Chapter 9: Peerless Beauty

Dugu Baitian said, "You guys obviously just want to see beautiful women, yet you have to come up with such lousy excuses. But forget about it, don't even think about it. Those people are definitely true experts, and we can't afford to provoke them."

Sutu Haoyue also had a solemn expression on his face as he said, "The cultivation of those people may be comparable to ours, but the killing intent emanating from them is terrifying."

Sutu Aoyue also spoke, "That's right, even from this distance, we can feel that killing intent, indicating that those people have killed countless people. Perhaps they are assassins nurtured by certain families, specialized in killing."

The group discussed and decided to detour and leave.

But before they could take more than a dozen steps, they heard the sound of air breaking behind them. Those people had discovered them and chased after them, surrounding them in no time.

These people were divided into two camps, one wearing black clothes and the other wearing gray clothes. They all had a common characteristic, which was a chilling killing intent radiating from their bodies. Their gazes were cold and expressionless, clearly showing that they were ruthless individuals.

The last to arrive were two young men. One of them was tall, but his appearance was really not flattering. If you had to describe it, four words: shifty eyebrows, beady eyes, just like a cunning rat. The other person had an average appearance, but his body was bloated, like a short winter melon.

The group restrained their laughter, as these two troublemakers tried to act cool and impress a girl. No wonder no girl from the Li family wanted to be with them. However, judging from the looks of these two, the girl they were pursuing probably wasn't that attractive either, but she was nowhere to be seen.

The tall young man with a chilling aura said coldly, "Who are you and why are you here?"

One of the ruffians among the group said, "None of your business, why do we need to tell you what we're doing?"

"Boom."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Dugu Baitian realized that this was not the place for empty talk. These two groups of people didn't seem like good people at all, especially the two young men leading them, exuding an evil aura. He had the urge to beat them up himself. But on his side, apart from the three brothers from the Sutu clan, the rest were just a group of unruly individuals. How could they match up against the opponents?

"Damn it, where did this brat come from? How dare you talk to my young master like that, seeking death." A burly man in black clothes said as he charged towards the ruffian.

Dugu Baitian quickly stopped him and said, "Brother, please don't be hasty. My friend here grew up eating rice porridge and is not very bright. He's not good at talking, and we all call him Second Fool. You gentlemen are all handsome and talented, clearly people who are destined for great things. Why bother with someone who's not as smart as a fool?"

Dugu Baitian cursed inwardly, "Damn, I can't believe I said such disgusting words."

The thug felt extremely depressed.

"Well, if you talk about pity, those two pig-headed monsters over there are the most pitiful. They were abandoned in the forest just after they were born, and were raised by a wild boar. They ran wild on all fours in the forest for over ten years until they were discovered by an old hunter from the town. We actually came to this forest mainly to accompany these two pig-headed monsters to visit the old sow who raised them until they grew up."

Dugu Haoyue and Dugu Aoyue cursed inwardly, "Dugu Baitian, you're the real pig-headed one, fuck. It's just that during the fight earlier, I accidentally greeted your ass with my feet. Damn it, just wait and see." They wanted to retaliate, but they held back.

"Haha."

The other side laughed loudly, and the thug on their side also chuckled secretly.

The short man said, "Pig-headed monsters, you've lived with wild boars for over ten years, you must be able to speak pig language, say a few words for everyone to hear."

After listening, Dugu Baitian originally wanted to crack a joke and get close to these people, but he didn't expect them to take advantage of the situation like this. The Sutu brothers were not ordinary people. They were the sons of Sutu Jingyun, the current head of the Sutu clan. How could they endure such insult?

The hot-tempered Sutu Haoyue angrily said, "You little dwarf melon, I'll steam you, boil you, and stew you alive. Damn it, you're really asking for death."

Sutu Aoyue also said, "You're really asking for death."

The imposing aura of the two brothers shocked the people on the other side.

Dugu Baitian knew that he couldn't reconcile today.

Just then, a melodious voice like heavenly music came, "Everyone, please calm down for now."

A young woman in white floated over, with autumn water-like eyes and jade-like bones, like a fairy descended to the mortal world. Her incomparably beautiful face was like a dream, making all the beauty in the world pale in comparison.

Time seemed to stand still, and both sides stared with wide eyes, only the heavy sound of breathing could be heard.

Dugu Baitian was also momentarily entranced, secretly thinking, "How could there be such a beautiful woman in the world? One glance can captivate a city, and another can captivate a country. No wonder those two ugly monsters are willing to fight to the death for her. If I could marry such a beauty as my wife, I would have no regrets in life. Look at the two of you, if you can marry such a stunning beauty, what justice is there in the world? Even if you two manage to marry a beautiful woman, it's like a toad wanting to eat swan meat, it's only a dream. Suddenly, another pretty face appeared in his mind - Sutu Mingyue. His heart...

Dugu Baitian pinched his thigh hard, then regained his senses. He looked at the people beside him, who were behaving like typical perverts, staring blankly as if under a spell. Even the Sutu brothers had a lecherous look in their eyes, not to mention the two ugly young men who were almost drooling.

"Damn, disgusting."

Dugu Baitian calmed down his excited emotions and dared to look at the Miss surnamed Li again.

"Miss, you are truly like a legendary fairy, elegant and graceful, with a refreshing and subtle fragrance. May I ask for your name?"

Miss Li, seeing Dugu Baitian's calm demeanor and clear eyes without any evil intentions, was surprised and somewhat appreciative.

"I am Li Shi. May I know the honorable name of the young master?"

"I am Dugu Baitian, only nineteen years old and unmarried."

The beauty couldn't help but smile, and everyone else was stunned again. After a while, they snapped out of their daze and glared at Dugu Baitian, including the Sutu brothers. The two ugly young men even said in unison, "Bold little brat, how dare you be so rude."

Dugu Baitian couldn't help but be amazed. The power of beauty was truly extraordinary, and what surprised him even more was that his companions followed suit.

"I am Sutu Haoyue, twenty-one years old, unmarried, with noble character and..." "I am Sutu Aoyue, twenty years old, unmarried, devoted in love, and compassionate..."

"I am Li Hu, twenty years old, unmarried, responsible and ambitious..."

"I am Liu Zhiqiang, twenty years old, unmarried, skilled in martial arts, and wash my feet every day..."

Even the shy Sutu Miyue started with "I am" for a long time, but couldn't finish his sentence as he was always interrupted.

Dugu Baitian listened dumbfounded. What were these guys doing, lacking any creativity? It's fine if they learn from him, but "responsibility", "compassion", and even "washing feet every day" were used to show off. Sigh, embarrassing. Dugu Baitian wished he could find a hole to hide in.

A short and fat man said, "Have you guys had enough of offending Fairy Li?"

The cunning rat spirit also said with a sinister smile, "You country bumpkins have never seen the world. You don't even know how to woo a girl properly and just blabber on about random things."

"It's none of your damn business." The group of ruffians responded in unison, followed by laughter.

The faces of the "cunning rat spirit" and the "short and fat man" couldn't bear it anymore, and they became angry with shame. "Kill them for me." The burly men on both sides pulled out their knives and swords.

"Wait a moment," Li Shi spoke again, "Can the two young masters give me some face and not take action? I have something to say to this young master Dugu."

The two ugly men immediately changed their expressions and smiled, "Miss Li, why be polite? Haven't you heard Miss Li's command? Step back."

"Thank you, two young masters. Can I have a private conversation with Young Master Dugu?"

"Of course, I would be honored."

Under the intense gazes of the crowd, Dugu Baitian followed Li Shi as they walked away from the crowd. He didn't know what Li Shi wanted to talk to him about, but he was extremely excited, as if the damage caused by Sutu Mingyue had been completely healed in an instant.

Li Shi walked slowly towards the depths of the woods, her enchanting figure, mesmerizing fragrance, intoxicating and thought-provoking. It caused the people behind her to be entranced once again. The two of them moved away from the crowd and stopped deep in the woods.

"Young Master Dugu is from the small town ahead."

"Yes."

"Young Master has an extraordinary presence, must be from a prominent family, right?"

"Where could that be? I'm just a country boy, how dare I claim to be from a prestigious family."

"Oh, isn't the Dugu family in town considered a big clan?"

"Hehe, our Dugu family is the only one in the whole town with the surname Dugu, hardly worthy of being called a big clan."

Li Shi couldn't help but show a pleased expression after hearing this. Dugu Baitian happened to catch a glimpse of it, and couldn't help but feel skeptical: she couldn't have come for our family, it's impossible. In the martial arts world, who would still remember the fallen Dugu family, which had long become a historical term in the martial arts world? It's even more of a fantasy to think that she would want to marry me just because I'm handsome, I'm not so arrogant and narcissistic. In comparison, the former possibility seems more likely. Those two ugly men were so polite to her, she must have a big background. Such a heavenly fragrance and beauty, a mysterious and unpredictable beauty coming to the small town, could it be for the fallen martial arts family of the Dugu family? Are those two ugly men also...

Making up his mind, Dugu Baitian decided to test the waters.

"Our family may have declined now, but we have had a glorious history in the past."

"Oh, although there has been an emperor from our family, I have never heard of any dynasty with the surname Dugu," Li Shi tried to conceal it, but Dugu Baitian could still sense the excitement from her expression.

Sure enough, she came for the Dugu family.

"Our ancestor has never been an emperor of the world, but he was once the emperor of the martial arts. I don't know which era it was, but an ancestor once swept through the martial arts world, overlooking the world, defeating all the heroes of the world, and was revered as the unparalleled martial arts master." Dugu Baitian sincerely admired his ancestor Dugu Zhantian from his heart. Dugu Zhantian had always been his idol, a being that surpassed the gods. His tone was inevitably excited as he spoke.

Li Shi couldn't help but daydream, but she quickly snapped out of it and smiled genuinely from her heart. "There have been very few people in the history of the continent who have reached the realm of Martial Saint. So, you are the descendant of Martial Saint Dugu Zhantian. My apologies, my apologies."

"The past is like smoke, that was the achievement of our ancestor, but the later generations are incompetent," Dugu Baitian sighed.

Dugu Baitian was now a hundred percent sure: Li Shi had come for the Dugu family.

With the decline of the Dugu family, what else could be worth the attention of the martial arts world?

Then, Li Shi and Dugu Baitian chatted about some ordinary topics. Dugu Baitian was secretly shocked in his heart. This woman, as beautiful as a fairy, was not only intelligent but also extremely cautious and careful in her questioning, leaving no trace of inquiries. He also felt somewhat proud in his heart, as he had seen through the secrets in her heart, which was possessed by such a clever and stunning beauty. What would the scene be like if she found out? Lost in thought, he couldn't help but smile foolishly.