“Who do you think you are? Look at you, a pretty boy like you with such a beautiful woman—it really makes our teeth itch with envy…”
The two men, seeing Leng Mingye’s icy expression and the murderous aura around him, were momentarily stunned by the aura he exuded. But noticing that he only stood guard over the girl without making a move, they grew bolder. Laughing and joking with each other, one of them reached out to touch Wan Qing’s delicate hand beside him.
“You…” Leng Mingye rarely encountered anyone who dared to provoke him like this. Seeing the girl’s delicate brows furrow, her expression clearly filled with displeasure and coldness, he knew her temperament well. Without hesitation, he swung his fist toward the man’s face.
“Ouch! You bastard, how dare you hit me? Let’s go! I refuse to believe you’re that capable…”
Leng Mingye’s punch sent the man staggering back, leaving one of his eyes blackened. Seeing his strike land, Leng Mingye grabbed the girl’s hand and pulled her forward. The man, groaning in pain, clutched his injured eye and angrily signaled to his companion. The two of them lunged from behind, attacking Leng Mingye and Wan Qing.
“…” Wan Qing, seeing their reckless audacity, turned her head slightly. With a flick of her wrist, two hidden weapons flew out before the men could reach them.
“Damn it, you bitch! Today, I refuse to believe this is how it ends. Hah… Let’s see how many hidden weapons you have and how capable you really are. Capture them both—keep the woman for me, and kill the man outright!”
The bold man who stepped forward failed to dodge in time. Though he twisted away, one of the hidden weapons struck his shoulder. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he glared coldly at the two before him. Panting, he put his fingers to his lips and whistled. Instantly, over a dozen men emerged from the woods beyond the bushes, surrounding the pair.
Clutching his shoulder, the man smirked triumphantly as he saw the tension and wariness in their expressions. “Get them!” he ordered the others.
“You… Qing’er, run!”
Normally, Leng Mingye wouldn’t have batted an eye at such reckless fools. But now, after his earlier strike—which should have been devastating—only managed to bruise one of the man’s eyes, he realized something was off.
Though aware that his current state was far from his former self, the moment he saw Wan Qing in danger, he didn’t hesitate. With masculine resolve, he urged her to flee, pushing her behind him as he stepped forward to shield her.
“I—Mingye, you…” Seeing him charge toward the men, Wan Qing hesitated. Though he no longer had internal energy, his martial techniques remained. Relying on agile footwork, he weaved effortlessly among the attackers.
But despite his speed, his strikes lacked the power to truly harm them. Wan Qing, unable to use her hidden weapons or poison effectively, could only watch anxiously from the sidelines.
“Go! Get out of here!” Though his nimble movements kept him safe for a while, Leng Mingye soon felt his strength waning. Seeing Wan Qing’s worried expression, he shouted at her without hesitation.
“I…” Under normal circumstances, Wan Qing would have obeyed—his skills would have made short work of these men. But now, knowing he had lost his internal energy, she hesitated. Though he moved deftly among them, his expression soon grew tense and strained.
Torn between action and restraint—afraid of accidentally harming him—she froze in indecision.
And in that moment of hesitation, Leng Mingye took a heavy blow to the shoulder.
“Mingye!”
Seeing him stagger toward another attacker, whose broadsword was already swinging toward his chest, Wan Qing gasped in horror. With a flick of her wrist, silver needles shot toward the men in front of him, and she dashed forward.
Though she managed to repel two of them in time, another attacker’s blade was already arcing toward her face.
“Qing’er, dodge! I—” Seeing the gleaming blade aimed at Wan Qing’s shoulder, Leng Mingye shoved her aside without thinking. But as she twisted away, the blade struck his own shoulder instead.
“You dare hurt him? You’re asking for death!” Wan Qing had easily sidestepped the attack, but when she turned back, she saw the blade embedded in Leng Mingye’s shoulder. His robes, once pristine white, were now stained crimson.
Furious at the sight of his injury, she snarled and darted to his side. As she did, she flung a handful of powder into the air.
“Ugh…” As the men choked on the powder, their movements slowed. Wan Qing spun gracefully to Leng Mingye’s side, pressing a pill to his lips. He swallowed it without hesitation, and she turned her cold gaze to the men now collapsing around them.
“Are you alright? Mingye, let me stop the bleeding first.”
With the threat neutralized, she focused on Leng Mingye, who swayed unsteadily. Ignoring his pale but reassuring smile, she swiftly inserted silver needles near his wound to stem the bleeding.
“I’m fine—just a flesh wound. It won’t kill me. But you… I made you worry again.”
Despite the pain that flared with every breath, Leng Mingye managed a weak smile, touched by her concern. He watched as she dressed his wound, applied medicine, and fed him another healing pill.
After swallowing the pill, the pain in his shoulder dulled. Seeing the worry and tenderness in her eyes as she tended to him, he smiled warmly.
“Silly girl, you don’t have to do this. With no internal energy, I’m just a burden now. But thank you.”
“Fool. Taking care of you is my duty now. Don’t say another word—just rest. I’ll take you back soon.” Her voice softened, but then her gaze turned icy as she glared at the fallen leader. “Now, you. Who sent you after us?”
The man, though in pain, sneered defiantly. “Now that we’re at your mercy, there’s nothing left to say. But girl, with skills like yours, why waste your time guarding a pretty boy with no real power? Don’t you feel… unfulfilled?”
“You—what’s between us is none of your concern! One more word, and I’ll make sure you beg for death. Now, talk! Who sent you?”
His words stirred memories of her uncle’s cryptic warnings before he left. Though puzzled by her uncle’s motives, she had a vague idea of who might be behind this.
Still, the man’s injury to Leng Mingye enraged her. Pressing her foot harder on his wrist, she demanded answers with icy fury.
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