Sangguan Yun'er

Xin Long, seeing a girl dressed in pale yellow clothing, who appeared to be of the same age as him, noticed her lips were tightly sealed, and her face was filled with anger. She was staring at him intensely, her eyes sharp as the horse stopped under the bright sunlight. She had delicate skin, fair and smooth, and her hair was gathered neatly behind her head. A small pouch was attached to her back, which seemed to contain something important. With the reins in her left hand and a whip in her right, she gazed at him with icy eyes.

Wei Wei's beauty was like a fully bloomed snow lotus, while the girl possessed only the budding grace of a flower yet to bloom. He couldn't help but compare her to Wei Wei in his mind.

However, Sangguan Yun'er's innocent and youthful beauty couldn't make his heart race. What occupied his mind now was the pressing need to find a gambling house.

Perhaps it was due to his piercing gaze… The deep, steady voice of the older man beside the young woman reached his ears.

"Hey, little brat… Let's see if you're brave enough to stare at our young miss like that!"

With the sound of hooves, he urged his horse forward just a few steps, raising the whip in his hand to strike. The lash curved through the air, aimed at the rider ahead. But as the whip came down, the black stallion beneath him swerved at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the blow.

The whip cracked against empty space.

He thought it had missed by chance… but the man's expression said otherwise. He was preparing for another strike, with a cold determination that would not be easily swayed.

"That's enough, Uncle Mulan… I'll handle this myself…"

The girl's voice cut through the tension, calm but firm. She released her grip on the reins, raising her left hand in a gesture of quiet authority. Her cold, piercing gaze made her intentions clear, and with those words, her steely resolve became absolute.

Xin Long observed the shift, recognizing the transformation from indifference to hardened determination. She had shown no softness or gentleness from the start, and now her coldness became even more absolute.

Due to the girl's cold gaze, the soft and gentle demeanor Xin Long had been pretending to maintain to persuade Wei Wei faded away, and in its place, his hidden murderous intent began to surge.

Images surged through his mind: brutal trials, bloodstained kennels, and cleavers slicing through flesh. His blood boiled at the memories, and with it came the familiar scent of blood, as though it were seeping into his very senses. The taste of iron, thick and undeniable. Yes... the scent of blood.

He smiled faintly, a twisted smile that didn't reach his eyes. As he turned his horse around, his cold, unfeeling gaze fixed squarely on the girl's chest—on the place where her heart beat steadily within. Her heart. The very thing he needed.

From the side, Wei Wei watched the unfolding tension. She had stopped her horse beside him, but when Xin Long's stallion moved forward, she found herself riding alongside the girl known as Sangguan Yun'er. The situation had shifted, placing her in line with the stranger—and Wei Wei understood immediately what Xin Long's eyes meant. She had seen that same expression during countless trials, in the blood-soaked kennels where life and death played out in savage contests. It was not the gaze of curiosity, nor lust. No, Xin Long wasn't looking at Sangguan Yun'er's face. He was staring at her heart—the place where it beat beneath her chest.

And surely, Yun'er herself must have sensed it by now.

Wei Wei had also heard rumors of Sangguan Yun'er's father, the renowned Sangguan Jin Hu. She did not know his true martial prowess, but the warriors guarding him were famed throughout the martial world. Names like Silver-Faced Elder Pu Chun, Venom Mistress Gu Gu, Silver Blade Master Shen Li, Twin Blades Yiyue, and the Whirlwind Prince Tie Yi—legends in their own right. To provoke Sangguan Yun'er could mean stirring a hornet's nest, something even the leader of their sect, Murong Jing, would likely wish to avoid.

After assessing everything, she urged her horse forward with a firm kick.

As she advanced, she glanced at Xin Long with one eye closed and spoke softly.

"Little brother, let's go together."

Sangguan Yun'er stared coldly at the young man who turned back to look at her with his piercing eyes. Hatred bubbled within her. Never before had anyone dared to gaze at her so boldly. In Nan Hai City, the people always lowered their heads in fear the moment they saw her. But this young man—had he truly never heard of her, or was he deliberately provoking her? As her thoughts swirled with indignation and anger, her hand gripping the whip began to itch, as if longing to strike. She wanted nothing more than to lash out at the young man standing defiantly in front of her.

Yet, she held herself back. The fact that he had effortlessly dodged Mulan's swift whip strike still gnawed at her. Among her group, none but Mulan possessed any true martial arts skills. If she could not defeat him herself, her followers would be of no help. The idea of losing to this young man in front of the Nan Hai townsfolk was intolerable. She had already spoken, and there was no backing down now.

She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. The prying eyes of some Nan Hai residents were fixed on them, curious about the confrontation.

As she scanned the scene, the horse standing beside her stepped forward, and she heard a voice from a young woman atop the horse. The woman was addressing the young man, who had been staring at her with unwavering intensity.

Mulan shot the young man a meaningful look and spoke firmly.

"Neither of you should even think about leaving this place."

End – 9