For a second, that burly man didn't realize what had happened—until a searing pain shot up from his shoulder.
Clutching his now-missing arm, he collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony. Blood flowed like a river, staining the stone-paved road a deep, dreadful red.
"AHHHHH!!!"
A resounding scream of horror and pain echoed through the forest, snapping the others out of their daze.
Shunya, realizing it was Ji Yuying who had done that, looked like a flash as he ducked behind her.
If not for the sheer horror of what just happened, the sight of a hulking man like Shunya hiding behind a slender woman and peeking at the attackers might've been funny.
But Shunya didn't care how his wife had done it, nor did he question it.
He'd hidden his own origins from her, so it only made sense she might have her secrets too.
To him, there was no concept of who was stronger or contributed more. Ji Yuying was his wife—and his wife was awesome.
And this?
This was just one of her awesome moments.
What Ji Yuying didn't know was that she had ignited Shunya's curiosity.
And a curious Shunya was an annoying Shunya.
But now wasn't the time.
The remaining two thugs snapped out of their shock and drew weapons, targeting Ji Yuying.
Two gangsters rushed her with iron knuckles—but she moved like a ghost.
Slipping between their attacks with fluid grace—
Crack.
Crack.
They were both sent flying, crashing through the cottage's wooden door fifteen meters away.
"Boss!!"
"Boss, please save me!" screamed the driver, who had already wet himself in terror.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in his forties stepped out of the cottage. His eyes blazed with fury, but his posture remained upright, hands behind his back, clad in an expensive Tang suit.
He had a small, well-trimmed beard and a slight hunch to his frame.
"What is going on here?" the man asked.
Though he didn't speak loudly, his voice resounded through the woods like thunder. His aura was different—far more dangerous.
A cultivator.
His overwhelming killing intent was suffocating.
And yet, Ji Yuying didn't even flinch.
Surprisingly, neither did Shunya.
More so—Shunya didn't seem to feel the killing intent at all.
"...M-Master Lu?" Shunya blinked in recognition when he saw the man.
Wasn't this the same person who worked in the herbal store in the city?
What was he doing here?
Why was he involved in kidnapping?
Shunya was confused.
When Master Lu saw Shunya, his eyes widened in recognition as well.
This big oaf had worked part-time in his shop. He used to hand him common weeds disguised as herbs instead of paying him, claiming they would help his sick wife.
And the fool had believed him.
A convenient idiot.
That shop had always been just a cover. His true purpose was to trap old Master Wei, the patriarch of the Wei family—one of the top clans in City Lin.
He had even kidnapped Wei's grandson and brought him to this hideout in the woods.
And now, his men were slaughtered?
"Was this your doing, little Shunya?" he demanded. "Did you kill my men?"
"My husband did not. I did," Ji Yuying replied flatly before Shunya could say anything.
Master Lu's eyes widened slightly as he looked at her.
Then he chuckled.
"You're quite bold, girl. Very well. If you kowtow and apologize, I might let you become my disciple. I'll even spare your dumb husband."
"Master Lu, that's not nice!" said Shunya, stepping out from behind Ji Yuying again. "Your herb worked! My wife is healed—look!"
"Only a fool like you would believe that grass was a miracle herb," Master Lu sneered, then turned to leer at Ji Yuying.
"And if you truly think my 'miracle herb' healed her, why not let her repay me... by serving me?"
Shunya was stunned. The kind man who had once given him medicine, even if strange—was nothing but trash.
He remembered his grandmother-in-law's words: never trust easily.
Even when Ji Yuying was bedridden, she used to tell him to be careful of smooth talkers.
Unknowingly, he had almost killed his wife by trusting the wrong man.
He looked at Ji Yuying with guilt in his eyes. Almost tearfully, he thought:
> It doesn't matter if she's healed by magic or if she's possessed like those characters in the dramas... she's fine now. That's all that matters.
A tear dropped from his cheek.
Ji Yuying saw the pain in his eyes, and something inside her snapped.
"You insect!"
The killing intent she released was so dense and terrifying that the trembling driver collapsed on the spot—dead from cardiac arrest.
Even Master Lu, so arrogant until now, staggered back in shock.
"Y-you... what are you?" he stammered.
Ji Yuying didn't reply.
She started walking toward him, calm and terrifying—like death incarnate.
Her enchanting face was expressionless, her narrowed eyes burning with pure fury.
Master Lu tried to steel himself.
"Do you know who I am? I'm Grandmaster Yuan Yu's disciple! If you kill me, you and your husband are dead!"
Ji Yuying didn't speak.
She kept walking forward.
Master Lu clenched his teeth and finally shouted,
"Then so be it! Die by my Jade-Crushing Fist Technique!"
He took a stance. A swirl of wind gathered around his right fist as he lunged forward with blinding speed.
But to Ji Yuying?
It was laughable.
She casually parried the blow with her left hand.
Master Lu was shocked. He couldn't even feel any Qi from her!
Before he could beg for mercy—
SLAP.
Her casual backhand sent him flying like a rocket.
His head detached from his body mid-air, punching clean through the Land Rover's seat and smashing into the back of the trunk.
The peaceful cottage in the woods was now a scene of blood and corpses.
Shunya, who had moments ago been filled with guilt and sorrow, stood stunned.
Starstruck.
He looked at the back of his beautiful wife with awe in his eyes.
---
End of Chapter 6