Qin Shuang discovered a graceful, black-clad woman sitting behind the woodpile in the kitchen. Her skin was as white as snow, her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, and a black saber rested across her knees.
The long saber radiated a chill, bloody aura!
"Let me use your kitchen for a while. I'll repay you handsomely!"
The Black-Clad Woman's face was pale and her breathing weak. She eyed Qin Shuang warily and spoke in a low voice. Her voice sounded like pearls dropping onto a jade plate—beautiful beyond compare.
"You can stay as long as you like, miss. No need to be polite!"
Qin Shuang took a step back, leaned against the kitchen door, and waved a hand as he replied.
At that moment, he was on high alert. He sensed danger from the Black-Clad Woman. After all, he had already reached mastery in Fierce Tiger Fist, so one could imagine how formidable her martial arts must be.
"Please wait here. Once I've finished treating my wounds, I won't leave you empty-handed!"
The Black-Clad Woman took a White Porcelain Bottle from her robes, tipped a pill into her mouth, and looked at Qin Shuang. "I won't let you down," she said solemnly.
"Okay... okay!"
Seeing this, Qin Shuang nodded and sat to one side, studying the Black-Clad Woman with a knot of apprehension in his heart. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him. He remembered the discussion he'd overheard that morning while eating noodles, and his heart sank.
Could this Black-Clad Woman be the Divine Saber Sect traitor the martial arts schools and gangs across the city were searching for?
Was she carrying the Divine Seed?
At that moment.
Qin Shuang rubbed the Tiger Hide in his hand, his mind racing through countless possibilities. How could he get out of this?
Running was probably out of the question.
But if he stayed, he worried the woman might kill him once she'd finished healing.
Just then, the faint sound of someone knocking at the front door drifted in. The Black-Clad Woman opened her eyes, thought for a moment, then took a thin booklet from her robes and tossed it to Qin Shuang. "I'm sure you've guessed who I am. I saw you practicing Fierce Tiger Fist, so here's the first volume of Blizzard Saber Art. Help me evade the search, and I'll teach you the second!"
Qin Shuang caught the booklet and glanced at the title page. It read "Blizzard Saber Art." Inside were illustrations and descriptions of saber techniques. It really was only half the manual.
"Fine. I'll deal with them."
Qin Shuang was pleased by her offer. He gave the Black-Clad Woman a long look, then turned and headed toward the front of the restaurant.
"Though I gave him half the manual, I don't know what kind of person he is. I should still be cautious."
Nangong Wan'er watched Qin Shuang leave, her beautiful eyes glinting. The pill she had just taken had restored some of her strength. In a flash, she followed him up to the second-floor corridor of Fusheng Restaurant and listened intently.
If Qin Shuang exposed her whereabouts, she would risk damaging her foundation to escape.
But if he really did as she asked and fooled the search party, giving him the rest of the saber manual would be no problem.
Qin Shuang jogged all the way to the restaurant's main hall.
Crash!
The restaurant's front door was smashed open by brute force. The bolt snapped, and splinters flew everywhere.
"You worthless son of a bitch, why'd you bolt the door in broad daylight? You made me wait all this time!"
"Believe me, I'll break all three of your legs!"
A burly thug with a full beard, dressed in the Flying Eagle Gang's clothes and carrying a Broad Axe, pointed at Qin Shuang's nose and cursed furiously. His stench of bad breath nearly made Qin Shuang retch. Eight Flying Eagle Gang disciples, each with an eagle embroidered on the chest, followed behind him.
"Sorry about that. I didn't sleep well last night, so I was catching up on sleep today. I didn't know you'd be coming by, boss. What can I do for you?"
Qin Shuang clasped his hands to the Bearded Man and replied.
Though he spoke politely, in his mind he'd already added the Bearded Man to his little list of people to kill.
"Search the place!"
The Bearded Man ignored Qin Shuang and waved to the men behind him. The eight Flying Eagle Gang disciples rushed into the restaurant with their blades drawn and began searching, smashing things as they went.
"If they find the Black-Clad Woman..."
Qin Shuang stood in the main hall, his heart jumping between his throat and his stomach. If they found the Black-Clad Woman in the kitchen, it would be hard to explain.
"Boss Qi, there's nothing here!"
"Sect Leader, we didn't find anything!"
"..."
While Qin Shuang anxiously waited, the eight Flying Eagle Gang disciples with "Eagle" embroidered on their chests came before the Bearded Man and respectfully reported their findings.
"Nothing?"
Qi Yunfeng furrowed his brow and looked at Qin Shuang. "This worthless bastard wasted my time. Take him back with us!"
Just then.
A thin Flying Eagle Gang member leaned close to Boss Qi's ear and whispered something. Qi Yunfeng gave Qin Shuang a knowing look. "You're lucky! I'll let you off for today. You wasted my time, so I'll settle the score next month!"
With that, Qi Yunfeng led the eight gang members to the neighboring Su's Ready-to-Wear Shop to continue their search.
"Damn it! Once my Fierce Tiger Fist reaches perfection, you'll be a dead man!"
Qin Shuang watched the Flying Eagle Gang members leave, a deep killing intent flashing in his eyes. He shut the door, only to discover that the bolt was gone. He turned to move a broken table in front of it, but saw the Black-Clad Woman standing at the foot of the stairs. She looked at Qin Shuang and said, "It seems you have trouble of your own. Help me escape the pursuit, and once I've recovered, I'll wipe out the Flying Eagle Gang for you."
"Thank you. I'm Qin Shuang. What should I call you, miss?"
Qin Shuang looked at the Black-Clad Woman, nodded, and asked.
"Nangong Wan'er."
The Black-Clad Woman hesitated briefly, then continued, "Come on. I'll teach you the second volume of Blizzard Saber Art. As long as you help me evade the citywide manhunt, I'll teach you a lightness skill once I've healed."
Nangong Wan'er understood clearly.
Her current strength was less than a third of what it had been at her peak. If she wanted someone to help her through this crisis, she had to offer them something worthwhile.
"In that case, thank you in advance, miss!"
Qin Shuang was pleased. He clasped his hands and said.
Qingzhou City, Good Fortune Casino.
Liang Chang looked at the eight men in front of him and frowned. "None of you saw Jiyao this morning?"
"Hall Master, none of us saw him."
The men all shook their heads.
"Xiao Guizi, go check around Fusheng Restaurant. He might be over there."
Liang Chang thought for a moment and said.
"Yes, Sect Leader!"
A thin young man left.
Fusheng Restaurant.
In a room behind the stairs on the first floor, Nangong Wan'er sat cross-legged, silently treating her wounds.
Qin Shuang sat to one side, looking at the Blizzard Saber Art booklet in his hands. He had already added the saber art to his status panel, but with Nangong Wan'er there, he didn't dare check it.
"Qin Shuang, do you have anything to eat?"
Nangong Wan'er pressed a hand to her stomach and looked at Qin Shuang.
"There's one flatbread left. You can have it!"
Qin Shuang took a flatbread from the counter and handed it to Nangong Wan'er, saying helplessly, "The restaurant's closed, and even the cooking utensils were taken by the creditor to pay off the debt. I can't make anything. I bought this this morning."
"This..."
Nangong Wan'er blinked her beautiful eyes. "Let's split it in half."
"Mm."
Qin Shuang nodded. He was hungry too. He immediately tore the flatbread, wrapped in waxed paper, in half and gave one half to Nangong Wan'er. Then he ate the other half himself.
He knew.
Nangong Wan'er might still be wary of him.
Qin Shuang swallowed his flatbread in a few bites. After watching him finish, Nangong Wan'er began eating hers in small, elegant bites.
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