At this point, aside from the "Thunderbolt Blade" He Ping, only three martial escorts and two middle-aged servants remained, while the "Dwarf Knife" Feng Qiang's side still had more than ten men!
He Ping barked coldly, "Do not push a tiger too far, lest it lash out and wound you!"
Feng Qiang sneered, contempt flashing in his eyes. "One man cannot fight ten. Even the boldest hero cannot stand against numbers. He Ping, I'll say it once more—I respect you as a man. Step aside, or become a corpse beneath my knife!"
Just then, two riders galloped up in a rush—it was none other than Wu Tong and Liu Yun!
Wu Tong called out in a ringing voice: "What business is this, blocking the road? So many men gathered here—are you mountain bandits waylaying travelers?"
Feng Qiang's face darkened with anger. "We're about serious matters, boy. How dare you meddle?"
Liu Yun arched a brow and said with feigned surprise, "Is this road yours? You stand in the middle—how could we possibly pass otherwise?"
Feng Qiang's eyes flickered. With a sharp snort, he signaled his men. Instantly, blades rasped free, and the gang closed in menacingly.
Wu Tong and Liu Yun swung lightly down from their horses, patting the animals' flanks. The steeds trotted off to the roadside.
Liu Yun scoffed in a lilting voice, "So—highwaymen after all? If we cannot pay your toll, will you take our lives instead?"
The insult made Feng Qiang bristle with fury. Me, the Dwarf Knife, mistaken for a mere roadside bandit? He snarled, "The girl must be tired of living! Li Qing, that pale smooth skin and pretty face—she's yours!"
Li Qing's eyes gleamed with greed. With a chuckle, he dropped into a seven-step archer's stance, body sinking low before springing forward, palm slashing toward Liu Yun's fragrant shoulder.
But Liu Yun showed not the slightest fear. Her feet glided into the Five-Element Steps, also called Plum Blossom Steps. Her body floated like mist, shifting aside at the last instant. Li Qing's palm strike fell into empty air.
Startled, Li Qing muttered inwardly, Remarkable! Out loud he barked, "Good!" and spun with a lightning-fast turn, palms flashing straight for her chest.
Liu Yun only smiled coldly. Her footwork shifted into the elusive "Interweaving Steps," each step lotus-light, her figure drifting and ungraspable. Palms and fists traded in a blur, energy clashing in gusts. Within moments, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.
Li Qing's movements were steady and powerful, blending offense with defense in perfect balance. But Liu Yun darted in and out with serpent-like palms, every step measured, every counter subtle. She gave no ground.
The more Li Qing fought, the more astonished he became. He had never encountered such a seamless union of footwork and hand techniques.
At last he broke away, leaping back and demanding, "Girl, with such skill you must hail from a great school. Tell me—your name and your master?"
Liu Yun brushed her sleeve and answered coolly, "My name is Liu Yun. My martial arts were taught by my father—the Master of the Celestial Faith, Liu Xuan."
The words struck Li Qing like thunder. The daughter of the Celestial Faith's Master, here in the Western Regions! His bravado drained away. "So… a noble lineage indeed. Miss Liu, perhaps it is best you not involve yourself in this affair. Let us end it here."
But Liu Yun's voice, though calm, carried the edge of command. "If you wish me to withdraw, then you and your men should leave first."
Her words rang like iron. Feng Qiang and his men shifted uneasily, their earlier bluster faltering.
Suddenly, another man sprang forward. "Li Qing, are you afraid? So what if her father is Liu Xuan? I, Wang Feng, will test the daughter of the Celestial Master myself!"
Known as "Swift as the Wind," Wang Feng's lightness skill was famed.
Liu Yun smirked. "Then let me see these vaunted skills!"
In a flash, her body flickered like the wind itself. Before Wang Feng could blink, she was upon him. Shocked, he barely raised his palms as her strike crashed down. With a resounding crack, he staggered back four or five steps before regaining balance, his chest burning with the force.
Liu Yun snorted. "And here I thought you were someone formidable. Such arrogance for so little ability!"
Furious, Wang Feng bellowed, "Catching me unprepared is no skill! Face me properly!" He darted in again, fast as an arrow, pressing close with a flurry of strikes.
But Liu Yun pivoted smoothly, her voice intoning mystical phrases with each step:"Yu Step pushes toward the Sun… Heaven and Earth revolve through the Six Jia… Treading the stars, aligned with Nine Spirits… Demons flee before the pointing finger… The gods shield me, slipping unseen… No calamity may touch me."
Her footwork flowed in strange patterns, body shifting like a phantom. Wang Feng's palms met only empty air.
"Witch!" he spat. "Tricks and sorcery—hardly martial skill!"
Feng Qiang cut him off sharply: "Enough, Wang Feng! Do not disgrace yourself. Stand down!"
But Wang Feng, burning with humiliation, roared and charged again.
"Perfect timing!" Liu Yun's eyes flashed. Qi surged through her meridians, her feet stamping the Seven-Star Steps. She cried out, "One Breath of Primordial Chaos Fills My Form!"
Her palm blazed forth, sudden and unstoppable. Wang Feng, mid-turn, was struck full in the chest. The impact hurled him backward. He crashed to the snowy ground, coughing blood into the white drifts. His comrades rushed to drag him up, pale and shaken.
Feng Qiang's eyes narrowed. He regarded Liu Yun with a dangerous glint. With a cold snort, he said, "Your skill is impressive indeed. But to flaunt such power here—you may find it difficult to leave this place alive!"