprang into action.
He set down what he was holding and leaped into the air like a great roc spreading its wings.
He moved at blinding speed, leaving behind an afterimage.
The person falling clearly hadn't expected it to happen. She flailed in the air and let out a terrified scream. "Aah!"
Just as she was about to hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught her securely.
Lin Xuan felt her weight settle against him, followed by the soft warmth of her body in his arms.
Though she was dressed as a man, her body was astonishingly soft and light as a feather.
More importantly, a faint, wonderfully pleasant fragrance drifted into his nose.
It wasn't a scent a man would have, nor was it the overpowering perfume of some vulgar woman. It was an elegant, delicate fragrance, like