The air was cold and dry on the streets of Zaguhan. Noon had not yet arrived, but Haun's back and forehead were already drenched in sweat. He wanted to rest. Due to his old age, his thin body was no longer able to bear the burden of his work as it once did, but the need to support his family was strong enough to keep him standing. He was one of the people from outside the city's center, one of the many known as Carriers, people responsible for transporting the city's nobles.

Haun looked at the other carriers who were carrying their passengers. There were three others besides him, all with their backs slightly hunched under the weight of the wooden support they were carrying. Their legs trembled every time they stepped on the yellow stones of the road. At the same time, the noble comfortably traveled on top of their heads in something resembling a small cabin. The fabric protected the passenger from the sun and the cold wind.

Around them, there were two more groups of Carriers, also carrying young masters out of the city.

Suddenly, Haun felt weaker. His chest had been making a strange sound for some time every time he breathed, but now he also felt tightness in his chest.

Cough.

He was struggling to breathe.

Coughing uncontrollably, he tried to stay steady. But the support felt heavier and heavier.

"Haun? Are you alright? Did something happen?" One of his coworkers asked, concerned.

With Haun's intense coughing, the support became unstable and wobbled. The carriers desperately used all their strength to keep it steady.

But tragedy was inevitable.

Haun lost his strength.

The wooden support tipped over, and the person on top of it fell.

The citizens of Zaguhan watched closely, some finding the scene amusing and covering their mouths in a false attempt to hide their laughter.

The Carriers, both those carrying the other two young masters and those nearby carrying the other nobles, opened their mouths in shock. Some looked away, not wanting to see what would happen next.

Haun's coworkers turned pale; they all knew the consequences of dropping a noble. The three of them began murmuring, praying for the mercy of the Spiritual Kings.

'Oh no! What have I done?' Haun thought.

He tried to get up to beg for the noble's mercy, but before he could even try, he felt a powerful hand grab his collar and pull him up brutally.

Brown hair and eyes, about 18 years old, overweight, and dressed in the brown clothes of a martial artist, the young master squeezed Haun's neck with one hand, almost breaking his bones with his strength.

"How dare you drop the great Kong of the noble Rahan family?"

With his thick hand, the young master Kong threw Haun to the ground.

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Haun almost felt life leave his body from the impact.

Seeing this, his coworkers trembled with fear and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Do you know who I am? I am the number one disciple of the Second Dao of the Mole-Rat Sect of Mount Gu!" He shouted angrily.

"My clothes are dirty because of you!" He looked at the other three.

The three Carriers pressed their foreheads to the ground and said, "Please, young master Kong, we beg for your forgiveness; have mercy on us!"

"Forgiveness? Is this how you beggars repay our kindness for letting you cross the wall?"

Amidst all the commotion, his sect companions dismounted from the support. His two companions were equally robust. One looked a few years older than Kong, and the other younger.

Once again, Kong grabbed Haun from the ground and lifted him like he was a toy. His hand moved toward Haun’s head to crush it.

At that moment, a voice cut through the air.

"Let him go!"

Haun's tear-blurred eyes found the figure of a young girl approaching, dressed in yellow, with light blue hair and eyes.

Her hair seemed to dance as it swayed in the wind, and her eyes were sharp as they locked onto the older disciples.

Disciple Kong paused momentarily, surprised by the intervention, and released Haun, who fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Yue didn’t hesitate. She positioned herself between the disciple and Haun, her blue eyes glowing with determination.

"Aren’t you ashamed? Do you think you’re strong by oppressing the weak? What kind of martial artist are you?"

Kong's face turned red and twisted with anger.

"Who do you think you are to speak to a disciple of the noble Mole-Rat Sect of Mount Gu like that?"

His fists clenched tightly. He had always prided himself on being one of the top ranks within his sect. His talent was well known, and he had never been publicly humiliated before, much less by a child.

"My name is Zhou Yue, disciple of the Flying Sword Sect!" she shouted, and her voice echoed through the surrounding crowd, surprising most of them.

Kong's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard.

'Flying Sword Sect?' His intense emotions deflated upon hearing where that bratty girl came from. Of course, he knew about a sect as important and powerful as that. The famous disciples of the Flying Dao weren’t something people from smaller sects like his could dream of facing.

At least not normally. His confidence returned when he looked again at the girl. She was so young that she barely reached the height of his legs. He saw the red sash around her body, but it didn’t impress him. After all, he also had one. Sure, someone her age reaching the Second Dao was a testament to immense talent, but he wasn’t alone.

One of his companions, the youngest, approached him and spoke quietly.

"Kong, for someone that young to have reached the Second Dao could mean she’s from a powerful family. We better not cause trouble with her!"

But then they heard the girl's voice again.

"I'm not from a powerful family, nor am I a noble! What is it? Is your sect full of cowards who only dare to bully those who can't defend themselves?"

Yue spoke with confidence in her voice.

Kong looked around at the crowd surrounding them. Some didn’t seem to care and were just there for the entertainment, while others looked at him with a hint of disdain.

He listened to what they were saying.

"Even so young, she shows a lot of confidence."

"People from great sects really are different from those from the smaller ones."

"I’ve always heard that disciples of the Flying Sword Sect were bold and courageous. Looks like it wasn’t a lie."

Clenching his teeth, Kong spoke:

"Girl, don’t you have any respect for your elders? Didn’t your parents teach you how to behave? Or are you also a child of the slums?"

Without hesitation, she replied in the same tone as before:

"Is insulting people's origins all you know how to do? Does being from an important family make you think you're better than others? My parents taught me that only people without honor use their strength to oppress the weak!"

"Without honor? Me? A member of the noble Rahan family! A member of the Mole-Rat Sect! How dare someone who isn't even a noble speak to me like this?"

Kong felt his blood boil, and his round face turned even redder.

"Girl, you've crossed the line. I tried to avoid conflict, but you kept insulting my honor. As a martial artist, I cannot tolerate this!"

He grabbed his guitoudao, a short, curved, single-edged saber.

“Haha, a joke of a martial artist like you could never defeat someone of simple origins like me!”

Zhou Yue also drew her sword.