Ten warriors lunged at Shu Yue at the same time, their swords glinting coldly in their hands. Shu Yue sighed and brandished her bamboo sword in response to their attacks. She dodged and countered all of their attacks while keeping her sword sheathed. Hollow clanks of metal against wood echoed through the street. The Springbear warriors were using the Solarburst Sword. In less than a second, they were already pulled into the tempo of battle that Shu Yue controlled.

The ten warriors sucked in their breath, their eyes filled with fear and uncertainty as they realized they were at a disadvantage. But the fierce leader clearly had no intention of backing down. Her eyes glowed with rage and determination.

This one's stubborn.

Shu Yue charged forward, as graceful and agile as the wind, her body becoming a blur. In the next split second, she landed smoothly on the ground behind them. A gentle breeze swayed their hair and robes. The bamboo sheath remained unscathed despite clashing with the sharp blades. The ten warriors blinked, confused. Shu Yue was right in front of them just a second ago. How did she move that fast? She moved faster than the blink of an eye. It almost looked like she transformed into a gust of wind.

Then, like waves crashing on the beach, realization hit them. Their hands were empty. All of their weapons lay uselessly on the ground. And like marionettes whose strings had been cut, they fell on their knees and coughed up blood, suffering an internal injury.

The fierce leader raised her head and looked at Shu Yue. "W-who are you?"

Shu Yue tilted her head, twirling the bamboo sword in her hand. She didn't answer.

The woman was looking at her in a different way. She used to be this fierce and bold woman who could bring fear from anyone, but now she was the one who appeared terrified as she stared at the demure woman wearing a fox mask. Shu Yue looked as harmless as a dove. But when she attacked, it was fast, unseen, and deadly.

Like a serpent.

"Ah, Young Mistress. You never failed to amaze me," Xiao Ran commended as he walked toward her. "The level of your footwork was almost close to mine. I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you, Xiao Ran."

Shu Yue's heart sped a little bit out of sheer happiness at Xiao Ran's comment. She couldn't help but feel proud.

Lightwind Steps was a high-level footwork technique used by Shu Yue and Xiao Ran to gain the ability of lightness. By altering the distribution and flow of chi, they could make their bodies light in weight and move swiftly and smoothly like the wind. It was the technique Shu Yue used during the sparring match to dodge Dishan's powerful attacks with ease.

This footwork technique wasn't one of the Ophiuchus Clan's martial arts. Shu Yue only learned it from Xiao Ran, but he wasn't originally a disciple of Ophiuchus Clan. With that being the case, Shu Yue and Xiao Ran were the only users of this technique in the clan. It was because of Xiao Ran that Shu Yue was able to possess such powerful skills. It perfectly suited her style of swordsmanship.

Xiao Ran then cleared his throat and put on a serious expression. "But next time, let me fight instead. I know you're strong, but I can't let you waste your chi and time on something so worthless."

The leader glared at him, still kneeling on the ground. Xiao Ran shrugged nonchalantly.

"But this is a rare opportunity for me to fight against multiple opponents. I wanted to test my skill," Shu Yue said.

Besides, I wanted to see if they'd be useful or useless to this clan--to me.

Xiao Ran sighed. "Alright. But next time allow me to handle such trivial matters, Young Mistress."

A clap sounded, and Shu Yue turned around to face the newcomer.

A familiar bulky warrior emerged from the shadows, still clapping. He was carrying a massive sword on his back. "Excellent! You defeated my companions on your own without effort; truly outstanding!" he exclaimed and glanced at her bamboo stick. "And that doesn't seem to be an ordinary bamboo stick."

Xiao Ran looked at him with a scowl on his face.

"Dishan!" the ten warriors said. They rose to their feet with a groan.

"Dishan," Shu Yue greeted.

Dishan grinned. He appeared to be almost perfectly fine already, but Shu Yue could almost feel no chi emanating from him, implying that his internal energy hadn't fully recovered, so he was still in no condition to fight. He had a bandage over his left eye.

"Don't worry, I didn't come here to fight," Dishan assured as he glanced at the scowling Xiao Ran. He looked at Shu Yue. "I was truly impressed by your fighting skills; it seems that you possess such high-level martial arts. Do you mind sharing this knowledge with me, fellow warrior?"

Shu Yue blinked, then she felt a smile spread over her face. "I don't mind sharing my secret with you, but I'm afraid it won't be free."

Dishan frowned. "What do you want?"

"I know you and Elder Lu are good friends, so I assumed you knew something."

"Spit it out," Dishan said in a low voice.

"How did Elder Lu obtain the soul-binding scroll?"

Dishan's eye widened at her question, clearly indicating that Shu Yue hit a mark. Since hearing about the strange bettor from Xiao Ran, Shu Yue had been trying to piece things together. The soul-binding scroll was such a rare item to acquire. No sane warrior or magus would willingly give it away as a prize to random disciples. That was no different than tossing a sum of twenty thousand gold coins along with a great opportunity.

Lu Baiyu was the master of the Lu family, so the first thing he'd do was keep it for his own family. So what made him think it was a brilliant idea to use that as a reward?

Because it wasn't his in the first place.

"He didn't give a name," Dishan admitted, his brow furrowed. "He ordered Uncle Lu to host a sparring match and use the soul-binding scroll as a prize for the victor, and he even threatened the old man that he would kill his family if he didn't obey him!" Dishan's voice tightened. "That guy! If I ever saw him, I'd beat the crap out of him!"

If he had the guts to threaten an elder, then he is a force to be reckoned with, Shu Yue thought deeply.

"Does he wear a gold belt?" asked Xiao Ran.

Dishan's dark-eyed gaze snapped toward him. "You know him?"

So it was really him, Shu Yue thought.

The color of one's belt denotes one's rank, with gold indicating the highest rank, which an Ophiuchus Clan disciple could never achieve due to a lack of advanced techniques required to achieve higher cultivation levels.

Since the mysterious bettor was wearing a gold belt and he didn't have the clan's emblem, then he wasn't definitely from this clan. And based on Xiao Ran's description of him, he was no soldier either.

An outsider dared to enter the Ophiuchus Clan? What an insolent, troublesome disciple!

Shu Yue clutched her sword tightly, trying to fight down her frustration, and said in that casually neutral tone, "No, we don't, but my companion noticed such an odd guy among the spectators. One we've never seen before."

"I suppose he was, but I was too engrossed in our sparring to notice if he was there. But Uncle Lu and I are very confused as to why he would want to give away such an expensive item. Whoever he is, I sense nothing but trouble from him. According to Uncle Lu, he is very sly." He sighed in frustration. "Anyway, why are you asking about this?"

"Nothing important; I'm just... genuinely curious," Shu Yue replied in that soothing voice of hers.

Dishan frowned, trying to figure out if she was lying, but it was all for naught because he couldn't see the face behind her mask. He shrugged, then a wide grin split his face. "Now that I've answered your question, as a deal, teach me your sword art techniques. And just to let you know, we're leaving this city tomorrow to return to our village."

"It's yin and yang," Shu Yue said.

Dishan's frown deepened. "What?"

"You must be calm and attentive during combat," Shu Yue explained. "Have nerves of steel on the inside but be completely calm on the outside; that was my method in sword fighting."

Dishan stared at her for a few moment. "I'm not sure what you mean, woman."

Shu Yue pondered for a moment. Making an enemy out of them wouldn't be a good idea. The Springbear was not only one of the strongest warriors but also one of the largest tribes in the Ophiuchus Clan. This declining clan needed their strength and support, and they could also be very useful for her plans for the future. It was better to help them in order to foster a good relationship with the tribe.

Dishan was the son of the Springbear tribe's chief, and he was adored by many for his skill and outgoing personality. If he had the ability to hold influence over his tribe, then it wouldn't be hard for Shu Yue to gain the trust of the largest tribe in Hou Xing Mountain...if she had complete control over him.

Shu Yue's lips curved into a faint smile.

There is value in keeping him around, so I need to get on his good side.

"Alright," Shu Yue said. "Expect my presence in Beargrove Village."

Dishan broke into a grin. "I hope you keep your word, lady; after all, we're from the same clan. We need to get stronger and show those arrogant nobles that the Ophiuchus Clan is no less inferior than them."

Interesting, Shu Yue thought as she frowned. She then bowed before turning around and walking the other way. Xiao Ran immediately followed suit. Their footsteps were as soft and quiet as a gentle breeze, almost imperceptible. They kept walking until they vanished from their sight.

As soon as Shu Yue no longer felt the presence of the Springbear warriors from behind them, she felt some slight relief. She never lied to Dishan about anything she told him. Her martial art was completely based on that philosophy. However, teaching him the actual movements was a different story. She had another plan in mind to gain the favor of the Springbear tribes without revealing her martial arts techniques.

Rasalhague Sutra was a high-level sword technique as well as a breathing technique. This martial art resembled the movements of a snake, in which the practitioner moves stealthily while delivering lethal strikes. It looked gentle and simple, but it was imbued with firmness. The secret of this sword art was the use of yin and yang energy, just as Shu Yue told Dishan. During a battle, one should strengthen the spirit while staying calm.

Calm and gentle in appearance like a demure woman, but fight like a vicious tiger.

She and her father were the sole practitioners of this hidden martial art. For that reason, she wasn't willing to share this knowledge with anyone else. Furthermore, this sword art should only be possessed by the descendants of Shu Jing Xing, the founding clan leader of the Ophiuchus Clan.

"Xiao Ran," Shu Yue said in a firm voice when the mysterious bettor crossed her mind again. "We're being played by that guy. He intended me to win the sparring and have this soul-binding scroll."

Xiao Ran's brows knitted into a frown. "I don't think he's a warrior or a magus since I didn't sense any powerful aura emanating from him."

Shu Yue fell silent for a few moments as she contemplated. "We can't be sure, though; he could be a high-level warrior or magus who uses high-level martial art or spell to conceal his aura."

"Hmm. So what do we do, Young Mistress?"

A short period of silence stretched between them before Shu Yue responded to his question.

"We will proceed as planned and play along until we learn of his intention."