Peerless ( Meng Xi Shi )

Under orders of the Khan Ishbara, Fo Er came to the City of Six Crafts with only one goal, and it was not the jade, but it was to prevent the meeting between Khan Apa's ambassador and the Sui Empire.

To kill the Sui Empire's ambassador before Jin Lian arrive in the City of Six Crafts is of course the most effective method, but after killing Jin Lian when she arrive, the meeting could also be prevented, and nevermind that Khan Apa would not be able to find another courageous soldier who is willing to come forth as his ambassador, even if someone was willing to, they would even feel estranged, and the relationship of both their countries would eventually be fractured.

So when Jin Lian and Cui Buqu appeared at the same thing, Fo Er did not hesitate to abandon Cui Buqu and immediately attempt to take Jin Lian's life.

Jin Lian was trained in the martial arts—shooting arrows on horseback, fighting one to one on foot, even among the Göktürks, she was considered a heroine, but her skills still fall behind the number one fighter of Göktürk. After ten moves she was thoroughly suppressed, both her subordinates went forward to rescue her, but one was hit on the chest on a fatal spot, vomited and died on the spot, the other had her arm broken and could not fight for a while.

Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi had hurried back, standing on Cui Buqu's left and right, they guarded him but did not make an attempt to rescue Jin Lian.

Jin Lian panicked, she couldn't help shouting in a loud voice, "He wants to kill me, are you all just going to watch?!"

Cui Buqu said slowly, "Jin Lian Kedun, at the present your Khan is being forced up the corner by Khan Ishbara, even without you, the Sui Empire will have allies like Khan Bagha and Khan Tardu. Without or without you, the results are not very much different. My rank as an officer of the Crown would not be promoted because of you, but it would not be demoted because of you either. Why don't you consider it a little more?"

Faced before death, and before a top fighter like Fo Er with nothing to fight back, she could only sucked in her breathe and defend herself to the death. After fifteen moves, she kept taking a step back, her shoulder was wounded and the pain was incomparable, but Fo Er remained as such, he really had every intention to kill her on the spot.

Although the Göktürks were more straightforward in addressing matters unlike the Chinese, but members of royalty who schemed among themselves in politics—that sort of bloody result it brings, were not very much different from others who fought for the throne. Ever since she was married to Khan Apa when she was a teenager, the fact that she could live until today is proof that she has given the sort of hard work and courage others would not have been able to imagine. She would never be satisfied for her life to end in this way, for her death to be so comical.

"If Cui Buqu refuses to save you, I will."

A light little laugh rang in her ear, and immediately she felt the pressure in front of her lightened, a light shadow was already in front of her, shielding her from Fo Er before a palm rushed towards his direction.

As both martial artists engaged in a battle of strength, Jin Lian was immediately pushed out of the ambit.

Since she had just escaped death, Jin Lian could not care much for the pain on her back, she felt her heart thumping like thunder, even her temples could feel the pressure of her heart, both her legs felt like she was stepping on cloud, and her body and limbs lacked strength. At this moment, she was no different from anyone who had just escaped death.

Before her panic had quelled, Jin Lian's gaze swept over her dead and wounded subordinates, landing instead on the man that was currently battling with Fo Er.

Their shadows were quick like phantoms, with Jin Lian's level of martial arts, it was impossible to clearly see their fight. She only felt that she was incredibly far from them, but she still felt the wind of their battle and was forced to take a few more steps backwards.

"Jin Lian Kedun, I wonder how is your consideration going on?" Cui Buqu said slowly, "According from what I know, Khan Ishbara does not lack top fighters. Other than Fo Er, there are two more martial artists that have achieved top-tier mastery, if he sent more of them, I fear you could not even return to the Kingdom of Göktürk."

Jin Lian grinded her teeth. She knew very well that Cui Buqu was unwilling to save her was because of this exact goal.

However, she couldn't not bend the knee, because the other had voiced out her exact weakness. She came forth to the Central Plains and hid her name and identity, changed her looks, even on the journey her she had met with many dangers, although she had managed to live through them all, but on her journey home, she might not be so lucky. Originally Jin Lian wanted both countries to become allies, and when she returns, the Sui Empire would send their soldiers along with her, but who knew that she fell into a trap, and if she could not settle the negotiation, she would have to return empty handed.

"The provisions can be negotiated; the alliance of both countries, was decided a long time ago. The Khan will not reject it, I can offer on his behalf. However, as for the tributes to the Imperial Court, I cannot make that decision. Why don't Lord Cui follow me back to the Khan's encampment and see the Khan for yourself, perhaps it might be more effective than I going back alone."

Cui Buqu remained silent, knowing that this is already Jin Lian's bottom line, so he did not say anything more to force her. He nodded his head, "May I request a letter from Jin Lian, as proof that I could deliver back to Beijing and allow His Majesty to read through it?"

Jin Lian quickly said, "No problem, when I departed from Göktürk, I already brought a letter from the Khan himself with me, we only need someone who can read Göktürkish to go through it."

Cui Buqu, "I could."

It was impossible for Jin Lian not to be amazed by such a simple sentence.

On the other hand, Feng Xiao and Fo Er's battle has not ended.

When it came to martial arts, although Fo Er was slightly below Feng Xiao, but at his level, if he couldn't win against the fight, it was not difficult for him to escape either.

However, tonight he came for two goals, the first was to kill someone, the second was to save someone. Both of his tasks has yet to be completed, so he naturally couldn't leave so easily like that.

When Fo Er became famed, he was the top of the martial artist's world, those top martial artists of his time, either they were already masters themselves, or they were hidden deep within the forests, it was difficult to track nor find them. Ever since he came to the Central Plains, Fo Er had battled many top martial arts, his own unrivalled abilities made him think that the martial artists of the Central Plains were none other than weak, until he met Feng Xiao.

Feng Xiao was a nemesis Fo Er has seen very few in his life. The other's moves were light, quick and unpredictable, yet he possessed a solid foundation of his inner strength. This is not the level of martial arts someone so young could achieve. Fo Er had always suspected that behind him, an unnaturally high-level master was tutoring him, or perhaps Feng Xiao is an old man who had found a way to make himself young again. Last time in the Huyang forest, he had retreated because he was defeated, and now it seemed like he had no choice but to leave in defeat again.

One Feng Xiao alone is already difficult to deal with, never mind that Qiao Xian and Zhangsun was also there. Both of them haven't made their moves yet, but they seemed to purposely blocking Fo Er's escape route, making him feel restrained left and right, unable to utilize his strength.

He saw, from the corner of his eyes, Cui Buqu who was standing from a distance away, and his heart delivered a plan.

At the speed of lightning, Fo Er immediately leaped into the air. Although he is tall and broad, this leap was like a crane flying into the air, completely silent and nearly soundless.

Feng Xiao naturally pursued him, but Fo Er's figure suddenly dropped onto the roof—he wasn't running for the sake of running, yet he wasn't aiming to save his disciple either, he was aiming to slap a palm onto the roof so that it collapse.

Feng Xiao uttered "Not good" in a low voice, he could not hurry in time and could only yell for those under the roof: "Run, quickly!"

The entire roof collapsed, even bricks and pillars, everything shattered under Fo Er's strength to crush on those underneath it.

In the blink of an eye, the place became a flat land.

Those who were trained in martial arts could still save themselves, just like Jin Lian, although she couldn't completely avoid it, and there were many injuries on her, she would still escape. But her subordinate that was wounded wasn't so lucky—she was crushed by the pillars in a horrible sight.

The colour of Feng Xiao's face sank. The usual look of playfulness on his face immediately disappeared, and he turned around to go back for rescue.

Pei Jingzhe was almost crushed by a pillar, although he successfully escaped, his face sustained a few scars and gashes, his back was also wounded and was radiating searing pain.

Yet when he looked around him, the colour of his face changed as well as he thought of Cui Buqu who did not know martial arts at all. "My Lord, Cui..."

Feng Xiao flew over like a shooting star, bending down to kick away a pillar. He looked as if he wasn't inflicting any strength, but the pillar rolled over and landed on the other side of the pile.

Under the pillar was a hand.

Pei Jingzhe was so shocked he immediately went over to help. It wasn't easy to sweep all the debris off the other's body before discovering that that hand didn't belong to Cui Buqu, but Qiao Xian.

Qiao Xian and Zhangsun Bodhi was protecting Cui Buqu under their bodies, so they were all dragged out altogether. They both sustained a few physical wounds, but Cui Buqu looked completely uninjured.

"With Lord Feng's capabilities, even Fo Er was able to escape?" Cui Buqu raised an eyebrow in question.

The response he got was Feng Xiao's usual playful voice, "Isn't this because I saw you were buried underneath all those debris, my heart was thumping like fire, and I could only think of saving you? Oh QuQu, your vengeance is indeed too much, come, touch my chest, you can still feel my heart beating!"

Pei Jingzhe, Unless you are dead, otherwise whose heart isn't beating?

But he didn't forget that he belonged to Feng Xiao's side, so he couldn't open his mouth to expose his own Lord, that was why he remained silent.

Cui Buqu was also too lazy to entertain Feng Xiao's nonsense, he immediately told Jin Lian, "The Khan's written letter."

Jin Lian's arm was wounded, so she had to use a lot of strength to pull out the letter from her chest. Qiao Xian received it and after examining it for poison, she passed it over to Cui Buqu.

Cui Buqu swept the dust off his clothes and lowered his head to flip open the letter.

A head suddenly slipped next to his without warning, and Cui Buqu practically slapped the letter onto the other's face.

"Ei, what is written in this? Göktürkish? Master Daoist Cui you really are incredible to even be able to read Göktürkish."

The way Feng Xiao called Cui Buqu, from QuQu, to A-Cui, to Master Daoist Cui, he used them all interchangeably and unpredictably, completely according to his own mood, so Cui Buqu was long used to it.

Cui Buqu read all ten lines at a glance, and verified that this indeed is personally written by Khan Apa himself, he tucked the letter into Feng Xiao's hand and told Jin Lian, "We can follow you to the Kingdom of Göktürk, and meet with Khan Apa in person."

Jin Lian looked delighted, but she had to emphasize, "This is wonderful! Please choose a date, Lord Cui, so we can depart earlier. Since Fo Er has escaped now, Khan Ishbara will receive news very quickly, at that time I'm afraid he will send someone to ambush us again!"

The fact that Cui Buqu was willing to follow her back, not only did it mean that she would have bodyguards on the way back, but it also meant that she would be bringing a Commander of the Sui Empire home, Jin Lian's recognition will definitely be increased insurmountably.

"However, we still need to discuss about this matter for a while. It is late, tonight the Kedun has received shock, so please take some rest, I will send a physician over to tend your wounds." Cui Buqu said.

Jin Lian nodded her head, "Many thanks, Lord Cui. Please bury the subordinates that came with me."

She was then led away by a servant.

Feng Xiao saw that Cui Buqu also wanted to turn around and leave, he didn't think twice before grabbing him by the wrist, earning a deep inhale from the other.

Although he was protected by Zhangsun and Qiao Xian and was able to emerge unscathed, his wrist was sprained, so when Feng Xiao grabbed him, it immediately showed.

Qian Xiao glared at Feng Xiao angrily and attacked him, so the latter quickly released his hand and took a step back.

"Wait, you said 'us', what is the meaning of that?"

Cui Buqu arched a corner of his lip, "Me, and you, meaning 'us'."

Feng Xiao ".…"

Author's Note:

Feng Xiao: Since when I said I would go with you???

Cui Buqu: I will wait for you no matter wind or rain.

Translator's Note: There is now a Spanish and Bahasa Indo fan translation for Wushuang!