Naked Sword Art-Chapter 372: Guess Who I Just Met

"You're Long Wang, aren't you?"

Xiao Fang didn't respond—not because he didn't recognize her, but because his body had finally reached its limit.

His knees buckled. Darkness clouded his mind. And before he knew it, he was on his back.

"It seems fate has brought us together after all," she said, her tone light, yet filled with weight.

This person was none other than Yu Quiyan.

She stepped forward with a smile, her hands behind her back, eyes glinting with golden light. Her gaze was steady—imposing, like a mountain that refused to move.

When it was clear Xiao Fang had lost consciousness, she turned to Xiao Hei.

"And you are?" she asked.

Xiao Hei blinked, saying nothing.

Yu Quiyan tilted her head, then smiled.

"Do you mind if I take him somewhere to rest?"

Xiao Hei hesitated, then shook her head.

"Good. Good," Yu Quiyan said cheerfully. "Let's go."

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Meanwhile, high in the trees outside the North Gate of Jadepeak City, several hooded figures crouched in silence, hidden among the thick branches and shifting leaves. Night wind rustled through the forest canopy, carrying faint traces of city life from beyond the walls.

"We've been out here for two days. Are you sure he's coming?" one of them whispered, his voice tinged with impatience.

The Elder at the front said nothing at first. She stood balanced on a thick branch, arms folded, her presence quiet but undeniable. Beneath her hood, her face remained obscured—but if Xiao Fang had seen her, he would've recognized her immediately: Luo Biya, of the Soul Devouring Family Clan, in the Chaos Sect.

Her deep brown eyes, half-hidden beneath her hood, flicked toward the gate below.

"We'll wait one more day," she said eventually. "If he doesn't come by then, we leave."

Another figure muttered from the branches behind her. "I still don't understand what's so special about this boy. Why are you so invested?"

Luo Biya turned her head slightly, just enough for her voice to carry.

"Because there's something about him I want to understand. And if I'm right… he might be the key to something much bigger."

She looked back toward the city.

"I brought you because if I'm wrong…" She paused, her voice growing colder. "I'll need your help to kill him."

The others fell silent. They understood how strong Luo Biya was, so they knew this mystery person couldn't be ordinary.

And so, they waited. Hidden among the trees. Watching.

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In the middle of the night, Xiao Fang awoke in an unfamiliar room, filled with the delicate scent of flowers and rare herbs. But what startled him wasn't the fragrance—it was the girl sitting on the bed, partially leaning over him, curiously peering into his eyes. Her fingers gently held his eyelids open.

Xiao Fang's gaze shifted to her. "What are you doing?"

"Ah, you're awake." She flinched, cheeks flushing as if she'd been caught doing something indecent. "I—I was just curious, that's all. I didn't expect your eyes to look like that…"

If Xiao Fang could read her thoughts, her flustered reaction might've made more sense.

Xiao Fang, wanting to sit up, finally noticed all the acupuncture needles in his body. Each needle embedded in his meridian, and the top of every needle glowed with a light blue hue.

"What did you do to me?" Xiao Fang said, realizing he couldn't move.

"Nothing bad, I was just speeding up your recovery. How do you feel?"

"I feel… good," the fatigue he earlier felt was gone. Now it felt like he was waking up after sleeping for a 1000 years. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Yu Quiyan replied with a subtle yet beautiful smile.

Raising her finger, the needles in Xiao Fang's body ejected themselves from him, giving him back the freedom to move.

He sat up slowly, trying to piece together what had happened. He remembered walking down the corridor—weak, barely conscious—and then… nothing.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"About an hour," Yu Quiyan replied, her tone casual as she poured herself a cup of tea. She took a seat across from him, crossing one leg over the other with graceful ease.

Xiao Fang had plenty of questions, but only a few really mattered. He glanced at her, no longer bothering to hide his eyes—she'd already seen them.

Feeling his gaze made her feel a certain type of way, but she remained composed. She sat by the open balcony, bathed in silver moonlight, which gave her an almost ethereal glow. Her silk sleeping gown was midnight black, trimmed in violet and silver. Her hair was tied back in a high braid, adorned with two sharp hair ornaments that glinted in the light. Her eyes were intelligent, sharp… and just a little aroused. Her leg, still crossed over the other, gracefully bounced as she stared back at him. Sipping her tea, yet not looking away, it wasn't hard to see that she was interested in him, or at the very least curious. She seemed lofty, yet untouchable. Loose, yet sharp. An open book, yet unreadable. Whoever this girl was, she certainly saw the world differently than most, she was in her own league, Xiao Fang could understand all this with just a single glance.

"Who are you?" Xiao Fang finally asked.

"I'm Yu Quiyan," she said. "From the Black Paradise Sect. Since I've been assigned as your mentor, you may call me Instructor Yu. You're now in my care.."

'Another person with the surname Yu, and already a mentor at her age, she doesn't look a day over 21,' Xiao Fang thought.

He remembered he was supposed to meet his mentor in the Black Paradise Sect two days ago—but he hadn't wanted to wait. Rescuing his mother from the Chaos Sect had taken priority. The memory made his chest tighten. He began shifting to get up.

"I don't know how you found me, but I appreciate the help," he said, scanning the room. "Have you seen my companion?"

"You mean the short girl with long black hair?" Yu Quiyan sipped her tea. "She said she'd wait for you at the Eastern Gate."

'She must be keeping watch for Chu Piao,' Xiao Fang thought.

"I see. Then I'll be on my way."

"Ah, leaving already?" Yu Quiyan rose quickly, setting her cup down.

Xiao Fang pulled the black cloth blindfold back over his eyes, adjusting it in place. Then he straightened his robes without a word.

Yu Quiyan stepped forward as if to stop him, but hesitated when she saw the quiet determination in his stance. There was no hesitation in his movements—only weariness wrapped around an unshakable will.

"You don't have to leave so soon," she said gently, trying to sound casual. "You've barely recovered. At least let me—"

"Thank you, but there are things I need to do," Xiao Fang interrupted, his voice calm but final.

Yu Quiyan raised an eyebrow. "Even now, you're in a rush?"

Xiao Fang didn't answer. He simply turned, walking toward the door with steady, quiet steps, each breath he took was heavier than the last. But when he reached the door, he paused.

"Forgive me, Instructor. You likely came all this way expecting to take me back to the sect with you, but I don't plan on going back, not yet anyway."

Before she could reply, Xiao Fang stepped out, the cool night air brushing gently against his skin as he swiftly ran through the streets.

Moments after he left, Bai Fan and Zhao Pan returned back to Yu Quiyan's place. They had been trying to find Xiao Fang in the crowd exiting the Auction Hall but they had no luck in finding him. Finally returning home after they gave up.

"Welcome back. Guess who I just met," Yu Quiyan smiled at them mysteriously.

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This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

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Northern Gate of Jadepeak city.

The walls stood tall and overseeing, their shadow cast like a silent giant across the land. Xiao Fang looked down from it under [ Stealth ], trying to find someone he had arranged to meet.

[ Spirit Perception ]

Although the forest below was dense and vast, his eyes weren't picking up any traces of Qi in the area.

'Did she already leave? No, that can't be it.' Xiao Fang thought.

Assuming she was concealing her cultivation, he knew it would've been difficult to track her Qi if she was suppressing it, so he tried to find her using a different method of observation.

[ Soul Search ]

Only a moment later, Xiao Fang detected several bodies, glowing in a faint gold.

"There you are," Xiao Fang muttered under his breath.

He could have relied on his ears alone to track them, but it would have taken far too much time and effort to do so.

His footsteps made no sound as he slipped between the trees like a drifting shadow, guided only by instinct and intent. Even blindfolded, he could feel the subtle disturbances in the air.

High above the forest floor, in the thick canopy near the Northern Gate, the hooded figures remained hidden. Still. Patient. But not careful enough.

Xiao Fang landed lightly on a branch above them.

None of them noticed as he stepped out of [ Stealth ].

Then his voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"Luo Biya." (Chapter 324)