"Who's there?"

Hua Linglong was no slouch. Even as she shouted the challenge, she stepped back on instinct and drove a palm at the man's chest.

But the man in black was terrifyingly good. Two of his fingers jabbed her wrist, and her whole arm went numb. She could barely lift it.

Before she could react, a short knife was at her throat.

Hua Linglong froze. She didn't dare move.

"Wh-who are you? I'm the daughter of the master of Mirror Moon Fort. If you dare hurt me, my father won't let you get away with it.

Let me go and I'll give you whatever you like... How much silver do you want?"

The man in black gave a lewd laugh. "The name's Bao Tianzong. Now does Heroine Hua know what I want?"

Hua Linglong blanched. Bao Tianzong, the flower-plucking bandit, was one of the most notorious men in the jianghu. (TL Note: 採花大盜, "the great flower-plucking bandit," the jianghu's name for a rapist who preys on women.)

The man in black cackled. "Your father has had his fun with well-born young ladies, married women and pleasure-house girls, but never with a heroine of the jianghu like you... Show your father a good time, and your father will let you live!"

Everyone in the jianghu knew that sick freak Bao Tianzong always raped his women and then killed them.

Hua Linglong went white. "Bao Tianzong, if you dare touch me, Mirror Moon Fort will never let you get away with it."

"Your father has roamed the jianghu for more than ten years, and even the Inspectorate can't do a thing about your father. I've dared to lay hands on you—you think I'm scared of Mirror Moon Fort? Heh heh heh... Now, little beauty, you'd better start thinking about how you're going to please me."

Hua Linglong was shaking. "Xie Siyu, save me!" she screamed.

"Let her go!"

The words had barely left Hua Linglong's mouth when Xie Siyu's voice rang out from the top of the wall.

He'd heard her the moment she first challenged the man in black.

Dressed…