Behind the Flower Delight House lay a secluded wood. Only by passing through it could they reach the bustling, crowded Flower Street.
"Where are we going?"
Dragged along by Ning Que, Zhuge Qing ran the whole way, gasping out her question between breaths.
But Ning Que said nothing. He simply kept running.
Under the effects of strategist's mind, he had already sensed it: not only had the Flower Delight House's courtesan queen directed killing intent at them, but people also seemed to be rushing toward them from every direction.
Since he had only just arrived in Qingzhou City and had disguised himself beforehand, these people could have only one target—the female scholar dressed as a man!
The rear courtyard of the Flower Delight House was pitch-black.
Yet several shadowy figures had appeared there.
Dressed in black night gear with their faces covered, they held gleaming chopping blades and searched the area for something.
"Where are they?"
The leader asked in a low voice.
The people around him shook their heads. "Haven't found them..."
"Keep looking!"
"The soldiers of Qingzhou City have already mobilized. We must find the Provincial Governor's daughter before they do!"
"..."
Everyone understood what this mission meant, and their expressions were deathly grim.
Thousands of troops and horses were trying to cross a single-plank bridge. Who knew how many people had their eyes on the Provincial Governor's daughter's head?
The competition was fierce!
But the price was astronomical, too.
What if this windfall happened to fall into their laps?
At the thought, their breathing subtly quickened.
"Boss, we found footprints here... but there are two sets."
Just then, a voice came from nearby.
The leader immediately ran over to look. Sure enough, there were two sets of footprints.
Rather than delighting him, the sight startled him.
Two sets of footprints?
Who was the other person?
"Whoever it is, anyone who dares stop us from getting rich dies with her!"
A cold glint flashed through the leader's eyes.
After running a long distance without stopping, Ning Que finally came to a halt.
Not because they were safe, but because he sensed they could no longer escape.
More and more people were chasing them. At first, they had come only from behind, then from every direction. Now even the road ahead was blocked.
With the rustle of footsteps, more and more figures appeared around them.
The night was like an enormous beast lurking in the darkness. No one knew how many people might emerge from it.
At the sight, Zhuge Qing couldn't help tightening her grip on the sword sheath in her hand.
The overwhelming killing intent spreading toward them from all sides sent a shudder through her.
She didn't know who these people were or why they wanted to kill them.
But she understood that this was nothing like the "championing justice" she had dreamed of, much less the "martial world" she had imagined.
"Who are you, sir? Here to steal our business, too?"
The leader's low voice made everything clear.
"Have you got a sword?"
Ning Que spoke in a low voice.
"Oh, here!"
Zhuge Qing froze, then hurriedly handed him the sword she was holding.
It was a flexible sword made for a woman.
Its blade was more supple than an ordinary sword's, and its workmanship more delicate, resembling a fish's intestine.
Without another word, a cold gleam flashed in Ning Que's hand, and the flexible sword rose like a whip.
It was like a streak of dazzling light cutting across the pitch-black night sky.
"Watch out!"
Everyone braced as though facing a formidable enemy, raising their weapons to block.
Yet the Fish-Intestine Soft Sword deftly slipped around every weapon like a nimble snake.
It went straight for the leader's throat.
Squelch!
The sudden turn caught everyone off guard. By the time they turned back, the leader's throat had already been pierced.
His eyes bulged as he clutched his throat with both hands, but he could not stop the blood from gurgling out.
His corpse crumpled limply to the ground.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on killing the head of Qingzhou City's Blood Wolf Escort Agency. You have gained 100 Karma Points.] [Current Karma Points: 1,486.]
Dead silence fell over the scene as the thick stench of blood swept through it.
"..."
Behind him, Zhuge Qing didn't scream, but her face had gone deathly pale.
This man was nothing like the person she had seen in the brothel!
In the brothel, she had thought him a lecherous libertine who lusted after beautiful women, and she had felt ashamed to be associated with him.
Yet in the blink of an eye, he had taken her sword and stabbed a bloody hole through someone!
"Kill him!!"
Someone shouted, and every escort guard charged at him beneath the night sky.
Ning Que weighed the feather-light flexible sword in his hand. "It isn't a saber, but it'll do..."
"Stay close!"
Ning Que's final warning jolted Zhuge Qing's heart.
Her body had never been so tense. She followed behind Ning Que like a little tail.
The Demon-Subduing Saber Technique flowed forth.
The mighty force of the saber strikes surged toward them like mountains toppling and seas overturning. It was as though all the air had been sucked away, creating an invisible, crushing pressure.
No one saw how that sword strike had been delivered.
Still less did anyone understand how such a limp, flexible sword could strike with the force to cleave Mount Hua.
Because everyone who knew was dead.
In an instant, peace returned to that patch of night.
Only the system's notifications kept ringing in his mind.
[Congratulations, host, on killing an escort guard of the Black Tiger Escort Agency. You have gained 60 Karma Points.] [Congratulations, host, on killing an escort guard of the Nine Dragons Escort Agency. You have gained 60 Karma Points.]
Zhuge Qing was frightened senseless.
Her entire body trembled without stopping.
She had already realized that they were coming for her.
Once, she had yearned for a martial world where she could champion justice.
But she had seen only its chivalrous side, not the side where life could turn to death in an instant.
Especially when blood splashed onto her face, that feeling reached its peak—blades had no eyes, and human lives were worth no more than weeds...
"Let's go. More people are coming..."
Ning Que's voice pulled her from her thoughts.
Behind them, faint footsteps sounded once more.
Beyond those at their backs, the sound of people cutting through the air came from every direction.
Under cover of night, countless people seemed to be rushing over at the news.
Ning Que had no choice but to lead Zhuge Qing through the secluded wood and into the bustling Flower Street.
All kinds of shops lined both sides of Flower Street.
The branches of the trees on either side were densely hung with letters, each carrying the longing of a man or woman.
Flower Street was famous because it was a place where young men and women met in secret and fell in love.
Everyone who entered Flower Street had to wear a mask, concealing their face and leaving only their eyes exposed.
If they could recognize each other through their masks, it meant they shared a bond spanning three lifetimes.
Ning Que and Zhuge Qing both put on masks and blended into the crowd.
The story behind Flower Street, along with the unusual atmosphere created by the masked young men and women around them, made Zhuge Qing's gaze drift unconsciously toward Ning Que.
Especially after the slaughter they had just experienced, the sudden change in the atmosphere around them stirred ripples in Zhuge Qing's heart.
"I saw them come in here with my own eyes..."
"Find them!"
Cries of pursuit and slaughter came from behind them again.
Ning Que's eyes flickered. Suddenly, he wrapped an arm around Zhuge Qing's slender waist.
Behind their masks, their eyes met.
Then, under Zhuge Qing's surprised, bewildered, and shocked gaze, he leaned down and gently kissed her.
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