Pursuit and Escape

Wu Ang swayed on his feet and pointed a trembling finger at Zuo Yunxuan.

"You..."

Zuo Yunxuan sighed. "Junior Brother Wu, do you know why, of my four junior brothers, I liked you the least? You're too rigid. Unlike Junior Brother Zhangsun and the others, you never learned to adapt. You were the only one left, and I had planned to support you and make you my right-hand man. What a shame you couldn't see sense. If there's a next life, Junior Brother, I hope you'll be a little smarter."

With a soft rasp, he pulled his sword free. Blood sprayed from Wu Ang, who fell to the floor with a thud and lay still.

Zuo Yunxuan sheathed his sword and let out a slow breath, steadying himself.

After a moment's thought, Zuo Yunxuan dipped a finger in the blood on the floor and wrote a line of characters. Then he struck the window frame with his palm, using a pulling technique that made the window fly open as though pushed from outside. Light on his feet, he slipped out without a sound.

Outside Westwind Inn, in a dark corner.

The four members of the White Phoenix Squad sat quietly under cover of night. Tu Mengjiao was with them.

Unlike the relaxed squad members, Tu Mengjiao looked troubled. Now and then she stole a glance at Bai Xiaowen, only to look away at once.

Bai Xiaowen sat cross-legged, his eyes nearly closed. Suddenly, he opened them.

"How ruthless."

Bai Xiaowen breathed out heavily.

"What happened?"

"How did it turn out?"

His teammates and Tu Mengjiao asked almost at the same time.

Bai Xiaowen glanced at Tu Mengjiao, then told his teammates, "Elder Wu used the method I taught him to draw out the truth. Zuo Yunxuan admitted with his