Although there was only one opponent, Huangfu Yihui remained vigilant, for this one person was a secret within the royal family. He was not the son of the current Southern Li Emperor but the legitimate offspring of the Third Prince Huangfu Anping, who died gloriously on the battlefield.

He was also the only male child of the Third Prince’s Mansion.

At the time, the current Southern Li Emperor had an extremely favorable relationship with the Third Prince and thus brought him to the Imperial Palace, providing him the same treatment as the other princes.

Moreover, his innate talent allowed him to successfully join the Fire Cloud Sect at a very young age, and even in the talent-filled environment of the Fire Cloud Sect, he solidified his position.

Seeing Huangfu Ze’s expression, Luo Qianqian inevitably grew solemn herself. He felt a killing intent towards Huangfu Yihui!

Spiritual power slowly flowed through her meridians, and as Luo Qianqian raised her head to look ahead, she inexplicably felt a sense of crisis, which deepened with time.

Although Huangfu Ze hadn’t moved, she had a feeling that something was gradually approaching her.

Suddenly, a fleeting thought crossed her mind. Huangfu Ze might use a clone technique; although he seemed not to have moved, in reality, his clone was already approaching them, planning to take them by surprise.

This idea was somewhat baseless, yet Luo Qianqian felt she likely wasn’t mistaken.

Otherwise, how could she explain Huangfu Ze’s unchanged expression since a while ago?

Taking a deep breath, the bloody aura emanating from Huangfu Yanyao roused her spirit.

The bloodthirsty feeling once again permeated her heart.

The last time, when her brother was hurt, she avenged him a hundred times over against the culprit.

This time, someone wants to harm her friend in front of her? She would see whether Luo Qianqian would allow it!

This was indeed connected to everyone’s internal boundaries, but more than that, her recent annoyance from various piled-up matters had incensed her.

Her family, friends, and elders could not be harmed in the slightest!

But today, what she was certain of was that this opponent wouldn’t stop, even with the support of the Nine Heavens Pavilion behind him.

After all, compared to the Fire Cloud Sect, the Nine Heavens Pavilion was nothing but a child!

Moreover, Huangfu Ze’s status was far more noble than theirs.

The direct disciple of the Fire Cloud Sect, a leader among the new generation, a prince of the Southern Li Royal Family, why would he care about the Sect Master’s sister from a small sect?

Suddenly, a loud alarm sounded in Luo Qianqian’s heart. Without hesitation, she lunged sideways to the ground, rolling amidst the dirt without a care for her image, quickly flashed under a tree, half-crouching before springing up and leaping into the tree.

At that moment, she finally heard a sound splitting the air beside her, and right where she stood, a whip had left its mark.

Seeing the mark, Luo Qianqian felt her uneasiness deepen, and her limbs turned cold.

Based on the force of the mark, it was evident that the opponent did not hold back; this strike aimed directly at her body, and if hit, severe injury was likely!

This wasn’t a regular long whip; it resembled the long whip held by Huangfu Yihui, sharing the same durability; the difference was this whip was made of metal and had barbs on it. Should it strike her, even without a severe injury, she would lose most of her combat ability!

Her heartbeat sped up significantly; her previous actions were entirely coincidental, driven by the crisis sense and instinctive reaction. Had she been even a step slower, she might be lying on the ground right now. Though not fatal, serious injury would have been unavoidable.

At this time, the image of Huangfu Ze on the ground turned somewhat ethereal, gradually disappearing in front of the two.

Taking a glance in the direction from where the whip had come, her heart ignited with fierce anger.

Our bodies are received from our parents; who gave you the right to harm it!

Suddenly, she bent her knees and jumped like a nimble monkey to the tree beside her, swiftly moving, her path not straightforward. But at this moment, she couldn’t meticulously ponder where to go; the more unpredictable her movement, the greater the chance for safety!

"What are you waiting for, the fight has started!" After shouting at Huangfu Yanyao, the Black Bow was already in her hand, aiming towards the direction of the whip.

Having heard Luo Qianqian’s words, Huangfu Yanyao unhesitatingly darted to the nearby tree. Standing still like a sitting duck was foolish behavior!

In their royal family, everyone was adept at all six arts; even if they hadn’t chosen bows and arrows as their primary weapon, they were skilled nonetheless.

Luo Qianqian rapidly maneuvered through the forest; Huangfu Ze’s figure had completely vanished from sight, leaving her uncertain of where to attack. But halting would clearly lead to death!

With a few leaps, Luo Qianqian arrived at the spot where she sensed the whip’s direction and caught sight of Huangfu Ze, who wore a faint smile.

In his hand was a long whip, its metal barbs chilling to behold.

But Huangfu Ze held it as if it were a child’s toy, nonchalantly. His gaze was steady, even somewhat satisfied, as he looked toward Luo Qianqian’s direction, causing her heart to tremble.

Luo Qianqian’s eyes swept over the whip in his hand, immediately shocked.

The handle of this whip was identical to the one Huangfu Yihui wielded, the difference being the whip’s material. If her guess was correct, the whip in Huangfu Ze’s hand was clearly meant for taking lives. Whereas the whip in Huangfu Yihui’s hand was often used for saving lives.

Her chest heaving violently, Luo Qianqian was puzzled; though both belonged to the royal family, why was Huangfu Yihui so much kinder?

This whip, even if not intended for killing, would still harm. From the outset, there was no intention to save!

With a light leap, she descended from the tree, crouching down, and her palm brushed lightly over the ground as she placed something beneath the leaves for cover.

Although Luo Qianqian hadn’t learned any trap-setting skills, it didn’t mean she couldn’t outwit this person! Then quickly moving sideways, she crouched down and buried something, circling around.

However, Huangfu Ze kept smilingly watching Luo Qianqian’s actions, until she leapt onto a tree, when he said, "Prey is more fun when lively, don’t you agree?"