In the moment Ning Yi turned around, a sudden and shocking scene unfolded among the crowd just a dozen meters away, leaving all the passersby stunned and unable to react.
The street was already crowded with people, and although the wide thoroughfare wasn't completely packed, the cacophony of voices filled the air. Children were running about, occasionally setting off firecrackers, causing nearby vendors to laugh and scold. The distant yellow dragon danced along with the loud sounds of drums. In such a lively atmosphere, it was hard for any ordinary sound to stand out. However, the sudden noise that erupted was not just another commotion; it was a piercing scream of terror.
"Aah—"
The sound of a dying person's scream tore through the din. Just as Ning Yi turned his head, he caught sight of a cold metallic glint shooting through the colorful lanterns. It moved with lightning speed, resembling the whirling blades of a fan, creating two shadowy arcs in an instant. Blood sprayed high above the heads of the onlookers as a severed arm flew into the air.
Confusion reigned as the crowd struggled to comprehend the situation.
"Yah!"
Clanging sounds reverberated, spreading ripples of shock through the onlookers. A shadowy figure spun above the crowd, while another figure screamed and charged in from below, losing control. The collision sent them crashing into a nearby table and bench, splintering wood into the air, while a loud crash followed.
The blast from a coal stove erupted, sending pots and boiling water flying, flames bursting forth like a peacock unfurling its feathers, scattering terrified diners. The dark figure landed again, wielding a weapon that sliced through the air, breaking two nearby lanterns and sending flames spiraling into the night.
In just a fleeting moment, Ning Yi found himself among those who had seen the chaos but couldn't quite grasp its nature. He witnessed an arm and blood shoot up just a dozen meters away, and soon after, someone rushed toward the assailant. The attacker leaped, barely two meters high, their dark attire swirling as they performed like a gymnast. The charging figure was effortlessly tossed aside, sending debris scattering in all directions.
Finally, the crowd began to react, the sight of blood and the falling severed limb igniting panic. Xiao Chan, still clutching Ning Yi's waist, called out, "Master, what's happening…?" He quickly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to his side. A wary passerby tried to retreat but was pushed away by Ning Yi.
The shouts exploded in the night, weapons clashed densely just a dozen meters away. There were frantic cries of "Ah—" and an atmosphere charged with tension, like two armies clashing on the battlefield. The lanterns overhead, already thickly hung, seemed to form a spiderweb in the air, with occasional bursts of light as lanterns exploded or entire strings of them fell, hitting the ground with sickening thuds. A man was hurled aside, clutching a bloody stump and screaming in agony.
Fights and brawls occasionally broke out in Jiangning, often involving security from the escort agencies or gangs, but the scene before them was distinctly different. Moments earlier, a single woman had leaped into the air; now, she was besieged by a group of burly men dressed like rough fighters, exuding the aura of those living on the edge of violence and bloodshed. Yet despite their ferocity, they were unable to gain the upper hand against her.
Ning Yi watched the chaos unfold, the crowd's panic growing as they started to scatter more rapidly. Xiao Chan, her arms wrapped tightly around Ning Yi's waist, exclaimed, "Master! It's a fight!" She bounced on her feet, eager to pull him away, but Ning Yi held her firmly to his side, ready to protect her. He pushed aside anyone who might collide with them, trying to keep her safe amid the turmoil. With the masses moving in all directions, it was hard to see clearly through the shifting shadows, but gradually, the area began to clear.
The street had opened up into a large circle with a radius of over ten meters, but the chaos had not lessened; weapons clashed, screams echoed, and flames roared from fallen lanterns, illuminating the mayhem. Children cried from a distance, while people in the crowd shouted, searching for their companions. Some were knocked down, scrambling to get back on their feet. A horse tied to a tree nearby whinnied in fright, struggling against its bindings. A voice pierced through the turmoil: "The Wulie Army is capturing the culprit! Clear the area!"
One of the attackers found himself impaled by the long sword of the black-clad woman, flying back several steps before crashing to the ground.
Though he had managed to evade five or six pursuers so far, the scene was far from the elegant battles depicted in martial arts dramas on television. The woman wielded a sword just over half a meter long, shorter than a typical long sword but wider, likely designed for durability in hacking motions. She was tall but appeared somewhat slender, dressed in black with a veil covering her face. Her attacks were few, mostly limited to deft blocks and small evasive maneuvers.
Among her attackers was a towering man, nearly two meters tall, wielding a table and the post of a nearby shed as weapons. The woman was forced to retreat clumsily at times, but each strike she made proved effective. Though her sword struggled to penetrate flesh, the force behind her thrusts was tremendous. With her slender frame, she seemed to hurl herself at her enemies, using her weight and momentum to great effect—hence why the man she had just pierced had been flung back so violently.
In the brief moments of combat, her dark attire was splattered with blood—most of it from her attackers. Yet it was clear she had likely sustained injuries herself; otherwise, Ning Yi wouldn't have seen blood on his hands. However, that was hard to notice in the chaos. As the dust settled, he saw her dragging the hair of an injured attacker as she retreated. Amid the din, the man on the ground yelled and flailed, trying to grab her hand, but in the heat of battle, he failed to catch her.
Two of his companions charged in but were blocked. A large man swung a table to smash her, and although she was already retreating quickly, she used all her strength, kicking off the ground. The man she was dragging almost flew up as she landed, rolling out of harm's way just as the table whizzed over her head. When she got back on her feet, she had yanked the man down with her, sending dust flying as he fell, his scalp nearly torn from the pull, blood streaming down.
As she stood, she kicked the fallen man in the back.
Two more of his allies rushed in, but the man on the ground suddenly leaped up, reaching out to assist his partner. The black-clad woman's sword thrust through the air toward his chest.
"Aah—!" The man, who had pressed a hand on his companion's shoulder, shouted and quickly recoiled. The three of them were pushed back several meters like a sandwich, scattering a cluster of flames ignited by the lanterns. As the light dimmed, they all collapsed to the ground. The woman executed a flip, drawing her sword. The man who had been stabbed shoved his wounded ally aside, yelling, "Kill her!" Blood soaked his chest where the sword had pierced, and his lower leg was impaled by bamboo stakes, rendering him a picture of agony.
Suddenly, a dart shot from nearby, striking the black-clad woman's shoulder and drawing forth a spray of blood. At the same moment, a blue-clad man wielding a large knife closed in, his blade slicing through the air, forcing her to retreat even further.
Flames flickered wildly, smoke billowed, and the horse, now freed from its bindings, bolted into the fray. It charged toward the panicking crowd, still shouting in confusion. Just as it galloped halfway through the turmoil, a glint flashed through the air—one of the woman's swords transformed into a projectile, striking the horse in the head.
The horse, as if struck by lightning, let out a pained whinny and, propelled by inertia, continued to charge forward a few meters before crashing down with a thunderous thud, blood gushing from its head.
Meanwhile, the fighting showed no sign of abating. The woman, now weaponless, was dodging frantically. Suddenly, her dark skirt spun like a lotus flower as one of her attackers stumbled back, clutching his groin in agony. At the same time, another blue-clad fighter rushed in, dual blades ready, attempting to push her back. But in the next instant, she advanced.
The twin blades sliced through empty air, and the man with the single knife, realizing he had become the target, tried to evade. However, she seized his right wrist in a swift motion. There was a sickening crack as her kick shattered his knee, twisting his leg grotesquely. The pain hit him hard, and just as he grasped the severity of his injury, a pale hand loomed large in his vision.
The black-clad woman's sleeves were long, obscuring her hands during the fight, but now, they flicked out with blinding speed, revealing her fair arms. The sleeves whipped through the air, creating a sharp sound as she clenched her fist and aimed her knuckles at her opponent's eyes.
Bang—
The force rippled outward, striking directly into the man's vision. Meanwhile, the dual-wielding attacker swung his blades, attempting to intervene. In that instant, the woman moved like lightning, darting behind him.
Pata pata pata pata—
As the man with dual blades swung, the woman had already maneuvered behind the man with the single knife. Her palm, swinging through the air like a steel whip, struck him squarely on the Baihui point at the top of his head.
"Yah—!"
The dual-wielding man's eyes turned red with fury, his blades spinning like wheels. From a distance, Ning Yi couldn't see clearly, but in front of him, countless sparks erupted. Seconds later, a large knife pierced through the man's back, and he crumpled to the ground. The slender black-clad woman stood over him, holding the bloody knife, her eyes turned toward Ning Yi.
A towering man, two meters tall, seized a table and swung it at her. However, she no longer evaded; instead, she swept her arm through the air, redirecting his strength to strike the side. With her large knife in hand, she charged forward just as the man raised another table.
Boom—
The weighty knife, reminiscent of a ghost's blade, cut through the air. For her slender frame, wielding such a large knife seemed odd, yet she brought it down with devastating force, shattering the table. The impact exploded the bones in the man's chest, sending him flying, the debris soaring around them. The woman's long hair billowed as she surged like a wraith toward the dead horse.
At this moment, only two blue-clad men remained standing. The one with the injured calf had just managed to rise, hesitant to charge in, while the one wielding the dart hovered at a distance. As the woman rushed toward him, the dart whirred in the air, spinning madly. But she closed the gap, their chaotic figures colliding in a tumble, rolling on the ground.
As she turned, springing to her feet, blood swirled around her like a halo. The man with the dart found his throat slashed open, the rope of the dart falling into her grasp. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the long dart flying over ten meters, embedding it in the forehead of the last remaining survivor, whose leg had been injured.
The entire fight had lasted only three or four minutes, and the crowd had dispersed even further, the uproar dying down significantly. A few constables drew their swords, hesitating to approach. The woman paid them no mind. Bloodied and fierce, she moved to the corpse of the horse, where a pool of dark blood had formed. She pulled her sword from the body, wiped it clean with a cloth, and sheathed it behind her back.
Ning Yi and Xiao Chan had also retreated a considerable distance, watching this scene unfold nearby, their bodies trembling at the violent display.