We made our way into Changfeng County, and it was just past the hour of the Dragon.
He still had to report for duty at Huang Mansion, so Lu Li hurried his pace.
Walking down the main road, Lu Li was already close to Organ-Refining. A martial artist's eyesight was exceptionally keen.
He immediately sensed someone had fixed their gaze on him.
When he stopped, they quickened their pace instead.
Lu Li frowned slightly.
"They've come with ill intentions."
He cast a wary glance to the side.
Three or four men were closing in on him. Their cheeks were sunken, and their eyes burned with bloodthirsty, greedy madness.
They weren't looking at Lu Li like he was a person, but like he was food.
Lu Li was puzzled. Were they trying to eat him?
He gave a cold snort and turned into an alley.
After a few steps, the buildings on either side blocked most of the light, leaving the alley dim.
Lu Li suddenly stopped.
Behind him, the four men were whispering among themselves and quickening their pace, as if about to charge him.
"Kid, don't blame me. Blame this world—we're too hungry."
One of them approached with a vicious grin, reaching for Lu Li's shoulder.
Just as Lu Li was about to strike, the four men let out strange cries and collapsed to the ground in unison, motionless.
"There's another expert here!" Lu Li thought in alarm, turning to look.
The four men's faces had been pierced through, and blood was pouring out.
Standing before them was a woman.
She wore a fitted white dress, soft and elegant.
It perfectly outlined her curves: full in front and behind, with a shapely figure.
Her legs were long, and a white sash cinched her waist, making it look slender and her figure seem even taller.
Her chest and abdomen were full, rising like mountains from the earth, as if they might burst out at any moment.
Her skin was fair as snow, as white as the flakes drifting down from the sky.
She stood with her hands behind her back, watching him with a beaming smile.
Her lips curved upward, her eyes crescent-shaped. She had an oval face, a touch of baby fat, and a bright smile that was also a little cute.
"Hey." She called out to Lu Li, her voice clear and pleasant.
"You're all right now. Don't go wandering into alleys again."
She looked him up and down. Seeing his youthful appearance and clear eyes that carried a hint of foolishness, she couldn't help chuckling.
"Little brother, where do you live? Want me to walk you home?"
She was very warm and friendly.
Lu Li hurriedly waved his hands. He looked a little awkward on the surface, but remained wary inside.
There was no doubt she was an expert.
Killing four people in an instant proved she was also decisive and ruthless.
Now she was showing him kindness and warmth—who knew what she was really thinking?
He had meant to wait until the enemy came closer, then catch them off guard.
He had never expected the woman to misunderstand and bring an expert out of hiding.
Though she smiled like a warm spring breeze, like the rising sun melting snow and ice, Lu Li still felt a stifling pressure, as if he stood beneath a sky full of dark clouds.
He couldn't help wondering who she was.
Was the oppressive feeling she gave him from the Blood-Exchange Realm?
Or the Inner-Qi Realm?
He cupped his fists and bowed to her. "Miss... Heroine, thank you for saving my life."
Lu Li patted himself down, then smiled awkwardly. "I don't have anything to repay you with."
At that, the woman rolled her eyes.
Her peach-blossom eyes narrowed, and she covered her mouth with a chuckle. "I don't need you to repay me."
"Come on, let's go. Don't stay in this alley, or more people might show up. If I hadn't been saving you, I wouldn't want to kill anyone."
She walked behind him and pushed him out of the alley.
Unable to resist her enthusiasm, Lu Li let her escort him home.
"You're pretty handsome. Make sure you take good care of yourself."
"This world's not peaceful. Those people were going to eat you!"
"That's all right. At worst, I die."
"But what if you run into a pervert like Wang Ju? Then you're really in trouble."
"Falling into his hands would be worse than death!"
As she spoke, she pulled a face at Lu Li.
Lu Li pretended to be frightened, and she burst out laughing. "You're such a coward."
How could Lu Li not be afraid?
He was the one who had killed Wang Ju.
Lu Li wondered if the woman was trying to trick him into revealing something.
"Still, it was good that a creep like Wang Ju died. It's downright satisfying."
"In all my years wandering the martial world, I've hated nothing more than trash who use their status to bully the weak!"
As she said this, she lifted her chin, her face radiant and full of pride.
For a moment, Lu Li couldn't figure out who she was.
Was she a righteous heroine who liked to stand up for the weak, an assassin investigating Wang Ju's death, or something else?
She then spoke to Lu Li earnestly. "By the way, you need to be extremely careful these days."
"The Huang Family and the Wang Family might start fighting. It may not just be the Outer City—even the Inner City could descend into chaos."
"Go home early for a while, understand?"
She sounded just like a gentle older sister giving him advice, which reminded Lu Li of something.
Huang Mansion had once had a young lady whose excellent aptitude promised a bright future. She had been sent far away to study martial arts.
If she knew all these secrets, could she be that young lady?
Lu Li fell a step behind and watched the woman's back, deep in thought.
"This is your home?" The woman craned her neck to look around, showing her lively side. "It's pretty big."
"Heh, it's nothing. Just the accumulation of several generations of my family," Lu Li replied modestly.
"All right, I'm off." She waved, then pushed off with her toes and soared into the air.
Like a bird, she glided through the air several times before the rooftops hid her from view, and she disappeared into the distance.
What puzzled Lu Li was that a faint red glow seemed to coil around the woman.
Lu Li's heart jumped. That seemed to be Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke!
"But the color's very faint, and there's so little of it. She must be in the middle of breaking through to the Blood-Exchange Realm."
In the Blood-Exchange Realm, as the saying went, blood was born from bone: one tempered the bones and replaced the blood with a purer kind.
Once one could manifest Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke, with a red glow coiling around the body and one's qi and blood truly roaring like a great river, one had officially entered the Blood-Exchange Realm.
Only then did Lu Li breathe a sigh of relief.
The woman was already attempting to break through to the Blood-Exchange Realm. If she had harbored ill intentions, he would probably have needed to use some tricks to escape.
Lu Li couldn't help feeling rueful. His strength had improved greatly that morning, and he had been excited.
But now the woman had swept that excitement away without a trace.
"There's always a higher sky beyond the sky, and someone greater beyond every person. I won't grow arrogant, but I don't need to put myself down just because I'm not as skilled as someone else."
Lu Li murmured softly, his resolve growing ever firmer.
He pushed the door open and walked straight into the courtyard.
His mind was awash with thoughts.
"The Lineages are about to turn on each other like dogs fighting over a bone."
"The young lady said the Inner City and Outer City will both descend into chaos. Does the Outer City have Lineage forces too? Could they be the gangs?" A flash of inspiration crossed Lu Li's mind, and everything suddenly clicked.
No wonder the two gangs had fought until their eyes were bloodshot, their fury sweeping away all reason.
For them to immediately lower their banners and keep out of each other's way, there had to be someone pulling the strings.
He had never expected the Lineages to be behind it.
"These cancers really deserve to die!" Lu Li clenched his fists.
After a while, he let out a long breath and calmed down.
"I'm attached to the Huang Family now. I'm afraid I can't stay out of this. I'd better prepare first," Lu Li thought.
Before you continue