09 - A Tempting Offer
Holding thin, beautiful swords with green-wrapped handles, two women stood face-to-face on the platform. Their hair was tied back, and their light clothing waved in the strong wind, while each breath drew in the chill deep into their lungs.
These were the young lady Yue Qing and her most loyal servant, who was, at this moment, more of a master, Han Bing; tall and slender with short black hair, Han Bing possessed a lethal beauty. Her intense black eyes observed and analyzed every tiny movement Yue Qing made, assessing each hit and miss and calling out instructions in a sharp voice.
"Put more strength in your back leg!"
"Channel your energy into your shoulders!"
"Steady your breathing!"
"Grip the sword more lightly!"
Han Bing was truly relentless in her teachings, unyielding even with the one she served. She corrected Yue Qing with uncompromising rigor, addressing even minor aspects that most masters might overlook, especially if they had little effect on the end result of her strikes.
For those who might feel sorry for her, know that this was precisely what Yue Qing desired. She aimed for nothing less than perfection in her martial art, the Art of the Blood Fairy, a style as beautiful and delicate on the surface as it was deadly in its purpose, meant to dispatch foes swiftly and precisely; it was an assassin's art befitting the formidable Han Bing.
Every night, from the day her family had arranged her engagement, over three years ago, Yue Qing trained until her body and mind could bear no more. After so much training, she had mastered her martial art well and reached the peak of the Purified Physical Realm, a feat that marked her as a true genius in both martial and spiritual cultivation. All of this was in pursuit of the freedom she so deeply desired, to defy her family's wishes and find a new path.
"Today's training is complete, Young Lady." Han Bing said calmly, sliding her sword into its sheath.
The young girl was drenched in sweat, panting as she looked at the figure before her. She couldn't understand how this monster showed no trace of fatigue after hours of intense movement. It was clear Han Bing was more than just her servant, she was also the bodyguard of a potential Yue family heir.
"Huff… Okay, thank you for the instruction, Han Bing!" Yue Qing said, mimicking her master's actions and heading toward the steps to leave the platform.
Sweat soaked her body, her hair was a tangled mess, and her clothes were crumpled. Anyone familiar with the ways of noble daughters would expect her to be uncomfortable, itching for a bath and desperate to reclaim her delicate feminine image, but, yet the truth was quite the opposite for Yue Qing.
This exhaustion was exhilarating. Feeling her skills sharpen and her body, mind, and spirit evolve little by little was an indescribable joy. She wanted to train through the night, though her reputation as the daughter of a wealthy merchant family kept her from indulging this desire.
What had started as a mere tool to change her destiny had become something more, a true passion.
"By the way, did you find what I asked for after all these months?" Yue Qing asked as she walked ahead of her servant, following the mountain path that would lead to the bridge back to her home.
"Yes, Miss. I planned to report everything I found once we were somewhere private, like your room."
"No need. We're on my family's mountain, no one would dare, nor could they, enter without us knowing. Start your report, and don't leave out a single detail!"
At first, Han Bing hesitated, wondering if she should really reveal everything she had uncovered to her mistress. She feared Yue Qing's reaction to the news, but knowing she was bound to speak the truth, she sighed and decided to hold nothing back.
"Very well then, Young Lady..."
The servant began to recount everything she had discovered over the months regarding the disappearance of Long Shen, one of Yue Qing's few, if not her only, true friends, someone who had vanished overnight like a ghost.
She explained the initial difficulty in finding any information. Although the young man was well-known in the city for the way he was treated within his sect, as a scapegoat constantly bullied and humiliated by others who envied his talent, almost no one paid him much mind. Most felt pity, but not enough to get involved in his troubles, preferring to ignore his existence altogether.
She then described how her investigation began to progress once she focused on observing members of the Star Sword Sect, narrowing down the pool of suspects significantly and further concentrating on the group of delinquents led by Wang Ming.
Finally, she reached the part that Yue Qing most desperately wanted to know: what had really happened to Long Shen? Why had he disappeared? As Han Bing detailed the tragic events of that night six months ago, Yue Qing froze in her tracks. Her internal energy began circulating wildly, dangerously, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails drew blood from her palms.
"Those bastards..." She whispered to herself, right before exploding with rage, shouting to the heavens. "... I knew that useless trash Wang Ming was involved somehow, but to think he would go so far as to kill Long Shen?!"
Han Bing was surprised, though she showed no reaction on her still cold face. She had expected her mistress to respond negatively, but to the point of losing her composure and shouting like that? Never. Yue Qing, despite being only a teenager, had been forced to always maintain a more logical and cold composure toward most things, otherwise, she wouldn't have survived long in her position.
"Young Lady, calm yourself, please! Before your internal circulation damages your spiritual veins and all your effort goes to waste." She said, calmly but firmly, as she held the young lady's shoulder.
Still fuming with rage, her eyes blazing and brows furrowed, Yue Qing closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply, gradually regaining her composure and ceasing to circulate all that energy in such a dangerous way.
"Sigh... I'm sorry for showing you this side of me, Han Bing. You're right, if I wish to avenge Long Shen's death, I can't let all this effort go to waste."
A subtle sigh of relief left the servant, who was just about to step back and release her mistress's shoulder when, suddenly and confusingly, Yue Qing pulled her back behind her, adopting a stance as if ready to draw her sword at any moment, with her right hand inches from the hilt.
"Who's there!?" She demanded, her gaze sharp and intimidating as it focused on the darkness among the trees beside their path.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Footsteps could be heard, and slowly, emerging from the shadows, a mysterious figure with her entire body and face concealed by a tight black outfit revealed herself, showing both hands raised in the air and stopping a few meters away from the two women, her expression unnervingly calm.
Huh? I've never seen Han Bing get this alert... Who could this mysterious person be? And how did she manage to get past all those guards?
Though the stranger tried to demonstrate through her actions that she posed no threat, suppressing her internal energy and apparently carrying no weapons, the servant still didn't trust her, not lowering her guard for even a second while she awaited an explanation.
"I apologize for appearing in this manner, but I was sent by someone who can help you with your revenge, young lady Yue Qing." Said the person, who revealed herself to be a woman, though her chest barely showed despite the tight outfit.
"Miss?"
Han Bing remained on guard but knew that such a proposal might deeply tempt her young lady, so she chose not to make any further comment while waiting for her decision.
Help me with my revenge...
Yue Qing had just experienced a moment of explosive rage, but now her mind was as cool and logical as ever, and because of that, she stayed silent and contemplative for long seconds, weighing the pros and cons of trusting this person.
On one hand, if it were genuine, she could gain a powerful ally since this stranger appeared to command some formidable skills, perhaps even use her to eliminate her sister and help her become the future matriarch of her family. But, on the other hand, would it really be wise to trust someone who had yet to reveal even her name or face?
After thinking deeply during those long seconds, reflecting far more than the time seemed to allow, the young lady reached a conclusion...
"... Take me to this person!" She commanded, looking directly into the mysterious woman's eyes.
"You made the right choice... Follow me, she's not far from here."
In the blink of an eye, the woman who had been standing perfectly still with her hands up vanished, leaving only the sound of leaves rustling in the treetops above.
Han Bing understood but couldn't fully agree with her miss's decision to trust the words of this unknown woman. Still, as the decision had been made, she had no choice but to follow through. Lifting her miss onto her back, she began to follow the woman's path.
Minutes passed as the three women moved through that cold, starry night, descending the mountain along the treetops. The unknown woman skillfully navigated through the few places and rare moments when no guards were positioned or watching the surrounding area. She had certainly prepared well to infiltrate the Yue Family's territory earlier.
Despite the dangerous and tense situation, Yue Qing couldn't help but feel her youthful spirit stir, marveling at the privileged view of the beautiful full moon right before her eyes, feeling small yet special under that imposing and beautiful moonlight. Her desire for freedom was reaffirmed once again.
"Stop here! We've reached our destination. She is inside this cave."
Ten minutes after leaving the mountain, they finally arrived, and the young lady dismounted from her servant's back, finding herself facing a dark, seemingly ordinary cave hidden in the thick of the forest.
Following the stranger's instructions and steps, both of them also entered the dark cave, with Yue Qing barely able to see anything inside, grabbing onto Han Bing's hand to avoid getting lost. Walking in total silence and with a mounting tension in the air for another five minutes, they finally reached the last curve of the cave.
"I brought her. Here is Yue Qing, elder sister Yu!" The woman announced in an extremely respectful tone, having been the first to round the final turn.
Elder sister Yu? Yu... I think I recognize that name... Where have I heard it before?
Curious and intrigued, especially upon hearing the name, the young lady made the turn, only to have all her doubts dispelled the instant she saw, sitting atop a large rock illuminated by torches, the woman she had been struggling to remember.
"Elder Li Yu?!" They both asked in unison, shocked by the unexpected revelation that momentarily shattered their composure.
"But aren't you the elder of the Star Sword Sect?! Don't tell me your plan was to lure the young lady here, away from the guards, to eliminate her?!" Han Bing reacted, quickly beginning to draw her sword when, suddenly, she felt an intense weight preventing her from pulling it from its sheath.
What!? Why can't I unsheathe my sword??
With a calm look and a faint, confident smile on her face, the beautiful, curvaceous woman with long red hair finally spoke.
"Calm yourself, servant Han Bing. I have no desire to kill your miss, rather, I wish to make an agreement with her..." The elder, her orange eyes glowing in the torchlight, turned her gaze to Yue Qing, and with a calm, relaxed tone, she asked. "So, young lady Yue Qing, would you like to hear what I have to say? I'm certain you'll find my offer of interest." She smiled internally, almost predicting the events that would unfold from there.