4. The Blood Sage

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It was frightening.

Xue Shengren had just stepped out, and the first thing she felt was an unbelievably strong aura that chilled the air.

Then it vanished.

"What was that?" she wondered, frowning. The feeling reminded her of something...

"It's the same as that night!" The night she attacked the Wang Clan, she had sensed something similar.

But it had disappeared back then too.

Behind her, Shui Chenlin, Lu Fengho, and the disciples stared at the slim figure who had flown out of the restaurant.

He was so small it looked like a punch could send him flying. The two female disciples were about his size, and most of the men were taller.

"Did that tiny fellow beat Lord Meng?!" one disciple gasped, mouth hanging open.

"Hmph. I'm not surprised." Shui Junho said flatly.

"You rude brat-" Meng Zhuguo tried to stand up, but only spat more blood, dyeing the snow red.

"You should stay down," Xue Shengren said calmly, turning to face them, and the group collectively gasped.

"Wah!" one of the female disciples blurted out, and Shui Chenlin quickly shot her a sharp look. She blushed and adjusted her expression.

But even Shui Chenlin's eyes had widened at first, and now his gaze met Xue Shengren's.

'Those eyes... Zhao. Lan. Feng...?' he thought.

Meanwhile, the second female disciple was shamelessly staring at the youth, mouth wide open, and even the men were in awe!

Xue Shengren's complexion was as pale as the snow above him.

"Is he a man or a woman?" many wondered. But they were suddenly convinced again: he was a man.

Xue Shengren held out her hand and a black fan appeared, a white tassel swinging from the end.

She smiled and lazily fanned herself, sweeping her gaze over the group.

When her eyes settled on Shui Chenlin, she tilted her head, curious, but quickly lost interest and looked back to Meng Zhuguo.

"So you brought company? Hao. A man like you surely needs help from his 'fellow disciples'."

"Pfft!" a few disciples hid their laughter. Shui Junho openly smirked, arms folded.

But Lu Fengho gave Shui Junho a warning glare and stepped forward.

He bowed politely. "Young master...? Forgive me, I can't tell if you're a man or woman." But again, the moment he said that, he became more certain Xue Shengren was male.

"My apologies, young master. I also apologize on Lord Meng's behalf if he angered you."

'Polite...' Xue Shengren thought, watching him.

Lu Fengho's hair was tied in a neat ponytail with narrow weaves. He looked gentle and likable, and Xue Shengren beamed.

"Handsome brother, even if that fatty took me seriously, he wouldn't stand a chance."

The blunt answer made more disciples snicker. Meng Zhuguo glared, and Shui Chenlin frowned.

Lu Fengho gave a small cough and continued with a calm face. "Let's get to the point. Many people died at the hands of someone named Xue Shengren. Is that you?"

"I see you even set up an array," she replied, ignoring his question. "Did you think such a basic trap would stop me?" She held up one of the array flags, twirling it.

The disciples gasped.

"I already removed this before I came out. I left behind a fake one, bound to my aura to fool you."

At that moment, the aura around them faded. The array was gone.

"Hmph." She held up the flag. It burst into black flames.

The disciples stared at her in awe. The time from Meng Zhuguo being kicked out to now was only seconds...

How did she find the flag that fast?

Shui Chenlin and Lu Fengho were used to such speed, so they only glared at her.

One disciple stepped forward. "So what if you broke our array?! How dare you be so arrogant to Master Lu?!

"You're smaller, younger, and clearly less than him, yet he bowed to you, and you didn't even bow back! You won't even answer his question?!"

Xue Shengren's cold gaze fixed on him. "Hmm? Who let a mouse speak while two tigers were talking?" She stepped forward and released a little aura.

The disciple froze in fear, then screamed and ran behind Lu Fengho.

She shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't want to answer. But she couldn't say yes or no.

Yes, she destroyed those clans. No, her name was not Xue Shengren.

Someone drunk must've made up that awful nickname!

She sighed. "Hmph. Because of this handsome man, I'll let you all go," she said, smiling at Lu Fengho again.

Lu Fengho flushed slightly, but frowned.

She continued. "You've been chasing me with a white ribbon, right? Return it, and I'll let you leave."

Some disciples found this fair. But they knew Fenghuang-Jun would never forgive them if they backed down, so they drew their swords and spread out.

Xue Shengren smiled. "You young ones don't know north from south... Why don't you attack all at once? I don't want to be accused of bullying children."

"Children?!"

"Arrogant!"

"Let's go!" Shui Junho shouted. "He won't be so bold once we fight together!"

"Don't engage!" Shui Chenlin shouted, but the disciples had already charged.

"Hmph." Xue Shengren grinned and shut her fan.

"Lu Xian," Shui Chenlin said. Lu Fengho began forming hand seals to shield the disciples, but it was too late.

A black blur flew through them, their acupoints were struck, and in seconds, they dropped, paralyzed from the shoulders down.

Xue Shengren stood calmly where she'd been, and her gently swaying cloak was the only sign she had moved.

The disciples glared at her, but she only fanned herself.

"Oh my, don't glare. The ground can't blame the sky for being higher. You're not weak. I'm just far above your level."

'So arrogant!' Shui Junho thought, furious.

"Hmph." She looked away away.

The disciples would stay frozen for at least an hour. Now, only two were left standing.

"Which one of you has my ribbon?"

Lu Fengho rushed to check the disciples' wrists. No one was injured, just paralyzed.

Still, anger burned in him, and he turned to Xue Shengren.

"You must be the Blood Sage, to use such a dangerous move!"

She lifted and wiggled four fingers. "It's called 'qi stopping shower'... Elder brother, I can teach you, if you call me 'teacher'."

"How rude!" Lu Fengho scowled. "They're in crucial training! What if you'd harmed their cultivation?!"

She smiled slowly. "I never miss. But if you're so angry, why not fight me?"

Lu Fengho summoned his sword, BlueBird, and unsheathed the base.

"Fine! Forgive me for striking first!" he said.

"Lu Xian, let's go together," Shui Chenlin offered.

Lu Fengho waved him off. "Help them instead! I'll deal with him!"

"Be careful," Shui Chenlin warned, heading toward the frozen disciples.

If any passerby saw them like that in Shui Clan uniforms, it would be a disgrace to the Sect!

Inside the restaurant, Lu Fengho's sword reached for Xue Shengren's throat, but she leaned back and floated away with qinggong.

He chased, keeping his blade close, and both disappeared inside the restaurant.

Outside, Shui Chenlin glared at the disciples. "Fools. What if he had killed you?! And after you begged to come along?!"

His eyes narrowed at Shui Junho.

"Junho, I expected more. If others were reckless, how could you follow?! Is this how you lead your missions?"

Shui Junho wished the earth would simply swallow him.

Fenghuang-Jun's temper was deadly.

They were cousins, but the look Chenlin gave him had nothing 'cousinly' in it.

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Inside, Xue Shengren quickly ran out of space and clashed her fan with Lu Fengho's sword. She leaped away.

Lu Fengho didn't pursue.

'That fan felt... strange!'

He was used to fighting fans. His own mother used fans as weapons. But this felt different.

"What is that fan?" he asked.

Xue Shengren raised a brow, nostrils flaring with amusement. "Oh? Elder brother, You're sharper than you look."

A black void surrounded the fan, which shifted into a black sword. Only the white tassel remained.

She lifted it. "My shubi is a top-tier treasure."

Lu Fengho frowned and readied his sword.

"Elder brother, I thought you wanted to avenge your precious disciples?" she mocked.

He lunged at her, but she released numerous small black orb surrounded by dark smoke, and they flew at him.

He blocked them with perfect shield placements, destroying each on impact.

He charged forward, and their swords clashed.

Aura waves rippled through the restaurant with every strike.

Xue Shengren was impressed.

Lu Fengho was likely in the early Purple realm, and his skills were clean.

But he was no match for her, and she didn't even bother attacking seriously.

She leapt over a low strike and landed lightly on his sword.

He felt no weight, but the move angered him and he swung upward to throw her off.

She predicted it and used his motion to leap up, kicking off the ceiling and slashing down.

He barely dodged and turned to face her again.

They were now on opposite sides of the room.

Xue Shengren changed her sword back into a fan, fanning herself.

"Elder brother, do you have my white ribbon?"

"Even if I did, would I give it to you?"

He prepared to strike, but then froze.

His eyes widened.

Blood suddenly splashed and he dropped to one knee, choking on blood.

'What... what happened?!'

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