The Lion of the Western Regions
The Yuan family servant was losing his mind. "Ah, no—that crazy bitch...!? Does she even know who the hell she's putting her hands on...!?"
The slave from the distant Western Regions, brought in as a so-called "gift," had been released once everyone assumed her strength was spent. The moment she was freed, she wrapped her arms around her new master's throat in a blatant threat. It was an absolutely ridiculous situation. Of course Yuan Shu—her actual master—had instantly used raw power to rip her off and slam her into the floor, but that didn't change the fact that this mess could easily land on the servant's head. How poorly had he managed the "merchandise" for something like this to happen? The possibility of punishment was very real, so the Yuan family retainer had gone deathly pale and couldn't stop fidgeting.
After all, the person she'd grabbed was the legitimate heir of the empire's most prestigious clan. Aside from the direct imperial line, no one wielded more influence than the Yuan family, which had held the Four Generations of Three Dukes. If anything went wrong, it wouldn't end with a single servant's head. His entire clan could be wiped out without anyone batting an eye. Of course the bastards who'd sold a slave like her as premium goods would be crushed without legal protection, ground to paste in some dark corner until they vanished from the world, becoming the servant's companions on the road to the afterlife... but who cared if those scum died? His own neck was on the line right now!
The local governor was little more than a Yuan family underling, so it was only natural the servant was trembling like a leaf. The influence of a house that had produced the Four Generations of Three Dukes could easily dominate a single province.
"There's no need to shake so badly."
"B-but...!"
Yuan Shao, wearing a gentle smile, calmed the agitated servant.
"Who do you think my brother Gonglu is? He is a man destined to stand at the pinnacle through martial might. I can see that Westerner is no ordinary fighter... but it is meaningless. Besides, the matter has already left your hands."
Unlike the servant, Yuan Shao knew the man named Yuan Shu very well.
"It has been a while since we've had an interesting spectacle. Gonglu looks like he's enjoying himself, so withdraw quietly and do not interfere."
Yuan Shao possessed the caliber to become one of the greatest warlords, the one closest to unifying the realm. Her words, though spoken softly, carried an undeniable authority that could not be refused. The servant could only bow his head and retreat without another word.
As she gestured, the servant had already vanished from Yuan Shao's golden eyes.
That Western woman seems quite skilled... How fortunate. It's been a long time since Gonglu looked this happy.
Everyone in the Yuan family knew that Yuan Shu cared far more for martial pursuits than civil ones, and his talent leaned the same way. But Yuan Shao knew it even better than they did.
Because she adored her brother.
Was it not the duty of a loving older sister to understand her cherished younger brother's affairs more deeply than anyone?
So many came hoping to become Sulyi's teacher.
They had all been renowned in their own right. A military officer who could slaughter an entire bandit horde with only a few dozen men. A martial arts instructor recognized by the central court. A champion famed throughout his region. A wandering hero who had built a towering reputation across the jianghu. Yet not one of them could handle Yuan Shu—a man who hadn't even reached adulthood.
His inborn physical strength, his god-given combat sense, and those bizarre, flashing techniques. Every confident expert who came to teach the Yuan heir had failed to endure even three exchanges before fleeing as if half-chased away.
Yuan Shao, who trusted her own judgment of people, understood it clearly. Yuan Shu was no ordinary man. It wasn't mere sisterly bias; he truly was a genius among geniuses.
Knowing he possessed such strength yet had nowhere to unleash it, she had watched him grow restless. That was why she could now observe him with a light heart.
And as if answering her expectations, Yuan Shu flipped the situation in an instant. He had overcome the rear choke through pure power alone!
"Today even I shall feast my eyes."
Seeing her brother laughing, Yuan Shao realized this was no place for her to intervene. She had no reason to insert herself, so she quietly withdrew and took a seat. A duel between experts was something worth watching; she decided to enjoy the show with a relaxed mind.
While Yuan Shao watched calmly, Yuan Shu was experiencing a completely different sensation.
This girl... this feeling is...?
When he had reincarnated as Yuan Shu, there was something he had been told right before the transfer.
They said they'd send three talents to assist me, right?
He remembered those words clearly. But who could know when those talents would actually appear? Still, that god-like being didn't seem the type to lie, so he had simply waited. The moment he saw the woman brought in as a slave today, the feeling hit him like a thunderbolt.
But what kind of talent gets captured and dragged all the way from the Western Regions? She's supposed to be a foreigner, yet her Chinese is pretty fluent. Heavy accent, though.
And the "talent" they sent was vicious as hell. Was this their version of "do whatever you want with her"? Whatever. It didn't matter what they intended. The situation unfolding right now was already plenty entertaining.
"Ptui! Fucking hell, I thought you were just some spoiled young master, but you've swung a blade before, haven't you?"
Her eyes were fierce, her mouth foul. She reminded him of a starving, wounded beast—specifically a wild male lion roaming the plains. Though it was a bit funny to compare a woman to a male lion.
Spitting on the ground, she charged at him again.
"You think you can handle me, you bastard?!"
"Uahaha! I love how you're nothing but a wild animal!"
Bam! Her fist slammed straight into his face. But Yuan Shu's head didn't even budge.
"Like I said earlier, you're too light. A soft punch like that can't even leave a scratch."
"Hah! Who cares about—ugh!"
Thud! The moment his fist flew forward, she hastily raised her guard to block it. But the weight behind the blow was on another level; she was pushed backward despite her defense.
"Come at me properly, big-nose!"
Her arm throbbed even though she'd blocked it cleanly. The Western woman clicked her tongue.
"Tsk..."
A strike that penetrated her guard—what a monstrous fist. Of all the noble houses I could have been sold to, it had to be this guy...!
She'd assumed any young master from a prestigious clan would be easy prey. She'd planned to regain her freedom, but this man was something else entirely.
Her eyes narrowed as she watched the famous clan's young master throw another punch. It was like a giant swinging an iron mace—massive and heavy.
Taking that head-on in my current condition would be insane.
But blocking wasn't the only way to deal with an attack. She slipped her head aside, letting the punch graze past, then spun and drove her forearm into his face. A backspin blow—the kind people in the modern era would call a spinning backfist. She had used his own power against him.
A clean, solid hit!
"Kuh, now that's a spicy punch!"
"!!"
The sheer audacity of taking the blow directly on his face instead of blocking. What the hell? I thought he was some rich young master!
What kind of young master carried this kind of wild ferocity? He wasn't a young master—he was a young monster. She'd thought she'd found a treasure chest, but it turned out to be Pandora's box.
Whoosh! Yuan Shu grabbed the arm she'd struck him with and, using the power of his arms and waist, spun and lifted her clean off the ground as if to slam her into the floor.
But the woman twisted in midair with incredible flexibility and reflexes, landing on her feet first. At the same time she kicked out, driving him back.
"Ha, damn it... having to fight a beast like this on an empty stomach... what rotten luck."
She shook out her arm and muttered. For someone with her level of skill to end up enslaved and dragged all the way to this distant land called China, she had gone through endless hardships. Her grumbling carried both that resentment and the sheer absurdity of thinking she'd finally found an escape, only to stick her neck into a lion's jaws.
Yuan Shu suddenly reacted to her words.
"Why? Are you too hungry to fight properly?"
"What? Of course I am! Want to trade places?!"
It was true she had no strength left. Fighting an expert in such a weakened state was naturally exhausting.
"Heh heh, making excuses..."
"Excuses my ass! Hey, you bastard! You try fighting after starving for days! This son of a—!!"
"Enough. If I feed you until you're full and give you a good night's sleep, will you stop making excuses?"
"Hah! While you're at it, how about some kindness and a proper bed too! Don't be so stingy, young master!"
Even as she said it, the Western woman never expected him to actually agree. Who in their right mind would show such kindness to a slave they were currently fighting?
But the man before her was beyond imagination.
"Fine! I'll give you both food and a bed! Follow me, big-nose!"
"...Huh? What? You're really doing it?? Hey, are you crazy??"
Even Yuan Shao, who had been watching, twitched at the unexpected declaration, but Yuan Shu showed no hesitation.
"It's been so long since I met a worthy opponent. I can't let this chance slip away so sloppily! My nature won't allow it! Stuff yourself until your belly bursts and sleep deeply! Only after we settle this properly tomorrow will I be satisfied!"
The woman blinked, unable to believe what she'd heard, but Yuan Shu simply turned and began walking away as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Wow... maybe it's because he grew up spoiled, but he's surprisingly straightforward..."
Though it felt absurd, the desire to eat a proper meal after so long won out. She quietly followed him.
"Haha, as expected, you're impossible to restrain, brother. This is heading in a direction I never imagined."
Yuan Shao shook her head with a wry smile, then followed after them with an intrigued expression.
"Just what the hell is going on here..."
In the face of one rapid development after another, only the servant was left standing there, completely unable to keep up.