Ming Li’s gaze deepened as she looked toward the depths of the forest. Just as she activated her Heavy Eyes meridian to peer further into the distance, she sensed something unusual. She turned around and caught a leaf flying toward her.
The leaf, infused with someone’s Star Power, was as sharp as a blade. Had she not caught it when she turned, it would have carved a bone-deep gash across her face.
“As expected of a newcomer who entered Nan Que with a single meridian at full boundary. Your reflexes are quite impressive.”
A mocking voice echoed through the forest.
Ming Li crushed the leaf between her fingers and replied, “Martial Sister Jiang’s dog arrived rather quickly.”
The person was choked by her words, responding with a hint of anger: “Watch your words, little martial sister. I’ve come to retrieve what belongs to the Young Master. And you, of all the things you could steal, why take his? Listen to your martial brother’s advice: no matter how beautiful that bracelet is, if it’s not yours, don’t take it.”
Ming Li laughed, then suddenly released a massive wave of Star Power that swept across the surroundings. “You’re right. One shouldn’t take what doesn’t belong to them.”
The Star Power she released resembled a spider’s web, connecting the ground with the sky above, searching through everything from the flowers and grass on the ground to the tree trunks and branches to locate the hidden person.
Kong Yi hadn’t expected Ming Li to instantaneously release such enormous Star Power, covering such a wide range at such speed. He immediately retreated but was still discovered.
Ming Li raised her hand toward his location and pointed out a single word: “Slash.”
When Kong Yi saw the Star Power transform into blades emerging from the void and flying toward him, his heart jolted. Damn, she’s using lethal moves right from the start!
This person completely disregards martial sibling friendship!
Although he had come to cause trouble, he didn’t harbor any killing intent!
The flying blade fragments were numerous and swift. Ming Li’s merciless assault completely disrupted Kong Yi’s rhythm. He leaped backward several steps and landed on the ground from the tree, barely managing to dodge. His gaze toward Ming Li’s position showed obvious irritation.
“You’re not holding back at all!”
Ming Li asked with a serious expression: “Why should I be polite to you?”
Kong Yi was speechless, realizing she had a point.
Before he could respond, he heard the young woman’s clear voice say: “Sound Bind.”
Kong Yi raised his head in alarm. The Sound Bind shattered his sleeve and injured his skin, leaving a large red mark that burned intensely. If he hadn’t dodged just now, or if he had been slower, this arm would have been severed.
His expression grew solemn as he finally began to take this seriously, clearly realizing the opponent meant business. If he made another mistake, he might very well die here.
When the word “death” emerged in his mind, Kong Yi found it absurd, with a trace of fear spreading from deep within his heart.
Kong Yi took a deep breath, clenching his five fingers tightly and throwing a punch to intercept Ming Li’s Circulating Qi incantation. Their Star Power collided, bursting into sparks in broad daylight. Taking advantage of the moment when the Sound Bind effect was neutralized, he rushed forward to Ming Li and threw another punch.
I won’t be polite either!
Kong Yi’s punch was aimed at Ming Li’s face, enhanced by Star Power and his Body Techniques meridian. At minimum, it would knock out several teeth.
Drawing closer, he realized this young girl showed no fear toward his close-range attack. Her expression remained calm and composed. She merely raised her eyelids slightly and lifted her hand to counter with a punch of her own.
Kong Yi let out a snicker. She took the bait.
The five fingers of his raised right hand wore half-length black finger guards, a high-grade weapon. Blades could shoot out from these guards, capable of penetrating Star Power barriers and laced with poison.
As a cultivator, Kong Yi wasn’t particularly powerful, but he excelled at underhanded tactics.
Unfortunately, just as the blades shot out from the finger guards, Ming Li had already detected them and retreated. Moreover, a sword light flew in from a distance, striking Kong Yi back.
Who the hell came to interrupt?!
Kong Yi looked up in annoyance, but his expression changed slightly when he saw who had arrived.
The newcomer was the senior martial brother of the Jing Xiu Academy, Shan Siyuan, who pointed his sword at Kong Yi and said coldly: “What are you doing here?”
Kong Yi responded with a sneering tone: “Do you have to interfere even when I’m sparring with someone?”
Shan Siyuan glanced at Ming Li, then looked back at Kong Yi and said coldly: “Master collapsed from illness earlier. If she hadn’t discovered it in time, he might not have been saved. Not only are you doing those dirty deeds for the Young Master again, but you’re also using such vicious techniques against a fellow disciple. Where have all of Master’s teachings gone?”
Kong Yi’s face alternated between green and red at his words, his eyes filling with annoyance. He coldly mocked: “What I learn is none of your business. Master only cares about what you learn anyway. When I spar with someone, I’ll use whatever techniques I want. If you don’t like it, beg me to change!”
The coldness on Shan Siyuan’s face intensified.
Ming Li didn’t want to listen to these two argue and turned to leave, but Kong Yi pointed at her and shouted, “Stop!”
She looked back, but heard Shan Siyuan say: “Thank you for the matter with Master.”
Shan Siyuan stood between her and Kong Yi, his sword tip pointing at Kong Yi as he said: “Today, you will not disgrace Master in Jing Xiu.”
Kong Yi laughed angrily: “You’re the one disgracing Master! I told her to stop because I wanted to warn her not to go to Gui Xiu Academy today. People are waiting for her there, too.”
After speaking, he glared at Ming Li. “I’m telling you this only because you saved my Master!”
Ming Li asked: “Who from Gui Xiu Academy?”
Kong Yi stared at her wide-eyed, seemingly surprised by her question.
“You think I would tell you?!”
But Ming Li said, “You already said someone from Gui Xiu Academy is waiting. Why wouldn’t you tell me who from Gui Xiu Academy?”
Hearing this, Kong Yi thought it made perfect sense, so he quickly replied: “Xu Bin from Gui Xiu.”
Ming Li vaguely remembered him—the person who had fought with Qiu Hong at the new dormitory. She responded with “Oh,” and then asked: “What’s your name?”
Warning bells went off in Kong Yi’s mind. Why is she asking my name? She must be planning revenge!
So he said: “Shan Siyuan!”
The real Shan Siyuan beside him: “…”
Ming Li: “I’ll remember that.”
Kong Yi was delighted, thinking: She is planning revenge! Good thing I’m so smart!
As Ming Li turned to leave, Shan Siyuan expressionlessly said, “His name is Kong Yi. I’m Shan Siyuan.”
Kong Yi: “…”
Damn! All efforts wasted!
*
After safely leaving Jing Xiu, Ming Li continued with her remaining tasks. Time passed quickly in her busyness, as she would explore each academy thoroughly before leaving, noting the location of restricted areas in each and even guessing what might be inside them.
For instance, Nan Que’s Divine Weapons Repository was in Zhen Xiu.
The spiritual technique inheritance and the ancient texts library were in Liu Xiu.
The disciplinary tower for punishing disciples was in Xing Xiu.
Nan Que’s Star Chart recording the positions of fate stars was in Yi Xiu, and so on.
Ming Li observed that Nan Que was indeed powerful, possessing almost all of the best and strongest resources. Every disciple was extraordinary, though the internal factions were complex, and that was true everywhere.
However, she was puzzled by Shi Fei’s power aura emanating from Jing Xiu’s restricted area. If five years ago Nan Que had gone to Bei Dou to seize their sect-protecting treasure and seriously injured several academy heads and disciples, her father, who remained at Bei Dou as its guardian, couldn’t possibly have been unaware.
Ming Li pondered this as she realized the final stage of her task was to visit Gui Xiu.
By now, it was approaching sunset. At Gui Xiu, Ming Li helped divide medicinal materials that needed processing, earning gratitude from the Gui Xiu Medicinal Workshop disciples. When she finished, they enthusiastically gave her many healing medicines, exclaiming: “You’ll need these!”
Ming Li was bewildered as she accepted the medicine packages they forcefully handed to her.
The person continued with feeling: “I heard you offended the Young Master because you fought with Jiang Ying’s sister over becoming Cui Sheng’s first disciple—”
Ming Li: “…”
Had the rumors become this ridiculous?
The person waved dismissively and continued: “There are plenty of men with two legs in this world. Little martial sister, don’t hang yourself on one tree. If we can’t compete, so be it. Nan Que has many martial brothers who are excellent in physique, character, and ability, like me. Hey, martial sister? At least let me finish before leaving!”
Ming Li left the Gui Xiu Medicinal Workshop and encountered Xu Bin waiting to confront her at the river path below the workshop mountain.
Xu Bin stood in the middle of the path with his arms crossed, looking at her with a somewhat emotional gaze, saying: “If you agree to return the item…”
Before he could finish, Ming Li said, “I was the one who intervened and stopped your fight with Qiu Hong that day.”
Xu Bin was first stunned, then his expression changed slightly. His previously relaxed muscles and bones gradually tensed as he said in a deep voice: “How can you prove it?”
Ming Li, carrying a large stack of medicine packages, tilted her head to look at Xu Bin ahead of her and calmly said: “It’s simple. Fight me, and I’ll first cripple your right arm, then crush your Body Techniques meridian.”
“Your main star meridian is Body Techniques, and your primary spiritual technique is also based on it. Without it, you’d have to start your cultivation from scratch, plus you’d be missing an arm.”
As Ming Li finished speaking, Xu Bin’s expression had already become very unpleasant.
This newly arrived Yi Xiu martial sister looked obedient, beautiful, and harmless, but when she opened her mouth, her words could pierce you like a sieve.
Just look at what she said!
Cripple your right arm, then crush your star meridian.
So arrogant, yet Xu Bin dared not accept the challenge.
If she truly was the person who had intervened that day, then she wasn’t boasting—she could do it.
If he fought, he would lose an arm and his Body Techniques meridian. If he didn’t fight… it seemed there was no loss?
Xu Bin silently stepped aside, his tone stiff: “Don’t come to Gui Xiu until this matter is resolved.”
Ming Li said, “Give me something that proves your identity.”
Xu Bin didn’t understand: “What do you want it for?”
Ming Li looked up at him: “If you don’t give it to me, it means you’ve chosen to fight.”
Xu Bin: “…”
He was almost unable to restrain himself from shouting: Fight? You think I’m afraid of you? Yet when he met Ming Li’s calm eyes, he swallowed his words. Somehow, his instincts told him Ming Li wasn’t lying.
Xu Bin threw his Star Fate token to her with a dark face.
“Only high-level disciples of the Seven Academies have these.”
Ming Li stood still, and the Star Fate token fell to the ground with a clatter.
Xu Bin: “…”
Didn’t you want it?!
Ming Li blinked and said, “My hands are full. Put it on top of the medicine packages.”
A vein throbbed at Xu Bin’s temple for an instant. He was forced to bend down, pick it up, and carefully place it securely on top of her stack of medicine packages. Ming Li politely responded: “Thank you.”
“…You’re welcome.”
Xu Bin watched Ming Li’s departing figure and inwardly howled: What the hell am I doing?!
*
The high-level disciples from the seven academies who had come to help the Nan Que Young Master resolve the bracelet incident were urgently summoned together to discuss tactics.
Those who hadn’t fought with Ming Li were puzzled: “Is this necessary? Holding a strategy meeting just for a newcomer—isn’t that embarrassing?”
Kong Yi, who had fought with Ming Li, rolled his eyes: “You’ll understand when her Sound Bind explodes in your face.”
He raised his still-reddened arm and said: “If I hadn’t dodged quickly enough, this arm would be ruined. That girl strikes mercilessly—she starts with lethal moves. I just went to ask her to return a bracelet, but anyone watching would think we had some deep blood feud to the death!”
After seeing this, Xu Bin unconsciously rubbed his right arm, believing Ming Li’s words even more. He was grateful he hadn’t fought with her; otherwise, he might have lost an arm and his star meridian.
Someone hanging upside down from a tree while eating a steamed bun asked: “Is she really that formidable?”
A person sitting in the tree sneered: “Come on, Kong Yi himself is just weak against those skilled in the Circulating Qi meridian.”
Kong Yi pointed at Xu Bin: “Well, isn’t he supposed to be the nemesis of Circulating Qi meridian users? How come he couldn’t win either?”
Xu Bin said solemnly, “She is indeed very powerful.”
Qin Xin, who was eating the steamed bun, said: “I heard she passed the mountain entrance requirement with a single meridian at full boundary. That alone is remarkable—she’s a formidable character.”
“She could crush my Wind Thief Bird with her bare hands. I don’t doubt her strength.” Zhuang Shu, who was keeping watch, turned around and asked: “But aren’t you all curious why someone dares to steal the Young Master’s bracelet meant for his fiancée, and why he doesn’t personally take action but sends us to apply pressure?”
Sitting in the tree, You Tianzong pondered: “If we’re asking such questions, I’m more curious about how she dares to steal this bracelet and refuse to return it.”
Kong Yi mocked: “Keep overthinking, you two. At this rate, you might be the next target.”
You Tianzong shrugged and asked Zhuang Shu: “Has your Wind Thief Bird gathered any information on her movements? Let’s go together. I don’t believe we can’t handle this little girl.”
Zhuang Shu extended his hand to receive the returning Wind Thief Bird. After seeing the message, his expression turned strange as he said: “She’s gone back to Yi Xiu… with Xu Bin’s Star Fate token to find Jiang Ying.”
The others were stunned, then collectively realized: Not good, she might be planning to beat up the Young Master’s fiancée.
Zhuang Shu laughed awkwardly: “No way… she can’t be that bold, right?”
“Let’s go see,” said You Tianzong.