Eighty Little Tricks, Hard to Handle

He stared at River Wolf’s severed arm, blood gushing endlessly, his face pale from pain. Little Yun let out a cry of alarm as well, frightened enough to try to bury his head in Little Jing’s arms. This left Little Jing awkward and embarrassed, unsure whether to let him lean on her or to gently push him away.

At this moment, Flying Phoenix barked, “Well, have you wild wolves surrendered yet?”

The wolves of the River East gang were shaken, too frightened to make a sound for a moment. Yet River Fourth Wolf, whose nature was blunt and stubborn, still cursed loudly, “You ugly woman, you witch, no one will ever want a venomous hag like you. May you meet a wretched end.”

Flying Phoenix strode over with a steely face and said, “I’ll teach you to curse!” With that, she swung her sword, ready to strike again. Little Yun could bear it no longer and cried out, “Don’t—Sister Yue, stop this madwoman!”

For some reason, Little Yun actually felt a hint of sympathy for River Fourth Wolf, especially since he dared to curse Long Flying Phoenix, who was at this moment the woman Little Yun detested most.

With a ringing clash, Flying Phoenix’s descending sword was blocked by Flying Rainbow. Smiling, Flying Rainbow said, “Sister Phoenix, don’t be so hot-tempered. If you cut them down with one blow and kill them outright, it’s no fun. We girls ought to be elegant—even if we’re going to teach someone a lesson. Calm yourself and watch how I handle this.”

She walked over to the lecher and said, “Among these wild wolves, you’re the most handsome. I’ll start with you.”

In the past, this lecher had always liked to leer at women. But when this beautiful woman approached, a chill ran through his heart. Flying Rainbow smiled sweetly and asked, “Do you think I’m beautiful?”

He quickly forced a flattering smile and replied, “You’re very beautiful, miss—like a fairy from heaven… ah!”

With a cold tone, Flying Rainbow replied, “Is that so? No wonder your eyes are so lecherous.” With a flick of her sword, she sliced off the tip of his little finger. Then, smiling again, she asked, “Now, do you still think I’m beautiful?”

“N-no… not beautiful… ah!” he stammered.

“How dare you say I’m not beautiful?” she snapped, and with another swing, she sliced off a piece of his ring finger.

What a troublesome little imp! This seemingly innocent Flying Rainbow was truly ruthless. Not only were the Wild Wolf Gang’s men stunned, but even the Ninth Miss felt a stir in her heart—she saw her own shadow reflected in Flying Rainbow.

Flying Rainbow, so young and apparently naive, was deadly ruthless in her actions. Yet beneath her ferocity lay a thread of kindness—she had noticed that River Fourth Wolf was not truly evil. So when Little Yun shouted “Don’t!” she intervened to save him. But when she saw someone truly wicked, she dealt punishment herself. Clearly, her wisdom far surpassed Long Flying Phoenix’s, who was quick-tempered and indiscriminate in her violence.

At this moment, River Nine Curves, the leader of the Wild Wolf Gang, could only steel himself and address Long Cold Star: “Is this how the Dragon Clan treats its subordinates? If word spreads, who would ever want to join you?”

Long Cold Star replied coolly, “The Dragon Clan treats only the loyal with courtesy. For those who defy us, we show no mercy. If Chief River is wise, he should know what to do to save his own and his brothers’ lives.”

River Nine Curves understood the implication, but the other side was so overbearing. Still, to survive in such humiliation was intolerable.

Furious, he declared, “Your Dragon Clan bullies others beyond reason. Kill us or torture us as you like. The Wild Wolf Gang is not made of cowards.”

Long Cold Star’s voice turned cold. “Is that so? Flying Rainbow, go and see if the Wild Wolf Gang is truly unafraid of death.”

But Flying Rainbow smiled and said, “Aunt Star, I have no interest in old men—I only like handsome young ones. Leave the old man to Sister Phoenix.”

She even flashed him a charming smile. If she hadn’t just cut off his fingers, such a smile could have stolen his soul. Now, though, all he could do was curse this wicked woman in his heart, secretly vowing that if she ever fell into his hands, he would strip her bare and show her no mercy…

Long Cold Moon, meanwhile, thought to herself: This Flying Rainbow girl seems naive, but her mind is deep. She must know I won’t really kill River Nine Curves, so she avoids offending him. When there’s no conflict of interest, even the strong would rather not make extra enemies.

Flying Phoenix had already been angry with River Nine Curves, and now, with Flying Rainbow passing her the opportunity, she grew excited and taunted, “Old wretch, with death at your door you still have a sharp tongue! Let’s see whose is harder—my sword or your mouth?”

With that, she swung her sword down. River Nine Curves, a tiger brought low, found himself bullied by a mere girl, though in truth his skills far surpassed hers. It was truly rotten luck for a renowned master to be so shamed.

A man has only two arms, but ten fingers. This time, Flying Phoenix imitated Flying Rainbow’s technique, first slicing off the tip of River Nine Curves’ little finger and snapping, “Old wretch, do you yield?”

Enraged and spiteful, River Nine Curves spat back, “Witch, even if you cut off all ten of my fingers, I’ll never submit to the likes of you.”

“Still defiant?” Flying Phoenix cursed, taking another swing and slicing off another fingertip.

At that moment, from among the hundreds of Wild Wolf Gang members, a petite young figure suddenly leapt forth, charging at Flying Phoenix in a desperate attack.

River Nine Curves couldn’t help but shout, “Lan’er, don’t!”

But Lan’er cried, “Witch! I’ll fight you with my life!” At the sound of her voice, it was immediately clear she was a woman.

But how could she be a match for Flying Phoenix? Within a few exchanges, she was forced back again and again. Flying Phoenix, no fool, guessed from her words with River Nine Curves that this woman must be his kin.

Seeing her opponent was a woman, a wicked thought flashed through Flying Phoenix’s mind. She refrained from killing her, instead using her sword to slash at her clothes.

After several rounds, much of Lan’er’s clothing had been cut away, exposing large patches of snowy skin. Humiliated and furious, she could only grit her teeth.

At last, even the proud River Nine Curves broke down, nearly pleading, “Spare Lan’er! I’ll do whatever you say.”

Long Cold Star glanced at the Ninth Miss, as if seeking her opinion. The Ninth Miss’s eyes, however, still lingered on Little Yun, as though she were waiting for something. Since she remained silent, Long Cold Star pretended not to have heard and left Flying Phoenix to her games with Lan’er.

Little Yun saw River Wolf’s severed arm still bleeding profusely. Before long, he would surely die from blood loss. He recalled the very first sentence Sister Lingzhi had taught him when he began studying medicine: “A kind heart is the foundation of medicine. If you truly wish to learn, remember two things—kindness and courage.”

Yes, Little Yun was kind, but not brave. Now was the moment to be brave. He could no longer hold back and cried out, “All of you, stop!” As he ran toward Lan’er, determined to save her first—as he would always save a woman before a man.