Hearing this, Fan Kua's rugged face twisted into a sinister grin, as if envisioning Cao Yi being turned into minced meat, and him receiving a reward with Cao Yi's corpse.

"Wait," Cao Yi suddenly spoke up.

"What now? Do you want to kneel and beg for mercy?" Fan Kua's words trailed off as a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, intensifying his murderous intent.

Cao Yi turned to Lü Su, who had just emerged, and gently said, "Do you remember when I asked you how brave you are?"

Lü Su's face turned pale with fear at the scene before her, and she instinctively nodded.

"Good. Now go and hit him!" Cao Yi pointed at the murderous Fan Kua.

"Me, hit him?" Lü Su was dazed. This meat seller had arms thicker than her legs, towering over her, and looked terrifying. Wasn't this a death sentence?

"Have you lost your mind? Letting a little girl step up? Come here, and I can spare your life," Fan Kua said, his eyes filled with possessiveness towards the innocent-looking Lü Su.

Seeing this, Lü Su grew even more frightened and turned to flee.

"Don't be afraid, Su Su. Trust me, you can win against him," Cao Yi encouraged her with a reassuring smile, remembering the tragic fate of this character in the original story.

Whether it was due to Cao Yi's smile or her inherent stubbornness, Lü Su turned back to face the hulking Fan Kua.

"Little girl, I'll let you hit me three times without fighting back," Fan Kua said, eager to toy with Lü Su now that he felt victory was assured.

"Go on," Cao Yi urged her forward.

Clad in white, looking pure and elegant like an orchid in a deep valley, Lü Su bit her lip and took her first step.

"Come here and hit this spot. I won't fight back," Fan Kua said, patting his sturdy chest.

Lü Su took a deep breath and moved to take her second, third, and fourth steps.

"Temporary character," Cao Yi whispered something only he could hear.

This temporary character, previously used to help Yi Xiaochuan defeat Xiang Yu, was now empowered by Cao Yi himself.

Unaware of the invisible power backing her, Lü Su approached Fan Kua with a mixture of anxiety and determination.

Finally, she stood before him—one person in flowing white, slender and delicate; the other, a hulking brute covered in grease, resembling a giant bear.

Stolen novel; please report.

"I, I..." Lü Su raised her small, fair fist, trembling as she looked at Fan Kua.

"Hit this spot with all your strength, three times," Fan Kua said, pointing to his chest.

"I... I can't," Lü Su stammered, nearly in tears, her small fist dropping.

"Little girl, if you don't strike, I might just kill someone," Fan Kua warned, secretly signaling Liu Bang and the others to block Cao Yi's escape route. He wasn't foolish enough to be blinded by a pretty woman.

Hearing this, Lü Su hesitantly raised her little fist again, biting her lip, and struck.

"Aim here, hit hard, one, uh!" Fan Kua let out a surprised grunt, accompanied by a faint crack of breaking bone.

Lü Su was so startled that she didn't register the sound; pulling her fist back, she said, "There are still two punches left."

Gritting his teeth, Fan Kua fought through the pain, slowly turning to leave. This group was too strange; a mere girl had more strength than him.

He stifled any noise, not wanting to suffer the humiliation of being a burly man beaten by a little girl.

Bang! Another punch landed, followed by the unmistakable sound of bones cracking.

Fan Kua staggered, almost collapsing.

Lü Su, her face still pale with fear, said, "There's still one punch left."

With only thoughts of escape racing through his mind, Fan Kua clenched his teeth and took another painful step forward.

Bang! Another punch landed.

"It's done, wuwuwu..." Lü Su burst into tears.

"Ugh!" Fan Kua, built like a black bear, stumbled forward and collapsed, coughing up blood.

He realized he was done for, having not only suffered multiple broken ribs but also internal injuries.

"Wuwuwu... uh." Upon seeing Fan Kua's plight, Lü Su's sobs stopped abruptly, her face filled with confusion.

What just happened? How could this giant with arms thicker than her legs suddenly be on the ground, spitting blood?

"Ugh!" Fan Kua coughed up another mouthful of blood and fell flat on the ground.

"This story is called ‘Lü Girl's Three Fists Defeat Fan the Butcher,'" Yi Xiaochuan quipped, fitting the moment perfectly.

Lü Su, still unsure of what had occurred but frightened, turned and ran back to Cao Yi, wanting to cling to him but suddenly realizing that this wasn't her imposing sister. She stopped short, trembling as she cried.

"You were very brave!" Cao Yi smiled, showing his approval.

"I'm so scared," Lü Su replied, tears glistening in her eyes.

Cao Yi comforted her, then turned to Liu Bang and the other wandering heroes who rushed over to check on Fan Kua. "Are you coming one by one, or all together?"

Silence fell, an eerie stillness!

After a long pause, Liu Bang finally moved, his steps heavy.

The wandering heroes and onlookers looked at him in confusion, wondering if this infamous tavern keeper was really going to confront someone who could make Fan Kua bleed with just a little girl.

"Sir, please," Liu Bang said, surprising everyone with his sudden politeness, given the situation.

Internally scoffing at the crowd, Liu Bang knew he wasn't as foolish as Fan Kua; these people were clearly extraordinary and needed to be approached with caution.

"Speak," Cao Yi said, calmly observing the now-diminished Han Gaozu.

In the original storyline, he would have grown powerful step by step, ultimately becoming the founder of the Han Dynasty, aided by Yi Xiaochuan's help, his own luck, and hard work.

But now, with Cao Yi's arrival, the Qin Dynasty wouldn't fall, and he would blend into the crowd.

"May I ask your name, sir?" Liu Bang asked, bowing politely.

Given the girl's immense strength, he felt more wary of Cao Yi, the leader.

"Cao Yi," Cao Yi replied coolly.

Noting Cao Yi's cold demeanor, Liu Bang turned to Lü Su standing nearby and asked, "May I ask who your father is?"

"Lü Gong," Lü Su replied instinctively.

"Ah, so you're the daughter of the Lü family. My apologies," Liu Bang said, quickly bowing again.

Inwardly, he cursed Fan Kua for getting involved with the daughter of the Lü family, as Lü Gong was a distinguished guest of the county magistrate.