Li Xian immediately snapped out of it and turned to retreat through the doorway, but the cleaver suddenly pulled itself out of the chopping board and flew through the air toward them!
Since Li Xian was some distance from the blade, he easily dodged its first attack.
The cleaver embedded itself in the wall beside the door, then pulled free and drifted through a few lazy circles. The door suddenly slammed shut with a bang, cutting off their escape.
Then it hurtled back into the room.
Li Xian quickly darted aside. After dodging the second attack, he ran toward the exit that had just slammed shut, while Ji Xie charged toward the cleaver and tried to grab it.
Yet the heavy blade moved nimbly through the air, as hard to catch as a wild wasp.
Ji Xie clicked his tongue inwardly, instinctively wanting to summon a tentacle to grab it, but forced himself to stop when he thought of Li Xian.
The kid couldn't even accept someone older. If I brought out something like that, it might scare him. I wouldn't want him distancing himself from me.
He had only been distracted for an instant, but the cleaver seemed to seize the opening and slashed straight at his face!
Meanwhile, Li Xian tried and failed to open the door-the handle was somehow fixed firmly in place and would not turn no matter what he did.
He looked back just in time to see the cleaver skim past Ji Xie's ear, nearly leaving a bloody gash across his face.
Ji Xie seized his chance, predicted the cleaver's trajectory, and reached into the air-catching it squarely by the handle.
His fingers tightened at once as he tried to overpower it with brute strength.
The thing in his hand naturally began struggling fiercely,