Qi Yuan withdrew her soft sword from his body, and it drew out a large spray of blood.
Everyone nearby was stunned.
So much so that no one reacted in time to help. Liu Jinghong stared at Qi Yuan in disbelief. In the final moment of his life, all he could think was: How could this be possible?
His whole life had been smooth sailing. There was nothing he wanted that he couldn’t get.
He had originally been the son of a concubine, not even presentable enough to be acknowledged, and wasn’t brought back to the Liu family until he was seven or eight years old under the pretense of adoption.
But even with such a difficult start, hadn’t he and his mother and sister risen all the way to where they were now?
Though his sister was only a noble consort in name, everyone knew she was the true beloved of Emperor Yongchang.
Because of that, the Liu family’s status had risen with the tide, surpassing many noble and powerful families, wielding influence in all directions at court.
A man as capable as he was should have continued riding the waves of success. He should have killed Qi Yuan—the only clown standing in his way—and gone on to support Qi Wang, helping him to ascend the throne and climb even higher himself.
How could he die? How could he possibly die?
Qi Yuan didn’t care what he was thinking. She slowly curled her lips at him and said, “Shizi, I’m truly sorry—it seems I’m still the better one.”
Liu Jinghong probably thought that chasing her out of the capital was him hunting prey.
But he didn’t know—she had always seen him as the prey.
And now it was clear—she was the true hunter.
Liu Jinghong’s eyes widened as he stared at her, then collapsed with a crash.
At the same time, one of Liu Jinghong’s personal guards snapped out of his shock, eyes bloodshot, and charged at Qi Yuan like a madman.
Qi Yuan was already covered in wounds. She had just killed many wolves, slain an alpha, and now Liu Jinghong. Her wrist could barely lift anymore.
But as the man charged at her, she still raised a cold smile and met him head-on without a word.
Before he could even reach her, Qi Yuan fired the last hidden dart from her sleeve—it struck his leg squarely, causing him to cry out in pain and collapse, his face twisted in agony.
Qi Yuan didn’t pause. She spurred her horse forward, trampling over him. The horse’s hooves landed on his abdomen—he felt his internal organs crush together, vomited blood, and lay still on the ground.
Half an hour.
From the moment Liu Jinghong arrived, to Qi Yuan slaying the alpha wolf, killing Liu Jinghong, and then his trusted guard—it all took only half an hour.
Qi Yuan had killed two people!
The men Liu Jinghong had brought were shaken to their core.
And not just them. Huang Wenjun, too, felt uneasy.
This young lady was a female asura, a demoness.
She killed without blinking.
He had traveled far and wide for many years and had met female bodyguards before, but none as ruthless as Qi Yuan.
Her ruthlessness seemed to radiate from her very bones.
Looking at the remaining wolves, he no longer felt afraid.
Compared to Qi Yuan, even the wolves seemed gentle and obedient.
He didn’t dare hesitate any longer. Qi Yuan was clearly the victor now. If they didn’t act quickly and follow her plan, he feared they’d lose their own heads.
With that thought, he raised his hand, and the bodyguards began driving the now-disoriented wolves toward Liu Jinghong’s remaining men.
Those guards were already like startled birds. Seeing the wolves and men charging at them, of course they fought back with all they had.
What else could they do?
Stay and wait to die?
That woman was more terrifying than ghosts!
Driven into a frenzy, the wolves rushed the guards, who desperately resisted and killed at least a dozen of the beasts.
But the death of their leader and companions only enraged the wolves further. They went berserk, throwing themselves at Liu Jinghong’s guards.
With the aid of Huang Wenjun and his bodyguards, the guards quickly fell—some killed, others gravely wounded.
The valley was strewn with corpses of wolves and men, like a battlefield.
Huang Wenjun, face bloodied, watched as Qi Yuan stood up clutching her wrist and instinctively took a step back.
He didn’t know why, but Qi Yuan felt extremely dangerous to him.
She looked delicate, but when she killed, she really didn’t blink.
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow at him. “Alright, you can leave now.”
Huang Wenjun opened his mouth, concerned. “But… so many people have died…”
With this many dead, the authorities would surely get involved.
Many of the bodies were mauled by wolves, but just as many had clearly been cut down by blades.
An autopsy would reveal everything.
Didn’t this need to be cleaned up?
Qi Yuan looked at him with amusement. “What, Head Escort Huang—were you planning to be my witness at the yamen?”
Of course not!
People in their line of work often operated in gray areas.
Getting involved with the authorities was the last thing they wanted.
And Qi Yuan was clearly trouble. A difficult person like her would have equally troublesome enemies.
When immortals clash, it’s the little people who suffer—he had no desire to get dragged into it.
So the moment Qi Yuan said that, he immediately gathered his men to leave.
Qi Yuan called them back, and when Huang stopped, she pulled five more silver notes from her sleeve and handed them over. “These are for food and drink. As for what happened today—it’d be best if it stayed in your hearts. Act like it never happened.”
In other words: Don’t talk.
Huang Wenjun understood immediately.
He hadn’t expected her to give another five thousand taels. That surprised him.
This woman—when she speaks, her words are gold. She never lies.
He took the notes with a complicated expression and gave her a deep thanks.
Qi Yuan shook her head. “As for Lihua, let her come with me. You all may go.”
Who would have thought? A woman so ruthless she killed without blinking—yet she was this gentle and considerate to a girl sold off like a vegetable.
A monster.
That’s what Huang Wenjun thought to himself, though he said nothing and gave Qi Yuan a respectful nod before leaving with his men.
Qi Yuan turned and walked back toward Lihua. “Let’s go.”
Lihua pursed her lips and nodded, then ran toward her eagerly, grabbing her hand. When they stepped out of the tent and saw the mountainside covered with corpses of wolves and men, her eyes went wide with shock.
She had never seen anything like it. Had the young lady done all this?
Who exactly was she?
How did she have such strength and skill?
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