Chapter 163: Fortune Smiles Upon Him

As the defensive lines of Kong Ning and Kong Hai at the edge of the military camp began to falter, not far from the camp, a figure dashed into a small cave. This figure was none other than Deputy Xie, who carried Kong Xue over his shoulder, striding straight into the cave. With practiced ease, he laid the woman on a flat stone and quickly struck a firestone, lighting a small blaze within.

The flickering flames cast a wicked grin across his face as he rubbed his hands together and squatted beside the stone where Kong Xue lay. Deputy Xie believed he had merely abducted a passing woman—a deed he thought would cause no ripples. Little did he know, a shocking upheaval was already unfolding in the camp he had just left.

Oblivious to the chaos erupting behind him, Deputy Xie licked his lips and traced a hand gently over Kong Xue’s face. “How beautiful... truly beautiful. In all my years, I’ve never had a woman as stunning as you. Luck must be smiling on me tonight.”

Muttering his good fortune, Deputy Xie reached out, intent on enjoying his prize. Yet just as he was about to begin, a dry cough echoed from the mouth of the cave.

Startled, he turned his head to find a young man in crimson robes leaning casually against the earthen entrance, a faint smile playing on his lips as he regarded the scene. Furious at this intrusion, Deputy Xie sprang to his feet, drew the knife at his waist, and bellowed, “Who the hell are you, sneaking around and spying on me?”

The crimson-clad youth was Zhou Qing. He chuckled at the question. “Curse me all you want. I hadn’t intended to harm you, but since you’ve just insulted me, I think I’ll have to ruin a certain part of you.”

Deputy Xie burst out laughing, seeing Zhou Qing as no more than an equal in stature—if not weaker—and unarmed. What right had this fellow to speak so brazenly?

“You little wretch, so what if I insulted you? Not only will I curse you, I’ll kill you tonight!” Deputy Xie snarled another insult and charged, knife raised, toward Zhou Qing.

“That’s two insults now. Tonight, I’ll ruin two parts of you,” Zhou Qing replied coolly, waving his hand in the deputy’s direction.

A piercing cry tore from Deputy Xie’s lips. He could not see the formless weapon conjured by Illusory Wushuang, but he felt its deadly bite as it pierced him. He collapsed to the ground, discovering to his horror a small hole bored through his right arm, clear to the bone. His hand throbbed with agony and was utterly numb, useless.

“Painful, isn’t it?” Zhou Qing stepped closer, pressing his foot onto Deputy Xie’s left hand with a smile. “There’s still one more part. You choose.”

Deputy Xie, who had thought Zhou Qing weak and harmless, now trembled, his right hand crippled by some invisible force. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at Zhou Qing.

“Master, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have insulted you. I was blind to your greatness. Please, be magnanimous and spare me just this once,” he pleaded desperately.

“But that’s not what you were saying a moment ago,” Zhou Qing replied. “Come, show me that bravado—tell me, which part shall I take next?”

Deputy Xie ignored the question, begging for mercy instead. With his right hand destroyed, the loss of another limb would doom him entirely.

Zhou Qing listened to his pleas for a while, then sighed. “Very well, since you won’t choose, I’ll pick one for you.”

With a glance at the wretched man beneath his foot, Zhou Qing brandished Illusory Wushuang and waved it menacingly near the man’s groin. The deputy let out a shrill, anguished scream before Zhou Qing sent him flying out of the cave with a single kick.

Having dealt with Deputy Xie, Zhou Qing approached the stone platform, glancing down at Kong Xue. He gently pulled her disheveled garments back up over her shoulders.

Suddenly, with a sharp crack, the unconscious woman jolted awake and, without a word, slapped Zhou Qing hard across the face. “Shameless!” she spat.

The sting of her slap lingered as Zhou Qing touched his cheek, gazing at the woman who had just awoken. “You?” Kong Xue sat up, finally recognizing Zhou Qing as the red-robed youth she had met earlier that day in the deserted village.

“I saved you, and this is how you treat me? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bothered getting involved,” Zhou Qing replied coldly.

As Zhou Qing’s words hung in the air and he made to speak again, Kong Xue raised her hand and tried to strike him a second time. But Zhou Qing was ready; before her hand could reach his face, he caught it firmly.

“Enough! Don’t you understand plain speech? If you try this again, I’ll—”

She cut him off with a swift kick to his abdomen. Stunned, Zhou Qing looked down to see her foot digging into his side.

Anger flared within him. He released her hand and, with a swift motion, slapped her hard across the face.

A crisp smack resounded. Kong Xue clutched her face, tears springing to her eyes. “You—you dare strike me—”

Before she could finish, Zhou Qing slapped her again, this time on the other cheek.

“You slapped me and kicked me; now I’ve returned the favor with two slaps. We’re even. As for saving you, I’ll chalk that up to my own poor judgment.”

With a cold snort, Zhou Qing turned away and strode toward the cave entrance.

Unwilling to let him leave, Kong Xue—who had grown up in the Laoshan Sect, indulged and pampered by her master since childhood—could not accept such humiliation. Though her two senior brothers often bickered with her, they always indulged her in the end. Never had anyone dared to strike her.

Now, this nameless, wild youth in red dared lay hands on her. The injustice was too much to bear.

As Zhou Qing neared the cave mouth, Kong Xue drew the dagger at her waist, sprang to her feet, and lunged at him.