Chapter 56: The Mysterious Figure Appears, Hidden Threats Surge

We had just breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to leave this place of trouble when Scholar Li suddenly shouted, "Wait!"

My heart skipped a beat. Was something else going to go wrong?

Speak of the devil!

A black shadow flashed by, so fast that I almost thought I was seeing things. A mysterious figure, dressed entirely in black and wearing a mask, appeared before us out of thin air like a magic trick.

What a childish way to make an entrance!

His gaze was as cold as ice cubes, sending a shiver straight down my spine.

Who on earth was this? Playing at being a ninja? I complained frantically in my mind.

The mysterious person didn't mince words, stating bluntly that he knew the supreme martial arts manual was in our hands and demanding that we hand it over obediently, or else bear the consequences.

Huh?

A martial arts manual?

What on earth was that?

Since when did I possess such a thing?

Surely he had mistaken me for someone else!

His voice was deep, carrying a threatening undertone and an overwhelming sense of pressure, making it seem as though I really did have some sort of treasure.

Huo Yunsheng proved to be quite loyal. He tried to step forward to argue, but any movement pulled at his wounds, making him wince in pain with sweat beading on his forehead.

Sigh, what a worrywart of a younger brother!

I wanted to help, but apart from being a bit quick-witted, I had no real skills to speak of.

This mysterious figure was clearly not someone to be trifled with, and a direct confrontation was out of the question. I could only stand by, anxiously feeling as though I possessed zero combat effectiveness.

The atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.

The mysterious person pressed closer step by step, radiating a dangerous aura. I felt like a fish on a chopping block, entirely at someone else's mercy.

"Who on earth are you? What do you want?" I mustered up my courage and asked, trying hard not to look too cowardly.

The mysterious person sneered, "Cut the chatter! Hand over the manual, and I'll spare your lives!"

I thought to myself: A manual, a manual, where on earth am I supposed to conjure up a manual for you! This is completely unprovoked disaster!

At that moment, the mysterious person suddenly struck out with astonishing speed, leaving me no time to react at all. He grabbed my wrist with a force so great I thought my bones would shatter.

"Last chance: Will you hand it over, or not?" His tone was icy cold, reminiscent of an emissary from the underworld.

The pain was so intense that tears almost welled up in my eyes, yet my mind raced, desperately trying to figure out a way to escape. This situation was far trickier than dealing with Scar-Faced Liu's gang just a moment ago.

Huo Yunsheng looked at me. Despite his injuries, he still managed to offer me a reassuring smile.

"Wan'er..." Huo Yunsheng looked at me, and though hurt, he still tried to give me a comforting smile. "Wan'er, don't be afraid. I'm here." His words warmed my heart and simultaneously strengthened my resolve to face difficulties alongside him.

This guy's boyfriend energy was through the roof at a critical moment!

My eyes rolled as a plan formed in my mind.

I suddenly pretended to tremble in fear and said, "A... alright, I'll give it... I'll give it to you..." Then, I pulled a tattered book from my bosom and handed it to the mysterious person.

"This is... the... martial arts manual you wanted..." Actually, this was just a copy of *Comprehensive Pig Raising* I had picked up at a street stall. Back in the modern era, a book like this only cost five yuan; fooling him with it should be no problem.

The mysterious person snatched the "manual," flipped through a few pages quickly, and his expression grew increasingly unsightly.

Pfft, hold it in!

I almost laughed out loud.

Sure enough, he angrily threw the book onto the ground, gritted his teeth, and said, "You're playing with me?! You're asking for death!"

The moment his voice fell, he lunged at us. Good grief, starting a fight the second he finished speaking without a shred of hesitation!

Huo Yunsheng gritted his teeth against the pain, drew his sword, and met the attack.

The two exchanged blows back and forth, locked in a fierce battle. True to his reputation, the mysterious person possessed formidable martial arts skills, and Huo Yunsheng gradually found himself at a disadvantage.

Just as the mysterious person was about to deal Huo Yunsheng a heavy blow, my sharp eyes spotted a flaw on him—a sachet hung from his waist, and its cord seemed somewhat loose.

At the most critical split second, I shouted, "Yunsheng, his sachet!"

Huo Yunsheng understood immediately. Seizing the opportunity, he shifted the angle of his sword to point straight at the mysterious person's sachet.

Clearly, the mysterious person had not expected me to notice this minor detail. Failing to dodge in time, the sachet was sliced open by the sword's qi, and the medicinal powder inside spilled all over the ground.

"Cough, cough, cough..." The mysterious person covered his nose and coughed; it appeared the powder had a significant effect on him.

I rejoiced inwardly: It worked!

The surrounding atmosphere grew even tenser, and the air was thick with the scent of medicinal powder. Scholar Li was pacing back and forth nearby, desperately trying to think of a solution.

Taking advantage of this opening, I quietly...

I quietly pulled a few packets of itching powder from my sleeve—a treasure I had "borrowed" from the fat chef in the imperial palace's royal kitchen. It was guaranteed to be effective against ordinary people.

While the mysterious person was choking and sputtering from the powder, I moved with lightning speed and flung the itching powder out.

"Achoo! Achoo!" Goodness me, the effect of this itching powder was even better than I had imagined. The mysterious person instantly began scratching frantically like someone suffering from a seizure, resembling a monkey jumping up and down.

Suppressing my laughter, I felt an inward surge of satisfaction: How do you like acting so high and mighty now? Now you know my power!

Huo Yunsheng stared in utter astonishment; he probably hadn't expected me to have this trick up my sleeve.

I blinked at him, signaling him to take the opportunity to flee. Coming to his senses, he hurriedly supported me, and while the mysterious person was incapacitated, we limped away as fast as we could.

Scholar Li followed closely behind, shouting as he ran, "Run! Hurry, run!"

Scratching frantically, the mysterious person roared, "Don't run! Stop right there!" Alas, tormented by the itching powder to the point of agony, he couldn't catch up to us at all.

We ran quite a distance in one breath, and only after making sure we had shaken off the mysterious person did we stop to catch our breath.

I looked at Huo Yunsheng and couldn't help laughing out loud, "Yunsheng, you looked so handsome just now!" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, a blush spreading across his face.

Sigh, this boy is quite easily embarrassed.

Although we had temporarily shaken off the mysterious person, I knew this was merely a temporary measure; he certainly wouldn't let the matter rest. Furthermore, we still didn't know who he really was, nor why he was demanding a martial arts manual from us.

Behind all this, an even greater secret was undoubtedly concealed.

Before Huo Yunsheng, Scholar Li, and I could even celebrate our escape from the mysterious person, an icy voice echoed from behind us not long after: "It seems you lot are quite good at running..."