The sparsely populated Xinjiang region meant fewer vehicles as Chen Fan drove out of the county seat. After half a day, he found himself at the foot of a mountain, with another hundred kilometers to Yu Xu Peak according to the map. The road here had become precarious, winding through the mountains with sheer cliffs on one side; a single mistake would surely result in a wrecked car and loss of life.
Chen Fan, however, was unconcerned. His driving skills made such hazards trivial. As he descended a ridge after a sharp turn, two cars blocked his path. Two men were roughly handling a woman, their argument and pushing clearly visible. The men seemed intent on forcing the woman into their vehicle, but she resisted fiercely.
Unsure of the situation, Chen Fan stopped to wait. Suddenly, the woman broke free and, spotting Chen Fan's car, ran towards it. The two men, tall and speaking in a local dialect, pursued her, grabbing her and dragging her towards a parked pickup truck. Her hair was dishevelled, and there were bruises on her face, her expression one of urgency and helplessness. Seeing Chen Fan, she cried out, "Help, please, save me!"
Chen Fan frowned, pushed open his car door, and got out. As he did, one of the men glared at him and threatened, "Mind your own business!" Chen Fan continued walking towards them and asked, "What's going on?"
"Help me, save me, they are thugs, they want to rape me!" the woman shouted.
"Let her go!" Chen Fan didn't rush to act. In such situations, without fully understanding the circumstances, one could easily misjudge and act rashly.
"Get lost!" The first man shouted at Chen Fan, pulling aside his woolen coat to reveal a knife tucked into his waist – a clear threat. Chen Fan had intended to give them a chance to explain, but their rudeness surprised him. Since he had encountered this, it was a simple matter to help, and he would not stand by idly. He strode forward.
The man sneered and drew his knife with a *shing*. It was a common, sharp meat-cutting knife found in the highlands. "Are you looking for death?" the man threatened, his voice low and hoarse with a thick local accent.
Chen Fan reached out and grabbed. The man's eyes flashed with ferocity, and he lunged with the knife. He couldn't hit Chen Fan. Before he could comprehend what was happening, his knife was in Chen Fan's hand, and he was kicked to the ground.
The other man, still holding the woman, was retreating towards their pickup truck. He stared at the scene in shock and immediately reached for his own knife. But Chen Fan was already there, grabbing him by the head and slamming it forcefully against the truck bed. The man's head hit with a sickening thud, stars exploded in his eyes, and he went limp.
Freed, the woman gasped for breath and leaned against the truck bed, looking at Chen Fan. Surprise and gratitude filled her eyes as she repeatedly thanked him, "Thank you, thank you..."
"Move aside first," Chen Fan said calmly. The woman blinked, a hint of confusion on her delicate face, but she complied and stepped away. Chen Fan tossed the unconscious man to the roadside. The man, weighing at least two hundred jin, was thrown aside as if he were garbage, leaving the woman stunned.
Getting into the pickup, Chen Fan started the engine and drove towards the edge of the road. As they neared the embankment, he jumped out of the vehicle. The Dongfeng pickup plunged down the seven or eight-meter slope, landing with a tremendous crash. The woman watched, dumbfounded.
Chen Fan calmly walked back to his own car, ready to depart. "Wait, wait!" The woman finally reacted, quickly blocking his path. "Sir, please, could you give me a ride?"
"Can't you just drive your own car?" Chen Fan glanced at the other vehicle, a Wrangler, presumably hers.
"My car is broken!" the woman said with a wry smile. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been in danger here. If you leave me here, it's as if you didn't save me."
"Our directions are different," Chen Fan stated.
"It's alright," the woman replied. "Where are you going?"
"Below Yu Xu Peak," Chen Fan said.
"I just came from there. It's fine, I'll ride with you first and figure something else out later."
"Alright, get in," Chen Fan agreed.
"Just a moment." The woman said, opened the Wrangler's trunk, retrieved a hiking backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and grabbed a bag of food and water. She then picked up a broken mobile phone from the ground before finally getting into Chen Fan's car.
She settled into the passenger seat and said, "Thank you, I'm Lin Zilan. And you?"
"Chen Fan." Chen Fan continued driving, and said, "What about your car? You're just leaving it?"
"I'll call road assistance to tow it back to Qingmu County," Lin Zilan replied. "Chen Fan, thanks to you, otherwise the consequences earlier would have been unimaginable." She quickly added, "My car broke down there, and I was trying to flag down a ride, not expecting such danger."
Chen Fan remained noncommittal. She then took out her phone and began recording a video of herself. "I'm safe now. I never expected to encounter such danger. Even my live-streaming phone was smashed. Fortunately, a hero saved the damsel, or you wouldn't be seeing Zilan today!" She continued, "I want to remind everyone here that when you're out and about, especially traveling alone, you must be extra careful and ensure your safety."
After recording the short video, Lin Zilan explained, "I'm an outdoor travel blogger, and I occasionally film short videos to post online. Chen Fan, do you mind if I film your face? Let my fans know it was a handsome guy who rescued me?"
Chen Fan said calmly, "I do. If you film me, I'll kick you out of the car." Hearing Chen Fan's indifferent tone, Lin Zilan paused, a hint of awkwardness in her expression. She cleared her throat and quickly said, "Then I won't film. I apologize if I offended you."
Chen Fan did not respond. It was nearing four o'clock in the afternoon, and he was in a hurry. The atmosphere in the car felt a bit strained. Lin Zilan thought for a moment and decided to lighten the mood. "Chen Fan, why are you going to Yu Xu Peak? You don't seem to be there for tourism?"
"Something personal," Chen Fan replied.
"I was there a few days ago and am quite familiar with the area. Perhaps I can help you?" Lin Zilan, possessing considerable emotional intelligence, said with a smile.
Chen Fan glanced at Lin Zilan and asked, "Do you know where Kunlun Courtyard is?"
"Kunlun Courtyard?" Lin Zilan shook her head. "I haven't heard of such a place. I've been to the villages around there, and it's the first time I've heard that name." She added, "But perhaps the elders in the villages would know. Once we get there, we can ask around."
Chen Fan was not overly surprised. Kunlun Courtyard was where the martial arts world sent people to participate in the trials for the Kunlun Secret Realm; it wasn't a place commonly known. "Northwest of Yu Xu Peak, which village is that?" Chen Fan asked again.
"Let me think... it's probably Bakka Village. Are you going there? It's not far ahead. We should take a small road. This way will be faster."