That Lewd Bastard! He's Doing It on Purpose!
The woman in white standing before the gates of Yangjie City lifted her head. From the distant horizon, she spotted a staggering figure approaching the city.
Her jade-like hand trembled faintly.
Gang Gu, standing behind her, also noticed him and revealed a startled expression.
Soon, Yeop Hyeon arrived before the two women. He paused in momentary confusion upon seeing the woman in white, then pulled out a low-grade commodity weapon and tossed it carelessly in front of Gang Gu before striding toward the woman in white.
"Haha... What brings you all the way out here!?"
At that moment, Yeop Hyeon spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed to the ground.
The woman in white rushed forward and supported him.
So soft...
Without realizing it, Yeop Hyeon buried his head in her chest.
The woman stiffened for an instant but did not push him away.
Just then, an old man appeared, stomping his feet in agitation.
"Miss, push... push that guy away! Hurry! That lewd bastard! He's doing it on purpose!"
Yet the woman allowed him to remain in her embrace, refusing to shove Yeop Hyeon aside.
A shadow fell over the old man's face.
When had she ever been this intimate with a man?
Right then, three warriors appeared before the city gates: Bei Chen and a man and woman.
Spotting them, An Ranxiu carefully handed Yeop Hyeon over to Gang Gu and turned to the old man. He approached her side and spoke.
"Miss, those people's backer has violated the rules."
An Ranxiu nodded lightly and slowly advanced toward Bei Chen and the others.
Seeing this, the old man—who had been about to say something—held his tongue. He had already sensed her anger.
Bei Chen's complexion darkened sharply at An Ranxiu's appearance.
Who in Jiang Kingdom did not know of An Ranxiu?
Fear crept into Bei Chen's expression.
She recalled a past incident. The dean of Cangmu Academy had once personally invited her to join as a student. An Ranxiu's response had been that she would enroll if anyone under thirty could defeat her.
Two students representing Cangmu Academy had stepped up, one of them Bei Chen herself.
And An Ranxiu had not joined Cangmu Academy.
An Ranxiu's very existence terrified Bei Chen. She realized there was no hope for the low-grade weapon anymore and resolved to retreat.
At that instant, An Ranxiu vanished from her spot. Bei Chen gasped in shock and raised her hands to form a hand seal.
"Riding the Wind Without Limits!"
With Bei Chen's cry, a fierce gale swirled around her, enveloping her body.
An Ranxiu lightly kicked up the shaft of her spear with her foot.
Thud!
Her spear shot forward like lightning.
Boom!
The spear tore through the whirlwind. In that moment, a residual shadow flashed past like thunder.
Thump!
A dull sound echoed as a figure flew dozens of zhang through the air.
It was Bei Chen!
She barely halted, but the ground behind her cracked open with a sharp sound. Fresh blood trickled from the corner of Bei Chen's mouth.
The warrior man and woman watching this scene could scarcely believe their eyes.
Who was this woman who had inflicted severe wounds on Bei Chen in a single strike?
Terror filled their gazes toward An Ranxiu.
Before Bei Chen could recover, An Ranxiu's silver spear roared like a dragon and bore down on her.
Bei Chen gritted her teeth and clasped her hands together, forming another seal.
"Beast Soul Seal!"
A tremendous energy surged from within Bei Chen's body. A beastly shadow materialized behind her, accompanied by an immense formless aura that shook the ground violently.
The beast shadow let out a mighty roar toward An Ranxiu and charged straight at her spear.
At that moment, a faint glint of cold light flickered at the tip of the silver spear.
Boom!
With a massive explosion, the beast shadow vanished. Bei Chen's body was hurled dozens of zhang backward.
Right then, as if by prior agreement, the man and woman warriors lunged at An Ranxiu simultaneously. Without even turning her head, An Ranxiu swung her spear toward them.
This single attack carried the might of a thousand armies.
Boom!
The two could not even approach her before being blasted back by the spear's force.
An Ranxiu's figure moved once more, appearing instantly before Bei Chen.
Pop!
Bei Chen flew dozens of zhang again, crashing to the ground, unaware of how An Ranxiu had struck. An Ranxiu, who had appeared in a flash, stomped down on Bei Chen's abdomen.
Thud!
Bei Chen's body bent like a bow and soared away, slamming into a large boulder dozens of zhang distant.
As An Ranxiu moved to strike again, a white-haired elder blocked her path.
He was Mok Song, one of the three vice deans of Cangmu Academy.
An Ranxiu paid him no mind and brought her spear slashing down from above.
Mok Song furrowed his brow and flicked his long sleeves, unleashing a torrent of powerful energy.
Clang!
The two forces collided, forcing Mok Song to stagger back several steps. An Ranxiu, however, stood firm in her original position.
Astonishment flashed in Mok Song's eyes.
As An Ranxiu prepared another strike, Mok Song cried out in haste.
"National Scholar An, it wasn't Cangmu Academy that harmed him—it was Houye Wu Yunshan of Jeoguk!"
An Ranxiu halted her hand. Mok Song pointed to the man and woman behind him.
"And those two were also sent by Jeoguk!"
An Ranxiu turned toward the pair. Realizing her identity at last, their faces drained of color.
An Ranxiu!
The heaven and earth's beloved prodigy!
As An Ranxiu gripped her spear tighter and eyed them, a faint voice reached her ear.
"Miss An..."
An Ranxiu immediately went to Yeop Hyeon. He had barely regained consciousness and forced a smile.
"That's enough... Let them go... I'll settle today's grudge with my own hands another day..."
Yeop Hyeon hated showing weakness before An Ranxiu more than death itself. He refused to lean on her.
She looked at him and nodded.
"Very well!"
Mok Song let out a sigh of relief. Had they clashed to the end with An Ranxiu, it would have been extremely troublesome.
The man and woman's faces also relaxed. They clearly had no desire to cross blades with her.
Mok Song glanced at Yeop Hyeon before taking Bei Chen and departing.
The man and woman vanished in an instant as well.
As Yeop Hyeon opened his mouth to speak, Gang Gu addressed him.
"Don't talk. Isn't the blood you've lost so far enough?"
As An Ranxiu approached Yeop Hyeon, Yeongno stepped to her side.
"Miss, do you really want to watch that boy die?"
Gang Gu and Yeop Hyeon turned toward Yeongno.
Forcing a bitter smile, Yeongno continued.
"Miss! To us, you are a once-in-a-millennium warrior. With countless sects and powers seeking marriage alliances with you, what do you think they'll do if they learn of your connection to that boy? Do you think they'll sit idly by? Their blades will turn not to you, but to that youth. He'll vanish from this world without a trace!"
Breathing heavily, Yeongno pressed on.
"Moreover, don't you know how great the family head's expectations for you are? Of course, you can like someone, but not an ordinary one! I acknowledge Yeop Hyeon's talent. Still, to be worthy of standing at your side, he must at least become a Sword Emperor or Sword Lord before thirty. That's utterly impossible! If you insist on drawing close to him, why don't you understand that his lifespan will shorten accordingly?"
His voice was not loud, but Yeop Hyeon and Gang Gu heard every word clearly. It seemed he had spoken deliberately for Yeop Hyeon to hear.
An Ranxiu fell silent.
"Miss, what's not possible simply isn't! You and that boy live in different worlds—he has no right to enter yours!"
An Ranxiu turned to Yeop Hyeon.
"What do you think?"
Yeop Hyeon met her gaze steadily.
"Do you consider me a friend?"
An Ranxiu nodded. Yeop Hyeon smiled faintly.
"Then leave the rest to me!"
She smiled at his words. Yeop Hyeon stared at her face, momentarily entranced.
An Ranxiu approached him and pulled a white handkerchief from her bosom, gently wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"I hope the next time we meet, you'll still be this dashing."
An Ranxiu turned and walked away from Yeop Hyeon.
"May I come find you next time?"
Yeop Hyeon called after her retreating figure.
She paused.
"Come find me in Jungto Sinju. I'll be waiting."
With that, her figure swiftly vanished from Yeop Hyeon's sight.
Yeongno stared piercingly at Yeop Hyeon and demanded.
"What do you plan to do by seeking out the miss?"
"Haha, just chat a bit. About life, or perhaps ideals."
Yeongno shouted in disapproval.
"Don't bring disaster upon yourself!"
With that, Yeongno chased after An Ranxiu.
Yeop Hyeon kept his eyes fixed on her back until she disappeared from view.
"What are you still staring at? She's long gone."
Yeop Hyeon withdrew his gaze and tried to move, only for intense pain to surge from his chest.
"Good grief, only now do you feel the pain?"
Yeop Hyeon grabbed Gang Gu's shoulder with one arm and slumped toward her. She tried to push him away in panic but gasped upon seeing his wound.
The gash on his chest had worsened far beyond its initial state. Blood poured ceaselessly from it.
Yeop Hyeon gasped for breath.
"Could you... take me to a physician?"
"Physician? You didn't look pained at all with Ranxiu just now. Seems wounds heal when a beauty's around!"
Her words were harsh, but her actions were not. Gang Gu slowly supported Yeop Hyeon into the city.
"Aigoo, my back, my legs. I can't walk anymore. Carry me, please!"
"If it hurts that much, why not just die?"
"N-no, I think I can manage a bit more, hehe..."