Chapter 135: Interesting

Unexpectedly, before she could even get near the blade, the youth moved faster, snatching the sword and drawing it from its sheath in one fluid motion.

"Such swift reflexes!" Chu Junhan’s pupils constricted, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You know martial arts?"

The youth in white drew the sword, a faint, gentle smile playing on his lips, as warm as a spring breeze, making it impossible to look away. But then—

"Do you really think everyone else is as dim-witted as you? How did someone as foolish as you manage to become a deputy general of the Chu Army?" The words he uttered were enough to make anyone grit their teeth in fury and yearn to tear him limb from limb.

Chu Junhan ground her teeth, so incensed she wanted to strike him down with her own blade. Suddenly, she sensed something amiss. She stared at the youth with wariness and suspicion. "How do you know who I am?"

The youth flourished the token in his hand. "Isn't it written right here? 'Third Deputy General of the Chu Army'." As he spoke, his face wore an insufferably smug, punchable expression.

Chu Junhan instinctively reached for her waist, and upon confirming that the token had indeed been swiped by the youth, the chill on her face deepened, her eyes flashing with icy intent.

The youth in white took a step back, pulling his robes tighter as if feigning terror. Even the way he held the sword looked clumsy and unsteady. Yet, he added, "Hey now, it was your own lack of skill that led to this. Such angry, petty behavior hardly befits a high-ranking general."

His words remained as infuriating as ever.

"My lack of skill?" Chu Junhan planted her hands on her hips, so angry she laughed. "Say that again. That was a sneak attack! Come here—if you're a real man, let’s fight fair and square."

"Sneak attacks are a strategy. In war, there is no such thing as being too deceitful. Do I need to teach you that?" The youth sneered at the soldier, his face full of triumph.

"No such thing as being too deceitful, you say?" Chu Junhan let out a cold laugh, closing in on him step by step. "I’ll show you exactly what that means."

As the words left her lips, she grabbed a nearby bamboo stalk. Using the tension of the wood, she launched herself toward the youth like an arrow.

The youth watched the figure flying toward him, but his expression lacked the fear he had shown moments ago. Instead, he gave a calm smile, swayed slightly to the side, and effortlessly dodged the attack, his grip on the sword remaining firm.

Chu Junhan had never expected a single strike to land; it was merely a feint to distract him so she could reclaim the sword. However, the depth of the youth's martial prowess exceeded her expectations, and she missed her mark once again.

*Swish, swish.* Two figures darted through the bamboo grove, chasing and weaving, causing the bamboo leaves to sway and shower the ground.

The youth leaned back to dodge a palm strike, but just as he was about to recover, his pupils constricted in shock, his expression turning to one of alarm.

A short blade had appeared in the soldier’s hand, thrusting directly toward his chest.

The youth let out a cry of surprise, performing an elegant side-flip to evade the dagger, though his clothes were slashed, leaving him looking disheveled.

To avoid the sword that swept past her during the youth's flip, Chu Junhan ducked her head without a second thought.

As the youth’s outer robe was torn, the soldier’s hair tie was severed as well, allowing her hair to cascade down like the petals of a flower.

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you playing for keeps?" The youth looked panicked, gripping his sword tighter as he stared at the soldier, who was still ducking.

Chu Junhan lifted her head, her hair cascading down her back. Her dark locks fluttered, making her look like a fairy from a painting, her brows slightly furrowed in a way that stirred pity.

"To think that the Grand Marshal of the Heavenly Qing Kingdom is actually a woman. Hahaha—how interesting!" The youth held his sword, his smile wild and carefree, as gentle as a spring breeze.