It was said that if the mysterious Yue Ying was a storm, then Feng Li, the wandering scholar in snow-white robes, was the gentle moonlight after the rain.
He was the man every lady in the empire secretly dreamed of — not just because of his exquisite looks, but because of the way he appeared in the exact moment you needed him most.
The bustling streets of the capital thrummed with life. Hawkers sang their wares, children darted between stalls, and the aroma of roasted chestnuts mingled with the fragrance of spring blossoms. Yet beneath the lively clamor, injustice often lurked like a venomous snake waiting for the right moment to strike.
On that day, it came in the form of a group of ruffians—thugs with greasy hair and scarred faces—who had cornered a young maiden at the mouth of an alley. Her trembling hands clutched her basket of pears, but the men snatched it away they also collected her money, laughing crudely as they threatened her.
"Cry louder, little bird. No one can hear you!," one sneered, raising a calloused hand. "Maybe some knight in shining armor will appear—though this isn't a play, hah!"
Before the blow could land, a voice—calm, cool, and faintly amused—floated into the alley.
"Truly,wasting such fine sunlight on trash like you. It's pitiful. Let her go!"
The thugs froze. From the bright street stepped a figure dressed in flowing scholar's robes of pale blue. His jade belt glimmered softly, and a simple fan rested in his hand, opened with a flick that seemed almost too elegant for the rowdy scene.
The young man's countenance was peaceful, refined—like a scholar from a painting. Yet his eyes carried a subtle sharpness, like steel hidden beneath silk.
"W-Who are you?" one thug stammered.
The scholar only smiled faintly. "A passerby. Unfortunately for you, I despise injustice… and I cannot stand ugly faces ruining the city's view."
The thugs roared with anger, lunging at him with wooden clubs. The scholar did not even move at first. With a lazy motion of his wrist, the fan flicked—crack!—the first thug's wrist bent at an awkward angle. Another charged; his knee met the scholar's polished shoe—thud! He collapsed screaming.
The fight lasted mere breaths. By the end, the alley was littered with groaning bodies, none dead, but all holding shattered arms or limping on broken legs. Their leader had lost his front teeth.
The maiden stood frozen, her pears rolling across the ground.
" Are you.... Human? " Asked the maid
The scholar bent down, picked up one pear, and offered it back with a serene smile. "The bruises aren't too deep. Wash them with warm water, they'll still be sweet."
The maiden's heart hammered in her chest. She took the pear with trembling hands, then promptly fainted.
By the time she was revived, the mysterious scholar was already walking away, fan fluttering in the breeze. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Did you hear? A young gentleman scholar broke an entire gang's bones with just a fan!"
"He's so handsome—his robes didn't even wrinkle or stain.He was carved him with their finest brush!"
"They say he doesn't kill, only teaches villains a painful lesson!"
Thus the name Feng Li rose on everyone's lips.
Days later, another incident occurred. A group of thieves had snatched the jewelry of a noblewoman's maidservant and were sprinting through the marketplace. Before the crowd could even cry out, a calm figure blocked their path.
Feng Li stood there, fan resting lazily on his shoulder.
"You've run enough," he said softly.
The thieves sneered. "Move aside, pretty scholar boy, before you—"
CRACK!
The next moment, they were rolling on the ground, clutching ribs, ankles, and shoulders in agony. Feng Li shook his fan, dusted off his sleeves, and bent to pick up the jewelry box.
"Return this to your mistress," he said kindly to the maid.
The poor servant was so overwhelmed that she dropped to her knees, kowtowing. "Young master, how can this servant thank you—"
But before she could finish, she fainted dead away.
The crowd gasped. "Another fainting! Help us!"
Somewhere in the throng, a group of noble ladies exchanged excited whispers, their cheeks pink. One clutched her handkerchief dramatically.
"I heard… yesterday a girl fainted three times just because Feng Li picked up her handkerchief!"
"Yes! First when he picked it up, second when he handed it back, third when he smiled!"
"Ah! If he so much as touched my handkerchief, I'd faint a hundred times!"
The ladies swooned together, earning exasperated looks from their mai
Feng Li, unaware of the chaos his every gesture caused, simply continued walking. Beneath the perfect disguise of a scholarly hero was none other than Hua Lian, now living under another mask.
Injustice angered her, yes—but these rescues also allowed her to search for whispers of corruption, clues about the murder of her parents, and leads on the officials who betrayed her family.
But the city's admiration only grew, threatening to draw eyes she could not afford.
That evening, in the teahouse where storytellers recited tales of heroes, the crowd cheered:
"Tell us again about Gentleman Feng Li! How he shattered the thief's ribs with a mere tap of his fan!"
The storyteller raised his arms. "They say he's like jade—refined, untouchable! But also like lightning—merciless to villains! Maidens faint thrice at his smile, and villains tremble thrice at his steps!"
The room erupted in laughter and applause.
In a shadowed corner, however, a pair of sharp eyes narrowed. A man cloaked in dark robes sipped his tea, lips curling.
"So… another hero rises in the capital."
His gaze gleamed dangerously. "A pity… heroes rarely live long."
It was inevitable that even the imperial princes heard of him.
Prince Mingzhao called him "an interesting fellow" and wagered he could beat him in poetry.
Prince Li Renshu, however, was more direct — he announced he had to meet this scholar and get his autograph before anyone else. The rumor in the palace was that Li Renshu had already bribed three ministers and a palace guard just to learn Li Feng's usual tea house.
What none of them knew — not even the swooning ladies — was that the scholar in white and the masked hero Yue Ying… were the same person.
And one day, these two legends the city adored would collide in a way no one could imagine.