Chapter 2: How Could Anyone Dodge a Bullet?

An ordinary pistol posed no threat to Qin Xuan. For a swordsman, agility was of utmost importance. The saying, “In martial arts, speed is invincible,” was not just a scene from a wuxia novel—it held true in the world of cultivation as well.

Qin Xuan merely narrowed his eyes and, with astonishing speed, sidestepped!

Clang!

A bullet grazed his shoulder, ricocheting off the doorframe behind him.

“That brat really has a death wish… Eh?”

The rugged man’s voice rang out again, initially brimming with arrogance, but quickly shifting to surprise as he realized that the meddling intruder hadn’t gone down as expected.

Now Qin Xuan took stock of the workshop. In the center stood a burly man with a scruffy beard and a prominent knife scar on his left cheek, holding a makeshift Type 54 pistol that Qin Xuan suspected was homemade. Not far behind him, a young woman was bound, a wad of paper stuffed in her mouth, gazing at him in astonishment. The dim lighting and distance made it hard to discern her features.

Qin Xuan smiled faintly.

So his suspicions had been correct—someone really was kidnapped.

“Damn it, the brat’s got some luck,” the burly man growled viciously, raising his crude pistol once more.

Bang!

This time, Qin Xuan was prepared. He would not let the man succeed. After all, it was just a homemade pistol—its quality and speed far inferior. It might intimidate ordinary people, but to Qin Xuan, it was nothing but a child’s toy.

He tilted his head, and the bullet whistled past his ear.

“My turn now,” Qin Xuan said with a smirk. With a swift step, he darted toward the burly man like a phantom, closing the ten-meter gap in an instant.

Seeing the stunned look on the burly man’s face, Qin Xuan grabbed the rosewood sword case slung over his back and swung it horizontally, striking the scarred side of the man's face with a sharp slap.

Against an ordinary opponent, there was no need to unsheath the spiritual sword. Qin Xuan’s agility alone rendered his adversary powerless.

The heavy blow prevented the burly man from firing another shot; he lost his balance and crashed to the ground, his head spinning, unable to think for a moment. The knife scar on his left cheek now bore a deep imprint from the sword case, reddened as if he'd been slapped.

“Hey, is that all? I was hoping for more fun,” Qin Xuan shrugged, disappointed as the man collapsed. Compared to the monsters he’d faced alongside his master, this opponent was laughably weak.

The burly man nearly coughed up blood at those words.

“You’re not human…”

He meant: How could anyone dodge bullets?

But Qin Xuan gave him no chance to explain. The rosewood sword case swung again, striking his neck with a resounding smack. Stars burst before his eyes, and he passed out cold, collapsing into a heap.

“Miss, congratulations—you’re safe now,” Qin Xuan said, not sparing the fallen man a second glance as he walked toward the bound woman.

Now that he was closer, Qin Xuan could see her clearly and felt a pang of admiration. He thought, if it weren't for him, such a beauty would have been at the mercy of that brute.

She looked to be just over twenty, her silky hair slightly disheveled over her shoulders, her features exquisite, lips gently pressed together, and her crystal-like eyes gazing at Qin Xuan with relief mixed with caution. Seated on the ground, her white blouse had natural creases that accentuated her graceful figure; her fullness was impossible to ignore. Her slender legs, clad in light jeans, inspired endless imagination—a classic image of a stunning, sophisticated woman.

Qin Xuan reached out toward her face.

The beautiful woman’s eyes flashed with terror; she shook her head and whimpered.

Qin Xuan sighed.

“Miss, please don’t be like this. I just want to remove the paper from your mouth.”

She paused, then nodded.

…

Once the wad was removed, the beautiful woman finally took a relieved breath. Her large, watery eyes held a mysterious light as she looked at Qin Xuan.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” Qin Xuan asked.

“Are you human?” Her cool voice drifted out, enchanting Qin Xuan. And yet—why did she repeat that familiar line?

“How could a person dodge bullets?”

Qin Xuan realized what she meant and chuckled. “You’re mistaken, beauty. Some people can dodge bullets—like me. Besides, I just saved you. Shouldn’t you at least say thank you?”

At his words, the beautiful woman’s eyes showed a hint of disdain. As expected.

“Is that so?”

She suddenly stood up, the ropes behind her falling to the floor.

“I was already planning my escape, even without your help. And…” She paused, casting a teasing glance at Qin Xuan, “I’ve seen plenty of acts like ‘hero saving the damsel.’ If you want to pursue me, just do it openly—why bother with tricks? Your acting’s decent, but the director’s not up to par. No one can dodge bullets.”

Qin Xuan was utterly dumbfounded.

Hero saving the beauty?

Pursue you?

Acting, director?

What was she talking about?

“Damn!”

It wasn’t until the woman elegantly strode out of the workshop that Qin Xuan snapped back to reality. She thought he was putting on a show, staging a hero’s rescue just to get close to her.

“No wonder people say you can’t do good deeds these days—too easily misunderstood. Ah well, I didn’t expect anything from saving her. Consider it a bit of virtue,” Qin Xuan muttered, glancing at the unconscious burly man.

“If this really was an act, that guy was committed—his performance was top-notch.”

Qin Xuan picked up the rope and securely bound the burly man, then crushed the homemade pistol under his foot, leaving the workshop with a flourish.

Only then did he realize his predicament.

As he stepped out of the abandoned factory, he saw a red taxi speeding away in the direction he’d come from—the middle-aged driver had fixed the car. Sitting in the passenger seat was the very woman he’d just rescued, who shot him a look of disdain.

“What! She left me here?”

Qin Xuan stared around in disbelief.

Remote wilderness, silent and desolate. Within a few kilometers, aside from himself, only the unconscious brute remained in the abandoned factory.

“Damn, the gala at Qixia Manor…”

Qin Xuan cursed his luck. With dusk approaching and unfamiliar roads, making it to the evening banquet seemed increasingly unlikely.