Chapter 35: Inn
In that instant, a fragment flashed across Wu Xingxue’s mind—
Another occasion when he oughtn’t to have uttered a sound, and was in the same posture as now, with Xiao Fuxuan’s hand muffling him. He even remembered the feel of the other party’s thumb lightly touching the tip of his nose, the light breath of his whispered words sweeping past his earbones.
His shoulders and neck went taut for a moment, and he spoke quietly to the one holding him down: "Xiao Fuxuan, do you know how reckless it is to touch the Devil Lord from behind?"
It was a vital gate, too easy to incite an instinctive killing move.
"I know." After a moment’s silence. Xiao Fuxuan said lowly and methodically: "But Wu Xingxue… you withdrew your internal energy."
Wu Xingxue returned to his senses.
He realized in hindsight that when he was clapped on the shoulder, he’d also instinctively curled his fingers. But upon knocking against Xiao Fuxuan’s chest, upon hearing the other’s voice, he slowly disengaged his internal energy.
Before he could react, he’d already been carried by Xiao Fuxuan behind a sound-barrier wall.
The market was still noisy, but it was only on the other side of the wall.