Volume 1, Chapter 19: What If I Were to Pursue You?

After the Yellow Emperor, Ji Xuanyuan, established the Yellow Emperor Dynasty, he dispatched troops to the Great Xianbei Mountains multiple times in search of the legendary Demon Clan treasury, but he never found anything.

His successor, the second monarch Ji Zhi, was inexperienced but aggressively pushed for the policy of weakening vassal states. This triggered uprisings among the enfeoffed lords of different surnames, eventually splintering the Nine Provinces of China into the four current kingdoms of Qin, Han, Tang, and Ming, while the northern frontiers became the domains of the Yuan and Qing.

Gradually, the "Yellow Emperor's Treasure" became a mere legend. It was said that whoever could obtain the treasure would unite the world.

"I assume these things are not common knowledge. How do you know them in such detail?" Bai Chou asked, stunned.

"In truth, the Yellow Emperor is the progenitor of our Zhang surname; we share the same ancestry. During the 'Ultimate Battle,' the Yellow Emperor’s son, Hui, earned great merit for inventing the bow and arrow and was bestowed the surname Zhang. Zhang Hui also played a decisive role in crushing the Imperial Guards, and one of the secret keys was bestowed upon him by the Yellow Emperor. This key has been passed down as our family heirloom. I don't know where Li Linfu obtained the information, but it led to the ruin of my family," Zhang Wanyu said gloomily.

Bai Chou followed her train of thought: "Perhaps this is a case of 'the innocent man is guilty of his own treasure.'"

After a long silence, Zhang Wanyu asked, "Can you tell me your plan now?"

Bai Chou nodded. "Of course. I will need your help the day after tomorrow. You simply need to do this and that..."

Leaving Zhang Wanyu’s small building, Bai Chou felt a mix of emotions—perhaps pity for her plight, or shock at the revelation of the "Yellow Emperor's Treasure." Overall, however, it had been a productive night. With Zhang Wanyu acting as an inside contact, Bai Chou was confident his chances of successfully assassinating Wei Tianpeng had increased significantly.

As he drifted into thought, his years of experience as a special forces soldier—which had sharpened his senses far beyond those of an ordinary person—suddenly triggered a warning in his heart.

Bai Chou remained motionless in the shade of a tree, lowering his breathing to the limit and crouching into a defensive posture. At that moment, he felt his neck tighten. Reaching up, he realized a rope-like object had been coiled tightly around his throat.

Startled, he reached for his tactical knife to cut the cord, only to remember he had left it at the inn before arriving at the Chunman Pavilion.

In that instant, a massive force yanked at his neck, and Bai Chou was lifted bodily off the ground, his back slammed against the tree. As he was hoisted up, he felt a sharp gust of wind from a finger strike aiming for a vital point on his back.

Reacting with lightning speed, Bai Chou braced his left hand against the rope at his throat, pivoted his body with a burst of strength in mid-air, and grabbed at the assailant standing on the tree branch. The attacker, not expecting such a swift response, tried to dodge but was caught by the right shoulder.

Bai Chou felt a strange sensation travel from his right hand through his meridians. It wasn't the freezing chill of Dong Ping’s attacks, but something he couldn't quite describe. Instantly, his chest felt constricted, his limbs went numb, and he lost all his strength.

The branch couldn't support the weight of both of them. With a "crack," they both tumbled down.

Bai Chou hit the ground first. The impact knocked the wind out of him, but it also restored some strength to his limbs. He immediately employed a grappling technique, pressing his right fingertips against the assailant's wrist and grabbing their forearm with his left hand, pulling them toward his chest. The attacker lost all strength in their right hand, and the grip of the rope fell to the ground.

By the moonlight, Bai Chou saw that his attacker was the young dandy from the group of two in the front courtyard.

*Wait,* he thought. *The 'Identify' skill clearly said this guy possessed a mountain of powerful martial arts techniques and a power level of 30 Heavens. How was he so easily subdued? Am I that strong? That shouldn't be right—back at Crouching Tiger Mountain, Dong Ping, with 29 Heavens, could have killed me in one move! Did the 'Identify' skill malfunction?*

Deciding that if he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't bother, Bai Chou exerted force and flipped his opponent onto the ground. Just as he was about to pick up the rope to bind them, the person beneath him let out a soft, feminine moan.

At first, he thought he had misheard, but then he felt the person’s body—supple and boneless. He reached out with his left hand and tore off the headscarf binding their hair.

A cascade of smooth, waterfall-like hair spilled out. In the moonlight, her skin looked like flawless white jade; beneath her impeccable features, a pair of bright eyes shone like jewels. As a night breeze blew, her long hair danced in the wind. Bai Chou was struck dumb, feeling as though he were looking at a fairy.

He had never seen such a stunningly beautiful woman; he couldn't find words to describe her. Even the top celebrities of his original universe would look like mere stars compared to the moon beside her.

The disguised girl looked at the dazed Bai Chou and sneered, "Uncle Qi said you were staring at us in the hall, and he was right!"

*Uncle Qi?* Bai Chou guessed that must be the powerful old man standing next to her.

Bai Chou chuckled awkwardly. "Even if I looked a few times, that's no reason for you to ambush me, is it?"

The girl’s sword-like brows furrowed, her eyes flashing with spirit. "Are you manners-blind? Do you intend to keep pinning me down like this?"

Her fragrant breath brushed against his cheek, leaving him momentarily dazed. Looking at her peerless beauty and realizing the awkwardness of their contact, he stood up immediately and asked, "What do you want with me?"

The girl stood up, adjusted her hair, and said irritably, "What do I want with you? I don't even know who you are."

"Then why did you come to the backyard? And why did you ambush me?"

The girl smiled playfully. "I just made a wager with Uncle Qi. I've proven I won."

"A wager?" Bai Chou asked, confused.

"Uncle Qi said your talent and aptitude were far higher than mine. I naturally didn't believe it, so I bet him that I could subdue you using only 1 Heaven of power and no martial arts. Perhaps I was a bit arrogant, but for someone your age to have such meager cultivation, I assumed your talent was mediocre," she said without reservation.

Hearing this, Bai Chou remembered the trial stone that hadn't reacted to him. He coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and said coldly, "Are you always so merciless with your words?"

The girl blinked her expressive eyes, looking innocent. "Was I wrong?"

She smoothed her hair and continued, "By the way, I might as well tell you—I heard your entire conversation with Zhang Wanyu. As compensation for the ambush, I’ll give you a hint: forget the guards of the Black Tiger Gang; even Li Kui and Lei Heng are formidable experts in their own right. Don't overestimate yourself, or you'll just be walking to your death!"

Bai Chou suddenly recalled that when he used his 'Identify' skill, he saw this girl possessed a technique called the "Xuanyuan Imperial Art." He had just heard the story of the Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan, from Zhang Wanyu.

*Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, Xuanyuan Imperial Art!*

*Could this girl be related to the Yellow Emperor?*

Deciding to bluff her, Bai Chou took the initiative. "Does a girl from a noble background always look down on men like us from humble beginnings? You should know that the Human Emperor, Ji Xuanyuan, wasn't born into a royal family either."

His double entendre caused a flicker of surprise on her impeccable face. Bai Chou caught the subtle change immediately. He gazed into the night sky, hands behind his back, and continued, "Heroes emerge in chaotic times. Before Ji Xuanyuan unified China, he was just as empty-handed as I, Bai Chou. In this era of rising heroes, anyone who strives can become a duke or a prime minister, or even an emperor who unites the world."

The girl felt the charm of his ambition and, looking at his tall, imposing figure under the moonlight, found herself momentarily speechless.

"If I truly kill Wei Tianpeng," Bai Chou said calmly, "will you change your stubborn mindset?"

The girl couldn't help but take two steps toward him. She looked at his masculine side profile and whispered, "If you truly kill Wei Tianpeng, I will admit I underestimated you, and you may call yourself a friend of Ji Mengxue!"

*Ji Mengxue!* So she really was a direct descendant of the Human Emperor, Ji Xuanyuan! Thinking of her noble status and the fact that he had just pinned her to the ground, a strange feeling stirred within him.

Bai Chou turned like a whirlwind, leaning down until his face was inches from hers, and said in a voice filled with masculine charm, "What if I don't just want to be your ordinary friend, but want to pursue you?"

Ji Mengxue snorted, though her heart was pounding. She feigned indifference and said, "Don't talk about Wei Tianpeng; even Li Linfu is no different from an ordinary person in my eyes. Don't just talk big—make sure you don't get yourself killed first!"

With that, she leaped away and vanished into the vast night.

Bai Chou looked at the empty grass, a trace of loss rising in his heart.