“Of course I want to spar with you, what else do you think I want to do?” Wu Caiwei asked with wide, feigned surprise.
“You… you’d better not regret it. You’re a lady of a prominent family, and I’m just a commoner. Naturally, I can’t fight you. But you’ve agreed to this yourself. If anything happens, don’t blame me,” Liu Dagui’s eyes darted back and forth. He saw this as his perfect opportunity for revenge. Even though the woman was strong, there were many subtleties in fighting.
“The same applies to me. If I lose, I won’t trouble you. If you lose, you can’t trouble me either. Shall we get some villagers to act as witnesses?” Wu Caiwei suggested. She knew she wouldn’t be staying long, but Hua Yi’s family would remain here. Many were their kin, people they couldn’t escape from for their entire lives. She didn’t want her presence to disrupt their peaceful lives.
“Do we really need to make such a big scene?” Liu Dagui hesitated. It wasn’t that he was afraid of losing and being humiliated. He was worried that if this lady were to expose his dealings in the gambling dens, his reputation in the entire village would be ruined.
“If you don’t want a big scene, fine. But don’t be a sore loser, or I’ll make sure everyone knows about your misdeeds in the city,” Wu Caiwei laid down the harsh terms.
Liu Dagui immediately nodded. He grabbed a stick from her and, without warning, swung it at her.
His angle was extremely tricky. He had always hit his mark with such attacks, believing this one to be foolproof. To his surprise, he met his match. Not only did she catch his swing, but she counterattacked.
Caught off guard, he took a direct hit. He almost dropped the stick. If he hadn’t been so afraid of being embarrassed in front of everyone, he would have reached for his shoulder, which throbbed with a searing pain.
Hua Yi’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled. She had never known her mistress to know martial arts. Everything had happened so fast; she hadn’t even had time to react before they were fighting. The words to intervene were stuck in her throat.
An experienced fighter knows their opponent’s strength at first contact. Liu Dagui now had to summon all his attention. He suspected it might have been a fluke, but he couldn’t rule out that she genuinely had the skill. Otherwise, why had she been so confident earlier?
He gripped the stick tightly, wanting to probe her further. If he truly couldn’t defeat her, a wise man knows when to yield. He would quickly beg for mercy.
Sensing her nimble hand movements, he raised the stick and charged at her, his ultimate target being her legs.
Wu Caiwei calmly extended her stick, hooked his weapon with a strong pull, and watched as the stick flew out of his grasp, leaving him helpless.
Wu Caiwei looked at the man standing foolishly in front of her, sneering contemptuously. She kicked him in the chest. He collapsed onto the ground uncontrollably, spitting a mouthful of blood.
Hua Yi’s family had never witnessed such a bloody scene. They also had no idea their mistress was a skilled martial artist. Recalling their interactions, they couldn't find any reason to have offended her and breathed a sigh of relief.
Wu Caiwei slowly approached. The man instinctively crawled backward. She looked down at him and said, “From now on, avoid me. Today was just a small lesson. Fortunately, you didn’t marry Hua Yi. If you had, and then wronged her, you would have lost your life by now. If I ever find out you retaliate against the Liu family, you won’t be so lucky next time.”
“No… I wouldn’t dare,” Liu Dagui was truly terrified now. He had been a thug in gambling dens for years and was adept at reading people. Some individuals were simply not meant to be crossed. Although he felt a pang of resentment, his life was far more important.
Seeing that the lady intended to spare him, he stumbled to his feet, endured the pain, and hastily retreated.
“Mis… Mistress, are you alright?” Hua Yi, after a moment of hesitation, cautiously approached and asked in a low voice.
“I’m fine. How could I not be? Go and fight someone else and see how you fare,” Wu Caiwei replied irritably.
Hua Yi scratched her head, puzzled. If others fought, they would surely be injured. But her mistress seemed to have engaged in a one-sided brawl. The opponent hadn’t even touched her skirt. How could she be hurt? She figured her mistress was joking. Yes, that must be it, she thought to herself.
When she came to her senses, she realized her mistress had already left the courtyard. It was only then that she remembered her heartbreak. Her intended fiancé had left. Although she knew she shouldn’t be sad over him, tears still flowed like pearls from a broken string.
The Liu family members, realizing what had happened, rushed forward to comfort her.
“Don’t cry, little sister. Your brother will find you a man a hundred times better than Liu Dagui. He’s unattractive, illiterate, and dirt poor. He’s not a suitable match at all. It was understandable that you liked him before, but now that his true colors are revealed, you must never go back to him, no matter what he says.”
“Good daughter, you scared us to death this time. Luckily, you didn’t marry into their family. Otherwise, the suffering would have been endless.”
“Yes, yes. My sister is so beautiful, so intelligent and capable. Liu Dagui not cherishing her is his foolishness.”
…
They consoled her with their words, and the more they spoke, the louder Hua Yi cried.
Wu Caiwei could still hear the girl’s cries from a distance. She shook her head with a smile, wondering about this village. In other villages, people were wary of marriage within the same surname. Here, everyone was named Liu. As long as they weren't direct blood relatives within three generations, marriage was permissible. But in this vast world, she had seen too much to be surprised.
That day, she walked south from Hua Yi’s home for about a mile until she reached a small river. The sunlight shimmered on the water’s surface. The child in her arms excitedly waved his little hands, exclaiming, “Water, water…”
Wu Caiwei tenderly stroked his head and chided, “You rascal, you probably want to play in the water again. You can’t play in this water; it’s too deep.”
Suddenly, she heard a “plop” sound and quickly looked towards the source. Behind the reeds not far away, a dark shadow flickered.
She cautiously approached with the child. If she wasn’t mistaken, someone was hiding behind the reeds. That person was likely injured.
As she got closer, she saw that the person was covered in mud, even their face obscured by the dirt, making their true features indistinguishable.
Perhaps sensing her presence, the person opened their eyes. Their gaze was sharp and carried a hint of killing intent.
Feng Yi, seeing the woman holding a child and radiating maternal warmth, realized she wasn’t with his enemies. He breathed a sigh of relief.
“Save… save me…” He could only utter these few words before he was utterly exhausted, gasping for air.