The autumn wind rustled, and the maple leaves blazed as red as fire.
Deep in the maple forest, beneath a maple tree.
A young woman in purple sat cross-legged, her face deathly pale and her breath weak and chaotic.
Suddenly, the sound of rustling came; Faye Xi reluctantly ended her meditation and slowly stood up.
In her line of sight, a barefoot, black-haired woman in white walked over gracefully. She was stunningly beautiful, her hair reaching her waist, and her whole being radiated a pure, ethereal aura.
Seeing the newcomer, Faye Xi's eyes narrowed, a flash of realization in her gaze. "Tina Fu, so it really is you!"
Tina Fu smiled lightly. "Senior sister is so clever, you guessed it was me right away."
You admit it so calmly; you must be very confident you can kill me." Faye Xi's expression was complicated. She and Tina Fu had grown up together, as close as sisters. She never expected Tina would end up scheming against her.
Tina Fu shook her head. "How could I bear to kill my dear senior sister? You're my beloved sister, so I plan to cripple your cultivation and deliver you to Crown Prince Leo Liu."
On hearing this, a trace of emotion flashed in Faye Xi's eyes. "Tina Fu, you have some nerve, daring to collude with the Han Kingdom. If our master finds out, she will never forgive you!"
Seeing this, Tina Fu showed a hint of surprise. "Senior sister, why are you so stubborn? Fine, since you refuse to yield, let me show you my true strength."
As soon as she finished speaking, two beams of white light shot out from Tina Fu’s sleeves, accompanied by a series of ringing sounds.
The white light was two white silk ribbons, and the ringing came from two bells tied to one end of each ribbon.
The white silk moved as if alive, under Tina Fu’s control, darting unpredictably to attack Faye Xi’s acupoints, while the bells’ sound carried a mind-bewitching effect.
Faye Xi soared into the air, her two half-moon blades turning into two silvery arcs, slashing repeatedly to keep the white silk ribbons at bay.
In a flash, dozens of moves passed. Tina Fu saw she still couldn’t defeat Faye Xi and grew increasingly impatient.
She channeled more true qi, making the white silk ribbons’ attacks grow even fiercer.
Gradually, Faye Xi began to show signs of strain, her face flushed an unhealthy red.
Seeing this, Tina Fu pressed her attack, gloating: "Senior sister, why make things so hard for yourself? If you weren’t injured, maybe I couldn’t beat you. But now, you can last at most a few hundred moves. Since you’ll lose anyway, why not help me achieve my goal?"
Faye Xi said nothing. Suddenly, her movements stalled, as if her internal injuries had flared up.
Tina Fu was delighted. Her two white silk ribbons suddenly wrapped around Faye Xi, binding her tightly.
Heh heh, senior sister, you’ve lost!
Is that so?
Faye Xi replied coolly. Suddenly, one of her half-moon blades shot out like lightning toward Tina Fu, while the other flew up, slicing through both silk ribbons with a series of sharp sounds.
Freed, Faye Xi didn’t hesitate—she turned into a streak of purple light and sped away in the opposite direction.
Tina Fu barely dodged the half-moon blade powered by Faye Xi’s full strength, but when she looked up, Faye was already gone, leaving Tina’s expression sour.
But soon, she smiled again. "Senior sister, did you really think that was all I had prepared?"
...
It had been more than ten days since Kara Moran’s departure. Ian Song and his two companions had already left the Grand Zhou Empire and arrived at a border town in the Great Han Empire.
Of the three great empires, the Great Han Empire had the largest territory, ruling over fifteen provinces.
During those ten days, Ian Song returned to his old trade—creative banditry.
So, when people in the martial world talked about him again, it was like this:
Did you hear? The Number One Bandit Under Heaven stole a rich man’s concubine’s undergarment today.
Latest news—the Number One Bandit Under Heaven stole the abbot’s wooden fish from Tianguang Temple.
Haha, this is hilarious! The Number One Bandit Under Heaven actually stole the governor’s daughter’s pet dog in Luming Province.
This border town was called Tieyang County.
When Ian Song and his companions entered the city, it was already dusk.
They found an inn, settled in, and after dinner, Ian Song sat on the rooftop with Susie, watching the moon.
"Susie, following me on the road all this time has been hard on you." Ian Song gently pulled Susie into his arms and spoke softly.
Susie shook her head. "It’s not hard. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy. But I don’t understand—why do you steal such strange things?"
Faced with Susie’s question, Ian Song replied a little gloomily, "Actually, I don’t want to do this either, but I have my reasons."
"If you must, then I won’t ask anymore." Susie said obediently.
"But don’t worry—once I complete two hundred creative robberies, I won’t have to steal anymore!" Ian Song said.
Just then, Ian Song’s expression suddenly turned cold. He reached out under the inn’s eaves, and in an instant, a figure was pulled up onto the rooftop.
"Please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Song. I mean no harm—just delivering a message."
The man hurried to explain.
Get lost!
Ian Song grabbed at the man’s chest, and a letter fell into his hand.
Farewell!
The man bowed to Ian Song, then used lightness skill to vanish quickly.
Opening the envelope, Ian Song found a plain letter with just one line: "I hope you’ll come to Yi Hong Courtyard." The signature was a single character: Fei.
The handwriting was clearly feminine, and the signature "Fei" confirmed it was a woman. But Ian Song was puzzled—who was she?
"But don’t worry—once I complete two hundred creative robberies, I won’t have to steal anymore!" Ian Song said.
Just then, Ian Song’s expression suddenly turned cold. He reached out under the inn’s eaves, and in an instant, a figure was pulled up onto the rooftop.
"Please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Song. I mean no harm—just delivering a message."
The man hurried to explain.
Get lost!
Ian Song grabbed at the man’s chest, and a letter fell into his hand.
Farewell!
The man bowed to Ian Song, then used lightness skill to vanish quickly.
Opening the envelope, Ian Song found a plain letter with just one line: "I hope you’ll come to Yi Hong Courtyard." The signature was a single character: Fei.
The handwriting was clearly feminine, and the signature "Fei" confirmed it was a woman. But Ian Song was puzzled—who was she?