Chapter 251 Strange Misunderstanding
Outside the Manjushri Bodhisattva Hall, in the square.
Two figures were locked in combat.
A woman in red and a lame old man in gray.
Below, a Persian merchant, accompanied by a group of black-clad swordsmen, was assisting the gray-robed old man.
This group of black-clad swordsmen were neatly arranged in formation and looked well-trained, unlike ordinary soldiers.
Even so, after a hundred breaths of fighting, Liu Fu gradually fell to the bottom and could no longer defend himself.
Something's not right.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly frowned.
"What am I doing? Am I trying to kill the enemy quickly, or protect Uncle Li's family? Right now, Wei Shaoxuan and the others haven't returned yet, which means they haven't captured anyone, which is good news. But if I drag this out here, what good will it do even if I have the advantage?"
Ever since she spent a long time by the side of a certain cheap senior brother, she has gotten into the habit of thinking things through more before and after dealing with matters.
call out!
With a flash of sword light, the woman in red seemed to suddenly spring into action, frightening away the lame steward.
The next instant.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly withdrew, turned around and ran away, which turned out to be a feint attack, and she left the battlefield.
Unexpectedly, Liu Fu, who had been passively and listlessly responding to attacks, suddenly stood up, his hair and beard bristling, and his eyes blazing with crimson spiritual energy. He rushed forward, delaying Xie Lingjiang's progress.
Seeing this, Xie Lingjiang knew perfectly well that the group of people had been half-hearted, allowing her to fight freely while deliberately stalling for time, even at the cost of the black-clad swordsmen's lives.
Xie Lingjiang's pretty face showed slight anger. She swung her sword backhand, preparing to force this clingy pest back.
Just then, a beam of sunlight, reflected off a mirror, shone from a sunny spot on the southeast side, stinging her eyes.
It resembled the light of a sword.
Xie Lingjiang squinted and turned her head to look, but she couldn't see the person holding the mirror. However, the other scene to the southeast made her break out in a cold sweat:
A group of black-clad swordsmen were lying prone on the southeast-facing roof. Behind them, people could be seen carrying a large amount of dogwood and mugwort onto the roof. The roof was piled high with dogwood and mugwort, and someone even took out a tinderbox, seemingly preparing to light it.
Upon closer inspection, it was not just this rooftop that was like this. In the direction where the southeast wind was blowing, several rooftops had unknowingly seen a number of black-clad swordsmen, preparing to set fire to dogwood and mugwort.
Just wait for the southeast wind to blow, and the pungent and agitated smell produced by the burning dogwood and mugwort will completely cover the square in front of the palace where she and Liu Fu had just fought.
Among the many kinds of "qi" in the world, Confucian practitioners are most close to the prevailing qi, and the gentle breeze is even known as the noble qi. This pungent and dry qi is the best at restraining the prevailing qi.
As a seventh-rank book reader, Xie Lingjiang was even more so, as the flow of spiritual energy was even smoother in a well-ventilated open area.
What a ruthless scheme! There must be military personnel among these black-clad swordsmen, or rather, this is a private army raised by the Wei family!
Xie Lingjiang was almost certain, because this was one of the methods that the army or other imperial military machinery had figured out to deal with Confucian Qi practitioners!
Reminded of something unexpected, Xie Lingjiang broke out in a cold sweat. Without saying a word, he shook off Liu Fu and, looking rather disheveled, made his way out of the square in front of the palace.
She leaped onto several rooftops on the southeast side, and coldly handed over her sword among the black-clad swordsmen.
Swish swish swish—!
A flash of cold light, and the black-clad swordsmen who were about to ignite the turmoil fell in a row, while the others scattered like birds and beasts.
Xie Lingjiang escaped the encirclement.
Below, Liu Fu, Boss Li, and the others, who were about to take out a damp cloth to cover their mouths and noses, were immediately furious.
"You arrogant little girl, don't run!"
Liu Fu chased after him to the rooftop.
Xie Lingjiang ignored him, snorted coldly, and leaped over several rooftops, heading southeast.
Liu Fu wanted to give chase, but the next second, during the pursuit, he had just landed on the roof of a large hall when he caught a glimpse of a girl in a Wu dress a few feet to his side, with a sword on her back and her head tilted, quietly watching him.
The lame steward was terrified. If he hadn't seen her with his own eyes, his senses as a seventh-grade Qi cultivator wouldn't have even detected this strange girl.
Just as it was delivered to her door, the mute girl in the Wu skirt hesitated for a moment, but still raised her hand and put it over her shoulder.
Bang--!
With a deafening crash that shattered the roof, the lame foreman's figure shot off the roof and fled desperately.
Thump!
A withered, thin arm landed heavily on the black tiles at the mute girl's feet.
The sword on her back had long been sheathed.
Liu Fu clutched his severed arm and fled the rooftop in shock and disbelief.
"It's a Yue woman! Run!"
On a rooftop twenty feet away, a woman in red hesitated, then stopped, frowning as she turned back.
Xie Lingjiang watched as Liu Fu and Boss Li's flustered figures disappeared from sight, then turned her head slightly to look at the rather familiar figure of the girl carrying a sword.
The mute embroiderer, dressed in a Wu-style skirt, happened to be standing on the roof of the Sanhui Courtyard where someone had lived, holding a bundle of men's clothing in her hand.
If you look closely, you'll find that the clothes in her hands belong to a young county magistrate, and were recently "knitted" and given to him by a white-haired maid.
For some unknown reason, it appeared in the Sanhui Courtyard of Donglin Temple, and now it has returned to the hands of the mute embroiderer.
Noticing Xie Lingjiang's curious gaze from afar, the embroiderer hid her tightly clenched hand behind her back.
Xie Lingjiang sheathed her sword, clasped her hands in a respectful gesture, and said, "Thank you for reminding me, young lady!"
The embroiderer looked at her and nodded.
"What a coincidence..."
The girl in the Wu skirt seemed somewhat introverted and shy. Xie Lingjiang spoke softly, glancing around hesitantly:
"You happen to be here too, young lady? We just met down the mountain, and now we've met again here..."
Xie Lingjiang noticed that on the rooftop ahead, the girl who felt so close to her suddenly lowered her head, her ears turning bright red.
"That's not what I meant." Xie Lingjiang quickly explained, "I didn't say you were following me, please don't misunderstand, young lady. Of course you're not a bad person, otherwise why would you have saved me just now, and even... helped me draw my sword?"
The embroiderer looked up and glanced somewhat shyly at the noble lady from the Xie family.
In fact, she was not wrong in her suspicions.
The embroiderer did indeed accompany her up the mountain to search for the person.
Because... the embroiderer couldn't find him.
However, following certain clues along the way, she went to the Sanhui Courtyard where Ouyang Rong had stayed.
The embroiderer's small hands gripped her clothes tightly from behind her waist.
She went empty-handed again. Where did he go? All the traces she left behind before she left have disappeared. Now she can hardly find any trace of him.
On the rooftop, the young woman from Wuqun, who had sneaked out, looked up at the sky above.
The accumulated, rich scent of incense over the years has made Dagushan a natural dark room in the eyes of Qi practitioners, concealing too many traces and auras.
Even the embroiderer could walk openly in the sunlight, without needing to hide or worry about being caught by the sect or her senior sisters.
Xie Lingjiang was unaware of the girl in the Wu skirt's subtle thoughts. Her gaze fell on the severed arm at the embroiderer's feet. After looking at it for a while, she leaned closer and said with bright eyes:
"Your attire... makes you a female cultivator from Yunmeng Sword Swamp?"
The embroiderer was lost in thought and let out a soft "hmm" through her nose.
Xie Lingjiang immediately started talking:
"You were also attracted by the commotion of the Liu family casting the sword? It must be. Yunmeng Sword Marsh is upstream. By the way, do you know Zhao Qingxiu? She's Yue Chuzi from the Queen's Palace."
The embroiderer nodded shyly, then shook her head.
"What do you mean, you know her but aren't close?" Xie Lingjiang asked curiously. "What does she look like?"
The embroiderer's face showed a hesitant expression, which finally coalesced into a single, all-encompassing word: "Ah?"
Xie Lingjiang suddenly realized, "You can't speak... but you can understand?"
The embroiderer opened her small mouth slightly and nodded: "Mmm."
Xie Lingjiang looked apologetic:
"Yunmeng is indeed full of extraordinary women. By the way, are you looking for someone?"
"Then you must have come to the wrong place. This is Da Gushan. The forge for casting the Ding Sword is on Xiao Gushan, which is across the river from the county town at the foot of the mountain. When I passed by there, I saw a Yue woman of the Yunmeng Sword Marsh level competing with a Qi cultivator invited by the Liu family for the Ding Sword."
Xie Lingjiang revealed this with a serious expression, but the embroiderer gave a soft "oh" and still didn't move, turning her head to look at the Buddhist temple around her.
Xie Lingjiang was about to leave when she hesitated for a moment and asked:
"Miss, if I have the opportunity to visit Yunmeng Sword Marsh next time, could you please introduce me to Zhao Qingxiu?"
The embroiderer tilted her head, her face filled with confusion.
Xie Lingjiang frankly said, "I've wanted to get to know her for a long time."
Seeing the mute girl in the Wu skirt looking troubled, Xie Lingjiang explained:
"Don't misunderstand, it's not a personal grudge. It's just that when we were studying and practicing Qi cultivation, my father always mentioned Zhao Qingxiu. I know he was the one who suppressed my arrogance, but I always felt like I was someone else's child."
"However, looking around, among her peers, Zhao Qingxiu is indeed the most famous in the Tiannan Jianghu. It can be said that she also has good fortune in her birth. Compared to Yue Chuzi, who was born with a higher starting point, she is a little unconvinced. But don't worry, young lady, don't worry, we will only compare words, not martial arts."
The embroiderer quickly nodded, "Yes!"
Seeing her adorable, slightly dazed expression, Xie Lingjiang paused, her tone becoming more intimate:
"Is it because you're not familiar with her, even though you're from the same sect, that you're hesitant to agree? No problem, we'll talk about it later. I can't leave right now, my senior brother is here..."
At this point, Xie Lingjiang's expression darkened, all light vanished from her eyes, and she looked around blankly.
The embroiderer looked around and let out a soft "ah".
Xie Lingjiang leaped to a sandy spot, picked up a wooden stick with his toe, and handed it out, his tone somewhat disappointed: "What do you want to ask? If you can read, you can write it down? I also have urgent business to attend to and must leave quickly."
The embroiderer lowered her head, somewhat afraid to face her.
Xie Lingjiang waited for a while, but received no reply. Looking into the mute girl's eyes, she suddenly said, "Actually, I know you."
The mute girl's body was tense.
Xie Lingjiang asked the embroiderer, whose face was tense, "Last time when Yunmengze flooded, my senior brother was saving the dam at Digong Dam. In that critical moment, didn't you pass by the dam and draw your sword to save people?"
The embroiderer nodded, still glancing at her expression.
Xie Lingjiang glanced at the severed finger and slender hand beneath the mute girl's sleeve and explained:
"Later I heard people describe your characteristics... Senior Brother is very responsible and hands-on. Thank you for your help, Miss."
Xie Lingjiang expressed her sincere gratitude to the outsiders on behalf of her senior brother.
The mute girl, who was struggling with how to exchange information with Xie Lingjiang, seemed to have realized something upon hearing this, and suddenly turned her head to stare at the direction upstream of Di Gongzha.
Warning smoke signals could be seen rising from the mountains upstream.
In the eyes of the embroiderer, she also saw other scenes. The water vapor above Di Gongzha was extremely chaotic, and it was one of the few places in Longcheng County that could cover his traces.
Given Tanlang's personality, right now he...
"Why is the girl's forehead covered in sweat?" Xie Lingjiang frowned.
The two women had difficulty communicating. The mute girl, who had rushed back to Longcheng, became breathless, turned her head to look north, and her eyes were full of self-blame and panic.
The embroiderer felt as if she had overlooked the most likely destination.
Tanlang might be on that precarious Di Gong Gate!
...
Beitian Salon, a small courtyard.
Ouyang Rong was unaware that the two women had met and gotten to know each other, nor was he aware of the mute girl's concern that had clouded her judgment.
Upon hearing the sounds of Liu Fu and the others in the distance, he immediately put on the Mirage Beast Mask.
Under the sunlight, the air seemed to distort, and someone appeared to have switched places with another person.
"Don't move."
Ouyang Rong's tone left no room for doubt as he put his arm around Li Guo'er's slender waist.
“You are Ouyang…” Li Guo’er realized, and her face immediately flushed red. Fortunately, the thin veil covered her face, but her wide almond eyes could not be hidden.
Li Guo'er hurriedly pushed his arms away with both hands.
Ouyang Rong stared straight ahead, frowned slightly, and squeezed out a voice through gritted teeth: "If you won't leave when I tell you to, then stay and don't hold us back."
As soon as he finished speaking, he let go of her hand and instead grabbed her wrist through her sleeve.
The woman behind him had arms as slender as bamboo joints, smooth and warm.
But being held by the man's large hand and having intimate contact with him was a completely different and novel experience for Li Guo'er.
Her delicate body stiffened, trembling occasionally. She felt her limbs go weak and numb, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She struggled carefully, but the footsteps coming from outside the courtyard were getting closer, and Ouyang Rong gripped her even tighter.
Li Guo'er secretly puffed out her cheeks, temporarily giving in.
Her struggles and arm-swinging movements happened to be seen by Liu Fu, Boss Li, and others who rushed into the courtyard.
Has the young master caught up with and tamed the beauty?
The group, who had been frowning, exchanged glances and immediately breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that their efforts to buy time had not been in vain.
What happened to your arm?
Ouyang Rong was the first to step forward to greet him, looking concerned.
"Young master, this old servant has encountered a tough opponent, and I was careless..." Liu Fu cried.
Ouyang Rong listened calmly, frowned slightly, and patted the old man's shoulder again:
"That Xie Lingjiang, and that meddlesome Yue woman, they're really asking for it. Don't worry, I'll deal with them properly in the future... The Wei Prince's Mansion will never mistreat you."
"Thank you, Sixth Young Master!" Liu Fu was moved, and vaguely felt that the young master seemed a bit more approachable.
Li Guo'er's wrist was grabbed, and the two stood very close together. She looked down at her wrist and occasionally tried to struggle, hoping to secretly pull it out.
But Ouyang Rong's attention was not on that; he was silently observing Liu Fu, Boss Li, and the dozen or so black-clad swordsmen who had come with them in the courtyard.
"Sixth Young Master, why are you alone here? Where is everyone else besides Princess Li?"
“He went to catch up with Uncle Li Xian. After all…” Ouyang Rong turned his head and smiled at Li Guo’er, who was glaring at him, “He might be my father-in-law in the future, right? He can’t be absent, can he?”
"Sixth Young Master, why does the courtyard look like this..." Liu Fu and Boss Li looked around, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
Ouyang Rong stroked the black plaque with the character "Wei" at his waist and smiled:
"It was the work of a craftsman. I had just drawn my sword when some ignorant fellow tried to test it out. Unfortunately, you can't see him anymore; he's scattered all over the ground and can't be pieced together."
"Congratulations, young master! Congratulations!"
Some people looked around at the old, young, sick and disabled people huddled in the corner of the courtyard and didn't think there was anything wrong with these lowly people looking at their young master with fear in their eyes.
At most, they were slightly puzzled as to why some of them were looking at them with strange eyes, but for a moment, no one paid attention to the unusual behavior of these defenseless commoners.
"Young master, don't let these ignorant fellows spoil your mood. Today is a joyous day!"
Boss Li and others offered their congratulations, one of them saying in a harsh voice:
"Young master has obtained the sword, and with our protection, why don't we go back now and give Lady Xie and that Yue woman a surprise?"
"No rush, they'll fall into my hands sooner or later."
Ouyang Rong spoke casually, squinting at the seventh-rank Qi cultivator with a missing arm before him, lightly patting the sword box at his feet, revealing a kind smile:
"Come on, let me reward you by showing you something and letting you get familiar with it."
"What is that?" Liu Fu and Boss Li looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Of course, I'd like to admire my cauldron and sword."
(End of this chapter)
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