Seeing the black-clad figure, Ziqing’s first instinct was to give chase, but the figure suddenly doubled back toward her. She immediately turned to the side to avoid him, only to realize the black-clad figure had already spotted her.

Ziqing took one glance and immediately took stock—the same night-travel clothing, the same tall, powerful build, the same black-masked face, dark hair bound up high, nothing that could reveal his identity!

The black-clad figure said nothing, staring at her with suspicion, and Ziqing said nothing either, remaining on guard. Their eyes locked, and for a moment time seemed to freeze. Then, suddenly, Ziqing’s figure flashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. Quick as lightning, her right hand blocked a punch he threw at her, while her left hand reached for his mask. The black-clad man immediately moved to block, striking down hard on her left hand, his technique precise, landing squarely on her wrist bone, leaving her left hand temporarily useless from the pain. But her right hand seized his large fist, her fingers curling into claws, digging in sharply, rendering his hand immobile.

The black-clad man was startled and immediately clamped a hand around Ziqing’s throat. At the very same moment, Ziqing bent one leg and drove it upward, pressing it right against the most vulnerable spot on the man’s lower abdomen!

If he tightened his grip, she would surely have her neck broken. If she moved her leg, he would surely lose everything that made him a man!

After a fierce, brief exchange of blows, the two of them finally found themselves locked in a standoff.

“Heh, woman, you really are formidable!” the black-clad man finally spoke, his voice deliberately hoarse—a voice Ziqing knew all too well!

It really was him!

That deliberately hoarse, low voice was identical to the one she’d heard several times before!

Ziqing’s cold eyes darkened further, and the claws digging into his fist tightened. “Is that so? There’s more where that came from!”

The moment the words left her mouth, ignoring the hand clamped around her throat, she drove her knee upward viciously. But at the very same moment, the black-clad man’s hand at her throat opened into a palm strike and swung ferociously toward her!

Under normal circumstances, Ziqing should have retreated!

But instead, she didn’t budge at all, letting his palm crash violently toward her face, utterly disregarding the consequence, determined to end his manhood no matter what!

The black-clad man clearly hadn’t expected such ruthless resolve from this woman. He immediately withdrew his palm strike and jumped back!

But he hadn’t retreated far enough. Ziqing, still gripping his fist with some inexplicable burst of strength, yanked him back toward her at once, her knee slamming forward again!

A flash of anger crossed the black-clad man’s eyes—this woman held no deep grudge against him, so why was she being so vicious?

He immediately clenched his other hand into a fist as well, showing no mercy whatsoever, striking hard toward Ziqing’s right knee. Ziqing clearly couldn’t withstand the blow and began to buckle, but her previously injured left hand had already recovered, and she seized the chance to grab hold of his mask!

Just as she was about to yank it off, in a flash, the black-clad man caught her small hand and gripped it tightly!

Ziqing’s tightly clenched jaw finally relaxed, a wicked smile spreading across her lips. In the very next instant, her left knee slammed with a resounding “thud” straight into the black-clad man’s abdomen!

“Ugh…” the black-clad man let out a sudden, muffled groan, low and startlingly pained.

After that, everything went still. Amid their labored breathing, only the veins on the black-clad man’s forehead gradually bulged, one after another.

The two of them stood so close together, his left hand gripping Ziqing’s left hand, her right hand gripping his left, locked in close combat, every move fierce and merciless, holding nothing back.

Both of Ziqing’s knees were badly injured, and she could only barely support herself with what little leverage his left hand provided.

As for him, the part of his body a man prized most had already been severely wounded. If it weren’t for the small measure of resistance from Ziqing’s right hand, he would have already collapsed.

Stunned, after a moment he slowly lowered his head, and Ziqing followed his gaze downward!

There—blood was steadily dripping from beneath him!

At once, his eyes turned savage, and he roared with fury, “Han Ziqing, I’ll kill you!”

The moment the words left his mouth, his left hand released hers, instantly balling into a fist, swinging viciously toward the side of her face. At the same instant, Ziqing released her grip as well, throwing herself backward!

But he too had suffered grievous injuries and had no strength left. His punch struck nothing but air, and he instinctively crouched down, protecting his groin. Ziqing, both knees severely damaged, couldn’t stay standing either and fell backward onto the ground, not daring to move at all—her kneecaps were injured, and any further movement would surely cripple her legs for good.

One lay on the ground utterly drained of strength, the other knelt there trembling, both gasping for breath, thoroughly battered and disheveled!

Ziqing stared at the black-clad man, seething with resentment—she’d come so close, and yet she simply couldn’t move. If only she could, she would have bitten his mask right off, even if it meant using her own teeth!

Of course, trading her own legs for his true identity, for his life—she didn’t think that was a fair exchange.

She watched him coldly, a sinister smile curling at her lips, and suddenly cried out, “Help! Someone, help me! Help!”

At once, every light in the back courtyard of the residence flared to life. The black-clad man’s head snapped up, glaring at her furiously, his warning glare unable to fully mask the pain beneath it.

Beneath his mask, his mouth seemed clenched tight, jaw locked, glaring at Ziqing without a word, struggling to rise to his feet.

“If you’ve got any nerve left, don’t run!” Ziqing sneered, wild and unrestrained, dripping with provocation.

But the black-clad man couldn’t even manage to speak, clutching at his groin as he fled in humiliation.

Ziqing burst into unrestrained laughter. “Any man who dares defile my honor—this lady will castrate him first… and kill him after! Remember that!”

Before her words had even fully faded, his disheveled retreating figure had already vanished into the darkness…

At that moment, Hongyi and Shiliang came rushing over with a group of guards, alarmed to find Ziqing lying disheveled on the ground.

“Master, you…”

“Who did this!”

Hongyi demanded furiously, rushing to help Ziqing up, but Ziqing waved her off. “It’s nothing serious. Just got bumped into by some lunatic. Everyone else, step back. Hongyi, go fetch a physician.”

Everyone obeyed, leaving only Shiliang by her side. Shiliang said nothing, but her eyes were plainly filled with concern. She knelt beside Ziqing, not daring to ask further questions, gently wiping the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, carefully brushing back the strands of hair sticking to her face.

Watching her, Ziqing couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Shiliang, both my knees are injured to the bone. It hurts.”

Shiliang’s brow furrowed tightly as she anxiously examined Ziqing’s knees, unsure whether to move her or not, only able to offer comfort. “Master, please bear with it. The physician will be here soon. It’s a bone injury—I don’t dare move you!”

“Ha, I was just teasing you—it doesn’t hurt, I just can’t move it!” Ziqing said, breaking into cheerful laughter, clearly in good spirits.

“Master, your bones are injured, and it doesn’t hurt?” Shiliang didn’t believe it for a moment. Seeing her mistress smiling more and more often lately, she felt both puzzled and pleased—she wanted so badly to tell her mistress how adorable she looked when she smiled!

Ziqing pointed to her head. “The bones here have been injured before too. Anything below this point just doesn’t register as pain anymore!”

Shiliang’s eyes went wide with shock. Injuries to the skull? Wasn’t her mistress a young lady of a proper household? How could…

Just then, Hongyi arrived hurriedly with several physicians in tow. “Master, they’re here, they’re here—please bear with it a little longer!”

She was so anxious she was out of breath, her face flushed red, but the moment she saw Ziqing smiling, she froze in surprise. Ziqing immediately looked embarrassed, quickly wiping the smile from her face and saying coldly, “This matter is not to reach the Prince’s ears, under any circumstances!”

A Note to Readers:

Sneaking in an early update—none of you saw me here…