At the mouth of the alley, a burly man with a fierce face and a thick beard resembling an exploded steel wire ball swaggered in. Behind him followed a gang of flunkies holding all sorts of shoddy weapons, looking for all the world like a rabble of misfits imitating a mob movie.
Yè Shūlí recognized him at a glance: this fellow was the head of the notorious small-time gang in town, the "Black Wind Stronghold", widely known by his nickname, Boss Zhao.
"Well, well, if it isn't the new pretty face?" Boss Zhao sized up Yè Shūlí lecherously, his tone as greasy as gutter oil. "And quite a looker, too. What's a pretty thing like you wandering into this back alley all alone? Want to play hide-and-seek with your big brother?"
Yè Shūlí rolled her eyes inwardly. This level of flirting was even lower than that jerk Jiang Ye.
She let out a cold huff. "Step aside. Good dogs don't block the path."
The smile on Boss Zhao's face instantly froze, and the cronies behind him started clamoring angrily, "You dare call our boss a dog?!"
"I'm praising you. Ever heard of PAW Patrol saving the day?" Yè Shūlí looked completely unbothered, as if she were commenting on how nice the weather was.
Boss Zhao's face turned livid. He strode right up to Yè Shūlí, his voice sinking into a grim tone. "Little girl, you've got some nerve. How about joining the Black Wind Stronghold? I guarantee you'll live the high life with us."
"Join you? Rob and pillage together?" Yè Shūlí looked utterly disgusted. "Even if I starved to death and jumped off a cliff, I, Yè Shūlí, would never sink to your level and consort with scum like you!"
Boss Zhao sneered. "If you won't drink a toast, you'll be forced to drink a forfeit! In this law of the jungle that is the Xuanhuan Continent, do you really think you can survive without the protection of a gang?"
"Ha, my survival methods don't need to trouble you." Yè Shūlí shrugged, looking entirely disdainful.
"Boss, why waste words with her?!" an impatient lackey shouted. "Just grab her and drag her back so she learns the might of the Black Wind Stronghold!"
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Boss Zhao's eyes. "Get her!"
A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Yè Shūlí's mouth. "With a bunch of wretched, crooked losers like you..." Her gaze hardened as she swept it across the surrounding terrain. "...you think you're worthy?"
At Boss Zhao's command, the lackies swarmed toward Yè Shūlí like a pack of starving wolves going after prey.
Yè Shūlí sneered. These people had zero discipline or strategy; they were practically handing their heads over on a silver platter.
Quick as lightning, she scooped up a handful of sand and flung it hard right into the faces of the foremost cronies.
"Ah, what the—!" "My eyes!"
Suddenly, screams echoed one after another. The little lackeys clutched their eyes, stumbling around blindly like headless flies.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Yè Shūlí slipped away as flexibly as an eel, darting right into a narrow side passage.
The lackeys were built too broadly and got wedged at the mouth of the alley, leaving them to watch helplessly as Yè Shūlí slipped away while they fumed in frustration.
"Useless trash!" Boss Zhao roared, stepping up to take matters into his own hands.
As a Spirit User (Early-stage), he channeled a pale green aura of Spiritual Energy into his hands and blasted a fierce palm strike in the direction Yè Shūlí had gone.
"Tricks of a parlor magician!" Yè Shūlí curled her lip in disdain, sidestepping the attack with a litany lean.
The Spiritual Energy slammed into the wall, sending gravel flying and dust billowing everywhere.
"Is that all?" Yè Shūlí picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it right back at Boss Zhao.
Though it was just an ordinary rock without a shred of Spiritual Energy attached, its advantage lay in its absolute suddenness.
Caught completely off guard by the unexpected attack, Boss Zhao scrambled away in a panic, missing his footing several times in a row.
The surrounding cronies stared in utter shock. This girl actually had some real skills!
While dodging, Yè Shūlí scanned the surrounding terrain to find the optimal escape route.
Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks, putting on a pitiful, woebegone expression. Her voice laced with faux tears, she stammered, "Boss Zhao, I was wrong! I'm willing to join the Black Wind Stronghold..."
At that, a smug grin spread across Boss Zhao's face. Just as he was about to speak—
"However..." Yè Shūlí sniffled, squeezing out a couple of genuine crocodile tears from the corners of her eyes. "I do have one condition."
Boss Zhao arched an eyebrow. This little girl sure knew how to play hard to get.
Throwing out a grand arm gesture, he put on a heroic front. "Name it! As long as you join the Black Wind Stronghold, any condition is negotiable!"
Yè Shūlí sniffled again, looking dead serious. "I think the Black Wind Stronghold is just playing in the minor leagues right now, never amounting to much. We need to try something brand new, grow this operation, and reach new heights!"
Boss Zhao and his crowd of lackeys exchanged blank glances. This girl certainly didn't lack ambition.
"What kind of new tricks?" Boss Zhao asked, thoroughly intrigued.
"Think about it, Boss Zhao. Are you guys the only gang in town? Of course not! With competition this fierce and all your potential clients getting snatched up, how are you supposed to make any money?" Yè Shūlí paused, dropping a massive bombshell. "That's why we need to launch... a membership system!"
"A membership system?" Boss Zhao looked completely bewildered.
"Right! A membership system! Bronze members get twenty percent off protection fees! Silver members get half off! Gold members get protection for free! And Diamond members..." Yè Shūlí deliberately drew out the syllable, "...not only get free protection, but they also get a surprise gift bag every month! What do you think? Sounds pretty amazing, right?"
Boss Zhao listened in a daze. It sounded like the girl was making a lot of sense, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on what felt off.
"Wait... what's in this surprise gift bag?" a lackey asked timidly.
"As for that..." Yè Shūlí smiled mysteriously. "That's a secret, of course! But I can give you a little hint—it's definitely something good you'd never imagine!"
"Boss, I think this idea is brilliant!" an enthusiastic lackey blurted out. "That way, our Black Wind Stronghold can definitely pull in a lot more clients!"
Boss Zhao was tempted as well. He gave a wave of his hand. "Alright! We'll do it your way! But you're going to have to explain to us in detail how to implement this membership system."
"No problem at all!" Yè Shūlí said with absolute sincerity. "However, I need to go back and prepare a few things first to execute this plan properly."
After a moment's thought, Boss Zhao decided that made complete sense, so he nodded in agreement.
"Fine, go ahead. I'll give you three days. Three days from now, I want to see results!"
As if granted a royal pardon, Yè Shūlí scampered off in a flash.
Jiang Ye had been watching the whole spectacle from the shadows. Seeing Yè Shūlí make a clean escape, he couldn't help but admire her inwardly—this little miss really was full of crafty ideas.
Once Yè Shūlí was a safe distance away, he quietly trailed after her.
Sensing something was amiss, Yè Shūlí glanced back vigilantly. Was it possible the people from the Black Wind Stronghold had changed their minds?
Her heart tightened as she quickened her pace.
"Hey!"
Yè Shūlí whipped around, bracing herself for a fight.
Jiang Ye materialized right in front of her, holding out a delicate little pastry. "Saw you worked up quite a sweat just now. Have a treat."
Yè Shūlí froze. What on earth was going on here...?
"Take it." Jiang Ye pushed the pastry a bit closer. "Osmanthus cake, the best in town."
Yè Shūlí eyed Jiang Ye suspiciously. What game was this guy playing?
Yet the aroma of the osmanthus cake was simply too alluring, and she finally took the pastry from his hand.
"Guess you still have a conscience."
The two walked out to the outskirts of town and sat down on a clean, flat boulder.
Yè Shūlí nibbled on the osmanthus cake in small bites while Jiang Ye, acting like an absolute chatterbox, began rattling on endlessly about the "glorious exploits" of the Black Wind Stronghold.
"Let me tell you, that Boss Zhao is all show and no substance. His little bit of Spiritual Energy is only good for bullying ordinary folks; if he ever ran into a real expert, he'd run faster than a rabbit." As he spoke, Jiang Ye mimicked the posture of Boss Zhao fleeing in terror, nearly making Yè Shūlí spit out her osmanthus cake from laughing.
"Then how did he even become the head of the Black Wind Stronghold?" Yè Shūlí asked out of curiosity.
"His dad, of course! His old man used to be the wealthiest man in town before things went south somehow. He gathered a bunch of scoundrels and set up the Black Wind Stronghold. But whatever fortune his father left behind is almost squandered now." Jiang Ye gossiped happily. "I heard Boss Zhao has been eyeing an ancient ruin lately, hoping to strike it rich overnight!"
"An ancient ruin?" Yè Shūlí's heart skipped a beat. This Xuanhuan Continent truly was filled with both endless opportunities and boundless dangers.
She had originally thought that with her modern knowledge, she could easily coast through this world and make a name for herself. Now it seemed she had been far too naive.
This Xuanhuan Continent was far more complex and unfathomable than she had ever imagined.
Right at that moment, a few figures approached from a distance. Their clothing mismatched and their weapons entirely uncoordinated, they looked like rogue cultivators at first glance.
Their burning gazes locked onto Yè Shūlí, their eyes filled with greed and malice.
Sensing something was wrong, Jiang Ye stepped in front of Yè Shūlí and whispered, "Be careful. These people mean trouble."
The leader of the group sported a thin mustache and had a sharp, monkey-like face—he clearly wasn't anyone decent.
He walked right up to Yè Shūlí, lecherously looking her up and down with a frivolous tone. "Little beauty, out here all alone? Want big brother to keep you company and show you a good time?"
Yè Shūlí cast a chilling glance at him. "Get lost."
The mustache-wearing man's expression twisted. "If you won't drink a toast, you'll be forced to drink a forfeit! Brothers, get her!"
Jiang Ye clenched his fists. It seemed a fierce battle was unavoidable.
He turned his head to Yè Shūlí and said, "Protect yourself."
Yè Shūlí let out a cold laugh. "With this bunch? You're underestimating me way too much." She flexed her wrists, a sharp gleam flashing in her eyes. "It's been a while since I stretched my limbs. I'll use these guys for a warm-up today."
The mustache-wearing man sneered disdainfully. "With a scrawny frame like yours, you want to fight us? You overestimate your strength!"
"Who's overestimating whom remains to be seen," a crisp voice interrupted from not far away, carrying a trace of mockery.
Everyone looked toward the source of the sound and saw a woman in white slowly walking over.
She possessed breathtaking beauty and an ethereal demeanor, as if an immortal had descended from the heavens.
"Lín Xiǎo..." Jiang Ye called out the woman's name in surprise.