A grating voice like a wolf in heat said with a laugh, "My, Dugu Ba, technique can turn a chaste woman [lit. woman who dies fighting for her honor or who follows her husband in death] into a wh0re, let alone you, a s1ut. After you have a taste of me, I guarantee that you, the Pretty Junshi [military counselor] will never leave me, and will obediently become my woman.”
Moaning and panting, Shen Luoyan said, "Just kill me!”
Dugu Ba clicked his tongue and then with a strange-sounding laughter he said, "Your figure is so well developed, your skin is so tender and smooth, how can I bear to harm you? After you become my woman, you will be delighted to work for my Dugu Clan.”
Shen Luoyan suddenly let out an especially intense moan, obviously Dugu Ba has violated the part that has caused her extreme discomfort.
From behind a tree Xu Ziling noiselessly flashed out, slowly creeping toward Dugu Ba.
He was certain that he was not Dugu Ba's match; the only way was to take advantage when the opponent's attention was completely absorbed in his lascivious behavior, to mount a sneak attack.
The golden hairpin rose up, it was aimed at Dugu Ba's back.
With a trembling voice Shen Luoyan said, "Even if you obtain my body, don't even think that you will obtain my heart.”
Obviously Dugu Ba was extremely proud of himself; gasping for breath, he laughed and said, "Aren't you in love with that kid just now whose smell of mother's milk not yet dried? Were it not for you lost your soul and dropped your spirit after you two parted, I am afraid it would not be this easy for me to succeed, to enjoy Li Mi's woman. Ha!”
This moment Xu Ziling was still about a zhang away from Dugu Ba. Hearing what was said, his spirit trembled a little, his footstep immediately getting somewhat heavier.
Unexpectedly Dugu Ba was able to react; his powerful body shook, as if he was moving.
Xu Ziling did not dare to hesitate. The gold hairpin shot out, while at the same time he also shot forward at full speed, his entire strength was focused on the middle finger of his right hand, piercing Dugu Ba's back.
Although Dugu Ba was outstanding, he had never imagined that there existed a martial art expert who was able to conceal all phenomena of life, such as breathing, body temperature, heartbeat, et cetera, and was able, to certain degree, to become ‘invisible'. Combined with the fact that his attention was focused on Shen Luoyan's alluring body, thus he was doomed to suffer this big loss.
However, even in this such a disadvantageous situation, he was able to traverse in time, avoiding the strike to hit the major acupoint on his back.
Just before the golden pin entered between his right ribs, it suddenly bounced back, while he also already traversed three chi.
Like a shadow Xu Ziling followed him toward his right side, and his finger jabbed again, the target was another vital acupoint under his ribs.
Before the finger arrived, a burning hot finger wind had already assaulted Dugu Ba's body.
Previously the needle, which was full of true qi, had already stabbed Dugu Ba's muscles and bones, breaking the true qi protecting his body, enough for Xu Ziling's true qi to penetrate his body.
This time he was unable to endure the finger wind, so that he suddenly spouted a mouthful of blood and let out a wild roar. Turning around, he used the back of his palm to slap Xu Ziling's face.
Now the two men were fighting face to face.
Dugu Ba was around thirty years of age, his face was long and narrow, his eyes were also narrow and malicious-looking, his nose like an eagle's beak, his lips extremely thin, giving others an impression that he was a cruel man with lack of justice.
Xu Ziling changed his finger stab into a fist, meeting Dugu Ba's attack head-on.
‘Bang!' Dugu Ba spurted another mouthful of blood; letting out a miserable scream, he ran away as fast as he could.
On the other hand, Xu Ziling was also jolted back three steps; the entire qi and blood in his body was surging, making him groaning inwardly. Even after Dugu Ba was seriously injured, his palm strength was still that formidable. Evidently, under normal circumstances, Xu Ziling was definitely not his match.
After regulating his breathing, he came over to Shen Luoyan, who was still standing with her back leaning against the tree, and her head down.
Shen Luoyan's clothes was still half-open half-closed, so that her ‘ridges and peaks' were visible. The blush of her jade countenance has not faded yet, making her extremely captivating.
But her expression was unusually serene; with her shining eyes she looked at him up and down, sizing him up.
Xu Ziling was somewhat at a loss. "How are you feeling?” he asked.
‘Chi!' suddenly Shen Louyan giggled. "I was just giving him a bit of hand and feet advantage, not a big deal,” she said, "If you are interested, I guarantee I won't resist you.”
Xu Ziling was relieved, "Where is the book?” he asked.
Shen Luoyan raised her lily-white hand, letting him see she had a secure grip of the book. She smiled and said, "Don't blame me as a horny b1tch; I deliberately moaned in loud voice to attract your attention, but I still did not expect you would come that quickly. When you showed up just now, I intentionally made up an act to distract his attention, while at the same time grabbing the book. When he was evading you, the book then returned to my hands!”
Concerned, Xu Ziling asked, "Is your acupoint still sealed? Why haven't you straightened out your clothes?”
As if nothing had happened, Shen Luoyan laughed tenderly and said, "So that you can see! As soon as his hand left, I recovered my strength. Oh! Are you interested or not? Being messed up by him, I really want to have a man.”
Xu Ziling angrily said, "Go back to Xu Shiji! I am going to leave.”
Shen Luoyan smiled sweetly as she stood her lovely body up. Soon afterwards her clothes have been straightened out properly, and her jade countenance returned to its usual calm and composed look.
Xu Ziling picked up the golden hairpin and handed it over to her, saying, "Next time be more careful! Is that Dugu Ba a Dugu Clan's man? His martial art is certainly very formidable.”
Shen Luoyan's eyes flashed a murderous look; she hatefully said, "He is Dugu Feng's only brother, but their age difference is twenty years. He is famous for having voracious desire for flowers and being lecherous, but his martial art skill is second only to You Chuhong and Dugu Feng. Next time you meet him, you are the one who really have to be more careful.”
"Let me walk you back,” Xu Ziling said.
Shen Luoyan cast him a sidelong glance and said, "Do you think I am a pitiful woman who is too weak to stand up to the wind? Were it not for him buried himself under the snow and taking advantage while my mind was not focused to mount a sneak attack, I would at least have the chance to fight and launch fireworks to call for reinforcements at the same time. Ay! I was really a bit reluctant to part with you, but you must not think that I am really falling in love with you!”
Xu Ziling smiled wryly and said, "How could I have such thought? The one you really fancy is Ba Fenghan, right?”
Shen Luoyan's tender body shook; but as she was staring at him, Xu Ziling drew back, and then swiftly disappeared into the depth of the forest.
In the meantime, in another forest about ten li away from where Shen Luoyan was humiliated, Kou Zhong and Susu were crouching down at the edge of a cluster of trees. The former was concentrating completely on the situation outside the forest.
Susu said in a low voice, "Perhaps Xiao Ling is in trouble?”
"Of course not,” Kou Zhong replied, "If it were me, it would be hard to say! I dare say than Shen Luoyan has developed a subtle feeling for him; besides, it's not like we have some unsolvable enmity between us, Xu Zhiji did not even know that Xiao Ling is his rival in love, Xiao Ling can certainly get away. But that's really strange!”
"What's really strange?” Susu asked.
"Why there is nobody tracking us,” Kou Zhong replied, "It's a lot easier than tracking Xiao Ling.”
Susu said, "Didn't you just say that in this kind of heavy snow Zheng Zong's magic bird may become a stupid bird?”
Kou Zhong said, "If every time there is a wind or snow Zheng Zong could not find a solution, he need not come out to mingle in the Jianghu. Therefore, chances are he has other animals he trained to follow someone's tracks. Right now he is simply waiting for us to rendezvous with Xiao Ling, and then catch us all in one net.”
Susu was horrified, "What should we do?” she asked.
Kou Zhong whispered, "First we must catch the animal following our track and eat it. Hey! How big are Jiejie's guts?”
Susu forced a smile, "You ought to be very clear about that,” she replied, "Speak up! Whatever you want Jiejie to do, Jiejie will do it.”
After Kou Zhong explained his plan in low voice to Susu's ear, Susu crawled up and went deeper into the forest. Kou Zhong put his ear on the ice-cold snowy ground, and applied his power to listen.
The sound of Susu's footsteps was immediately transmitted to his ear, but he did not hear any other unusual sound.
"Ah!” he suddenly heard Susu's tender voice shouting, startling him that he hastily ran over toward her. Turned out because Susu could not see a thing, she tripped over a shrub and fell to the ground.
Kou Zhong picked Susu up and whispered, "Zheng Zong personally came. This man is knows as ‘Flying Feather', his qinggong must be extremely superior.”
"What should we do?” Susu asked.
Kou Zhong was about to speak, sound of hoof beats suddenly came from the northwest direction.
The two people's countenance changed suddenly. If they left just like that, wouldn't they lose contact with Xu Ziling?