Despite the distance, Li Haoran swiftly defeated the three bandits. As the dust settled, his gaze snapped to where Yue Chan had stayed. She sat atop a tabletop, poised and alluring, her posture both inviting and dangerous. A thin veil draped over her features, hinting at an ethereal beauty that was as mesmerizing as it was lethal—stunning, yet perilous to anyone who dared threaten her.
However, that look was purposeful—she waited for her prey to approach, ready to strip away another piece of her humanity. Calm and unflinching, she felt no shiver of fear in her veins; only a faint curve of her lips lingered behind the veil.
A hoarse voice cut through the air as one of the bandits stalked toward her, his hands clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword. He hesitated, eyes flicking to the unconscious form of his companion sprawled across the floor. Rage contorted his features; with a snarl, he raised his sword, aiming the blade straight at her throat.
Li Haoran witnessed the scene, his eyes darkening with a murderous glint. He was poised to strike, ready to take advantage of the chaos, but Yue Chan subtly signaled him to stand down. Reluctantly, his expression softened, though his gaze remained fixed on them, unyielding.
"Is that all you've got?" Yue Chan's voice rang out—calm, yet laced with challenge.
As she anticipated, the bandit erupted, his voice dripping with scorn.
"Insolence! Do you know what will happen if I drive this sword through your neck? You'll die, right here!"
His voice thundered through the bookhouse, sending shivers down the spines of the commoners cowering in every corner. The two male attendants beneath the table pressed their lips together, not daring to make a sound—not even a whimper.
A soft snort escaped Yue Chan as she regarded the filthy bandit before her, then glanced down at the other body she'd felled with a single high kick not long ago.
"Him," she murmured, brows knitting as her thoughts drifted. "He was just full of himself," she continued, raising her hands and catching the sword blade between two fingers. "So confident, so cruel. Did he really think everyone would kneel and bow to the likes of you? Evil like yours belongs only in hell."
The man's face flushed red at Yue Chan's provocation, his eyes bulging with fury and his lips pressed into a thin line. He stepped forward, pressing the sword to her neck once more. The blade's tip bit coldly into her skin.
Yue Chan's expression darkened, her unflinching gaze locked onto the man, their faces almost touching as he demanded in a heated whisper, "What did you say?" The question slipped from between clenched teeth, eagerness and anger mingling in his voice.
In response to his question, Yue Chan offered a satisfied, mocking look and leaned in, whispering, "I said you will meet your funeral today."
The man's eyes widened as he stared at her. Though Yue Chan's face was concealed by a veil, her eyes alone revealed her intent—unmistakable and chilling. She was like a Lily of the Valley: white and pure on the surface, yet undeniably deadly beneath.
The man staggered back, putting some distance between them, yet his sword remained fixed on her, ready to strike at any moment. Watching him restrain himself, Yue Chan slid gracefully off the table and approached with calm composure. The three bandits readied themselves, bracing for her attack.
Tension thickened the air, heavy with suffocating fear and trembling anticipation.
Some commoners prayed in silence, begging to survive.
Just as Yue Chan prepared to lunge forward, Li Haoran could no longer restrain himself. He rushed to her side and seized her wrist. She looked at him in confusion, but caught the dark expression shadowing his face.
"Master, have you forgotten I was here? I can handle this," Li Haoran said, never once glancing her way. His words left her grasping at emptiness—she had never asked him to intervene. She knew she could handle these arrogant, cruel intruders on her own.
Why is he taking my turn? Is he protecting me? The questions lingered in the silence as her gaze dropped to Li Haoran's arm, now extended protectively in front of her.
Li Haoran lowered his arm and stepped forward. "Don't touch her; fight me instead."
Laughter erupted from the bandits, mocking and derisive. "Just because you've beaten our men doesn't mean you should be so confident, idiot," one sneered, spitting on the floor. The others burst out laughing, exchanging glances.
Hearing their insults, Yue Chan's face darkened. She strode forward, fist clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palm. She said nothing, but continued forward with a piercing glare. Li Haoran's lips parted, surprised by her reaction.
Seeing her approach, one of the men smirked. "Well, let's see what this little kitty can do," he taunted.
Another jabbed a finger at her and bellowed, "You are not worthy! Women belong at home, serving men. Do you think beauty alone can defeat us? Dream on!"
Their laughter rang out—loud, filthy, and cruel.
Behind her veil, Yue Chan gritted her teeth at their ignorance. They had no idea that the woman they mocked was none other than the renowned and unfathomable Supreme Warrior of all Jianghu.
Unbeknownst to them, their other foot was already in the grave.
As their laughter died down, Yue Chan let out a soft snort and fixed them with a stern look. "Are you done laughing?"
The three bandits froze at her words, glancing uneasily at one another. She took another step forward and added, "Let everyone witness who truly deserves to serve a beauty."
Before they could respond, Yue Chan lunged forward, engaging all three at once. They attacked her with every weapon at their disposal, but she deftly dodged each strike. Despite her prodigious martial skill, she didn't even need to use every tool in her arsenal to handle them.
Li Haoran watched from a distance, worry etched across his face. He wanted to intervene, but it was already too late. He knew her temper well—Yue Chan was never someone easy to restrain. As long as she remained unharmed, he could be at ease.
The chaos raged for ten minutes. Both men were formidable, their strength and combat prowess evident. Yue Chan had already factored this in; the precision of their skills suggested deep training or extensive experience. These weren't ordinary bandits—they were likely former soldiers, paid for their brutality.
However, they failed to bring her down. Eventually, the three men crashed to the floor, injured and defeated, blood trickling from their lips. Slowly, they lifted their heads, gazing at Yue Chan's unmoving figure with wide-eyed astonishment.
Only then did they recall the humiliation they'd hurled at her moments before.
"You've got skill—who exactly are you?" one of the bandits asked, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. The other two remained silent, but their eyes were filled with awe.
Just then, Li Haoran stepped in, fixing the bandits with a cold stare. "You don't need to know," he said, his tone flat and serious. He glanced at Yue Chan, a small, satisfied smile flickering across his face. Yue Chan met his gaze, her expression unreadable.
"I'm not talking to you!" one of the bandits shouted as he slowly stood up, the other two following suit. Immediately, the bandits turned their disdainful gazes on Yue Chan. "You really think you've got the guts to defeat us? Chalk it up to luck—but not this time," one sneered, smirking.
At his words, both Yue Chan and Li Haoran furrowed their brows, sensing something was amiss.
The man raised his hand and made a subtle gesture, a wild glint in his eyes as he let out a low, crazed laugh.
Within seconds, a group of armed men stormed in, sword blades gleaming as wild sunrays struck them.
Li Haoran moved closer to Yue Chan; this time, the fight would be far more exhausting than before. More than thirty or forty men now filled the entire place.
Immediately, he stepped in behind Yue Chan, one hand protectively at her waist—as if unwilling to let anyone else share in his expertise.
Yue Chan didn't protest, but glanced at him, wondering what he was doing.
Li Haoran stayed close, carefully stepping back to keep her away from their attackers. Soon, they ran out of space, retreating to the study table where they'd once sat together, searching for elusive clues.
As their backs bumped against the table, Li Haoran and Yue Chan stared at each other in silence, their eyes speaking volumes. Beneath the table, the two male attendants glanced up briefly before lowering their heads again, remaining silent and hidden.
Heat crept up their skin, coloring their cheeks red. They quickly averted their gazes, trying to escape the sudden tension. In the middle of a crisis, they were both overwhelmed by these strange sensations—how insane was that?
The pounding of their hearts thundered in their ears, as if a volcano was ready to erupt.
Slowly, Li Haoran swallowed before speaking. "Master, calm down."
Yue Chan jolted, blinking rapidly at the sound of his deep, irresistible voice. She felt his arm slip away from her waist. Everything seemed normal—until Li Haoran's fingers accidentally grasped a thin string bow at her waist. Suddenly, an object slipped free and crashed to the floor.
Everyone's eyes snapped to them at the sound of metal clinking—'ding'—on the floor. Both male attendants looked up, staring at the fallen object in front of them. One picked it up, recognition dawning on his face.
"The Illustrious Jianghu Ascendant Token?" he exclaimed, eyes wide. The other attendant remained silent, but they exchanged knowing glances. Then they looked up, meeting Li Haoran and Yue Chan's gaze. Abruptly, they crawled out from under the table and stood, holding the token up for all to see.
Seeing the token, Yue Chan's eyes locked onto it—she hadn't expected this turn of events. Now, everyone in the room would know her identity. Still, she reminded herself there was little risk; thanks to her veil, no one could recognize her face.
Yet the questioning continued. The male attendant held firm, while Li Haoran remained by her side, watching.
"This token belongs to the Moonveil Saint Sect prodigy—the top disciple. How could you possibly have it?"
In every corner of the bookhouse, commoners cowered but began to peek out, whispers and rumors rippling through the room.
Yue Chan felt her skin prickle beneath her robes—the tension was palpable—but she kept her composure, masking her true feelings from everyone.
"Only the Supreme Warrior is honored with this token. Could it be that you are the Supreme Warrior?"
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap. Yue Chan gave no answer, her mind drifting, unfazed by the suspicion.
"I remember those eyes!" one of the male commoners suddenly shouted. "I was close to the center of the battlefield at every tournament. Those eyes, that enigmatic beauty—it's her!" he declared with pride.
The moment his words echoed through the room, the noise swelled. The fear that had lingered before was swept away, replaced by excitement and joy.
Yue Chan swallowed hard, clenching the fabric at her side as her eyes darted around the room, the rising noise engulfing everything. Li Haoran turned to her, worry etched across his face. "Master," he murmured, his brows knit together. She met his gaze with unreadable eyes.
The rumors left the bandits uneasy; they stared at her in terror, edging backward to avoid her.
"You—are you really the Supreme Warrior?" one of the bandits stammered, swallowing hard.
"You're screwed!" a commoner jeered at the bandits, jabbing a finger at them in mockery.
Another voice rang out, "You looked down on beauty—now this beauty will swallow you whole!"
Yue Chan calmly regarded the terrified bandits, then glanced at the male attendant holding her token. She raised her hand, summoning the token silently. In the blink of an eye, it was back in her grasp. The male attendant stared in shock, frozen in place.
With composure, she tied the token back to her waist. Everyone watched in awe as, in the next moment, she transformed back into her usual attire before their eyes.
A heavy silence fell; no one dared speak. All eyes were locked on her, frozen and speechless.
In that instant, the truth was undeniable: she was indeed Yue Chan, the Supreme Warrior and the most formidable of all prodigies. Panic seized the bandits, and they shouted for a retreat, scrambling for the open threshold. But it was futile—every door and window slammed shut in an instant, sealed by Yue Chan's power with a single sweep of her hand.
Now, there was no escape. The only choice was to face her—live or die.