"Cough, cough, cough…! So strong… In terms of strength, I, Yanqing, admit defeat…"
Yanqing half-knelt on the ground, enduring the pain from the injuries to his five internal organs. He used the long sword in his hand—its tip already broken off—to support himself as he stood up, his gaze burning brightly.
"You're very strong too, Little Blondie."
Hearing Yanqing's praise, Yunli placed one hand on her hip and held her massive sword with the other. A trace of appreciation also appeared on her face as her flat chest rose and fell slightly.
"L-Little Blondie?!"
Yanqing's mouth opened wide in disbelief. What did this little girl just call him? Little Blondie?!! He was the young swordmaster of the Cloud Knights! How had he become "Little Blondie"?!
"Hmm?"
Watching Yanqing's incredulous expression, the corner of Yunli's mouth curved slightly, but she still pretended to be puzzled.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Isn't your hair blond?"
"You…!"
Yanqing was rendered speechless by Yunli's words. By any reasonable standard, his hair color was indeed a shade of yellow—this point was irrefutable.
But… why did this girl have to call him "Little Blondie"? Was she deliberately humiliating him?
However, given the current situation, he was simply no match for her. Damn it, he was so unwilling!
Just as Yanqing's heart was filled with complicated emotions, a series of neat, uniform footsteps suddenly came from all directions, getting closer and closer.
"Form up!"
Cloud Knight soldiers clad in armor and holding long spears rushed in from every side. They surrounded Yunli and Yanqing, setting up a battle formation and trapping them inside.
"Guard Yanqing, are you alright?!"
A Cloud Knight commander quickly approached Yanqing and gently supported the boy's swaying body.
After hearing about the violent conflict on Qiankun Street, this Cloud Knight captain in charge of Jinren Alley's security felt his heart pounding.
Jinren Alley was a famous scenic and popular check-in spot on the Xianzhou Luofu. Most visitors here were outsiders. If a violent conflict here endangered tourists, it would be a massive blow to the Xianzhou Luofu's tourism industry.
Therefore, after receiving the report, Captain Li immediately led his Cloud Knight soldiers toward Qiankun Street. But when he finally arrived at the scene, the sight before him nearly made his jaw drop.
The rising star of the Cloud Knights—the young, hot-blooded sword genius known as Guard Yanqing—stood there covered in wounds. Opposite him was a little girl holding a heavy sword completely disproportionate to her small stature.
"I'm fine, Captain Li."
Yanqing glanced at the Cloud Knight captain in front of him, shook his head to indicate he was okay, then shifted his gaze back onto Yunli.
"Miss, I advise you to surrender. This is the Xianzhou. Even if you possess a thousand transformations and three heads with six arms, you are definitely no match for the Cloud Knights."
"If you surrender and accept the investigation, I can still request the Ten Lords Commission to show leniency. If you have no other crimes and only 'disturbed public order,' you might still be able to go home for the festival by the end of the year."
Yunli: "...…"
Yanqing's words left the girl extremely speechless. It seemed the cause of this incident was actually some guy who kept self-righteously "harassing" others, right?
"Hmph!"
Facing Yanqing's attempt to persuade her to surrender, Yunli snorted coldly, angrily turned her head away, and said nothing more.
"Sigh~!"
Seeing Yunli's reaction, Yanqing understood her decision. He raised his hand slightly.
"Cloud Knights, hear my order. Arrest—"
"Wait."
Just as Yanqing was about to order the Cloud Knights to capture the girl in front of him, a calm, lazy yet steady voice entered everyone's ears.
Hearing this familiar voice, the exhausted Yanqing was slightly stunned. He subconsciously turned around and looked toward the source of the sound.
Behind the Cloud Knights, a silver-haired man was walking toward them at a leisurely pace.
The man had silver-white hair tied in a high ponytail and a pair of golden pupils as brilliant as the sun.
Like the Cloud Knights, he also wore armor. However, unlike the traditional Cloud Knight armor, the white-haired man's chest plate was shaped like a cross tail, engraved with a majestic lion. His waist sash was embroidered with Taotie patterns. The ferocious beast motifs complemented his aura, making him imposing even without anger.
"M-Master… General?"
"Cloud Knights, greetings to General Jing Yuan!" ×N
Indeed, the newcomer was none other than their General Jing Yuan. After failing to find Yunli and being nagged endlessly by Huaiyan, Jing Yuan—who had originally planned to take a nap—had no choice but to leave the Seat of Divine Foresight and begin searching for Yunli using his divine sense.
However, the Xianzhou Luofu was enormous, like "the back of the Peng bird, one does not know how many thousands of li it spans." If he searched aimlessly, it would likely take nearly a full day.
Fortunately, Yunli would not run too far. Thus, with the Seat of Divine Foresight as the center, Jing Yuan first searched the Exalting Sanctum and the Reverie Harbor, then sensed Yunli's Path fluctuations in Jinren Alley.
After locating Yunli's approximate position, Jing Yuan was slightly stunned—beside Yunli, he also sensed another extremely familiar Path fluctuation. It was his foolish disciple, the unparalleled genius Yanqing, who had single-handedly challenged three of the "Six Charioteers of the Cloud Knights" and was then beaten up by the Nameless guests of the Astral Express.
Passing through the Cloud Knights' blockade, Jing Yuan slowly walked up to Yanqing and Yunli. Looking at his disciple's bedraggled appearance, Jing Yuan helplessly shook his head.
"Cloud Knights, hear my order!"
"Yes!" ×N
"Leave the rest to me. All Cloud Knights are dismissed. Return to your duties."
"Understood!" ×N
Upon receiving the order from the highest commander of the Cloud Knights, General Jing Yuan, the soldiers who had been in formation withdrew their arrangements, reorganized their ranks, and left Qiankun Street in an orderly manner.
"General, she…"
Yanqing glanced at Jing Yuan, pointed at Yunli—who had also put away her weapon—and looked hesitant.
"Hahaha! Yanqing, she is not an enemy."
Jing Yuan laughed heartily, then beckoned to Yunli, signaling her to come over.
Yunli did not refuse. She obediently followed Jing Yuan's command, taking quick steps with her bare little feet to stand on Jing Yuan's other side, opposite Yanqing.