The young maiden held a standard short dagger in her left hand, while her right gripped a mace. She pounced on the Blood Knight from behind; although her speed was not yet fast enough and her movements not quite clean, her timing was impeccable.
As she swung the mace at the Blood Knight, the knight had just parried a heavy blow from an opponent, causing his entire body to tremble momentarily, slowing him down.
In that fleeting moment, the maiden’s mace smashed through the Blood Knight’s back armor, piercing deep into his spine. It was an astonishing feat. With one strike, she breached the defenses of a high-ranking Blood Clan warrior, indicating that her strength belied her petite frame.
The Blood Knight let out a shrill scream and lost his ability to move, giving the opponent the chance to plunge a sword into his heart, ending his life. However, Qianye observed clearly through his scope that the final blow was inconsequential; the mace strike had already taken the Blood Knight down.
The maiden looked only about thirteen or fourteen years old, a head shorter than the warriors on the battlefield. She had rosy lips, large, dark eyes, a small chest barely beginning to bud, and wavy hair that gave her a doll-like appearance.
Yet, this adorable little girl fought with a bone-chilling style. She flitted across the battlefield, appearing like a specter in the most unexpected positions. Shortly after, another Blood Knight fell victim to her ambush, his ankle shattered by the mace, making it only a matter of time before he met his demise with a broken leg in such intense combat.
Qianye observed for a while and realized that the maiden possessed unparalleled combat intuition, seizing even the smallest opportunities, and her attacks were vicious and cruel, leaving her targets either dead or severely injured.
The more Qianye watched, the more a strange sense of familiarity washed over him. He felt as if he had seen this maiden somewhere before, and suddenly, fragments of nearly forgotten memories began to resurface.
On that fateful night that changed his life, before he met Lin Xitang, something else had happened. He vaguely remembered sharing food with a little girl, who then called a group of older children to try and take his life multiple times.
He never expected to see her again after so many years.
The maiden looked younger than her actual age, whether due to natural causes or poor nutrition during her growth. Children raised in waste grounds often suffered from malnutrition due to scarce and poor-quality food.
With mixed feelings, Qianye gently moved the Eagle Strike, and the reticle encircled the maiden’s nape.
On the battlefield, the maiden approached a fifth-level Blood Clansman, raising her mace. Suddenly, she seemed to sense something and turned sharply.
Their gazes collided through the scope once again after many years.
The maiden’s mouth opened wide, her face filled with shock and disbelief.
Qianye pulled the trigger steadily, but something puzzled him. The maiden’s reaction didn’t seem like a typical response to discovering an ambusher. Could she have recognized him by instinct?
Her pupils reflected a blood-red light as a force bullet rapidly approached! Her entire being froze, her eyes clouding with a blankness, a natural psychological defense as death loomed.
The red beam grazed her cheek, missing by a mere finger’s width. A few strands of her hair flew into the air, and a red mark appeared on her face, a bruise from the residual force without breaking the skin.
A warm, bloody spray hit the back of her neck and shoulders, causing her to shiver.
Turning around, the maiden saw her target, the Blood Clansman, now a decapitated corpse, slowly falling.
Qianye’s shot hit the Blood Clansman’s head with perfect accuracy. The custom-made Eagle Strike, enhanced by the “Heavy Fist,” could kill any warrior below level six. The fifth-level Blood Clansman’s head was crushed instantly.
The sound of the Eagle Strike startled both sides.
Before anyone could react, the Eagle Strike fired again, severing the leg of an eighth-level spider demon. At almost the same moment, the maiden appeared behind the spider demon, her mace smashing its other leg.
Qianye was surprised. They had chosen the same target and attacked similar areas. His combat intuition was partly innate and partly gained from the rigorous training in Huang Quan. But the maiden’s seemed entirely natural.
The battle lines were clear. The human side rejoiced at the strong support, while the dark forces quickly organized a team to eliminate the new sniper. The private army, however, sent several close-combat experts to intercept them.
The dark forces, already at a disadvantage, retreated toward the valley’s edge as the battle tipped further against them.
Finally, Qianye moved the reticle away from the maiden’s head. She immediately regained her agility. She seemed to understand Qianye’s unspoken message, waiting to deal with these dark races. Relieved of this burden, she became a deadly threat again, each attack leaving her targets dead or crippled.
The battle quickly turned one-sided. Seeing the tide turn, the dark races began to scatter. Unfortunately, they underestimated Qianye’s ability to fire the Eagle Strike twice as often as a normal person.
The open valley provided an ideal sniping ground. The Eagle Strike continued to thunder, felling escaping warriors. The maiden also took down two opponents with her thrown mace and dagger. Regrettably, the two ninth-level Blood Baron managed to escape.
After the battle, a middle-aged man named Bai Lun approached Qianye, bowing, “I am Bai Lun, with some connection to the Bai Clan. We are deeply grateful for your timely support.”
Qianye glanced at the soldiers behind Bai Lun, pondering, “These people seem to have more than a minor connection to the Bai Clan, don’t they?”
Bai Lun was slightly startled but then smiled, “You have a keen eye, Sir. I might as well be straightforward. We do indeed belong to the main Bai family. May I ask your name?”
Qianye smiled but did not respond.
Bai Lun called over a subordinate, whispering instructions. Soon, the soldier brought a small leather bag containing two black crystals.
Bai Lun walked forward, pressing the bag into Qianye’s hands, “A small token of our gratitude. These dark races’ belongings are what we need. Please accept it.”
Qianye raised an eyebrow. He knew the value of the two black crystals far exceeded his share of the spoils.
Seeing Bai Lun’s insistence, Qianye accepted, glancing at the maiden, “I am just passing through and have other matters to attend to. Farewell.”
Bai Lun relaxed visibly and bade him farewell cordially.
Once Qianye was out of sight, a Bai soldier asked, “Why such courtesy to a sixth-level warrior, Sir?”
Bai Lun’s expression turned stern, “His Eagle Strike is extraordinarily powerful, and he fired it more times than a normal person. It’s best not to cause trouble with such a person. He seems to be just passing through, thankfully.”
Bai Lun ordered the battlefield to be cleared, comparing and identifying bodies. Their goal seemed to be specific individuals.
The maiden said, “I will leave for a while.”
“Miss Kong Zhao…” Bai Lun began, but the maiden had already dashed off in Qianye’s direction.
None of the Bai soldiers dared comment on the maiden, having been shocked by her killing methods and fearing her.
The maiden ran swiftly through the mountains, her movement more animalistic than trained. She suddenly stopped.
Behind her, Qianye’s voice rang, “I knew you would come. I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
She turned slowly. Qianye stood under a tree, undetected.
Leaning casually against the tree, Qianye folded his arms.
The maiden’s gaze first fell on the Twin Flowers and Radiant Fangs at Qianye’s waist, then the Eagle Strike, and finally his hands and eyes. When their gazes met, a flicker of fear crossed her otherwise calm face.
Surprised, Qianye asked, “What are you afraid of?” His weapons were sheathed, and the Eagle Strike was useless at this distance.
“No!” she shook her head vehemently.
Her fear was too obvious, adding a seductive allure to her innocent yet beautiful face.
Qianye examined her openly, breaking the silence, “Why are you following me?”
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