Mysterious Woman

Wen Xi's swordsmanship was insidious and cunning. His soft sword, like a venomous snake, weaved and undulated, evading the punch and aiming straight for Xia Qi'an's wrist.

This strike will surely cripple Xia Qi'an's arm.

Seeing this, a cold sneer flickered across Wen Xi's lips.

However, with a "ding," the sword tip struck Xia Qi'an's wrist and was directly repelled.

"...A master of Iron Body technique... No wonder he's so arrogant..." Wen Xi exclaimed in surprise.

Xia Qi'an, unfazed by such insidious and tricky moves, changed his stance, transforming his fist into a claw. He wrapped it around the soft sword, shaking it forcefully. The soft sword coiled around Xia Qi'an's palm like a rope.

Then, with a strong pull, Wen Xi lost his balance and stumbled towards Xia Qi'an.

"Bang!"

A massive fist, like an iron hammer, struck Wen Xi's face.

The Snake Guard mask shattered, and several teeth flew out along with it.

Wen Xi let out a scream and was sent flying backward, crashing into the stockade's fence.

"Big brother..." Caught off guard, Wen Ye cried out in alarm and rushed forward to check on Wen Xi.

He hadn't expected Wen Xi to be defeated so quickly.

Wen Ye picked up Wen Xi and saw that his elder brother's face was unrecognizable from Xia Qi'an's punch.

His eyes immediately turned red, and he roared, "You surnamed Xia... You... you hit too hard..."

Xia Qi'an snorted coldly and said in a chilling voice, "Fists and feet have no eyes. Since your skills are inferior... don't blame me for hitting too hard..."

He then turned to Lin Luo and asked, "What? Do you want to keep fighting?"

"No... You surnamed Xia can't leave today..." Wen Ye had lost all reason.

Enraged, Wen Ye flung the great spear on his back, and a cold glint shot like lightning towards Xia Qi'an's chest.

Xia Qi'an remained unmoved. His Iron Claw Skill, like iron pincers, gripped the spear shaft tightly. The force was so immense that Wen Ye's great spear could not advance even an inch further.

Then, with a twist of his wrist, he violently rotated the spear shaft, and immense force spread along its length.

This sent Wen Ye's body spinning like a top, tumbling twice in the air before landing face-first on the ground.

Seeing this, Xia Qi'an stepped forward, intending to deliver another punch, but Lin Luo's voice stopped him: "Enough..."

"We were indeed in the wrong today... But you've beaten Wen Xi to this state... The Wen family won't let you go!" Lin Luo's expression was uncertain.

Xia Qi'an's brow furrowed slightly, a dismissive smirk playing on his lips. He said coldly, "The Wen family? Never heard of them... If you want revenge... have them come find me at Si Nan Manor in Jinling."

Upon hearing this, Lin Luo's face turned instantly pale, and she exclaimed in horror, "Si Nan Manor? You're from the Si Nan family?"

Xia Qi'an offered no explanation. Instead, he turned around with a feigned air of mystery, leaving Lin Luo and the two brothers with his indifferent back.

Leng Changqing, seeing this, pursed his lips, barely suppressing the laughter that threatened to escape.

Helpless, Lin Luo gritted her teeth and said fiercely, "We of the Xiaoxiang Wei Dao Si have taken note of today's events."

With their parting threat delivered, Lin Luo helped the Wen brothers, Wen Ye and Wen Xi, to their feet and fled like whipped dogs.

Afterward, in a nearby village, Xia Qi'an spent a hefty sum to purchase three mottled horses and a wooden cart, loading all the tiger skin, tiger meat, and tiger bones.

He drove the cart and slowly departed the Tiger Demon's mountain stronghold.

As for the gold and treasures in the mountains, they could not be moved for the time being. Su Changqing would have to hire people to transport them back to Jinling later.

Some time after Xia Qi'an and the other two had left.

At the Tiger Demon's mountain stronghold.

The space above the stronghold suddenly distorted, as if being kneaded by an invisible hand. A mass of Turbid Qi materialized out of thin air, gathering like ink and slowly forming a black hole-like portal.

Then, a woman with a face as pale as paper, devoid of any blood, slowly emerged from the Turbid Qi.

The woman was exceptionally tall, half a head taller than Xia Qi'an, like a majestic mountain peak, standing nearly two meters tall.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful and cold. Strands of black hair danced like fairies in the wind. She wore bone earrings that gleamed with a chilling light. Her black robes were ancient in style, exuding a mysterious and profound aura, as if she were a goddess from ancient times.

The black-robed woman hovered in the air, her robes billowing in the wind, resembling a mysterious, fragmented scroll, exuding a dreamlike beauty.

The woman's expression was blank, her eyes ancient and melancholic. The sense of broken sorrow made one imagine a profound, mysterious, and sad myth behind her, like the brightest star in the night sky, drawing all eyes.

Suddenly, the woman slowly extended a pale finger and gently pointed into the deep mountains not far away, as if playing a mystical melody.

Then, a crimson snake, dozens of feet long, was dragged out from the mountains. It coiled and writhed in the air like a giant red dragon. Upon closer inspection, this crimson snake was entangled by countless blood-red threads, bound tightly and unable to move.

If Xia Qi'an were present, he would have recognized this as the giant snake he encountered by the pool in the Burial Ridge Mountains. He hadn't expected this cunning snake to have followed him all the way here, like a shadow.

It was likely because Xia Qi'an had drunk its snake blood, and his body emitted a scent only the giant snake could detect. However, the crimson snake hadn't anticipated that upon reaching the vicinity, it wouldn't encounter Xia Qi'an but would instead run into the mysterious black-robed woman.

The fate of the great red snake was now uncertain.

The woman remained expressionless and silent throughout, showing no concern even when her secretly raised Tiger Demon was killed.

Seeing that the crimson snake possessed some cultivation, she dragged it into the black hole of Turbid Qi, disappearing without a trace.

A few days later, Xia Qi'an and his two companions returned to Jinling.

After entering the city, more than a dozen servants from the Su family came forward to help Su Changqing unload the spoils of war, which had been divided and packed on the carriage, and transport them back to the Su Manor.

After parting ways with Su Changqing, Bata drove the carriage back to the Xia Manor.

On top of the carriage, the massive tiger head, stained with blood, was as terrifying as a Rakshasa.

Along the way, it drew many curious glances from passersby, who marveled at the sight.

"Heavens! Such a huge tiger, it must be an actual spirit..."

"Oh my! Just looking at this tiger's head makes my legs go weak..."

"Who is sitting in the carriage?..."

"Look at the big guy driving the carriage, isn't that the High Mountain Slave that Lord Xia from the Wei Dao Si bought a few days ago? Do we even need to ask who's inside?"

"Lord Xia... is truly amazing! He actually killed such a massive tiger..."

On the roadside, the onlookers were filled with awe, whispering amongst themselves and discussing the matter.

The children in the city were even more like a flock of chattering sparrows, following along the entire way and making a racket.

Only when the carriage drove into the back gate of the Xia Manor did the children scatter like birds and beasts.

Upon returning to the manor, Xia Qi'an washed himself up.

Then, carrying a hundred pounds of tiger meat and a tiger bone as thick as a thigh, he headed to the Si Nan Manor to report.

Si Nan Manor.

The moment Xia Qi'an stepped into the main hall, he froze.

He saw Si Nanzhai Xing, the guard, Si Nanyue, and Hong Xian, the head shopkeeper of the Treasure Pavilion, either sitting or standing, seemingly discussing something.

Si Nanzhai Xing glanced at Xia Qi'an, who was carrying the tiger bone and a chunk of tiger meat, then withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to drink his tea.

Hong Xian, seeing Xia Qi'an swagger in with the items, chuckled with amusement.

Si Nanyue coughed lightly and said, "You've come at the perfect time! My father, and Shopkeeper Hong Xian and I were just discussing expanding the refined salt and scented soap business!"

Afterward, Xia Qi'an handed the items in his hands to a servant called by the maid Dong'er and found a seat.

However, the atmosphere in the room made Xia Qi'an sit up straight involuntarily, his back stiffening.