Qingniu Mountain!
Qingfeng Stronghold, Assembly Hall!
Chen Qingshan and his brothers were eating meat in chunks and drinking wine in large gulps, having a high old time.
At that moment, a lackey came running hurriedly from outside, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Chief, a woman has come down the mountain! She looks just like a fairy!"
The entire Assembly Hall fell silent in an instant.
Wang Dahai, the second-in-command, shouted loudly: "What fairy? Tell us properly!"
Standing at the entrance, the lackey hurriedly called out: "Second-in-command, a woman is passing by at the foot of the mountain. She is drop-dead gorgeous, and what's more, she looks really wealthy!"
The eyes of all the bandit leaders in the Assembly Hall lit up instantly as they looked at Chen Qingshan.
Anyone who routinely went plundering knew that a woman travelling alone who looked both gorgeous and wealthy was nothing less than meat thrown to the wolves.
Not robbing her would be an outrage against heaven and nature!
With a sharp slap, Chen Qingshan smashed the bowl in his hand onto the ground and bellowed: "Brothers, fetch your gear!"
Before long, Chen Qingshan led a mighty and bustling mob of men heading down the mountain.
As soon as they reached the foothills, Chen Qingshan spotted a woman riding a tall white horse and slowly making her way forward.
That reporting lackey certainly hadn't been talking nonsense.
The woman was dressed in white, with delicate features and skin as smooth as congealed lard, devoid of the slightest flaw.
To these uncultured bandits, she could truly only be described as a fairy.
Chen Qingshan, a hot-blooded young fellow, grew quite excited upon seeing such a girl.
"Brothers, after today, you'll have a mistress for the stronghold!"
With that shout, Chen Qingshan brandished a heavy broadsword, took the lead in charging toward the girl, and blocked her path.
Ye Qingxuan had already noticed Chen Qingshan and his men, and had even heard Chen Qingshan shouting about a mistress for the stronghold.
Such teasing remarks brought a flash of annoyance to Ye Qingxuan's face.
Hmph, these bandits!
In the blink of an eye, Chen Qingshan and his men had surrounded Ye Qingxuan.
"This mountain was opened by me, and these trees were planted by me!"
...
Wang Dahai had just recited the usual routine twice when Chen Qingshan interrupted him.
"Dahai, skip those cliches. Today's woman is different!"
Wang Dahai looked at Chen Qingshan in utter bewilderment, having no idea what Chen Qingshan was up to.
Chen Qingshan straightened his hair and said with a smile: "My lady, I am Chen Qingshan, chief of Qingfeng Stronghold. Our stronghold is still lacking a mistress, and I think you're a perfect fit!"
"Your appearance here today is destined by the heavens. Will you walk up yourself, or shall we carry you up?"
A look of disdain appeared on Ye Qingxuan's face.
Carry her up, indeed—it was nothing less than being carried off by force.
Ye Qingxuan sneered and asked: "You are the bandits of Qingfeng Stronghold? I hear you are the largest pack of bandits for a hundred miles around!"
Hearing Ye Qingxuan speak only made Chen Qingshan even more infatuated.
What a sweet voice, truly wonderful!
She was worthy of being called a fairy!
No!
Calling her a fairy was selling her short; she was meant to be his mountain-wife!
Impatientsly, Chen Qingshan called out to Ye Qingxuan: "My wife, hurry up and come with us. A single night of spring is worth a thousand pieces of gold—let's not waste any time!"
Hearing Chen Qingshan's nonsense, Ye Qingxuan's face darkened. Without a single word, she let out a sharp cry and drew the longsword hanging from her horse's saddle.
Seeing this, Chen Qingshan remained entirely unfazed and smiled: "Brothers, your sister-in-law wants to trade a few moves with you. Go on and play with her, but don't hurt her—otherwise, I won't let you off!"
Chen Qingshan's lackeys burst into loud laughter, surrounding Ye Qingxuan with utter contempt in their eyes.
They were seasoned, ruthless bandits who simply didn't take a delicate woman like Ye Qingxuan seriously.
Yet, the next moment, they were left dumbfounded.
Ye Qingxuan charged into the midst of the bandits with her longsword, moving like nobody was there, one person and one sword cutting a swathe through them.
Before long, dozens of bandits were sprawled all over the ground.
The expression on Chen Qingshan's face shifted entirely.
"I didn't expect you to be a tough nut to crack. Coming here today, you probably weren't just passing by—you must have come specifically for our Qingfeng Stronghold!"
Ye Qingxuan looked coldly at Chen Qingshan, her face frosty.
"You're not entirely stupid to have become the chief of such a large stronghold. That's right, I came today precisely to punish evil, promote good, and wipe out you bandits!"
Wielding his broadsword, Chen Qingshan showed not a shred of panic.
"That remains to be seen—whether your skills have as much weight to them as your chest!"
Seeing that Chen Qingshan was still trying to flirt with her, Ye Qingxuan grew even more furious and slashed at Chen Qingshan with her sword.
Seeing the attack coming, Chen Qingshan remained completely calm. He sidestepped to dodge the blow and abruptly brought his heavy broadsword down in a fierce slash.
"Clang..."
A crisp ring sounded!
Ye Qingxuan looked down in astonishment at the longsword in her hand.
Although her sword was not a Divine Weapon, it was by no means an ordinary piece of equipment.
Yet it had been snapped in two by a single slash from Chen Qingshan.
"Fine blade!"
Ye Qingxuan couldn't help offering a word of praise while quickly retreating to size Chen Qingshan up.
Although Chen Qingshan's blade was no ordinary weapon, being able to snap her sword required more than just a good weapon.
This bandit chief possessed formidable strength.
"Were you born with Innately Divine Strength?" Ye Qingxuan asked in some surprise.
Leaning on his blade, Chen Qingshan stated smugly: "Convinced now? Be my mountain-wife, and you won't get a bad deal!"
Seeing that Chen Qingshan started talking nonsense before he could even finish two sentences, Ye Qingxuan's expression turned icy once more.
However, the look she gave Chen Qingshan grew somewhat heavier.
She had heard of people born with Innately Divine Strength, but this was her first time actually meeting one.
It seemed he was rather extraordinary!
While Ye Qingxuan's attention was entirely focused on Chen Qingshan, a sudden rush of wind sounded from behind her.
Ye Qingxuan whirled around just in time to see a monkey-like fellow wielding a steel saber, sneaking up to slash at her back.
Ye Qingxuan collected herself.
This bandit chief was quite cunning indeed, using himself to draw her attention while letting his subordinate launch a sneak attack.
The attacker was none other than Wang Dahai, the second-in-command of the stronghold.
Having reached his position, Wang Dahai naturally possessed some genuine skills.
Now launching a surprise attack on Ye Qingxuan, he held the element of surprise.
It was already too late for Ye Qingxuan to dodge.
Chen Qingshan wore a confident smile, entirely convinced that Wang Dahai would succeed without a hitch.
"Wang Dahai, go easy on her! Don't hurt the lady, I'd hate that!"
Just as Chen Qingshan's voice trailed off, he saw Wang Dahai sent flying backward.
He had been kicked away by Ye Qingxuan.
The smile on Chen Qingshan's face instantly froze.
Obscured by their positioning, he hadn't seen clearly how Ye Qingxuan had blocked Wang Dahai's fatal strike, let alone how she had sent Wang Dahai flying with a kick.
Chen Qingshan realized this young woman was even more formidable than he had imagined.
Dropping all hesitation and no longer worrying about accidentally injuring her, Chen Qingshan gripped his broadsword and charged directly at Ye Qingxuan.
Ye Qingxuan had also turned serious now.
Faced with Chen Qingshan's attack, she neither dodged nor retreated, but instead caught Chen Qingshan's blade bare-handed.
Chen Qingshan's expression changed drastically as he stared at the scene in shock.
Relying on his Innately Divine Strength, Chen Qingshan had swept through large and small strongholds within a hundred miles and had never met his match.
Few people could even block a single blow from him, let alone catch his blade with their bare hands.
Furthermore, Chen Qingshan discovered that Ye Qingxuan had actually grabbed the sharp edge of his blade.
His saber, capable of cleaving mountains and splitting rocks, couldn't even break the skin of Ye Qingxuan's hand.
Ye Qingxuan's peerless face was filled with absolute confidence.
Chen Qingshan had no mood to appreciate Ye Qingxuan's grace at the moment; his eyes narrowed as he stared fixedly at her palms.
The originally slender and fair palms had now turned a golden hue.
Golden palms!
A shocking realization flashed through Chen Qingshan's mind.
An immortal cultivator!
The woman before him, who looked too beautiful to be human, was undoubtedly an immortal cultivator.