Jiang Li's tone was cold and sharp. "If you dare to speak rudely to my master again, I won't let you off."
The rest of Wang Xu's words jammed in his throat. His face stiffened, and he could no longer utter a sound. Instinctively, he took a step back, his eyes wide with disbelief and fear as he stared at Jiang Li.
Even Bai Luoxi was startled by the sudden chill that swept through the air. But instead of retreating, her gaze toward Jiang Li burned even brighter with curiosity.
"You're really his maid?" she asked again, her voice full of incredulous wonder, her interest clearly growing stronger.
"Yes," Jiang Li replied simply.
At the same time, she withdrew that lethal killing intent aimed at Wang Xu, as if it had never existed, and returned to her calm, docile appearance—the very picture of a polite maid.
Bai Luoxi frowned slightly. "From your temperament and your clothes, you don't seem like someone with an ordinary background. Why would you be his maid?"
Jiang Li turned her gaze toward Yang Cheng's profile. Her eyes carried a quiet reverence, a kind of instinctive obedience born from genuine awe. "My master saved me from a life-and-death calamity. His strength is beyond your imagination. I serve him willingly, with my whole heart."
If anyone else had said those words, Bai Luoxi might have rolled her eyes in disgust.
But coming from Jiang Li—with that icy aura she'd shown moments ago—it didn't sound weak or pathetic. Instead, it carried a strange sense of conviction and allure.
Bai Luoxi had always despised her clan's suffocating traditions—the arranged marriages, the social hierarchies, the endless rules. She longed for freedom, for something dangerous, thrilling, different.
Her family had recently forced a marriage between her and Wang Xu, something she detested from the bottom of her heart. Wang Xu's clingy, possessive behavior only made her despise him more.
And now, hearing Jiang Li's story—this elegant, composed young woman choosing to follow a stronger man as his maid—it didn't strike Bai Luoxi as degrading at all.
Instead, it resonated with something hidden deep inside her—a secret desire for rebellion, for submission on her own terms.
"How fascinating," she murmured softly, eyes gleaming with intrigue. Her gaze drifted back to Yang Cheng, filled with open curiosity and a hint of reckless attraction.
But Yang Cheng never once looked at her again. Her beauty, her flirtation—none of it mattered to him in the slightest.
For the rest of the journey, he ignored Bai Luoxi's attempts at conversation, speaking only occasionally to Jiang Li in low tones about their route and matters concerning the Jiang Clan.
Jiang Li responded politely, maintaining the perfect balance of distance and courtesy, her smile gentle but measured.
Poor Bai Luoxi never realized that the seemingly gentle "obedient maid" sitting before her was, in truth, a deadly viper wrapped in silk—a woman whose hands had been stained with blood countless times.
Under this tense yet oddly calm atmosphere, the flying vessel finally arrived at the floating dock of Jiang City.
When the vessel anchored, passengers began disembarking in steady lines.
Bai Luoxi lingered, reluctant to part ways. She clung lightly to Jiang Li's hand as she smiled brightly. "Sister Jiang, I live in Mingyue Villa here in Jiang City. You must come visit me if you have time, all right?"
She slipped a small, finely carved jade token into Jiang Li's hand. "Take this. Just show it at the gate and tell them you're my guest."
Jiang Li accepted it with a calm, graceful smile. "Thank you, Miss Bai. If there's a chance, I'll be sure to visit."
Inside, however, she felt nothing—no warmth, no interest—only the same quiet detachment.
Meanwhile, Yang Cheng had already stepped off the gangway. Without a backward glance, he melted into the crowd, his figure vanishing into the bustling streets below.
Once they had moved some distance away from the dock, Bai Luoxi's bright smile slowly faded as she watched Yang Cheng's silhouette disappear.
Wang Xu, who had been holding his tongue the entire trip, finally couldn't contain himself any longer. His pent-up frustration burst out in a low, bitter snarl.
"Hmph! That pretty-faced brat—what's he even putting on airs for? Just some slick kid with a bit of charm and an act. Does he really think he's someone important?"
Bai Luoxi didn't even bother to look at him. She let out a mocking laugh and said, "At least he's handsome. Even if he's pretending, it's still pleasing to the eye. Unlike some people—no skill, no looks, but still so full of themselves."
Wang Xu's face turned red, then pale. His lips trembled, but he couldn't form a single word. By the time Bai Luoxi turned on her heel and strode off, all he could do was chase after her, flushed with anger and humiliation.
At the same moment, Yang Cheng and Jiang Li had already melted into the bustling crowd of Jiang City.
Jiang City, being the major stronghold closest to the Jiang Clan's main estate, was far more prosperous than Lin City. The streets were broad and lively, people flowed like rivers, and towering buildings lined both sides—like a scene out of a celestial realm.
Jiang Li followed half a step behind Yang Cheng, her tone respectful. "Master, are we heading straight to the Jiang Clan, or should we first find a place to stay in the city?"
Yang Cheng's stride was steady and unhurried. His gaze stayed fixed ahead, his voice calm and detached. "No need to waste time arranging that."
"Hmm?"
Jiang Li blinked, puzzled.
Just then, a low, echoing roar rolled through the sky above them.
"Roar!"
A wave of immense, oppressive power descended from the heavens, vast as an abyss and heavy as a collapsing sky.
The street fell silent in an instant. Countless heads turned upward in shock.
The clouds churned violently as a massive beast tore through the sky.
Its body was covered in golden scales, a pair of jade-like horns gleamed on its head, and crimson flames swirled beneath its hooves. It was a pure-blooded divine beast—a Qilin.
The Qilin hovered gracefully above the street, exuding a sacred, crushing pressure that made everyone below feel as though the air had turned solid. One by one, the pedestrians lowered their heads in awe, not daring to look directly.
Upon its back sat a woman.
She wore a magnificent robe of royal purple and gold, her long skirt fluttering in the wind. Her hair was arranged in an elegant high bun, and her face was stunningly beautiful—but cold, proud, and untouchable, as though she were looking down upon all living beings.
Her eyes, sharp as twin blades of ice, cut through the sea of people and locked unerringly onto Jiang Li.
Then her red lips parted, her voice carrying a faint chill of superiority. "Sister, it's been so long. You still haven't changed that reckless, playful nature of yours. You finally decided to come back?"
Jiang Li's expression turned frosty the instant she saw the woman atop the Qilin.
That woman was her cousin—Jiang Yue.
In the past, Jiang Yue had barely dared to breathe in her presence. Yet now, she dared to perch high above, speaking down to her with open mockery?
"Jiang Yue," Jiang Li said coldly, "watch your tone."
"Tone?" Jiang Yue sneered, her voice full of derision. She lifted her chin even higher, every movement dripping with arrogance. "My dear little sister, still putting on that 'core jewel of the Jiang Clan' act in front of me?
"Too bad things have changed. You must not know yet—you've completely enraged Great Grandfather and Fifth Grandfather. They personally ordered me to bring you back."
As her words fell, the air suddenly trembled with a sharp whistling sound.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Four powerful figures appeared behind Jiang Yue, surrounding Jiang Li and Yang Cheng in an instant.
Each one wore the dark-gold uniform of the Jiang Clan, their presence steady and oppressive. All four were Insight God realm experts.
Being treated this way by her own clan made Jiang Li's fury surge like a storm. Her aura exploded outward, sharp and violent. "How dare you! Who dares to touch me?"
"Heh."
Jiang Yue's smirk deepened, her tone dripping with scorn. "Jiang Li, it seems you still don't know your place…"
But before she could finish her taunt—
"Get lost."
That single word rang out, calm and emotionless.
It came from Yang Cheng.
He hadn't even bothered to look at Jiang Yue. He simply spoke—and the air itself seemed to fall silent.