"Right, I forgot to introduce myself. I am your Sister Shang, Shang Yilin. Remember that—if you dare forget, watch out for a spanking."
Shang Yilin chattered on endlessly, never once giving the Marquis of the Northwest and his men a proper look, as if the mighty overlord of the Northwest was less important in her eyes than Zhang Ming's backside.
"Sister Shang, speak more civilly. Stop bringing up butts and mind your image. You're a young lady, so act like one," Zhang Ming said helplessly.
"What lady nonsense? Cut the chatter, put down what's in your hand, and come with me."
Despite Shang Yilin's audacity, the experts present, including the Marquis of the Northwest himself, seemed not to mind.
The moment they heard her name, astonishment appeared on every face.
Over the years, Shang Yilin had become a household name in the Xia State; whether among the powerful elite or martial arts masters, virtually everyone knew of her.
Word had it that she shared an extraordinary relationship with the Empress of the Xia State, and her personal competence and wisdom were not to be underestimated.
*"Shang Yilin turns out to be this brat's sister?"* The Marquis of the Northwest muttered inwardly, his expression turning even gloomier.
"No wonder he dared to be so arrogant in the Northwest—it turns out he has such a formidable figure backing him up," another Heaven-tier master whispered.
"My Lord, today's business is likely going to be difficult."
"Hmph, no matter who she is, nobody is taking this brat away today," the Marquis of the Northwest muttered viciously.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Shang Yilin whipped around, her eyes wide as she glared at him and demanded, "What did you just say?"
At Shang Yilin's challenge, the Marquis of the Northwest felt a tight knot in his chest. His imposing aura faltered, and his eyes began to dart away.
He was secretly startled; his voice had been so low, yet Shang Yilin had actually heard it. It was truly astonishing.
After a moment, the Marquis of the Northwest took a deep breath and put on a forced display of calm. "Miss Shang, you may leave, but this brat cannot be taken away. No matter who you are, running amok in my Northwest territory means I, the Marquis of the Northwest, cannot simply ignore it."
Yet Shang Yilin didn't give him the time of day, letting out a cold laugh at his words. "What kind of onion do you think the Marquis of the Northwest is? Having some power makes you a big deal?
What business is it of yours if my little brother killed someone? I'm in a good mood today and don't feel like fighting, so hurry up and get lost, or I'll turn you, the Marquis of the Northwest, into a dead monkey."
"You..." The Marquis of the Northwest shook with rage.
"What 'you' again? Believe it or not, I'll castrate you," Shang Yilin said domineeringly.
Her utterly unreasonable words caused quite a few people present to chuckle. Who would have thought a woman could be so audacious?
Demanding the castration of the Marquis of the Northwest right out of the gate was simply lawless.
Yet, amid the laughter, there was also shock and bewilderment: how could anyone just do such a thing?
Looking at the Marquis of the Northwest's purple-dark face, though his subordinates felt laughter was inappropriate, the corners of their mouths still couldn't help but turn up.
The dignified Marquis of the Northwest had been humiliated time and time again, leaving them with deeply complicated feelings.
"Hmph, arrogant little girl Shang Yilin, others may fear you by three parts, but I certainly do not. Today, I'm going to let you see my methods." To save face, the Marquis of the Northwest roared and lunged fiercely toward Shang Yilin.
"Just you?" Shang Yilin smiled contemptuously, and a small flying dagger instantly appeared in her hand.
With a gentle flick, the flying dagger shot out like lightning, piercing the Marquis of the Northwest's throat in the blink of an eye and embedding itself firmly in the wall behind him.
The Marquis of the Northwest's eyes bulged in utter disbelief as he collapsed to the ground, losing all breath.
Accompanied by the dull thud of the Marquis's body hitting the floor, the entire scene fell dead silent. Everyone stared in terror at the corpse, simply unable to believe what had just unfolded before their eyes.
This overlord who had run rampant in the Northwest for many years had been easily defeated by a woman.
Everyone present was shaken, and even Zhang Ming couldn't help casting a few extra glances. Sister Shang Yilin's dominance was unmatched; she acted decisively and never dragged her feet.
Although Zhang Ming dared to challenge the powerful elite, he knew full well the kind of trouble killing a high-ranking official with massive military power would bring, which was why he always chose forbearance.
Yet, this Sister Shang hadn't hesitated for a moment, dispatching the Marquis of the Northwest as easily as crushing an ant.
With a calm expression, Shang Yilin dusted off her hands, as if she had merely disposed of an insignificant nuisance. "Let's go, little brother. No one can stop you now. What Marquis of the Northwest—so full of himself, daring to bully my little brother. If I didn't kill him, it would be hard to appease my anger."
Just as the crowd remained immersed in shock, a sorrowful roar tore through the sky.
It was the wail of the Marquis of the Northwest's younger brother, Li Yuanxin, as he watched his older brother die right before his eyes despite the protection of numerous divine soldiers.
"Vicious woman, I'll make you pay with your life!" Clad in battle armor and gripping a treasured sword, Li Yuanxin charged furiously toward Shang Yilin.
Yet, Zhang Ming watched coldly. With a slight flick of his hand, two silver needles accurately pierced Li Yuanxin's eyes, instantly taking his life.
To Zhang Ming, this was as easy as turning over his hand.
"If you don't want to die, get lost." Zhang Ming's icy gaze swept across the surroundings, and no one dared meet his eye. His formidable aura forced the crowd to retreat step by step, some even becoming so terrified that their legs turned to jelly.
"They're mad, they're completely mad—they even dared to kill the Marquis of the Northwest." The onlookers panicked and fled in every direction.
When one person took the lead in running, the others scattered as well, terrified that they would be the next to lose their lives.
In the blink of an eye, only Zhang Ming, Shang Yilin, Wei Xiaoyu, and Li Xinglan remained in place, the latter two dumbfounded by the scene.
"Sister Shang, why are you so impulsive? You killed the Marquis of the Northwest—how are we going to clean this mess up later?" Wei Xiaoyu said worriedly.
Shang Yilin dismissed it with disdain. "What is there to fear? Whoever dares touch a single hair on my little brother's head, I will never let them off."
"Oh, right, little girl, how did you end up running here and getting mixed up with my little brother?" Shang Yilin turned to Wei Xiaoyu, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two of them.
Yet, coming from Shang Yilin's mouth, those words somehow sounded a bit off.
Hearing this, Zhang Ming rolled his eyes. With a sister like this, how was he supposed to maintain his innocence?
Even so, Zhang Ming's heart was filled with gratitude for Shang Yilin's concern.
For his sake, she hadn't even hesitated to make an enemy of the Marquis of the Northwest, simply because the man had embarrassed him. This profound bond left him feeling both heavy-hearted and moved.
"Oh dear, Sister Shang, I really don't like the sound of that—what do you mean 'getting mixed up'? Mr. Zhang is my great benefactor! If he hadn't stepped in to help, I would have been in terrible trouble this time." Wei Xiaoyu's face flushed crimson as she eagerly defended herself.
"Oh my! Sister Shang, what are you saying? What do you mean by getting mixed up together? Mr. Zhang is my savior. We met on the plane, and if it weren't for him, I would have been done for this time." Wei Xiaoyu blushed as she protested.
"And Sister Shang, you have a little brother with such incredible medical skills, yet you never told me, leaving me to suffer from ailments for all these years. You're really not being fair." Wei Xiaoyu's face grew even more flushed with shyness.
"Oh, this is truly a marvelous match arranged by heaven! There's already an engagement to begin with, plus the grace of saving a life—how romantic! Look at that, once the Matchmaker ties the red thread, aren't you two all tangled up together? You couldn't stop it even if you tried!" Shang Yilin said, beaming with joy and excitement.