Chapter 26: On-the-Spot Command

Just like that, he had been tailing her for two hours, already dozens of miles outside the city. Just as Tang Yan was about to give up, he suddenly sensed that the figure ahead had come to a halt.

"You've been sneaking after me through the city for so long — did you really think I hadn't noticed?" A cold, piercing female voice rang out. Tang Yan's heart lurched. Just what was this woman's cultivation level? He had tried so hard to conceal himself, yet she had still detected him.

He shook his head with a wry smile and stepped out into the open.

"Heh heh heh… Miss Zi is truly formidable. Even hidden as deeply as I was, you still found me." The moment Tang Yan stepped forward, a grey blur came whistling into view, entering his line of sight.

There was another person? And their strength was equally unfathomable!

Tang Yan's shock deepened. How big was Yun City, really? What had been going on lately? Two powerful experts had appeared out of nowhere. Judging by the aura emanating from these two, they had to be at least Earth Realm experts.

The grey-robed man was as thin as a bamboo pole. His looks were not entirely unpleasant, but his eyes would occasionally flash with a lecherous, sinister light — clearly a man of crooked intentions.

"Hm? There's another person here?" When Tang Yan stepped out, the grey-robed middle-aged man let out a surprised grunt. He sized Tang Yan up for a moment, then burst into laughter. "I was wondering how Miss Ziyu dared to show herself after being poisoned by my Fire Evil Toxin — so she brought along a helper. But this lover of yours is nothing but a pretty face with no real substance. Utterly useless."

The white-robed woman also stared at Tang Yan in surprise. When had this fellow followed her? How had she not sensed him at all?

Taking in both their expressions, Tang Yan felt like coughing up blood in frustration. So neither of these two had actually noticed him? He had only been called out by sheer accident?

"Ha ha ha, I was just passing by! You two carry on, carry on!" Tang Yan waved his hands frantically and turned to leave.

"Trying to run? Heh heh — how can I let you do that? I've long heard that Miss Ziyu is kind-hearted and would never leave someone to die. If you stay here, she'll have to split her attention protecting you. Miss Ziyu is already poisoned, so her strength is at best equal to mine. With you here, my odds of winning are even better!" The grey-robed man cackled with a strange laugh, making no effort to hide his intentions.

"Bai Qing, you're overthinking it. This stranger has been following me all the way here — he's clearly in the same boat as you. If you want to kill him, go ahead! But you won't be walking away today. I, Ziyu, will stake my life to kill you!" the white-robed woman snapped.

"Hmph! Then I shall give it a try! Little brat — your life is mine!" Bai Qing let out a strange laugh and lunged at Tang Yan.

Tang Yan's heart seized with terror. This rat could walk on air! That was the hallmark of a Heavenly Realm expert!

Though he had little confidence in dodging the attack, Tang Yan still retreated at full speed.

"How dare you, villain!" Ziyu's longsword trembled in her hand, and she too took to the air.

Tang Yan was filled with bitter regret. Why on earth had he followed them here? These two were like gods — either one of them could crush him with a flick of their finger!

Clang! At the last critical moment, the white-robed woman's sword finally interposed itself before Tang Yan. He let out a long breath of relief, and when he touched his back, he found his clothes completely soaked through with sweat.

"Heh heh, so this little fellow really is your lover — you can barely protect yourself, yet you shield him like this!" Bai Qing's mind was utterly vile. He kept up a stream of personal attacks on Ziyu: "The only cure for the Fire Evil Toxin is to be fully intimate with a man. Why not obediently submit to me? Once I've killed this pretty boy, I'll take you to the clouds and rain together."

"Shameless! I would rather die than let you have your way — and I will kill you!" Compared to Bai Qing, Ziyu's skin was far thinner.

Taking advantage of the two combatants' exchange, Tang Yan carefully observed from the side. The grey-robed man wielded a flexible sword, and in his hands it moved like a silver serpent — nimble and treacherous in its attacks on Ziyu.

Ziyu's own strength should have surpassed Bai Qing's, but Bai Qing's relentless verbal abuse and his occasional attempts to sneak attacks on Tang Yan were severely distracting her despite her injuries. Within just a few exchanges, she was already in a precarious situation.

"Damn it, I never provoked you, and you still want to kill me!" A boundless fury rose in Tang Yan's chest. "Don't think I'm a pushover just because I'm quiet! Since you're this shameless, let me tell you — never look down on anyone!"

Tang Yan rapidly retreated, putting distance between himself and the two fighters. His eyes locked onto Bai Qing's sword intent, and he began to methodically break down Bai Qing's moves one by one.

At the same time, his mouth never stopped. He bellowed at the top of his lungs: "Hey, you — Bai Qing, is it? Your face looks like a shoehorn. I bet when your old man was going at your mother too hard, he squashed your face sideways! And do you even know who your father is? With all those men your mother had around, who could say which one sired you! Fuck, you dare glare at me? What are you looking at? I'm not your father…"

This machine-gun barrage of insults instantly drove Bai Qing into a seething rage.

"Brat, I'll butcher you!" Forcing Ziyu back with all his might, Bai Qing roared and charged toward Tang Yan.

Tang Yan's eyes never left Bai Qing. The moment he saw him move, his gaze sharpened, and he called out in a low voice: "Miss Zi — three parts left with your longsword, thrust straight, seven parts force!"

And that angle happened to be a blind spot Bai Qing had no way to cover.

On-the-spot command — begin! A cold, ruthless smile crept onto the corner of Tang Yan's lips.

Hearing Tang Yan's words, Ziyu instinctively glanced to the left — and sure enough, there was a small but unmistakably clear opening. Her heart leapt with joy. Her longsword shot forward like a thunderbolt, howling as it drove straight into the gap.

When masters clash, a hair's breadth of difference means a world of error.

Bai Qing, who had been pressing forward with the upper hand just moments before, felt an overwhelming threat from Ziyu's thrust. He could no longer spare a thought for Tang Yan and hurriedly turned to defend, shifting from offense to defense.

"Right side, nine inches — horizontal slash, aim for his lower three ribs! Seven parts force!" Tang Yan's voice rang out again.

The moment Tang Yan's words fell, Ziyu instantly spotted the designated position.

An opening! Another opening!

And because she had held back some strength in the previous strike, this new attack connected with the last in a seamlessly fluid chain!

Her sword blazed with a soaring momentum. Accompanied by the shriek of cleaving air, without a single flourish, it drove straight toward Bai Qing's waist.

Bai Qing felt like coughing up blood in frustration. He had expected the boy to be a liability — a burden to Ziyu — yet in just a few breaths, the entire situation had been reversed.

Just wait until I defeat Ziyu — I'll flay you alive! Bai Qing seethed inwardly.

Tang Yan had no idea what Bai Qing was thinking, but his own thoughts were much the same — kill the other man!

Bai Qing had no time to dwell on it. Ziyu's longsword was simply too fierce; he had no room to dodge and could only take the blows head-on.

Every time Ziyu struck with seven parts force, Bai Qing had to respond with his full strength — and the situation was growing increasingly desperate for him.

Before Bai Qing could even catch his breath, Tang Yan's relentless voice rang out again like a death knell: "Spin your body — full force, ten parts! Right side, nine inches — horizontal slash, upper two ribs!"

Having been guided to two openings in a row, Ziyu had begun to trust Tang Yan's words completely.

Her body spun in midair like a wheel, swift and fierce. Her longsword, carried by the rotational momentum of her body, wrapped in a surging torrent of sword force, came thundering toward Bai Qing.