Everyone's eyes immediately shifted toward the entrance, where a mature-looking woman in uniform was striding in, followed by another woman.
Who could it be if not Wei Xiaoyu and Li Xinglan, who had had a misunderstanding with Zhang Ming on the plane?
Catching sight of Zhang Ming, a smile bloomed on Wei Xiaoyu's face, and she called out first, "Zhang Ming, we meet again!"
Before Zhang Ming could respond, the face of the Marquis of the Northwest beside him instantly turned ashen.
He was all too familiar with Wei Xiaoyu's identity.
What shocked him was how someone like Wei Xiaoyu could have any connection to Zhang Ming.
How could a nobody possibly know a figure like Wei Xiaoyu?
Even more puzzling was that, judging by the way Wei Xiaoyu greeted him, she seemed quite respectful toward Zhang Ming.
Looking at the two ladies, Zhang Ming felt a mess of confusion: these two women had arrived at the most coincidental time, showing up right in the middle of him being ambushed, and at night to boot.
So late at night, instead of resting properly at home, the two girls had run out looking for a man—what kind of game were they playing here?
"Miss Wei, Miss Li, it's the middle of the night, what brings you two all the way out here?" Zhang Ming asked with curiosity.
"Mr. Zhang saved my life, and I haven't had the chance to thank him yet. Hearing that Mr. Zhang was here, how could I not come and express my gratitude?"
Wei Xiaoyu said with a smile, her expression making Zhang Ming pause for a moment in the night.
The Marquis of the Northwest snapped back to his senses, his brow tightly furrowed as he looked at Wei Xiaoyu: "Miss Wei, do you know this young man?"
With a brilliant smile, Wei Xiaoyu replied, "Uncle Li, it has been a long time indeed. Your esteemed reputation in Kyoto is thunderous."
The Marquis of the Northwest smiled slightly and waved his hand, saying, "Miss Wei is too kind."
Curiously, Wei Xiaoyu asked, "Uncle Li, why have you brought so many people to this desolate place, looking ready for a massive brawl? Is there some small misunderstanding between you and Mr. Zhang here?"
Despite the corpses scattered all around and the utter devastation, in Wei Xiaoyu's eyes, this seemed to be nothing more than a little misunderstanding.
The expression of the Marquis of the Northwest sank: "Miss Wei doesn't understand. This brat is ruthless and cold-blooded, killing many of my subordinates. If I don't teach him a lesson, where will my prestige as the Marquis of the Northwest be?"
Blinking her large eyes, Wei Xiaoyu suggested, "Uncle's subordinates are all stalwart men of iron and blood, who would dare bully them? It must be a misunderstanding. Why doesn't everyone just shake hands and call a truce?"
At these words, the face of the Marquis of the Northwest grew even uglier. The corpses on the ground were not even cold yet, and here she was talking about peace—it was truly infuriating.
"A misunderstanding? Miss Wei, a Heaven-tier martial artist under my command has been killed, hundreds of guards have lost their lives, and even four of my capable aides are dead. Can this possibly be a misunderstanding?" the Marquis of the Northwest said through clenched teeth.
"I naturally must give Miss Wei face. But this time, I really cannot. If we just let it go like this, how am I, the Marquis of the Northwest, supposed to maintain a foothold in the Northwest?"
Putting away her smile, Wei Xiaoyu said earnestly, "Uncle Li, Mr. Zhang is my benefactor. If you really insist on making things difficult for him, you won't be giving my father face."
The Marquis of the Northwest frowned: "Of course I must give Elder Wei face, but you also have to understand my predicament. If someone wreaks havoc in the Northwest and I turn a blind eye, wouldn't the place descend into complete chaos?"
At this point, Zhang Ming caught the drift of the conversation, realizing that Wei Xiaoyu's identity was not simple. But he did not need anyone's help; this group of Earth-tier Martial Artists simply couldn't stop him.
"Hmph, you want to stop me? With just the likes of you?" Zhang Ming said coldly, "I didn't want to start a massive slaughter, but don't force my hand. For Miss Wei's sake, this is my final warning: are you leaving or not?"
A ferocious smile crept onto the face of the Marquis of the Northwest: "Hmph, brat, today I'll let you know how high the sky is and how thick the earth is."
"Since you're asking to die, I'll grant your wish." Before his voice even faded, Zhang Ming flashed forward, appearing before the Marquis of the Northwest like a ghost, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him high into the air.
At that exact moment, the entire scene fell into stunned silence!
"Brat, let go of the Marquis immediately, or you'll pay with your life on the spot!" the subordinates of the Marquis of the Northwest roared in warning, yet hesitated to act out of fear of accidentally injuring the Marquis.
"You're asking for this, don't blame me," Zhang Ming said coldly, tightening his grip little by little, preparing to send the Marquis of the Northwest to the netherworld.
"Stop." Suddenly, a crisp female voice rang out, making Zhang Ming frown.
He really had the worst of luck today; every time he planned to strike, someone always jumped in to meddle. Judging by the sound, this time it seemed to be a girl as well.
A pale, fishbelly-white light began to tint the edge of the horizon, and everything around gradually became clear.
All eyes focused on the main entrance, where a stunning woman dressed in an apricot-yellow Hanfu walked gracefully toward them.
"Sister Shang, why are you here?" Wei Xiaoyu asked in pleasant surprise, running over to affectionately link her arm.
"I'm here to introduce a fiancé to you, of course." This Sister Shang smiled and lightly flicked the bridge of Wei Xiaoyu's nose.
"Oh, Sister Shang, you're joking again. Did my mom send you?" Wei Xiaoyu acted coyly, carrying a hint of spoiled petulance.
"This time really isn't it. Sister isn't lying to you; I'm genuinely here to introduce a match for you. You'll see in a moment." As she spoke, the woman surnamed Shang walked slowly toward Zhang Ming.
Looking at Zhang Ming, she gently chanted: "Misty ridges obscure the lofty trails, cloud-shrouded forests sever the great void."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ming's eyes widened in round astonishment, staring at the woman with a face full of shock and lingering doubts. For these two lines of poetry were carved precisely on the two sides of the cave where his sister lived in seclusion; no one else knew them except for him and his sister.
At this moment, this beautiful woman had actually spoken these two lines of poetry in front of everyone, making him almost certain that she was definitely connected to him.
"You are..."
"Haha, you brat, you don't even show respect when you see your Sister Shang? Careful or I'll have your sister spank your backside." The woman teased with a smile, her words carrying a hint of mischief.
Hearing this, Zhang Ming curled his lip, thinking to himself that this woman really was a mischievous piece of work.
Yet he was already convinced that nine times out of ten, this woman was his sister's close friend, Shang Yilin.
Thinking of his own sister, he didn't find it strange. What kind of friends could a person like his sister possibly make? It was only a younger brother like him who still had some composure and hadn't been led astray.
Recalling his sister's shameless antics, and then listening to this woman's exaggerated account, Zhang Ming muttered to himself: These personalities are truly cut from the exact same cloth!
"Sister Shang? Why are you here?" Zhang Ming asked, torn between laughter and tears.
"It was your sister who sent me a message saying you came down the mountain to Wancheng, and asked me to lend a hand. She even acted all mysterious, saying you might be in deep trouble and telling me to look after you."
Shang Yilin let out a chuckle and continued, "Who knows what your sister was muttering about? I asked, but she wouldn't say, just leaving behind the line 'You're definitely going to like him,' and then she vanished without a trace."
"What choice did I have? I could only come look for you, you troublemaker. The moment you arrive in Wancheng, you stir up a storm across the whole city. You really are quite something... Though on that point, it's very much my style."