How could Zhao Zishan, who had been spoiled and domineering since childhood, let go of someone who dared to resist her? When these words came out, everyone in the village was stunned. Hu Yang's lips moved, wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn't say a word.
The rest of the people were also silent. They didn't like Xiao Fan very much in the first place, so they didn't want to get into trouble for him.
"Miss, you've gone too far," Hong Dahai declared, his voice steady but defiant. "Though you may be of noble birth, we mountain folk have our pride. We cannot simply allow you to trample over us as you please." His fists clenched tightly as his inner energy began to surge.
"Pride? You villagers talk about pride to me? To be my footstool is a privilege you should be grateful for!" Zhao Zishan sneered, flicking her whip carelessly, as though the lives of these mountain people were nothing but weeds under her feet.
"You!" Hong Dahai's chest heaved. From the moment Xiao Fan arrived with Shangguan Lanruo, he had watched the boy grow up, treating him like family. How could he stand by and let Xiao Fan be humiliated by anyone, let alone a woman, which was a grave insult to a man's honor?
"Miss, I think you should just forget it. That boy is only fourteen or fifteen years old, still a child. You don't need to care about him. It's understandable that a boy from the mountains who doesn't know etiquette offends you."As a soldier who valued honor, he despised bullying the weak.
"Keep quiet," Zhao Zishan snapped, her tone icy. "Mention my father again, and I'll see to it you face the consequences when we return. Do you really think you can defy me?" She shot Xiao a withering look. Raised as the only daughter of the Grand Tutor, she'd always been spoiled, her ego fragile and her temper unbridled. Any defiance, no matter how small, met her wrath.
"You, mountain boy—did you hear me?" Zhao Zishan glared at Xiao Fan. Seeing him unmoving, she gestured for her soldiers to act. The soldiers stepped forward, cold eyes on Xiao Fan, ready to capture him.
Xiao Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at Zhao Zishan before stepping forward.
"Xiao Fan, don't go over there! You cannot accept this humiliation!" Hong Dahai strode out, blocking Xiao Fan's path. Xiao Fan looked at him and saw a wild, desperate determination in his eyes, which made Xiao Fan's heart skip a beat.
"Master Hong, thank you for all you've done for me," Xiao Fan said softly, conveying his intentions through his gaze. Understanding Xiao Fan's thoughts, Hong Dahai stepped aside, allowing him to move forward.
When Xiao Fan reached Zhao Zishan's mount, he lifted his head slightly to look at her. But, in an instant, Zhao Zishan attacked.
Snap!
The air cracked as her whip lashed out, tearing through Xiao Fan's coarse clothing and ripping into his flesh, sending blood spraying and making him stagger.
"Move faster! I don't have all day," Zhao Zishan commanded. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Fan moved to her side, knelt down, and lay on the ground.
Seeing his submission, Zhao Zishan sneered. "From now on, you'll serve as my family's servant, at my feet whenever I need." She smirked as she raised a foot to step onto his back.
But as her foot neared him, Xiao Fan suddenly twisted sideways and grabbed her ankle, pulling her off balance.
"How dare you!" Zhao Zishan's face paled with rage. She had never anticipated that this country boy would dare to strike back. She flicked her wrist to wrap the whip around his hand, but Xiao Fan tightened his grip on her ankle and yanked. She lost her footing entirely, her whip veering off-course.
Smack! The sound of a slap echoed through the air. Zhao Zishan's head snapped to the side, a bright red handprint blooming on her fair cheek. Xiao Fan's hand then shifted, his fingers closing around her throat, immobilizing her.
The entire scene unfolded in a blink; no one could react in time.
"Let go of the lady!" the two lieutenants shouted. If anything happened to Zhao Zishan, they'd all suffer the Grand Tutor's wrath, and their lives could be forfeit.
"You mountain scum—you dare lay a hand on me?" Zhao Zishan shrieked, her voice high and trembling with fury. Her body shook as she tasted blood, her flawless face marred by five distinct finger marks.
"Kill them all! I want every man in this village dead. They will pay the price for this humiliation!" Zhao Zishan spat. Her eyes flashed with venom, her expression as dark as a serpent ready to strike.
"You dare!"
Xiao Fan's grip tightened, and Zhao Zishan immediately choked, her face turning bright red as she struggled to breathe.
"Do you think you can kill me, peasant? If I die here, no one in this village will be safe, no matter where they flee!" Zhao Zishan locked eyes with Xiao Fan, her gaze cold and furious. She was right; Xiao Fan hesitated. Killing her would bring catastrophe upon the village—relentless pursuit until everyone met their end.
"What are you waiting for? Attack them!" she commanded.
"Yes, Miss!" The soldiers lunged forward, spears aimed at the villagers.
"Fight them!" Hong Dahai roared, ripping off his shirt to reveal his bronzed, muscular physique. He seized a stone block and charged at the soldiers.
Clang! The spear clattered as the stone struck, sending one soldier flying back and crashing into several others.
"Son, protect the others!" Hu Yang urged, then launched himself into battle alongside Hong Dahai.
Though Hong Dahai and Hu Yang were skilled fighters, they were heavily outnumbered, and soon their bodies bore bloodied wounds. Xiao Fan's heart raced. At this rate, both men would be in grave danger, and Zhao Zishan showed no fear—she was mad with rage. If nothing changed, a massacre would follow.
"You two, why haven't you killed those fighters yet?" Zhao Zishan's face reddened as she shouted at Xiao Fan.
"Just try it!" Xiao Fan growled, tightening his grip until Zhao Zishan could barely breathe, her words strangled.
Deputy Generals Xiao and Pang, already hesitant to attack the villagers, held back even further, intimidated by Xiao Fan's resolve.
"A venomous woman like you will never meet a good end," Xiao Fan said coldly. With a fierce look, he locked his grip on her neck and dashed toward the soldiers like a leaping panther.
Clang! A metallic ring resounded as Xiao Fan swept his hand over a spear, knocking it from a soldier's grasp. Bang! He kicked the soldier in the abdomen, sending him tumbling, blood spraying from his mouth.
The soldiers quickly recovered and surrounded Xiao Fan. Spears gleamed with a cold light, but Xiao Fan didn't dodge. Instead, he pulled Zhao Zishan in front of him, forcing the soldiers to withdraw their spears in alarm.
With their every move hindered by the need to protect Zhao Zishan, the soldiers could only hold back in their struggle. Moving like a tiger, Xiao Fan swiftly weaved through them, his fist techniques carrying the power and grace of a prowling predator. Each punch sent a soldier flying, the roar of a tiger faintly echoing with each strike.
Everyone watched in shock as Xiao Fan's incredible combat skills surpassed all expectations. Both villagers and the two deputy generals were astounded at the strength and agility of this young man, whose martial arts and skill had clearly surpassed the limits of his rank.
In just a quarter-hour, dozens of soldiers lay scattered across the ground, groaning in pain. Hong Dahai and Hu Yang, though injured and covered in blood, stood victorious.
Zhao Zishan watched in silent rage, unable to speak. The deputy generals remained quiet, stunned by the events they had just witnessed and the sheer talent they had seen.
"Xiao Fan, let her go. Allow the generals to take her and leave. We can't stay in this village anymore," Hong Dahai said, having applied herbal salve to his wounds to stem the bleeding.
Xiao Fan nodded. He couldn't kill this woman without endangering the villagers. With a swift strike, he damaged Zhao Zishan's dantian, and then tossed her toward the two generals.
Spurt! Zhao Zishan coughed up blood, her dantian throbbing in agony, making it impossible to gather energy.
"Peasant scum! You will pay for this!" she spat, her disheveled hair framing a gaze filled with venom. As an awakened wood-element warrior who had only recently reached the fighter's rank, she couldn't bear the humiliation of being beaten by a mere village boy.
"Deputy Xiao, send a signal and call for a squad. I want this place razed to the ground!" Zhao Zishan seethed.
"Miss, we cannot. We mustn't slaughter imperial citizens!" the two generals pleaded.
Zhao Zishan glared coldly at them. "When we return, neither of you will hold your ranks anymore."
With that, she took out a thumb-sized crystal, engraved with mysterious patterns and runes. Crafted by a runemaster, it could emit signal flares with a vibrant glow to request reinforcements.
"Stop!"
A cold, clear voice suddenly echoed. A man and a woman descended from the sky.
The man was strikingly handsome, his brow exuding arrogance, while the woman was breathtakingly beautiful, with porcelain skin and a delicate, ethereal grace like a celestial maiden untouched by the mortal world.
"Who are you?" Zhao Zishan asked in a deep voice with a very ugly expression on her face. The other party descended from the sky, which showed that his cultivation level was very high. This level of Qinggong was very rare.