That streak of black light was the little sword Zhang Xiaohua had sent forth!
The bird was certainly swift, but the little sword was faster still. Before long, it had caught up. The bird seemed to sense the pursuer behind it and immediately accelerated, darting wildly up, down, left, and right like a creature long trained, as though trying to shake off the little sword.
Unfortunately, the little sword had been tempered through battles with wild seabirds. How could it be shaken off by this bird? In no time, the little sword was pressed against the bird's neck. With the slightest additional force, it could have pierced it to death.
Yet at that moment, the little sword abruptly left the bird, wheeled around, and flashed back like lightning. Having escaped death by a hair's breadth, the bird gave a shrill cry, found its bearings again, flapped its wings, and hurriedly fled that place of sorrow.
Zhang Xiaohua's divine sense had constantly blanketed the entire ship. He had seen Bai Yonggui and the others discussing how to deal with him, but he was not Shun Feng Er after all and could not know what they were saying. When he saw Junior Brother Li go below deck to write a note, he naturally paid close attention. Unfortunately, the man had written a jumble of incomprehensible things. Even though Zhang Xiaohua was accustomed to reading ancient writing, he could not understand it. Only when Junior Brother Li released the messenger bird did he feel that the note might be detrimental to him. Without hesitation, he sent out his flying sword, intending to intercept the bird midway.
But at the instant he acted, he hesitated again. Who knew whether the note truly concerned him? The role he was playing was merely that of a