Xi Yan smiled. "No wonder you're so pleased with yourself. You've improved! Unfortunately, however good your footwork is, you still can't escape my grasp."
The strange smile on Xi Yan's face gave Hu Xiaotian an ominous feeling. Suddenly, he heard a flurry of wings. A flock of crows swooped down from the Treasure Pagoda above, bearing down on him like a black cloud. Hu Xiaotian nearly jumped out of his skin. Holy shit, even the finest footwork can't dodge an attack by this many crows! He covered his head and scurried away like a rat, his steps falling into disarray. In an instant, he forgot every last one of the Dog-Dodging Eighteen Steps.
The crows closed in on Hu Xiaotian from every direction. Just as they were about to descend on him, he shouted, "Wait! I have something to say!"
His shout actually worked. The flock abruptly stopped attacking, turned around, and flew back toward the pagoda. Hu Xiaotian had broken out in a cold sweat. He felt a light pat on his shoulder; Xi Yan had come up beside him, smiling sweetly. "Catching you is child's play."
If you've got the guts, catch me yourself! Hu Xiaotian thought. You only managed it by calling in your crow soldiers. Still, this enchantress really was formidable. Snakes, insects, bats, crows-she could command them all at will. Against someone she could beat, she fought one-on-one; against a powerful opponent, she called in these helpers. Making an enemy of her would mean inviting a mountain of trouble.
"It seems we really do share a little destiny," Hu Xiaotian said. "Who would have thought we'd run into each other even in Skywave City?"
"Hypocrite!" Xi Yan said.
"How am I a hypocrite?"
"Don't you hate seeing me?" Xi Yan asked. "Every time I