“Ugh…” The attacker grunted, stepped back two paces, then steadied himself and quickly pressed forward.

A war blade slashed down. Qing Xia rolled on the ground, dodging the blade’s edge. She pulled out a dagger from her soft boot and threw it backhand, relying purely on instinct toward her opponent.

The attacker was also skilled, clanging as he blocked the fierce incoming dagger. Qing Xia’s eyes were especially sharp in the darkness. With one glance, she already saw the cold gleam of the falling dagger. She leaned sideways, crouched and jumped up, grabbing the falling dagger and charging forward with the blade. Half-crouching on the ground, she stabbed downward at the man’s foot.

“Hmph!” A rough, cold grunt immediately rang out. Qing Xia bent her arm and used her elbow to block the opponent’s knee strike. With her other hand, she grabbed his ankle and twisted hard. With a bang, he crashed heavily to the ground.

“Don’t move!” The ice-cold dagger instantly pressed against the opponent’s carotid artery. Qing Xia coldly stepped forward, kneeling down to slam hard into his stomach as she commanded coldly.

From the start of fighting to capturing him took less than five seconds, completely demonstrating the superior qualities and perfect combat techniques of modern special forces.

The man gasped heavily, the cold blade carrying the unique aura of a soldier.

Qing Xia pressed down tightly on the man, asking in a cold voice, “Who are you?”

“You’re a woman?” Instead of answering, the man Qing Xia had subdued asked in surprise.

Seeing he wouldn’t answer, Qing Xia suddenly raised her fist and punched him hard in the stomach. The man immediately bent over with a muffled groan, but didn’t cry out.

“I’m the one asking you.” The ice-cold voice came from Qing Xia’s mouth. She couldn’t be blamed for her ruthless methods. If her identity was exposed now, not only would she die without a burial place, but she would also implicate Yang Feng. She really couldn’t take that risk.

“Miss, please stop.”

A slightly aged voice suddenly rang out from the corner! Qing Xia was greatly startled, not expecting there to be others here. With her skills, she had been careless enough not to know someone was hidden so close. “We are merely passersby and don’t know you, miss. This is just a misunderstanding. Please release my friend.”

“Misunderstanding?” Qing Xia said coldly. Her surprise lasted less than a second before she regained her composure. In the darkness, the black-clothed woman slightly raised her eyebrows, asking in a low voice, “If I weren’t lucky, I might have died at your general’s hands already, yet you so easily tell me it’s a misunderstanding.”

Silence fell in the darkness. In less than half a moment, a dim yellow lantern suddenly glowed faintly. Qing Xia’s tight black clothing was completely exposed. The black face covering made her ink-black eyes even more prominent. Her graceful figure in the night was filled with the beauty of strength and softness. Qing Xia still knelt on the man, the sharp dagger at his throat, coldly watching the people standing before her.

Dark blue coarse hemp shirts, iron-blue masks, about twenty or more figures hidden at the alley’s end, silent as death. Yet just from their standing postures, one could tell they were all martial arts masters.

An elderly man with slightly graying hair stood among the crowd, his back slightly hunched. Beside him was a small blue cloth sedan chair. The sedan sat quietly amid everyone’s protection, its blue cloth curtains still and motionless, without the slightest ripple.

The old man looked at Qing Xia with gentle eyes, saying in a low voice, “Miss, if we truly wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t be standing here safe and sound now.”

This was extremely impolite, but Qing Xia knew they absolutely had that capability. Just from being able to hide so close without her detecting them was enough to know these people’s strength was not to be underestimated. Their earlier sending of one person to ambush her probably wasn’t with killing intent. It was her display of superhuman combat ability that caused the other party’s misunderstanding.

“Elder Yun, let her go.” A low voice suddenly came from the sedan chair. The old man immediately bent to listen respectfully, then turned to tell Qing Xia, “My master says to let you go. You may leave.”

Qing Xia slowly stood up, cautiously watching the opponent’s forces. She carefully retreated, then suddenly kicked up the long blade the man had dropped, leaping sideways into the air. Her other foot followed, kicking hard at the blade’s handle. The blade immediately shot through the air with lightning speed. Amid everyone’s stunned stares and low exclamations, it embedded steadily in the front edge of the blue cloth sedan.

“If I truly wanted to kill you all, you wouldn’t be standing here safe and sound either.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Qing Xia suddenly leaped up, forcefully running forward two steps, then stepping up the wall beside her.

Step! Tread! Leap! Three steps up the wall over three meters high, and Qing Xia was instantly standing atop it. The graceful woman in the darkness stood on the residents’ rooftops, and with a few bounds, leaped into the courtyard walls of Southern Chu’s heavenly prison.

“Master!” The white-bearded elder said with slight panic.

“Southern Chu is becoming more and more lively,” the low voice slowly came from the sedan chair, a pair of slender hands gently emerging from the curtains. “Go investigate this woman’s background. Everyone else, follow me out of the city.”

Everyone responded with a roar. In less than half an incense stick’s time, the dark alley once again fell into complete silence.

The full moon in the sky was large and bright, coldly illuminating the ground covered with chilling white frost.

Sudden chaotic footsteps approached. Qing Xia hid in the Military Headquarters’ armory, secretly frowning and thinking, “I can’t be this unlucky, can I? Taking weapons for a mission at this time?”

But facts proved her recent luck really wasn’t very good. After leaving the alley, she had actually been tailed by that group of mysterious people. She had used every method to shake off her pursuers. Who would have thought that just as she hid here, she’d encounter the camp’s nighttime operation. It was too late to escape now. There was no door or path here – except breaking through walls or charging out to fight them head-on. And Qing Xia knew very clearly what would happen if they saw her current outfit.

Cold sweat slowly flowed down her forehead. Qing Xia gripped her sharp dagger, her eyes gradually taking on a fierce look. If there was no other way, she could only fight her way out.

“Mmph!” Suddenly, a large hand covered Qing Xia’s mouth. Qing Xia was greatly alarmed, her dagger flashing back like lightning while her other hand quickly struck back, grabbing the throat of whoever was behind her. Her fingers pressed down hard as her right foot swept back in a spinning kick, hooking the opponent’s ankle and pulling hard. The attacker released his restraint on her and fell in front of Qing Xia.

Yang Feng! Qing Xia’s eyes widened, staring at Yang Feng’s handsome face, momentarily stunned. Just then, Yang Feng’s body crashed to the ground with a bang, raising a cloud of dust.

“Who’s there!” A stern shout immediately rang out. The people from the Military Headquarters who had come laughingly to get weapons heard the commotion and asked cautiously.

“Uh, it’s me!” Yang Feng answered, quickly getting up. His eyebrows raised as he pulled off Qing Xia’s black face covering and shoulder clothing. Her snow-white smooth shoulders and face were exposed simultaneously. A flash of anger passed through Qing Xia’s eyes as she glared at him furiously, but Yang Feng showed no awareness. His hands moved lightning-fast, pulling out the blue cloth binding Qing Xia’s hair. Her full head of black hair cascaded down.

“It’s me!” Yang Feng rolled and stood up, quickly running out to the several soldiers outside, smiling apologetically in a low voice, “It’s just me here.”

“It’s you?” A soldier recognized Yang Feng’s face and quickly lowered his guard. Another guard beside him, seeing Yang Feng covered in dust, asked puzzledly, “What are you doing here at this time, boy? Is there anyone else back there?”

“No, no one,” Yang Feng quickly replied, his expression flickering with panic and unease. “Really no one, just me alone.”

“Hmph! I see you won’t cry until you see the coffin.” The soldier said with a lewd smile, ignoring Yang Feng’s attempts to stop him as he lifted the red spear tassel in the armory, immediately stunned by what he saw.

A charming woman with her head lowered, her full black hair flowing smoothly down, scattered over her snow-white rounded shoulders. In the darkness, the woman’s face couldn’t be seen clearly – only her pointed chin, smooth as congealed fat in the cool air, gleaming with alluring luster.

“Captain, sir.” Yang Feng hurriedly stepped forward, blocking in front of Qing Xia and bowing deeply to the leading man, quickly saying, “I don’t understand the rules. Please punish me, Captain.”

“You scoundrel! You’ve got quite the nerve, bringing prostitutes into the military camp! Are you tired of living?” The captain shouted. The people behind him finally came to their senses, all loudly questioning Yang Feng with somewhat lecherous expressions.

“Sir, Captain sir, brothers, please keep your voices down! If people outside hear this, will I still have my life?” Yang Feng said urgently, looking nervous and frequently glancing outside, carefully apologizing to the soldiers.

“Alright, alright,” the captain laughed heartily, punching Yang Feng’s shoulder hard and scolding with a laugh, “Seeing as you usually know how to behave, we brothers will help you cover this up. When you get promoted and make your fortune, don’t forget us brothers!”

“Of course, of course,” Yang Feng quickly replied with grateful tears, saying solemnly, “The kindness of all you brothers is like giving me a second life. Even if I go to the ends of the earth, I’ll remember all your brothers’ goodness.”

“Yang boy got promoted to the Black Guards but still knows how to treat people right. We brothers will all depend on you from now on.” One soldier said with a laugh, while someone beside him asked, “Which brothel is that woman from? You’re bold, and she’s fat with courage too, daring to take business here. Making money without caring about her life, eh?”

“Alright, everyone go out first. Yang Feng, we’re heading back. You quickly clean this up properly. Your Black Guards seemed to have something going on just now, so hurry over there too.”