Li Man'er kicked Xu Pozi’s wrist with a powerful strike. Though Xu Pozi was accustomed to hard labor and possessed considerable strength, she was no match for a martial artist like Li Man'er.
Li Man'er’s kick was full of force, hitting a nerve cluster on Xu Pozi’s wrist, making her arm go numb as if electrocuted. She was unable to grip the knife.
“Ow!” Xu Pozi cried out, and the knife flew from her hand.
Li Man'er didn't stop there. She quickly lunged forward, grabbed Xu Pozi by the collar with one hand, and slapped her face repeatedly with the other.
"You ungrateful old hag, still thinking of revenge."
Li Zhaor was stunned, not knowing where Li Man'er got such strength to lift Xu Pozi with one hand. Xu Pozi’s feet were off the ground, and she flailed like a fish out of water, completely unable to resist. Li Man'er slapped her seven or eight times, and her face immediately began to swell.
When Li Man'er had had enough, she threw Xu Pozi into a corner. Xu Pozi flew out like a rag doll, hitting the candle stands on either side before crashing to the ground with a thud.
Xu Pozi moaned and lay motionless on the ground, it was unclear if she had fainted or died.
Li Zhaor flinched, as if Li Man'er, not she, was the one committing murder.
"Second sister, with such courage, you dare to kill people?" Li Man'er's gaze swept past her, landing on the maidservant. "This girl looks unfamiliar. Could she also be here for Chunzhi's revenge?"
This maidservant was no ordinary person. Throughout the entire ordeal, she had not shown the slightest hint of panic. Even after Xu Pozi was sent flying, her life uncertain, she hadn't moved.
Li Man'er suspected this maidservant was Li Zhaor's trump card. If Xu Pozi succeeded, she would keep the trump card close. If Xu Pozi failed, she would reveal the trump card to take Li Man'er's life.
Li Zhaor instinctively took two steps back. Li Man'er’s expression was gentle, but her actions were ruthless. Li Zhaor was trembling, almost drowning in fear.
The maidservant, who had remained still, suddenly stood up. Dressed in coarse linen, she couldn't conceal the killing intent emanating from her. It was clear she was a skilled practitioner.
Her appearance was ordinary, her face slightly dark, and her build somewhat large. She wasn't even considered delicate. She was the kind of person who would blend into any crowd, utterly unremarkable. Such an appearance would disqualify her from being a maidservant, but it was more than sufficient for an assassin.
After all, assassins lived by their skills, not their looks.
"Younger sister, you've gone to great lengths to deal with me, hiring such an assassin for the mansion. It must not have been cheap!" Li Man'er looked at the maidservant. "You're quite greedy, daring to enter a tiger's den for a mere reward. Do you know this is the Iron Gallant Marquis's mansion? If anything goes wrong, your life is forfeit. Can you, alone, face the entire mansion's guards?"
"I am already a person on the verge of death, what is there to fear?"
This maidservant was originally a poor orphan with no one to rely on. Unable to survive as a child, she was taken in by ruffians and abandoned on a deserted island to be trained into a killing machine. She trained and killed day after day, harming her fellow companions on the island, all for the sake of survival.
You can't play with fire without getting burned. Eventually, she was tracked down by enemies and severely injured, left for dead. She hid in a dilapidated temple, thinking that at least her body would be intact in death. Unexpectedly, she was rescued by Madam Guo, and it took several months for her to recover.
As soon as she recovered, Madam Guo passed away. Out of a sense of gratitude, she then entered the Iron Gallant Marquis's mansion.
Li Man'er scoffed, "Fool."
The maidservant’s eyes flashed. She pressed her hand to her waist, and a soft sword unsheathed, darting towards Li Man'er like a viper.
Li Zhaor watched with great excitement, as if Li Man'er were about to meet her end.
Unfortunately, Li Man'er was agile and dodged the maidservant’s soft sword with ease. The opponent’s moves were sharp and lethal; she attacked without hesitation or flourish, each strike aimed at Li Man'er’s vital points.
She was clearly professionally trained, unlike the foolish Xu Pozi. Li Man'er dared not let her guard down, focusing all her attention on dealing with her. Several times she had the opportunity to end the opponent’s life, but she held back.
The maidservant was an emotionless machine, completely unaffected. She didn't ask noble questions about why Li Man'er didn't kill her. Instead, her attacks grew faster. Her soft sword formed an impenetrable shield around her, and then, like a barrage of sharp rain, it sought out Li Man'er’s vital spots.
Li Man'er's initial intention was simple: to have a good spar with a skilled ancient martial artist while ensuring her own safety. Since arriving in this world, she had only encountered minor figures and knew little about the martial arts of this world. It was rare to encounter a tough opponent, and she wanted to see her own limits through them.
The result was somewhat disappointing. Although the maidservant's skills were clean and efficient, her internal energy was somewhat lacking. It was unclear if it was due to past injuries or some other reason, but each time they clashed, Li Man'er felt like she was bullying a weaker opponent.
She still had a weapon in her hand! Yet, she wasn't Li Man'er's match.
Thinking of this, Li Man'er stopped holding back and increased the force of her attacks. She seized an opportunity, grabbed the maidservant's wrist, and twisted it fiercely, re-breaking her already injured wrist.
The maidservant grunted, dropping her soft sword. Her other hand, however, was not idle; she extended two fingers, aiming for Li Man'er's eyes.
This was considered a low-class trick in the martial world.
Li Man'er shifted slightly, using her shoulder to violently slam into the maidservant's chest.
The maidservant hadn't expected Li Man'er to be so strong. Her wrist was already broken, and her strength was reduced by thirty percent. With Li Man'er's impact, she had almost no ability to defend herself and was sent flying.
She fell much harder than Xu Pozi, landing on the ground and spitting up blood, nearly passing out.
"You lost." Li Man'er picked up her soft sword, twirled it a few times, and pointed the tip at Li Zhaor.
Li Zhaor jumped, terrified that Li Man'er would kill her without a word. What was meant to be a deadly trap for Li Man'er had been effortlessly dismantled.
"Li Man'er, when did you learn martial arts?"
"That's none of your business." Li Man'er replied, "Li Zhaor, harming others ultimately harms yourself."
Li Zhaor was not afraid and said with red eyes, "Kill me! You've already killed my mother, what's one more?"
"Your mother was not killed by me; heaven took her!" Li Man'er subtly curled her lips. "I won't kill you either."
Li Zhaor blinked in surprise. "Why?" She thought Li Man'er hated her to the bone and would surely kill her.