Baili Ziyun gripped one end of her belt and swung it through the air a few times, producing whistling sounds.
As the sound faded, the yellow belt disintegrated into fabric scraps and fluttered down.
Shen Xiaoyan then looked at Baili Ziyun's hand, only to see she was holding a golden leather whip.
This whip was extremely thin, appearing to be thinner than an adult's little finger.
The whip body was about 5 feet long, shimmering with light. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that it was adorned with gold studs.
What Baili Ziyun held in her hand was a golden whip handle, curved at the top, perfectly hooking onto Baili Ziyun's wrist.
"Hmph, only a sneak attacker, and still so arrogant. Truly shameless," Baili Ziyun scoffed.
As she spoke, Baili Ziyun moved forward, her arm swinging, and the leather whip, like a spirit snake, flew towards Shen Xiaoyan's face.
A cold glint flashed in Shen Xiaoyan's eyes. This woman truly intended to disfigure her face; her jealousy was indeed potent.
However, she was not one to stand there and be beaten.
"Xiaoming, step aside."
"Got it, sis. Be careful." Shen Xiaoming agreed and then dashed towards the wall. He couldn't help, but he absolutely wouldn't be a burden to his sister.
Shen Xiaoyan watched the oncoming golden whip, a hint of mockery surfacing at the corner of her lips.
She glanced down at the several burly men lying on the ground, each with a long saber beside them.
Shen Xiaoyan lightly hooked her right foot, flicking up a long saber, and caught it with her hand.
Just then, the golden whip arrived.
Shen Xiaoyan swung her long saber forward, and the golden whip became entangled around the blade.
"With your skill level, you still use a leather whip? Why not just give it to me?" Shen Xiaoyan tightened her grip on the golden whip, taunting Baili Ziyun.
"Daydreaming," Baili Ziyun gritted her teeth, her words seeming to be squeezed out from between them.
Although she was putting up a brave front with her words, Baili Ziyun was also extremely surprised. She had already used her full strength, yet the whip remained motionless. How could Shen Xiaoyan possess such immense power?
Shen Xiaoyan, holding the long saber, could naturally feel Baili Ziyun's force in pulling the whip. However, trying to snatch the whip from her hands was indeed wishful thinking.
Shen Xiaoyan exerted more force, pulling her arm back with a jerk. The handle in Baili Ziyun's hand flew out of her grip, the hook at the end of the handle slicing through her skin, causing blood to instantly seep out.
As the handle flew towards her, Shen Xiaoyan reached out and firmly grasped it.
She then looked at Baili Ziyun, who was covering her hand and frowning, and said with a smile, "I told you you weren't good enough, but you wouldn't believe me."
Baili Ziyun gritted her teeth tightly but couldn't speak.
Now that all her weapons were in Shen Xiaoyan's hands, anything she said would be an embarrassment.
The moment the fight started, Xu Xiao'e had already gotten up and retreated to the side. Seeing Shen Xiaoyan's prowess now, her eyes were filled with astonishment.
She had never imagined that Shen Xiaoyan could be so formidable.
Shen Xiaoyan remained silent, and the scene became quiet.
Just then, Zheng Wei walked in from the doorway, holding a rope. As he approached, the group realized that the other end of the rope was tied to the masked man from earlier.
"Everything handled?" Zheng Wei walked up to Shen Xiaoyan and asked with a smile.
Zheng Wei's tone was exceptionally calm, as if he were asking Shen Xiaoyan if she had eaten enough.
"Naturally. Don't you know who I am?" Shen Xiaoyan tilted her chin upwards, her smile radiant.
Baili Ziyun finally understood. Zheng Wei's departure earlier was not because he had abandoned Shen Xiaoyan, but because he knew of Shen Xiaoyan's capabilities. Since no one in the room could defeat Shen Xiaoyan, he had left with peace of mind.
Thinking of this, Baili Ziyun felt a sense of frustration. What was going on? How had Shen Xiaoyan become so powerful?
Fang Gu had clearly told her before that Shen Xiaoyan was merely a village girl. Even if she had learned some martial arts from Zheng Wei over the past two years, she shouldn't be this formidable.
"What's wrong with this person?" Shen Xiaoyan asked, looking at the masked man lying unconscious on the ground.
"I knocked him out," Zheng Wei replied and then looked at Baili Ziyun. "Next time you come looking for trouble, remember to bring someone capable."
"No need for next time..."
As Zheng Wei's words finished, a charming and melodious voice was heard. Following the sound, they saw a woman in white, her face veiled, walking in.
The woman's figure was alluring, her strapless top clinging to her body, with only a layer of thin gauze draped over it.
More than half of her face was covered by the veil, yet it wasn't entirely obscured, creating a tantalizing glimpse that made one yearn to see more.
The woman moved with graceful steps, and as she walked, a fragrant scent diffused into the air, making one feel as though they wanted to be intoxicated by it.
"Fang Gu, you're here," Baili Ziyun said, looking delighted at the woman, and then quickly walked up to her.
"Ziyun, what happened to your hand?" The woman, addressed as Fang Gu, frowned slightly, her voice tinged with a hint of scolding and affection.
"It's all her fault," Baili Ziyun pointed at Shen Xiaoyan, speaking with intense hatred. "She snatched my golden whip and injured me."
Baili Ziyun was too embarrassed to admit that her hand had been injured while snatching the whip, so she vaguely claimed Shen Xiaoyan had injured her.
Fang Gu examined the wound carefully, a knowing glint in her eyes, clearly understanding what had happened.
"Bring the medicine and bandages," Fang Gu commanded calmly into the air, as if her maid were standing right behind her.
"Coming."
As Fang Gu's words fell, a girl dressed as a maid rushed in from outside.
"Mistress, the medicine is here," the maid said, handing the medicine box in her hands to Fang Gu.
Fang Gu gave a soft hum, opened the medicine box, took out a bottle of powder, and sprinkled it on Baili Ziyun's wound. She then carefully wrapped it with bandages.
"There, be careful these few days, don't let it get wet, understand?" Fang Gu wiped her hands with the handkerchief provided by the maid, meticulously instructing Baili Ziyun.
"I understand, Fang Gu, you know me. I'm the most obedient." Baili Ziyun said, playfully winking an eye.
Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei exchanged glances, their expressions growing somber.
This Fang Gu, though appearing as gentle as flowing water, had a gaze that was both soft and resolute. Her look towards Shen Xiaoyan was filled with chilling killing intent.
Shen Xiaoyan felt extremely vexed. She hadn't provoked these people.
Where had this Baili Ziyun and Fang Gu come from?
This was the first time she had met them today, so why did they seem to hate her so deeply?
"Fang Gu, you must teach this shameless woman a good lesson," Baili Ziyun said, glaring fiercely at Shen Xiaoyan again.
"Silly girl, why are you so foolish?" Fang Gu tapped Baili Ziyun's forehead with her index finger, her tone filled with disappointment.
"What did I do, Fang Gu?" Baili Ziyun was confused. Had she said or done something wrong?
"Even if you disfigured her, what then? It would be better to capture her three children and make her watch them die before her eyes. Wouldn't that cause her more pain than life itself?" Fang Gu let out a light laugh, clearly pleased with her suggestion.
"Yes, Fang Gu, you think more thoroughly. Shall I send someone now?" Baili Ziyun suddenly realized, indeed, she was too foolish.
"I've already sent people. They should be there by now," Fang Gu said, chuckling.
Shen Xiaoyan, Zheng Wei, and Shen Xiaoming's faces turned purple, Shen Xiaoyan becoming even more furious.
These two shameless women were discussing how to deal with her children right in front of her.
Unbearable!
With that thought, Shen Xiaoyan swung the golden whip in her hand towards Fang Gu's face.
Fang Gu seemed to have anticipated Shen Xiaoyan's move. Holding Baili Ziyun's hand, she lightly drifted to the side, avoiding Shen Xiaoyan's whip.