Phantom Shadow Steps

"The Tang Family eagerly awaits your gracious visit, Madam Lin..." Tang Ling had never expected his grandson to be so capable, able to produce such a heaven-defying pill. His heart swelled with delight.

"Young Master Tang, may I ask where you obtained this pill? Is there any chance of acquiring one?" Wu Xuan asked Tang Yan with a smile.

Everyone in the hall, men and women alike, turned to Tang Yan. The women in particular pricked up their ears, their faces full of longing.

"This was the only one. I obtained it by chance, and I'm afraid I won't be able to find another." Tang Yan laughed inwardly. He had refined the pill himself, and a single cauldron had yielded six. But rarity made things precious. If he admitted he had more, wouldn't he needlessly diminish the value of his celebratory gift?

Hearing Tang Yan say there were no more, all the women looked disappointed.

After Tang Yan's magnificent gift, all the gifts presented afterward lost much of their luster.

Fortunately, the City Lord's Residence was gracious and well liked. The banquet remained warm and cheerful, cups passing back and forth until it finally ended near dusk.

After the banquet, Tang Yan was about to leave when the City Lord stopped him. "Tang Yan, come with me."

Under the others' complicated gazes, Tang Yan and the City Lord walked away, leaving behind a sight that invited endless speculation.

At this banquet, the Tang Family had emerged as the greatest winner among Cloud City's major lineages. Not only had they stolen the limelight, they had also earned the goodwill of the City Lord's Residence, deterring other lineages that harbored malicious designs against them and buying time for the Tang Family's rise.

The losers were naturally the other three major lineages, with the Liu Family undoubtedly the most furious. Both schemes they had devised against the Tang Family had been thwarted. Moreover, because of what had happened to the Qian Family, the lineages attached to the Liu Family would inevitably have misgivings.

The City Lord's Residence.

A lofty pavilion.

Lin Xiao and Tang Yan stood side by side with their hands behind their backs, gazing out over the railing. They could see more than half of Cloud City.

"Tang Yan, do you think I govern Cloud City through benevolence or through kingly authority?" After standing there for a while, the City Lord leisurely opened the conversation.

"Neither," Tang Yan answered after a moment's thought.

"Oh?" City Lord Lin immediately grew interested. "Why neither? What path do you think I follow, then?" he asked with a smile.

"You follow neither path, my lord. You transform the people through virtue and govern through noninterference," Tang Yan said candidly.

"Well said, governing through noninterference. Then what path does your Tang Family follow?" the City Lord asked meaningfully.

"If others don't offend us, we won't offend them. The Tang Family only wishes to live without strife," Tang Yan answered honestly.

The City Lord narrowed his eyes at that and asked again, "Then tell me, is my way of governing through noninterference right or wrong?"

"Nothing is absolutely right or wrong. There is only what is suitable and what isn't. As for whether it is suitable, I'm sure you already have your own judgment, my lord," Tang Yan replied simply.

Lin Xiao's opinion of Tang Yan rose further. He had spoken with outstanding young members of other lineages, but whenever he asked this question, they all launched into eloquent speeches, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages and trying to persuade him with ideas that favored their own lineage's development.

Tang Yan was different, however. The Tang Family would one day be his, and his words made his position clear: as long as no one offended him, the Tang Family would not threaten the City Lord's Residence. His answer was therefore the most impartial, and it won Lin Xiao's approval.

"Then tell me, what is the kingly way?" the City Lord asked with a smile, apparently in the mood for a chat.

"If someone refuses to submit, trample over him."

Lin Xiao froze at Tang Yan's answer. In all his years, no one had ever explained it to him like that.

The answer was simple and brutal, yet it struck the nail squarely on the head. It was very much to his taste.

Raising his brows, Lin Xiao continued, "Then what is the way of domination?"

"Trample over those who submit, too!"

Lin Xiao's brows twitched again. This was another answer he had never heard before, but it was even more direct and clear. It also possessed an extraordinary air of dominance, perfectly fitting the question.

"Then what is the way of benevolence?" the City Lord asked again.

"Give them a warning before trampling over them."

"Hahahahaha..." At that answer, Lin Xiao threw back his head and laughed, nearly laughing himself to tears. It seemed he had not been this happy in a long time.

"Good! An excellent answer!" Only after a long while did Lin Xiao stop laughing and loudly applaud him.

Lin Xiao did not keep Tang Yan long. In less than an hour, Tang Yan left the City Lord's Residence.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, and night fell earlier and earlier. By the time Tang Yan was walking along the road, darkness had swallowed his surroundings. By the faint light of the night, he headed toward the Tang Family estate.

There was no one on the road anyway, and a thought struck Tang Yan. He had nothing to do once he returned, so why not practice a movement technique? If he encountered a powerful enemy in the future, even if he couldn't win, he would have more than enough ability to flee.

Searching through his memories once more, Tang Yan chose a footwork technique called "Phantom Shadow Steps."

The footwork lived up to its name. Once mastered, it allowed one to come and go without a sound, moving with the agility of a phantom at tremendous speed. It was not merely a means of escape, but also an excellent tool for killing and plundering.

Good footwork was naturally extremely difficult to learn, however. Tang Yan had barely taken two steps in its peculiar pattern before he stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.

Refusing to believe he couldn't do it, Tang Yan tried again, only to wobble just as he had before. This time, he used too much force, lost his balance, and fell to the ground with a thud.

Wherever he fell, he would get back up. Tang Yan was not someone who gave up easily. Once he set his mind on something, he would persevere through a hundred setbacks.

Thud! He fell.

Thud! He fell again.

Thud! He fell a third time...

Fortunately, no one was around at this hour. Had anyone seen Tang Yan, they would probably have thought he was mad. He fell more than twenty times over a mere hundred meters.

By the time he had covered only half the road home, it was nearly midnight, and Tang Yan was already covered in dust and utterly disheveled.

After several hundred falls, Tang Yan finally grasped a hint of the knack. His original tortoise-like pace became slightly faster than an ordinary person's walking speed.

Another two hours passed, and Tang Yan had become somewhat proficient with the footwork, moving as fast as an ordinary person could run.

Tang Yan became completely absorbed in the technique. Its footwork was truly exquisite: each time he lifted a foot, he could place it in any of eight directions at will, making his movements impossible to predict.

Like a child with a new toy, Tang Yan was utterly engrossed. He actually changed direction, heading out of the city instead of returning to the Tang Family estate.

In the darkness, Tang Yan practiced step by step, honing each move to complete proficiency before blending the individual moves into a smooth, seamless whole.

Fortunately, Tang Yan carried High Spirit Pills with him, ensuring an unending supply of true qi within his body. As he practiced without pause, his movement speed grew faster and faster.

Suddenly, Tang Yan stopped dead. Every hair on his body stood on end as a sense of terrible danger surged from the depths of his heart.