Killing Feng Yue in an Instant

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"You're not going to kill me?"

Han Yunzhi instinctively took two steps back. The man before her had a striking appearance, but his piercing gaze made her uneasy—especially since he had just slain two members of the Yanyue Sect. A murderous aura still lingered around him.

Qi Yuan took a few steps forward, his tone laced with amusement. "And what if I do? Do you think you could resist? Escape, perhaps?"

As he spoke, he pulled out a talisman, which transformed into a massive golden sword in his hand. With a few casual swings, it sliced through the air, emitting a deep, resonant hum.

"You… you…" Han Yunzhi stumbled backward in fear, only to lose her footing and collapse onto the ground. A sharp pain shot through her ankle—escape was no longer an option.

The man before her was too powerful. Even the disciples of the Yanyue Sect had been no match for him. How far could she possibly run?

Qi Yuan glanced at her, mistaking her fear for simple despair. He retrieved a few bottles of medicine from his storage bag and tossed them toward her. "I could kill you with a flick of my wrist. Take the medicine and apply it to your wound."

Han Yunzhi blinked, her cheeks flushing with surprise. Her clear, watery eyes held a mix of disbelief and hesitation. She wanted to reach for the medicine bottle resting on the yellow sand, but she hesitated.

Qi Yuan sighed and shook his head. "I'm not a murderer. What are you so afraid of? Besides, we have no conflict of interest. Why would I harm a beautiful girl?"

With that, he crouched beside her, reaching out to remove her boot. She instinctively resisted.

"Don't move," he commanded.

A shiver ran through Han Yunzhi's body at his firm tone. Realizing she had no chance of overpowering him, she reluctantly allowed him to continue.

Qi Yuan swiftly removed her boot, revealing a white sock stained with blood. The injury was likely caused by the talisman attack from the Yanyue Sect woman earlier. Gently, he peeled away the sock, exposing a delicate, flawless foot. A faint scent of sweat lingered in the air.

Had it not been for the deep gash marring the beauty of her ankle, it would have been a sight to admire.

Han Yunzhi's breath hitched as she felt the warmth of his hands cradling her foot. A wave of unfamiliar emotions surged within her, and to her surprise, her eyes welled up with tears.

Qi Yuan retrieved a kettle and rinsed the wound before carefully sprinkling medicinal powder over it.

"Ah…" Han Yunzhi winced in pain.

"Bear with it," Qi Yuan murmured. "I'll be gentle."

She bit her lip, nodding through the discomfort. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes.

Half an hour later, Qi Yuan stood up. "Alright, you should be able to walk now. Just be careful not to aggravate the injury."

"Thank you…" Han Yunzhi whispered, standing up with a faint blush on her cheeks.

For the first time, she found herself trusting him. Gratitude flickered in her gaze.

Qi Yuan smirked. "Speaking of which, I saved your life and treated your injury. How do you plan to repay me?"

Han Yunzhi immediately reached for her storage bag and poured out a handful of small treasures. She looked up at him, embarrassed. "This… this is all I have left."

Qi Yuan chuckled. "You Lingshou Mountain girls are really something…"

Then, as if a thought struck him, his expression turned serious. "When you return to Lingshou Mountain, find an excuse to leave for three to five years."

"Why?" Han Yunzhi asked, puzzled.

Qi Yuan flicked her forehead lightly. "Just do as I say. You don't need to repay me—unless, of course, you'd rather repay me with your body."

If he could persuade Nangong Wan to rally the other sects against Lingshou Mountain, it would plunge Yue State into war. Leaving the mountain would greatly increase Han Yunzhi's chances of survival.

Hearing his words, Han Yunzhi lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the hem of her robe. If she had more time with him, given his appearance and strength… perhaps it wouldn't be an impossible idea.

Before she could dwell on the thought, a chilling voice interrupted.

"Well, well, a lone man and woman out in the wild. Hand over your storage bags and prepare to meet your fate."

A wave of oppressive spiritual energy crashed down on them. Ten meters away stood a middle-aged man clad in blue, his scarred face twisted with malice.

Han Yunzhi's face paled. She grabbed Qi Yuan's sleeve and whispered in fear, "Feng Yue… It's Feng Yue, the madman from Tianque Fort!"

"Interesting. You recognize me," the scarred man sneered.

His narrow eyes glowed with murderous intent as he studied them. The boy was only at the thirteenth level of Qi training—nothing to fear. Many at that level had perished by his hand. With his magic weapon, he could easily take both of them down.

Qi Yuan frowned, irritated by the interruption. Who was this Feng Yue?

In this bloody forbidden land, the only threats were Nangong Wan and that old hag Deng Xiangzhi. The rest? Hardly worth a second thought.

His fingers twitched, and two Tianleizi thunder seeds appeared in his palm.

Feng Yue's smirk faltered. Something was off. The boy wasn't afraid. Either he didn't know who he was facing… or he had absolute confidence in himself.

With a sharp cry, Feng Yue's blade—a strange weapon with a long handle and a short, crystalline blade—flashed into existence, pulsing with radiant yellow light.

"Die, boy!" he roared.

Before he could strike, another voice called out.

"Brother Feng, why the rush? Did you catch the scent of treasure?"

A handsome man approached, his steps graceful, his body exuding a faint scent of rouge and powder. With a delicate movement, he pulled out a perfumed handkerchief and dusted his face. Every motion was refined, almost feminine.

Feng Yue scowled. "Han Tianya."

Han Tianya smirked. "I saw you bolting over here. I figured there must be something valuable. Shall we split the spoils?"

Feng Yue hesitated, then begrudgingly agreed. "Fine. We kill them together and share the loot."

Han Yunzhi panicked. "My benefactor, run!"

Qi Yuan, however, remained calm. Holding her hand, he smirked at their enemies. "You're quite confident. You divide the treasures without asking my opinion?"

Han Tianya scoffed. "Brother Feng, take your pick."

Before Feng Yue could respond, a small bead shot toward him.

Fast. Too fast.

"Oh no—he has a Tianleizi!"

In an instant, Han Tianya reacted. He kicked Feng Yue forward, using him as a human shield to buy himself time to retreat.

*BOOM!*

Thunder roared, shaking the ground.

Qi Yuan shielded Han Yunzhi from the smoke, his grip firm around her delicate frame.

(End of Chapter)

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