My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion
Chapter 161 - 141 How to Humiliate Her?

Chapter 161: Chapter 141 How to Humiliate Her?

Here is the requested translation:

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The wind howled eerily, a flash of cold light sliced through Min Ning’s ponytail.

Her strands were severed, and with half her body drenched in blood, Min Ning plunged the blade in her hand forward.

The sound of splitting flesh echoed; another man collapsed and died on the spot.

Min Ning spared no effort to withdraw her blade and casually picked up another weapon from the ground, gasping heavily.

The attackers were simply too numerous.

And Chou Gang had yet to arrive.

In the murkiness of the chaos, no one knew whose blade might deliver a fatal blow, nor did the Brocade Guards know whose weapon would end their lives.

Min Ning couldn’t understand how the news had spread so widely, drawing so many people like a swarm. However, amidst the killing, she gained a faint sense of the truth.

Among the waves of Jianghu warriors converging for the slaughter, someone mentioned Prince of Annan’s covert jade-ink spies.

And those spies had recently been hunted by both the East and West Factories in the Capital City, harboring deep-seated grudges.

An arrow suddenly whistled toward her.

"Min Squad Leader, watch out!"

A Brocade Guard lunged forward, raising his blade to block, but missed by a hair’s breadth, letting his arm intercept the arrow instead.

The arrowhead pierced his arm, prompting a pained scream as he fell to the ground.

Min Ning darted ahead and hurled her blade at the archer.

Another splitting sound; another body dropped.

The Guards present were the elite of the group, capable of taking on multiple foes at once. However, even they couldn’t resist the never-ending streams of attackers.

Yet another Guard fell, two were slain outright, and three were gravely injured. The ranks of the Brocade Guards continued to thin.

Min Ning grabbed another weapon, but an enemy attempted to use the opportunity to strike with a spear.

She twisted her waist to evade the spear, then countered in a flash, striking at the attacker’s wrist. A sharp crack followed as the wrist snapped, blood spilling uncontrollably.

Another flash of her blade, and the attacker’s head tumbled to the ground.

Kicking aside a corpse, Min Ning turned to face the advancing wave of Jianghu warriors in the distance.

She breathed heavily, her energy disordered and chaotic.

These so-called Jianghu warriors resembled bandits and cutthroats more than anything else. After all, in Jianghu, one might be a robber today and a wandering hero tomorrow.

Countless heads approached closely, gasping heavily. Behind the remaining Brocade Guards were terrified civilians huddled together, too frightened to move.

The Brocade Guards were already at the end of their strength. Though only a third of them had died or been injured, the surviving members were so exhausted they felt like a precarious wall, ready to collapse with a single push.

The Jianghu warriors had begun to exploit this weakness, figuring that, after so much loss, they were bound to reap some rewards.

Crash!

Suddenly, a loud noise broke out.

It didn’t come from the Brocade Guards’ side but from the rear of the Jianghu warriors.

All those heads turned simultaneously, only to witness Nine-Lang Staff Li Ding—a Sixth Rank martial artist defeated by Chou Gang—sliding lifelessly down from his shoulder to his side, a gaping blade wound smooth yet chilling.

The crowd froze in fear, scattering into a circular formation. From within, a dark-cloaked figure, carrying a sword and tilting a blade toward the ground, flicked his wrist, shaking off the fresh blood. Large beads of crimson splattered against the earth.

It resembled a child splashing water off a banana leaf after the rain, a crisp "da-la" reverberating.

"It’s him! The one who sat with the Squad Leader of the Beggar Sect!"

Someone recognized the man as the black-cloaked, straw-hatted figure who had lingered at the inn two incense-sticks’ time prior and shouted loudly.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the crowd burst into chaos, scattering like startled fish.

Upon reaching the Fifth Grade of martial arts, one’s abilities were almost worlds apart from those below the Fifth Grade—especially since they, like the Brocade Guards, were similarly at the ends of their strength.

Chen Yi casually wiped the blood away and sheathed his sword.

He glanced at Min Ning and momentarily hesitated.

The young hero was already bathed in blood, her knees slightly bent. The weapon in her hand was no longer the Brocade Spring Blade, but a random blade she had picked up from the ground—its edge already chipped and fractured.

Her single ponytail was stained red, gleaming with a crimson hue.

Behind her stood the trembling civilians, spared from harm by her and the Brocade Guards’ defense—among them elders, women, and children. Not a single one had been harmed by the Jianghu brigands.

She could have abandoned the people and fled alone or ridden to the Capital under the pretense of reporting the situation. Why risk her life to fight?

Meeting by chance, mere travelers in a foreign land, yet for these strangers, how many times had she used her Wind-Slicing Rain-Cleaving strike?

Chen Yi took a deep breath and spoke softly:

"You ought to act according to the situation."

His words carried a subtle undertone—act wisely instead of stubbornly remaining here.

Regardless, he didn’t want Min Ning to come to any harm in this place.

Min Ning replied slowly:

"Zhou Jianjia once said: ’True meaning lies within the sword—it can break three hundred soldiers.’"

"Do you mean to become the next Sword Armor?"

Chen Yi chuckled and asked,

"Does your blade hold true meaning?"

"I don’t wield a sword, but even still... one strike can hold reason."

Min Ning’s voice sounded measured as Chen Yi glanced at the battered blade in her hand.

The blade’s original owner was unknown, yet in her grip, it seemed sharper than any other.

Though he had executed countless Wind-Slicing Rain-Cleaving strikes, the true essence of the move had been grasped by her, not by him.

Perhaps, as she claimed,

One strike with reason is what renders the Wind-Slicing Rain-Cleaving effective?

He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of melancholy. Perhaps Min Ning was better suited to be Zhou Yitang’s disciple than he.

Chen Yi thought for a moment, then clasped his fists in salute.

The Brocade Guards, unaware of their relationship and unable to discern the underlying meaning of their words, followed suit and saluted. After a brief hesitation, Min Ning did the same, saying:

"Thank you, chivalrous hero."

"No need for thanks. Lord Chou injured his foot and was supposed to arrive shortly. I merely lent a hand in passing."

Chen Yi redirected his breath toward his throat, subtly altering his voice. However, Min Ning, listening intently, could still discern his identity.

After a moment of hesitation, Min Ning lowered her voice and said:

"A righteous hero’s acts deserve proper gratitude. If convenient, I’d like to... invite you to the West Factory for a chat."

Chen Yi examined Min Ning and pieced together her intentions from prior events, realizing she wanted to find him.

A faint smile emerged as he nodded lightly.

He was genuinely curious. For the sake of her sister, to what lengths would Min Ning—a young hero—be willing to go?

And her sister... he didn’t intend to spare her either.

.........

After settling the civilians, Min Ning casually washed up and changed into a fresh official uniform. She gathered her ponytail and strode boldly into the darkness.

After traversing several alleyways, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Turning sharply, she saw Chen Yi approaching steadily.

Clearly, Chen Yi had also cleaned up, changing out of his bloodstained attire.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile lingered on Chen Yi’s face. Under the sparse moonlight, his shadow stretched long, nearly enveloping Min Ning.

Min Ning’s disheveled hair swayed. Watching him draw closer, her heart, which had just settled, unexpectedly grew restless.

She thought she had mentally prepared herself for this encounter...

Taking a deep breath, Min Ning stood her ground.

Chen Yi approached slowly, gazing at this spirited individual before him, and asked with a smile:

"What might the young hero Min seek me for?"

Seek you? What else could there be?

"Feigning ignorance... I visited your residence before dusk."

Min Ning lowered her eyes and spoke apathetically, her face faintly reddened in the darkness.

"Oh? I don’t quite understand."

"It’s about my sister."

Min Ning disliked his feigned ignorance, as if teasing her, and directly clarified.

Chen Yi observed Min Ning closely, noting the heroic contours of her face. Her gaze was downcast, avoiding his eyes, her sparse brows slightly drooped—a symbol of fragile resilience amidst solemnity. In this quiet moment, she resembled a distressed wandering heroine.

Faced with this Min Ning who had come to him willingly, an undeniable desire surged within him. Especially—he had just staged a hero’s rescue.

"She schemed against you, tried to harm you, and nearly caused the capture of Princess Xiang... I know everything."

"Imagine, for a moment, what I would do to her."

Chen Yi’s voice was calm yet relentless, leaving room for speculation, while for her, it meant nothing but despair.

Min Ning abruptly raised her head, glaring at him.

"You—!"

"Why me? Min Yuechi, this matter has nothing to do with you."

Chen Yi’s tone remained composed.

He spoke righteously, while simultaneously seeming to enjoy Min Ning’s barely concealed panic.

Min Ning hesitated, unsure of how to respond. After a long pause, she managed to whisper:

"...You promised me not to touch her for a year."

Chen Yi immediately sneered.

"She tried to kill me—should I still refrain from dealing with her?"

"You..."

Min Ning’s throat tightened, her face drained of color.

She was still the same—when she knew someone had erred, it was difficult for her to defend them, whether it was her sister or herself.

Chen Yi observed her reaction, suppressed his smile, and stepped past her, as though intending to leave.

Suddenly, his garments tugged slightly.

"What do you want, Min Yuechi?"

Chen Yi’s expression hardened.

"You can—"

Min Ning’s lips quivered, her thin brows seeming on the verge of breaking, as she struggled to utter a sentence:

"You can inflict upon me the humiliation you planned for her..."

Chen Yi paused, then narrowed his eyes.

He turned to study this young hero, her usual overwhelming boldness now subdued.

The scene was painfully familiar—an elder sister defending her younger sibling, a younger sibling sacrificing for her elder sister. They were like two spiraling arms of a vortex. Seizing one would inevitably drag the other in an endless cycle, spiraling deeper and deeper.

Min Ning raised her pale yet faintly flushed face, a mix of shame and entreaty evident as she silently awaited Chen Yi’s judgment on this absurd proposition:

How did he plan to humiliate her?

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