Lu Kai sprinted all the way with bizarre footwork, darting left and right like a shuttling wolf shadow. Seeing that he was about to shake off the crowd, he looked back and sneered, his eyes filled with contempt.
He glanced at Li Hongye, his gaze lingering on her heaving chest and slender waist, and a lewd smile appeared on his face:
"Next time we meet, strip naked for me and wait for me in bed."
"Hahaha--!"
He laughed wantonly, his tone arrogant and lewd, completely disregarding the pursuing forces behind him.
Right at that moment, at the corner ahead, a dark figure suddenly stepped out.
It was none other than Gu Chang'an!
Lu Kai was stunned, then laughed out loud.
"You want to stop me too? With just a firewood chopper, you brat, you're not worthy--"
He did not finish his sentence.
Gu Chang'an hoisted his firewood chopper and rose, his form like the wind as his footsteps trod out a bizarre pattern!
"Clang--!"
A streak of cold light flashed through the air like lightning, heading straight for Lu Kai's waist!
Lu Kai's pupils constricted sharply. Too late to speak further, he rolled over fiercely to dodge, yet his outer robe was still torn by the firewood chopper, and a trickle of blood slid down from his flank.
"You're courting death!"
Lu Kai roared furiously, his saber lashing out in a slanting, lightning-fast slash with fierce momentum!
Gu Chang'an's mind concentrated, running Flowing Wind Steps at full power as his figure sidestepped, narrowly dodging the blade's edge.
"Thud!"
Following that, Gu Chang'an's right foot stomped fiercely onto the bluestone bricks, sending gravel flying as he spun around for a horizontal slash!
"What a fast blade!"
Lu Kai's expression changed abruptly, and he raised his saber to parry.
With a "clang" his web of the thumb went numb, and he was forced back two steps.
"This brat is not simple. So young, yet he has such strength!?"
Lu Kai felt a mix of shock and uncertainty in his heart.
"Hah--"
Gu Chang'an let out a great shout, gripping the firewood chopper with both hands as he charged once more, his footwork tricky and devious.
The Iron Cutting Saber Technique was unleashed at full power.
He chopped out several blows in rapid succession, forcing Lu Kai to scramble in defense as he retreated step by step!
An inch longer means an inch stronger.
An inch shorter means an inch more dangerous.
Gu Chang'an wielded the firewood chopper, his body continuously pressing in on Lu Kai and attacking relentlessly.
Meanwhile, Lu Kai kept dodging, but new wounds continuously appeared on his body.
Gradually, anxiety grew within his heart.
The surrounding onlookers burst into an uproar:
"Who is that? He can actually fight the wanted criminal Lu Kai head-on?"
"He's a disciple of the Sky Wind Martial Hall... Gu Chang'an!"
"Hasn't he only been in the martial hall for a few days?"
"This saber technique... is way too fierce!?"
"With this strength, I'm afraid he's become a Ranked Martial Artist."
"Lu Kai is a long-established Ninth Rank Martial Artist after all. For this Gu Chang'an to be able to fight him to such an extent, he is undoubtedly a Ninth Rank Martial Artist."
"..."
"Get the hell out of my way--!!"
Knowing he could not drag this out any longer, Lu Kai suddenly let his feet sink, releasing his full power.
A strike of "Wolf Fang Break!"
He chopped down fiercely, the saber qi carrying a piercing screech!
Seeing this, Gu Chang'an knew it could not be met with brute force and hurriedly dodged.
"Brat, if you dare chase me again, I'll hack you to pieces."
Seeing Gu Chang'an dodge away, Lu Kai was overjoyed.
Just as he saw survival a mere step ahead, who would have expected--
"Slap!!"
A dark figure pierced through the air and arrived—none other than Li Hongye's Iron Whip!
"Lu Kai, you're dead."
She called out in a cold voice, the whip tip wrapping around Lu Kai's saber-wielding arm with absolute precision. With a fierce tug, blood splattered everywhere, and the sound of cracking bones was clearly audible!
"Ah!!" Lu Kai let out a miserable scream, and his saber flew out of his hand.
The next second--
Gu Chang'an leaped forward, dropping his single knee onto Lu Kai's chest as the back of his blade pressed heavily against the latter's throat, shouting:
"Make a move and I'll kill you!"
Lu Kai's eyes were bloodshot, yet he lacked the strength to struggle. He could only pant heavily, his expression ferocious and full of unwillingness.
The street fell into absolute silence, and the onlookers were too shocked to speak.
Li Hongye landed, her eyes carrying praise and surprise as she looked at Gu Chang'an:
"Not bad, little Junior Brother."
Gu Chang'an stood up and cupped his fists, saying, "Senior Sister flatters me."
Li Hongye looked at him with a smile, though a trace of complexity appeared within it.
She thought to herself: This brat... is probably fiercer than I was back then.
And what shocked her even more was.
This Gu Chang'an hadn't even entered the ranks yet.
She hadn't expected that after a single morning passed, he would actually become a Ranked Martial Artist.
This speed and this talent were truly extraordinary.
Li Hongye put away her whip, her expression calm, though it concealed a hint of gratification.
She instructed several bailiffs, saying: "Escort Lu Kai into the County Office and don't give him a chance to commit suicide."
The men acknowledged the order, immediately binding the hands of the already-weak Lu Kai behind his back and escorting him toward the County Office.
The street gradually returned to order, and the surrounding crowd was still discussing animatedly.
Li Hongye had already walked up to Gu Chang'an: "Little Junior Brother, when did you break through?"
Gu Chang'an offered a cupped-fist salute, his tone modest: "This morning. Thanks to Master arranging the medicinal bath and my own good fortune, I managed to barely step into the Ninth Rank."
"A medicinal bath?" Li Hongye raised an eyebrow and immediately smiled. "It looks like my dad bled quite a bit today. Your aura doesn't look like you 'barely' entered the ranks at all."
Gu Chang_an scratched his head, smiling somewhat foolishly: "Hehe... Actually, I didn't expect to succeed either. Maybe my foundation was laid pretty well."
Li Hongye's gaze flickered, and she chuckled softly: "You're quite modest. If it were anyone else, they'd probably have boasted to the heavens by now."
She withdrew her smile, her tone turning slightly serious:
"But seriously, I see your aura is very stable. How long have you been practicing martial arts before?"
"Half a year," Gu Chang'an answered crisply.
"Half a year?" Li Hongye was stunned for a moment, then shook her head with a sigh. "Entering the ranks in half a year... It took me nearly three years back then. You fellow are truly blessed with extraordinary talent."
Yet Gu Chang'an said earnestly: "I just had better luck. Speaking of which, I still have to thank Master. Without him, I probably wouldn't even know what 'Skin Tempering' meant. And the Iron Cloth Shirt was personally taught to me by him, and even the medicinal prescription was prepared for me."
"Without Master, I don't know when I could have truly become a Ranked Martial Artist."
A subtle ripple stirred in Li Hongye's eyes, and deep in her heart, she quietly added a few points to her evaluation of him:
Talented and knowing how to be grateful—such a person is truly worthy of deep friendship.
"What about your family?" she asked suddenly. "I heard from my dad before that you came here fleeing a famine?"
Gu Chang'an's expression grew calm:
"Mn, my hometown is in the north. There has been a drought these past few years, with complete crop failures year after year. Our family of ten headed south all the way, and in the end, I was the only one who survived."
Hearing this, Li Hongye knitted her brows slightly and let out a soft sigh a moment later: "Then how did you get by afterward?"
"Cutting firewood, hunting, scavenging—I did everything. After saving up some money, I took it all out to enter the martial hall. I figured that just surviving on physical labor isn't a long-term plan; I had to have some skills," Gu Chang'an said matter-of-factly, without a shred of complaint in his tone.
Li Hongye listened quietly, a flash of surprise in her eyes quickly turning into admiration.
"Someone who has suffered through hardship knows better how to cherish things. He's not like those pampered scions who only rely on their family background to eat."
She looked at him earnestly and said: "Now that you've entered the ranks, what plans do you have for the future? Do you still plan to make a living by hunting?"
Gu Chang'an smiled, his tone resolute:
"I want to be a bailiff. Master has already spoken to Director Wang for me."
"Oh?" Li Hongye raised an eyebrow. "You think quite clearly. Being a bailiff is indeed a good choice."
"I'm also quite familiar with Director Wang's side of things; there's no need to trouble my dad to step in for this matter. I can handle it myself."
"What's more--" she paused, her gaze carrying a hint of appreciation. "--you are already in the Ninth Rank now, and in capturing Yellow Wolf Lu Kai this time, the primary merit belongs to you. Becoming a formal bailiff is only natural."
Gu Chang'an was delighted: "Then, Eldest Senior Sister, you also know Director Wang?"
"Of course!" Li Hongye smiled. "I entered the profession a few years earlier than you. Regarding this matter of yours, I can settle it with a single sentence on Director Wang's end."
She paused, then patted Gu Chang'an's shoulder:
"Don't look at me as usually serious; actually, I'm the most protective of my own. People from our Sky Wind Martial Hall aren't people for outsiders to bully."
A warmth washed over Gu Chang'an's eyes, and he cupped his fists gratefully: "Thank you for your guidance, Eldest Senior Sister."
Li Hongye waved her hand:
"What's there to thank? We're family. As long as you don't make me and my master lose face, come find me whenever you have any issues in the future."
Gu Chang'an nodded like pounding garlic, his tone exceptionally solemn:
"I will definitely practice diligently and not bring shame to our sect."
Li Hongye looked at him, smiled faintly, and turned to gaze at the horizon.
Sunlight spilled down through the cloud layer, and amidst the golden light, her voice was light and breezy:
"Let's go, let's go report to the County Office. I'll go say a word to Director Wang right now."
Before you continue