The bamboo flute's melody seemed faintly intended to detain its guests. Daoist Zhan wanted to disregard it and leave, but Hou Niao insisted on listening.
Eccentric people always did eccentric things. Daoist Zhan did not want any trouble before they met the two True Persons, especially since the fellow beside her also had a fiery temper.
When the tune ended, the Daoist turned around. His swordlike brows swept into his temples, and he stood out from the ordinary. He looked toward the two of them, though his words were directed at only one.
"We've met before..."
"In the rift. You were in the Dao formation, and I was in the reserve formation."
The Daoist smiled. "That the Brocade Continent has someone so talented is truly surprising, truly admirable. I had no intention of stirring up more trouble, but I heard you received the Azure Sky Legacy?"
"Only its surface teachings. Nothing worth mentioning."
The Daoist's brows rose sharply. "Since you accepted the Azure Sky Legacy, you should shoulder the karma between us."
Hou Niao pushed Daoist Zhan aside. "Why bother with all this empty talk? I don't just take on people's karma-I take their wives and daughters too!"
The Daoist scoffed. "What a tongue! Since I can't find Yueduo, you'll do just as well!"
He reached out with one hand, and a great hand of Law Power descended from above, its strength held within, contained rather than revealed. This was a technique many Magic Cultivators liked to use, called the Dragon-Seizing Xuanhuang Hand. It seemed ordinary and simple, but its follow-up variations were endless-a method that revealed true skill amid the unassuming.
How could Hou Niao stand still and let him execute it? Without warning, he shifted forward, seizing the initiative to close in. But by the time he stood