A Proposal, an Ambush
Chao Xiaoshu had plenty of combat experience. Even while fighting, he could keep an eye on his surroundings. When he saw that the newcomer was Wang Yue, he said, pleasantly surprised, "Wang Yue, what brings you here? Wait a moment—I'll be done here soon."
Wang Yue saw that although Chao Xiaoshu was injured, he still seemed able to handle things. He smiled and explained, "I sensed that the Peace Talisman I gave you had shattered, so I hurried over to check on you. I didn't expect you to have been ambushed by a scoundrel!"
Chao Xiaoshu was deeply touched by Wang Yue's words. He sped up his attacks and said with a smile, "This man lured me into the Sword Pavilion, where I was wounded by the River Sword Qi that Liu Bai was cultivating. Luckily, your rune held him off for a while and gave me the chance to gather my sword qi. That's why I only suffered minor injuries. Otherwise, I might have been crippled on the spot. It happened that this man came out alone to see me off. I tested him, and only then did I discover that he wasn't merely from the Sword Pavilion—he'd been planted there by the Xiling Divine Palace."
Though both men were cultivators, they were too close for their mental power to be of much use. They fought relentlessly in the most direct way possible, with their bare hands.
Wang Yue saw that Chao Xiaoshu was about to subdue Liu Bai's disciple and said with a smile, "So the people who killed Zhuo'er were from the Xiling Divine Palace. What will you do after you capture this man? Liu Bai is in seclusion, so you won't be able to see him. The others probably can't make the