Who possessed greater mental strength between her and Wei Yuzhi?
As the footsteps drew nearer, An Jiu tightened her grip on the dagger, prepared for a fight to the death.
When the group paused beneath the tree, Wei Yuzhi suddenly halted. "We have an uninvited guest."
An Jiu's heart skipped a beat.
Peering through the foliage, she spotted two figures. One was a man around forty years old, standing at an impressive eight feet tall with a burly frame. His fair complexion was complemented by a neatly trimmed beard, braided into a small plait beneath his chin—an eccentric appearance that somehow suited him, blending ruggedness with a touch of refinement. The other was Wei Yuzhi, his green robes fluttering gracefully.
At that moment, Wei Yuzhi turned to gaze at a distant rockery.
An Jiu frowned. If he hadn't detected her presence, then it must be Lou Mingyue he'd noticed!
Dozens of figures closed in from all directions—some moving to shield Wei Yuzhi and Fan Yunchao, while others headed toward the rockery to apprehend the intruder.
A doubt arose in An Jiu's mind: Did these men also take orders from Wei Yuzhi? Was Fan Yunchao not a Liao spy but instead affiliated with Misty Villa? Or had the entire Misty Villa pledged allegiance to Liao?
This must have been why the Crane Control Army had targeted Misty Villa earlier.
Trapped within the cramped confines of the rockery, Lou Mingyue knew staying put meant certain capture. Though escaping from over twenty fourth-level warriors seemed nearly impossible, she had no choice but to try.
The moment she heard Wei Yuzhi's voice, Lou Mingyue realized she'd been exposed.
Emerging slowly from the rockery, she unleashed her killing intent. The overwhelming mental strength of an eighth-level expert instantly suppressed the entire scene. Though every guard assumed an offensive stance, none dared strike first.
They could afford to wait—reinforcements were coming. But for Lou Mingyue, speed was crucial. The Eight Great Guardians might arrive at any moment.
With a flick of her wrist, the soft sword at her waist unfurled like a blizzard unleashed in midsummer, its blade a streak of cold lightning. Blood sprayed wherever its gleam passed, and within moments, several lay dead or wounded.
"Lou Mingyue," Wei Yuzhi called softly, amusement lacing his tone. "Capture her—alive or dead."
At his words, Fan Yunchao raised a hand, signaling execution. One of his men joined the fray while relaying the order to the others: "No mercy!"
An Jiu assessed the battle. Though Lou Mingyue's swordplay was fierce, holding her own against twenty-odd attackers, breaking free immediately was impossible.
Strangely, the Eight Great Guardians were absent. Could Lou Mingyue escape before they arrived? Should she intervene?
For a fleeting moment, An Jiu hesitated. Then, her mental strength locked onto the figures beneath the tree. In the same instant, she leaped down, charging straight for Wei Yuzhi.
Stunned by the overwhelming mental pressure, the men froze, their minds blank.
Wei Yuzhi managed a brief moment of clarity before drawing his sword—but An Jiu, her body honed to perfection, far surpassed him in combat.
His blade was only halfway unsheathed when cold steel pressed against his throat.
"Call them off," An Jiu's icy voice whispered behind him.
Fan Yunchao was the first to react. A flicker of shock crossed his face before he barked, "Stand down!"
"Retreat five zhang!" An Jiu commanded.
Fan Yunchao nodded, and the guards slowly withdrew.
Lou Mingyue darted to An Jiu's side. With a sharp elbow strike, An Jiu knocked Wei Yuzhi unconscious and tossed him to her companion. The two swiftly retreated from the Fan residence.Upon exiting, Lou Mingyue immediately let out a sharp whistle—the signal for retreat.
Within moments, five figures were sprinting down Panlou Street.
Sui Yunzhu asked, "What happened?"
"We were discovered," Lou Mingyue replied.
A heavy frustration settled in their hearts. Was the enemy too strong, or were they too weak? They had barely begun their reconnaissance when they were exposed. He couldn’t help but suspect that An Jiu’s entry had given them away—after all, Lou Mingyue had scouted the place alone earlier without any issues.
Lou Mingyue glanced back and, seeing that An Jiu hadn’t followed, tossed Wei Yuzhi to Sui Yunzhu. "This man is the second master of Misty Villa. Handle him."
"Lou Er!" Sui Yunzhu slowed his steps.
The others realized she was going back for Mei Shisi. Li Qingzhi snapped, "She caused this mess—leave her!"
Others might not know, but Sui Yunzhu was well aware that Wei Yuzhi possessed the Mental Strength of a Transformation Realm Master—not someone easily captured, at least not by Lou Mingyue. Unless…
Sui Yunzhu turned to look, but the street was empty—Lou Mingyue had already vanished.
"Let’s go back first. The mission may have gone awry, but capturing him is a major achievement!" Sui Yunzhu knew that those with high Mental Strength were harder to incapacitate, so he tightly bound Wei Yuzhi with ropes before feeling at ease.
The group wasted no time, racing back to Crane Control Institute with all their might.
Meanwhile, a ninth-rank master blocked An Jiu’s path.
An Jiu wasn’t fast. She had concealed her presence, trying to slip into Panlou through a shortcut, only to be cornered in a back alley!
In the pitch-black narrow alley, the two stood barely twenty feet apart. The hunched old man at the alley’s entrance leaned on a dark-green cane, yet his sharp eyes gleamed with lethal intent—as if he could kill his opponent in an instant.
"This old man dislikes fighting children. Surrender quietly, and we’ll both be spared trouble," the elder said.
"How did you find me?" An Jiu didn’t believe a true Transformation Realm Master would serve others.
"You’ve got some tricks, girl, but this is how I track people." He pointed a gnarled finger at his nose. "Even if you never wear perfumes, I can still sniff you out."
No wonder—despite eight masters being present, only he had pursued her.
An Jiu stepped forward slowly, gripping the swords hidden at her thighs. Her Mental Strength locked onto the old man, and in an instant, she drew her twin blades and struck.
Unlike those with Inner Force, she lacked lightness in her steps—each movement carried raw, explosive power, like a hurricane laced with cold steel, delivering a thunderous blow.
By the time the elder regained a shred of clarity from her Mental Strength assault, the twin blades were already at his throat. Instinctively, he raised his cane to block.
The clash of Weapons sent sparks flying.
From nearby, the lively music and laughter of Panlou drifted over, its warm lights painting a peaceful scene—while in the dark alley, killing intent surged so fiercely that even the wind seemed to grow wilder, howling as it swept through the narrow passage.
Without Inner Force, An Jiu was at a disadvantage in a contest of brute strength. She kicked out, but the old man sidestepped.
Her strike missed, and she spun with the momentum, slashing again with her twin blades.
Her attacks carried a murderous intent like towering waves, pressing even a ninth-rank master to the brink of suffocation!The old man was inwardly horrified. This young girl was practically on par with the legendary martial arts fanatic "Madman." However, the difference was that Madman would go to great lengths to force his opponents to use their ultimate killing moves, whereas the girl before him had only "kill" in her eyes, leaving no room for anything else. (To be continued...)
PS: Sleeves has been busy packing and moving these past two days. Just got back to my hometown today, and it's freezing cold here—my fingers are practically numb!
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