Infamous

Two weeks had passed since Yan Xingke burst onto the scene. After a brief flurry of excitement, Danfeng City had settled back into its usual rhythm.

That evening, a young couple walked home after dinner, their intimacy plain for all to see.

“You old devil,” the girl said, “you said you went out drinking with friends last night. Were you seeing another woman?”

“Honey, how could you think that? Everyone knows how strong our relationship is.”

“Hmph, I don’t really believe you.”

They entered a nearby park as usual. The path was deserted at this hour, and the streetlights flickered intermittently.

“When can we have dinner together again? You’re always working late or socializing with colleagues. I haven’t seen you in days.”

“Oh, I told you I’ve been busy at the company. Give it some time, and I’ll take you on vacation.”

“Then promise me. What if you’re seeing someone behind my back?”

“Impossible. If I were, may heaven strike me down—”

Before he could finish, both heard a noise ahead. Two tall, masked men leaped out from nowhere, surrounding them with menacing glares.

The couple turned pale with fear, at a loss.

“B-Brothers, I was just joking,” the boyfriend stammered, his glasses askew. “This isn’t… I mean…”

“This is a robbery. Hand over your money.”

“W-We don’t have any,” the girlfriend quickly shook her head.

But the moment she spoke, the ground beside her cracked under the robber’s heavy stomp. She screamed in terror.

Spirit Wielders! There was no escape.

‘No! What did I do to deserve this? I only took my junior to a hotel—why is this happening?’

“What did you say?” The girlfriend grabbed his collar, but then hugged him tightly, trembling as the robbers approached.

Just as the robber reached out, everyone looked up. A pure white figure flew overhead.

Thud!

The figure landed lightly, raised its head, and revealed a black mask under the hood.

“Ah! It’s her, it’s her!” The glasses-wearing man recognized her at once, shaking his girlfriend’s shoulder excitedly.

Nothing was more thrilling than a hero’s timely arrival, especially the recently famous Yan Xingke, the Great Hero!

“Looks like someone here needs my help?”

“Yes, Great Hero Yan, please help us!”

Yan Xingke didn’t act immediately. She observed the situation in silence, then sneered disdainfully.

“Two small-time thieves. I can deal with them in a few moves.”

The couple beamed with joy.

“But—”

Her tone turned icy.

“How much are you willing to pay for my trouble?”

“Huh?”

The couple blinked, stunned.

“What did you say?”

“A service fee. You don’t expect me to work for free, do you?” Yan Xingke laughed coldly, all her initial warmth gone.

“Aren’t you a chivalrous hero? Why charge?”

“Listen, kid, there’s no free lunch in this world. An adult like you should know that.”

“We… we really don’t have much money.”

“I see.”

Yan Xingke sighed regretfully.

“Then I’m afraid I can’t help. Please handle it yourselves.”

With that, she crossed her arms and stepped back to watch.

“Oh, and you two gentlemen, remember to give me a cut afterward. Treat it as if nothing happened tonight.”

“You got it!”

The tables turned again. The couple fell back into despair. Their screams were loud, but in the deserted park, no one heard.

“What? Yan Xingke colluded with robbers to bully citizens?”

Upon hearing the news, Mù Qīngyǔ nearly spat out her drink.

“Yeah, Master, haven’t you seen the news?”

Xǔ Tiānlí, washing dishes after dinner, nodded.

“Recently, there have been more and more sightings of Yan Xingke, but all negative. They say she’s not a hero—she extorts money. Not a real hero at all.”

“Ah?”

Mù Qīngyǔ blinked. ‘How could I not know about this? I never did such things.’

Wait, she hadn’t even used Yan Xingke’s identity recently.

After absorbing the power of the Purple Lightning Thunder Pearl, Mù Qīngyǔ had been practicing using it smoothly without revealing its secrets.

Once she felt proficient, she immersed herself in modifying the spells of the mysterious palace, striving to accumulate more mystical power as quickly as possible.

No one could guarantee when the next fierce battle would come. The more trump cards, the better.

Too busy with her own affairs, half a month had passed. When she returned to the bustling online forums, the public opinion on Yan Xingke had completely soured.

“She’s not a hero—she’s a robber, a bandit!”

“If you don’t pay, she won’t help. She took my whole month’s salary!”

“My ex and I ended up in the hospital because of her. She just watched us suffer because we had no money.”

What was going on?

Mù Qīngyǔ couldn’t read more than halfway. It felt like she was being cursed to her face. Worse, she had never done such things.

Clearly, someone was impersonating Yan Xingke, deliberately ruining her reputation.

She fumed. Who was so despicable? Couldn’t they see the harm?

Mù Qīngyǔ took a deep breath, glanced at Xǔ Tiānlí’s back, and spoke calmly:

“You seem quite concerned about this Yan Xingke?”

“Ah? No, I’ve never even spoken to her,” Xǔ Tiānlí replied. “I was just thinking, if she really is a bluffing fake, essentially a bandit, then if I ever meet her, I won’t stand idly by.”

A very characteristic answer.

Mù Qīngyǔ said no more. After a moment’s thought, she stood up.

“Master, are you going out?”

“Yeah, I have something urgent to deal with.”

Mù Qīngyǔ couldn’t stand by and let her reputation slide into the abyss.

She didn’t care about others’ opinions, but she had to change Xǔ Tiānlí’s perception.

He already disliked her enough. If Yan Xingke also fell into utter disrepute in his heart, and he discovered the truth, the final battle three years later would only be harsher. She was strong with her left fist and right fist.

Mù Qīngyǔ made up her mind. She would kill the bastard destroying her name.