Chapter 75: On the Formation of Wars for Bride Abduction

Looking back, it was probably a bit much to snatch off his sunglasses. The ancients used to say, “A gentleman may be killed, but never humiliated.” Among many ethnic minorities, in the midst of various complex insecurities, such self-respect is emphasized all the more—being shamed can feel even worse than being killed.

Bai Haonan thought he had made an example to intimidate the crowd, but found instead that a whole group of men, faces twisted with rage, surged at him, shouting even more wildly!

Oh, for heaven’s sake!

Facing someone who had calmly picked his moment earlier, anything could happen in the chaos of a mass brawl! Every one of these men was wielding a steel knife!

Once again, Bai Haonan did what no one would have expected—not a hint of resistance, not even a shouted threat. Without hesitation, he turned and ran. Of course, as he passed the flowerbed, he grabbed Isa with one hand, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and took off at a sprint!

Weren't heroes supposed to be bold? Just moments ago, he’d dealt with their leader so effortlessly, and now he showed not a shred of backbone. The tourists and locals lining the street were stunned; some visitors might have even thought it was some kind of street performance and broke into applause!

Naturally, as Bai Haonan turned and ran, those who had just been swaggering at his side were startled, yet instinctively followed his lead. Some even waved jauntily at the crowd, showing not the slightest sign of defeat—what’s wrong with a strategic retreat?

Isa was clearly taken aback too, wanting to say something but, jostled on Bai Haonan’s shoulder, found herself speechless. Lifting her head, she saw he’d already dashed halfway down the street—and couldn’t help but burst into laughter!

He could really run!

On a street only wide enough for two cars, movable flowerbeds had been installed for tourists’ safety, leaving only a single lane for traffic, with sidewalks on either side. Now, many tourists stood atop the flowerbeds, watching the excitement. Seeing the “leading man” rushing by with the unmistakable “leading lady” slung over his shoulder, they scrambled aside to clear a path, making Bai Haonan’s dash feel as if he was parting the waves.

Chen Sufen, standing on a flowerbed herself, could only shake her head in disbelief at Bai Haonan’s knack for stirring up trouble wherever he went. No one was bothering her, though; she simply watched as the group of men brandishing steel knives stormed past, while Bai Haonan, built like a professional athlete, ran like the wind.

Beautiful girls are rarely heavy, and carrying such a girl on his shoulder even gave Bai Haonan a boost of adrenaline. As he ran, he couldn’t resist letting his hand stray over Isa’s robe.

In Bai Haonan’s mind, since things had already gotten this chaotic, he might as well steal a few more moments for himself.

Such cheeky behavior in the midst of chaos might have left other girls dumbfounded, but Isa was clearly made of sterner stuff—her laughter only grew louder.

But the grudge had been well and truly born. Even as Bai Haonan broke out of the town and the gap widened, the men still gave relentless chase, bent on violence. Thankfully, Isa’s brothers and sisters were loyal, sticking close behind him rather than scattering.

Bai Haonan, for his part, thought these guys were hopelessly stubborn. If they’d just slipped away quietly, they’d be much harder to find. The two of them could have easily ducked into a patch of woods and... Hang on. Once outside the town, Bai Haonan stopped short.

Barren hills stretched as far as the eye could see, not a tree in sight, only wasteland rolling to the horizon!

It would make a great backdrop for a cavalry charge in some epic film, but hiding a person? Impossible!

Glancing back, he saw that some of the pursuers had found motorcycles. Good grief, even a professional athlete’s legs are no match for wheels!

Knowing further flight was pointless, Bai Haonan stopped. Isa’s panting siblings caught up, giving him enthusiastic thumbs-up. They were too winded to speak, but here he was, still carrying a girl without even breathing hard—impressive, truly impressive!

Isa, perched high on his shoulder, could see even farther. She thumped his back, signaling to be let down, and once on her feet, declared with gusto, “Let’s finish them! Where’s my knife?”

Bai Haonan wondered what kind of girl he’d gotten himself mixed up with—was she the captain of a rebel brigade, some wildcat craving a fight? He could only pull the knife from her belt and hand it to her. “Can’t we talk things through? Must it always come to blows?”

Isa’s features, with their deep-set eyes and long corners, hinted at mixed blood. Even when she shot him a sidelong glare, it was full of playful reproach and flirtatious charm. “You stole his wife—how could he not fight you to the death?”

Bai Haonan sighed deeply. “Everything can be discussed. I could just give you back...” He barely finished before Isa shot him a fierce glare and reached for her knife. “Don’t you dare!”

Though Bai Haonan held both her long and short knives in one hand, Isa’s siblings offered him a whole assortment to choose from. Was there no such thing as divorce in this tribe? He stretched his neck, resigned to reality. “Who? Which unlucky fellow is it?”

The siblings chattered, “He’s not here, must be out hunting today. If he comes back... hey, want us to fetch you a hunting rifle?”

What?

There were guns too?

Bai Haonan nearly fainted. This was turning out to be an awfully expensive night!

For the first time in his life, he seriously considered keeping his pants zipped. Utterly bereft, he wanted to surrender. “This can’t be! We live in a law-abiding society, it’s the twenty-first century, the age of the internet—how is it that knives and guns come out at the drop of a hat...”

But there was no time to complain. The pursuers caught up, gasping for breath. They fared no better than Isa’s siblings; many were doubled over, hands on their knees, and two even collapsed to the ground. Isa’s siblings, being younger, had an advantage. The pursuers, mostly uncles and older men—relatives of the unlucky fellow, apparently—were exhausted.

Bai Haonan realized this was the perfect moment to catch them off-guard, just like on the soccer field...

But before he could act, the only girl who hadn’t been running suddenly snatched a steel knife from her siblings and charged in with a shriek!

A girl barely over five foot three, wearing ordinary black low-heeled shoes, scrambling over a hillside of dirt and gravel, her pale blue robe torn at one side—Bai Haonan’s head ached.

Was this girl really so combative?

Yesterday, sitting quietly under the eaves, she’d seemed as gentle as a kitten. Who knew she’d be so fierce once riled?

But whatever the case, Bai Haonan felt it was his duty to follow, so he leapt after her, warning the others, “Stay back! Don’t come over—too many people will only make things worse!”

Knives—everywhere he looked, people were armed!

Couldn’t they just sit down, share a bun, and talk things out? He hadn’t even planned to take the girl...

Suddenly, Bai Haonan realized—if he couldn’t win, he could just run. If things got out of hand, he could take Isa and leave. Once she was gone, the rest would be much simpler. Let the world turn upside down if it must.

In any contest or fight, you have to identify your goal first—only then do you have fighting spirit.

And right now, Bai Haonan felt invincible.