Xian Wu was in bondage

Footsteps and shouts were coming towards them from a distance away.

Lai Yiteng knew he would have to finish this battle with Xian Wu within the next minute, but the man's defense was impenetrable. His wrist slid to adjust each of Lai Yiteng's strikes upon contact, turning them harmless, and his footwork was too clean and nimble.

It was not Xian Wu dodging for his life, but Lai Yiteng who was striking as though his life depended on it. Urgh. Why did he have to run into a martial arts master as a time like this?!

"Let's not fight," said Xian Wu. "You sung a nice song and all…"

Lai Yiteng raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

Indeed, Xian Wu seemed to carry a long saber on his belt with him, the hilt of it etched with a curling dragon, but hadn't drawn it in retaliation against Lai Yiteng's ruthless attacks. Perhaps Xian Wu truly didn't have any ill intentions.

Lai Yiteng struck towards him one more time.

The expression of Xian Wu firmed, readying to dodge again. Yet, this time, Lai Yiteng feinted with his hand and swiveled his leg into the vulnerable back of Xian Wu's knees.

As the man buckled downwards with a grunt, Lai Yiteng drew out a short bundle of rope from his inner clothes.

When Xian Wu recovered his bearings, he somehow found that his hands and feet were tied. Bound very tightly and securely, in fact, and all within a second.

That...was some fast rope tying.

As the voices came closer yet, Xian Wu whispered to him, "Er...why do you have rope? Just for times like these?"

"It's useful."

"Well, what are you planning to do with me? I really don't have those sorts of hobbies…"

"Shut it." Lai Yiteng thought a moment, then decided his next course of action. "I'll let your pursuers find you, then they won't bother with me anymore."

Xian Wu's squirmed in his ropes helplessly, his muscles flexing against the bindings. Although it was hard to catch his full expression in the dark, he was pouting his lips. Considering that his face was normally quite handsome, at this point in time it made him look silly instead.

"Hey hey hey. Don't hang me out to rot!"

Lai Yiteng was not moved. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Come on," he whined, "there are some things I should really explain. But the most important thing is that I'll definitely repay you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. But either way, you dined and ran, I think you are the last person someone ought to be trusting."

"No no no. That was that, this is this. I promise. Is there anything you want from me, brother?"

Lai Yiteng was somewhat disgusted by Xian Wu's attitude but had to admit his martial arts were good. His character seemed patient enough, considering he still didn't break a sweat from his current situation and had accepted being put into bondage well. Perhaps he was suited for it.

But for how at ease Xian Wu was in his current helpless state, it made Lai Yiteng doubt if the man was truly afraid of being captured by his pursuers.

Lai Yiteng pondered. Was Xian Wu perhaps capable of breaking the ropes on his own? Or was it all an act to get himself to let his guard down? Either way, he couldn't be trusted.

He ought to be rid of the man as soon as possible.

But while at the moment it would be more dangerous to keep Xian Wu near himself, footsteps were approaching too rapidly, so without thinking Lai Yiteng hauled up Xian Wu's body and hid behind several large urns. They were made of reddish-brown clay and extremely thick and heavy.

As the footsteps passed, Lai Yiteng whispered to Xian Wu, "Are you a practitioner of Graceful Dragon Martial Technique?"

Xian Wu nodded slightly in confirmation, then raised an eyebrow in questioning. He certainly had no idea why Lai Yiteng would ask such a thing out of the blue, but for Lai Yiteng, he was suddenly twice as interested in Xian Wu.

Lai Yiteng had been an up and coming prodigy, but never ended up inheriting the final techniques of Seven Lotus Breath from his shifu at Lotus Sect.

It wasn't as though he could simply self-improvise and learn by himself. And even if he did try to learn it alone it would take years. So, his first goal after escaping Lushang Sect was to learn the remaining martial techniques as soon as possible, which involved stealing a martial tome from his Lotus Sect, but that would be difficult, needless to say.

But, perhaps he could just learn Graceful Dragon Martial Technique from this man?

Lai Yiteng didn't really mind switching schools to learn another martial form.

All that mattered was that he grew stronger.

Technically speaking, Graceful Dragon Martial Technique was not completely dissimilar to Lotus Seven Breath Arts. The movements were fluid and potent, every fist and palm would be flowing like water yet strike with sharp force like a sabre.

It could be suitable for him to learn, and Lai Yiteng was at the lowest point in his life where even grabbing at threads and sticks was worthwhile.

If Xuan Wu was a respected figure in Dragon Sect, perhaps he could at least 'borrow' their martial tomes. And if Xian Wu didn't want to talk, he could interrogate him whenever.

"Um…what are you thinking about?" Xian Wu interrupted Lai Yiteng's pondering. He only saw a chin and thin, pink lips pursed in thought under the veil, and was uncertain what Lai Yiteng was planning to do.

Calmly, Lai Yiteng answered, "I'll spare you for now." Yes, spare him so that his great plans of learning Graceful Dragon Martial Technique could be realized!

Xian Wu made a tepid face as though he were saying 'that's so gracious of you'.

Unfortunately, a dark clothed assassin overheard them, and stepped through the entrance of the pottery shop with his dagger raised. Their silhouette was highlighted faintly by the moon.

Lai Yiteng immediately had a killing intent as he sprung from behind the edge of the wall, leaving Xian Wu tied and docile.

The assassin opened his mouth to shout, but Lai Yiteng had already closed in and cut his throat. Although the assassins did well in a group, their poison-coated weapons making them a force to be reckoned with, they were far from Lai Yiteng's match alone.

It wasn't long before this assassin lay on the floor, blood pooling and bubbling out from his mouth from a palm strike to his chest.

Xian Wu half rolled out of the corner, his tied feet and hands making him stumble.

"You didn't have to kill him!" he exclaimed. "All your fancy clothes are bloodstained."

Lai Yiteng silently went back over to Xuan Wu.

Xuan Wu said, "Great, are you going to untie-"

Lai Yiteng hoisted him up over his shoulder with some difficulty and started to run out onto the street, looking for a horse to steal. So no, Xian Wu was not yet released from his bondage.

"You're fat," remarked Lai Yiteng.

"That's rude." Xuan Wu lifted his head slightly from where it hung, and Lia Yiteng could see the corner of his dark eyes staring at him. "That's just the weight of my muscle mass. See, I've only known you for a couple hours, and I can see that despite your looks, your manners are lacking. You've got quite the nasty mouth on you. Not so becoming of a person of Lotus Sect…"

"Shut it. Or I'll ditch you here!" Lai Yiteng felt blood rush to his head from the very mention of Lotus Sect. He decided to funnel it into his running.

There were rustles and the voice of a man shouting behind them.

He wasn't sure if it was Chu Heng's doing or the assassins, but based on the relative quiet after the first shout, probably the later.

As if on cue, Lai Yiteng felt the hairs on his back raise, and just as he'd run into an alley an arrow whizzed past his ear.

"Heh, you've got pretty keen awareness," said Xian Wu. He seemed completely used to riding on Lai Yiteng shoulder by now and was watching everything like it was a good show.

"…"

Lai Yiteng found a horse tied in a stable. He quickly cut the rope latching it and drug it out of the stall by the mane. All in all, it didn't take long for him to throw Xian Wu over the front and jump on behind, slapping the horse in the butt and taking off.

Finally, the assassins were left behind.

Lai Yiteng was just about to wipe the sweat off his brow when he heard yet another shout.

"Vicious woman, turn yourself in!"

"…"

This time it was Chu Heng--the governor's son. The one he'd punched nice and hard.