Chapter Thirteen: Yang Zi

"Hello there, little fairy!" The speaker was none other than Bai Qi himself. Yet he did not introduce himself; instead, he greeted the stranger first. The girl before him was stunningly beautiful—such a fairy, Bai Qi mused, would have been famed for her beauty on his previous planet. Though his boldness was apparent, Bai Qi knew caution was still of utmost importance.

The sudden appearance startled the young woman. She drew her sword defensively, her lovely eyes wary and angered. In these deep mountain forests, besides guarding against spirit beasts’ attacks, one must be even more wary of human threats. The human heart is unfathomable; even disciples from reputable sects, despite their powerful backing, must take care when traveling alone in the wild. The risks were countless and ever-present.

Watching the maiden’s vigilant demeanor, Bai Qi couldn’t help but smirk, finding her cautious manner oddly endearing—a quirky sort of "little cutie." Bai Qi thought nothing much of the situation, but the "little fairy" he had so blithely addressed felt immediate disgust at his lascivious grin. In her heart, she thought: Sure enough, men—except for my father and brother—are all worthless. Hmph, he’s clearly a scoundrel! And a shameless one at that.

With that, the beauty raised her jade sword, murmuring a spell under her breath. The blade glowed with a greenish light, humming as sword energy surged forth. Her lavender-blue gown swirled in the wind, and what Bai Qi perceived as ethereal charm was now charged with furious anger. He realized with a jolt that his greeting had not been understood, and his gaze upon this "little fairy" had likely been too forward, causing her to explode in rage.

Bai Qi hastily tried to explain, "Wait, wait—please, show mercy! Miss, let me explain! I’m not a bad person. I just found you so beautiful and wanted to be friendly, that’s all—please don’t misunderstand!" His words were quick, but his feet quicker; as the girl raised her jade sword, Bai Qi was already dozens of meters away.

Seeing Bai Qi retreat so timidly, the girl relaxed a little, though she still looked at him with disdain. Nonetheless, her attack continued: with a sharp sound, green energy accompanied the flying sword, leaving faint streaks in the air. Bai Qi saw that she wasted no time with hesitation and launched a direct strike. The technique was sharp and practiced—not something an ordinary person could wield with such ease. The accompanying green energy was something only a cultivator at the Profound rank could barely manage, yet she handled it as effortlessly as flipping her hand. She was a prodigy—perhaps from a noble clan or sect, out training? Bai Qi’s mind raced as he quickly gathered his own spiritual energy, shouting, "Crushing Palm!" Instantly, a fierce gale surrounded him, forming a transparent wall, but Bai Qi didn’t simply defend—he counterattacked, chanting a spell to summon a tangible palm, half the size of his body, and sent it forth. Though it moved slowly, it charged at the sword energy like a savage beast.

His mastery of the Crushing Palm came from long, rigorous training. Courage and quick reflexes in battle were undeniable. Under Kun’s hellish regimen—nearly ninety-nine percent of the time, Kun showed no mercy unless circumstances were exceptional. From dodging six clay pillars at first to ten later, Bai Qi was forced to evade Kun’s controlled mud columns at extreme speed and force. After being ambushed by the Soul Sparrow, Bai Qi’s mindset changed drastically; in this place, one could die at any moment, so he treated each day with utmost seriousness. Additional requirements in training, such as sealing half his dantian’s spiritual energy, were all to race against time. Nearly half a year had passed, and much had changed—insights gained, brushes with death, countless moments of endurance, all intimately connected.

Bai Qi controlled his spiritual energy, and as the Crushing Palm technique completed, he struck at the flying jade sword. In the blink of an eye, the sword’s tip collided with Bai Qi’s summoned palm. "Boom!" The forest erupted with thunderous blasts, shockwaves engulfing the trees and soil for miles around.

After a moment, the dust settled. Scorched roots, cracked earth—the surroundings were utterly devastated. As the haze cleared, two figures emerged. Aside from dust on their shoulders and sleeves, neither seemed harmed.

At that moment, the woman stood twenty meters from Bai Qi and spoke, "Who are you, really? So young, yet you wield spiritual power so effortlessly, and your reactions in battle are extraordinary. The technique you used—it condensed swiftly, was firm and forceful during execution, and your aura remained calm afterward. I cannot imagine which noble family or sect could have produced someone so outstanding at your age. Truly remarkable." She pressed her hands to her abdomen, calming her breath, and summoned her jade sword from afar with a spell. Her gaze no longer held suspicion but instead revealed a hint of sly charm and a trace of allure. Confronted with such a peer, her eyes flickered mischievously, clearly forming new plans in her mind.

Whether her words were genuine praise or a probing test, Bai Qi scoffed inwardly—this "miss" was certainly no pushover. He’d have to handle her with care.

Bai Qi relaxed, no longer on guard. Since she would not attack, he had no reason to cause trouble and reverted to his casual manner, greeting her cheerfully, "So, beautiful miss, may I ask your surname?"

Hearing Bai Qi’s familiar tone—yet another playful "miss"—the woman nearly burst with anger, barely restraining herself from slashing him then and there. For Bai Qi, "miss" was simply a compliment for beauty, but here, it was unmistakably flirtatious—barefaced teasing.

Reluctantly, she answered, "My name is... Yang Zi. I’m from Liang Prefecture. I was away on business recently, but have returned these past days. And you?"

"So your name is Yang Zi, eh? A lovely name. As for me, everyone calls me Little Bai. You can call me Little Bai," Bai Qi replied, introducing himself with a knowing smile.

Upon hearing Bai Qi call her "miss" yet again, Yang Zi’s temper flared anew. If not for her restraint, she would have attacked Bai Qi before discussing anything further.

To Bai Qi, "miss" was simply a term for a beautiful girl. But here, it was a blatant, unvarnished flirtation.