Ancient-style Beauty Makes a Surprising Appearance

Who is Shen Muxuan?

The man shook his head, gazing at the woman across from him as he swallowed hard.

Despite his undergraduate education, he couldn’t summon enough adjectives to describe the beauty of this woman dressed in ancient attire.

Graceful as a delicate flower reflecting on water, her movements like a willow swaying in the breeze.

Her features were exquisite, her phoenix eyes shimmering with a warmth that accentuated her gentle elegance.

A wide, pearl-white silk ribbon tied up her long, flowing black hair, exuding an ethereal aura—as if an immortal had descended into the mortal world.

The woman sighed faintly and spoke softly, "Thank you."

The man looked at her, gritted his teeth, and mustered his courage. "Could you... could you leave me your—"

"Leave what?"

The stunning woman turned her head, fixing him with a cool gaze. "Don’t speak nonsense, or I’ll smash your head in!"

With that, she glided away like a lotus in motion.

The man watched her retreating figure, swallowing hard again.

Though she moved at a leisurely pace, she vanished from the street in the blink of an eye.

The man stared dazedly at the spot where the peerless beauty had disappeared.

He knew—his heart would never hold space for another.

A taxi sped through the streets.

Behind it, dozens of black SUVs gave chase relentlessly.

"An Yi, there are so many cars behind us!" Shen Muxuan said, her delicate face pale as she checked the rearview mirror.

An Yi replied calmly, "Stay composed. It’s fine."

They had barely left the Hilton Hotel when they were tailed.

The SUVs were now maneuvering to box them in.

An Yi floored the accelerator, the taxi transforming into a streak of light as it weaved through traffic.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A burst of gunfire rang out, bullets whizzing past!

An Yi’s brow furrowed.

"This is getting tricky. They’ve got guns."

Shen Muxuan clenched her teeth. "Should we call the Law Enforcement Bureau?"

An Yi shook his head.

No use. Conflicts of this level—involving martial artists—were beyond the Law Enforcement Bureau’s jurisdiction.

Rumor had it that the Bureau had a specialized division for high-level martial artists, but it was based in the capital.

By the time reinforcements arrived, it’d be far too late.

Even if Yan Zhi came, she wouldn’t be much help—and might just end up dragged into the mess.

Bang! Bang!

Two more gunshots echoed, striking the trunk and leaving bullet holes.

An Yi pushed his driving skills to the limit, but no amount of speed could outrun bullets.

Whoosh!

Another bullet pierced through the rear window, embedding itself in the interior with a violent thud.

Shen Muxuan paled, her worried eyes turning to An Yi.

His expression was icy.

This taxi wouldn’t hold up much longer—and with Shen Muxuan inside, his options were limited.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here. You’ll be fine," An Yi reassured her with a smile.

Shen Muxuan nodded, forcing a sweet smile. "Mhm."

She glanced back at the pursuing SUVs, her eyes shimmering with an icy blue hue.

The taxi swerved erratically down the street.

Then—spikes of ice erupted from the ground, impaling the three leading SUVs.

The vehicles behind skidded uncontrollably on the frozen surface, crashing into each other in a deafening explosion.

Flames roared into the sky.

Shen Muxuan quietly withdrew her hand, her face drained of color.

The faint bloodlines on her arm grew slightly more pronounced.

An Yi, focused on driving, frowned at the commotion behind them. "What just happened?"

"An Yi! Don’t look back—they’re still catching up!" Shen Muxuan urged.

She stole a glance in the rearview mirror at the inferno, her eyes tinged with sorrow. "I’m sorry... I’m so sorry..."

"Your hand’s freezing. Like I said, it’s fine. A few cars must’ve crashed—they won’t catch us now." An Yi smiled.

Shen Muxuan nodded weakly. "Mhm."

"We’ll be safe at the mall. Too many people there."

To protect civilians, martial artists were forbidden from large-scale combat in public areas—a taboo enforced by the Law Enforcement Bureau’s iron fist.

An Yi’s expression darkened.

He hadn’t expected that overnight, news of him obtaining two Hongtian Secret Realm tokens would spread so widely.

But he couldn’t blame the greed of these martial artists.

Every time the Hongtian Secret Realm emerged, it reshaped the martial world.

Not only did it contain rare treasures, but also weapons, artifacts, secret techniques, elixirs—even formations.

Obtaining any of these could elevate an individual or family to new heights.

But there were only 108 keys to the Hongtian Secret Realm.

Major factions naturally sought as many as possible to dominate inside.

Smaller groups and lone practitioners, left without tokens, were desperate for a share.

Because of the tokens, An Yi had become a target.

He rubbed his temples.

Running forever wasn’t a solution.

With so many eyes on him, where could he even hide?

His phone rang.

One hand on the wheel, the other holding Shen Muxuan’s—even shifting gears was done with her hand—he could only signal for her to answer.

"Hello? An Yi speaking."

"Xiao Yi, it’s your Uncle Nie—Nie Chengwen."

A deep voice came through the speaker.

"And me! It’s Shirley!"

A sultry voice chimed in.

An Yi raised an eyebrow.

Nie Qinglan’s father, "Boss Nie," and that mixed-race beauty he privately nicknamed "the cannon mount."

Ahem. "Uncle Nie, what can I do for you?" An Yi asked.

Boss Nie chuckled. "Having a rough time with all these factions after you?"

"Manageable. Just dealt with some idiots."

An Yi’s tone was breezy.

Boss Nie laughed. "This time, it’s not just small fry. Even names on the Heavenly Ranking are making moves."

An Yi smirked. "Uncle Nie, let’s skip the small talk."

"Hongtian tokens aren’t just treasures—without the strength to hold them, they’re a death sentence. You know that."

Boss Nie’s voice turned earnest. "Don’t take this the wrong way, but the Hongtian Secret Realm is out of your league. The waters run deep, kid. You can’t navigate them."

An Yi chuckled. "So you’re after a token too?"

"Let’s make a deal. Five billion for one token—just one. In return, I’ll offer you protection until the Hongtian Secret Realm opens."

An Yi fell silent.

The old man was shrewd.

The offer was hard to refuse.

He needed to enter the Hongtian Secret Realm.

Selling one token still left him with another—plus Boss Nie’s protection.

Boss Nie’s true strength was a mystery, but if he dared make this call, he had the means to back it up.

"I’ll think about it," An Yi said finally.

Boss Nie smiled. "Good. I’ll await your answer."

Then Shirley’s voice cut in—ahem—"Xiao Yi, if you agree, Qinglan could—"

"Ah! They’re here! Talk later!"

An Yi shouted abruptly, signaling Shen Muxuan to hang up.

She ended the call, puzzled. "...Who’s Qinglan?"

An Yi:

How did this girl manage to spot the loophole!

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