Chapter 1. Charming Beauty The skirt sways with the wind, the heart sways with you…

Dark clouds obscured the moon, the night as deep as an abyss.

Suddenly, a bewitching silhouette darted out from the bushes by the roadside, flashing past in the starlight.

The figure appeared only for an instant before vanishing back into the shadows.

A moment later, a group of well-trained pursuers appeared where the figure had disappeared, chasing with all their might in the direction the red shadow had vanished.

Ahead lay a vast wilderness, desolate and uninhabited.

At their current pace, he would surely encounter them if this continued.

Now, only the forest on one side of the road offered a place to hide.

The enemy was many, he was alone.

If he kept going forward with no cover, they would surely lock onto him.

This was clearly not a wise choice.

Bai Li Chuan looked up at the forest by the roadside.

Starlight shone upon the treetops, but did nothing to disperse the darkness below.

This forest seemed like a giant abyss beast devouring light, using its thick foliage as arms to block out the clamorous light, allowing only silent darkness to remain.

A faint scent of blood wafted from the forest.

It should have been an ominous sign, but it gave Bai Li Chuan a sense of security, even a strange feeling of belonging.

Though outnumbered, he wasn’t worried about blind swords and blades, but…

It wasn’t yet time to make a move.

Hiding in the forest might allow him to use the terrain to delay them for a while. By then, things would be easier to handle.

After brief deliberation, Bai Li Chuan decisively changed course, turning to leap into the forest.

The surrounding trees rapidly receded—

Bai Li Chuan made his way through, leaping from branch to branch.

Soon after, several corpses flashed past his view.

The bodies had fallen in an eerily consistent direction.

Judging by their condition, the cause of death for all was a clean, fatal strike.

Their faces were a bloody mess, the scene vivid—invisible sword energy had formed blade-like winds, striking cleanly head-on, blood splattering around their faces.

Bai Li Chuan couldn’t help but close his eyes, forcibly cutting off the association.

The blood remaining on the corpses’ skin appeared to have just recently congealed, still dark red.

Only one faction was present here.

…Where was the other side?

Bai Li Chuan quickly scanned the area.

Suddenly realizing something, he paused mid-step.

—Could it be… still in the forest?

Looking again at the corpses’ attire, they were uniformly pure black with no embroidery—the standard dress of assassins in the martial arts world.

Who was being hunted?

There had been no major conflicts in the imperial court or royal family recently, no one who would make such a big move to dispatch so many assassins to kill someone.

So, this group likely had no connection to the imperial court.

Bai Li Chuan’s suspended heart eased slightly.

It was good they weren’t allies of that group.

Bai Li Chuan glanced down hurriedly, then flew past on the upper branches without a moment’s pause.

However, his thoughts couldn’t help but return to the scene he had witnessed earlier…

Who had they been fighting before their deaths? To think so many of them were no match for their opponent.

But regardless, this dead end was his lifeline.

Firstly, the battle was over, and those remaining would likely not linger here; secondly, even if they hadn’t retreated, the victor of this battle wouldn’t gain much benefit from it.

He didn’t need to fear exposing his identity to them, so he no longer needed to act so cautiously.

If they blocked his path—

He would simply kill them.

In the martial arts world, aside from that legendary demon of unfathomable strength, he dared say no one could gain an advantage over him.

Humans are born to seek profit and avoid harm. This scene was enough to intimidate those bastards and keep them at a distance.

This was his turning point.

Bai Li Chuan followed the traces of battle deeper into the forest.

The further he went, the more dire the situation became.

The number of corpses increased rather than decreased.

It seemed this group had increased their attacking force.

But the outcome was clear—no matter how many more people they added, it was ultimately futile. They were no match and were defeated.

None of the opponent’s subordinates survived.

From start to finish, this battle was nothing but a one-sided slaughter.

The forest floor was covered in a sea of black, blood flowing like rivers. The carnage was so severe it had even stained the surrounding tree trunks red. There were so many bodies around, there was nowhere to step.

Still, not a single corpse of the other side was found.

A terrifying guess gradually formed in Bai Li Chuan’s mind…

His thoughts raced, but his movements didn’t stop.

A lithe red shadow continued to flit through the inky black branches.

…

“Ugh—”

A wave of nausea surged up, bringing a hint of blood to her throat. The next moment, Xin Jiao Zhou spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The deadly poison in her body had not yet cleared, and she had just been through several fierce battles. As soon as she relaxed, Xin Jiao Zhou felt her vision blur and her body grow heavy.

She braced herself against a tree trunk with one hand, slowly sliding down to adjust her posture and sit in meditation at the base of the tree.

Suddenly, Xin Jiao Zhou frowned and opened her eyes: “Who’s there!”

A faint rustling sound came from not far away.

The other person had deliberately concealed their presence. If not for the extremely quiet surroundings and her own exceptional hearing, she wouldn’t have noticed someone approaching.

Hah!

The imposing voice crushed down on the heart of the person in the shadows. Their breath faltered and their heart raced.

Bai Li Chuan forcefully suppressed the panic rising in his heart. He straightened his body like a hunter poised to strike, his hand inconspicuously drawing out the short blade hidden in his sleeve.

Xin Jiao Zhou wearily opened her eyes and looked towards the sound.

Not far away stood a tall, slender figure.

The person stood against the night, their face indiscernible. Only their fluttering red skirt could be seen.

A red robe was worn casually, held loosely at the waist by a red sash. Due to previous movements, the originally neat neckline had come loose, revealing the delicate collarbone hidden beneath.

The thin garment accentuated the person’s already slender and bony frame, making them appear even more willowy and elongated. Yet it didn’t give an impression of sickly weakness, but rather a kind of seductive sensuality.

The red hem was like a fox’s tail, swaying alluringly, slyly coming before your eyes to steal away your soul. When it wasn’t approaching, it swayed enticingly, making your heart itch, luring you to draw closer, unconsciously shortening the distance between you.

Simply standing there exuded charm from head to toe.

A few sparse beams of starlight broke through the layers of dense leaves, shining upon that person’s back.

A layer of starlight gleamed on the glossy black hair, dazzlingly beautiful.

Beneath the starlight was a patch of cold moonlight white.

The beautifully long, slender white neck and clearly defined collarbones contrasted with the charm exuded by the rest of the body. Everything was so purely beautiful it seemed it could never be defiled, making one unable to resist evil thoughts, unable to help but want to gently bite and lick, to see if this body could be stained with some different colors.

The beauty under the moon lightly tapped their toes, clothes fluttering as they leapt down from the tree, landing before Xin Jiao Zhou.

As the skirt swayed with the wind, so did the heart sway with you.

*

Just as Xin Jiao Zhou was entranced, Bai Li Chuan also looked at her.

The owner of the voice was a young woman leaning against a tree ahead.

The woman reclined casually against the trunk, her expression icy, a biting chill emanating from her entire being. The fierce aura of bloodshed had not yet dissipated.

Looking up, one saw an ethereally cold face.

Ink-black eyebrows and phoenix eyes, a high nose and thin lips, her expression coldly indifferent, as if detached from the mortal world. So aloof it made one feel she was cold-blooded and unfeeling.

As the gaze moved upward, a strange red mark suddenly appeared on that cold face, starting between the brows and ending at the center of the forehead, adding a touch of brilliance to the coldness.

This red mark didn’t seem artificially drawn, but rather as if it had grown together with flesh and soul, making one think of the gods in legends—this red mark was like the divine imprint on a god’s forehead.

He suddenly found himself amused by his own thoughts.

If she were a god, wasn’t he committing blasphemy by so brazenly examining her?

Bai Li Chuan’s lips curved into a smile.

Though there was no bright moon in the forest now, bits of the starry river fell into the eyes of the woman before him, adding a touch of vitality to that otherworldly face. It made one’s heart leap with joy just to see it, feeling that the distance between oneself and her was no longer as vast as spanning the clouds.

The corners of the woman’s eyes were tinged with a faint red, her phoenix eyes slanting upwards, eyelids lowered, brilliantly alluring, like a deity who had fallen into demonic ways.

Her lips were stained red with blood, like half-ripe forbidden fruit. Tainted with the blood of battle, they were scarlet and scalding, fragile yet gorgeous as they flaunted before one’s eyes, tempting one to taste.

A few strands of hair clung to her cold cheeks, following the smooth contours of her face downwards. The corners of her lips held the ends of her hair—it was the most heart-stopping seduction.

The contrast between coldness and bewitching allure was the most fatal temptation of all.

Everything made one willing to sink into it, even if the next moment that pale hand might cover one’s throat, ending it all with a crisp “crack”. Even so, one couldn’t help but want to risk approaching, to taste its flavor.

Bai Li Chuan gazed, somewhat dazed.

When he came to his senses, a light flush colored his face. His heart, long calm, now pounded wildly.

Bai Li Chuan couldn’t help but press a hand to his chest, trying to calm and quiet it, but to no avail.

—A pity he had no connection to her.

Perhaps after this one glimpse in this life, they would never meet again.

Just thinking of this possibility made Bai Li Chuan’s heart ache. His heart felt empty, as if missing something, not heavy enough to land, only able to float in the clouds, its unease giving rise to boundless panic within him.

He who was always so composed now found his body and mind in wild turmoil.

If anyone had fallen into demonic ways, it was him.

The air was silent for a moment.

For a time, neither immediately looked away, both losing their composure.

“Are you injured, miss?” Bai Li Chuan was the first to speak, breaking the silence.

As he spoke, his gaze couldn’t help but lightly touch upon the blood on her lips.

She closed her eyes and did not answer.

Bai Li Chuan blinked and changed his tone: “Miss, please don’t misunderstand. I just happened to pass by here. Seeing that you’re injured, and I happen to know a bit of medicine, I wanted to help. I didn’t intend to approach you purposely.”

The person across from him sat quietly under the tree, not answering.

He persisted, saying softly: “Could it be that miss doesn’t trust this humble one?”

“…” Xin Jiao Zhou couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, and after a moment of silence, she spoke, “We’ve only just met. How can there be any talk of trust or distrust?”

Willing to speak made things much easier.

Bai Li Chuan seized the opportunity, his smile charming: “If that’s the case, why not let this humble one take a look for miss?”

“Though this humble one’s skills are shallow, I do know some medical principles. It’s better than nothing.”

The other party didn’t respond, but also didn’t refuse outright, just continuing to lean there without moving.

Bai Li Chuan approached and knelt on one knee.

Getting closer, by the faint starlight, he finally noticed that the other’s clothes were irregularly covered with dark stains.

He couldn’t help but frown.

—External injuries?

Bai Li Chuan wanted to place his fingers on the inside of Xin Jiao Zhou’s wrist.

Just as he was about to touch her wrist, she moved slightly, turning her hand to avoid his fingers. Her lowered eyelashes trembled slightly as she said softly, “No need.”

Bai Li Chuan looked up at her, a faint silver light flashing in the corner of his eye.

He frowned slightly, thinking of something, and without looking at her reaction, reached out to touch…

After his slender hand searched carefully for a moment, it finally stopped at her shoulder.

The person in front of him leaned forward, suddenly closing the distance, their features clearly visible before his eyes.

Faced with the sudden closeness, Xin Jiao Zhou uncomfortably turned her head, avoiding his breath.

Bai Li Chuan gently but firmly pressed on her: “Don’t move.”

He lightly pressed his finger on a point of skin, and found it.

A soft whisper in her ear, as if soothing her beforehand: “I’ll help you pull it out.”

Before Xin Jiao Zhou could refuse, the next moment, her shoulder felt a swell of soreness. A flash of silver light before her eyes, and a thin, long silver needle appeared in his hand, its size alarming.

The thin, long silver needle was extremely well-hidden in the dark forest. If Bai Li Chuan’s peripheral vision hadn’t caught it by chance, it would have been nearly impossible to discover under normal circumstances, especially as they were now in a dark forest.

The needling technique was extremely skillful. The silver needle had been precisely inserted into Xin Jiao Zhou’s acupoint, making it feel like just an ordinary blockage of the acupoint, with no sense of a foreign object. There are many reasons for acupoint blockages, especially after fighting, making it not easy to associate it with the presence of a foreign object.

The insertion point was very clever. If left undiscovered for a long time, allowing it to remain in the body, difficulty in advancing one’s cultivation would be the least of the problems; blockage of meridians and going berserk would be the greater concerns.

Xin Jiao Zhou glanced at the silver needle in Bai Li Chuan’s hand, then looked up. Their gazes met, and time seemed to stand still.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from not far away, breaking this harmonious silence.

The footsteps of more than a dozen people gradually approached, moving as fast as a gale.

Bai Li Chuan’s heart suddenly turned cold, his eyes darkening.

These damned lackeys were truly relentless in their pursuit.

As reason returned, he instantly stood up and withdrew his hand, his two fingers moving slightly, the silver needle disappearing into a nearby corpse.

The hand beneath his sleeve tightly gripped the short blade. Bai Li Chuan gathered his qi and used his skill, his toes lightly tapping the ground. His figure flickered, and the next moment he landed on the tree beside Xin Jiao Zhou, then pressed against the trunk, concealing his form and aura.

A moment later, the uninvited guests arrived.

Xin Jiao Zhou leaned against the tree trunk, motionless.

—His qinggong was quite good.

Xin Jiao Zhou unconsciously curved her lips, closing her eyes.

—Hmm, might as well help him clean up his tail. They could consider themselves even.

She had never liked owing debts of gratitude.

“Have you seen any suspicious men pass by here?” The one who seemed to be the leader asked.

Clearly having already made up their mind, not waiting for Xin Jiao Zhou to answer, she continued, “Which direction did he go?”

Xin Jiao Zhou sat cross-legged on the ground, maintaining a meditation posture.

The other party clearly had no patience and didn’t intend to get any answers from her.

Relying on their numbers, and seeing Xin Jiao Zhou now sitting cross-legged on the ground, they must have seen those corpses when passing through the forest earlier. Even if she was still alive, she was at her last gasp, so the newcomers didn’t take the current Xin Jiao Zhou seriously.

Without waiting for Xin Jiao Zhou to open her eyes and respond, the leader made a hand gesture, and everyone bent down, ready to directly kill and silence her.

As the other party harbored killing intent, the person under the tree still had no reaction, only the slender fingers under her sleeve moved slightly.

None of the group saw the person under the tree make any movement, they only felt a terrifying force of energy sweep over them—their bodies didn’t even have time to react with fear before they all fell, lifeless.

The whole process took no more than a breath, all obstacles cleared. And the other party hadn’t even raised an eyelid.

Bai Li Chuan, crouching on the tree, witnessed the entire process.

He made his decision almost without hesitation.

Bai Li Chuan immediately leapt down from the tree trunk, took a few steps to Xin Jiao Zhou’s front, his demeanor and attitude entirely that of an ordinary jianghu man who had encountered danger outside.

He gave a gentle bow, then straightened up and looked at the person before him, his smile soft and charming as he said warmly: “Thank you, miss, for stepping in to save me.”

After expressing his thanks, he introduced himself: “This humble one’s surname is Bai, given name Zhou, courtesy name Li Chuan. Miss can call this humble one Li Chuan.”

Having said this, he gave a light chuckle, his expression seeming somewhat shy as he cautiously asked: “It’s been so long, and this humble one still doesn’t know how to address miss?”

“…”

Xin Jiao Zhou sat quietly, secretly regulating her breath, and did not answer.

That last strike had exhausted the last bit of strength she had left.

Seeing that the woman had no intention of answering, Bai Li Chuan wasn’t annoyed. He just looked up once, confirming that she was seriously injured.

“Today I am indebted to miss for stepping in to help. If not for miss’s assistance, I’m afraid this humble one would have already…”

He didn’t continue, as if reaching an emotional point, he began to cover his face and sob softly.

After a while, Bai Li Chuan raised his head, tears hanging on his lashes, his eyes red and wet, looking delicate and pitiful, yet with a determined gaze: “May I ask if there’s anything this humble one can do to help miss? Please say so, so that this humble one can repay miss in some small way.”

Seeing his reddened eyes, Xin Jiao Zhou’s gaze darkened slightly, and she finally spoke: “I don’t need you to repay anything.”

A clear and concise rejection.

Not only did she look like an immortal, but her heart also seemed as detached as an immortal’s. He had gone to such lengths in his act, yet she had no reaction at all, showing no signs of pity.

No one had ever disregarded him like this before.

If anyone dared to disregard him like this, he would have long since chopped them to pieces and fed them to the dogs.

Bai Li Chuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, a nameless fire burning fiercely in his heart, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist beneath his sleeve.

The beauty not far away stood quietly, looking somewhat lonely.

Catching a glimpse of his reddened eyes, Xin Jiao Zhou felt as if she had been pricked. Her eyes quickly moved away, and she inexplicably added: “You needn’t be concerned about this matter.”

“I didn’t kill them to help you, but for my own sake.”

She paused, seeing he had no reaction, and for the first time, made a rare explanation to an outsider: “If this group of people had left this forest alive today, and some rumors had spread and been investigated by those with ulterior motives, it would have been troublesome for me as well.”

Xin Jiao Zhou’s gaze flickered slightly, again brushing over the corner of his eye. Her eyes moved with a hint of reluctance, and explanatory words once again escaped her lips: “Besides, you just helped me earlier, so you don’t owe me anything.”

Xin Jiao Zhou looked at the person standing against the night.

As soon as she finished speaking, for some reason, the person opposite suddenly changed his demeanor, respectfully bowing to her, then straightened up and solemnly promised: “This humble one understands.”

He agreed so quickly.

The other’s rapid change left Xin Jiao Zhou unable to react. She had originally wanted to say something more, her lips parting slightly, her eyes blinking, but in the end, the questioning words didn’t leave her mouth.

Xin Jiao Zhou closed her eyes, withdrawing her gaze from him.

What was the point of asking so much? This wasn’t like her.

Don’t scare him any further.

The gaze fixed on him felt almost tangible, and when she withdrew it, Bai Li Chuan’s heart seemed to empty along with it.

He felt somewhat dazed.

After the daze, he respectfully said: “This humble one takes his leave.”

The person who had just been entangled no longer hesitated. He clenched his fist, gave a slight bow, and without saying another word, activated his qinggong and left, leaving only Xin Jiao Zhou behind.

The vast forest suddenly emptied, becoming even colder.

Looking up at the heavy canopy overhead, deep within the tree trunks, the darkness pressed down from above with no visible boundary. Xin Jiao Zhou stopped thinking further, finally unable to support herself, and closed her eyes.

Outside the forest, looking at the approaching figures in the distance, Bai Li Chuan slowly withdrew his smile.

—Never to meet again?

Bai Li Chuan curled his lips, opening his palm to reveal a patch of dried blood, quietly staining his clean, slender hand.