Ill-Fated Bond

The next day at noon, after Qiu Hen finished lunch, she did not dare take a nap and hurried to queue beneath the crooked Willow Tree.

When she arrived, she had barely managed to claim eighth place. Had she dawdled any longer, she might not have gotten a spot at all.

Qiu Hen stuck out her tongue. If she failed to get a place, Miss would probably scold her again.

Shen Mizhi had a bad temper and was icy cold. Qiu Hen was quite afraid of her!

Qiu Hen waited for two full hours before Duan Rong, transformed into a shelf, finally arrived beneath the crooked Willow Tree in the fading glow of sunset.

It was Qiu Hen's first time observing such a strangely behaved fellow from so close.

She watched as Duan Rong calmly set up his easel, then hung the satchel from his shoulder on the tree...

Qiu Hen's big eyes stared without blinking, sparkling with curiosity!

After putting everything in place, Duan Rong took out wedge-shaped tokens and handed them out one by one.

Qiu Hen had been standing for nearly two hours, and her calves already ached.

But Miss had said she would come at Shen Hour.

Although several servants and maids in the queue had already taken their tokens and left, Qiu Hen remained where she was, looking toward the street corner...

Shen Mizhi had indeed left home as soon as Shen Hour arrived. She was rather curious herself—just how skilled was that painter, and was he truly worthy of putting on such grand airs?

The moment Shen Mizhi turned out of an alley not far from the crooked Willow Tree and onto West Avenue, Qiu Hen spotted her at once.

Qiu Hen happily waved and called out, "Miss!" Then she ran out of the queue toward Shen Mizhi...

Perhaps because she had stood for too long, Qiu Hen's legs had become somewhat stiff. She did not notice it during her first few steps, but after several more, the root of her thigh suddenly cramped.

Qiu Hen stumbled and fell to the ground!

The wedge-shaped token in her hand also flew out, landing with a smack at the entrance to the Crude Drug Store.

At that moment, a plump, full-waisted woman in a spring-green Water Skirt, holding a Goose Feather Saber, was passing the entrance of the Crude Drug Store. Her hair was arranged in a single spiral bun, with locks hanging down on either side of her face—a style that made her face appear slimmer.

Just as she was about to step inside the Crude Drug Store, she suddenly saw a wedge-shaped token fall from the sky beside her feet with a smack.

The plump woman was instantly delighted and immediately bent down to seize the token in her hand.

Qiu Hen had fallen to the ground. Seeing someone else pick up her token, she ignored the pain of her cramping leg, struggled to her feet, and shouted, "That's my token!"

The plump woman had failed to get a place after queueing for two days. Now that the token was in her grasp, how could she possibly let go? She argued shamelessly, "Yours? Does it have your name written on it? Call it once—will it answer you? How does that make it your token?"

She was clearly trying to deny it!

Seeing that Qiu Hen was merely a little maid and slenderly built besides, she did not take her seriously at all!

Qiu Hen was so angered that her breathing caught, and even her lips trembled. "You... shameless rogue... that is my token!"

"Who are you calling shameless?" The plump woman instead stepped forward as though she had reason on her side, shouting, "Who's shameless? I picked up this token. What does it have to do with you?"

Unable to swallow the insult, yet unable to withstand the plump woman's spittle-flying momentum, Qiu Hen was on the verge of tears. "It's a token I got by standing in line! You... you're bullying me!"

"A token you got from queueing? Who can prove it?" the plump woman pressed, her momentum undiminished.

Rubbing away her tears, Qiu Hen turned to look behind her.

The man and two women queueing before the painting stall all lowered their heads. Duan Rong had naturally noticed the commotion long ago, but three women made a play, and these two were already quarreling fiercely—how could he dare join in? His thoughts churned as he prepared to tell them he could temporarily give them another token, so they need not continue fighting like this.

But before Duan Rong could speak, Shen Mizhi had already arrived and stepped in front of Qiu Hen. Without another word, she drew her longsword with a sharp hiss and snapped, "The token! Hand it over!"

Duan Rong smiled helplessly. This girl's temper was truly reckless!

The moment Qiu Hen saw Shen Mizhi arrive, she found her backbone and her savior. Pointing at the plump woman, she cried, "Miss, she stole my token!"

The plump woman froze slightly at the sight of Shen Mizhi before her. The woman stood with her waist and back straight, her entire bearing as sharp as a drawn sword. The tassel on her longsword was white as snow, and the blade gleamed coldly like water. It was clearly no ordinary weapon.

She's a martial artist... The plump woman's eyelids drooped, and she was already somewhat hesitant.

Seeing that the plump woman still did not move, Shen Mizhi said coldly, "Either bring the token over yourself, or I'll take it from you and drag you to the magistrate's office! Choose!"

Shen Mizhi's overbearing attitude stirred several sparks of anger in the plump woman. Looking over, she saw the maid behind Shen Mizhi staring at her as if she had already been beaten.

She immediately felt deeply annoyed and said mockingly, "What did I do that you're taking me to the magistrate's office? Never heard that picking up a token was against the law."

"Did your parents never teach you? To take without asking is to be a thief!"

"Who are you calling a thief?"

"You!"

The plump woman flew into a rage at once. Drawing her Goose Feather Saber, she took a great stride forward, sprang up with her blade raised, and chopped at Shen Mizhi.

Shen Mizhi gave a faint cold smile. I was afraid you wouldn't come?

Their saber and sword clashed, and in an instant they were locked in battle.

After only two exchanges, the plump woman was greatly alarmed. The web of her hand ached, and several times the powerful inner force of her opponent nearly knocked the Goose Feather Saber from her grasp!

Her opponent's inner force was clearly far deeper than hers, and her sword techniques were even more exquisite and fierce!

The plump woman retreated two steps in succession, but Shen Mizhi shifted sideways with a slanted step, her longsword stabbing swiftly in from the side.

Seeing Shen Mizhi's fierce sword momentum, the plump woman merely raised her saber to block horizontally. Yet Shen Mizhi suddenly twisted her wrist, and the longsword in her hand immediately curled into a flourish of steel.

With a clang, the sword flower spun out by Shen Mizhi's wrist strength swept the Goose Feather Saber from the plump woman's hand, sending it flying to lodge at an angle in the middle of the street.

Having succeeded in one strike, Shen Mizhi sank her hips and twisted her waist, then sent the plump woman flying backward with a sweeping kick.

The plump woman's sturdy body hit the ground near Duan Rong's painting stall with a dull thud, kicking up a cloud of dust!

Anger simmered in Shen Mizhi's heart. She had long decided not only to defeat this woman, but to humiliate her as well, venting Qiu Hen's anger for her.

She could scold and beat her own maid if she wished, but no one else was allowed to humiliate her!

Almost the instant the woman hit the ground, Shen Mizhi leaped forward with her sword raised.

Her original intention had been to point her sword at the plump woman's throat and force her to apologize to Qiu Hen.

But when she landed in front of the woman, her foot stepped upon a smooth round pebble.

The pebble was not small, but the dust kicked up when the plump woman fell had coated it in gray, making it nearly the same color as the ground and impossible to notice.

Shen Mizhi had originally held her longsword before the plump woman's throat, but the instant she landed, her body tilted—and the sword was about to pierce the woman's throat!

At that critical instant, Duan Rong suddenly sprang up. He poured inner force into his left foot and stomped hard against the Willow Tree beside him, borrowing force to launch himself!

As the crooked Willow Tree swayed violently, Duan Rong leaped and pounced!

He wrapped both arms around Shen Mizhi's shoulders. Their bodies immediately lost balance, and they tumbled backward together!

The tip of the longsword swept around the plump woman's neck, leaving only a faint, shallow ring of blood upon it!

But the plump woman's face had already gone deathly pale, all color draining from her features!