But the thought of backing down now and losing face was unbearable.
And with the girl looking so pretty and refined, her voice full of provocation, their wicked thoughts only grew stronger.
The thin man licked the corner of his lips and forced out a laugh.
“Heh…
Little miss, stop trying to act so fierce.
You’re still so young.
What do you know?
Come with your uncles, and there’ll be plenty of benefits for you.” There was a trace of unease in his voice, but he stubbornly refused to back down.
The fat man was even less patient.
He snorted coldly.
“Don’t be ungrateful!
This is Bai Manor’s territory, not a place where you can do whatever you want.
Even a mighty dragon can’t overpower a local snake.
No matter how capable you are, do you really think you can beat us brothers who’ve been around here for more than ten years?” Their voices sounded tougher than before, yet their steps hesitated.
Neither dared to rush at her immediately, but neither was willing to give up.
They looked like starving wild dogs that knew there was a stick waiting by the master’s door, yet still couldn’t resist trying to steal a bite of meat.
Shen Qinglan sneered.
“Is that so?
I wonder what Master Bai would think if he knew there were disgusting scum like you running around on his land.” Before she had even finished speaking, Shen Qinglan flicked her folding fan.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Several fine steel needles shot out, flying straight toward the two men.
“Ah?!
Hidden weapons!” Their eyes widened as they hurriedly threw themselves aside.
The steel needles struck the stone wall behind them.
Clink!
Clink!
Clink!
Sparks scattered from the impact, sending cold sweat down their backs.
But they were so focused on dodging that they failed to notice Shen Qinglan had already closed the distance.
She lowered her body, shifted her footing, and snapped her folding fan shut.
Her palm shot upward like lightning, striking beneath the fat man’s chin— Bang!
The force of the palm knocked his jaw out of place and lifted his heavy body off the ground.
He crashed backward, the back of his head slamming against the stone pavement with a dull thud.
Stars burst across his vision, and all that came from his throat were weak, muffled groans.
His face turned red, and his eyes rolled upward as he screamed inwardly.
This girl…
is she some kind of superhuman?!
I’m a grown man with all this weight on me, and I can’t even beat one of her little hands?!
Shen Qinglan ignored him.
The corner of her lips lifted as she said coldly, “Next.” The thin man had already been stunned by what he saw, but he was more agile than his companion.
The moment Shen Qinglan turned toward him, he gritted his teeth and lunged forward.
His fist tore through the air, heading straight for the side of her face.
Shen Qinglan flipped her wrist and raised the folding fan in front of her.
Clang—!
His fist collided head-on with the ribs of the fan.
A metallic crash rang through the alley as sparks flew from the impact.
The force traveled back through Shen Qinglan’s hand, leaving the web between her thumb and forefinger numb and tingling.
Her arm ached so badly that she almost lost her grip on the fan.
The thin man’s entire fist burned with pain as well.
His knuckles felt as though they had smashed against a stone block, and his palm twitched uncontrollably.
His heart jolted, and his pupils contracted.
What?!
This isn’t an ordinary fan…
Is it made of black iron?
A little girl actually carries a weapon like this around with her?!
For a moment, fear sent cold sweat running down the thin man’s back.
Yet he still refused to admit weakness, forcing a sneer onto his face.
“Heh…
A black-iron fan?
Little girl, you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve!
But—you think that’s enough to beat me?” His words were fierce, but his feet betrayed him as he unconsciously took a step back.
“Is that so?” Shen Qinglan gave a cold snort, her gaze sharpening.
“Then let’s see how many moves you can take!” The two immediately exchanged blows, sending dust swirling through the alley.
The thin man’s attacks were fierce.
His fists whistled through the air, each strike carrying vicious force and forcing Shen Qinglan back again and again.
Just when he thought he had gained the upper hand, Shen Qinglan suddenly stopped retreating.
A roguish smile appeared on her lips.
“Not bad.
You really think I’m some harmless little kitten?” Before the words had even left her mouth, Shen Qinglan suddenly lowered herself and closed in on his chest.
Her hand shot out and locked around his wrist.
Crack—!
She twisted his wrist sharply, and the joints gave a harsh crack.
Cold sweat immediately broke out across his body, and his scream nearly tore from his throat.
Before he could recover, Shen Qinglan’s knee shot upward with the full force of her body and slammed hard into his abdomen.
Bang—!
The thin man’s chest tightened, and a hoarse cry escaped his throat.
His entire body folded like a shrimp, his eyes rolling upward as he nearly collapsed to his knees.
Blood sprayed from his mouth, and his gaze instantly lost focus.
The moment his body pitched forward, Shen Qinglan clasped her hands together and drove her elbow hard into his chest— “Ah—!” The thin man’s throat tightened.
Before his scream could fully escape, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed unconscious.
Shen Qinglan shook out her hand and exhaled coldly.
“Useless.” A trace of indifference flashed through her eyes.
In her previous life, she had been a special forces soldier specializing in hidden weapons, codenamed “Liuguang.” She had fought her way through gunfire and faced life and death with a smile through countless assassination missions.
Compared to that, dealing with amateurs like these was child’s play.
The fat man had just managed to climb back to his feet when he saw what had happened.
He froze.
His legs trembled uncontrollably as he cursed wildly inside.
Good heavens!
Is this little girl the King of Hell’s aunt or something?!
How did she take down the boss in just a few moves?!
The urge to flee surged through him like a tide.
He wanted to turn around and run, but then he glanced at the thin man lying on the ground.
Some stubborn sense of brotherhood kept his feet rooted in place.
Gritting his teeth, he hardened his heart and pulled a dagger from inside his clothes.
His expression turned vicious.
“Little girl!
You’ve really pissed me off now!
You’re not getting out of here today!” Shen Qinglan stared at the dagger, her eyes as cold as a frozen pool.
Her sleeve flicked.
“Go to hell!” Whoosh—!
A short arrow tore through the air, shooting straight toward the fat man’s chest!
But at that critical moment, a small stone suddenly whistled through the air— Clink!
It struck the short arrow and knocked it off course, sending it clattering onto the stone pavement.