"Utter another word and you die."

Everyone looked at the direction from where the threat was heard.

The skinny soldier on the other side remained focused on aiming the arrow on the second-in-command.

"You puny little thing, are you threatening to kill me?

Second in command arrogantly laughed as if he heard some joke.

"How pathetic?"

Even before he could shut his mouth an arrow flew towards him and struck onto his water container attached on his waist.

In a glimpse, the water split all over him.

He was shocked.

"Don't tell me that I didn't warn you," Bai Yu Yue said in a chilly voice.

"How dare you?" The man shouted and his entire group aimed their arrows at the lone soldier.

However, Bai Yu Yue remained unchallenged and studied the man.

He is short-tempered, but he also fears his leader and can be easily manipulated by words.

If she plays her cards wisely, then, she can leave this place without a scratch.

Well, it will be a little time consuming to fight them all and unfortunately, she doesn't have any time to waste.

How about using this fool and get away from this place safely?

Bai Yu Yue thought and stared at the troop with clear eyes.

"Where are your morals warrior? Didn't your master teach you that it is shameful to corner and fight a man against ten?" She asked as if his actions were ethically wrong.

"Why? are you not manly enough to fight alone?" Bai Yu Yue didn't refrain herself from mocking at the man who stood in front of her, acting almighty.

"You bastard!" He gnashed his teeth and tightened his grip on the bowstring,

The leader who remained untouched by any of the actions by his troop finally opened his palm and stopped his second in command from fighting.

"Let me go and teach that bastard a lesson." He snarled.

"Let's fight fairly," her lips curled into a faint smile,

"How about me and you? The winner takes all." Bai Yu Yue suggested.

"Let me go, brother." The second in command urged to fight,

"No." the leader ordered in an authoritative voice.

"Can't you see that he is taunting you? Huo Yan, what did master taught us?" The leader tried to hammer down some common sense to Huo Yan, his beloved brother, who is got a "pea brain".

"Don't fall for his tricks,"

"Aish, you always use the same excuse to shut my mouth." The man named Huo Yan was restless.

"Not fighting anymore?" Bai Yu Yue raised her chin and asked with a haughty smile, "Are you scared, kiddo?"

"Brother!!!" Huo Yan raised his voice in irritation," He is insulting me,"

"Aww, are you complaining to your brother? How cute!!!" Bai Yu Yue giggled like a child.

Huo Yan was on the verge of explosion,

He just wanted to go and beat that wimpy kid like a sandbag,

On the other hand, Bai Yu Yue appeared too calm and she was enjoying Huo Yan's suffering.

Actually, she is not a person who likes to tease others, but this man forced her to do that.

They were strangers, and yet he made fun of them. He even teased, Xue Lian and tested her patience.

Like a raging bull, Huo Yan was fuming with anger, his eyes were focused on the "little boy" on the horse.

That skinny boy wasn't even equal to his muscular body and yet he dared to challenge Huo Yan in front of his troop, calling him kiddo,

His man pride was hurt.

"It is alright kiddo, little bit boasting won't cause you any trouble", Bai Yu Yue let out a chuckle and commented. "but only a little bit,"

Huo Yan looked at his brother with red eyes. He was highly disappointed on his brother who turned a blind eye towards his pleas to fight with a stranger, who has been ridiculing him. He thought his brother would help him.

"Brother," He called his brother with a wounded expression.

The leader sighed and glared at the "man" on the horse.

"Yaaaa, do you want to die? He asked in a lazy yet deep voice. "Then I will fight with you."

Huo Yan's face lit like a summer sun, bright and happy,

"That's my brother," He cheered happily for his brother and looked at Bai Yu Yue,

"You bastard, you have enough time to surrender, once my brother takes out his sword, you are nothing but dead meat."

" Kiddo, you surely know how to boast." Bai Yu Yue commented and started to remove her armour with a pompous smile smeared on her lips.

Her iron-clad armour was heavy, but she removed it with swift movements,

"Princess, every time I take a hit, take one step towards them," Bai Yu Yue instructed,

"Huh, what are you saying?" Xue Lian asked in trembling voice,

"If something unexpected happens, ride the horse in their direction," Bai Yu Yue muttered in a low voice which is audible only to them.

"They have too many bags with various goods and articles, that means they are coming from a town or at least a path leading to a human settlement,"

"Warrior Bai, what are you saying? I don't understand.

"Escape, don't wait for me,"

"What about you?" Xue Lian inquired, "How can I leave without you?"

"I am talking about the worst scenario." Bai Yu Yue comforted her,

"I can take these uncultured bandits, you don't have to worry," She smiled,

"cover your face and enjoy the show."

Xue Lian covered her face with the scarf she held in her sleeves.

Bai Yu Yue got down from the horse and helped the Xue Lian to wear her armour. She even adjusted Xue Lian's scarf to hide her pretty face.

"Oh, indeed, he ran away with a woman." Huo Yan commented," Look at her clothes, she is someone from the upper class.

"He sure loves his girl," someone dragged their attention towards the lovey-dovey scenes shown by the couple in front of them.

The leader of the troop got down from the horse and walked towards Bai Yu Yue.

"On my signal," She reminded Xue Lian and fearlessly walked towards the centre of the ground,

"Don't tell me that I didn't warn you," Huo Yan retorted her comment with a smug face.

Bai Yu Yue ignored him and focused on the man who stood in front of her.

He was taller and muscular than her,

The pair of obsidian eyes appeared expressionless, hiding his intentions from her,

The black mask which covered half of his face highly contrasted with his porcelain white skin.

It might take some time, but she can handle him and give Xue Lian some time to escape,

"Winner takes all," She said with a cold smile,

"Winner takes all," he repeated with a bright smile,

Bai Yu Yue swished her sword,

Clank,

the leader defended her attack.

She tried to attack him again. He defended her again.

Within a few minutes, the audience has understood one thing,

Either both of the warriors were equally good or equally bad-

Because there wasn't anything riveting about their duel.

None of them was able to give a powerful blow on their opponent or yield in.

It was just a ploy to waste time and tire the opponent.

"Did I misjudge you by your look and take you for a lowly bandit? Bai Yu Yue tried to taunt and distract him with the words.

"I thought you are nothing but a weakling with your skinny body." He replied with the same intensity.

"You are nothing but a group uncultured bandits." Bai Yu Yue grunted.

"What are you, a traitor?"

The audiences were becoming more and more restless.

What is this weird tension between them? Why aren't none of them was able to gain an upper-hand?

Bored by the cat and mouse game, the Leader finally decided to step up, he scrutinized the "young man," in front of him.

His looks were too feminine for a man.

Unlike his skinny stature, his attacks were heavy and powerful,

But even before the duel, the soldier was trying to verbally attack him, indicating that he wanted to avoid the time-consuming fight and end it quickly.

Either he must be tired to fight or there must be some weak point in him which he is trying to avoid it.

The Leader concluded in his mind.

"Look for some weakness," the Leader scanned the warrior in front of him.

Bai Yu Yue was using his right hand to hold the sword whereas the pressure applied by left hand was feeble.

Leader scrutinized the soldier's left hand and found a cut on the upper arm.

His arm wasn't muscular like a normal man, so the wound must be causing him pain.

"Found it," he mumbled.

A cold smile glinted in the leader's eyes.

He flashed his sword to Bai Yu Yue's right side while he jumped into the air and kicked her left hand where the wound is present.

Ahhhhhhh,

Bai Yu Yue let out a scream and her sword slipped from her hand.

CHEATER!!!

Who would expect a kick while duelling with a sword?

Bai Yu Yue was actually tired since she didn't disinfect or cover the wound properly.

It was causing her trouble while duelling with the leader.

She just wanted to end the fight as soon as possible,

but that scoundrel kicked right into her wound,

The pain wave travelled to her brain in a glimpse, causing Bai Yu Yue to go numb and she closed her eyes for a moment.

Within that moment,

The leader captured Bai Yu Yue and pulled her towards his body and kept the sword on her slender neck.

"Do you wish to die?" He asked in a hoarse tone. Bai Yu Yue tried to loosen her arms from his hold.

"I thought we are going to fight fairly," Bai Yu Yue asked while panting,

"You should've been careful," he huffed,

"Any last words," he asked her.

"Hmm." She nodded." Yes."

"Let's hear then," Huo Yan who was watching the duel, yelled in triumph.

Bai Yu Yue looked at the group of bandits.

They were only ten members and they were already engrossed in the duel happening in front of their eyes. None of them was paying attention to Xue Lian.

As per her instructions, Xue Lian has ridden the horse towards the bandits,

For others, it might look like she moved forward to have a better vision, but they didn't know that was included in their escape plan.

Bai Yu Yue looked at the Xue Lian on the horse.

Xue Lian was shocked and on the verge of crying, when she saw her beloved warrior Bai being captured.

Bai Yu Yue flashed her beautiful smile and shouted.

"Leave me"

She knocked the leader's chin with her head and elbowed him right into his ribs, in order to free her from his hold.

However, her actions made no effect on the leader and he tightly grabbed the man who is trying to escape,

While trying to get Bai Yu Yue under his control, unknowingly the leader's palm came in contact with something soft and round, sending electric shocks into his brain.

"The soldier is not a man?"