The woman's smile vanished instantly, her eyes flashing with ruthlessness. "A mere commoner dares to provoke me? I don't know how much you understand about the new district, but since you know of our existence, I'll take you back today to feast my pets. Yi Dao."
Yi Dao's eyes flashed with cold light as he strode towards Quan Jiu.
In his eyes, she was just a beautiful, delicate woman. He could lift her with one hand.
But when he reached out with both hands towards Quan Jiu, her expression sharpened. She swiftly executed a grappling move, using the brief restraint to perform an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming him hard onto the tiled floor. His head struck the ground with a dull thud.
Quan Jiu didn't linger. After releasing him, she sprinted, leaped onto a square concrete bench fixed to the ground, and with another boost, grabbed the dagger stuck in the alarm bell.
Upon landing, Quan Jiu gripped the dagger without hesitation and attacked Yi Dao. But she was still a step too slow. Yi Dao, trained for years, merely dazed for a few seconds after being thrown, his body instinctively flipped back up with a carp jump.
Quan Jiu retreated rapidly, creating a safe distance, dagger held defensively. Her eyes were like a hawk's, vigilantly and fiercely scanning for any movement.
This entire sequence unfolded in mere seconds.
Yet, the men in black, including the woman of unknown identity, couldn't suppress their astonishment.
No one expected this seemingly beautiful and delicate woman to know boxing and react so swiftly.
The woman, after a moment of stunned disbelief, said with a seductive yet sinister tone, "Yi Dao, if you fall to this woman today, you can jump straight into my pet cave and feed my pets when you get back."
Yi Dao trembled all over, his gaze towards Quan Jiu growing colder. Suddenly, he accelerated his steps, clenched his fists, and attacked Quan Jiu proactively.
Quan Jiu knew she was no match for him in terms of pure strength and skill. So, she didn't confront him directly. She continued to dodge and retreat rapidly, while simultaneously pulling off the decorative thin leather belt at her waist. She tightly wrapped it around her right hand, which held the dagger, to prevent slipping and dropping the weapon.
After securing the dagger, a punch whistling with wind came from the side. Quan Jiu dipped her shoulder, narrowly evading it, and simultaneously aimed the dagger at his waist, slashing forcefully.
Yi Dao jumped back, but despite his quick reaction, a small cut appeared on his abdomen, causing a dull ache like an ant bite.
The woman of unknown identity watched with delight, clapping her hands. "Good, good. It seems I underestimated you. You actually managed to injure Yi Dao. You're so excellent, it makes me want to twist your neck immediately and make you into a specimen to admire daily in my treasure pavilion."
Quan Jiu smiled faintly. "Your master who assigned you the task must be quite impatient, wouldn't they?" Otherwise, they wouldn't have such a perverted subordinate.
The woman's seductive smile froze. She said fiercely, "When I peel your skin off, let's see what you have to say. Yi Dao, I'll give you one more minute."
Upon hearing this, Yi Dao's movements became more ferocious, each strike aimed at the joints, attempting to quickly incapacitate his opponent.
However, Quan Jiu's advantage lay in her slender and agile physique. She dodged like a slippery loach, seizing opportunities to attack. She had a weapon, and the dagger was clearly different from a regular Swiss Army knife; it was extremely sharp, drawing blood with almost every touch. Thus, after more than ten rounds, the blade was stained with quite a bit of blood.
But even so, she was mostly on the defensive. Especially towards the end, her stamina began to falter, and her speed noticeably decreased.
Should I go with them to the new district?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when a chilling yet familiar voice echoed from outside.
"If you don't stop now, I won't mind making a hole in your head."
Yi Dao, still entangled with Quan Jiu, did not stop. The next second, with a loud "bang," a bullet gleaming with golden light passed through the stranger woman's head and accurately struck Yi Dao's thigh.
Yi Dao grunted and knelt on the ground, blood gushing out and quickly dyeing the floor in front of him red.
Quan Jiu finally got a chance to breathe. Clutching the dagger tightly, she quickly created a safe distance from Yi Dao, then looked towards the exhibition hall entrance.
Two groups of men in black, both armed, faced each other. At the front of both teams stood the still-shocked stranger woman, and beside her, Chu Rong, his face ashen.
Chu Rong holstered his gun and, as if ignoring the woman, walked to Quan Jiu.
"I'm sorry, I'm late." Chu Rong hugged Quan Jiu tightly, his voice filled with deep anxiety and fear.
"Are you injured?" He released Quan Jiu and examined her from head to toe.
At this moment, Quan Jiu didn't need to dwell on their past issues. She shook her head and reassured him, "No."
The coldness on Chu Rong's face receded slightly. He looked at the woman coldly. "Su Lian, you should be glad she's not injured. Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing right now, but lying down."
Su Lian finally snapped back to reality, suppressing the panic in her heart, and resumed her charming demeanor.
"Mr. Chu, you're so passionate right from the start, it's a bit overwhelming."
"I don't care if your new district acts arrogantly elsewhere, but if you dare to touch my people, I will raze your 'Tai Shu' stronghold." Chu Rong's face was grim, his gaze like a blade.
Su Lian frowned and glared fiercely at Quan Jiu. "I had no quarrel with you. You're the one who blocked my path like a guard dog. My target is these embroideries. If you're sensible, you'll leave obediently. For his sake, I won't hold you accountable for today's offense against the new district."
Quan Jiu's eyes sharpened. "These embroideries are works by the elder artist Wang Huiping. What do they have to do with you?"
Su Lian scoffed disdainfully. "Although Wang Huiping is a traitor to the new district, she is one of our 'Tai Shu' clan. Born Tai Shu, dead Tai Shu ghost. Her belongings naturally belong to our Tai Shu clan. Do I need a reason to take back our own things?"
Quan Jiu's expression grew colder. "So, you've been looking for her all these years."
Su Lian looked at Quan Jiu arrogantly. "That's right. But she's like a mole digging holes. We searched for many years before finding her. Unexpectedly, just as we caught a scent, she escaped again. Now that her works have resurfaced, it's time to settle the score with our Tai Shu clan."
Quan Jiu took a deep breath, slowly and methodically unwrapped the dagger tied to her right hand, then shook her slightly sore right hand. A smile curved her lips, her gaze turning sharp and cold. With a twist and a boost, the dagger flew swiftly towards Su Lian.
Su Lian was caught off guard. She only managed to retreat a few steps. Although she avoided serious injury, her face was slashed by the sharp dagger, leaving a bloody mark. Blood droplets quickly dripped down her cheek.
Su Lian froze for a moment, then screamed, "My face, you bitch, you're asking for death."
Enraged, she snatched a gun from a nearby black-clad man and aimed it at Quan Jiu. But Chu's bodyguards moved faster. While everyone was distracted by the scene, they surged forward, the muzzle pressed tightly against the back of Su Lian's head.
Su Lian felt a chill run through her body, her burning anger instantly extinguished.
She wisely lowered the gun and resumed her charming persona, caressing her wound. "Mr. Chu shows no mercy to a damsel in distress."
Chu Rong's voice was chilling. "You cannot touch my people, and you are even less qualified to touch my possessions."