The swiftly retreating figure left behind a voice as soft and captivating as a whispered promise, accompanied by a laugh that lingered in the air. The widow, Jia, never spared a glance at Li Xiaobai, her indifference a stark contrast to the tender demeanor she once held as the charming tofu vendor. One could not help but marvel at how flawlessly this "Broken General" played the role of a delicate beauty, without the slightest hint of flaw.
How could the contemporary "Broken General" of the Royal Secretive Affairs Bureau, a figure of immense power, possibly regard a mere town ruffian? Even though the man had just unleashed a sword qi so powerful it seemed beyond belief, such unnatural strength inevitably came with a grave cost. Li Xiaobai, with his white hair and aged visage, had already proven this. Even if the young heir of the Li family were to die on the spot, it would hardly be a cause for surprise. A man at the brink of death is simply not worth attention.
"Damned woman!"
Bai Laoda ground his teeth in fury, stamping his foot so forcefully that several tiles shattered beneath him. He knew he was being played, yet could do nothing but pursue.
"Father!"
Bai Ying'er, a young maiden on the cusp of love, was torn. She worried for her father, ensnared by the fox spirit, yet also feared for the safety of Li Xiaobai, surrounded by the bandits. Unsure of what to do, she remained rooted, her heart in turmoil.
"Ying'er, go after Xiang Jun! I'll be fine here!"
Li Xiaobai, worried for the skilled warrior and young fisherwoman, made a choice for her, even though the truth of the situation was far from clear.
"Brother, wait for me! I'll be back soon!"
Though reluctant, Bai Ying'er leapt into action, chasing after her father and the mysterious fox spirit.
Watching her retreating form, Li Xiaobai couldn't help but smile bitterly, cursing himself for being so powerless. Once again, the forces of sorcery, martial prowess, bandits, and the Royal Secretive Affairs Bureau were too much. As a mere shrimp at the bottom of the food chain, he finally understood why his older brother, Li Mo, had sought the path of immortality, striving to enter the world of sorcery.
Without power, one is nothing more than prey to be slaughtered.
Sorcerers and other powerful beings, perched high above the common folk, saw them as mere ants, subject to their whim, free to kill and destroy without restraint.
If one does not wish to become a helpless victim, they must grow strong, no longer at the mercy of others.
A cacophony of chaos erupted around him, as two cunning bandits, emboldened by their numbers, broke through the Li family's defenses. One rushed toward a bodyguard supporting Li Xiaobai, while the other raised a blade to strike him.
In the blink of an eye—
"Young master, be careful!"
A warning rang out, and in the next instant, a loud thud was heard. The bandit who had swung his sword at Li Xiaobai froze in place, before collapsing to the ground with a dazed expression.
Li Xiaobai snapped out of his stupor, only to find his second brother, Li Qing, holding a large rectangular stone slab before him, his face ashen.
Looking down, he saw a bandit lying unconscious at his feet and quickly understood what had transpired.
"Second brother!"
For a bookish man like Li Qing, swinging a stone slab at an opponent was no simple feat.
"X-Xiaobai! D-Didn't I tell you, I'll protect you!"
Li Qing forced a shaky smile, his heart racing despite the small victory of knocking down a bandit.
With both hands clutching the stone, he swung it toward the other bandit.
"Ah!"
A cry of pain echoed as the unfortunate bandit took a blow to the head, his skull cracked open, spilling a gruesome mix of blood and brain matter.
Such ruthless force!
Li Xiaobai stood frozen, horrified, realizing that his second brother, who had always seemed harmless, was anything but.
Another bandit charged in.
"Confucius said, 'Isn't it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?'"
With no hesitation, Li Qing hurled the stone again.
Thud! The bandit was instantly knocked out.
"Is it really like this?" Li Xiaobai thought, wincing at the sight. No matter how skilled a martial artist, one good hit with a stone was enough to bring them down.
This was brutality at its finest, yet here was Li Qing, reciting Confucian maxims while dispatching enemies as if he were simply swatting flies.
Suddenly, a strange wind rose, kicking up sand and dust, blinding everyone.
"There's a demon! Ah—!"
In the midst of the chaos, a bandit's agonized scream shattered the air. More followed in rapid succession, and soon, three sorcerers lay dead, unable to withstand the rampaging demon's onslaught.
"Monster! There's a monster!"
The remaining bandits, once so fearless, scattered in terror, abandoning their looting and pursuit of the Li family. They had no choice but to flee, for even the most savage of bandits would rather face death at the hands of their own than be devoured by a demon.
"Xiaobai! Quick, run! Xiaobai, where are you?"
Li Qing suddenly realized that his younger brother was missing, and the bodyguard who had been supporting him was now lying motionless on the ground.
"Xiaobai! Xiaobai!"
Desperate, Li Qing searched frantically, but the only things he could see were the swirling dust and fleeing bandits.
"Xiaobai is gone!"
Li Qing's heart sank as he realized that his family was being torn apart—his father dead, his elder brother gone, and now his younger brother missing. He was left alone, lost and desperate.
"There's a demon here! Young master, hurry! Please, hurry!"
The surviving bodyguards wasted no time, lifting Li Qing and the injured bodyguard, pushing through the storm of sand and chaos toward the shallow ravine where the sword qi had once cleaved the earth, and began their flight from Xiyan Town.
"Xiaobai! Xiaobai…"
Li Qing's voice was drowned out by the winds.
At the front hall of the Li family estate, a shadow descended from the heavens, crashing through the roof and causing the entire building to collapse.
Li Dahu lay dying among the rubble, his lower body numb, blood pouring from his mouth, his internal organs likely shattered. He knew he would not survive this, yet he laughed bitterly.
"They say I, Li, am a troublemaker, but who would have thought that my son would inherit that talent? At least I won't be forgotten."
A soft step echoed through the wreckage, and Li Dahu forced his gaze upward. He froze, his vision blurring, before he murmured in disbelief, "They say people see hallucinations before they die… am I truly dying? My love… to see you again, even in this fleeting moment, is a blessing."
The woman before him, dressed in resplendent robes, moved with grace and elegance. Her skin was like snow, and her golden hair framed a face with eyes as clear and blue as the sky—she was an exotic beauty from the far west.
"My love... I've missed you, truly missed you!"
Tears streamed down Li Dahu's face as he gazed at her, even if this was nothing more than a hallucination. To see his wife one last time was enough to ease his soul.
"Why is it every time I see you, you're in such a state?"
She reached out with a delicate hand, offering him a red pill that exuded a mysterious fragrance.
Like a child, Li Dahu obediently opened his mouth and swallowed the pill, resigned to the illusion, for the pain no longer mattered.
"Because I'm a troublemaker. If not, how would I have earned the title 'Mad Tiger' in the martial world? Good men don't live long; only those who cause chaos last."
As he spoke of the legendary "Mad Tiger," there was a hint of pride in his voice.
He never noticed the pill working its magic, spreading warmth through his shattered body, alleviating his pain and lulling him into a peaceful stupor.
"My love… I just want to say one last thing."
His voice grew faint as the warmth overcame him.
"Don't speak, rest now. You'll be fine soon."
The woman's voice was gentle, her hand caressing his face as crystalline tears fell, glistening on her pale skin before disappearing into the dust.
"I must say it… I must…"
"I'm listening."
"Will you allow me to take a concubine?"
"…"
What is a troublemaker, one might ask? It is someone who rushes down the path of self-destruction with reckless abandon—speeding through red lights, colliding with the very enforcers meant to stop them.