Zhao Xin'er

Huang Xiao noticed someone approaching him, and fear stirred in his heart. There was only that woman here, and now that he could not move, whether he lived or died depended entirely on a single thought of hers.

The dilapidated Daoist temple was rather dim. Following an unusual sound, it gradually fell quiet, leaving only the creaking of the broken windows as the night wind blew through them.

Huang Xiao was not entirely ignorant of matters between men and women, but he had never imagined it would happen to him just like this, under such circumstances.

He felt as though his soul had left his body. Although his acupoints had been sealed and he could not move at all, Huang Xiao had never experienced anything like this sensation.

Just then, Huang Xiao suddenly discovered that the internal power in his dantian was beginning to merge rapidly. Ninety-nine percent of it had been absorbed from his master, Xuanzhenzi. Although Huang Xiao had gathered this internal power in his dantian, he had not yet assimilated it. He had tried over the past few days, but he could only assimilate a tiny strand each day. At that rate, he feared it would take three to five years to assimilate it all. Of course, Huang Xiao was not dissatisfied. He knew that if he really had to cultivate it himself, how much internal power could he develop in those three to five years? His master had made this possible for him, allowing him to take a shortcut along the path of martial arts.

Now, however, the internal power in his dantian was merging faster, leaving Huang Xiao deeply puzzled. Puzzled or not, he could not let such an opportunity slip away.

The internal power in his dantian gradually merged. Once assimilated, the Everlasting Spring True Qi became Huang Xiao's own true qi, and he then circulated that true qi throughout his body.

"What is this?" Only when his true qi traveled through the meridians throughout his body did Huang Xiao discover a hint of the mystery behind it. To his surprise, he found that as he circulated his power, an unfamiliar kind of internal power seemed to flow into him from the woman. This internal power had a miraculous capacity to accommodate other power. It was exceedingly faint, but only with its participation could the internal power in his dantian merge several times faster.

His delight did not last long, however. Suddenly, he discovered that the internal power in his meridians was surging wildly into the woman's meridians, throwing him into a panic.

The internal power in his meridians kept draining away into hers. Even the true qi in his dantian did the same, all of it pouring out.

Although Huang Xiao did not know how powerful this woman was, he believed she was undoubtedly an expert, at least far stronger than his master. Thus, he knew very well that no amount of struggling would help. Besides, he could not even move now. He could only passively accept everything, accept the reality that his internal power was draining away like mad.

But Huang Xiao soon calmed down, because that internal power quickly returned from the woman's meridians to his own. What astonished him even more was that the returning internal power seemed purer. Compared with his internal power a moment ago, its might seemed even more formidable, an increase of at least several tenths.

Only after an unknown length of time did Huang Xiao notice that his internal power had returned to his dantian and settled down.

Huang Xiao felt a little lost, his heart tangled with uncertainty. It could be said that he and this woman had now shared the intimacy of husband and wife, yet he knew absolutely nothing of her origins. Besides, she was so beautiful that he was certainly willing, but how could she possibly take a liking to him?

The woman stood silently beside Huang Xiao for quite some time. Looking at him lying on the ground, a trace of killing intent flashed through her eyes. She reached down and made a grasping motion through the air, drawing the precious sword lying on the ground into her hand. Seizing objects through the air—such power was rare indeed. In the Wulin of today, even first-class experts could not necessarily all accomplish it. That such a rare technique should appear in a young woman was proof enough of her extraordinary origins.

Of course, Huang Xiao could not see any of this, for his eyes were still covered by that silk scarf.

After hesitating briefly, the woman drew the slender sword in her hand with a swish, then moved to thrust it into Huang Xiao's chest.

"Hahaha! Zhao Xin'er, you certainly made me search hard. I never imagined you could flee so far after being poisoned with my Spirit-Transforming Powder." Just then, a sinister voice rang out inside the Ruined Taoist Temple.

"Du Tianchou, you shameless scoundrel! Today, I'll take your wretched life!" Sword in hand, Zhao Xin'er took a step, swiftly turning and darting into the outer hall before glaring furiously at a man behind her.

A man stood in the outer hall. He was around twenty years old and dressed in white. With a swish, he flicked open the paper fan in his hand, then waved it gently as he said with a smile, "Come to think of it, Zhao Xin'er, you ought to thank me, Du Tianchou. Those three lechers who poisoned you with an aphrodisiac have already died at my hands. You could say I avenged you. They dared to defile the immortal maiden in my heart-unpardonable, unforgivable. Rest assured, they suffered every agony and torment before they died. I wouldn't let them die easily."

Zhao Xin'er said nothing. Du Tianchou paused, then continued, "Zhao Xin'er, everyone says you're a rare prodigy the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion hasn't seen in centuries, whether in looks, martial arts, or comprehension. When we met briefly a few days ago, I didn't get a close look. Seeing you again today, you truly are as beautiful as a heavenly immortal. Even I am captivated by you. And now, with that hint of anger on your face and that flush on your cheeks, you're all the more enchanting. Haha!"

"To think the Peaceful Heaven Sect would have scum like you," Zhao Xin'er said, having regained her composure.

"Scum? No, no, no, you've misunderstood. You know that I, Du Tianchou, rank among the outstanding disciples of this generation in the Peaceful Heaven Sect. But quite a few of my fellow disciples are my equals in martial arts, and some are even stronger than me. Zhao Xin'er, it was wrong of me to poison you earlier. But rest assured, I can give you the antidote right away. Of course, I have my own purpose as well. I've admired you for a long time. Would you be willing to marry me?" Du Tianchou asked.

"Hmph!"

"Don't be so quick to refuse. Your current situation is hardly promising. Though those three lechers were scum of the Jianghu, they gave me a pleasant surprise today." Du Tianchou chuckled wickedly. "Zhao Xin'er, is your heart rippling with desire right now? Haha, longing for a man, are you? Just look at your complexion, that flush brimming with the tide of passion. I'm in no hurry. I'd like to see how long you can endure. When the time comes, you'll be the one begging me." Du Tianchou laughed loudly. This turn of events had indeed been beyond his expectations. His original plan had been to use Spirit-Transforming Powder to greatly weaken Zhao Xin'er, then capture her. Once the raw rice had been cooked, she would have no choice but to submit to him.

Zhao Xin'er was the most outstanding disciple among the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion's younger generation. If Du Tianchou could obtain her, his standing in the Peaceful Heaven Sect would rise dramatically. Of course, beyond his standing, what mattered even more to him was Zhao Xin'er's cultivation technique-or rather, the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion's cultivation technique, the Bliss Canon.