The day went by slowly. It was late afternoon and Xiu Xiang had already seen all that there was to be seen. She decided that once she filled up her stomach, she'll head off to the next town.
Stepping into a bustling restaurant, she was led to a table in a remote corner. Soon the food she ordered came and she quickly scarfed it down. She was more than halfway done with her food when suddenly Li Yue and Chu Ling entered the main lobby. The two even sat at a nearby table. It seems that Li Yue was fuming at Chu Ling for escorting a certain pretty girl earlier that day.
"If it wasn't for you, I was going to scratch her face off! Aren't I your betrothed? Why were you with that girl?!" Li Yue questioned him.
"Li Yue, I already told you, she was in trouble and I simply escorted her back to her group," Chu Ling frowned. The two of them had grown up together and studied together. It had always been known among their two families that the two of them would end up being married one day. The only problem was, Chu Ling found himself thinking about the girl in blue he met earlier that day.
While the two of them were fighting amongst each other, Xiu Xiang chugged down her last cup of wine then paid for her food. She just passed their table when she heard Li Yue shout at her.
"Stop right there!"
Xiu Xiang frowned as she turned around to face Li Yue.
"You're that girl from the jewelry shop! Even if you got rid of your mask and changed your clothes, there's no hiding your scent!"
Is this girl a dog?! What scent could she possibly be giving off?
"I don't know what you're talking about." Xiu Xiang decided to feign ignorance. It wasn't like she had proof.
"You're wearing a distinct herbal scent of someone who ingested spiritual energy rejuvenation pills! Along with that condescending pair of eyes, there's no mistaking it!" Li Yue pointed an accusing finger at her.
Well, there was no denying it now. Xiu Xiang smirked as she eyed Li Yue up and down.
"You're a lot smarter than you look. Good for you," Xiu Xiang said sarcastically. She whipped her hair back and started for the exit.
Li Yue jumped forward with her sword aiming straight for Xiu Xiang's back. Sensing the danger, she dodged the incoming blade. Li Yue ended up stabbing nothing but air.
"This is the second time, you've attempted to take my life. Since you're so adamant, I won't hesitate to return the favor!" Xiu Xiang said sharply. She was completely unhinged. This Li Yue was completely appalling. Xiu Xiang hasn't done anything to her but she continuously kept trying to take her life. A person could only take so much.
"Hmph! Let's see if you even have the skills!" Li Yue swung her sword, it rippled back and forth like a snake, aiming right for Xiu Xiang's face.
"Wait!" Chu Ling recognized Xiu Xiang and stepped forward to block the attack. His sword clanged against hers loudly.
"Ling Gege! What are you doing?!" Li Yue exclaimed. She couldn't believe that Chu Ling had stopped her from destroying that smirk on Xiu Xiang's face.
"Enough, Li Yue. She hasn't done anything for you to garner this much hatred. Why must you keep striking at her?" Chu Ling asked sharply.
Li Yue stumbled in place. Throughout the years that the two of them had been together, not once did Chu Ling question her actions. No matter how absurd her actions had been, Chu Ling has never reprimanded her.
Her eyes flashed toward Xiu Xiang. This woman had caused a rift between her and her darling Ling Gege. She wasn't going to take this lying down!
She pointed her sword at Xiu Xiang and screamed, "I demand a life and death match against you!"
With that said, if Xiu Xiang agreed, even Chu Ling won't be able to interfere.
Xiu Xiang raised a perfect brow in reply. She wrapped her arms together in front of her. "You're asking me? A life and death match?"
"That's right! Or are you too afraid?" Li Yue smirked. When someone avoids a life and death match, that person will instantly be looked down upon and forever sneered at for running away.
The crowd that had gathered shook their head, feeling quite sorry for Xiu Xiang. Who told her to offend the spoiled daughter of the City Magistrate? They could only blame Xiu Xiang for her bad luck.
A chuckled rippled from Xiu Xiang's rosy lips. Since she was staring Li Yue down, she had missed the infatuated look from Chu Ling.
Since Li Yue couldn't wait to die, Xiu Xiang could only oblige.
"Fine. Where do you want to do this battle?" Xiu Xiang asked.
"There is a stage already placed on the northern side of the city. Why don't you two ladies take your battle there?" someone from the crowd interjected.
Everyone immediately glared at the person who had spoken up. The frail man shrunk his head down in fear and quickly escaped before anyone could pounce on him.
"Hmph. That's not a bad idea. We'll hold our battle there. That way everyone can see your impending death," Li Yue said haughtily.
Xiu Xiang smiled calmly at Li Yue who had turned her back on her to head for the stage on the north side.
News quickly traveled through the city about a sudden life and death battle between the precious daughter, Li Yue, of the City Magistrate and a foolish woman who tried to insert herself into the relationship of Li Yue and Chu Ling.
"Aiya? A homewrecker like her deserves death!"
"Let's go see just how pretty this evil woman looks like!"
"Wait for me! I want to see it too!"
The crowded streets of the city soon thinned out as many headed for the north side of the city to see this sudden life and death battle.
Standing on the magnificent battle stage, was two women, one dressed in pink, the other in light blue. The wind picked up, blowing gently against their flowing dresses. If it wasn't for the intense looming battle, one would think that a beauty show was on displayed instead.
Li Yue smirked at Xiu Xiang and sneered, "You aren't even going to pull out a weapon?"
Xiu Xiang shrugged. She has never fought with actual weapons of her own before as she had no need for them.
"Hmph! That confidence of yours is going to be the death of you!"
Li Yue charged forward. The rippling of her sword sounded loudly as it drew closer towards Xiu Xiang. With a jump, Xiu Xiang twirled in the air and landed behind Li Yue. No sooner had she landed, Li Yue swung around, her sword bending like water. The tip of the sword flung forward, scraping the sleeve of her dress.
"Looks like I can't win this battle with just my hands after all," Xiu Xiang thought to herself. She pulled out the hairpin her hair to use as a weapon.
The thin sword was pulled back by Li Yue and suddenly shot forward again. This time, Xiu Xiang raised the hairpin in her hand to knock the blade aside. She then swept up from under Li Yue and stabbed at Li Yue's thigh.
A scream erupted from Li Yue. Out of anger, she swung her sword down only to miserably miss as Xiu Xiang rolled off to the side.
Blood seeped down Li Yue's pretty pink dress, dying it with a dark red bloom. This pained Chu Ling's heart when he saw Li Yue injured, yet his heart lurched when he saw that Xiu Xiang nearly got caught by Li Yue's sword.
The crowd couldn't believe what they were seeing. A hairpin versus a sword and the sword had failed against a simple hairpin. The woman in light blue wasn't ordinary at all! It seems that the one who would lose might be Li Yue after all!
"You bitch! You dare to injure me?! Who gave you the guts?!" Li Yue shouted angrily. For someone like Li Yue who has never fought in a real battle before, how could she possibly go against Xiu Xiang?
Amongst the crowd, a little boy dressed in dark green appeared at the front with two servants in tow.
"Isn't that Elder Sister up on the stage?"
The little boy was none other than Li Yun, the little boy that Xiu Xiang had bumped into the day before. He had been searching none stop for Xiu Xiang until he heard that a battle involving his sister was happening here. A light blue figure rolled towards the edge of the stage, giving Li Yun perfect view of her face.
"It's that lady!" Li Yun shouted excitedly. In his excitement, he had forgotten that a battle was taking place. As the son of the City Magistrate, no one has ever denied him of anything. In his eyes, he didn't understand nor felt danger since he was sheltered all his life. He jumped onto the stage and stepped forward shouting, "Elder Sister, don't hurt her!"
His naïve thinking led him right towards the tip of Li Yue's blade.
"Yun Er, get lost!"
Li Yue looked horrified as Li Yun suddenly stepped in front of her attack. Li Yun froze in place when he saw the silver blade come charging right at him. Fearing for the worst Li Yun simply shut his eyes waiting for the blade to pierce him.