Chapter 220: Making Baseless Countercharges
The entire cliff face was akin to a piece of sponge. The many caves were so densely packed and closely connected that this place was like a maze.
Though Xia Fei had fled into another tunnel, he soon quickly discovered that it was not easy finding his way out from here. Plenty of these cavern pa.s.sages led to deadends, and he had no idea where any of them would eventually end up.
Helpless, Xia Fei could only wildly crash through inside these caves, hoping to be able to find his way out and make his escape eventually.
Actually, it might not be a good thing even if he managed to escape from these caves, because there was no telling just how many a.s.sa.s.sins or merciless white-faced apes would be waiting for him out there in the forest.
The tunnel in front of him suddenly narrowed, only able to fit half the size of his body. Xia Fei anxiously maneuvered his Celestial Moon and attempted to widen the cave ahead, not at all caring about the loud noises he was making as he began digging through the rock, making it that much easier for Darkshadow to track him down.
As tough as Celestial Moon was, it would still waste quite a lot of his precious mental strength to do what he was doing. Digging his way through was definitely not the solution, for he would sooner or later reach a point where he lacked the mental strength to sustain this strenuous activity.
All of a sudden, a chill ran down Xia Fei’s spine.
Without even hesitating, Xia Fei did a seemingly inexplicable turn, sending the Heartseeker Tri-danger in his left hand backward as he spun.
The sound of metal clas.h.i.+ng against metal reverberated. Darkshadow’s tri-dagger collided with Xia Fei’s, and sparks flew from this clash.
Xia Fei only felt a wave of numbness travel up his arm, then he rapidly retreated two steps backward.
Darkshadow did not think that Xia Fei would have such a quick reaction time, able to send out an attack of his own in that split second. Adding the fact that the location he had attacked was especially lethal, with his attack being fairly powerful, too, he instead became the one who was left feeling somewhat spent after parrying Xia Fei’s stab.
Stopping, Darkshadow regarded Xia Fei severely and asked, “How did you learn the unique techniques, Sly Thrust and Breath Control?”
Darkshadow already had his suspicions that Xia Fei had only been able to avoid detection while hiding in that cave because he had some stealth skill similar to Breath Control, but after having earnestly given chase and with his personal experience, he came to the realization that Xia Fei’s stealth technique was none other than the technique unique to them, a.s.sa.s.sins: Breath Control.
Furthermore, witnessing Xia Fei twist his body in such an inexplicable manner, Darkshadow was certain that it was none other than the advanced unique technique, Sly Thrust.
The a.s.sa.s.sins had strict control over their techniques. Only someone who joined the sect, then cultivated for over three decades, and somehow got the favor of the master could get the chance to practice these two techniques unique to the sect.
Xia Fei was an outsider whom the old man had never met before, yet he actually possessed their sect’s peak combat techniques. There was no way Darkshadow would not be surprised after learning this.
Hence, he resolved, inwardly, that he would not let Xia Fei get away. He must capture him alive and severely interrogate him to learn the whole truth.
Phantom could only feel his scalp tingle with numbness. Now that Xia Fei’s techniques had been recognized by his sect senior, not just Xia Fei, even Phantom himself was in deep trouble; perhaps Darkshadow might even involve Phantom’s master, Moonshadow. After all, these were techniques that Phantom had taught Xia Fei without the expressed consent of his seniors and master.
Of course, Xia Fei was not about to reveal Phantom’s name now and chose, instead, to retort with grave severity, “I ought to be the one asking you how you learned my family’s martial arts techniques! Hurry and fess up: How did you steal our unique arts?”
This was a case of victim-blaming at its finest. It was obvious that Breath Control and Sly Thrust were techniques unique to this a.s.sa.s.sins’ sect, yet Xia Fei had turned it upside down by claiming that it was his family’s hidden martial arts techniques, and that it was Darkshadow who had stolen them from him.
Throwing in that Xia Fei had decent acting skills, being the picture of a very indignant man, anyone who had no clue of the truth would have a hard time determining who was the one telling the truth.
Darkshadow was stunned. As one of the three prime elders in the sect, he was not someone who had not seen the world, but this was the first time he had faced someone making such baseless countercharges; thus, he was momentarily at a loss on how he should react to this.
Darkshadow’s face turned red, his originally genial smile gone as he angrily spat, “Who stole your family’s arts?! Sly Thrust and Breath Control are clearly ours—they’re our sect’s unique arts. Don’t you dare malign us!”
Xia Fei burst out laughing. “Now that you hold the upperhand, of course you won’t admit to it. It’s fine that you managed to make off with my family’s martial arts, yet you dared to turn it around and say that I’m the one who stole from you, even planning to kill and silence me? Now I’ve finally understood what the saying, ‘He who has a mind to beat his dog will easily find a stick,’ means! There’s no way my dead ancestors in h.e.l.l would let you thieves off.”
Xia Fei demonstrated his superb acting skills, his expression seething with rage as if he had been greatly aggrieved to this day.
Darkshadow quickly backtracked and fixed his face. “We aren’t thieves. We didn’t steal anything. My sect’s unique techniques are no way stolen.”
Xia Fei coldly harrumphed. “Well, if that’s what you claim, show me proof!”
Darkshadow was utterly dumbfounded at this point. His mind was in chaos, and all he could think of was how to prove that he did not steal these techniques, not at all considering that this was all a trick of Xia Fei, forcing him to step back inwardly bit by bit.
Phantom’s expression was that of helpless exasperation, too. This was not the first time he had witnessed Xia Fei’s warped mental gymnastics taking effect. This was just how the young man was, always able to come up with a solution to force the other party backed into a corner when it was time to be unreasonable.
Though his second sect senior was someone who had a sinister stealth-based special ability, the old man was actually very honest and righteous, or else he would not have bothered to give Xia Fei the time to explain himself.
Xia Fei, who had grasped onto Darkshadow’s weakness, dealt this critical blow, shamelessly making the old man turn red with just a few lines, so much so that Phantom’s second sect senior was unable to deal with this level of unreasonableness.
“I… I don’t have any proof, but these are indeed my sect’s unique skills, and they don’t belong to you,” Darkshadow rebuked futilely.
Xia Fei suddenly felt that this Darkshadow man was quite interesting, so he intensified his aggravation by saying, “Okay, since you’re so insistent that they aren’t my familial art, show me some proof.”
Darkshadow could feel a bout of dizziness take over him, nearly fainting there and then on the spot. There was simply no way he could prove that Sly Thrust and Breath Control were not Xia Fei’s family’s martial arts.
He felt terribly wronged, yet Darkshadow simply could not find any evidence to prove that he was the one being wronged right now.
When someone of his disposition dug himself into a hole, it became that much harder for him to dig himself out. All he could do was scratch at the walls around him ineffectually, achieving nothing despite his efforts.
All of a sudden, it was as if Darkshadow understood something, and he countered loudly, “Wait! You’re claiming that its your family’s arts, but… where’s YOUR proof?”
That was it. Darkshadow heaved a sigh of relief, believing that he had finally found his reb.u.t.tal, but what he did not know was that Xia Fei had already prepared an answer and was just waiting to toss it out in response.
“Hmph! The fact that I know Sly Thrust and Breath Control is proof enough.” Xia Fei righteously puffed out his chest. “Let me ask you: Are you the one who taught me these techniques?”
“Nope.” Darkshadow shook his head.
“Then, could it have been taught to me by others in your disciples.h.i.+p?”
“That should not be the case. Without an elder’s approval, there’s no way the techniques can be pa.s.sed down. You’re obviously not someone in our disciples.h.i.+p, so it’s impossible for anyone to have imparted Sly Thrust and Breath Control to you,” Darkshadow answered.
Xia Fei guffawed. “Then, that’s that! Since my techniques weren’t taught by any of you, how else could I have learned them?”
This…” Darkshadow was left speechless.
“What? This is clearly proof that Sly Thrust and Breath Control are my family’s arts, and you’re the ones who stole them from us.” Xia Fei obstinately stuck to his irrational claim.
The more Xia Fei drove Darkshadow to a deadend, the more Phantom wanted to find a crevice to just hide himself in.
He never would have thought that the technique that he had kindly imparted to Xia Fei would be used as a tool to torment his second sect senior. Furthermore, there was no way he could appear and clear up this situation; all he could do was watch blankly as Xia Fei continued to act so belligerently.
At the end of the day, Darkshadow was quite old and had seen plenty of the universe. Though he was being repeatedly compelled by Xia Fei’s words, leaving him mentally drained, he very quickly discovered some points of peculiarity with this exchange of words.
No matter the truth, there was no doubt that Xia Fei’s Breath Control and Sly Thrust techniques were the real deal, and if he also considered the fact that this young man was claiming that the techniques had been imparted by his ancestors, then it just showed that there was a significant relations.h.i.+p between Xia Fei and the a.s.sa.s.sins.
Right now, the misunderstanding stemmed from the accusatory words one had flung at the other. A more detailed investigation would be required in order to uncover the truth of the matter.
The more Darkshadow thought about this, the more he felt that something strange was afoot. He made up his mind to capture Xia Fei so that they could make sense of everything, or else he would have to bear being accused of being a thief for no apparent reason.
Actually, the entire exchange was no more than Xia Fei’s attempt at stalling for time as he sought for an opportune time to escape. He had no intentions of explaining anything to Darkshadow or the a.s.sa.s.sins; all he wanted was to locate the six-leaf rain lotus and leave this place as soon as possible.
Darkshadow’s eyes revealed a vague sense of hesitation, the vaguest flaw, and Xia Fei instantly manipulated Celestial Moon for a feint before quickly retreating without a moment’s pause.
“Stop running! I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to need you to explain everything clearly no matter what; just exactly who stole whose techniques?!” Darkshadow yelled as he quickly gave chase.
Phantom was astounded. His confused second sect brother had actually treated the lies that Xia Fei spouted as the truth and was most likely not about to let this go without making sense of the entire matter.
Like a flash of lightning, Xia Fei kept sprinting between the caves as if his life depended on it.
Unfortunately, the more anxious he was to escape, the harder it was for him to locate the right path. There was also that old man Darkshadow, who was using some unknown technique, hot on his heels. A sword had suddenly appeared in the elderly a.s.sa.s.sin’s hand, and it was only because he still had plenty of doubts that caused Darkshadow to be light with his attacks, allowing Xia Fei to evade them each and every time.
‘This won’t do; I need to calm down,’ Xia Fei muttered inwardly.
Regulating Breath Control once more, Xia Fei kept fleeing as he repeatedly tried to compose himself.
As it began to clear, the details of his surroundings became very prominent.
Xia Fei’s keen senses promptly picked up the sound of a cras.h.i.+ng waterfall some distance away.
‘That’s the exit!’ Xia Fei was slightly surprised as he s.h.i.+fted his head in the direction of the sound.
It did not take long for Xia Fei to find his way out of the convoluted system of caves, but what greeted him was not an exit. Instead, it was an underground lake.
This lake was in the heart of the entire cliff, its water dark and murky, so deep that Xia Fei could not make out its bottom. Countless caves connected to this cavern, and many of these caves had water flowing through them, which then converged into a waterfall.
“Don’t you run away! You’d better clearly explain everything to me!”
Darkshadows’ distant voice could be heard, a mix of uncertainty and outrage. Xia Fei gritted his teeth, and with a light push of a b.u.t.ton on his combat suit, an air tube extended out.
Xia Fei took this tube to his mouth and jumped off, a beautiful dive right for the depths of the lake below, disappearing without a trace.