A threat?

Concede, or he’d wipe out an entire clan?

Bai Feiyao’s threat instantly stirred outrage throughout the hall. This young master truly had not a shred of grace about him!

Losing, refusing to admit it, and still acting this arrogant and unreasonable—if no one could bring him to heel tonight, and word of this ever reached the Longyuan mainland, what standing would Liuxian Isle have left at all?

“Yu Xiao, don’t be afraid of him, we’ve got your back!”

“Yu Xiao, make him concede. If he wants to wipe out a clan, let him come for all of us!”

“Liuxian Isle won’t tolerate scum like this—just kill him already!”

…

For a moment, the shouts of support were deafening. Jun Beiyue said nothing, simply watching Yu Xiao, who didn’t disappoint him—wasting no more words on Bai Feiyao, he abruptly raised his short sword!

But just then, Bai Feiyao cried out in alarm, his face draining of color. “Wait!”

His “wait” meant nothing at all—no need to pay it any mind.

Yu Xiao didn’t stop, and just as the blade was about to come slashing down, Bai Feiyao finally caved. “Fine, I concede!”

The sword froze mid-swing. The hall’s clamor cut off just as abruptly.

It had to be admitted—that outcome had come far too suddenly, too unexpectedly. Though everyone had been hoping for Bai Feiyao to concede, no one had actually expected him to give in so easily.

What was he so afraid of? Why wouldn’t he allow anyone to touch his clothes? What secret was hidden in all this?

Yu Xiao himself stood frozen, momentarily unable to process what had happened. As the young master of the isle’s third-ranked family, defeating this genius from the second-ranked family—renowned across Liuxian Isle since childhood—was something he’d never even dared to imagine.

And yet here Bai Feiyao was, conceding to him, publicly, in front of everyone!

But amid the silence, Jun Beiyue spoke up flatly, “Didn’t we already say—apologize first, then concede?”

At those words, no one had quite caught up yet, but Ziqing couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing at once.

Jun Beiyue, honestly—don’t do this!

At this rate, no one in the world would ever dare cross him again! It didn’t matter that no one else understood—Jun Beiyue’s patience tonight was clearly holding strong. He said flatly, “Yu Xiao, have him apologize first, then concede.”

“Jun Beiyue!” Bai Feiyao gritted his teeth so hard he could have bitten straight through—he wanted nothing more than to lunge at him and tear into him.

But Jun Beiyue paid him no mind at all, his naturally cold, deep-set eyes fixed on Yu Xiao. Yu Xiao didn’t dare hold that gaze directly—the moment their eyes met, he looked away at once. But somehow, drawing on sheer nerve, he actually spoke up loudly, scolding, “Bai Feiyao, you feigned drunkenness, dishonest and dishonorable—you owe me and everyone here an apology!”

To Bai Feiyao, such a demand was utterly absurd. She snorted coldly and was about to snap back furiously, but Yu Xiao immediately raised his sword and hooked it under her collar, threatening her outright!

Taking another deep breath, he said seriously, “Bai Feiyao, get this straight—right now, who exactly is threatening whom? Apologize!”

Bai Feiyao’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head, but she had no choice but to comply.

Never mind the humiliation that one slash of Yu Xiao’s sword might bring—if her identity as a woman were ever exposed, that would be the single most devastating blow her Bai family could possibly suffer!

“Young Master Yu, my apologies!”

“Everyone here, my apologies!”

She said it loudly, her sharp gaze burning straight into Jun Beiyue. This debt, she would settle in full one day, with interest.

But this time, Yu Xiao had learned his lesson—without needing Jun Beiyue’s prompting, he spoke up at once. “Concede!”

What?!

Hadn’t she just conceded once already?

“Yu Xiao, a petty man given a little power! Don’t push this too far!” Bai Feiyao practically roared.

“Prince Yao said it himself—apologize first, then concede!” Yu Xiao insisted, deadly serious.

“I concede, Yu Xiao—this young master’s capacity for drink simply doesn’t match yours!” Bai Feiyao bellowed!

At that, Yu Xiao was finally satisfied. A faint, timid smile crept onto his lips, though he didn’t dare laugh outright. He immediately sheathed his short sword, bowed respectfully to Jun Beiyue, and withdrew!

Perhaps the crowd around them hadn’t gotten a clear enough view, but standing so close, he had plainly seen the fear on Bai Feiyao’s face!

Not anger—genuine, real fear. Yu Xiao simply couldn’t understand it, try as he might—why would a grown man be so terrified of having his clothes torn off in front of others?

Unable to help himself, he paused, turning his head back—only to see Jun Beiyue, sword still pointed at Bai Feiyao, slowly sheathing his blade, the edge of it passing just over Bai Feiyao’s head.

Jun Beiyue had drawn his sword, but he had no further reason to keep tormenting Bai Feiyao, did he?

Surely this matter should come to a close now!

But just as Yu Xiao was about to turn away, Jun Beiyue’s long sword suddenly flashed—a blur of light streaking past in an instant!

Everyone in the hall instantly held their breath. What was Jun Beiyue trying to do?!

Even Ziqing froze slightly—surely this man wasn’t planning to actually kill someone?

This was no place for killing, and Bai Feiyao wasn’t someone who could simply be killed on a whim!

Even the imperial court had its own rules—a life for a life.

The blade of the martial world showed no mercy, true—but even the martial world had its own code of conduct, didn’t it?

Bai Feiyao, clearly startled too, let out a sudden, sharp scream as the white jade hairpin atop her head suddenly went crack!, shattering into pieces and scattering to the ground—and with it, a full cascade of ink-black hair tumbled loose and fell.

Jun Beiyue didn’t spare her another glance, sheathed his sword, and turned to walk toward Ziqing.

And at that instant, gasps of shock erupted from every direction, nearly the entire hall crying out at once!

“A woman!”

“Heavens! She’s a woman!”

“How… could there possibly be a mistake? How is this even possible?!”…

Slumped in the middle of the hall, utterly disheveled, hair falling loose around her—Young Master Bai, Bai Feiyao, was actually a woman!

Even with the light makeup carefully applied, even in her fine white riding attire, once that cascade of ink-black hair fell loose, it was unmistakable—she was a woman.

Look at her however you wanted, there was no mistaking it now.

And to think—this Young Master Bai had been renowned across Liuxian Isle since the age of three, the only child of the head of the Bai family, the sole heir of the Bai family’s main line, held in the highest esteem imaginable!

At fifteen, already showing extraordinary talent, she had become the representative young master of Liuxian Isle, hailed as the isle’s most promising heir.

And now, she’d even been favored to take first place in the year-end ranking tournament for rising talents!

How could she possibly be a woman?!

If that were true, then didn’t that mean the Bai family, just like the Gu family, had no male heir at all?!

Amid the swelling cries of shock, Jun Beiyue returned to Ziqing’s side, smiling faintly, lifting his robe as he sat back down, still holding her hand tight.

“A woman…” Ziqing let out a wry, astonished laugh.

Jun Beiyue, oh Jun Beiyue—you really don’t hold back, do you. With this one move, how was Bai Feiyao, how was the entire Bai family, ever going to recover from this?

Bai Feiyao sat frozen, utterly blank, her mind completely empty.

She never could have imagined it would end like this!

She had guarded herself so carefully, all this time. She’d even conceded, even apologized—and yet, with nothing more than a single motion of sheathing his sword, Jun Beiyue had exposed the secret she’d buried deep in her heart, day and night, for twenty long years!

How could this man do such a thing?!

She hated him—she genuinely hated herself for having so many reservations when she’d poisoned him. If only she’d known, she would have simply killed him outright from the start!

Bai Feiyao suddenly slumped forward, collapsing onto the ground, her long hair veiling her ashen face. She glared at Jun Beiyue with pure hatred, and just as she was about to strike—a sharp, cutting voice rang out from behind. “Gu Jun, do you really think my Bai family is so easy to bully?”

Who was this?