12: Chapter 12 Bounty Hunter

Liu Feiyan's pupils contracted, and she hurriedly retracted her whip to defend.

"Second move."

You turned your blade, lifting it from bottom to top at an impossible angle, the tip of the sword grazing the middle of the whip. Internal Energy surged through the blade. Liu Feiyan felt a numbness in the webbing between her thumb and index finger, and her long whip nearly flew from her hand. Gritting her teeth, she gripped the handle tightly and retreated three steps.

Her expression changed.

Both were at the Post-Heaven Peak, so how was this bitch's Internal Energy so much more profound than hers?

"Third move."

You didn't give her a chance to catch her breath. Pushing off with your feet, you rushed forward, staying low to the ground. Your iron sword slashed horizontally, a golden sword light pinning her whip down and locking it in place. Immediately, you reached out with your left hand, your two fingers clamping onto her wrist's pulse point.

Internal Energy surged.

Liu Feiyan let out a muffled groan, her long whip slipping from her hand. She stumbled back five or six steps before landing hard on the ground.

The training ground was deathly silent.

"Three moves."

You sheathed your sword and looked down at Liu Feiyan, who sat on the ground with a look of utter disbelief.

"Take back everything you said, one by one, right in front of everyone."

Liu Feiyan's face flushed red, and her lips trembled for a long time, but she couldn't utter a single word. Finally, she covered her face, stood up, and stumbled away.

The next day, Liu Feiyan packed her things and left Qingluan Martial Arts Hall.

She didn't apologize in public before leaving. But you couldn't be bothered to pursue it; once she was gone, the rumors would naturally dissipate. Facts were more useful than any amount of lip service.

The aftermath of this battle far exceeded your expectations.

The news of "Defeating Liu Feiyan in Three Moves" spread across Qinghe County as if it had grown wings. The number of people enrolling in Qingluan Martial Arts Hall surged; many were young girls drawn by your reputation, while others were men with ulterior motives, finding all sorts of excuses to pay the enrollment fee.

The martial arts hall's income more than tripled.

Su Wanqing invited you for tea.

"You are much stronger than I anticipated." She set down her teacup, her gaze appraising you. "In all of Qinghe County, there isn't a second person who has cultivated to this level at the Post-Heaven Peak."

You didn't speak.

"Regarding the Cultivation Technique." Su Wanqing paused. "It was originally agreed to be a year, but the revenue you've brought to the martial arts hall has far exceeded my expectations. How about this: six months. Work for six months, and I will give you the Cultivation Technique."

"Thank you, Hall Master."

Time continued to flow.

Simulation Day 309.

That afternoon, you took a few young students to the street to purchase medicinal herbs for training. The girls gathered around you, chattering away as they pointed at the jewelry stalls by the roadside.

"Instructor Qin, look at that hairpin! It's so pretty!"

"Instructor, Instructor, would this tassel look good with your sword pendant?"

However, you didn't notice that near a noodle stall at the distant street corner, two men were looking in your direction.

One of them had a sleazy appearance, with a flat nose and small eyes, and he twitched his nose slightly.

Then his expression changed.

Outside the simulation.

Lin Shuangwan saw this scene, and her heart skipped a beat.

She stared at the sleazy man with the twitching nose in the mirror, a bad premonition welling up in her heart.

The scene continued.

The sleazy man lowered his voice, his face full of surprise: "Found her."

His companion was a lean man with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes. Upon hearing this, he grabbed the other's sleeve, his tone unkind: "Are you sure? Last time in Pingyang Prefecture, you also said you found her, but what happened? We dragged back a widow who sold tofu."

"It can't be wrong, it can't be wrong." The sleazy man sniffed hard, his eyes fixed on your direction. "It's this scent, exactly the same as the smell on the item the Black Tiger Gang gave us. That fragrance isn't the smell of powder; it's a natural body scent that seeps from the bones. My nose has never been wrong."

The lean man followed his gaze and his pupils contracted slightly.

"Are you sure it's her? But that woman is wearing... a martial arts hall instructor uniform."

"It seems so." The sleazy man scratched his head. "She doesn't look like an ordinary person without cultivation."

The two exchanged a glance. The lean man picked up a bowl of noodles from the stall and walked closer, appearing nonchalant. His True Qi was restrained as he secretly probed the fluctuations of your aura, then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Post-Heaven cultivation." The lean man sat back down, slurping a mouthful of noodles, his tone much more relaxed.

The sleazy man rubbed his hands. "Iron Eagle, should we call a few more people?"

The lean man paused with his chopsticks and tapped the other on the forehead with the end of them. "Are you stupid? She is just Post-Heaven, and we are both Innate; do we need to call anyone? If we call others, will you cry when it's time to split the money? Ten thousand taels of gold, split between two people, five thousand taels each—enough for you to live lavishly for ten lifetimes."

The sleazy man nodded repeatedly, grinning.

You stood in front of the jewelry stall, not looking back.

But because the two had closed the distance to observe you, your hearing, bolstered by your Martial Arts Prodigy trait, had captured every word of their conversation.

Your heart contracted violently.

Black Tiger Gang.

Wei Feisen! Why is he like a ghost that just won't go away!

You took a deep breath and, keeping your expression normal, patted the shoulder of the student beside you.

"You all go back to the martial arts hall first; I need to go to the apothecary."

"Instructor, we'll go with you—"

"Behave, go back first."

Although the students were confused, the authority you had built up was enough to make them obey. The girls skipped away into the distance.

You watched them until they were out of sight, your hand quietly resting on the hilt of your sword at your waist.

Footsteps followed behind you.

No longer concealing themselves.

The two men blocked your path, the lean man on the left and the sleazy man on the right, sealing off your retreat completely.

The lean man crossed his arms and looked you up and down, whistling. "I have to say, you look much better than in the portrait. Ten thousand taels of gold—little beauty, you are truly worth a fortune."

The sleazy man chuckled beside him, his gaze sweeping over you repeatedly, as if he were appraising a piece of merchandise.

"Young lady, don't struggle." The lean man tilted his neck, his joints cracking. "Come with us obediently, and you'll suffer less. Otherwise, if your pretty face gets hurt, it won't look good when we hand you over, and you'll regret it too, won't you?"

"Right, right, right." The sleazy man agreed repeatedly. "I'm Toad Qian, and he is Iron Eagle Zhou Laoqi. In this area, we are well-known figures. If you listen to us, we won't make things difficult for you on the road."

You hadn't learned any movement techniques, so you knew you couldn't outrun two Innate cultivators; therefore, you chose to draw your sword!

The sword light traced a cold arc in the air.

"Too much nonsense."