Liang Dazhuang did not dare linger. If the flock of birds had not suddenly attacked, the woman in gray and Xiangqin might already have joined forces against him. He knew he must have been exposed. He could no longer return to Hu Xiaotian, and he also had to stay clear of Xiangqin and the woman in gray. Every one of them would turn against him.
Although Liang Dazhuang was fat, he moved with extraordinary agility, finding gaps amid the birds' frenzied attacks and slipping through them to flee north at an astonishing speed. His movements were even nimbler than those of the equally fat Xiangqin. Before long, he had shaken off the flock. The tightly packed houses ahead brought him considerable relief. He was blessed with a stubbornly tenacious life after all. If he survived tonight's ordeal, he would have no choice but to conceal his identity from then on. But how much longer could he live? The thought made his heart constrict. He knew he should not dwell on it. Getting through the danger before him was all that mattered now.
Liang Dazhuang felt his surroundings gradually fall silent. The birds' raucous cries had ceased. Turning to look, he saw not a single bird nearby and finally relaxed a little. Yet something like a dark cloud seemed to loom overhead. He looked up and saw a figure diving out of the sky straight toward him.
Liang Dazhuang stepped forward, seized a stone block beside him, and hurled it at the figure in the air. Flung with tremendous force, the block shot through the air like a cannonball, whistling as it went. The airborne figure remained unhurried, wheeling deftly aside to avoid it before passing over Liang Dazhuang's head and landing lightly in his path. He smiled. "Liang Dazhuang, you've