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If that's the case, then Linglong has to make the first move! Thinking this, Wei Tingyu deliberately exposed another huge flaw to Linglong.
If that's the case, then Linglong has to make the first move! Thinking this, Wei Tingyu deliberately exposed another huge flaw to Linglong. He leaned slightly forward, pretending to bury his face in Linglong's neck, eager to kiss her fair, smooth neck. Linglong was startled at this. However, as Wei Tingyu buried his face in her neck, though uncomfortable, she keenly noticed an opening he revealed. At this moment, Wei Tingyu couldn't see her actions at all. She just needed to reach out, pull off the hairpin from her bun, and press it against his neck to threaten him!
"Marquis~ Don't be so impatient~" Linglong's eyes darted. While continuing to flirt, her right hand swiftly pulled out a golden hairpin and stabbed it towards Wei Tingyu's back! This stab, if it landed, wouldn't kill Wei Tingyu, but it would incapacitate him, allowing her to hold him hostage and escape the Marquis's residence! When Ren Ruyi saw this, she was stunned. Only a second later did she realize: So this is Linglong's real plan!
As the sound of the hairpin slicing through the air reached his ears, Wei Tingyu shifted slightly to the side, then backhanded and firmly grasped Linglong's wrist as she attacked. All of this happened in a flash, even startling Linglong. She had absolutely not expected Wei Tingyu to react, or even to directly control her attack. But with things already at this point, she knew there was no possibility of retreat! The coquettish, flirty expression on her face instantly vanished, replaced by tightly furrowed brows, and she continued to exert force on her wrist, adopting a relentless stance. However, Linglong's martial arts were far inferior to Wei Tingyu's. To him, her fierce demeanor at this moment actually had a cute, "fiercely adorable" quality. Wei Tingyu didn't directly strike back but held her wrist firmly, looking at her with a relaxed expression, seemingly competing with Linglong in strength.
After a standoff of two or three seconds, the expression in Linglong's eyes gradually turned to shock. This wasn't because Wei Tingyu was stronger than her, but because he had effortlessly controlled her wrist without exerting any noticeable effort. Although Linglong wasn't known for her martial arts prowess, she was still an assassin; the strength of ordinary men was no match for hers. Yet, Wei Tingyu handled it with such ease. When Linglong looked at him again, she felt as if she were a grasshopper being held in his hand. This feeling of her life not even being her own made Linglong extremely uncomfortable.
Knowing that she couldn't gain the upper hand with her hand, Linglong's eyes darted, and she immediately kicked directly at Wei Tingyu's chest. If he dodged, the strength in his hand would loosen. However, Wei Tingyu didn't even move. He simply exerted a slight force with the arm holding Linglong's wrist, pulling her entire body off balance! Then, with a reverse hand, he controlled Linglong in front of him and pressed down. Linglong naturally couldn't withstand Wei Tingyu's strong arms, and her legs immediately gave way, dropping to her knees with a thud. At this moment, she looked like a prisoner waiting to submit, kneeling before Wei Tingyu, her right hand twisted behind her back, firmly controlled by his single hand. The golden hairpin also fell directly onto the nearby grass.
At this moment, Linglong finally knew how vast the gap between herself and Wei Tingyu truly was! He handled her with the ease and casualness of a strong man playing with a child.
"Oh! So you're a martial artist?!" Wei Tingyu had known Linglong's background for a long time, but he still teased her. However, the words "martial artist" now sounded to Linglong like a direct slap to her face. At the same time, several female Golden Shadow Guards appeared in a flash, blocking all the exits of the courtyard in the blink of an eye! Wei Tingyu saw this, slightly relaxed his grip, and directly released Linglong. As soon as Linglong felt the restraint on her hand disappear, she immediately turned like a dancer, taking light steps to create distance between herself and Wei Tingyu. It had to be said, Linglong's figure was still very graceful when fighting! Wei Tingyu couldn't help but sigh inwardly!
However, although Linglong had temporarily escaped Wei Tingyu's control, seeing the menacing Golden Shadow Guards around her, she secretly cried out in dismay. The only reason these people hadn't pounced on her and torn her apart was because Wei Tingyu hadn't given the order! But it was clear that if she attacked Wei Tingyu now, these Golden Shadow Guards would certainly step in to protect their master! Linglong had witnessed their skills! Even one-on-one, she was far inferior, let alone so many people attacking together? Moreover, the positioning of these Golden Shadow Guards was very strategic, having completely sealed off the courtyard exit and any possible escape routes over low walls. Linglong knew that even if she grew wings, she couldn't escape! However, if she were to act coquettishly and submit to Wei Tingyu now, it would definitely be impossible to fool him again! For a moment, her eyes darted around, trying to find a way to break this deadlock. But no matter how she thought, her heart was filled only with despair! She feared that living would be worse than death later!
"Looking at the young lady's moves... it seems like the Crimson Robe Guard of An State~" At this moment, Wei Tingyu looked at Linglong, whose expression was constantly changing, and directly took two steps forward, saying with a meaningful smile. Linglong froze, then her eyes widened directly. Leaving aside everything else, Wei Tingyu's assessment was accurate! She hadn't expected a Marquis so far away in the capital to be so familiar with the martial arts techniques of An State's Crimson Robe Guard?! He recognized them in just a few moves? Thinking this, Linglong felt even more lingering fear! This Marquis of Jining was far more unfathomable than she had previously imagined! Thinking this way, even if she had suppressed herself and not exposed herself just now, it would still have been as difficult as ascending to heaven to leave this Marquis's residence. She feared that sooner or later, he would see through her disguise and expose her identity.
And suddenly, Linglong's gaze fixed, because she saw Ren Ruyi at that moment transform into a blur, attacking Wei Tingyu at lightning speed. At this moment, Wei Tingyu was facing Linglong and had his back to Ren Ruyi, so her sneak attack was timed perfectly! Ren Ruyi, of course, knew in her heart that she had been waiting for this moment to strike! At this moment, Wei Tingyu's eyes were solely on Linglong, especially as he investigated the origin of her martial arts style; he would certainly not be paying attention to her side. Although Ren Ruyi knew she was no match for the Golden Shadow Guards, if she could seize Wei Tingyu from behind before these Golden Shadow Guards reacted, then she would have a sliver of hope! Years of assassin experience and intuition told Ren Ruyi that this opportunity was her last chance to escape the Marquis of Jining's residence! So, she held nothing back in this move, directly using her fastest movement technique. At the same time, Ren Ruyi's jade hand turned into a claw, aiming directly for Wei Tingyu's neck! As the distance closed, seeing that Wei Tingyu still hadn't reacted, Ren Ruyi's heart grew increasingly nervous. Success or failure depended on this one strike!
However, just as she was about to succeed, Wei Tingyu's body suddenly shifted to the side, dodging Ren Ruyi's attack. Then, without moving his feet, he simply turned his body and, with a single hand, lightly tapped Ren Ruyi's wrist with his ordinary folding fan. Ren Ruyi, who hadn't landed a solid hit, still wanted to change her move mid-air and attack again. Who would have thought that after her wrist was casually tapped by the other party, she would feel a surging force that shook her entire body, sending her flying sideways three to five steps away. However, Ren Ruyi's figure was agile; she quickly adjusted her posture in the air like a nimble civet cat, landing gracefully on the ground.
"Good!" Wei Tingyu saw this scene and couldn't help but openly praise her. He looked at Ren Ruyi's agile figure, his eyes gleaming; this was exactly the talent he wanted! "As expected of the Left Emissary of the Crimson Robe Guard! Your skill is indeed extraordinary!" In that moment just now, if it were an ordinary martial artist, they would definitely have fallen face-first, looking as awkward as possible! However, Ren Ruyi not only avoided that embarrassing situation but landed beautifully! Her clothes fluttered in the wind, looking even more like a butterfly flitting among flowers! To even kill with such artistic flair, besides Ren Ruyi, it's probably impossible to find another person like her under heaven! Was it appropriate not to praise such skill?
However, Ren Ruyi and Linglong both froze upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words. Especially Linglong, she stared blankly at Ren Ruyi, and only after two seconds did she react. That's right! If she wasn't a high-ranking Crimson Robe Guard, how could Ren Ruyi have such exquisite skill? It's a shame I was blind; I initially thought she was just an ordinary, unskilled little bird sent by the higher-ups. Now she knew Ren Ruyi was the real important figure!
Compared to Linglong's shock at Ren Ruyi's identity, this girl herself was even more incredulous that Wei Tingyu had directly revealed her identity. She knew that her identity was a top secret, and fewer than five people in this world knew it. God knows why there's a Marquis in the capital, a thousand miles away from An State, who also knows my identity?! So what should she do now? Kill him to silence him? Ren Ruyi's thoughts raced, but she also knew that such an idea was completely delusional now! She knew Wei Tingyu's martial arts were formidable, which was why she had been waiting for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack, to be more confident. Who knew that the other party's martial arts were far stronger than she had imagined! He had even effortlessly fended off her full-strength attack without moving his feet a single step. The most infuriating thing was that this guy hadn't even looked back just now; it seemed he knew the direction of her attack and guessed her next move simply by the sound of the wind. The more Ren Ruyi thought about it, the more despair she felt!
"What a marvelous 'Step-by-Step Lotus Hand'!" However, Wei Tingyu looked at Ren Ruyi, whose expression was changing on her face, and immediately laughed, saying, "It's just a pity... the practitioner's martial arts are too weak, making it impossible to unleash its full power!"
"You..." Ren Ruyi was originally startled when Wei Tingyu actually mentioned her technique as 'Step-by-Step Lotus Hand', feeling that the mysteries surrounding this man were growing. However, upon hearing his next sentence, the girl's face immediately fell. Saying my martial arts are weak? If they were truly weak, could I have reached the position of Left Emissary of the Crimson Robe Guard? But Ren Ruyi looked at Wei Tingyu and the other Golden Shadow Guards around her, and she felt powerless to refute him! Among the few people in this courtyard, besides Linglong, she seemed to be genuinely unable to defeat anyone! So, being mocked for weak martial arts... seemed to be just a fact!
"What? Knowing there's no hope, so you've given up?" Wei Tingyu saw the light in Ren Ruyi's eyes gradually fade and immediately asked.
"..." Ren Ruyi was startled, thinking, What's wrong with this man? Can I not even give up? Or is he just toying with me?
"How about this!" Wei Tingyu certainly didn't want to actually crush Ren Ruyi into a second-rate assassin who had completely lost her fighting spirit, so he smiled and said, "You continue to attack! I will stand here and receive your moves!"
"As long as you can make my foot move a single step, you win!"
"And I will let you two leave!"
As soon as Wei Tingyu said this, Ren Ruyi's eyes immediately brightened slightly! If the other party only defended and didn't attack, then she could attack with all her might without holding back! Even if she still couldn't defeat Wei Tingyu like that, it wasn't impossible to force him to move his feet. After all, no matter how high a person's martial arts were, Ren Ruyi didn't believe he could be that high! Thinking this, she turned to glance at Linglong again, and the other party also knew at this moment that this battle was not something she could participate in, so she silently nodded. The two had worked together for quite some time, so there was some affection between them. Ren Ruyi was also loyal and did not presumptuously decide the fate of both of them on her own. Seeing Linglong's expression, Ren Ruyi knew that the other party was now willing to entrust her life completely to her.
However, Wei Tingyu's previous wager was clearly not finished; she didn't believe the other party would offer such good terms without any demands. "What if I lose?" Ren Ruyi thought for a moment and then asked.
"If you lose..." Wei Tingyu was waiting for this sentence. He looked at Ren Ruyi with a deeply meaningful smile and said, "From now on, you two will be loyal to me! You will work for me! And you will be my women!"
As soon as Wei Tingyu finished speaking, Ren Ruyi's brows immediately furrowed. At this moment, she absolutely couldn't reconcile the image of this peerless master in front of her with that of a lecher who only thought about sleeping with women. But the facts were laid out before her! And the most infuriating thing was that Wei Tingyu could easily subdue her and Linglong, forcing them to comply. Yet, he still wanted to set up some kind of wager, as if he was already confident that the two of them couldn't escape his grasp.
Although the idea of a man coveting her body displeased Ren Ruyi, she also knew that accepting this wager was her only hope of leaving! Presumably, this Marquis of Jining also wanted to truly conquer her and Linglong! Thinking this, Ren Ruyi scoffed inwardly, but still nodded and said, "Alright! I agree!"
After speaking, without waiting for Wei Tingyu to reply, she immediately raised her left hand, and a flash of light flew from her sleeve, heading straight for Wei Tingyu's face! However, Wei Tingyu didn't dodge at all; he simply raised the folding fan in his hand and blocked it in front of him! The next second, there was a crisp clink, and a steel needle firmly embedded itself in the folding fan. Wei Tingyu could even feel that the force of the projectile was considerable; if he hadn't imbued the folding fan with his internal energy, this steel needle would have surely pierced through the fan and continued towards him.
Zhenwei Needle! Ren Ruyi's unique hidden weapon, known for its stealth and suddenness! It had to be said, Wei Tingyu felt that this name was truly apt at this moment, because that strike just now was too sudden! However, before he could even inwardly complain about the girl Ren Ruyi's ruthless methods, he heard the sound of air being torn, and Ren Ruyi had already attacked, following closely behind her Zhenwei Needle! It turned out that as she fired the Zhenwei Needle, her entire body had also followed behind, rushing towards him.
At this moment, Ren Ruyi also felt a surge of emotion! She had just fired a Zhenwei Needle at Wei Tingyu by surprise, but she had never thought that this hidden weapon alone could defeat him. All she sought was for Wei Tingyu to dodge her hidden weapon in a hurry, which would then allow her subsequent attack to throw him into disarray. Who would have thought that Wei Tingyu would not dodge at all, but simply lift the folding fan in his hand and effortlessly block her Zhenwei Needle! Yet, even as she was surprised, Ren Ruyi also knew that she had no retreat! Thus, she could only grit her teeth and once again used her 'Step-by-Step Lotus Hand', attacking Wei Tingyu in a flurry!
However, Wei Tingyu stood rooted to the spot, not moving his feet, and even his limbs barely made any large movements. He simply used his two hands to easily block all of her attacks. Ren Ruyi flitted up and down like a butterfly, able to encircle Wei Tingyu's body more than twice in a single breath, and her attacks came at him from all directions like a raging storm.