Chapter 853: Chapter 849: Every Man for Himself, or Heaven and Earth Will Destroy Him!
As Qiantai was leaping from one tree branch to another, a momentary blockage in his True Qi made him feel a sudden heaviness in his body, sending him plummeting straight down towards the icy ground.
Fortunately, before hitting the ground, he summoned his Protective True Qi, so the tremendous impact didn’t harm him internally, though he still looked quite disheveled.
"I advise you to save your strength, the faster your True Qi circulates, the faster the toxins in your body will spread." As she spoke, Sun Miaohan, clad in blood-stained clothes, appeared before Qiantai.
Qiantai’s heart clenched with fear, suddenly recalling the sharp pain that pierced his brow moments ago. Upon introspection, he indeed saw a foreign energy accompanying the flow of True Qi, rapidly advancing towards his major organs.
The sudden danger spurred Qiantai into immediate action; he swiftly pinpointed the necessary pathway to block the toxin’s progress, then cautiously reinforced it multiple times to firmly confine it within a certain area, preventing it from further spreading.
Even so, Qiantai knew clearly that this method would not hold for long. Moreover, by doing so, he effectively crippled his own martial abilities, as the meridians he just sealed were critical pathways for his Cultivation Technique.
It was akin to a deadlock; using True Qi would instantly free the toxins, allowing them to infect vital organs like his heart, yet refraining from using True Qi was equally a path to certain death, leaving him trapped with no escape!
"What do you want to know?!"
Qiantai struggled to keep his voice steady, believing the other’s warning was not meant to let him go, but rather to extract something from him.
Unlike the unwavering loyalty of other Ninjas, Qiantai always adhered to an old Huaxia saying— "Man will destroy the heavens and the earth for their self-interest."
This philosophy resulted in his highly pragmatic nature. When it came to matters of life and death, he wouldn’t be like ordinary loyalists who would never betray their master even at the cost of their life.
On the contrary, Qiantai believed that anything could be said as long as it allowed him to survive because he lived for himself, not others.
Hearing Qiantai speak so directly, Sun Miaohan also did not hold back and asked straightforwardly, "Who is behind you? Why target us?"
Having decided to speak, Qiantai responded fluently without a second thought: "I am with the Japanese royal family. I came this time specifically targeting the Hunter; you were merely an accident."
Sun Miaohan didn’t doubt these words. They sounded logical, though she felt something crucial was missing but didn’t probe further.
After a moment’s thought, Sun Miaohan said, "You should know that such a vague answer is not enough of a reason for me to let you live!"
"I understand!"
Qiantai nodded honestly, then continued, "But I also have no reason to believe that you’ll let me go once I fully answer your questions."
This tit-for-tat caused Sun Miaohan to chuckle, "Do you think you are in any position to negotiate with me at this point?! Fine! Since you are so eager to court death, then as you wish!"
Having said that, Sun Miaohan turned to leave, showing neither hesitation nor reluctance, as if she had never truly intended to spare him.
Faced with such an obviously insincere stance, Qiantai gritted his teeth helplessly and finally said, "Lady Kojima Minako sent me first, primarily to kill the Hunter and the woman by his side."
Sun Miaohan narrowed her eyes, the name seeming somewhat familiar, and couldn’t help but softly repeat, "Kojima Minako?!"
"Correct!"
Qiantai confirmed, then, without waiting to be asked, continued, "As for the reason, I truly do not know."
This anticipatory answer drew a satisfied nod from Sun Miaohan, who casually remarked, "Share your personal opinion."
While struggling to suppress the increasingly volatile toxin, Qiantai began to ponder through gritted teeth.
Simply speculating allowed for countless possibilities, and reasonable theories behind Kojima Minako’s motives were innumerable.
For instance, upholding royal dignity, imperial glory, and slaying the public enemy—the Hunter—with just these alone was a sufficient reason.
So, does another reason make sense in this context?!
Qiantai thought as much but understood that wasn’t the answer she wanted, so he said instead, "Based on my understanding of Lady Kojima Minako, for her to target someone, especially a man..."
"Well?!"
For some reason, Sun Miaohan found herself inexplicably nervous, unsure of why, so she chose to press on to quickly end this unknown tension.
"Perhaps they had some prior conflict." After some thought, Qiantai chose a more conservative explanation, not daring to speculate boldly further.
Moments later, seeing the other party neither responding nor showing satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
This ambiguous attitude unsettled Qiantai, prompting him to explain, "Because Lady Kojima Minako generally wouldn’t target someone like this; she must deeply hate that person to make such a move."
Sun Miaohan nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then her gaze fell, and her hand suddenly clenched, revealing a fine, almost invisible silver needle between her fingers.
With a flick of her wrist, Sun Miaohan flicked the needle towards Qiantai’s brow, this time openly, clearly in his sight.
The look in Qiantai’s eyes changed to one of suspicion and uncertainty, but thinking that he was doomed anyway and the other party wouldn’t bother with unnecessary actions, he stood still with calm resignation, allowing the almost invisible needle to strike.
The next moment, a familiar sharp pain came from his brow, prompting Qiantai to quickly introspect his own energy flow, only to see a clear energy rushing into his body, quickly coursing through his meridians.
Seeing this, Qiantai hurriedly released the obstructions around the toxin, allowing the two energies from Sun Miaohan to meet, and upon contact, they evaporated like Water Drops near a furnace, disappearing completely within moments.
The heavy stone lifted from his heart, Qiantai undid the seals he had just set, then bowed in gratitude to Sun Miaohan and departed swiftly, his speed living up to the Ninja’s reputation.
Left alone, Sun Miaohan didn’t bother to mend the meridian damage caused by forcibly breaking the seal earlier and rushed back to where Xiao Tian was.
...
As she looked at the now mangled back, Sun Miaohan’s brow furrowed deeply, then relaxed as she gently tapped the center of her forehead where the Fairy’s Tears were marked in vermilion...
