When Xie Tian stepped into the cave, he said only one word.
“Go.”
Without hesitation, Yin Tian’er trotted closer with the iron arrow, timidly gripping the corner of Xie Tian’s clothes, and moved on in the silent, soundless night.
Yin Tian’er felt relieved by the darkness.
If it had been daylight, the sight of the dead bodies scattered all around would have surely made her weak.
However, as they walked, she noticed something was wrong.
The hand she was holding on to was becoming moist and sticky.
“You, you’re hurt again?”
“Mhm.”
Tears immediately fell from Yin Tian’er’s bright eyes.
She fought hard to hold back her sobs and after a long while, she guiltily said, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”
At this moment, they were only a hundred yards from the main road of the Hexi Corridor.
Xie Tian stopped walking and turned his head to look to the right.
Thinking Xie Tian had deliberately halted to listen, Yin Tian’er sobbed softly, “Two days ago, Zhao Xuyang brought a woman to the merchant caravan to identify someone.
Then a dozen Hexi thief leaders came together.
I had no choice but to warn them.
Then they…but I didn’t know the person they found was you…”
“Ha ha ha ha!
Is it this woman then!”
Shocked, Yin Tian’er’s eyes were instantly pained by the strong light.
When her vision cleared, she saw herself and Xie Tian surrounded by Hexi thieves holding torches, and leading them was Zhao Xuyang, looking like a demon highlighted by the torch fires!
Zhao Xuyang threw a naked woman at his feet, glared at Xie Tian, and said word by word, “You saved her, now, she has betrayed you!
How does it feel?”
Xie Tian didn’t look at Zhao Xuyang, instead keeping his focus to the right, and spoke lightly, “I know, so when she thanked me, I told her I didn’t save her.”
“Heh heh, the notorious killer I’ve been so afraid of has a soft spot for women after all.” The old undying took a step forward, chuckling sinisterly, “Did you expect that?
No matter how ruthless and cunning you are, than you’ve just fought your way out from a dozen ambushers with brute strength, but escaping from the Hexi thieves’ territory is a pipe dream!”
Zhao Xuyang also smirked coldly, “Xu Shao is just spewing alarmist talk, I thought you were very formidable, but once the Hexi Order came out, didn’t you become just meat on the chopping block, ready for me to slice!”
Ignoring the mockery, Xie Tian turned around, took Yin Tian’er’s hand, and held her entire body in his embrace.
Yin Tian’er, startled and shy, twisted a bit and, finding she could not move, ceased struggling and gently rested her head on Xie Tian’s shoulder, her heart pounding like a frightened deer.
Seeing this, the leaders were furious.
Zhao Xuyang pointed at Yin Tian’er and cursed, “Look at this little wretch, at first she denied any connection with your Yin family, and now she shamelessly clings to you, utterly disgraceful!”
Xie Tian chuckled, turned to face Zhao Xuyang, and asked softly, “I’m now surrounded by enemies on all sides.
Aren’t you going to make your move?”
The nine leaders were taken aback.
Gou Jianyang stepped forward with a sinister smile, his eyes narrowed, “You’re badly wounded and bleeding continuously.
Today you’re doomed, but before we turn you to dust, I want to know, was it really you who killed Li Yuanyang?”
“It was.”
“How did you kill him?”
“I lured him with the cultivation technique, distracted him with Yin Tian’er, provoked him with my gaze, and corroded his skull with Red Alum Liquid.”
The moment these words were uttered, the nine leaders took a step back!
Xu Shao’s analysis was spot on!
They finally believed that the feeble-looking young man before them was truly the monstrous talent from the cave who had brought courage and cunning to the extreme!
“You, I’ve been roaming the jianghu for over sixty years and have never seen someone like you!” The old undying pointed at Xie Tian with his trembling right hand, his voice forbidding yet hollow, “Who in the world are you?”
Xie Tian did not answer, because someone else spoke for him.
“Xie Tian!
Finally found you, you little bastard!”
As the words were spoken, several people came down the road, led by Xie Changyong, the third elder of the Xie family.
Xie Changyong had suffered more in the past few days than ever in his life.
In pursuit of Xie Tian, he had scoured the Hexi Corridor back and forth without catching even a whiff of him.
He glared bitterly at Xie Tian, then greeted the nine leaders with a fist salute, “I am honored to meet all of you.
This bastard has stolen our Xie family’s cultivation techniques and injured our family members before fleeing.
Today, thanks to the leaders for capturing him, our Xie family is eternally grateful!
Bring this little bastard…”
“Yo, yo, yo, who is this?” Gou Jianyang looked at Xie Changyong in disbelief and snickered, “Who do you think you are?
The Xie family from Yangshuo City?
Sorry, but I’ve never heard of it.
Seeing how you don’t put the Hexi thieves in your eyes, I suppose the Xie family must be the number one family in the Song dynasty, right?”
Xie Changyong’s mouth opened, but he failed to utter a word.
“Get lost!” Zhao Xuyang yelled impatiently, then looked at Xie Tian again and sneered, “You killed my son and dishonored the Hexi thieves.
If you don’t beg for death in my hands, I, the Flame Evil Demon, would have lived this life for nothing!”
“No!
You can’t kill him!” Yin Tian’er, in a daze from being held by Xie Tian, suddenly snapped out of it, and with a burst of strength, she pulled Xie Tian back several steps and urgently said, “He’s not a murderer, I can testify!”
“Heh heh, little wench, you can’t even save yourself, and now you want to defend your lover?” The old undying laughed nastily, “According to Xu Shao, our agreement token with the Yin family is in your hands?
Ha ha ha, fortune has smiled upon us.
Today we shall take back that token, kill you, and avenge the insult to our Hexi thieves!”