Tang Jiucheng's expression was extraordinarily complex. Hu Xiaotian had forced him to use his Qi-Condensing Arrow, yet even this last-resort trump card had failed to kill him. Hu Xiaotian's rash attack had been intended to make one thing clear: even if Tang Jiucheng gave it everything he had, Hu Xiaotian could still escape alive.
Tang Jiucheng did not attack again. Hu Xiaotian slowly sheathed his saber and said calmly, "Your martial arts have truly opened my eyes, Senior. No one would want an enemy like you." His words were tactful. Though he was offering goodwill, he was neither servile nor overbearing. Without their earlier bout, Tang Jiucheng would certainly have taken this as a show of weakness. Now that he fully understood Hu Xiaotian's strength, however, he no longer thought that way. Once you regarded someone as a worthy opponent, you would not disdain the respect they offered you.
"An enemy like you would give anyone a terrible headache too," Tang Jiucheng said quietly.
Hu Xiaotian smiled. "One more friend in this world is always better than one more enemy."
"Let me buy you a drink!" Tang Jiucheng said. The invitation came very suddenly. Since becoming the master of the Falling Cherry Palace, he had seldom extended such invitations, especially to someone of a younger generation.
Hu Xiaotian did not hesitate in the slightest. He nodded. "All right!"
Only after entering the shabby tavern did Hu Xiaotian realize that Tang Jiucheng had prepared everything in advance. The dishes were already on the table, and the wine had been warmed. They were the little tavern's only customers. The stooped, hunchbacked proprietor tactfully left the room to play with his birds outside.
Hu Xiaotian picked up the wine jug and filled the cup in front of Tang Jiucheng.
"I have only one