The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 174: Fleeing Isn't Shameful (1)

"Useless fools! If you don't take down this woman today, I'll have every single one of you killed!" Leng Shaozhuo roared, his eyes blazing as he watched his men get beaten effortlessly by Yun Qianyue. His harsh words seemed to spur them on, and over twenty men rushed at her, ignoring their pain.

Yun Qianyue dropped the whip, meeting the twenty men bare-handed. After years of rigorous special training at the intelligence bureau, such opponents hardly posed a challenge. Within moments, she had already downed two men with swift, efficient moves. Her attacks were clean and precise, leaving no room for mercy. In no time, over ten of them lay on the ground, groaning in pain—some with broken legs, others with fractured wrists, and still others with bruised, swollen mouths. Yun Qianyue's movements, whether it was a sweeping kick, a sidestep strike, or a powerful punch, were executed smoothly and effectively, each move economical yet impactful.

"Keep attacking! All of you, get her!" Leng Shaozhuo bellowed, watching his men lie motionless on the ground. But no matter how much he shouted, those on the ground remained, unable to get up due to the severity of their injuries. His face contorted in anger. "A bunch of useless fools! What a waste to keep you around!"

Yun Qianyue snorted, dispatching the remaining ten or so men with a few quick punches and kicks. She dusted off her hands, looked at Leng Shaozhuo, and raised an eyebrow in contempt. "Not satisfied? Then come at me yourself!"

"You think I won't? Bring it on!" Leng Shaozhuo shouted, flinging his fan aside as he threw a punch at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue sidestepped, easily dodging his attack. Leng Shaozhuo threw another punch, and she sidestepped again. After several moves, Yun Qianyue realized his attacks were simple and straightforward, always aimed clumsily at her face. Clearly, this Young Prince of the Xiao Prince's residence had no martial skills whatsoever. She scoffed, tired of wasting time with him, and abruptly struck, landing a punch squarely on his chin. With a yelp, Leng Shaozhuo was knocked to the ground.

Yun Qianyue paused, looking down at him. "What now? If you're not satisfied, get up and let's go another round. Today, this young lady is more than willing to play with you!"

"You... how dare you hit me..." Leng Shaozhuo muttered, clutching his jaw in pain, barely able to speak.

"You were the one who provoked me first!" Yun Qianyue said coldly.

"Oh, Yun Qianyue... you're asking for it... don't blame me for being ruthless!" Leng Shaozhuo shot her a venomous glare, then called out sharply, "Leng Guards, come out!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than more than a dozen men in black emerged behind him, all bearing the insignia of the Xiao Prince's residence on their belts. They surrounded Yun Qianyue at once.

Yun Qianyue was taken aback. She hadn't expected this brat to have hidden guards, though on second thought, as the young prince of the Xiao Prince's residence, it wasn't unusual for him to have them. She looked around at the guards encircling her and frowned. She knew her skills were more than enough to handle ordinary people without inner strength, but against hidden guards, she'd be like an egg smashed against stone.

"Kill this woman on the spot!" Leng Shaozhuo shouted from the ground.

The Xiao Prince's hidden guards exchanged hesitant glances, reluctant to act. After all, Yun Qianyue wasn't just anyone.

"Didn't you hear me? I command you to take her down!" Leng Shaozhuo's jaw throbbed with pain as he barked his orders. At this point, he cared nothing for Yun Qianyue's status; all he could think about was the anger and resentment bubbling inside him. He was determined to get his revenge today, preferably by killing her. Seeing the guards' hesitation, he snapped, "If you refuse to obey, I'll have my father execute every last one of you."

With that threat, the dozen or so guards attacked Yun Qianyue in unison.

At that very moment, Mo Li appeared in a flash, pulling Yun Qianyue away and evading the combined force of their strikes. In the blink of an eye, they were out of the encirclement.

Before Mo Li could fully steady himself, Leng Shaozhuo screamed, "Kill them! Kill them both!"

The guards charged forward again, their dark forms striking with a fury as overwhelming as a collapsing mountain.

Yun Qianyue's gaze turned icy. She shouted back, "Leng Shaozhuo, attempting murder in broad daylight—are you rebelling?"

"I'll kill you and you alone!" Leng Shaozhuo sneered, struggling to his feet with the help of two burly men. He watched his guards surround Mo Li with sadistic satisfaction and sneered at Yun Qianyue.

Initially, Yun Qianyue had assumed that Leng Shaozhuo was merely a spoiled son of a noble family, someone who could be taught a lesson and left alone. She hadn't expected him to turn out to be such a vicious person. He actually wanted to kill her. Narrowing her eyes, she shot him a warning look, her voice cold. "You'd better call them off, or you'll be the one paying dearly."

"Yun Qianyue, you still dare act arrogant? You're the one who'll regret this. You think you can threaten me?" Leng Shaozhuo snapped viciously. "I said kill her—hurry up!"

"Think you can kill me?" Yun Qianyue reached up, pulled a few hairpins from her hair, and flung them toward the guards before her. Her movements seemed effortless, yet as the pins flew, they struck with deadly precision. A series of anguished cries followed as several guards collapsed, clutching their throats.

Mo Li blinked, astonished to see Yun Qianyue take down four or five of the Xiao Prince's elite guards with such ease. He hadn't expected her to retain such skill, even after losing her martial arts. Wasting no time on his surprise, he unleashed a sweeping strike, sending two more guards flying back.

In mere moments, over half of the guards lay defeated.

Leng Shaozhuo's face twisted with fury. Where he had initially harbored only partial intent to kill, now he was fully determined. No longer caring about his injured jaw, he shouted, "Kill them both! Whoever kills them will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!"

Hearing this promise, the guards, who had shown hesitation before, unleashed their deadliest moves.

Protected within Mo Li's embrace, Yun Qianyue could feel the oppressive wave of killing intent emanating from the remaining six guards, a force equal to that of the previous twelve combined.

Reaching up to grab another pin, she found only her disheveled hair. Frowning, she reached for Mo Li's head, but he subtly tilted away, saying, "Miss, allow me to get you out of here!"

"Alright! Fleeing isn't shameful!" Yun Qianyue nodded, retracting her hand.

"Think you can escape? In your dreams!" Leng Shaozhuo, who'd been watching closely, overheard their plan. He immediately shouted, "Don't let her get away! Kill her!"