Huang Rong

"You're bullying a helpless woman. What kind of man does that make you?"

"You're a thief!"

After a long standoff, the little thief who called herself a helpless woman finally compromised. "Can we stop talking about the thief thing?"

"Sure!" Song Xuan nodded. "Let's talk about the martial arts manual."

"I'll give it to you!"

The little thief gritted her teeth. "But let's get this straight first. Once I give you the manual, all our past grievances are wiped clean. You're not allowed to call me a thief again!"

"Agreed!" Song Xuan's expression finally lost some of its chill.

"And will you really let me go? If you go back on your word, won't I be completely helpless?"

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Song Xuan's mouth. "You have no choice. Right now, all you can do is trust that I'm a man of my word."

The "helpless woman" sighed, looking resigned to her fate. "Fine, fine. Just my rotten luck to run into you. I'll write it down, all right?"

With that, she picked up a branch from the ground and began writing directly on the yellow earth.

A cup of tea's time later, she stood and stretched, then pointed at the writing on the ground. "Done. Remember to erase it once you've memorized it. You can't let outsiders see it."

Song Xuan shook his head. "I value honesty and don't like breaking my word. But if someone breaks their promise first, they can't blame me for being ruthless!"

The little thief looked at him warily. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing in particular!"

Song Xuan pointed at the manual on the ground and said calmly, "Important people are often forgetful, miss. Perhaps you've forgotten a few crucial details. I'll give you one more chance. Check it carefully and see where you slipped up!"

The little thief stared at Song Xuan, but his expression remained as still as an ancient well. She could not read his thoughts at all.

At that point, she conceded completely. "Looks like you're an old hand. Just my rotten luck!"

She crouched down, erased some portions, and added others. Only then did she say earnestly, "There really aren't any mistakes this time."

Song Xuan read through the writing on the ground several times, then nodded in satisfaction.

For at that moment, his personal attribute panel had appeared before his eyes.

Under the Lightness Movement Technique field, there was now a Lightness Skill called "Spiral Nine Shadows."

Spiral Nine Shadows: A Lightness Skill recorded in the second volume of the Nine Yin Manual. At an advanced level, it can instantly produce nine afterimages. A supreme movement technique of the martial Grandmaster level.

A filthy little thief possessed one of the finest Lightness Movement Techniques in the world. At that moment, Song Xuan was all but certain of her identity.

Huang Rong, daughter of Huang Yaoshi, the lord of Peach Blossom Island off the coast of the Eastern Sea!

Yes, that Huang Rong-the one with the most pornographic doujinshi among all those martial arts transmigration novels.

With a casual stamp of his foot, Song Xuan sent dust flying over the manual Huang Rong had written. He waved a hand and said, "Our grievances are settled. I won't bring up your stealing again. I hope you'll keep our secret too and never mention the manual!"

"I know!"

Huang Rong huffed, still seeming a little disgruntled. Seeing Song Xuan turn to leave, she called out at once, "Hey, don't you want your money pouch?"

"Keep the silver. Consider it payment for your manual. Money in one hand, goods in the other. Now that both have changed hands, our grievances are settled."

Watching Song Xuan walk farther away, Huang Rong pursed her lips. "A supreme technique for a few dozen taels of silver. You certainly know how to strike a bargain!"

Once Song Xuan vanished completely from sight, her body went limp and she slumped straight to the ground, patting her chest in fright.

"What a terrifying man. I nearly lost my life!"

It took her quite a while to recover. Then she stood and headed away from the Imperial Capital. "The Imperial Capital is far too sinister. There are too many experts here.

"Father always said the Imperial Capital was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. I didn't believe him, but I'd barely arrived before running into someone this terrifying. Heaven knows how many old monsters are hiding in the city!

"Forget it. I can't stay in the Imperial Capital. I'll go have a look around Mingzhou. Surely that place can't be crawling with experts too?"

Muttering, she walked into the woods. Before long, Huang Rong emerged riding a little donkey, its hooves clip-clopping as she ambled along the main road toward Mingzhou.

"Come to think of it, that fellow didn't look much older than me. How could he be so strong?"

"He didn't have much of an expert's bearing, asking for someone else's manual the moment he opened his mouth. But at least he kept his word. I managed to keep my life."

Riding her donkey with her chin propped on one hand, Huang Rong pictured Song Xuan's cold, aloof figure in white and could not help huffing again.

"That fellow really is arrogant. He actually let me go just like that. Isn't he worried I'll go back and find someone to avenge me?"

But the next moment, she recalled Song Xuan's Sword Qi, swift as a startled swan and sweeping through everything like rotten wood. She instinctively swallowed.

"Forget it. If he's that formidable at such a young age, he must be an expert from some major power in the Imperial Capital. Better not go making enemies for Father."

Without thinking, she touched Song Xuan's money pouch again and consoled herself. "I happened to need silver, and he needed a Lightness Skill. We each got what we needed in a fair trade."

"Yes, exactly!" Huang Rong nodded firmly. "We each got what we needed in a fair trade!"

Thinking of it that way, she immediately felt much better. Considering she had provoked an expert and still survived, she had already been very lucky. What was there to be unhappy about?

Surely she couldn't run home crying for her father to uphold justice just because she had suffered a little indignity outside, only days after running away from home?

She, Huang Rong, could not afford to lose face like that!

Song Xuan had not actually gone far. He stood atop an old tree, watching Huang Rong's retreating figure.

When he saw her riding her little donkey leisurely toward Mingzhou, he felt somewhat reassured.

For now, he could be certain that the little thief-well, the daughter of Peach Blossom Island's lord-had no intention of going back to summon help and make trouble for him.

He gave a self-mocking smile. After spending so long in this world, he had become a little too cautious.

Given Huang Rong's character, once they had agreed their grievances were settled, that was the end of it. Though the girl was headstrong and quite scheming, she would not go running to her father after losing a fight outside.

With an easy smile, Song Xuan turned away and plunged back into the mountain forest to practice unleashing Sword Qi.

Soon, the forest rang with the hissing whistle of Sword Qi, accompanied by the shattering of rocks and the heavy crashes of trees falling to the ground.

By the time Song Xuan returned home, mealtime was already over.

His mother, Song Linshi, was clearing the leftovers from the table, while his father, Song Yuanshan, strolled around the courtyard to help his digestion. Song Qian held Lin Daiyu's hand as the two sat beneath a tree, chatting and laughing softly.

As for the two matrons his younger cousin Daiyu had brought along, they were sweeping the courtyard with thoroughly reluctant expressions.

Seeing Song Xuan push open the courtyard gate and enter, one of the matrons said snidely, "Young master, though you and our young lady are relatives, men and women must still observe proper boundaries. You would do well to be more mindful.

"Otherwise, rumors might spread that our young lady has no sense of propriety and meets unrelated men in private. How disgraceful that would sound!"