The alleys of Youzhou were as tangled as a maze, hemmed in by high walls and dimly lit.
Lu Changfeng moved at an unhurried pace. Tracking her aura with precision, he soon spotted the black-clad figure at the end of a dead-end alley piled with clutter.
She had stopped fleeing and stood quietly at the alley's end, her back to the entrance, as though she had known someone would follow. In the dim light, the dark, blood-red patterns on the Sword Case on her back seemed to flow slowly.
Lu Changfeng stopped at the alley entrance, thirty feet from her-just far enough for both of them to feel safe.
"What splendid movement, miss-and what heavy killing intent."
Lu Changfeng spoke first, his tone mild. "How should I address you?"
The woman in black slowly turned. Her eyes, like cold stars, shone startlingly bright in the dark alley.
"Wang Jingxian, of Langya."
She gave her name crisply and without fuss. "Who are you? Why are you following me?"
"I am Yun Fan, a mere merchant."
Lu Changfeng cupped his hands. "I followed because the sword on your back... is quite unusual."
"A merchant?"
Wang Jingxian gave a cold laugh. "Carrying a priceless treasure, parading through the streets, yet perfectly at ease. You are no ordinary 'merchant.'"
Lu Changfeng took it as a compliment and smiled. "You flatter me, miss. A man needs something to rely on if he wants to put food on the table."
"..."
Wang Jingxian seemed unused to such a lightly teasing response. She glanced at him and simply changed the subject. "You can tell what makes this sword unusual?"
Lu Changfeng nodded, his expression turning serious. "Its baleful aura is almost solid, its murderous intent surging toward the stars of the Dipper and the Ox. Within it