Chapter 21: Xiao Tian, the Priceless Commodity

Regarding Liu Yan's concerns, Xiao Tian shifted his gaze to the old man cloaked entirely in black robes.

"Wangcai, sense this old guy's strength," Xiao Tian thought to himself, issuing a command to the System.

【Target's actual realm is peak eighth level of the Seventh-tier Awakening Realm, Spiritual Qi attributes are water and poison hybrid, suspected to specialize in poison techniques.】

The System instantly replied, resolving Xiao Tian's doubts.

"This is really strange. In my perception, whether it's that girl Zhong Ling, Liu Yan, or this old man, their strengths all seem about the same."

【Master, because you're too strong.】

【In your presence, they are merely fragile and pitiable lives. The gap in realms holds little meaning to you.】

"Hiss..." Xiao Tian drew in a sharp breath, his expression turning somewhat grave.

Seventh-tier Awakening Realm, peak eighth level—this level of strength, Zhong Ling, a mere third level of the Fifth-tier Void-Breaking Realm, definitely couldn't win.

What to do?

To resolve this trouble, he'd probably have to act himself, but Liu Yan was right there watching.

She was a veteran, the Female Imperial Guard Commander. If she knew his strength, could she not report it to the Empress?

If the Empress found out, could she not order him to help?

If he refused, what if his pocket money got cut off?

Even with his private savings, they'd eventually run dry. Would he have to go back out there doing assassin work to support himself?

Going around in circles, he'd circled right back to the start!

Xiao Tian's face looked rather unpleasant as he glanced back at Liu Yan, in a foul mood.

"Your Highness, no need to fear. I'll fight to the death to get you out of here." Facing Xiao Tian's expression, Liu Yan clearly misunderstood.

She thought Xiao Tian was frightened by the Poison Swamp Elder, gripped by fear.

But in reality, Xiao Tian just didn't want to slap the Poison Swamp Elder to death right in front of her.

Xiao Tian felt a bit irritated and glared unhappily at Liu Yan. "I just fed you that pill to heal your wounds, and now you're rushing off to die? What for?"

"I..." Liu Yan started to speak but froze, astonished to discover her injuries had mostly healed.

Her crippled arms had recovered by seventy or eighty percent, with only some discomfort and mild pain remaining.

How expensive must that pill she swallowed earlier have been?

It was probably one granted by Her Majesty for life-saving purposes.

Yet Xiao Tian had fed it to her directly. It seemed this Prince wasn't as useless as she'd imagined.

But there was no time to overthink right now.

Ahead, Young General Zhong Ling was indeed pressing Gu Hongmao back step by step with her Heart-Piercing Sword, holding the upper hand.

But the Poison Swamp Elder beside them couldn't be ignored.

Once he made a move, the situation would instantly reverse.

"Your Highness, the Young General is extraordinarily talented. Given a bit more time, she'll surely become a pillar of the Great Yan Dynasty."

"She can't die here, and neither can you."

"In a moment, I'll fight to the death to buy you some time. You two hurry and escape, report the situation here."

"With the Imperial City's formation array activated, even this Poison Swamp Elder couldn't breach it."

"As long as we hold out until Her Majesty returns, she'll surely avenge us."

Liu Yan's attitude was resolute as she picked up the war blade from the ground, staring intently ahead.

Beside her, Xiao Tian watched Liu Yan's resolute, death-defying stance and felt a headache coming on.

He'd saved her earlier only because her eyes were closed and she hadn't seen.

Look at Liu Yan now, full of vigor, her eyes wide like copper bells.

"As expected of an assassin organization's pill—the healing effect is too good." Xiao Tian watched as Liu Yan went from near-death to brimming with energy, his head throbbing.

Meanwhile, Liu Yan stared ahead. "Young General, you've grown stronger. That's... the embryonic form of Sword Intent?"

"Huh?" Xiao Tian turned his head and saw Zhong Ling flourishing her longsword in a flashy display, flames flickering around it. He looked puzzled. "What embryonic form?"

"The embryonic form of Sword Intent. Once it fully forms, condensing into true Sword Intent, no cultivator of the same realm without it would be the Young General's match." Liu Yan's voice trembled.

In that instant, she grew even more determined to have Zhong Ling take Prince Xiao Tian and flee immediately.

It would be too great a loss for the Young General to die here.

Liu Yan thought to herself, gazing enviously at Zhong Ling as she crushed Gu Hongmao with her sword.

Xiao Tian, on the other hand, was utterly baffled. In his eyes, there was nothing special about Zhong Ling's swordplay.

His only impression was that it looked pretty cool.

Xiao Tian couldn't care less, while Liu Yan envied away.

But Gu Hongmao, facing Zhong Ling's fiery sword dance head-on, roared inwardly in fury. "Damn it, why? Why is this happening?"

His eyes burned with resentment and maddening jealousy.

Zhong Ling was younger than him, yet her realm was higher.

And now, she'd even comprehended the embryonic form of Sword Intent?

He wielded the sword too and knew full well what that meant.

Jealousy made him lose his composure, and his swordplay naturally grew chaotic.

Bang!

His Spiritual Qi shattered, and Gu Hongmao's longsword flew from his grasp, spinning through the air before stabbing into the soil.

"With your level of skill, you dare run wild in Great Yan?" Zhong Ling said arrogantly, chin slightly raised. She swung her sword in a reverse arc toward his throat.

The killing strike was fierce, flames trailing from the blade in a blaze of fire.

Her fiery red robes danced with the motion, blooming like brilliant fireworks.

This was the pride of Great Yan Dynasty's younger generation—a heaven's proud daughter, the arrogant Young General.

"I'm going to die!" Gu Hongmao's pupils contracted. For the first time, he felt the terror of death. Cold sweat instantly drenched him, soaking his clothes.

Buzz!

A humming vibration suddenly rang out. The longsword slicing toward Gu Hongmao's throat collided with a mass of purple-black Spiritual Qi.

The purple-black Spiritual Qi blocked the strike, then reformed into tiny snakes that slithered up the blade.

"Not good!" Zhong Ling cried out softly. She hurriedly flung her longsword away, retreating to Xiao Tian's side.

The sword hit the ground with a sizzling sound.

The blade instantly became pitted with rust, even developing corroded pits.

The grass beneath it withered immediately, and the soil turned dry and pale.

Deadly poison!

Zhong Ling's little face paled. If her reaction had been a moment slower, she might have lost an arm.

"There are always people stronger than you. Clear now?" Poison Swamp Elder Xiang Yuanbai slowly stepped forward to his disciple Gu Hongmao's side.

Gu Hongmao bowed respectfully. "Teacher, crystal clear."

"Little girl, you've got guts. Daring to swing your sword instead of fleeing before me, the Poison Swamp Elder." Xiang Yuanbai stared at Zhong Ling, full of praise.

At the same time, he turned his head toward Xiao Tian. "Great Yan's Prince Xiao Tian. Though an ordinary waste, he has a fine appearance—quite handsome."

"Purple Ruoyan, as Great Yan's Empress, chose a man like you for a husband. Others may not understand, but to this old man, you must hold a special place in her heart."

"A priceless commodity!!"

However, Gu Hongmao beside him clearly didn't agree with his teacher's view.

From start to finish, he'd been glaring murderously at Zhong Ling, not even glancing at Xiao Tian.

But Xiao Tian's eyes lit up. The Poison Swamp Elder Xiang Yuanbai's words had given him an idea.

"Idiots..."

Zhong Ling, watching the master-disciple pair, muttered under her breath.

She'd figured it out—neither of them had seen Xiao Tian act earlier to save her.

Xiang Yuanbai had been staring at Qingyan Town, so he missed the Prince flicking away Gu Hongmao.

And Gu Hongmao? He hadn't even clearly seen the Prince's movement before being forced back by her own attack. He probably thought it was her who deflected that sword.

"Poor fools. They have no idea how terrifying the Prince is." Zhong Ling pursed her lips, full of blind confidence in Xiao Tian.

She hadn't fled from the Poison Swamp Elder precisely because she had Xiao Tian as her backing.

Just as Zhong Ling was thinking this, she suddenly noticed in shock that Xiao Tian, pale-faced and drenched in sweat, had stepped forward.

He looked utterly terrified.

"Poison Swamp Elder Xiang Yuanbai, I've long heard of your fame. I know today is probably more danger than fortune."

"However..."

"If you spare my life, I can tell you a great secret of the Empress!"

At Xiao Tian's words, a glint flashed in Xiang Yuanbai's eyes.

Gu Hongmao, meanwhile, looked at Xiao Tian's cowardly display with even greater contempt.

"Xiao Tian, you..." Liu Yan behind him exploded in fury, addressing him directly by name.

Only Zhong Ling, her delicate little nose twitching, looked helplessly at the shattered wine jar beneath Xiao Tian's feet.

She couldn't help but complain inwardly.

"Your Highness, doesn't that 'sweat' of yours smell a bit too much like wine?"

"Who pretends to be scared by smearing wine on their face to fake sweat?!"