Xue Lingjun had not expected it, and neither had Hu Xiaotian. Although he had yet to see who the assassin was, he was certain the attacker came from the Falling Cherry Palace. He swept into the air with Xue Lingjun in his arms, remaining alert to every movement around them even as they flew. A feathered arrow suddenly shot toward Xue Lingjun.
Hu Xiaotian drew Wind-Slayer and slashed at the arrow. Clang! A hidden force traveled along the arrow into his blade. Borrowing the momentum of that shot, Hu Xiaotian landed on a rooftop. Looking into the distance, he saw a white figure already drifting away.
Hu Xiaotian did not pursue. Xue Lingjun's lovely face had gone pale, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Who was that?"
"Someone from the Falling Cherry Palace," Hu Xiaotian said coldly. "I never expected them to lose their patience so easily." Only after confirming that no one else lay in ambush nearby did he carry Xue Lingjun back to the ground. All three Golden Scale Guards were dead.
"I'll make them answer for this!" Xue Lingjun said angrily.
"There's no justice to speak of in this world," Hu Xiaotian said. The assassin probably had not been Tang Jiucheng. With Tang Jiucheng's archery skills, he would certainly not have withdrawn so quickly.
When Zou Yong heard that Tang Jingyu had attempted to assassinate Xue Lingjun outside the palace gates, he was stunned. "Jingyu, how could you be so rash?" he demanded angrily. "What sort of place do you think the palace is? With Hu Xiaotian beside Xue Lingjun, how could you possibly get what you wanted? How could they let this rest?"
"Big Brother, stop feeding their ambition and crushing our own fighting spirit," Tang Jingyu said. "Even if I couldn't kill Hu Xiaotian