"Who the fuck is alone?!"
"Calm down, Pei Ye."
"."
Pei Ye drew a deep breath. In barely half an hour, things had suddenly turned into this. The bright moon hung high, the night was silent, and the Martial Field was deserted. Pei Ye struggled to straighten out his disordered thoughts.
Alone-of course Li Piaoqing was alone. There was no room for wishful thinking. Whether by choice or otherwise, the girl had set all this in motion ahead of time.
And the sharks following the scent of blood already knew every card she held.
"Not necessarily, Pei Ye. Don't rush. Haven't you noticed that the order of those words was a little off?" the black cat's calm voice came through. "I'll follow them and see exactly where they're going. Wait for my message."
"I'll come right over."
"No hurry. Things are still uncertain, and rash action will only sow confusion. I'll call you when we get there."
"Will there still be time?"
"Practice your sword a little longer, Pei Ye."
"...All right."
Three black shadows drifted soundlessly out of Bowang Garden.
The black cat glanced in the direction they were heading, twisted around, and leaped down from the tower.
Beneath the moon, several figures flashed across the rooftops, robes flapping. Behind them, a small, silent shadow trailed at a distance.
After leaving Bowang Garden, the three headed straight north, without detour or hesitation, their destination perfectly clear. Traveling in a straight line, they took less than half a quarter-hour to reach the Northern City from Moon-Catching Tower.
Here, the lights gradually thinned until only moonlight remained. The houses grew low and shabby, too. Cool lake air blew from the west, and the black cat twitched its nose-they had been following the lakeshore all along, and now they were drawing