"Wrong, what I won was merely people's hearts."
The young girl stood there, her clear eyes radiating a dazzling brilliance, exceptionally radiant.
Xue Yunlan trembled all over, then after a long while, she chuckled softly, "People's hearts? What are people's hearts? It's just you deceiving me, and me deceiving you..."
"No, Yunlan, everyone has a heart, and you are no different."
"Haha..." Xue Yunlan laughed heartily, as if she had heard a very amusing joke.
After laughing, the smile vanished, "Xue Zining, you've only won, but you won't always win. As long as I am alive, there will be no end to the feud between us."
"I will see it through to the end," the young girl said.
Xue Yunlan frowned. She had thought that even if Xue Zining didn't beg for mercy, she would at least lower her stance, but it seemed she had misjudged.
"Xue Zining, have you forgotten that you are asking a favor from me now?" Xue Yunlan said coldly.
"With a request comes conditions. Since the final outcome is the same, why should I beg? You would tell me even if I didn't ask."
Xue Yunlan sneered and was about to call her overconfident when suddenly, the sound of many footsteps echoed from outside.
She started. Her people didn't seem to number this many. Could it be that Xue Zining brought them?
"You..." Before she could finish speaking, Xue Zining stepped forward and covered her mouth.
"Don't make a sound," Xue Zining whispered.
Xue Yunlan looked at her, as if asking, what trick are you playing?
Xue Zining ignored her, instead holding her breath and listening intently to the complex, intricate footsteps outside.
These were not her people.
Xue Yunlan also realized these were not her people either.
Xue Zining turned her head to look at Xue Yunlan and whispered, "Not your people either?"
Xue Yunlan shook her head.
"Ah... don't kill me, don't kill me..."
"What are you doing?"
A miserable cry came from outside.
Xue Zining released her hand covering Xue Yunlan's mouth and whispered, "I'm afraid it's..."
Before she could finish her sentence, there was a knock on the door from outside.
Xue Yunlan trembled all over. She picked up her sword, gritted her teeth, and said, "I'll fight them."
A hand pressed on her shoulder, and she whispered, "Can you still run?"
Xue Yunlan was startled. She looked up at the young girl, whose gaze was so clear it could reflect her own shadow.
"Go straight east, and you'll reach Dongling Pass, about a hundred miles away."
The girl's voice penetrated Xue Yunlan's ears, word by word, amidst the sound of the door being battered.
"You..."
"Go and summon reinforcements..."
Xue Yunlan trembled all over, looking at the girl, "You..."
"With your condition, you not only cannot be of assistance, but you will also become a burden to me. It is best for you to go for help."
The girl's gaze was so clear and bright, imbued with a touch of sternness and authority, that Xue Yunlan found herself unable to refuse. She instinctively said, "How can I summon reinforcements? I am a fugitive now."
A jade seal fell into her hand. Xue Yunlan was startled. It was Xue Zining's personal seal.
"Aren't you... afraid I'll take this and not go for help?"
Xue Yunlan asked, looking up.
The young girl had already stood up, picked up the sword from the ground, and as she walked towards the door being forced open, she said, "At least you'll be able to escape."
Xue Yunlan's gaze wavered. She chuckled softly, "Indeed, I cannot fathom your thoughts."
"The commander of Dongling Pass is Wu Dakang," the girl said, kicking open the door that was about to be breached and leaping out.
Xue Yunlan was startled, then after a moment, she smiled, "Xue Zining, you truly know how to read people's hearts."
Glancing at the girl standing in the backlight, she said, "From this moment, we will observe a five-year truce. After five years, I will return with renewed force. Wait for me..."
With that, she leaped out of the window.
The young girl did not look back, her heart startled by the scene before her.
Blood, a large expanse of blood, flowed on the ground.
The vibrant color stung her eyes.
And before her stood figures clad in black, their faces masked.
"Who are you?" the girl asked, pointing her sword directly at the masked figures.
Before the masked figures could answer, a folding fan sliced across their necks.
Blood sprayed out.
It splashed all over her face.
The remaining masked figures also had their necks slit by the folding fan that appeared out of nowhere. Perhaps they died without knowing who killed them.
Just as Xue Zining did not know.
A faint breeze brushed against her face. She instinctively looked up, and a large expanse of sunlight was blocked by a figure.
She only remembered that before her eyes was a vast expanse of white, so blindingly white.
As the figure landed on the ground, she opened her eyes and saw a silver mask.
The eyes beneath the mask were exceptionally clear.
As bright as the stars.
"How beautiful!"
Xue Zining couldn't help but praise inwardly. It was a pity that the mask covered his face above the nose; otherwise, she really wanted to see what he looked like.
The man cast a faint glance at her and turned to leave.
Xue Zining was startled and couldn't help but speak, "You..."
The man left without looking back.
She had been ignored.
For the first time, Xue Zining felt a strange sensation. Although she was still somewhat young, she was not unattractive. Why would he leave without a second glance?
"There are still people outside," the man's voice echoed as he walked away, almost out of sight.
Xue Zining twitched her lips. Gripping her sword, she followed him. Looking at the crowd of commoners already kneeling outside, her gaze turned cold.
"A total of thirty-five assassins from the Qianjin Tower," the man's voice drifted over.
Xue Zining's gaze grew heavier. Assassins from the Qianjin Tower were known to be worth ten ordinary fighters.
"I will deal with thirty, you deal with five."
The man suddenly spoke and then, like a released arrow, soared out.
Xue Zining was stunned. This person was truly fast.
By the time she rushed out, several masked figures had already fallen beneath the man's folding fan.
His techniques were peculiar and his speed astonishing.
But she couldn't fall behind, could she?
In the end, the remaining five masked figures were being forced back by the onslaught.
Looking at the two figures, a man and a girl, stained red with blood, they gritted their teeth and cursed, "Where did these lunatics come from? They can't possibly fight them!"
Another masked figure, panting heavily, whispered, "If we focus all our attacks on the girl, we might be able to break through."
The rest nodded and directed all their strength towards the young girl.
Xue Zining chuckled softly as the five figures charged at her, a hint of a smile gracing her clear and beautiful face, making her appear exceptionally lovely.
One masked man instinctively looked up and met her smile, which was like the radiant sun. His movements faltered for a moment. By the time he regained his senses, his sword had already pierced his heart.
The girl's voice reached his ears, "When battling others, having distractions will surely lead to defeat."
The masked man fell to the ground.
The remaining masked figures exchanged glances. They had assumed the slender girl would be easy prey, but now they realized that was not the case.
"Leave one alive," Xue Zining exclaimed as she saw the man's folding fan appear, unable to resist calling out a reminder.
The folding fan twirled around the last masked man before returning to his hand.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" Xue Zining stepped forward and placed her foot on the masked man's chest.