Chapter Six: Let Me Give You a Kick!

Do not think that at this moment Feng Xiaoli would simply stop. Her hatred for the men in black and the young man, the relentless persecution from Empress Yuan Min, the indifference of Yu Wenhao and Yu Wenche, the Prince Chun’s cold detachment, and finally, her bafflement towards Yue Wanqing—all of it erupted now, the flames of her fury flooding her features. Her face, stern and murderous, resembled a general setting out for war; the languid air she’d carried upon first meeting her had vanished. Sensing this, the men in black dared not approach.

Feng Xiaoli was never one to be passive. She leapt forward, employing the simplest yet most effective fighting techniques. Seemingly feeble, her moves were in truth swift, precise, and ruthless, her unorthodox attacks impossible to parry. She exploited every overlooked opening, sending sharp pain through her opponents, making them cry out.

She pursued another man, moving from below to above, and though he was skilled in light-footed movement, he was no match for her. With a single kick, she landed a direct blow to his lower body, making the other men in black recoil in alarm.

Finally, one could not hold back and cursed aloud: “Damn it, are you even a woman?”

Feng Xiaoli laughed, retorting, “If I’m not a woman, are you? But you, soon enough, won’t be a man either!”

The young man stood before the leader, hands clasped behind his back, eyes cold as he watched the chaos unfold—a scene born of his own doing, yet he seemed utterly detached, a faint, inscrutable curve at his lips.

The leader’s lower body still burned with pain. He had thought that lying on the ground would soon bring relief, but the agony only intensified, sweat pouring from his brow.

“Young Master—” the leader gasped weakly, “they—”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let them die,” the young man replied, his voice devoid of warmth.

The leader’s heart, which had been hanging by a thread, finally settled. He expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Young Master!”

But the man’s next words drained all color from his face.

“I will only let them live in misery, worse than death,” the young man said lightly, his gaze shifting from Feng Xiaoli to the leader. “Including you. But for now, you cannot die—you still have other tasks to complete. I’ll spare your lives for the moment. Go back and report to my father. I believe he’ll be delighted to see you all in this state.”

Delighted, indeed—if the old master didn’t kill them on the spot, they’d be lucky.

The young man was eager to witness his father’s changing expressions.

He turned his attention back to Feng Xiaoli, who was still fighting midair, and a smile tugged at his lips as though admiring a masterpiece. Light as a feather, he tapped his foot and in an instant appeared before her. As her eyes darkened, she redirected an elbow meant for an enemy behind her, but the young man easily caught her wrist.

His grip was far stronger than hers; soon, Feng Xiaoli found herself pressed against his chest, his unique scent clouding her senses and making her heart race.

The young man’s voice, gentle as running water, sounded by her ear, “Li’er, have you had enough fun? Next time, let them play with you again, shall we?”

Without waiting for her answer, he addressed the uninjured men in black, “Take your leader and leave. Report as you see fit.”

Relieved, the men in black quickly gathered their wounded companions and hurried away, their faces ashen at the thought of losing their manhood to her foot.

The once bustling place now fell into utter silence.

Feng Xiaoli glared at the young man, snapping, “They’re gone. Why are you still here? Do you want to see what it feels like to be kicked down there yourself?” With that, she raised her leg to strike again.

He seemed to have anticipated this and dodged swiftly.

“Li’er, are you feeling unwell? Why is your face so red?” he asked, smiling gently.

“Who exactly are you? Don’t call me that—it makes my skin crawl. And are you that woman’s old flame? I’m not the person you’re looking for, don’t mistake me for someone else!” Her body was immobilized, but she could still move her head, so she looked up at him.

He too lowered his head, and quite unexpectedly, their faces brushed.

Never having been kissed before, her mind went utterly blank.

He too seemed momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered with a soft chuckle.

Their eyes met—his gaze filled with quiet delight, hers growing ever colder. With her hand blocked by his chest, she fiercely yanked the fabric at his back, and as she created a little space, she pressed her other hand against her chest, grabbed his collar, kneed him away, and with a quick pivot, put a good distance between them.

He watched her break free, a trace of melancholy flickering in his eyes.

“Li’er—”

“Get lost!” she snapped impatiently. “I have no time to entertain you. Go back to wherever you came from. And I don’t know you—stop calling me so affectionately!”

He rested his chin on his hand, pretending to ponder. “Of course you don’t know me, Li’er. Today is our first meeting—it’s perfectly normal not to know me.”

Seriously? First meeting and already so familiar? He must be some kind of playboy, setting traps for naive, sweet girls. Luckily, she had seen through him and hadn’t fallen for his tricks.

“Are you leaving or not?”

“Li’er, why are you so eager to send me away?” he sighed softly.

She considered for a moment, weighing the situation, and then explained, “Those men in black were after you, but you jumped in and nearly got me killed. I don’t care about much—just gold and my own life. I don’t want to die young, especially before I’ve gotten married or had children. If I lose my life, I’ll lose everything. So, please, just let me go!”

Her words were earnest, nearly to the point of tears.

He couldn’t help but twitch his lips, resigned. “Well, it looked just now like you were almost the one doing the destroying. And you call yourself a delicate young lady—you’re as fierce as they come, always calling yourself ‘old lady’ this and that. I’m honestly speechless.”

“I was ridding the world of evil! Preventing them from producing more like themselves!” she declared, utterly unashamed.

“If I leave, they’ll just keep coming after you. They don’t allow anyone to contact me—unless, of course, someone they permit. Otherwise—” His expression suddenly grew desolate, his voice hoarse.

She didn’t understand and pressed, “Otherwise what?”

“Guess!” The desolation vanished, replaced by the same smile he wore upon first appearing.

She shook her head, looking at him with disdain. “Do you think I’m a child, playing guessing games with you? And by the way, you seem to know them pretty well!”

He only smiled faintly, saying nothing.