The soldiers reeled in panic—but before they could even set their stance, the flying light-sword carved through them all. It took only a few seconds.
Onlookers around the street stared, slack-jawed, as if they'd seen a ghost.
And inside the sedan, the young woman vanished from sight—right under their noses.
"G-g-ghosts!" someone screamed. The cry spread like wildfire. Doors slammed, shutters banged—clang, clang—until, in moments, the entire avenue lay deserted. Only blood-slicked bodies and the ornate sedan remained. A chill breeze whispered through, turning the street into something out of a nightmare.
"These Han folk sure scare easy…" Goku said dryly, peering from the inn window at the suddenly empty street.
"Commoners revere spirits to begin with," Xue Nu sighed. "And your methods are uncanny. Of course they're afraid."
"Many thanks for saving me, benefactor. I will remember this all my life."
Once her shock faded, the beautiful young woman stepped forward, performed a proper curtsey, and bowed. Her poise and gentleness marked her as a daughter of a wealthy household—well-bred, well-taught.
"Where is your home? I'll take you back," Goku asked, his tone mild—even as he couldn't help noting her classical beauty and graceful, womanly figure.
"Home? I have no home anymore… They destroyed it. My brother… my parents…" Her eyes filled with hatred; tears spilled down her cheeks.
"That cur Ji Wu Ye causes no end of misery," Goku said, a cold light flashing in his eyes. He patted her shoulder lightly. "Don't worry. I'll deal with him—sooner or later. For now, grieve as you must, but take care of yourself."
The woman's eyes brightened. She dropped to her knees with a thud. "If benefactor will avenge my family, I will serve by your side as a maid for the rest of my life."
"What's your name?"
"Ling Ruoxi."
"Then stay with Lady Ji for now," Goku said. "She needs someone at her side."
---
In a grand audience hall, Ji Wu Ye lounged on the throne. He gazed coolly at the trembling guard kneeling before him.
"So—you're telling me someone snatched the woman, in broad daylight, on the main street of my capital?"
"Y-yes…" The man's head sank until it nearly touched the floor.
"Did you see who did it?"
"N-no… According to the commoners who witnessed it, they saw only a light-sword. In an instant it cut down the escort of several hundred, and then… then the woman simply faded away and was gone…"
"Oh?" Ji Wu Ye's eyes narrowed, then curved with a faint, predatory smile. "Since when did my capital harbor such a 'master'? Bold, to target my prize." He turned his head slightly toward the two figures at his side—one in white, one in black. His gaze settled on the black-clad youth. "What do you say, Mo Ya?"
The black-robed youth was a study in lethal elegance—rich fabrics trimmed with dark feathers, lines and sigils echoing the hawk-like markings at the corners of his eyes. He radiated cold pride and danger. This was one of Ji Wu Ye's two foremost experts—Mo Ya.
"Anyone who opposes you must die," Mo Ya replied, voice calm as ice, bearing aloof and unshakable.
"Go," Ji Wu Ye said with a flick of his hand. "If possible, bring him back alive. If not—"
Mo Ya bowed, cutting him off with quiet certainty. "I know what to do. We take our leave."
Ji Wu Ye waved them on.
"Let's go, Bai Feng," Mo Ya said.
The youthful Bai Feng cupped his hands to Ji Wu Ye and followed Mo Ya out. In a blur of speed, the two vaulted from roof to roof, soon standing atop a mountain ridge overlooking the capital.
Gazing down at the city wreathed in mist, Mo Ya said softly, "This assignment won't be simple."
"To take someone from under so many eyes without a sound… his lightness skill may be above ours," Bai Feng answered, robes fluttering, eyes on the cloud-washed sprawl below.
"Not only that," Mo Ya went on. "He cut down several hundred of Ji Wu Ye's handpicked elites with a single light-sword. His swordcraft must be exceptional. Be careful, Bai Feng. It's possible… we die on this one."
"So you felt it too," Bai Feng murmured, looking up at the sky. "Perhaps this is our fate—year after year, doing the same thing. Don't you ever find living like this… dull?"
"We don't have a choice. Our lives aren't our own. If you want to live—be fast enough. Fast enough to outrun your own life's flow."
"Fast enough, huh? …Do you know who our target is?"
"Find the woman and we'll find him. Let's move."
Mo Ya sprang from the cliff; Bai Feng followed into the void.
---
On the bustling street where it happened, Mo Ya surveyed the scene. "This is the place. Spread out. See if anything remains."
Moments later they reconvened—empty-handed. No clues. Not even a scuff mark.
"Then we ask at the inn," Mo Ya decided, glancing toward it. "Half the guests saw what happened this morning. They'll know something."
Inside an upstairs room, Goku watched Mo Ya and Bai Feng enter the lobby below and smiled faintly. "Smart pair. Found this place quickly."
"They're Ji Wu Ye's men?" Xue Nu asked.
"Mn. And competent," Goku nodded. "Pity they serve Ji Wu Ye."
"Oh?" Xue Nu arched a brow. "For you to say so… they must be impressive indeed." Interest kindled in her eyes as she studied the two.
"From their attire, I'd say top-tier lightness skill," Lady Ji observed.
"They're here for me," said Ling Ruoxi, face tightening. "Lord Goku, I should hide. I don't want to bring trouble to your door."
"No need," Goku waved her off and stood. "I'll meet them."
As he left, Ling Ruoxi bit her lip. "Isn't this reckless?"
"Don't worry," Xue Nu said gently. "In this world, almost no one can defeat him."
"Not almost," the High Priestess said quietly. "No mortal can." The certainty in her voice admitted no argument.
---
Goku stepped into the corridor overlooking the lobby, lifted a hand in a casual greeting, and called down, "Hey, you two—what were your names again? Ji Wu Ye sent you, right?"
Mo Ya and Bai Feng looked up. Their brows drew together, instinct sharpening.
"Who are you?" Mo Ya asked, voice flat.
"Aren't you looking for me? How do you not know?" Goku's smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Oh? Then you're the one who stole the woman from Lord Ji Wu Ye?" Mo Ya's gaze cooled.
"Correct," Goku said lightly.
"You're either very confident… or you don't take us seriously. Or perhaps you're stalling for time," Mo Ya said, wariness rising.
"I truly don't take you seriously," Goku replied. "As for stalling—why would I?" He turned his head. "Ruoxi, step out and let them have a look."
Ling Ruoxi stiffened. She hadn't expected him to reveal her so openly. But if he'd wanted her harmed, he wouldn't have saved her—so she stepped into view.
Mo Ya and Bai Feng's expressions hardened. They had confirmed the girl's face before coming. That she hadn't run—but had revealed herself—was a first. Perhaps the man truly didn't consider them a threat.
"So we're being underestimated," Mo Ya said, his eyes turning razor-cold. A black feather drifted from his sleeve—and in the next instant he flashed forward at impossible speed.
He arrived in a blink—
—and Goku caught his fist without effort, then drove a punch into Mo Ya's gut. Releasing his hand, Goku let him crumple to his knees, clutching his stomach, eyes wide with disbelief. "D-don't… come… run…" Mo Ya rasped at Bai Feng.
"Mo Ya!"
But Bai Feng was not the kind to abandon a comrade. He blurred forward—
Goku's hand closed on his throat for a heartbeat, then hammered a fist into his abdomen. Bai Feng folded, kneeling beside Mo Ya, just as helpless.
___
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