Chapter Thirty-Six: Bones That Yield Easily

"Qiufen, you dropped your hair comb!" Xu You called out with a smile. He guessed that Qiufen, with her head lowered just now, hadn't seen the change in his expression, so he used this line to buy some time. As expected, Qiufen's body stiffened, as if uncertain whether she should turn around to check if the comb had indeed fallen, or launch her attack immediately. However, at this current distance, she could not be confident of landing a fatal blow.

After all, the Seventh Son of the Xu family was an expert of the upper sixth rank—not someone to be underestimated!

Seizing the moment of her hesitation, Xu You flicked the stool in front of him with his foot, retreating swiftly between the shelves. Though the situation was abrupt, he showed not a trace of panic. At the same time, he shouted to Zuo Wen, "Wind Tiger, she's not Qiufen!"

He didn't say, "Stop her," for that would likely cause Zuo Wen a moment's hesitation, unable to grasp the reason for the order. Instead, by stating directly that she wasn't Qiufen, Zuo Wen's keen mind would immediately know how to respond.

It is always in the details that victory or defeat is decided. In a crisis, Xu You's mind grew exceptionally clear. It was this slight distinction, this tiniest margin, that won him a chance at survival.

The impostor, pretending to be Qiufen, seemed not to have expected her disguise to be seen through so easily. Still kneeling on the ground, her toes pressed lightly against the floor, her hands braced, and with a sudden explosive surge of power from her bent knees, she shot toward Xu You, gliding over the ground like lightning.

Between her slender, graceful fingers, she held a plain, unadorned black dagger, its tip glinting with a hint of cold, emerald green!

Zuo Wen, seeing the astonishing speed, instantly realized he couldn't reach Xu You in time to intercept the blow. With a sudden, piercing whistle, he sent the scabbard of his sword flying—not toward the assassin’s vital points, but horizontally between her and Xu You. Not a second too early, not a fraction too late—just as she reached that position, her attack was forcibly cut off.

Never mind the cultivation revealed in the whistling flight of the scabbard—the keen eye, the subtle force, and the decisive agility in the heat of the moment were nothing short of a textbook demonstration of defense!

The assassin had no choice. With one hand, she struck the ground with a burst of energy, using the rebound to flip herself into the air. Her dagger flashed seven times in a blink, each strike aimed at the weakest point of the airborne scabbard.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

Finally, the scabbard spun off at an angle, thudding into the wooden wall, half its length buried within!

The assassin landed and pitched forward, as if about to fall, but again her toes pressed down—using the momentum, she darted at Xu You even faster than before, a ghostly blur.

"Dark Arrow, you are bold indeed!"

With such skill and targeting Xu You, there was no doubt—she was the most enigmatic of the Four Arrows, Dark Arrow. Zuo Wen appeared before her, his eyes blazing, drawing his sword in slow motion through the air. To the untrained eye, it seemed a feeble strike, like an ancient man shadowboxing, devoid of threat. Yet to Dark Arrow, the reality was entirely different. The tip of the sword wavered left and right, up and down, and no matter how she twisted or dodged, she could not escape the aura of the strike—it locked her in place, making it impossible to get past Zuo Wen and finish off Xu You.

Dark Arrow halted abruptly, shifting from extreme motion to utter stillness with such ease that she didn't even pant, a testament to her incredible body technique. Only now did it become apparent that she resembled Qiufen only in a superficial way—her brows, lips, and even her eyes were pale and unremarkable. Yet just moments ago, Xu You and Zuo Wen had both been convinced she was Qiufen. If Xu You had not previously instructed Qiufen never to kneel without his command, he might not have become suspicious, and her ploy could have succeeded.

Suddenly, Dark Arrow opened her mouth, and a flash of cold light shot straight at Zuo Wen's face. At the same time, her feet shifted into a strange dance—under the bright daylight, she seemed to emit a chilling, ghostly aura.

Zuo Wen’s brow creased. In his energy perception, her position vanished; his move, half-executed, could not advance further. Dark Arrow slipped free of the sword’s aura, spread her arms like a great roc, and retreated backward toward the door.

One failed strike—retreat a thousand miles!

"Think you can escape? Not so easily!" Dodging aside from the cold flash, Zuo Wen sheathed his sword and leapt in pursuit. As he closed in behind the assassin, she suddenly struck back with a vicious palm, the angle cunning, the force sharp, the impact ringing in his ears with a ghostly wail.

Shaken by the spectral sound, Zuo Wen had no time to change tactics and met her blow head-on.

Thud!

The assassin spat a mouthful of blood, dissipating Zuo Wen's force, and used the momentum to propel herself out of the building, landing among the crowd. Realizing he’d been tricked, Zuo Wen chased after her, but scanning the scene, found no trace of the assassin.

"Let her go, Wind Tiger—we must save the others!" Xu You called to Zuo Wen, his concern for Qiufen evident as he hurried toward the comb shop across the way. Zuo Wen followed closely, hand never leaving his sword, senses taut, scanning the surroundings—no longer daring the slightest negligence.

Who would have thought that Dark Arrow would be so audacious as to strike at Xu You in Jinling City?

The Four Arrows—none among them were easy to contend with!

The comb shop was small, with two rooms and no one in the front. Searching to the back, they soon found Qiufen and the shopkeeper in a grain jar in the northwest corner. The assassin had taken Qiufen’s outer garments for her disguise, leaving her only in white cotton socks. Xu You checked her breathing, relieved to find it present, wrapped her in his own robe, and after a brief examination, saw she had suffered no injuries. He said to Zuo Wen, "Wind Tiger, your internal strength runs deep—please help her."

Zuo Wen did not hesitate, taking Qiufen’s hand and gently channeling true energy into her. Moments later, Qiufen slowly woke.

"Young Master, what... what happened to me? My head is spinning..."

"It's nothing, just a small accident. You’re safe now," Xu You soothed her. "Do you remember how you lost consciousness?"

"I... as soon as I walked in, the lady shopkeeper greeted me warmly, helping me pick out a comb. Then I just felt a numbness in my back, and recall nothing else..."

"Were you two the only ones in the shop?"

"Yes, I checked—aside from us, there was no one else."

Xu You and Zuo Wen exchanged grave looks. Zuo Wen whispered, "Dark Arrow was tailing us all along—she even eavesdropped on our conversation in the bamboo carving shop..."

Xu You nodded. "Then, before Qiufen entered the shop, she subdued the real shopkeeper, donned her clothes, and waited for Qiufen. Once Qiufen arrived, she subdued her as well, then disguised herself and returned to the bamboo carving shop to attempt the assassination."

A chill ran over Zuo Wen. "Dark Arrow... is she truly that formidable, to evade both our notice?"

"Just from her body technique, it’s clear she must know a supreme method of concealing her presence. That is frightening, but not insurmountable—her level is still much lower than Flying Arrow or Killing Arrow, and perhaps even less than Moon Arrow," Xu You said, his tone darkening. "The real concern is—how did she deceive our eyes..."

Zuo Wen started. "That’s it! She doesn't actually look that much like Qiufen—yet I was utterly convinced she was. How?"

"You haven’t been around Qiufen much—it’s understandable you didn’t recognize her at once." Xu You replayed the moment when Dark Arrow entered the bamboo carving shop over and over in his mind, but no matter the detail, he could not spot a single flaw before she knelt. Not just her appearance, but her gait and voice were exactly like Qiufen’s. "But I live with her day and night—no one knows her better. Yet I noticed nothing amiss. Wind Tiger, you’ve seen much of the world—are there any mystical arts that can achieve this?"

Zuo Wen pondered for a while. "There are ways to disguise oneself so thoroughly that others can't recognize you. Many in the martial world are skilled in such arts—using makeup, clothing, wigs, and changes in bearing, and even channeling true energy to alter the voice. For a short time, they can hide themselves, but careful observation will always reveal flaws—it’s not so miraculous."

Xu You nodded—this was essentially ancient makeup artistry. After all, in later ages, some beauties looked like entirely different people with and without makeup.

"But," Zuo Wen added, "I have heard of a great geomancer of the Wei dynasty, Chen Shen. He drank with a Taoist for seven days in the mountains and was taught the 'Qingwu Classic.' When he returned, seven years had passed in the world. He mastered the sciences of the five elements, yin and yang, astrology, divination, and could change his form at will—even standing before friends and family, they could not recognize him. That was a true master. But even Chen Shen, with all his skill, could only become someone who did not exist, so no one would suspect. Dark Arrow, however, became exactly like Qiufen—so perfectly as to fool us both. As far as I know, that should be impossible."

Records of altering one’s appearance are ancient; Buddhist and Daoist texts are filled with such tales. For example, the 'Qingwu Classic' that Zuo Wen mentioned was taught to Chen Shen by a Taoist. In the 'Sutra of Immeasurable Life and Purity,' it is recorded that the Buddha’s appearance could change, and in the 'Yoga Collection for Delivering Ananda from Hell,' it is said that reciting the Buddha’s name could transform the features of a mere mortal into those of supreme beauty. No matter how incredible it seems, the evidence is before their eyes: Dark Arrow had truly accomplished such a feat, proving that some mysterious art in this world could deceive all others.

How terrifying was this?

No wonder the Four Arrows’ name was so feared. The backgrounds of the other three were well known—even Zuo Wen had their details at hand—yet nothing was known of Dark Arrow.

Xu You gave a wry smile. "Fortunately, Dark Arrow’s martial arts lag far behind her skills in disguise. If she had the cultivation of a grandmaster or above, who in the world could withstand her assassinations? I might as well end things myself, rather than spend my days in terror!"

Zuo Wen’s own smile was just as bitter. "At least we’ve seen her real face. As long as we’re careful, there’s no need to be too... er..."

He broke off, his expression changing again. Xu You sighed. "You realize too? Who can say for sure that the face we saw was truly hers?"

In that instant, they understood at last: the most formidable of the Four Arrows was, in truth, the elusive, unfathomable Dark Arrow.