Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Nine: Taking Action

It is better to dismantle ten temples than to ruin someone’s act—Huahua, you have no sense of dignity!
Chen Chang’an’s face stiffened, looking up at the heavens in silent exasperation. Couldn’t he at least make a small impression in front of the villain?
Yet, upon further thought, it was wiser to remain low-key. Princess Changning had been missing for three days and was still unharmed—a clear sign that these kidnappers were not simply after a ransom. There had to be some sinister plot behind it. If he made himself stand out now, he would surely become a target later.
A war god returning from ten years’ exile at the border, discovering his daughter sold to a brothel and seeking vengeance against the court? A dragon king despised by the empress?
The blind son-in-law quivered, shrinking his neck and slowly retreating to the back of the crowd.
Ahead, Hua Mulan raised her blade, channeling a surge of spiritual energy, and struck at the beast-faced man’s mask.
The beast-faced man immediately crossed his arms, intercepting the thin, sharp dagger with two pairs of steel claws.
There was no hesitation or pause.
For the dagger did not linger—it pressed down, slicing through with unstoppable momentum, sparks flying in its wake.
The beast-faced man’s lips curled slightly; his body turned aside as his left arm spun in a full circle, using the gap between his claws to lock the dagger tightly. His right eagle claw lunged for Hua Mulan’s heart.
Hua Mulan spun in midair, kicking the beast-faced man’s chest, leveraging the force to pull her dagger free and somersault away, landing five meters off.
Both had exchanged two moves, neither gaining an advantage, the entire bout lasting scarcely two heartbeats.
Princess Changning, her clothing torn at the chest, bounced with excitement, shaking the two soft, fermenting mounds beneath her gown and clapping her hands: “Yay! Yay! Yay! Sister Mulan has come! Kill him, kill him!”
Her actions were lively, her voice bright; anyone unaware might think she was selling tofu. Hua Mulan’s brows knit—this princess was incorrigible, still fooling around at such a critical moment.
The beast-faced man steadied his stance and spoke in a heavy tone: “Double-blade Hua Mulan—left for business, right for fame. The famed disciple of Chang’an’s first roaming knight, Li Bai—indeed, you have some skill!”
Hua Mulan kept her face stern: “I’m surprised you know my name. Since you do, why not surrender quietly?”
The beast-faced man ignored her, leisurely pulling a bottle of green powder from his bosom and pouring it over his claws. The venom, as though ice meeting a hot furnace, hissed and released a thick white mist.
The empty porcelain bottle, now charged with immense force, was flung at Hua Mulan.
She raised her arm, charged forward, and sliced the bottle in two with her blade. The scene shifted rapidly; she flashed before the beast-faced man.
Clang, clang, clang!
Crash!
Screech!
The sharp, clear sound of metal clashing spread in waves as the two tangled once again.
Hua Mulan’s footwork was ghostly, agile, and elusive; paired with her nimble, razor-thin dagger, she always struck from angles the beast-faced man could barely anticipate.

Despite being on the defensive, he was never overwhelmed. He adeptly used the claws affixed to his arms to dissolve the fierce attacks, neutralizing their killing intent and force.
Thus, the two exchanged move for move, inseparable and evenly matched.
Li Shu, his lips pursed, glared at the woman from the Western lands. He reached into the seam of his belt and pulled out three copper coins: “Well, well, exotic charm.”
With those words, he spread his legs in a swift, athletic stance and advanced rapidly, flicking the three flaming coins through the air.
“Li Shu, Five-Element Coins!”
The Western woman sneered, twisting her wrist as her silver whip coiled into concentric circles, forming a shield that deflected the coins.
The coins’ trajectories altered, slicing into the rocky walls on either side. The mysterious force they carried instantly melted holes deep into the stone, as if snow struck by a red-hot iron ball.
Before the Western woman could retaliate, another six coins of varying colors spun out at high speed.
Officers from the Tribunal, the Patrol, and the Criminal Bureau all drew their Da Min standard sabers, engaging the masked figures in fierce combat.
The sounds of blades striking, of screams and shouts, of blood spraying, of coins whirling, and of claws scraping filled the air.
Chen Chang’an crouched at the mouth of the cave, trying to locate Princess Changning amidst the chaos, hoping to whisk away this woman—so crucial to his future, or rather, his fate.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
Fully focused, he listened intently as two light-blue coins, rebounding from the Western woman’s whip, whistled toward his face. Their force was powerful, their edges sharp enough to cut gold or jade.
At the last instant, the green bamboo hairpin set in his tousled hair trembled imperceptibly. The coins, imbued with the mysterious power of the water element, shattered into fragments.
Chen Chang’an’s ears twitched, catching this event, though he couldn’t grasp what had happened.
The battle raged on, with Hua Mulan and the beast-faced man locked in the fiercest duel.
After her 138th vertical strike was parried by the beast’s eagle claw, Hua Mulan retreated, then bit down on her dagger’s spine, freeing her hands. She formed an incantation and silently recited a spell.
Soon, a visible array of spiritual energy appeared beneath her feet, its range expanding steadily.
The beast-faced man’s expression, hidden beneath his mask, turned grim: “Is she about to unleash her primal art?”
Every martial artist, upon reaching the third-grade Initiation stage, awakens a unique innate ability known as a primal art.
According to ancient records, there are over two hundred primal arts, catalogued and sorted by their time of appearance.
Hua Mulan’s awakened art was the 97th: Mirror Image!
The beast-faced man, somewhat familiar with her abilities, knew how troublesome this art could be. Fortunately, Mirror Image required a lengthy preparation—constant influx of spiritual energy to build its array.

“If that’s so, let me show you my primal art: Number 107—Godslayer.”
As he spoke, the beast-faced man opened his palm toward Hua Mulan. Ripples like concentric sound waves radiated out, growing broader and fainter with distance.
Godslayer required no prior setup; it caused no physical harm but disrupted mind and spirit—a support-type attack, ideal for Hua Mulan now.
Her luminous Mirror Image array began to shrink under the interference.
The beast-faced man seized the moment and commanded the Western woman: “Youruo, use your primal art—take Princess Changning and wait for me at the usual place.”
Youruo, the Western woman, accepted the order, flicked her silver whip to block Li Shu’s final coin assault, and vaulted to the princess’s side, grabbing her shoulder.
“Ah… it hurts… hurts… You villain, let go of me!” Princess Changning cried, her beautiful face twisted in pain.
Li Shu tried to rush to her rescue, but was fiercely blocked by the masked figures, while Hua Mulan was trapped in the preparation of her primal art, unable to advance or retreat.
Youruo curled her lips, her fingers forming another incantation, and declared, “Hua Mulan, my 135th primal art is Transcend Space. It requires little time to prepare—so I’m taking the princess with me.”
“Let’s see if you can find us next time!”
Upon hearing this, Chen Chang’an at the cave entrance became alert. Transcend Space—clearly a method to move untraceably across great distances, unconstrained by space. It seemed she had disguised herself as Princess Changning to create the mystery of her disappearance.
“No, damn it—leave the princess!” Hua Mulan, trapped by her own array, roared in frustration. This was the only chance—once missed, the princess would never be found again.
Li Shu kept firing coins in an attempt to break through, but the masked figures formed a human barricade, relentless and unending.
Youruo laughed triumphantly: “Trying to rescue Zhao Changning? Impossible! Farewell, hahaha!”
Her wild laughter echoed through the cave, reaching Chen Chang’an’s ears. He resolutely tossed aside his bamboo pole, straightened his back, and focused intently to pinpoint Youruo’s position.
He then raised his hand, drew out the green bamboo hairpin from his hair, silently recited the technique he’d studied at the Fragrant Pavilion the night before, bent then straightened his arm, flicked his thumb and forefinger, and launched it with a simple gesture.
In the next instant, a dazzling, piercing green light accompanied by a crisp sword’s cry appeared before everyone, surging with unstoppable force. It passed Li Shu, pierced through the layers of masked men, and, under Hua Mulan’s astonished gaze, shot through Youruo’s skull.
“Ah, no…”
“Splurt…”
Youruo hadn’t even time to scream; her vitality drained swiftly, her body shriveling and collapsing like a deflated husk until only skin and bone remained, forlornly tumbling to the ground.