"The Young Fortress Master’s presence is a rare honor. Please forgive our lack of a proper welcome."
The voice arrived before the person did—it was the Second Protector, Yin Liuli. Inside the grand hall, a handsome young man dressed in lavish robes had been sipping tea. Hearing the voice, he gave a light chuckle, set down his cup, and immediately rose to approach the entrance. Nan Muxue and Yin Liuli entered, followed by a retinue of attendants. He cupped his hands in greeting. "The Young Palace Mistress is too kind."
This man was Liu Shaopeng, the Young Fortress Master of Flying Roc Fortress. With sword-like brows, starry eyes, and a face as fair as polished jade, the twenty-three-year-old was already a man of great renown. His name differed by only one character from that of the first master and founder of the fortress, Liu Feipeng, illustrating the high expectations his family placed upon him.
Nan Muxue took her seat at the head of the hall and made a gesture of invitation. Liu Shaopeng sat back down. "The Young Fortress Master has just returned from Feng City. Having traveled so far, how is it you have the time to visit my Hundred Flowers Palace for tea today?"
Liu Shaopeng wagged a finger. Two disciples by his side immediately stepped forward, carrying a large assortment of gifts. "These are gifts I brought back from Feng City. I hope the Young Palace Mistress will accept them."
She gave a slight wave of her hand, and her disciples knowingly took the gifts. "Has there been any unusual activity in the martial world lately?"
"Nothing major; it’s actually quite peaceful. The election for the next Martial Arts Alliance Leader is only a few months away. Who would dare stir up trouble at a time like this?"
Nan Muxue took an inconspicuous sip of tea. *If nothing is happening, why did you, the Young Fortress Master, feel the need to make a trip to Feng City?* She didn't press him, simply nodding in agreement. "True enough."
Her brief, clipped response and the way she looked away made Liu Shaopeng restless. "I heard that Mu... the Young Palace Mistress recently took on a new disciple?"
So, he had finally asked. She feigned ignorance. "Hundred Flowers Palace has recruited several batches of disciples recently. I'm not sure which one the Young Fortress Master is referring to."
"Muxue," Liu Shaopeng said, seeing her play dumb. He addressed her by name, ignoring the slight furrow of her brow. "The hearts of men are unpredictable. That person is strange and eccentric; have you looked into their background? Be careful of the dangers of the martial world."
Nan Muxue looked up and stared at him without a word. Her expression behind the veil was utterly inscrutable. Realizing he had overstepped, Liu Shaopeng smiled. "What is it?"
To any other woman, that smile would have been warm and charming—the Young Fortress Master was the dream of many. Yet Nan Muxue remained indifferent. "The Young Fortress Master seems quite familiar with my Hundred Flowers Palace. How do you know my disciple is eccentric?"
"I am concerned for you." Rumors persisted in the martial world that the two were a pair, and he certainly harbored such intentions. He had no shortage of women around him, yet Nan Muxue was the only one he could not have. Such a woman could not be compared to common, vulgar beauties. It was for this reason he had used the Flying Roc Fortress to establish a partnership between them. He swore he would have this woman.
"Young Palace Mistress!" Before Liu Shaopeng could finish, A-Yue came running in frantically. Nan Muxue stood up immediately.
"What happened?" she asked as she walked. A-Yue was supposed to be watching Chu Ruo's horse stance; her arrival meant something had gone wrong.
A-Yue glanced at Liu Shaopeng, who was following behind, and spoke cautiously. "Chu Ruo is fighting... no, to be precise, she is being beaten."
Nan Muxue understood instantly. No wonder she hadn't seen Liu Shaopeng’s senior disciples today; he usually brought them everywhere. Her brow furrowed even deeper. "What have you done?"
Liu Shaopeng replied unhurriedly, "Xue'er, I am doing this for your own good. That kid’s background is unclear. Since he’s snuck into the Hundred Flowers Palace, he’s bound to be on guard against you. I sent my disciples to test his skills."
"The affairs of the Hundred Flowers Palace never require outside interference. Also, do not address me that way."
***
Meanwhile, Chu Ruo was looking at the bastards surrounding her with utter exasperation. She had been minding her own business, practicing her horse stance, when these jerks came over to provoke her. It started with insults, then escalated to physical violence. They had knocked the bowls from her hands and then used a sweeping kick to send her face-planting into the dirt.
*Damn it! I worked so hard to stay upright for half the day without spilling a drop, and you little brats ruined it!*
These definitely weren't people from the Hundred Flowers Palace—there were no men there. Moreover, A-Yue had run off immediately, likely to find the Little Scorpion. Since these men could enter and leave this place freely, and even a personal maid like A-Yue didn't dare scold them, they had to be disciples of the Flying Roc Fortress.
These guys were using underhanded tactics, constantly slapping the back of her head or throwing sneak punches. One of them took advantage of her being off-guard and kicked her hard from behind. She fell again!
*You grandson of a...!* Chu Ruo stood up and spat on the ground, deliberately using a provocation. "The five of you are bullying me with numbers. Aren't you afraid of shaming the Flying Roc Fortress if word gets out? If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one!"
She couldn't win a group brawl, and even one-on-one would be difficult since they knew martial arts, but once she was pushed, she feared nothing. She wouldn't beg for mercy; she could only improvise and try to win by wit, hoping to stall until the Little Scorpion arrived. Furthermore, perhaps due to a natural instinct for the martial world, a thought actually crossed her mind: *I am a member of the Hundred Flowers Palace now. I cannot lose face for the sect.*
The men were indeed provoked. The leader chuckled. "Kid, you've got sharp eyes to recognize we're from the Flying Roc Fortress. Fine, don't say I didn't give you a chance. You and I will compete."
"And if you lose?"
"Me, lose? Hahaha!" The man looked her up and down, then burst into laughter as if he’d heard the world’s greatest joke. "I am Hu Nuo, the second disciple of Young Fortress Master Liu Shaopeng. I would lose? Kid, are you even awake?"
*I've never seen someone announce their own name like such a moron,* Chu Ruo thought. But she had no choice; she had to stall for every second. "And I am the... well, the personal disciple of Nan Muxue, the Young Palace Mistress of the Hundred Flowers Palace! Why shouldn't I be able to win?"
"Heh, interesting. Fine. If you win today, you can do whatever you want. But if you lose, you have to get on your knees, kowtow three times, and call me 'Grandpa' three times!"
*Oh, for heaven's sake, it's just like a TV drama.* "Fine! If you lose, all of you have to get on your knees and kowtow three times. But while you kowtow, you have to shout: 'The disciples of Flying Roc Fortress are the grandsons of Chu Ruo from Hundred Flowers Palace!' Do you dare agree?"
The other four disciples began to jeer. "Second Senior Brother, go for it! Show this kid what we're made of!" "That's right, Second Senior Brother, teach him a lesson!"
*Second Senior Brother?* Chu Ruo suppressed a laugh as she looked at his physique. Well, he was a bit short for a "Zhu Bajie."
Hu Nuo, fueled by his companions' cheers, grew even more arrogant. "Fine! Kid, let's go!"
"Wait!"
"Now what?"
"Tell your brothers to back off. What if they stab me in the back because you can't beat me? Or what if they just jump in? You have to guarantee that no one interferes, otherwise, whoever loses is the grandson."
"Heh, you sure talk a lot. We disciples of the Flying Roc Fortress never do such things. Brothers, listen up! Stand aside and watch the show. No matter what happens, no one is allowed to interfere. Do you hear me?"
"Yes!" The other disciples, certain Chu Ruo was no match for him, stood aside with contemptuous smiles.
Hu Nuo crossed his arms impatiently. "Can we start now?"
*What now? I can't stall any longer. Fine, I'll just have to grit my teeth and go for it. I might get beaten, but I can't lose my dignity.* She spread her hands. "Let's start."
"Kid, weapons or bare-handed?"
Chu Ruo looked at the nearby weapon rack—sabers, spears, staves. The blades were so sharp. Getting hit by a fist was better than getting stabbed. "No need. I can handle you with just my hands." *Can't let the momentum drop.*
Hu Nuo had been waiting for those words. He laughed loudly, clenched his fist, and charged at Chu Ruo with all his strength. Just as he started, Chu Ruo suddenly pointed behind him. "Look who's coming!"
Hu Nuo instinctively turned to look. Not just him, but the other disciples turned their heads as well. In the next second, Chu Ruo raised her leg and kicked him as hard as she could right in the crotch.
"Aaaagh!" A scream of agony. Before he could recover, she leaped onto him, heedless of everything, and bit down hard on Hu Nuo’s ear, refusing to let go.
"It hurts! You little brat, let go!" Between the pain below and the searing pain in his ear, Hu Nuo couldn't catch his breath. This bastard was clinging to his back like a piece of sticky candy; he couldn't use his strength. "Let go! Get down and fight me if you've got the guts!"
Chu Ruo replied through gritted teeth, her voice muffled by his ear. "This *is* my skill! Weren't you jerks bullying me with numbers just now? Didn't you like attacking from behind? I learned this from you! Does it hurt? You want me to let go? Not a chance! Not unless you beg for mercy!"
The other disciples were stunned. They hadn't expected things to turn out like this. They wanted to help, but remembered their promise. If they acted now, where would their dignity go? But if they didn't help and he lost, they’d have to kowtow and shout those humiliating words. They were stuck in a dilemma.
Hu Nuo stamped his feet in rage, shouting through the pain, "What are you standing there for? Help me! Kill this grandson!"
"You're breaking your word, Hu! You bastard! Ptooey!" Seeing the others charging toward them, Chu Ruo didn't care about anything else. She let go of Hu Nuo and bolted.
In front of the martial arts field were many high steps leading elsewhere. She scrambled up the stairs. Hu Nuo stopped the other disciples from chasing immediately, walking toward the weapon rack with a sinister grin. "Get the weapons."
Chu Ruo looked back. *Mama mia!* They were charging at her with weapons. She ran even faster, but she was no match for trained martial artists. They caught up to her in a few strides. Hu Nuo, in particular, swung his saber with lethal intent. Chu Ruo dodged left and right, barely managing to scramble to one side, but another disciple swung a staff down at her. She couldn't avoid it and raised her arm to block. Her left arm took a solid, heavy blow, and she was knocked to the ground.
*Damn, that hurts! At least it wasn't a blade.* Just as she felt a moment of relief, Hu Nuo appeared before her, his saber raised high. "Heh heh, let's see where you run now."
The blade fell. In that split second, Chu Ruo was ready to accept her demise. But just as the edge was about to touch her, a *whoosh* sounded past her ear. A silver needle buried itself into Hu Nuo’s wrist. He cried out in pain, and the steel saber clattered to the ground.
Chu Ruo looked up. A large group of people had arrived, but the first person she saw was the Little Scorpion. *An angel!* For the first time, seeing the Little Scorpion felt like the most urgent and beautiful thing in the world.
She rose to run toward her, but the Little Scorpion was faster, using her lightness skill to fly down to her side. Chu Ruo immediately hid behind her. "Master!"
Nan Muxue simply stared at Hu Nuo, her voice cold as frost. "Is the Hundred Flowers Palace a place where you are permitted to run wild?"
Hu Nuo frequently followed Liu Shaopeng in and out of the palace, so he naturally recognized Nan Muxue. Clutching his throbbing wrist, he begged for mercy in terror. "Spare me, Young Palace Mistress! I was wrong! Spare me!"
The others walked down the steps. Liu Shaopeng spoke up quickly, a forced smile still on his face. "Oh, it's just a misunderstanding, Xue'er—" He caught her gaze and corrected himself. "Young Palace Mistress. My disciples are a bit unruly. Please, for my sake, do not take it to heart."
Nan Muxue didn't answer. She turned to look at Chu Ruo. "Are you injured?"
At that moment, Chu Ruo was like a child who had fallen and was looking for sympathy. She nodded repeatedly, reporting her grievances piteously. "Yes! First they insulted me, then they insulted the Hundred Flowers Palace. Then, while I was doing my horse stance, they kicked over my things and used a sweeping kick on me. They bullied me with numbers, attacked from behind, and kicked me. Look at my clothes!" She turned around to show the footprints on her white robes. "Then this Hu Nuo wanted to duel me. When he couldn't beat me, he called the others to jump me. They even used weapons! That one hit me with a staff. Look!"
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a bruise that had already turned a deep purple-red. She hadn't noticed it much before, but now the pain really set in. Her eyes welled with tears. "Master, if you had come a step later, they would have beaten me to death."
Hu Nuo was horrified. If she kept talking like this, he was a dead man. "You're lying! We never insulted the Hundred Flowers Palace! You cheated during the duel, that's why we... we..."
"We what? Go on, say it! Didn't you use your numbers to bully me? I only used a desperate measure. We never agreed on what moves were allowed. I won fair and square! Do you dare deny you mocked the Hundred Flowers Palace? You said only a sect full of women like this would take in a freak like me! Master, you must seek justice for your disciple!"
Liu Shaopeng immediately stepped forward and slapped Hu Nuo. The disciple stood there, stunned. "Master, you..."
"You wretch! Apologize to the Young Palace Mistress and her disciple at once! It's one thing to act out at Flying Roc Fortress, but how dare you behave so insolently here?"
Seeing his master's meaningful look, Hu Nuo quickly knelt. "Young Palace Mistress, I..."
"No need," Nan Muxue cut him off. "There is no point in the Young Fortress Master putting on a show for me. I have never been one to fall for such things."
Liu Shaopeng maintained his smile. "It was just a dispute between disciples..."
"The people of the Hundred Flowers Palace are never to be insulted. You acted with such arrogance on my territory, especially against my, Nan Muxue's, disciple. If word of today's events gets out and it is said that I, Nan Muxue, cannot even protect my own disciple, how am I to maintain my standing in the martial world?"
Hu Nuo panicked and grabbed Liu Shaopeng’s sleeve. "Master, you have to save me! It was you who told me to—"
"Silence!" Liu Shaopeng glared at him. Hu Nuo didn't dare say another word. Liu Shaopeng then looked at Chu Ruo and cupped his hands. "This must be the Young Palace Mistress's disciple, Chu Ruo. I am Liu Shaopeng, the Young Fortress Master of Flying Roc Fortress. Today was entirely an accident. No one wanted this to happen. Why don't we just let it go for my sake?"
Chu Ruo felt a wave of disgust. "From the sect to the title to the name... aren't you tired of saying all that? Isn't it a hassle? Don't you find it a mouthful?"
He never expected her to speak like that. He gave a forced laugh, unsure of what to say. Chu Ruo continued, "We can't just let it go. We agreed that if he lost, they would all kneel, kowtow three times, and call themselves my grandsons. Why shouldn't that count?"
Liu Shaopeng looked at Nan Muxue. She said nothing, her silence clearly signaling her approval. He was astonished—what kind of power did this person have to make Xue'er so indulgent? To make such a fuss over a minor squabble between disciples? Regardless, he had to settle this. "A bet is a bet. Nuo'er, since you lost, do as Chu Ruo says."
Hu Nuo had no choice. He and the other disciples knelt and kowtowed heavily three times, shouting at the top of their lungs that the disciples of Flying Roc Fortress were the grandsons of Chu Ruo from Hundred Flowers Palace. The women of the palace covered their mouths to hide their laughter, while Chu Ruo looked triumphant. Liu Shaopeng’s face turned a dark, livid shade of green.
They thought the matter was finally over. But as they stood up, they heard Nan Muxue’s voice.
"The matter of the bet is settled. Now, we shall settle the matter of injuring my disciple."
Liu Shaopeng felt a jolt of alarm. No one saw how Nan Muxue moved. The smile was still frozen on Hu Nuo’s face when, in the next second, he stood perfectly still, then collapsed. He was dead, his breath gone.
"As for you," her gaze landed on the disciple who had struck Chu Ruo with the staff. The disciple trembled, realizing something was wrong. He turned to run, but it was too late. He lived, but his right hand was severed clean off.
"Aaaagh!" A heart-wrenching scream as he fainted from the pain.
As for the other three, Liu Shaopeng didn't even have time to intervene. Several flying needles struck their limbs. More screams followed as their martial arts were crippled, the tendons in their hands and feet severed.
"This is the price for injuring the disciple of Nan Muxue." Having said her piece, she swept her sleeves and walked away, her departure utterly cold and elegant.
Chu Ruo’s mouth hung open. *The Little Scorpion is so badass! But also terrifying.* Dead men, severed hands, crippled martial arts... she swallowed hard. *I'd better not provoke her, or I won't even know how I died.* Still, she had stood up for her. Not bad, not bad at all.
This thought didn't last long. After a few steps, the Little Scorpion stopped and looked at her. "What happened just now doesn't count. Start your horse stance over. Stand until midnight. A-Yue, prepare the water for her again."
*You mother-flipping Little Scorpion! Do you have any humanity left? I'm injured, hey!* Of course, after witnessing and experiencing what she just had, she didn't dare provoke her. She went back to her horse stance obediently. *Sigh.*
***
Midnight.
As soon as midnight passed, Chu Ruo dragged her exhausted body toward the kitchen. Her bones felt like they were melting. *Oh? There are leftovers in the kitchen today!* Thank God, it wasn't just pastries and fruit. Rice and dishes were much more practical for filling the stomach. And though there was no chicken or duck, there was a fish! Not bad. Chu Ruo didn't stand on ceremony. She looked around and saw a table usually used by the staff for breaks. She brought the food over and began eating right there in the kitchen.
As she was eating happily, she heard footsteps behind her. With a mouthful of rice, she turned to explain. "I'm not stealing! I'm just hungry! Fourth Protector? No, Yan'er!" Her face lit up with surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"What did you call me?" the woman asked, then seemed to remember something and fell silent. Fortunately, Chu Ruo didn't notice. She quickly wiped her mouth. "Why are you here?"
"Hold out your hand."
Chu Ruo didn't know what she wanted, but she obediently placed her hand on the table. "The other one."
"Oh."
Nan Muxue pulled up her sleeve, took out a jar of ointment, and began applying it to the wound. Chu Ruo watched, dazed. "Yan'er, you're so good to me. You came here specifically to find me, didn't you? You heard I was hurt. You're so kind, and so beautiful. It's wonderful. Not like the Little Scorpion—I mean, my Master. She should really learn from you how to be a proper lady."
Nan Muxue arched an eyebrow. "Why aren't you calling her 'Little Scorpion' anymore?"
"She... she's not *entirely* a scorpion," Chu Ruo said, recalling the day's events. "She protected me today and stood up for me. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"She's too vicious. She cuts off hands and takes lives at the drop of a hat. Eh, come to think of it, she really is a Little Scorpion after all."
The veins on Nan Muxue's forehead pulsed again. *Chu Ruo, just you wait until tomorrow.*
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
飞鹏堡 | Flying Roc Fortress | A prominent martial arts sect.
柳少鹏 | Liu Shaopeng | Young Fortress Master of Flying Roc Fortress.
胡诺 | Hu Nuo | Second disciple of Liu Shaopeng.
丰城 | Feng City | A geographical location mentioned in the text.
武林盟主 | Martial Arts Alliance Leader | The supreme leader of the martial arts world.
柳飞鹏 | Liu Feipeng | Founder of the Flying Roc Fortress.
轻功 | Lightness Skill | A martial arts technique for rapid movement and leaping.
子时 | Midnight | The period from 11 PM to 1 AM.
