Xia Changming and Qiao Fangzheng had set out together for Redwood River. With Xia Changming's skill at commanding birds and Qiao Fangzheng's martial arts, the two should have been safe along the way. Although Ji Feihua had not arrived as promised, his martial arts were superb and his intelligence exceptional. Even if he encountered danger, his abilities should have allowed him to resolve it. By comparison, it was Long Xiyue's party that worried Hu Xiaotian most. He had sent Zhan Peng and Liang Yinghao with twenty warriors to escort her, but Liang Yinghao specialized in engineering works and underground passages, while Zhan Peng excelled at long-range attacks and was a first-rate archer. Neither was a master of close combat. Though the twenty accompanying warriors were fierce and courageous, they would only be slaughtered if they faced truly first-rate experts.
Whenever he thought of the ordeals Long Xiyue had already suffered, Hu Xiaotian's heart burned with anxiety. No matter what, he could not let her fall into danger again. If he repeatedly allowed his woman to face danger and could not even guarantee her safety, how could he have the face to go on living in this world?
Although Long Xiyue's party had departed a day ahead of him, they should not have traveled too far at their pace. In a single day, they could have covered no more than two hundred li. If he hurried after them now, he should be able to catch up before dawn.
Someone had killed his mount, yet he had detected no trace of the attacker. That showed just how formidable the other party's concealment skills were. Perhaps the man had been watching him from the shadows all along. Hu Xiaotian dared not linger. He left Happy Woods and hurried west. Even if he had