Zhao Rou and Liu Yun were already seething with rage. Liu Yun gave a cold snort and said, "Shameless scoundrels, cease your insolence!" Having just taken the Propolis Pill, her inner strength had greatly increased. Though still not on par with Wu Tong, she was far beyond the ability of ordinary women. Even as she spoke, she was preparing to strike.
However, Wu Tong smiled faintly, gently pressed her hand down, and said, "Sister Yun, leave this to me."
The moment he finished speaking, his figure flashed forward like a ghost, closing in on Hao Shuang in an instant. His right hand shot out like lightning, seizing Hao Shuang's wrist. A powerful surge of internal energy instantly sealed the man's meridians. Hao Shuang felt his arm go numb, and the folding fan in his grip slipped from his hand. Wu Tong's wrist gave a sharp flick, sending a wave of force that hurled Hao Shuang through the air, slamming him heavily onto the ground with a pained cry.
Hao Wai turned pale at the sight. He spun around to flee, but suddenly heard the sharp whistle of something cutting through the air. Looking back, he saw a chopstick darting toward him. With a sharp smack, it struck his shoulder dead-on, sending a jolt of pain through him. He staggered and collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.
The surrounding onlookers erupted in applause, cheering, "What splendid skill! Now that is a true chivalrous hero!" Someone laughed heartily, "Those shameless rogues—someone should have taught them a lesson long ago!"
Liu Yun patted Wu Tong's shoulder proudly. "Brother Tong, how awe-inspiring you are!" Zhao Rou also smiled and said, "Brother Tong truly is an unmatched hero—vermin like this are no match for you."
Wu Tong shook his head with a smile. "Petty scum like this are nothing—mere riffraff. The real dangers of the martial world have yet to appear." He glanced at the two women. "Come, let's keep walking. Let's not let these scoundrels spoil our mood." The three of them strolled on through the bustling marketplace as if nothing had happened.
But Hao Wai, the elder "Delightful Young Master," suddenly glared and shouted, "Brat! Today, the 'Two Delightful Young Masters' will take these two girls by force—what can you do about it?"
Liu Yun laughed. "Brother Tong, let me test the effects of the Propolis Pill!"
Wu Tong nodded. "Very well. These two are bold beyond belief, stopping women in the street. Show them no mercy."
Hao Wai grinned lewdly. "Two beautiful ladies, why don't you come to my manor for a while? I promise to treat you very well."
Outraged by his brazen behavior, Liu Yun stomped her foot. "No!"
Hao Wai, inflamed by her angered beauty, suddenly lost all restraint. "Fine! Don't blame me for using force!" He lunged toward Liu Yun, but Zhao Rou sidestepped and gave him a push. He stumbled forward, barely stopping himself before falling, earning a burst of laughter from the crowd.
Face flushed red with humiliation, Hao Wai snarled, "I spoke politely, and this is how I'm treated? If I don't show my skill, you'll think I'm a sick cat!" The bystanders began backing away, sensing trouble.
Liu Yun's eyes gleamed as she said coolly, "Since you insist on causing trouble, I'll accompany you for a few moves."
Hao Wai, already itching for more, chuckled darkly. "Show me what you've got, girl—I'll be happy to oblige."
With a sudden step forward, Liu Yun unleashed a move called Mountain-Splitting, Tiger-Quaking Strike. Her leading palm shot toward his chest, followed by a swift change of stance and a series of rapid palm strikes, her power fierce and unrelenting. Hao Wai, caught off guard by her speed, barely managed to block the first blow. The impact drove him back four or five steps.
Seeing his discomfiture, Liu Yun smirked. "With such pathetic skill, you dare stop women in the street? Truly a sick cat pretending to be a tiger!"
Hao Wai, shamed and furious, shouted, "Hao Shuang! Help me!"
Hao Shuang rushed forward, but Liu Yun only smiled scornfully. "Two sick cats? Come at once!"
Enraged, the brothers attacked together. Hao Shuang struck first with a clawed hand, but Liu Yun stepped in like an arrow, closing the distance with a move called Graceful Hands, Stamping Feet. Her footwork and hand strikes forced Hao Shuang into retreat, stumbling in disarray.
Hao Wai dove in to assist, but Liu Yun—her inner strength now equivalent to twenty years' cultivation—met him head-on. A deft grab seized his right wrist at the Lieque and Pianli acupoints. He tried to break free with a burst of inner force, but she was relentless, nearly locking his left wrist's Neiguan and Waiguan points as well.
Frustrated, Hao Wai shouted, "Hao Shuang, together!"
The brothers regrouped and charged. Liu Yun sneered, "I wondered what kind of 'masters' you were—turns out you're just stray cats and dogs. Come on, then!"
The "Two Delightful Young Masters" roared, "Don't think we're weak!" They lunged. Hao Shuang's left claw shot toward her chest, but she twisted aside and growled, "Cat's paw!" She pulled his arm sharply and chopped upward at his elbow joint—crack! His right arm snapped, and he screamed. Without pause, she followed with Measured Step, Guided Neck, a palm strike that sent him sprawling, clutching his broken arm in agony.
Hao Wai turned to flee, but Liu Yun darted forward, blocking his way. "Dog thinks it can run?" she snapped. His palm strike missed, and she caught his arm, repeating the upward chop—crack! His left arm broke, and he howled in pain before being battered by a flurry of punches.
The two lay on the ground, howling in agony. Liu Yun said coldly, "I'll spare your worthless lives this time. But if you fall into my hands again, it will be the day your crimes are repaid in full."
Broken-armed and humiliated, the brothers staggered away. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Liu Yun clasped her hands and bowed to them in thanks.
Just as she turned to leave with Wu Tong and Zhao Rou, a sobbing woman approached. "Heroine, many beautiful young women in the city have gone missing lately. They say they were taken by the mistress of the Palace of the Fairy Empress—I fear my daughter, who disappeared yesterday, was taken too."
It was said the mistress was helping An Lushan collect the most beautiful women under heaven. Since proclaiming himself Emperor of Might, An Lushan had scoured the land for beauties, and the rich, scenic Jiangnan region was his first choice.
Furious, Liu Yun said, "Is that so? Madam, do not cry—we'll go there at once."
The Palace of the Fairy Empress was a mysterious sect in the martial world, accepting only female disciples, despising men, and scorning "ordinary" women. In short, it was an organization of women who loved women. Its leader, Nangong Yan—known in the jianghu as "Nangong the Lone Swallow"—was a reclusive and eccentric woman in her forties. Her famed technique was the Thirteen Flying Swallow Palms.