Chapter 77 Tables and Chairs - Battle Damaged Version
The sheer power of that strike was overwhelming. The leading burly man looked in the direction the blade had come from and asked, "Who goes there?"
Jiang Xi, who did not descend the stairs, used one hand to vault down the pole, her body light and graceful, her toes barely touching the ground without raising any dust.
The man's swift and fluid movements seemed like a ghost to him; the person who was just upstairs appeared in the main hall in the blink of an eye, retrieved the sharp longsword, and sheathed it behind him.
When did such a master arrive at this run-down inn?
Cold sweat trickled down their foreheads; this was not someone they could handle.
I don't know what the expert's stance is, but it seems he's really annoyed with them today. If they had known someone was there, they would have come to take him later.
The burly man gestured backward, and the two attackers exchanged a glance and turned around.
"This is a matter between the two of us, and I hope you will not interfere, young hero," the burly man said, gripping his broadsword tightly.
"Beat them! Beat them hard! That's what we're after!" someone shouted.
At this moment, even the slightest change is enough to attract attention.
Looking up at the sound, they saw a girl with a cloak and long hair standing upstairs, pointing at them with one finger.
The burly man realized that the two were traveling together and became wary.
not good--!
Even more swift than the warning came the sound of a long sword cutting through the air, and the sharp, biting wind that rushed towards them.
Before he could even draw his sword, the burly man was sent flying, staggering back several steps.
"Brother!" The young men around him rushed to help him up, only to find that he had a wound on his chest, from which blood was gushing out.
Such a fast knife! He didn't even see how the person got in front of him.
A cold, sharp flash of light struck him, and he was severely injured.
The light was just like a beam of light right before my eyes—
"spread!!"
Before the words were even finished, several more people were seriously injured. They fell to the ground, writhing and wailing, their cries becoming the eerie and terrifying background noise of the Midnight Inn.
Fearing they would be next, the remaining men preemptively struck, nearly ten of them raising their knives at the man almost simultaneously.
A full crescent moon momentarily dazzled everyone's eyes; it was as if the man had spun his long sword in a full circle, the blade flashing brilliantly.
The shopkeeper swallowed hard, displaying astonishing strength.
Such a young swordsman, with such irresistible power, this person should not be unknown in the martial arts world.
He had been trapped in the inn for many days, unable to get any information from the outside world, and had no idea when such a master would appear.
"Shopkeeper?" the waiter called out, drawing the shopkeeper's attention back.
"It should be alright. You all step back and stay out of the way. I'll go and help him."
The waiter's eyes widened, and he slowly said, "Perhaps... we don't need it?"
The ground was covered with people. They were a group that had already lost out when fighting with the shopkeeper, and now they looked even more miserable.
Upon closer inspection, one will find that the wounds on their bodies are simple and clean, and can be described as fatal with a single cut.
Jiang Xi, knife in one hand, pressed closer step by step, his expressionless face resembling a demon ready to claim a life.
The fox-like eyes, with their upturned corners, lowered their gaze, looking up at the viewer with a cold, frosty expression, like a frozen river in winter.
"Ahem, young hero... please, have mercy! We brothers are all working for Lord Huang, cough, we're risking our lives. If you release us, the lord... will surely reward us handsomely!"
His pleas for mercy failed to stop him; the approaching footsteps foreshadowed his impending death.
Knowing he was doomed, the burly man quietly shifted his gaze to the girl upstairs.
If we capture her and use her to blackmail her... we might be able to find a way to survive.
He gave a signal with his eyes, and his henchmen, understanding his meaning, supported their injured bodies and dragged Jiang Xi's legs to take a step. The big man quickly got up. With his life in danger, he ignored his still bleeding wounds and forced himself to run.
He pulled a thin needle from his sleeve; the tip of the needle was poisoned, a poisoned needle that he would never use unless it was the last moment.
He could hold her hostage with a needle as soon as he got close!
The shopkeeper pulled out an abacus and aimed it at the Zhangmen acupoint on the side of the big man's abdomen. The big man's limbs immediately stiffened and his movements were hindered.
Then something passed through his knees. When he looked down and saw clearly, his legs had been cut off below his knees. His body went limp and he collapsed.
The severed legs, along with the long knife, were at his side.
There were no more screams behind him, only the dull footsteps approaching him.
Cold sweat poured down his back, and a fishy smell filled the air. The burly man bent over, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Jiang Xi stopped three steps away from him and drew his Moon Chasing Blade.
Crimson blood beads flowed smoothly down the blade to the tip, and with a shake, it remained pristine.
His expression at this moment could no longer be described as cold; his eyes were devoid of any light, more like a bottomless abyss, ready to devour everything.
Since he decided to harm Ah Ji, he was destined to die.
Jiang Xi slowly raised his head, and his eyes, hidden beneath his long hair, fell upon her, a glimmer of light flashing within them.
No, I can't die a horrible death in front of Aji.
An overly gruesome death would frighten Aji, and it wouldn't be good if it disturbed her sleep.
Fortunately, he had a way to make this person... die later.
Exhausted and yawning, Shang Yuji met the gaze of Jiang Xi, who looked downstairs with a bloodstained face, covered in dirt, and looking pitiful and aggrieved.
"..." Anyone would be exhausted after fighting against so many opponents.
She waved: "You've taught me a lesson enough, come back."
This statement was not only the final word, but in the eyes of the Han people, it was also a pardon for them.
He realized that he should never mess with these two people; only by avoiding them could he survive.
Jiang Xi picked up the long sword, her eyes gleaming, and leaped upstairs in a few steps.
"Shopkeeper, please bring us a bucket of hot water and some clean towels." She lowered her eyes, her voice as usual.
Although she initially planned to have Jiang Xi deal with both sides, she changed her mind after seeing the three girls who were clearly scared but were standing behind the shopkeeper.
He was so thin and frail, his clothes were covered in patches, and one could only roughly guess that he was young.
Shang Yuji shook the jade Fulai token in her hand: "Be quiet, don't disturb people's rest."
Upon seeing that the token in her hand was a special gift for distinguished guests of the Fulai Inn, the innkeeper finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Having a token at least indicates a friendly attitude towards the Fulai Inn.
Shang Yuji led Jiang Xi back to her room, and tonight's struggle ended in an unexpected way.
The little girl, still gripping the pestle, asked nervously, "Shopkeeper, what are we going to do next?"
"Boil hot water for those two..." the shopkeeper instructed, rubbing his temples.
These scoundrels in the hall must be dealt with properly; they must not be allowed to wake the two distinguished guests upstairs.
Fortunately, they were all subdued by that young hero, some even unconscious, making them relatively easy to deal with.
Distinguished guests holding tokens should be treated with the utmost hospitality, but the inn is currently strapped for cash and has no other choice.
"So what did they do?" the waiter asked.
"Tie him up first and throw him into the woodshed."
Hot water was brought over, and Shang Yuji dampened a towel to wipe the bloodstains from Jiang Xi's face.
He squinted and brought his cheek closer so she wouldn't get tired of her hands.
She crumpled up her outer robe and tossed it aside, saying, "I don't need it anymore. I'll buy a new one when I have time."
"good."
She wiped it clean, then cupped his cheeks in her hands: "You did a great job just now, what kind of reward do you want?"
Jiang Xi smiled and said, "I want Aji to hold me while I sleep!"
"that's all?"
"Yes."
He usually locks her up when they sleep. In Shang Yuji's opinion, it doesn't matter who hugs whom, but if he wants to, he'll just satisfy her, and it's not a difficult thing.
As soon as she lay down on the bed, drowsiness washed over her again, and Shang Yuji hugged the person who climbed onto the bed tightly.
Jiang Xi quieted down after being hugged, and he put one hand on her waist and slowly moved closer to her.
A moment later, she placed one foot on his hip, and his head was gently stroked.
Just now downstairs, when I saw the big man rushing towards Aji, the fear in my heart slowly dissipated, and that huge void gradually filled up.
His most comforting place was in her arms.
He lowered his gaze to a light kiss, then moved his lips downwards, his eyes half-closed: "A-Ji?"
Shang Yuji stopped what she was doing, yawned again, and said in a sleepy voice, "The hug was what you wanted, the kiss was what I gave. Okay, go to sleep."
Jiang Xi moved closer again, touching her skin, and softly responded, "Mmm..."
Enveloped by the familiar scent, he finally fell into a dream of pear blossoms.
I slept without any dreams.
When I get up in the morning and open the wooden window, the dense branches crowd into the room.
So this is the scapegoat tree that's been unfairly blamed and has had its growth suppressed.
Shang Yuji sat on the table and stool by the window. Jiang Xi took out two bright red hair ribbons embroidered with the character "Ji" and tied her hair in half, making two long braids that hung down behind her ears.
He put the warm towel on her face and dressed her in it. She kept her eyes closed the whole time, taking the opportunity to catch up on some sleep.
When it was his turn to tie his hair, she simply buried herself in front of him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and crossed them behind his slender and strong waist.
Silently say, "What a great back!"
Jiang Xi tied a loose long braid at the back of her head, secured with a sky-blue hair ribbon embroidered with the character "Xi".
Without hindering her from relying on herself, she reached out and put on the new outer robe.
After he finished dressing, seeing that she didn't seem inclined to get up, he leaned down and reached out to hug her back.
Realizing she could no longer slack off, Shang Yuji looked up from her reverie and said, "Let's go ask about what happened last night."
As I pushed open the door and went downstairs, I saw several little girls gathered together, trying to piece together and repair the broken tables and chairs.
The first thing I noticed upon entering was the patched-up marks on the tables and chairs.
There were two unfamiliar young girls among them, whom I hadn't seen last night, but they appeared to be even younger.
Upon seeing her, the five scattered hastily like quails, the older ones reaching out to protect the younger ones, all trembling with fear.
After a moment, the eldest one mustered his courage and asked in a low voice, "Miss, would you like to eat early?"
It was a bumpy road, but it looked like they had tried their best.
"I need two servings. Do you have vegetarian noodles?"
"Yes, yes, yes! We'll make it for you right away!"
In an instant, the five of them dashed off to the kitchen, not wanting to linger there any longer.
The shopkeeper scratched his head in frustration, came out from the backyard and saw the two standing beside the war-damaged and repaired tables and chairs. He quickly approached and asked softly with a smile, "What do you two need?"
My positive attitude is completely different from yesterday's.
Shang Yuji asked, "Can we sit at these tables and chairs?"
You can't eat breakfast standing up.
But can these rickety, weathered tables and chairs still be used?
The shopkeeper glanced at them and said confidently, "Yes, they are very good at repairing tables and chairs."
"?" So he has this kind of special skill?
The three sat down, and Shang Yuji asked, "What was the reason for last night's fight?"
"...It's a long story." The dark-skinned shopkeeper put the abacus aside and sighed.
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