n

n

nMing Yue did not seem bothered by his actions. In a blink of an eye, she dodged his fist, took out her dagger and pressed it against his neck.

n

"Stop bothering me

", she spoke coldly, withdrawing her dagger and leaving.

nHe could not move at all, if he did, he would surely die. But he looked at her with indignant expression. He had the higher cultivation and yet, he could do nothing to her. She outclassed him in skill and grace. Not to mention, his rage clouded his judgement. Even after losing to her the first time, he still looked down on her. Shao Huang had wanted to embarrass Ming Yue the next time thy met, but now he was defeated in a worse fashion than before. Losing in mere seconds, this result only made him angrier.

n

"I'll get you soon

", he turned back, scheming a plan to deal with her.

nMing Yue was annoyed by his appearance, Shao Huang had interrupted her reading. But she soon forgot, planning to finish before she went to bed. Returning to the inn she first came to, she read through the book before going to bed.

nThe next day she woke up, checking her items and equipment before leaving the inn. Walking through the main gate, she took a road east of the city in the direction of Mist Valley. It was a three week journey, one that went by quickly.

nAs she moved closer and closer to Mist Valley, she started to encounter bandits and robbers. She dispatched them quickly, taking their stolen goods. Mist Valley really was a haven for criminals. She was several days away from it and she had been attacked more times in one day than the past two weeks combined. At some point, she decided to travel through the trees and sneakily attack the bandits before they even noticed her. It was much more efficient than just waiting to be attacked.

n

"This really was a good place to train

", Ming Yue thought.

nThe atmosphere was extremely tense, at any moment someone could be attacked. In addition, this was an opportunity to polish up her assassination skills since every one of them are usually in hiding. Her ability in stealth was already quite good, having killed much of the Darksun Marauders by sneaking around them and killing them. It had been a while since she practiced her killing techniques. All of her victims were beheaded, something that she had always done, a clean cut through the neck. Many unsuspecting bandits fell victim to her, unable to react to her speed.

nSome were small groups that had 2 or 3 members, others were part of a much larger circle. She must have killed at least fifty bandits. It was unfortunate that none of them had a bounty as they were mere underlings.

nWhen she arrived at the Mist Valley, the whole valley was concealed with thick mist. Entering it, she could not see thirty to forty feet in front of her. She walked through cautiously, wandering around the valley. Heading straight for Redmist Sanctuary would be a bit suicidal for her.

n

"I should stay out here

", she thought,

"Killing in the sanctuary would attract too much attention. All of them may target me.

"

nMing Yue was not confident that she would leave unscathed for acting so brazenly.

n

"How rare! Little girl, are you lost perhaps? Do you need big sister to help you?

" an alluring voice spoke behind her, it was soft and seductive.

nA woman stood behind her, dressed in provocative clothing with her breasts practically spilling out of her clothes. Her beauty and large bosom could cause any man to lust after her. However, Ming Yue recognized her immediately from the list of criminals.

nPin Yao Ci, The Lone Rose

nA widow charged with the deaths of over forty women, all of whom were known beauties. Their bodies ended up damaged beyond recognition, their faces were covered in bloody gashes. Each one died a gruesome death, the prettier they were, the worse they died. It was believed that she saw these women as threats, people who wanted to take her husband away. Soon after her husband disappeared in the dead of night, never to return. She wanders the land in search of the woman who took her husband. In actuality, Pin Yao Ci's husband was her first victim and that was what threw her down a path of insanity, a path of eternal revenge. Within one year, she had killed thirteen well-known beauties but who knows how many more women she's murdered.

n

"Don't worry about a thing, this big sister will protect you...forever

", Yao Ci lunged at Ming Yue, throwing her hand forth in a grabbing motion. Her nails were beyond sharp, like the claws of a tiger.

nShe slashed at her face, intent on defiling her face. The speed at which she moved was incredible, as if she was a phantom. Her face was twisted, her eyes full of crazed fury and yet she grinned in elation.

n

"I found you! I found you!

" she screeched,

"You bitch! You slut! you whore! Give me back my husband!

"

nMing Yue ran off into the mist. She could not move as quickly as her attacker as she was still unfamiliar with the area. She was caught by surprise, with no time to take out the Parting Sun Blade. She only had her dagger on-hand to fight off Yao Ci.

nOff into a distance, she could hear wild cackling as a figure rushed towards her. Yao Ci appeared from the mist, only several feet from her.

n

"Where is he!?

" she hissed at Ming Yue, trying to grab one of her arms to bring her closer.

nShe avoided Yao Ci's advances and struck back, cutting a part of her face. This only incited her wrath and attacked with even more furor. At this point, she had barely any semblance of a human, only a carnivorous creature that wanted nothing more than blood. Seconds later, Ming Yue slipped on some damp soil, falling to the ground.

nYao Ci smiled, landing on top of Ming Yue,

"I caught you

", she said.

n

"You should never have taken my dear Chen'er from me.

"

nYao Ci moved her hand forward, ready to cut up Ming Yue's face.

nSuddenly, Hei Yue appeared out of no where, biting onto her other arm.

n

"You **ing mutt!

" Yao Ci screamed, violently throwing her arm to get him off. However, Hei Yue clenched his jaws even tighter, trying not to let go.

nThis was a chance! She grabbed Yao Ci's hand and pulled it, bringing her closer to Ming Yue. At the time, she brought her dagger forward, stabbing right into her chest. Yao Ci screamed before jumping away from Ming Yue.

nHer distorted expression, full of rage and hatred, staring at Ming Yue. Her hand covering the wound.

n

"I'll come back for you! I'll take Chen'er away from you!

" she spoke before disappearing into the mist. Her words slowly echoed throughout the valley.

nMing Yue breathed a sigh of relief, she did not want to chase in this unknown territory. Instead, Ming Yue climbed up one of the trees and hid within the branches to recover. Yao Ci's appearance had surprised her, she was not prepared at all. This was very different from her past experiences. Within the valley, the hunters could very quickly become the hunted.

n

"I can't relax at all

", Ming Yue felt a different kind of pressure. It was her realization that she could die at any moment.

nShe could never drop her guard, not even for a second. Luckily, her first encounter with one of the more well known criminals ended well for her. She might not have been able to kill Pin Yao Ci, but at least she knew killing her was possible.. In the future, Ming Yue would not act so passive against the residents of Mist Valley.

n