Strange? Huang Xiao was puzzled. Even his meager, unranked cultivation had allowed him to detect their approach, prompting him to pull the Princess into these bushes to hide. With their cultivation, these Demonic Path experts should have been perfectly capable of detecting him from far away. Yet they seemed not to have noticed him. What was going on?
Huang Xiao could not make sense of it, so he put it down to Heaven's blessing, hoping Heaven would work a miracle and keep their hiding place from being discovered.
Now Huang Xiao dared not make a sound or even breathe heavily, terrified that the Demonic Path practitioners nearby would notice. Seeing the Princess beside him with her little face taut with tension, he smiled at her, his eyes telling her not to worry.
Not to worry? That was merely Huang Xiao's attempt to comfort the Princess. In his heart, he had already despaired, but he at least had to act as though it were nothing, hoping to put her a little more at ease and give her some peace of mind.
"They must be nearby. They couldn't have gotten far!"
"Exactly. That brat's nothing but a beginner who's just started training-perhaps he hasn't even started. And how fast could a delicate Princess like her walk? Hurry up and search. Senior Fu Yan will reward us handsomely if we capture the Princess!"
"These bushes would make a good hiding place. I'll search here. You lot look over there!" With that, one of the Demonic Path experts walked toward the bushes where Huang Xiao and the Princess were hiding.
Stop, stop! Huang Xiao cried inwardly, hoping the Demonic Path expert would stop. Just a few more steps and the man would see him.
Cold sweat ran from his forehead along the corners of