The Arrival of Han Jue

Perceiving the shift in dynamics, and eager to prevent further complications, the leading blue-clad youth quickly exchanged glances with his companions.

His companions, a handful of young servants, immediately rushed forward. They scrambled to their feet, trying to pull the male courtesan youth up.

Yet, no matter how they tried—prying open his grip, twisting his wrists, or pulling at his arms and shoulders—they simply couldn’t separate the troublesome young man from Xia Qian.

“Release him quickly, or don’t blame us for showing no mercy.”

The leading blue-clad youth forced a smile, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper.

But the young male courtesan merely lifted a face streaked with tears and snot, letting out a whimper like a frightened cub.

“Save, save this one… This one truly doesn’t want to die…”

“Hey… I say—”

Xia Qian swallowed hard, but just as the words she had painstakingly gathered were about to leave her lips, a sudden shadow enveloped her.

The leading female soldier strode forward, the grinding of her iron armor grating on one’s teeth.

Her large hand, like a cattail fan, seized the young male courtesan by the back of his collar. She lifted him effortlessly, as if picking up a drenched kitten.

The moment the frail youth’s feet left the ground, the blue-clad servants recoiled as if shocked, releasing him as if he were a burning hot potato.

Hanging in mid-air, the young male courtesan’s one unbroken leg flailed. His sobs of terror shattered his words into incoherence.

“No, please… I beg you, Military Lady, spare this one. This one doesn’t taste good at all…”

Before he could finish his plea, the female soldier swung her arm.

With a sound like striking tofu, the young man slammed against a pillar in the hall.

A dull thud, jarring to the ear, echoed as his slender back hit the carved wooden column. The young man then slid limply to the ground like a broken rag doll, spitting out a mouthful of bloody froth with a gasp.

Silence descended upon the great hall, so profound that even the tipsy female guests sobered slightly. Some timid male courtesans had already covered their eyes and retreated into corners.

“Being conscripted into the military camp is a blessing for those of your lowly status. You should be eternally grateful, kneeling to thank the heavens for their favor. To think you would be so ungrateful. This is the fate of those who defy orders. Look closely, all of you!”

Xia Qian’s temples throbbed.

She distinctly saw the young male courtesan’s fingers still twitching unconsciously as he lay curled on the ground. Bloody froth dripped from his chin onto the blue bricks, spreading into a startling crimson plum blossom.

His surrounding guards’ expressions remained unchanged. In fact, there was a sense of self-righteous approval in their eyes.

As for everyone else—both the blue-clad youths and the female guests—they tacitly lowered their heads, as if the person lying on the ground was merely trash awaiting disposal.

Perhaps feeling that this act of ‘killing a chicken to scare the monkeys’ wasn’t sufficient, the female soldier stepped forward again, preparing to deliver another kick.

If no one intervenes, he’ll die…

“Hey!”

Driven by a sudden impulse, Xia Qian inexplicably took a step forward.

By the time she realized what she was doing, she had already heard her own dry voice explode in the deadly silence.

“That’s enough, isn’t it? Do you really have to beat him to death?”

Only after the words left her mouth did she realize what she had just said.

“You insolent brat, what audacity.”

Slowly, the female soldier turned her head. Her triangular eyes under the iron helmet narrowed into venomous slits, like those of a viper.

“A mere male courtesan, daring to speak out and argue?”

She clenched her fist, her knuckles cracking like firecrackers. A single punch, if landed, could shatter bone and flesh, and still be considered a light injury.

“General, please calm your anger! Please calm your anger!”

Seeing the dire situation, the leading blue-clad youth darted in front of Xia Qian. He slid onto his knees beside the female soldier’s feet, producing a bulging brocade pouch from his sleeve as if by magic.

“This brother is a newly plucked branch, still inexperienced. Please appease your anger, General, you are a person of great magnanimity. Please accept this small token for drinks…”

“When is it your turn to speak? —Scram!”

The female soldier swung her palm, sending the leading blue-clad youth flying and tumbling. Silver coins clattered as they scattered across the floor.

Her other hand, still clenched in a fist, was raised, ready to strike Xia Qian’s face. The other blue-clad youths rushed forward, piling onto each other in an attempt to dissuade her.

Xia Qian stumbled backward, jostled by their efforts. Her lower back slammed against a wine table with a thud, making her wince in pain.

Just as the fist was about to descend—

A whip shadow, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, cracked through the air and struck the female soldier’s face.

Smack!

The leading female soldier staggered backward, as if waking from a dazed sleep only when struck by pain. She clutched her face and looked up, her pupils constricting.

“Han, General Han Jue!”

Following the gaze of everyone else in the hall, Xia Qian also looked over.

At the entrance of the hall, a woman stepped in with an unhurried gait.

A slender figure was encased within dark indigo light armor. Exposed soft limbs, not covered by the armor, displayed a streamlined beauty that was dazzling.

Her firm breastplate strained to suppress the full, self-assertive curves of her graceful figure. Her ink-black hair was tied high, a deep cyan streak near her temple fluttering slightly in the breeze. Her thin lips were as pale as frost, yet her eyes were as sharp as blades.

The horsewhip in her hand had not yet been retracted, its tip still stained with beads of blood.

“—The order is to merely select people,” her cold, stern voice seemed capable of freezing blue tiles. “Not to cause trouble.”

The low, inorganic voice conveyed not a trace of emotion. The domineering female soldier, who had been so arrogant moments before, dropped to one knee with a thud, her iron armor clanging against the floor.

“This subordinate knows her fault! This subordinate is willing to accept punishment!”

Han Jue cast a downward glance at her.

“Thirty military flogs. Go and receive your punishment.”

“Yes!”

Despite the resounding, metallic reply, Xia Qian noticed the leading female soldier’s legs trembling slightly beneath her iron armor as she retreated, clutching her face.

The next second, Han Jue’s piercing, cold gaze shifted, pinning Xia Qian.

That gaze felt like two ice axes, chiseling through her skin inch by inch, straight to her bone marrow.

“Name.”

“Eh, ah? Me… me?”

Xia Qian’s hairs stood on end at the back of her neck. She swallowed hard.

This woman’s aura was like someone who had just returned from decapitating three hundred heads on a battlefield—and that was just a routine task to meet daily activity quotas.

She could only brace herself and speak.

“…Xia, Xia Qian.”

Han Jue narrowed her eyes, then suddenly took a step closer. With her tall stature, Xia Qian had to tilt her head slightly to meet her eyes, which were like the abyssal depths of a frigid valley.

An intense chill emanated from her, making one’s hair stand on end. Only her breath remained warm. After a moment of shared gaze, it was almost as if it were a figment of her imagination. A faint, almost imperceptible whisper brushed Xia Qian’s ear.

“Spirit Cauldron?”

Upon hearing those two words, Xia Qian jolted violently.

Just then, the blue-clad servants rushed forward again, each wearing a fawning smile and speaking in an ingratiating tone.

“Ah haha, General, this brother is new and hasn’t learned the rules yet. Moreover, he has already been taken by another master, a very distinguished and noble guest has reserved him. So please forgive us. If you are truly smitten, we can relay your interest to Daddy Liu, and Daddy will surely make proper arrangements…”

However, Han Jue merely gave them a fleeting glance. With that disdainful look, a wisp of icy mist instantly coiled around the throat of the blue-clad youth in front of her, stifling his unfinished words.

The other servants immediately froze like ice sculptures, unable even to move their eyeballs. Xia Qian felt a chill run down her spine. Could this… be profound energy?

Han Jue retracted the cold light from her pupils, her gaze still fixed on Xia Qian.

“In that case—”

She then glanced at the dying male courtesan on the ground, a barely perceptible sneer curving her lips.

“Take him away.”