“Jiema Agu?” A Mo Ye raised her small eyebrows in confusion, asking softly.

“It’s nothing,” Qing Xia patted her small head, saying, “Let’s go.”

“Miss, please wait!” A clear, melodious voice suddenly rang out. From the sound, this cry was exactly the same as the scream from just moments before. Qing Xia slowly turned around, her mouth corners carrying a faint smile, her eyes slightly moving as she glanced wickedly at the approaching person.

The brocade-robed young master hurriedly emerged from behind the large tree, his silk brocade robes still pristine, except for some wear on the knees – a product of being tripped by Qing Xia earlier. His face was handsome, his skin fair, surrounded by fragrant scents. Even from far away, one could smell the finest incense. A pair of fox-like narrow eyes smiled as they looked at Qing Xia. Despite this refined young gentleman’s appearance, his forehead bore a large, red, swollen bump that was slightly bleeding, making him look rather comical.

Yet he seemed completely unaware of this. Seeing Qing Xia stop her horse, he hurriedly dismounted from Quick Snow, whose nose had been broken by Qing Xia. He handsomely flicked his sleeve and cupped his hands in a distant greeting to Qing Xia, performing a bow as he said in a clear voice, “This humble scholar is surnamed Qin, named Zhiyan. Having the fortune to meet the young lady twice is like seeing a celestial being. In my abruptness, I ask for the young lady’s forgiveness. This humble one offers his respects.”

Qing Xia raised an eyebrow, a glint flashing through her eyes. Seeing his poor scholar’s demeanor, she smiled faintly and said softly, “General Qin Zhiyan, the War God of Qin? You don’t look like him to me.”

“Hmm?” The brocade-robed young master frowned, then relaxed as he said, “It’s kind of the young lady to have heard of my great name. But this humble scholar is indeed the genuine Qin Zhiyan, authentic and reliable, no deception to young or old. Young lady, don’t let my handsome appearance and beautiful looks make you disbelieve that I’m that legendary general without charm, with a face like solid ice. Actually, I’m quite easygoing on the battlefield.”

“Is that so?” Qing Xia smiled slightly, saying, “Then I was truly mistaken. But I wonder what business General Qin has sneaking around behind me?”

“Business? Not really.” The brocade-robed young master laughed heartily, saying, “This humble one just wants to know the young lady’s name, where she lives, and who’s in her household. This humble one greatly admires the young lady and fell in love at first sight. I want to choose an auspicious day to take the young lady as my seventeenth concubine. Hehe, I won’t hide from the young lady – my residence has hundreds and thousands of beauties, but only sixteen truly have status. Moreover, this humble one hasn’t married a wife yet, so after the young lady enters the residence, she won’t fear being bullied by others.”

“A toad wanting to eat swan meat! Jiema Agu would never be your little wife!” A Mo Ye was furious upon hearing this. The child raised her little head and scolded in her childish voice.

“Jiema Agu?” The brocade-robed man raised an eyebrow, saying delightedly, “So the young lady isn’t a northern barbarian – that’s even better.”

“A Mo Ye, don’t speak carelessly.” Qing Xia frowned slightly at A Mo Ye, saying, “General Qin is Qin’s supreme general and the royal family’s Third Prince. Young and powerful, he’s a contemporary hero. Being married by him as a concubine would also be fortunate.”

“Jiema Agu?” A Mo Ye pouted her small mouth, saying in confusion.

“Haha, the young lady truly has good insight.” The brocade-robed young master was delighted, clapping his hands and laughing loudly.

Qing Xia raised her head, gently furrowing her moth-like brows, saying in confusion, “But how can a woman’s name be told in public like this?”

“Hmm, if she were a Han woman, indeed it couldn’t be.”

“General Qin, lean your ear over. I’ll only tell you alone.” Qing Xia’s eyebrows lifted slightly, her mouth corners smiling gently with a particularly shy beauty like flowers reflecting in water, like the moon emerging from clouds.

“Good!” The brocade-robed young master held his gold-decorated folding fan, slapped it into his palm, and strode forward.

Qing Xia smiled gently, her pair of eyes as if they could drip water. At this moment, if Chu Li were standing here and saw Qing Xia’s expression, he would immediately know the future looked grim. Unfortunately, the handsomely dressed young master, always extremely confident in his charm, still strode forward boldly until he reached Qing Xia’s horse, smiling as he said, “Young lady may speak now.”

Qing Xia bent down slightly, bringing her face close to his, saying softly, “Lean your ear over.”

The handsomely dressed young master obediently leaned forward. Qing Xia suddenly smiled and swung her hand, thrusting out a sharp dagger. Who knew that the handsomely dressed young master also laughed heartily, his hand moving like lightning as he tightly grasped Qing Xia’s wrist, frivolously bringing it to his nose for a sniff, smiling as he said, “So fragrant, so fragrant.”

Qing Xia’s eyes flashed as her leg, which had been resting on the horse’s reins, suddenly flew up to kick at the man’s jaw. The handsomely dressed young master was no simple opponent either. He dodged to the side, released Qing Xia’s hand, and instead grabbed her small leg, giving it a gentle squeeze as he said, “Flexible and resilient, elastic – indeed, only young ladies who’ve practiced martial arts can have such good texture.”

Qing Xia didn’t get angry. She curved her hand into a claw and suddenly grabbed at the man’s hat along with the hair inside, lifting upward. The handsomely dressed young master’s body rose with it. With one hand braced on the horse’s back and the other arm around Qing Xia’s slender waist, he smiled wickedly, “Delicate and slender – truly the fine figure of a Han woman.”

“Is that so?” Qing Xia released his hat and extended two fingers toward his eyes.

The handsomely dressed young master tilted his neck to dodge, his form instantly rising higher as he caught Qing Xia’s two fingers between his own, smiling as he said, “But her temperament is even more bold than northern women – I like it.”

“A Mo Ye!”

“Got it!”

Qing Xia called out, and the little girl in her arms immediately extended her small fists to punch at the handsomely dressed young master. Though young, this punch came with considerable force. The brocade-robed young master, with one hand holding Qing Xia and the other braced on the horse’s back, couldn’t retaliate. Though he wasn’t afraid, being punched in the face by such a small child would be quite embarrassing, especially in front of the woman he admired. With no choice, he had to release his hands and gracefully drop from the horse, standing steady on the ground as he laughed heartily, “Is the young lady testing her future husband’s martial arts?”

“Yes!” Qing Xia smiled like a flower, tilting her head adorably as she said, “And obviously, you don’t qualify.”

The handsomely dressed young master frowned, about to speak, when suddenly Qing Xia yanked the horse’s reins and shouted fiercely, galloping away like lightning. The young master was startled and just about to chase when he suddenly felt his ankle tighten. In an instant, the world spun as he was lifted upside down and hoisted into the air.

“Young Master!” “Master!” “Ah, catch that woman!” The subordinates were shocked and screamed in unison.

“Whoa!” Qing Xia called out, and the black horse obediently stopped. The young master, hanging head-down, suddenly felt pain in his feet – he had reached the top.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the handsomely dressed young master hanging high in the tree, not knowing what to do. They turned in unison to look at the rope tied to Qing Xia’s big black horse, their eyes almost shooting fire.

This trap had originally been prepared for Mu Gudai and his gang. Who knew those fools couldn’t even pass her first test – more than forty men just fled with their tails between their legs, utterly useless. Thus, it benefited this flashy fool instead.

Qing Xia looked up at the brocade-clothed young master hanging high in the tree, smiling as she called out loudly, “Young Master, how’s the scenery up there?”

The young man still didn’t forget to speak flirtatiously, smiling as he said, “The view is expansive, the wind fresh and air crisp, and I can better appreciate the young lady’s peerless beauty.”

Qing Xia laughed heartily, saying, “Then continue enjoying it up there. This humble woman has business to attend to and cannot accompany you.” Having spoken, she turned to leave.

“Hey! Let our young master down first!” A guard suddenly shouted loudly.

“Idiot!” The brocade-robed young master, seeing Qing Xia turn back with a wicked smile, immediately sensed trouble and scolded his subordinate loudly.

“This big brother makes a good point.” Qing Xia pursed her lips delicately, suddenly raising her dagger and looking at the brocade-robed young master with a giggle, “Young Master, then I’ll let you down.”

“Ah! Don’t!” Unable to maintain his suave smile any longer, the brocade-robed young master nervously shouted.

Qing Xia raised her fair hand, and the rope tied to the horse was cut with a swish. The brocade-robed young master screamed as he plummeted head-first to the ground.

“Young Master!” The group rushed forward desperately from under the tree, but still couldn’t prevent him from seeing stars and landing in a sprawl.

From far away, Qing Xia’s voice drifted over: “You use someone else’s name to commit misdeeds. Today, I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of Qin’s Third Prince.” Having spoken, she rode away.

By the time the brocade-robed young master struggled to his feet in embarrassment, Qing Xia had long since disappeared in a cloud of dust into the vast snowy plains.

After running for barely half a tea time, urgent hoofbeats sounded ahead. Qing Xia cautiously reined in her horse and saw Xu Da Lie galloping toward them like lightning.

“Qing Xia! Are you all right?” Seeing Qing Xia, Xu Da Lie’s eyes brightened as he spurred his horse forward.

The small girl in her arms wrinkled her pretty little brows and said sullenly, “Big Brother, I was the one who got kidnapped, but you only ask about Jiema Agu. Don’t you know to ask about A Mo Ye?”

Xu Da Lie laughed heartily and took A Mo Ye from Qing Xia’s hands, saying, “It’s good that you’re safe. Mother is still waiting at home, worried sick. You go back first – I’ll be there shortly.”

Qing Xia said, “Are you going to cause trouble for Mu Gudai and his gang?”

Xu Da Lie’s eyebrows rose as he said coldly, “How can I spare them for daring to target my brother’s family while I was away?”

“Forget it,” Qing Xia grabbed his horse’s reins, saying in a deep voice, “Don’t go.”

“Jiema Agu already taught them a lesson,” the quick-tongued A Mo Ye said excitedly, “Jiema Agu cut off Mu Gudai’s hand!”