Chapter 33

Ye Chuqi tilted her head and smiled. "Careful."

Careful of what?

The dagger in her hand, of course.

Ye Chuqi wasn't particularly skilled with daggers. She was a sword cultivator; Eldest Senior Brother had started teaching her swordsmanship before she was even as tall as a sword. But he had also made sure she learned to handle other weapons when they had time. None felt as natural as a sword, but she could use a dagger.

Gree, on the other hand, was a thief and clearly a master with daggers. Ye Chuqi was nowhere near his level. He moved unpredictably, trailing a chilling, ghostly aura, and she could even catch a faint scent of blood from his blade.

He was ruthless. Poor little Ed couldn't compare.

But Ye Chuqi wasn't alone now. She had San San backing her up. With her life on the line, San San wouldn't begrudge her a little Spiritual Power.

After their first clash, they quickly sprang apart and kept a safe distance.

A faint cut had appeared on Ye Chuqi's arm, courtesy of Gree. That brief exchange had only been a test, yet he had wounded her with ease.

Ye Chuqi's abilities surprised Gree too. Her speed, her ability to anticipate him, and her combat instincts were nothing like an ordinary young girl's.

Since when had the Red Wind Mercenary Group had someone like her?

"I won't go with you," Ye Chuqi said. She could now converse fairly smoothly, though her accent still sounded strange at times. All the more reason to practice. "And I won't let you leave."

She couldn't beat him, but she could probably hold him here, or at least stop him from getting away easily. If she stalled him long enough, Red Beard and the others could handle the rest.

A cold gleam flashed in her hand. Even the Black Dagger, which gave off no light of its own, radiated startling Sword Intent in Ye Chuqi's grip. She pushed off the ground and shot toward Gree like a streak of light.

She had no sword in her hand, but she had one in her heart. Fight!

Ye Chuqi's assault threw Gree into disarray. Her attacks looked haphazard, yet every strike cut across his line of attack, stopping him short again and again. Even when he thought of retreating in another direction, she was there to block him.

It was downright uncanny.

And those seemingly feeble strikes had no fancy flourishes, but whenever their daggers met, he felt an inexplicable force. He had never encountered anything like it, and it filled him with dread.

If Ye Chuqi knew what he was thinking, she would have told him it was Spiritual Power. Not that he would know what that meant.

She used only enough Spiritual Power to coat the dagger and add a little force to her attacks. Any more would strain her battered meridians. As their blades clashed, that thin coating damaged Gree's weapon.

Weapons forged here couldn't withstand the impact of Spiritual Power. The Black Dagger Ed had given her was unusual: it could bear a small amount. That was why she thought it suited her.

Gree's dagger was another matter. It looked far more impressive than hers, but after several clashes, it shattered.

Gree froze.

He had never imagined that the dagger he had treasured for years would break like this. He had even planned to upgrade it if he had money left over after this job.

Now it lay broken by the hand of a smiling young girl.

Ye Chuqi didn't stop moving just because Gree had frozen. All along, she had been doing more than cutting off his movements and interrupting his attacks. With San San's help, she had been setting up a Demon-Trapping Formation.

Ye Chuqi wasn't particularly well versed in formations, but San San knew what to do. A simplified Demon-Trapping Formation would be enough to hold Gree.

Each time Ye Chuqi stepped into position, San San placed a purified Low-Rank Beast Core at the formation node to anchor it. Even with Gree standing there in a daze, they wouldn't have much time. From the look on his face, she might as well have destroyed his wife. Once he came to his senses, Ye Chuqi would be in danger.

As a sword cultivator, Ye Chuqi understood how he felt.

Gree suddenly looked up as she moved. A ring of blood-red haze spread through his pale gray eyes. "You actually... How dare you..."

Ye Chuqi nodded without slowing down. She dared, all right, and she would keep going.

Gree lunged after her, forcing her off course. She clicked her tongue. What a shame. Only two nodes left.

But her main goal was to keep Gree here. Defeating him would be up to the others from the Red Wind Mercenary Group. She had no idea when they would catch up. The Demon-Trapping Formation was still incomplete, and Gree was furious. He had fixed on Ye Chuqi and was fighting desperately to capture her.

His thinking was simple: his beloved dagger was gone, so he couldn't let Ye Chuqi slip away too. A girl who looked like her would fetch a good price. He couldn't afford another loss.

It was the logic of a gambler trying to win back what he'd lost.

To evade Gree's relentless attacks, Ye Chuqi tore away the wide skirt of her dress. Fortunately, she had thought ahead and worn trousers underneath that let her move freely. Otherwise, she would have been in even worse trouble.

As it was, she looked bad enough.

When Red Beard and the others arrived, they found Ye Chuqi battered. Her once-pretty dress hung in tatters, several bloody scratches marked her fair cheeks, and blood ran down her arms. Only her eyes still shone as brightly as they remembered.

Protective of their own, they saw only Ye Chuqi's injuries and immediately decided she had been bullied. They overlooked the fact that Gree was just as badly hurt, if not worse off.

Gree knew he was finished. He should have realized it the moment Ye Chuqi woke and broke through the Darkness Cage. His arrogance and his failure to take her seriously had brought him to this point.