Chapter 242: The Battle Of A Genius And Cross-Realm Expert (II)

In the dense forest, three men in black were attacking a woman in green robes. She was beautiful, with fair, delicate skin and an elegant face that carried a hint of coldness. Her temperament was strikingly similar to Liang Yuhan's, though only in resemblance. Unlike Liang Yuhan, she exuded an aura of aloof and untouchable pride.

Her strength was formidable, yet under the joint assault of the three black-clad men, she was gradually being forced into a disadvantage.

"Stop struggling needlessly. Hand over what you have, and we'll leave you with a pretty corpse," one of the black-clad men said coldly.

Clang!

The woman swung her longsword, clashing against the black-clad man's wide-backed saber that was as broad as a door plank, producing a crisp metallic ring. She did not respond, and her face remained expressionless.

"Big brother, why waste words with her? Let's take her down before anything changes. Once we've got her, don't kill her yet. The Li Family's genius girl,

eh?

A famous beauty of Wuling City,

tsk, tsk

. I've never tasted someone like her before," another black-clad man sneered, his tone dripping with lewdness.

Even as he spoke, his movements did not falter; instead, his strikes grew fiercer. Though those words revealed his true desire, he had spoken them mainly to provoke the woman in green.

Despite being at a disadvantage, she stubbornly held her ground against the three men in black, showing no sign of defeat. The black-clad men began to worry that prolonging the fight might bring unforeseen trouble. Yet despite their taunts, the woman remained unmoved, her face still cold as she wielded her sword to block and counterattack.

Clang, clang, clang.

The sharp clashing of metal echoed continuously, the battle fierce and unrelenting. Lin Zheyu quietly activated the Tortoise Breath Grand Method, concealing himself atop a nearby tree while watching the fight with keen interest.

What a refined sword technique, and such a beautiful woman!

Even amid the tension of life and death, the woman's swordsmanship remained graceful and fluid. That elegance, when executed by such a lovely woman, made for an exquisite sight.

It would be a pity if such a beautiful woman died here... Should I save her?

He weighed their strength and felt confident. Both the woman in green and the three black-clad men were formidable. They were outstanding even among Marrow Refining Realm experts. Before his seventh transformation, Lin Zheyu would not have been their match without using the Boiling Blood Secret Art. But after his advancement, both his blood qi and physique had undergone a transformation, granting him tremendous power.

Now, even without the Boiling Blood Secret Art, he could rely on his sixfold blood qi eruption and the threefold Barbaric Ox Fist to stand on equal footing with them.

That woman's surname is Li, so could she be from the Li Family of Wuling City, the same family that hosted that auction back then? If I save her, maybe I can befriend her and use the connection to enter the circle of esteemed families.

Even if that failed, he could still expect a reward. If she truly belonged to the Li Family, she might not repay him with her hand in gratitude, but surely 10,000 taels of silver as thanks would not be too much to ask.

***

Whoosh.

The woman in green lost her footing for a moment, and one of the black-clad men’s blades slashed across her back, leaving a long, deep cut. Blood soaked her robe, staining it a vivid crimson.

"

Hehe

. Such pale, smooth skin. It must feel wonderful to touch. Once we catch her, the three of us will have our fun first, then take her back for the others to enjoy. We should let everyone taste the sixth-ranked beauty of Wuling City, Li Mengqi."

The black-clad man's laughter turned shrill and obscene, his words vile and taunting.

"

Hmph!

Before I die, at least one of you will accompany me to the grave!"

Li Mengqi's voice was icy, and her sword grew even sharper.

Her body was already covered in more than a dozen cuts, blood soaking through her clothes, yet she showed no sign of pain. Her expression remained as cold as frost, her eyes blazing with killing intent. Even if she were to die here, she was determined to drag one or two of them down with her.

"

Haha

, die? How could we possibly let you die so soon?" One of the black-clad men laughed wildly, swinging his saber down toward Li Mengqi's head.

Clang.

A crisp sound rang out as Li Mengqi swiftly raised her sword to block, but the sheer force of the blow pushed her back two steps. The other two black-clad men advanced in perfect coordination, their sabers cutting toward her from different angles.

Not good!

Li Mengqi's heart sank.

Against the trio's seamless coordination, she found nowhere to evade and could only brace herself to take the blows head-on. After such a prolonged battle, her blood qi and stamina were almost completely spent, so she could no longer withstand their assault.

Gritting her teeth, Li Mengqi forcefully stirred the remaining blood qi within her body, determined to take at least one of them down with her before dying.

"

Heh

. Come on then! Catch me if you can," one of the black-clad men jeered, retreating two steps as he goaded her with a mocking grin.

They knew exactly what Li Mengqi intended and refused to give her the chance to trade blows. She was clearly at her limit, so all they needed to do was stall until her strength gave out. There was no need to fight her head-on.

"Second brother, move!" one of the black-clad men suddenly shouted toward his retreating companion.

But it was already too late. The second brother sensed danger the instant he heard the warning. His step faltered, his blood qi surged, and he swung his saber backward, yet the gust of force behind him was faster than his blade. A crushing wind swept toward him, carrying immense pressure. The next instant, a searing pain tore through his back, and it was followed by a thunderous crack as a massive fist burst clean through his chest.

"

Urgh...

"

The second brother's eyes widened, filled with terror and unwillingness.

Bang!

Having struck true, Lin Zheyu flung the black-clad man aside. The still-living man crashed heavily to the ground with a dull, resounding thud.

Lin Zheyu silently looked at the remaining two black-clad men and saw the heaviness and hesitation in their eyes. Li Mengqi glanced at him, a flicker of surprise flashing across her gaze. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, coming to stand beside Lin Zheyu, her longsword raised as she faced the two enemies.

"Damn it!"

The two black-clad men glared viciously at Lin Zheyu, then turned and fled without even retrieving their fallen companion's body. They had already struggled to defeat Li Mengqi alone; now that another powerful martial artist had appeared, there was no chance left for victory. If they kept fighting, they would likely all die here.

"

Hah...

"

Seeing the black-clad men retreat, Li Mengqi let out a quiet breath of relief, the aura around her quickly fading. She had only been holding on by sheer will; had the battle continued any longer, she would not have endured.

Lin Zheyu, seeing that she was safe, did not give chase. Instead, he walked over to the fallen black-clad man and searched the body for a while, but found nothing of value.

Lin Zheyu was speechless. The man didn't even have a single copper coin on him.

"Are you all right? Why were they chasing you?" Lin Zheyu asked as he walked over, seeing that she had roughly treated her wounds. He had overheard snippets while hiding earlier. Those three seemed to be after something in Li Mengqi's possession.

"I am Li Mengqi. Thank you, young master, for coming to my aid."

Li Mengqi did not answer his question but instead stood and cupped her hands in formal gratitude.

"No need for thanks. I merely lent a hand when I saw injustice," Lin Zheyu replied with a polite smile.

"I carry no valuable items with me and have nothing suitable to repay your kindness. If you would be willing to accompany me back to the Li Family, I shall offer you a generous reward," Li Mengqi said sincerely.

Her tone and demeanor were calm and courteous. It was so different from the cold, killing intent she had shown in battle. Without the tension of combat, a touch of gentleness returned to her, and with her blood-stained azure robe, there was an unusual beauty about her that made Lin Zheyu glance twice without realizing.

"There's no need for a reward, but since your injuries are serious, allow me to escort you back to the city. One might as well see a good deed through to the end," Lin Zheyu said.

"May I know your name, young master?" Li Mengqi asked.

"I am Yu Zhe. You may address me as such," Lin Zheyu replied casually, inventing the name on the spot. The face of Zhao Hao could no longer be used, so he had altered his appearance once again. This time, he looked younger—about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old.

"Then I shall trouble you, Master Yu," Li Mengqi said softly.