Chapter 2-11

“Then I suppose I just have to kill this bastard.”

“Young Master Ha!”

As the stiff-faced man spoke, Xuelan shouted and sprang to her feet. Bai Shixuan also stood up and grabbed his axe.

“Shixuan!”

“Stay back.”

When Bai Shixuan rose with the axe in hand, the attendants behind the man stepped forward. They drew the swords at their waists and glared at Bai Shixuan.

‘Three of them. Can I win?’

Wouldn’t it be difficult? He knew no martial arts, but the men before him seemed to be trained martial artists. In the six years he had spent at the Flower Fragrance Pavilion, this was the first time trouble like this had occurred. That was how powerful the Madam’s influence was. The martial artists she knew were formidable.

‘I can’t expect the Madam’s help right away. Even if I die, they probably won’t hurt Xuelan.’

Still, they had only just become lovers. He could not let her be taken from him immediately. Whatever happened, he had no choice but to fight for his life and hold out.

“Kill him.”

“Yes.”

At the man’s command, the attendants began to move. They were slightly wary upon seeing Bai Shixuan’s sturdy physique, unusual for someone his age, but once they realized he knew no martial arts, confidence entered their steps.

-Clang!

“Ugh!”

Was this what internal energy was like? He had merely blocked a sword strike, yet his entire body was sent sliding backward. He had thought he would not easily lose when it came to raw strength, but it felt as though he would be overwhelmed by the man’s attack with ease.

“Shixuan!”

He heard Xuelan calling from behind him, but he had no leisure to answer. There was nothing Bai Shixuan could do. All he could do was keep blocking their attacks. But Bai Shixuan, who knew neither martial arts nor possessed internal energy, had no chance against three martial artists who had trained in martial arts. Before long, wounds began appearing across his body, and blood started staining his clothes.

“Urgh!”

In the end, one of the attendants stabbed Bai Shixuan in the thigh with his sword. Unable to endure the pain, Bai Shixuan dropped to one knee, and another attendant kicked him in the chin. Pain shot through him as though his jaw were about to shatter. As Bai Shixuan toppled backward, Xuelan hurried over and caught his body.

“Are… you okay?”

At Xuelan’s question, Bai Shixuan nodded. He could not speak because of the blood pooled inside his mouth. He had known things would turn out like this. Still, he had wanted to look at least a little impressive in front of Xuelan, but apparently that had been impossible.

“Move aside, Xuelan. I shall kill him.”

“Ah… Because of you people……. My dream…….”

What was she talking about? The men looked at Xuelan in confusion when she began muttering to herself. Xuelan carefully lowered Bai Shixuan to the ground and stood.

“Leave. If you don’t want to die…….”

‘Xuelan?’

Bai Shixuan could not understand what was happening. Xuelan’s cold expression was one he had never seen before. Her icy voice was one he had never heard before. And then there was this inexplicable aura. Could it be that Xuelan had learned martial arts?

“Haha, Xuelan. What are you talking about?”

“It’s dangerous, Young Master. She’s a master.”

As though answering Bai Shixuan’s thoughts, the attendants who had confidently attacked him began backing away hesitantly. But instead of heeding their warning, the man merely laughed in disbelief as he looked at Xuelan.

“Revenge for Shixuan.”

A moment later, Xuelan’s body vanished. She reappeared behind the attendants. She truly was a master. Jiang Zhilong? Namgung Qi? He did not know. To Bai Shixuan, Xuelan seemed as though she might even surpass both of them.

“Urgh!”

“Ghk!”

The three attendants were sent flying nearly three zhang away. After sending all three men flying in an instant, Xuelan slowly began walking toward the trembling man.

“X-Xuelan,”

“Take them and leave. Don’t concern yourself with us ever again.”

Xuelan’s martial prowess was overwhelming. The man had not even been able to see how she moved. In the blink of an eye, all his attendants had been struck down, and it seemed as though she might attack him at any moment.

“V-Very well. I’m sorry. I truly am sorry.”

The man hurriedly bowed his head to Xuelan before approaching his fallen attendants. Xuelan watched them disappear into the distance, then walked over to Bai Shixuan, who was staring blankly at her.

“Are you okay?”

-Slap!

Bai Shixuan slapped away Xuelan’s hand as she tried to help him up. He forced himself to rise on trembling legs. No, he tried to stand, only to collapse back down again. There was no strength in his leg.

“Ptui.”

“Shixuan…….”

Bai Shixuan spat out the blood-tinged saliva that had pooled in his mouth, and Xuelan called his name worriedly. Bai Shixuan looked at her worried eyes with an icy gaze. In the past six years—no, in the eight years since she first met him—when had he ever looked at her like this?

“You knew martial arts?”

“…Yeah.”

“I was the only one who didn’t know.”

“That’s…….”

He was angry. Because she was stronger than him? Because while he had trained his body to the point of exhaustion without any internal energy, she must have secretly laughed at him as she watched? No. That was not why Bai Shixuan was angry. He was angry because she had deceived him. He did not care that she was stronger than he was. But it had been eight years. No, even excluding those first two years, it had still been six. She had kept this secret from him perfectly throughout all that time.

“I’ll explain.”

“No need. Sorry. I want to be alone.”

He tried to convince himself that he was upset simply because she had deceived him, but for some reason, he resented her. He resented that she had learned martial arts, and he could not stop imagining that she must have laughed at him while watching him struggle. No matter how much he told himself that was not true, those thoughts refused to disappear.

“Sorry for getting angry. Still, I want to be alone for a few days.”

“Shixuan…….”

Xuelan called after him, but Shixuan forced himself upright and began walking away. That cold gaze. At the end, he had looked more confused than anything, but had he lost all affection for her? They had only just finally become lovers…….

Xuelan stared blankly at Shixuan’s retreating back. Tears streamed from her eyes and ran down both cheeks.