Vol. 2 - Chapter 73 - Flying Flowers, Plucking Leaves!!

South of Yuhang County.

In a grove.

A figure darted across the grass at lightning speed.

From afar, it seemed as if he was skimming over the blades of grass themselves.

“Bad man…”

“Let me go!”

“Let me go…”

Xiaofu was dangling in midair, Poison King Xue Ming gripping her by the scruff of her neck with one hand.

She pouted, swinging her tiny fists and pounding them against him.

Xue Ming ignored her.

He sprinted deeper into the forest.

After glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, he set Xiaofu down, casually tapped a few points on her body, and sealed her acupoints.

She instantly froze in place, able only to roll her eyes around, unable to utter a sound.

Xue Ming’s beady greenish eyes glared straight at her, filled with such venomous hatred that he looked ready to swallow her alive.

It had taken him over a decade to painstakingly raise a Gu King—an unparalleled poisonous insect.

And this little brat… had eaten it!

Over ten years of work nearly ruined in an instant.

“Fortunately… fortunately…”

“If I cut her open now, my precious should still be intact.”

Muttering under his breath, Xue Ming pulled a small dagger from his robes—the kind used for harvesting poisonous herbs.

Holding it in his withered right hand, he stepped up to Xiaofu.

He measured out the spot, tensed his grip, and prepared to slice her belly open.

Xiaofu’s pout deepened, her big black-and-white eyes fixed on him, tears welling at the corners.

Just as the blade was about to pierce her—

A chill shot through Xue Ming’s body, every hair on his skin standing on end.

A suffocating sense of mortal danger loomed over him.

And then—

A clear, feminine voice rang out behind him.

“Hey!”

“In broad daylight, and such a young child—how could you even think of doing that?”

The instant the voice sounded, that deadly pressure vanished.

Cold sweat poured down Xue Ming’s back. He jerked in shock.

He had just checked—there was no one nearby.

So how had someone suddenly spoken?

He turned toward the source of the voice.

A young woman stood a short distance away, dressed as a man but with delicate, striking features.

Her crescent-shaped eyes glared at him, brimming with fury.

Hua Xiyue had thought Xue Ming was just trying to snatch someone else’s child to take as a disciple.

That sort of thing happened often enough in the stories from the martial world—when the family refused, the would-be master resorted to kidnapping.

But when she caught up, she was met with this scene instead—

Xue Ming was going to kill a child this small!

Utterly vile!

Hua Xiyue’s anger surged.

Her beautiful eyes turned icy as she bent down and plucked a handful of grass from the ground.

As a wandering heroine, she would, of course, act when she saw injustice!

Xue Ming’s sickly green gaze swept her up and down, and he sneered. “What do you know?!”

“That little wretch ate my treasure.”

“Don’t stick your nose in.”

“I don’t have time for you.”

With that, he turned back toward Xiaofu, dagger poised.

Swish, swish, swish—

Several sharp sounds split the air.

Without hesitation, Hua Xiyue flicked her right hand, sending the grass blades flying.

As they left her fingers, the blades of grass transformed into razor-sharp projectiles.

“Flying Flowers, Plucking Leaves!”

The Hua family’s exclusive technique from Hundred Flowers Valley.

It allowed the user’s internal energy to leave their body briefly, infusing any object with destructive power.

In the hands of the Hua family, all things under heaven could become deadly weapons.

Gifted from birth, Hua Xiyue had been kept in the valley for eighteen years, personally taught by the old Valley Master. By eighteen, she had already perfected the family’s ultimate skill.

Her cultivation was solidly at the peak of First Rank.

Unless a Grandmaster appeared, there was nowhere under heaven she could not go.

Xue Ming, about to make his cut, caught the faint whistle of projectiles and tensed.

He rarely fought, but he knew enough of the martial world to tell that the attacker’s skill was formidable.

He swept his arms in quick motions, releasing several clouds of greenish powder.

But before the poison could drift near Hua Xiyue, Xue Ming let out a cry of pain.

Multiple vital acupoints on his body had been struck by the grass blades.

Infused with her internal energy, they sealed off his martial power instantly.

Xiaofu stood rooted to the spot, her round eyes darting around. The tears in her eyes had stopped.

She looked at Hua Xiyue with open admiration.

This big sister was amazing!

Hua Xiyue gave a soft snort and waved her right hand. Her inner force stirred up a gust of wind that blew away all the poison mist.

“Poison King?”

“Nothing impressive.”

Her tone was icy.

Xue Ming’s skill with poison was indeed superb—but his own martial ability was only Third Rank.

Against a First Rank expert, he was no match.

Much less against Hua Xiyue, a First Rank peak prodigy.

Hua Xiyue walked to Xiaofu’s side, gave her a quick once-over, and let a gentle smile bloom on her face.

“Don’t be afraid, little sister.”

“Big sister will take you home.”

She tapped a few points on Xiaofu’s body.

The acupoint seal Xue Ming had placed was undone.

Tears welled again in Xiaofu’s eyes. She clung to Hua Xiyue’s leg, sniffling softly.

She had been truly terrified just moments ago.

Hua Xiyue patted her head, smiling warmly.

“And you are?” she asked.

“I am from the Divine Doctor Valley. My senior brother is the Miracle Hand Doctor!”

Xue Ming’s voice was a mix of shock and anger.

He hadn’t expected this small-looking girl to be so overwhelmingly powerful.

“Divine Doctor Valley—so what?”

“Miracle Hand Doctor—so what?”

Hua Xiyue’s tone remained calm.

If it came to backing, she had a Grandmaster behind her.

In all of Great Wu’s martial world, who could compare?

Her words left Xue Ming momentarily speechless, his face darkening.

For the sake of refining his Gu King, he had fed it all his venomous insects, herbs, and poisons.

His stock was completely depleted.

The Gu King hadn’t even been fully refined yet.

To put it bluntly—this was the weakest he had ever been.

Ignoring him, Hua Xiyue crouched down and asked Xiaofu gently:

“Where is your home, little sister?”

“I’ll take you back.”

Xiaofu hiccupped a few times, wiped her eyes with the hem of Hua Xiyue’s clothes, and whispered: “The… Orphanage…”

Hua Xiyue’s eyes widened in surprise.

From her fine clothes, delicate features, and lively, bright eyes, Hua Xiyue had assumed she was some young lady from a wealthy family.

Who would have thought she was a child from the Orphanage?

“I’ll take you back,” Hua Xiyue said warmly.

Her slender arms lifted Xiaofu with ease.

The child’s tear-streaked cheeks rested against Hua Xiyue’s arm.

Suddenly, Hua Xiyue’s gaze sharpened—she leapt several zhang away in an instant.

Her voice rang out cold: “Who’s there!”

“My thanks for lending your aid, miss.”

The reply was a faint male voice from beneath the shade of a tree.

A man in white, Chen Ye, stepped forward into view.

The moment she saw him, Xiaofu’s face lit up. “Daddy!”

And then—pouting—she burst into loud sobs.

She had been scared half to death.

“Daddy?” Hua Xiyue murmured, looking Chen Ye over.

Her eyes fell on his face.

She froze for a moment, a trace of daze in her gaze.

In her heart, a thought arose:

This man…

…is actually kind of handsome.