The young woman’s face was smooth and fair, reflecting in the white snow with the soft radiance of Hotan white jade. Her eyes were as black as ink, her features slim, yet emanating an aura of independence and composure. She was still young, not yet fully grown, but her cold demeanor, like ice and snow and winter plum blossoms, permeated from within.

The man’s eyes slowly narrowed, his right hand unconsciously tightening. Under the blood-red sunset, the snow appeared slightly reddish. On his hand, the middle, ring, and little fingers were visibly cut off at the joints, capped with golden finger covers, adding a touch of eeriness.

“Beat her.”

The deep voice suddenly echoed in the desolate wind. The servants who had been eagerly waiting on both sides immediately surrounded her. A strong, muscular man raised his palm like a fan and slapped fiercely toward the young woman’s face.

With a “bang,” the slap didn’t land on the young woman’s face as expected but was blocked by her. Chu Qiao raised her head, expressionlessly asking in a deep voice, “Young Master Wei, you’re ordering your servants to harm people at will. Shouldn’t you give me a reason?”

“A reason?” Wei Shuyou snorted coldly, the corner of his lips revealing a cold smile. “The reason is that you, a slave of lowly status, dare to object to my words.”

“Young Master Wei, if your memory serves you well, you should remember that last month at the hunting grounds, His Majesty personally granted me freedom from slavery. I now hold the position of archery instructor at the Xiao Qi Camp. You and I now serve the same court, both working for the Great Xia. I respect you as a clan nobleman, which is why I bow to you. Otherwise, with your current status, you wouldn’t be qualified to receive my kneeling. After all, you’ve just been removed from office. As a mere commoner, how dare you act so arrogantly in the Sacred Gold Palace?”

The young woman’s features were as sharp as ice and snow. She pushed away the large man, patted her knees twice, and stood up.

“I have matters to attend to. Please excuse me.”

“Such audacity!” Wei Shuyou snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, “I want to see if I kill you, this archery instructor of the Xiao Qi Camp today, who will dare to seek justice for you?”

“Attack!”

As soon as his words fell, four guards behind Wei Shuyou immediately flashed forward. Before Chu Qiao could act, one guard had already drawn his sword and fiercely slashed down toward her head!

Chu Qiao never imagined Wei Shuyou would be so bold today, not only openly carrying weapons but also daring to commit violence within the Sacred Gold Palace. But time waits for no one, and the sudden situation left her no time to think.

Strike! Grasp! Seize the wrist!

There were no fancy moves. With a crisp “crack” of breaking bone, in an instant, the guard collapsed to the ground, his hand bone fractured, screaming continuously.

In a backward motion, she seized the guard’s sword. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, she leaped into the air with a beautiful spinning backkick, landing squarely on the chest of a guard attempting to sneak up from behind. The force was tremendous, with a muffled thunderous sound. The guard cried out in pain, blood gushing from his mouth as he staggered backward.

Immediately following, she struck like lightning, grabbing another guard’s wrist. Her other hand swung the sword, executing a standard ninja side-cut, striking downward with precision and force. With continuous cracking sounds, before the pain could even register, two more guards were already lying on the ground!

All actions occurred within a second. Four skilled guards were defeated, each incapacitated with a single move, leaving them without any fighting ability.

The long wind blew by. Chu Qiao stood among the scattered men, her expression calm, her posture straight. In her white fur coat, she appeared even more transcendent and cold as snow, as if she hadn’t moved at all. She looked coldly at the furious Wei Shuyou and said flatly, “Step aside.”

Wei Shuyou’s face turned blue. The revenge for his severed fingers had tormented his mind for years like a poisonous snake making him lose his usual calm and self-control.

“Kill her!”

His deep voice sounded like a vengeful ghost from hell. The long wind swept through Xuan Men Road, crossing between the high walls on both sides, stirring up large patches of flying snow.

More than ten guards in blue clothes stepped forward, kneeling on one knee, half-squatting in front of Wei Shuyou. Their wrists moved behind them, and as if performing a magic trick, they drew out a row of crossbow arrows from within their fur coats!

Chu Qiao frowned, cautiously stepping back half a pace. Wei Shuyou had entered the palace carrying crossbows—what did this mean? Was it the expansion of the Wei clan’s power after Zhao Qi’s rise, or did he have some special imperial command allowing him to carry weapons into the palace?

Before she could think further, a volley of crossbow arrows thundered toward her. The close-range shooting made these crossbows extremely powerful, carrying a thunderous momentum as they whistled through the cold wind toward where Chu Qiao stood!

Chu Qiao dodged and dropped to the ground, rolling to the large man whose hand bones had been crushed earlier. She grabbed his collar. With a series of thudding sounds, blood splattered. The man didn’t even have a chance to scream before being riddled with holes, covered in blood wounds, falling motionless.

Chu Qiao used the momentum, kicking hard at the man’s body. The corpse rose into the air, crashing into the crossbowmen with a bang, disrupting their formation. Chu Qiao seized the opportunity to charge forward like lightning, fierce and unparalleled. Her hands moved in different directions, reaching peak speed, pulling and dragging, followed by a crash! At the moment the wrist bone broke, the young woman grabbed a large man’s head, her body rising into the air, side-kicking the chest of another guard who was howling forward. As her body descended, with a swoosh, she ripped out a handful of the man’s hair!

Everyone was dumbfounded. The brutal close combat gave their crossbows no chance to be effective. The young woman’s ruthless methods and calm demeanor came like a nightmare, leaving chaos in her wake. No matter how many guards there were, they couldn’t match the speed of her hands. Each move caused injury, her attacks ruthless. Behind her lay the twisted bodies of the men, and so far, not a single person had touched even a piece of her clothing.

It was at this moment that everyone deeply understood what it meant for one person to hold a pass against ten thousand. Even though standing before them was just a slender, frail young woman.

The men’s attacks gradually weakened, their courage failing, faces turning pale. The opponent’s professional fighting skills and ruthless attacking methods terrified these guards who prided themselves on their close combat abilities.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Qiao had fought her way to the front. Wei Shuyou’s eyes showed a trace of undisguised panic for the first time. He hurriedly reached for the sword at his waist, but in the next second, Chu Qiao had already kicked away the two guards in front of her and reached out to grab him.

Chu Qiao’s hands now looked more terrifying than a beheading knife. Having witnessed her prowess, the Wei clan subordinates instantly demonstrated their noble character of loyally protecting their master. Two guards attacked from behind, swinging their swords.

Incredibly fast! The young woman instantly spun around, leaping into the air, and delivering a kick that landed directly on one man’s neck. This kick was so powerful that the man flew backward, crashing into other guards, and rolling like melons on the ground.

During this time, Wei Shuyou quickly retreated under the protection of two guards. By the time Chu Qiao turned back, he had retreated two body lengths away—no matter how fast she was, her arms couldn’t reach that far.

Urgent footsteps suddenly sounded from afar, likely palace guards alerted by the commotion. Wei Shuyou, who had been determined to eliminate his enemy, suddenly felt a shameful secret joy.

But at that moment, a cyan shadow suddenly appeared. A cyan cotton cloth flew in the air, and Wei Shuyou felt a chill at his neck. A sword of blue-white iron had steadily stopped at his throat!

The long wind howled, and snow flew abundantly!

The young woman in her white fur coat, with her black hair flying, and eyes as black as ink, slightly lowered her head and glanced sideways, coldly looking at the stunned Wei clan young master. In her eyes and brows was undisguised contempt.

“Stop!” Song Que, the Front Gate Guard Commander, coldly approached his troops and said solemnly, “Who dares to be so unruly within the imperial city? Everyone stop!”

Chu Qiao coldly looked at Wei Shuyou’s pale face, her expression calm, with a hint of mockery in her eyes. She snorted coldly, swiftly withdrawing her sword, and stood proudly in place.

“Commander Song,” Wei Shuyou struggled to calm his rapid breathing and said deeply, “What is her status that allows her to carry weapons in the imperial city?”

Seeing that he didn’t mention the fighting in the imperial city but instead focused on the weapon issue, Song Que gradually frowned. Though stubborn, he wasn’t a fool. To survive in the imperial court, how could one offend the noble clans? Song Que suppressed his displeasure and turned to look at Chu Qiao, saying, “Miss Chu, shouldn’t you explain why you’re carrying weapons inside the imperial city?”

Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze moving to the sword in Wei Shuyou’s hand and the swords and crossbows scattered on the ground. Her meaning was clear without words: there, others also carried weapons.

Song Que’s face reddened, but before he could speak, Wei Shuyou coldly shouted, “What status do you have to compare yourself with me? Not only do you bring weapons into the imperial city, but you dare to attack me. Let’s see who dares to exonerate you today. Commander Song, how should this matter be handled?”

Song Que’s brows were tightly knitted, but he dared not offend this Wei family’s young master whose temperament had changed drastically since losing his fingers. Just as he was about to speak, a crisp voice suddenly sounded from behind. Everyone was startled and turned around.

“This sword, I asked her to carry it.”

A black warhorse, tall and straight, gradually approached.

Zhuge Yue, wearing a purple sable fur coat, his face gloomy, rode slowly towards them. Upon reaching the crowd, he didn’t dismount but remained high on his horse, looking down at the young woman below. He extended his hand and said in a deep voice, “How long do you want me to wait? Give it to me.”

Chu Qiao remained silent, staring fixedly at Zhuge Yue’s indifferent eyes. The cold wind blew, following the gaze between them, like an ancient wind blowing across the tracks of time. Those doubts, those probes, that hatred, all were like stone tablets fixed on the track, never to be erased. It seemed like a long time had passed, but it was just a moment. Chu Qiao extended her hand, slowly, just like at the Lantern Festival many years ago, and handed over the sword in her palm.

“Commander Song, I just asked you to call her for this matter. I have a sword in the Oriole Song Courtyard of the Yan heir. I was merely asking this maid to retrieve the sword.”

Song Que respectfully nodded, “So that’s it. I’ve been meddlesome.”

Zhuge Yue’s gaze swept over the men lying scattered on the ground, and he calmly said, “I asked you to get a sword, but you’re here sparring with Young Master Wei’s subordinates. You’re truly lawless. Is this how the Yan heir disciplines his servants?”

Sparring?

Wei Shuyou’s face changed, and he immediately became angry. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Zhuge Yue turn to look at him with a calm expression, saying in a deep voice, “Young Master Wei, I’ll take this person away first. This matter arose because of me. I will certainly visit your residence another day.”

With that, he turned to leave.

“This matter has nothing to do with Fourth Young Master Zhuge. Why is the Fourth Young Master forcing it upon himself? What is the reason?”

Wei Shuyou snorted coldly, his face gloomy as he spoke in a deep voice.

Zhuge Yue turned back, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, “Is Young Master Wei saying I have ulterior motives and am meddling unnecessarily?”

“Just promoted to Armed Commander, you’re already eager to equip your guards with crossbows to walk through the imperial city. Young Master Wei, your actions are far too hasty.”

Wei Shuyou was furious, but before he could speak, Zhuge Yue continued, “Today’s events, if spread, would do you no good. Young Master Wei, you come from a noble family, you should understand the severity of this situation, distinguish the primary from the secondary, and clarify what’s important. Such rash behavior, I’m sure even if Master Wei Guang were here today, he wouldn’t be pleased.”

Wei Shuyou’s eyes were bloodshot, his lips blue, but he said nothing more.

How could he not understand the pros and cons? It was just that the resentment had been pressing on his heart for seven years, and every time they met, it was like a raging fire burning his heart, unbearable.

“Let’s go.”

Zhuge Yue slowly said, turning his horse around to leave. Commander Song solemnly saw them off from behind. Chu Qiao glanced at Wei Shuyou’s almost fiery eyes, then followed behind Zhuge Yue.

At the horizon, snow fell abundantly, the sunset in the west, and night descended. Along the long Xuan Men Road, snow continued to fly and drift on both sides. Chu Qiao followed behind Zhuge Yue, gradually disappearing into the drifting snow.

Wei Shuyou gritted his teeth, then suddenly shouted in anger, kicking one of his subordinates in the abdomen before leaving in extreme anger.

The emerald lake was now covered in snow, with the scenery on both banks like a painting—carved corridors and jade trees, snow hanging white. An exquisite stone arch bridge spanned across the lake, leading to an octagonal pavilion in the center of the lake.

In the pavilion stood two figures. The man wore a purple sable fur coat, his features handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, his face bearing a hint of charm. The woman was only fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a white fox fur coat, appearing even more ethereal and transcendent.

These two people were Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao, who had just left Xuan Men Road.

“I wasn’t trying to save you. It’s just that your sword was given by me, and coincidentally, I dislike Wei Shuyou. You needn’t thank me.”

The woman raised her head, her expression cold, “I had no intention of thanking you.”

Zhuge Yue smiled, “Still so stubborn. Seven years have passed, it seems Yan Xun hasn’t taught you what it means to be tactful.”

“You’re the same. It seems the sage of Wolong Mountain hasn’t taught you what stupidity is; you’re still so arrogant.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow, his body suddenly rising, retreating rapidly. At the same time, the young woman who had been standing calmly rushed forward like lightning, her footwork strange, her movements agile, executing a small joint-locking technique, swift and upward. Zhuge Yue extended his arm to block, his hands moving in different directions, reaching for the young woman’s wrists. Chu Qiao nimbly retracted, flipped, and kicked forward, instantly landing outside the pavilion, her feet stepping on the frozen lake surface, the surrounding snow immediately rising into the air.

She drew the remnant red sword wrapped in cyan cloth. The sword edge was sharp, its light flashing, moving like a swimming dragon, with strange techniques yet also containing grand and open moves, stirring up the snow everywhere, dancing intricately.

Zhuge Yue had no suitable weapon at hand, so he broke off a blooming plum branch from the side of the pavilion, with numerous white plum blossoms, and suddenly met her attack.

From a distance, one could see, amidst the wind and snow, on the frozen emerald lake, a vast expanse of silver-white, two agile figures entangled in combat. Their moves were fierce, yet carried an indescribable grace. The long wind swept across, the world filled with snow mist, plum blossoms falling from both banks, red and white intermingled, swirling and lingering in the air along with the flying snow.

Chu Qiao’s white fox fur coat billowed in the wind, her three-foot sword dancing like a dragon, temporarily matching Zhuge Yue in combat.

At that moment, for some unknown reason, her foot suddenly slipped, instantly losing her footing. Her sword was struck by Zhuge Yue, immediately flying out of her hand. Chu Qiao was alarmed, supporting herself with one hand on the ground, about to stand up. Unexpectedly, a cracking sound suddenly came from beneath her feet, the vibration too great, causing the ice layer to crack. Cold lake water seeped through. The young woman was stunned, crying out, but it was too late to turn back and escape, her body trembling as she fell downward.

In this critical moment, Zhuge Yue’s expression sank, his body moving like a startled swan, grabbing Chu Qiao’s arm, holding it tightly, exerting force to pull her back.

“You’re still so foolish!”

In a flash, a cold dagger firmly pressed against Zhuge Yue’s throat. The young woman’s eyes were ruthless, a cold smile at the corner of her mouth, “In the past, you were completely fooled by me. Seven years have passed, are you still so unimproved?”

Zhuge Yue laughed coldly, disdainfully twisting his lips, “You, must you always be so confident?”

Similarly, a sharp dagger was in Zhuge Yue’s palm, its edge firmly pressed against Chu Qiao’s heart. With the slightest movement, it would strike a vital point.

Tit for tat! Equally matched! It was such a hard-fought battle!

The cold wind suddenly rose, mixed with cold snow and ice hitting their faces. They were very close, sharing breath, skin touching skin. From a distance, one might think they were embracing intimately, whispering sweet nothings, but only the nearby wind, snow, and plum blossoms could feel how tense the atmosphere was.

“Zhuge Yue, the enmity between us is as deep as the sea, with no day of resolution. I don’t kill you today only because I don’t want to implicate Yan Xun. Your head, I temporarily leave on your neck. As long as I live one day, it will not belong to you for that day.”

Zhuge Yue sneered, “Just you?”

“Just me!” Chu Qiao’s voice was resolute, pronouncing each word distinctly, “The children of the Jing family will not die in vain.”

“Good!” Releasing her, spinning away, and picking up the remnant red sword from the ground, Zhuge Yue stood under the plum tree, coldly saying, “I’ll wait for you. When you have that ability, come back to reclaim this sword.”

The north wind swept up fiercely. Chu Qiao stood in place, watching Zhuge Yue’s gradually receding figure, her hand at her side gradually clenching.

Everything just now was merely an act.

With the return date approaching, how could there be time to entangle with the Zhuge family? Back then, Zhuge Yue had spared her, not exposing her identity, instead letting Little Eight be the scapegoat, being executed by dismemberment as the assassin of the Zhuge elder. Now his return marked the beginning of a crisis.

Let him wait, wait for her to take revenge. As long as he didn’t take the initiative to attack, and didn’t expose her identity, it would give Yan Xun precious time.

Whether he believed it or not, it was worth the risk.

The winter plums bloomed fiercely, the残阳 like blood. The woman’s slender figure stood on the vast lake surface, appearing desolate yet strong.

Zhuge Yue didn’t look back. His brows were tightly knitted, his gaze profound, with intense sparks clashing within.

“This person cannot be allowed to remain.”

Walking out of the plum garden, the young master of the Zhuge family slowly raised his face, letting the snow fall on his cheeks.

Time was running out. He couldn’t passively wait for others to come to him, nor could he give others the time and opportunity to develop and grow stronger.

“Xing’er, do you think Zhuge Yue is still the Fourth Young Master from seven years ago?”

Seven years of tempering, struggling to survive amidst human hearts and cunning, witnessing bloody conflicts among relatives—would he still be as credulous as before?

“Young Master.” Zhu Cheng approached, presenting a sealed letter.

Zhuge Yue tore open the envelope, read it, then lit a match and burned the letter. He asked in a deep voice, “What did he say?”

“He said he’s willing to ally with the Young Master. Once successful, the Zhuge clan will not be treated unfairly.”

“Heh,” Zhuge Yue laughed coldly, “Little wolf cub, still sitting in the mud ditch but already fantasizing about rewards in the sky. I would rather support Zhao Che than watch him grow powerful.”

“However, we can use him to drive a wedge between Zhao Che and the Mu He clan.”

Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow, “Father said so?”

Zhu Cheng nodded, “Yes.”

“Good.” Throwing away the burnt paper ash, Zhuge Yue stared at the flying ashes on the ground, murmuring, “Zhao Yang, the fourteenth son of the Emperor…”

“Young Master,” Zhu Cheng called out to Zhuge Yue, who was about to leave, and softly said, “Xing’er, she…”

“Have someone watch her. If there’s any unusual movement,” pausing slightly at this point, “follow the original plan.”

With that, he stepped forward. Zhu Cheng stood stunned in place. The original plan, what original plan? To kill?

At this moment, the person who had just left suddenly stopped turned back, and said in a low voice, “Remember, keep her alive.”

Zhu Cheng was startled by his own thoughts, quickly kneeling to the ground, loudly saying, “This servant obeys the command.”

The strong wind soared, and when he raised his head, the person before him had already disappeared.

Chu Qiao stood for a while, then left the plum garden alone. On the other side of the emerald lake, where flowers swayed and pine trees stood tall, the figures of A Jing and Yan Xun slowly emerged.

“A Jing, did Zhuge Yue notice you when you led him to Xuan Men Road earlier?”

“No,” A Jing answered firmly and solemnly, “I was very careful.”

Yan Xun nodded, saying slowly in a low voice, “That’s good.”

“Young Master,” Jing frowned puzzledly, “Why were you so sure Zhuge Yue would help the young miss?”

“Hehe,” Yan Xun chuckled lightly, “I’m sure he’s also wondering about this question himself. Why would he help A Chu?”

Yan Xun spoke words A Jing couldn’t understand, “Perhaps only I in this world understand him, know why he would do this.”

“A Jing, you need to be more alert from now on. The Zhuge family has been drawn in, making the situation more complex. Double the night watchmen. Once discovered, kill without mercy.”

A Jing was startled, “Kill? Young Master, is this permissible?”

“Don’t worry, it’s permissible because even if they lose people, no one will dare to speak out. The deeper and more chaotic this pool of water, the more advantageous it is for us.”