Huo Shengnan knew this area well. Leading Hu Xiaotian over walls and through courtyards as though walking on level ground, she traveled roughly five li before finally reaching a sprawling residence and vaulting over its wall. After all that exertion, Huo Shengnan was panting, but Hu Xiaotian was neither flushed nor out of breath. His face did not look flushed because it was covered in soot; his steady breathing, however, owed everything to his formidable internal power.
Remembering how Black Corpse had nearly drained every last drop of his internal power in the secret chamber beneath Wild Goose Tower earlier that day, he still felt a shiver of fear. Fortune had favored him: at the critical moment, he had reclaimed his internal power, with most of Black Corpse's power thrown in for good measure.
Hu Xiaotian moved closer to Huo Shengnan and whispered, "Where are we?"
Huo Shengnan bit her rosy lip without answering. She hurried through the back courtyard toward the Inner Court. Seeing how familiar she was with the route, Hu Xiaotian guessed that she must have been here before. Afraid of losing her, he followed like her shadow.
Once they entered the inner residence, Huo Shengnan saw that a room beside the water was still lit and raised a hand, signaling Hu Xiaotian to stop.
They concealed themselves among the flowers. Hu Xiaotian wondered what Huo Shengnan had come here to do. Just then, hurried hoofbeats sounded outside. His heart jolted, and he whispered to her, "This is bad. They must have tracked us here."
Huo Shengnan said nothing, but tension crept into her eyes.
A cough sounded, and an elderly man emerged from the lit room. Hu Xiaotian's eyesight was exceptionally keen; even from this distance, he immediately recognized Yuchi Chong, the Grand Marshal of Great