Chapter 2
732 Words
The rapid descent triggered Liang Ning’s instincts.
Realizing she was in the dangerous situation of being pushed off a cliff, she swiftly stretched out her limbs and grabbed a tree as she plummeted downward.
In that split second of contact, she used the force of the branch to propel herself upward like a falcon, soaring into the air. She then spotted a rock near the edge of the cliff, and with a quick push off, she darted back toward solid ground!
"What kind of person dares to harm me!"
Engulfed in rage, before she even landed, her right hand had already accurately seized the assailant’s throat!
Her left hand then clamped down on the attacker's right shoulder like a pair of iron pincers—though the drug that had weakened her muscles hadn’t fully worn off, and her landing wasn’t as steady as before, nor was her grip as strong, it was more than enough to subdue the person in front of her!
The assailant was nothing more than a 14 or 15-year-old girl.
From the moment Liang Ning leaped into the air, the girl's eyes had widened, and the malice and resentment on her face had turned into sheer bewilderment.
But so what?
She was still a murderer!
Liang Ning showed no mercy. In the blink of an eye, the assailant collapsed to the ground, too shocked even to scream for help.
Who could have imagined that the person who had just been easily pushed off the cliff could suddenly become so agile and powerful?
"Beast! What are you doing?"
Just then, a stern shout came from the distance, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps quickly approaching her side.
From the moment she was born, Liang Ning had been pampered by everyone. Even her nickname, Taiping, had been personally bestowed by the Empress herself. As the young lady of a general’s household, she outranked most people by a generation. People might gossip behind her back, but who would dare to be anything but respectful to her face?
Yet now, someone was addressing her with such coarse language! Furious, she turned to see a middle-aged man grab her arm without any courtesy. His gritted teeth and angry scolding filled her ears: "Have you lost your mind? How dare you do this to your own sister!"
The man was dressed in fine clothes with the demeanor of a scholar, clearly paying attention to his appearance. Yet here he was, berating her without any understanding of the situation, spouting nonsense that the assailant was Liang Ning’s sister!
Liang Ning laughed in anger.
She immediately let go, shaking off this man who was eagerly trying to claim kinship. Standing tall, she glared at him with fury.
She wanted to see what other nonsense this man had to say.
At that moment, the girl she had just freed crawled over and threw herself at the man, screaming as she clung to him. Tears streamed down her face like scattered pearls, her weeping pitiful: “Father, save me! Sister wants to kill me! She wants to kill me!”
There had been no one near the cliff before, but now the girl's shrill cries drew the attention of nearby onlookers, who began to edge closer, curious about the commotion.
Seeing the scene around her, Liang Ning's brow furrowed.
Everything she saw seemed real, even familiar. Before the incident, she had frequently traveled through Baike Temple to prepare for her two brothers' memorial services. This cliff was behind Baike Temple; how could she not recognize it?
She suddenly looked down at herself, and to her shock, the skin that had been burned by the fire was now completely intact. Even the scars she had accumulated over the years from fighting were gone!
She quickly raised her hand to touch her right cheek—smooth and flawless. Though it was thinner than before, the skin was remarkably delicate!
Had she not died?
Had that wretched Xu Yin failed to kill her?
Or was the fire nothing but a nightmare?
Looking at the ancient temple below, she hurried a few steps toward the path leading down the mountain.
Once she descended, she’d reach the temple. Along the way, there was a fork to the left that led to the monastery where she had previously stayed. She would know once she checked it out!
"Where do you think you're going?!"
- Writer
