044 A Girl Who Can't Hold Her Own in a Fight Isn't a Good Girl

“Miss, please don’t be agitated. Our young master simply invited your two friends to dinner, and nothing more,” said the lecherous young man’s bodyguard, still quite polite despite his impatient expression and even-tempered words.

“Nothing more? Forcing people to dinner and claiming there’s no ulterior motive—do you really expect your young master to send these girls home right after the meal? Do you think I’m three years old?” grumbled a certain someone, indignant.

The bodyguard, realizing that this certain someone wasn’t interested in communication and wasn’t on the dinner list anyway, simply ignored her and turned to the other two. “What do you say, beautiful ladies?”

Liang Yin instinctively moved closer behind Huan Luo, silently gathering droplets in her hand. But unless absolutely necessary, Liang Yin didn’t wish to use magic; after all, magicians in Acacia could be counted on one hand—herself, Lan Si, Xia Kui, and that certain someone. If a fight broke out, it would surely escalate. Besides, the shop was crowded with innocent bystanders, and curious citizens were gathering to see what was happening. If she acted now, many would be caught in the crossfire…

Huan Luo evidently thought the same. She shielded Liang Yin and the other girl behind her and addressed the lecherous young master with a cold, “Get lost.”

The young master was stunned, but not in the way Huan Luo intended. His lecherous gaze suddenly brightened at her words, as if he’d glimpsed the light of hope. He leaned forward, worshipful, staring in her direction.

“There it is! The classic queen and delicate damsel pairing! Karl, no matter what, I must have them both tonight!”

“Yes, young master.” Used to his young master’s antics, the bodyguard Karl’s impatience vanished, replaced by determination. He clenched his fists, clearly preparing for violence.

But when it came to quick and brutal action, Huan Luo was undoubtedly an expert. Before Karl could move, she stepped forward and delivered a hand chop to his neck. Karl dodged swiftly, but in doing so, he fell right into Huan Luo’s trap—a sudden uppercut to his abdomen, followed by a sweeping kick. Karl was sent flying, left gasping.

The young master stared, dumbfounded, as Huan Luo ignored him, grabbed her companions, and dashed out of the shop. Lan Si, seeing familiar faces, thought someone would finally relieve him of his heavy burden, but the three women whisked past him and disappeared. Only a line of words, condensed by Liang Yin’s water magic, lingered in the air: “Meet at Big Dumpling.” The mist dissipated, and Lan Si had no choice but to follow.

The so-called “Big Dumpling” referred to a dessert shop in Acacia named Taste Pavilion, located in a quiet back alley of the bustling city. Not many frequented it, and who knew how that certain someone had discovered it. Its specialty, the Purple Jade Glutinous Dumpling, was beloved by her. After countless tastings, she proudly dubbed it “Big Dumpling”—a name both common and elegant. She praised it so often that the shop owner, seeing his regular customer always order the same treat, just went along with it.

“Big Dumpling, Big Dumpling”—soon, all patrons referred to the Purple Jade Glutinous Dumpling as “Big Dumpling.” Eventually, even Taste Pavilion itself became known among regulars as “Big Dumpling.” Forced into regular patronage, Huan Luo, Liang Yin, and Lan Si naturally understood the reference.

They hurried to the Big Dumpling, but the joyful scene they’d imagined was nowhere to be found. Lan Si saw a group of pampered youths surrounding Liang Yin, Huan Luo, and the other girl with ill intent. No one seemed interested in that certain someone, but the situation was far from optimistic.

Huan Luo stood cold-faced at the front, Liang Yin’s brows hinted at impending fury, and that certain someone was nonchalantly at the rear—apparently still overlooked. Lan Si pondered whether to intervene; like Liang Yin, he worried that if the magicians acted, it would draw too much attention, leaving no room for retreat. Yet, the encirclement was tightening, offering them no escape.

“I’ll warn you one last time—get lost,” Huan Luo said to the crowd. Outwardly unfazed, she was inwardly perplexed. She’d been in Acacia long enough, but never encountered so many pampered sons with exclusive bodyguards. Where on earth had they come from?

Liang Yin noticed it too. She scoffed at the crowd, “During the Acacia war, not one of you showed up to fight. But you’re experts at bullying vulnerable women, aren’t you?”

“War?” someone in the crowd laughed dismissively. He stood at the center, clean-cut and well-dressed, a typical pampered prince. The lecherous young man from earlier didn’t even qualify as a lackey, left spinning helplessly at the edge of the group—an unlucky predator whose prey had been snatched. “It was just a few little monsters. I’m the advance team leader from the royal city. As long as we’re here, those little monsters can’t hurt you. Once we finish off the monsters and return to the royal city, you’ll be well rewarded.”

Their laughter stabbed into Huan Luo’s heart, the indifferent faces mocking all who defended Acacia. Her fist clenched, bloodlust and fury urging her to act, but she forced herself to hold back. The marshal preparing to support Acacia was her own father, Li Guang—would he really send such incompetents?

“You’re the advance team leader—did you have Marshal Li’s approval?” Huan Luo asked.

“Marshal Li? Which Marshal Li? You mean the one who’s already been stripped of power and imprisoned—Li Yi? That old man hogged military authority for years, he should’ve been removed long ago.”

“Removed?” Huan Luo stared, stunned. “Is what you’re saying true?”

“Rest easy, beauty. Pinning your hopes on that old man is pointless. Do you think the son of the prime minister would lie to you? This news is locked down in the royal city—you’re lucky to hear it from us,” the prime minister’s son, Bud, grinned slyly, like a shady uncle luring innocent girls.

“Why?” Huan Luo was still trapped in shock, but Bud was impatient. He tilted his head, signaling his bodyguards to seize her.

They moved in promptly, surrounding Huan Luo. Though shaken, her reactions weren’t dulled; she dodged their grasping hands, blocking the second wave with her left arm.

The lecherous young man, seeing disaster repeating, shouted from the back, “Don’t underestimate her—my bodyguard Karl was defeated by her!”

“Your useless lot still working as bodyguards? I thought you’d fired them.” His eyes showed disdain, but his orders were sharper, tinged with caution. Bud gave another signal, and the guards closed in, determined not to give Huan Luo any room to maneuver.

Huan Luo wanted to retaliate but had no weapons at hand. After several rounds of coordinated attacks, she was left only with evasive strength. The deliberate crowd tactics gradually separated her from Liang Yin and the other girl, steering her toward a predetermined direction. Those interested in Liang Yin quickly ordered their guards to act; seeing the only combat-capable member isolated, they felt they’d struck gold, eager to seize the delicate beauty.

Several large, grasping hands lunged toward Liang Yin. A startled cry made Huan Luo pause mid-dodge; glancing back, she saw Liang Yin and the other girl swallowed by the encirclement. Bud’s sinister laugh echoed, “Little beauty, give up and come with us. I promise you and your friends will eat and drink well. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what’ll happen to your friends…”

“Is that so?” Huan Luo smiled at Bud, but hers was a cold smile. “Then I’ll return those words to you, unchanged.”

Bud was vexed by the stubborn beauty. He’d thought his father sent him here to easily earn military merit, then return to the capital for promotion. But to his surprise, the war in Acacia was over when he arrived—no battles, no way home, and not even a decent pleasure house. The city offered only mundane shops and bookstores, with martial arts as the main entertainment.

Horse riding, archery, swordsmanship—Acacia had facilities and instructors for everything. But finding a high-class pleasure district was impossible. Though Bud had practiced martial arts since childhood, he never treated them as a hobby. For the first few days in Acacia, he put on a show, but soon grew bored. Just as he languished, the lecherous young man brought news of two beautiful girls… (here followed much exaggerated nonsense) which caught Bud’s attention and prompted him to set out in pursuit.

Unfortunately, the beauties weren’t easily subdued. Bud glared viciously at the icy beauty, who ignored him and focused on dodging attacks. Behind her, the “battle” seemed almost anticlimactic—sheer numbers overwhelmed the remaining two women, silencing them completely.

Wait. Bud suddenly sensed something off. The silence was too complete, as if time itself had stopped; everyone held the same pose for ages, unmoving. Bud hesitated, approaching the frozen scene. As he drew near, a biting cold wind swept over him. Though it was only early autumn and sunlight still warmed the streets, Bud felt no warmth—every trace of heat seemed stolen by that chilling gust.

His gaze sharpened. The strange tableau before him, coupled with the icy beauty’s martial prowess, led him to a startling possibility.

Could it be…?

Time waits for no one, whether at birth, death, or when failing to woo a girl and getting beaten instead.

Whoosh—crack! A powerful cold wind swept through the motionless crowd, scattering them. Some unlucky souls collided with the walls, producing sharp, brittle sounds. Huan Luo glanced back and saw Liang Yin, her face filled with fury, glaring at those who’d tried to touch her. The Eternal Staff, sensing its master’s anger, glowed with icy blue, gathering water elements in the air into a small whirlpool, at whose center was a block of ice conjured by Liang Yin.

The whirlpool, nourished by the ice, grew colder and more menacing. Water struck bodies, instantly turning them into lifelike ice statues, frozen in place.

The wind element atop that certain someone’s wooden staff swirled fiercely, not to be outdone. Since she’d debuted with wind magic in Acacia, she’d focused on honing it to conceal her identity. This dedicated practice had made her wind magic powerful; combined with Liang Yin’s ice, it transformed the encircling mob into a group of glittering ice sculptures, shining in the sunlight.

“You are…” Bud stared at Huan Luo, astonished. “Li Yi’s daughter?”

“Correct.” Huan Luo’s wounds still ached from the intense evasion, but the situation had shifted decisively. She retreated and quickly reunited with Liang Yin and that certain someone, Lan Si following leisurely. The four regarded Bud with a look that said, “You ought to kill yourself for the good of all.”

Bud stared back, unmoving. The guards who hadn’t been struck stood ready, prepared for battle.

“So, you’re Huan Luo?” Bud demanded.

“That’s right,” Huan Luo replied, no longer hiding. “Is it true what you said about my father being stripped of power and imprisoned?”

Bud knew the initiative was his again. “That’s easy—spend a night with me, and I’ll tell you.”

Huan Luo frowned, irritated. That certain someone interjected, “If you won’t tell us, we’ll just ask in the royal city ourselves.”

Bud laughed. “Do you really think, after Li Yi’s arrest, his daughter could come and go freely in the capital? On our first day, we took over Acacia’s military command. The city’s defense is now in the hands of our own troops. Unless Miss Huan Luo fights her way out, we won’t let you leave.”

“If you see Huan Luo as such a threat, why didn’t you capture her when she was seriously injured? Do you actually care about fairness?” Lan Si easily exposed the flaw in Bud’s logic.

“That’s because we hadn’t found a good way to deal with Xia Kui and you magicians,” Bud sneered at Huan Luo. “But now, we have.”