Return My Beauty Fist

"Yue... Sister Yue... are you going to hurt me?" Gongsun Ziyan stammered, staring at Yun Feiyue in terror.

Yun Feiyue glanced at the Buddha Butterfly in her hand. Take action? She feared dirtying her own hands—and the Buddha Butterfly as well.

"Shopkeeper, I'll buy the Buddha Butterfly," Yun Feiyue tossed a banknote worth a thousand taels, turned, and walked toward the door. "Gongsun Ziyan, I'm sparing you today not for your sake, but for Beichen Yi's. Since you're to marry him, do your best not to disgrace him."

Yet Gongsun Ziyan's gaze never left the Buddha Butterfly; she had come here for that very item.

"Sister Yue, leave the Buddha Butterfly! I can't let you have it." She took two steps forward, blocking Yun Feiyue's way.

Yun Feiyue gave a small, amused smile—so persistent. "Ziyan, you should know this Buddha Butterfly was always mine. I lost it by accident three years ago, and now that I've found it, it should naturally return to its owner. How does it become something for you to 'let me have'?"

"I..." Gongsun Ziyan opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.

At that moment, however, her fear was gradually replaced by hatred, clearing her mind. She recalled the incident three years ago, when Yun Feiyue's meridians had been shattered by people from the Heretical Path. Even if she had survived, she could never practice martial arts again. What was there to fear from a cripple who could not fight? Emboldened, she stood tall, a sneer curling her lips. "Sister Yue, you heard it just now—I am about to marry Beichen Yi. Back then, he declared this sword a gift for Chu’s most noble woman. Tell me, who else could that be but me?"

The daughters of Minister Liu and Attendant Wang echoed her bravado.

"That's right! Hand over the sword if you know what's good for you! Then perhaps we'll show you mercy. If you insist on clinging to it, don't blame us for using force!"

Yun Feiyue sighed softly. The officials in Chu were becoming more and more unruly—to be so brazen about stealing.

"Yun Feiyue, I called you Sister Yue out of courtesy. If you dare walk out of Treasure Pavilion with that sword, I’ll show you what the might of Chu’s royal family truly means!"

Emboldened by Yun Feiyue’s supposed inability to fight, Gongsun Ziyan grew ever more arrogant.

Yun Feiyue merely smiled, relaxed and unbothered, as if she were watching a troupe of clowns performing for her amusement.

"Oh, then do let me witness the royal might of Chu... I'm simply terrified," Yun Feiyue called out in a mock-frightened tone, her words laced with sarcasm.

Gongsun Ziyan loathed Yun Feiyue to her very core, grinding her teeth. "It seems you won't yield unless I beat you! Get her!"

She and her two attendants drew their swords and lunged at Yun Feiyue, their bodies shrouded in a faint martial glow. Ziyan's was green, while the other two glowed yellow-green.

On the Golden Spear Continent, martial arts were divided into eight levels, each signified by a different color of martial aura: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and prismatic—from lowest to highest.

At this moment, Gongsun Ziyan was at the fourth level, while her two attendants were at the peak of the third.

Their sword auras, laced with murderous intent, swept toward Yun Feiyue. She simply glanced at them, not moving a muscle, a gentle smile on her lips.

As the sword tips neared Yun Feiyue—just ten inches away—the trio suddenly felt a sharp pain in their lower abdomens. A ball, glowing with blue-green light, struck them hard.

It moved with ghostly speed, appearing and vanishing in a flash. Each strike left Gongsun Ziyan and her companions in agony.

"Yun Feiyue, you wretch! How dare you use hidden weapons in a fair duel!" Gongsun Ziyan howled in rage.

But Yun Feiyue had already turned and climbed into her carriage.

Only then did Little Mumu cease his assault, posing at the door in the manner of a martial hero, regarding Gongsun Ziyan and her allies with disdain.

"Auntie, take a good look—is there any hidden weapon as dashing as me? And the three of you ganging up on one, calling it a fair duel? Auntie, your intelligence seems a little questionable!"

By now, Gongsun Ziyan was battered and disheveled, her beauty utterly ruined. She glared at Little Mumu, roaring, "Where did this brat come from? Get out of my sight!"

The onlookers shook their heads, clicking their tongues. "Scolding a child—who would have thought Miss Gongsun was that sort of person? Appearances truly are deceiving!"

In her fury, Gongsun Ziyan couldn't care less. She turned her wrath on the speakers. "If any of you dare utter another word, I'll have you dragged out and beheaded!"

The crowd fell instantly silent.

Little Mumu hated being called a ball. Could they not see how handsome he was? Leaping into the air, he spun and kicked Gongsun Ziyan square in the face.

"Stone-faced Auntie, Feiyue says her 'Pretty Punch' is just what you need for a more expressive face!"

With that, he gathered his energy and struck Gongsun Ziyan mercilessly. Her two attendants rushed to help, only to be kicked aside by Little Mumu.

Only then did Gongsun Ziyan and the crowd realize that this seemingly delicate three-year-old child was already at the peak of the fourth martial level—a true prodigy.

Speculation swirled: who was this extraordinary woman who had brought such a monstrous child?

The shopkeeper of Treasure Pavilion was the first to recall: "Ah! I remember now! It's her! The most beautiful woman in the capital, the eldest daughter of the Yun family, Yun Feiyue, who vanished three years ago. At thirteen, she topped the Blue Martial Rankings, her talent unmatched. Even the Emperor hailed her as Chu’s greatest martial prodigy, and she was the cherished disciple of the Grandmaster of the Warcloud Sect. Then, three years ago, she disappeared for reasons unknown. This young master must be closely related to Miss Feiyue."

The shopkeeper dared not presume a mother-son relationship, only that they were closely connected. Considering Little Mumu’s extraordinary appearance and intelligence, his parents must certainly be exceptional.

Little Mumu lifted his chin proudly—of course, he was the one and only son of Yun Feiyue.

The bystanders now recalled the events of those years.

"Ah, yes, yes! No wonder she seemed familiar. She’s even more mature now, her aura transformed. I almost didn’t recognize her. With Miss Feiyue’s return, Chu gains another formidable warrior—an invaluable asset in future wars."

"…"

The discussion finally stirred recognition in Gongsun Ziyan’s companions—the woman who had vanished for three years, Yun Feiyue. Back then, she had been idolized by the women of their generation, though she seldom attended gatherings and few had ever met her.

To Gongsun Ziyan, however, Yun Feiyue’s fame was a source of endless resentment. Why should she receive such universal admiration? Why did even the man she loved hold Yun Feiyue in his heart? She had once been forced to respect Yun Feiyue, but now that Yun Feiyue’s meridians were destroyed and she could never again join the ranks of martial elites—

She refused to accept it! In a flash, a Soul Severing Needle shot from her sleeve, aiming straight for Little Mumu’s head. Any who disrespected her deserved death—even this child!

A piercing clang rang out as the needle struck the ground, missing Little Mumu’s life by merely an inch.

A man in a long black robe embroidered with white lotuses walked over. He exuded a gentle, spring-like warmth. Sunlight played softly across his face, and his long lashes cast faint shadows on his skin. Unhurried, he reached out to pick up Little Mumu.

"Young lady, why be so severe with a child?" he asked softly, patting Little Mumu’s head.

It was the first time Little Mumu had been held by a man, and a gentle warmth suffused him. He nestled comfortably in the man’s arms, content.

Gongsun Ziyan glared daggers at the man who had ruined her plan; her hatred overwhelmed reason. She pointed at him, demanding, "Who are you? How dare you meddle in my affairs?"

"Mo Xiangqing," he replied, lips parting gently, his voice soft as a spring breeze. He paid Gongsun Ziyan no further heed, but turned and left with Little Mumu in his arms.

But how could Gongsun Ziyan allow them to leave so easily? This was the capital of Chu, her domain. If she couldn’t handle Yun Feiyue, must she also tolerate a random man defying her authority? Where would her dignity be then?