After saying goodbye to Zhu Ying, Gu Qianlu followed the shopkeeper eastward.
She looked up and around, only to find that the inn was rectangular in layout, with thirty rooms on each of the east and west sides.
The inn's passageways were narrow, and the doors to the rooms were very close together, so as you passed by, you could hear all sorts of sounds coming from inside.
After turning through a straight corridor and entering through an archway, a complex environment comes into view.
Gu Qianlu's brow twitched slightly. She tried hard to remember the way she had come, and asked impatiently,
"Boss, your inn is so spacious! When will it be possible to get to my room?"
Upon hearing this, the innkeeper suddenly stopped in his tracks, his expression darkening, and after a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Young Master Luo, it's just ahead. This way, please."
A moment later, the two arrived at a guest room called "Fallen Plum Blossoms." The innkeeper gently pushed open a carved mahogany door for her, revealing a luxuriously decorated private room.
"Thank you for your trouble, shopkeeper! Here is the reward money. Please send some food over tonight."
"Alright! If Young Master Luo needs anything, just call the maid outside the door. I'll have someone bring the food over later after you've settled in."
"Alright! Thank you for your trouble! I'm a little tired, please take care, shopkeeper."
"It's no trouble at all, you're too kind, young master."
As evening approached, the setting sun gradually sank westward in the blue sky, and dazzling rays of light slowly emerged from the clouds.
A series of knocks came from the door, startling Gu Qianluo awake from her deep sleep.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. Because the sun had already set, the room was dark and gloomy, with only a few rays of light sneaking in through the window.
"Excuse me, are you Young Master Luo?" the man outside asked anxiously.
Gu Qianluo's brow twitched. Could it be the assassin who appeared in her dream?
When she didn't respond, the man continued to shout loudly.
"I am a servant at the inn. The manager sent me to bring you food!"
Young Master Luo! Young Master Luo! Can you hear me?
It turned out they had come to deliver dinner. Gu Qianlu breathed a sigh of relief, quickly threw off the thin blanket, and got out of bed.
After straightening my clothes, I quickly walked towards the door, which slowly opened with a creaking sound.
With a "bang," the innkeeper's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.
Gu Qianlu was startled. Seeing that something was wrong, she was about to close the door when a large hand heavily blocked the doorframe. A sinister gaze, like that of a hawk catching its prey, stared intently at her, and a cold voice said...
"Young Master Luo, you've finally opened the door! Someone wants to kill you! Excuse me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the masked man in black quickly drew a dagger from his waist and stabbed it fiercely into Gu Qianluo's chest.
Her eyes flashed, and she leaned back to dodge, but the masked man wouldn't give up and stabbed at her neck again.
She suddenly crouched down to avoid the blade, and while the masked man was standing, she quickly stretched out her left leg and swept it across his thigh. The masked man was knocked to the ground, and the dagger flew downstairs with a clang.
The murder weapon fell to the ground, but the masked man was still not giving up and threw dozens of poisoned needles from his pocket.
Gu Qianlu's heart sank. She picked up the table and chairs next to her and used them to shield herself, thus avoiding the poison needle attack.
Taking advantage of his free time, Gu Qianluo picked up a table and chair from the ground and threw them at him.
However, the masked man seemed to be protected by an iron wall, defiantly walking towards Gu Qianluo despite the various flying wooden chairs.
"Miss Gu, do you think you can escape my territory with your small frame?"
Gu Qianlu's eyes darkened. This person knew her identity, so he was probably not a bandit from the nearby mountains, but rather someone's henchman.
"Who are you? Who sent you to find me?"
"Enough with the nonsense! Prepare to die!"
The masked man channeled his inner energy and leaped upwards, flying towards Gu Qianluo.
Gu Qianluo was forced to retreat to the window and was about to jump down to escape when a series of arrows whistled from afar. The masked man was pierced through a vital spot by an arrow and fell backward with a thud.
"Second Madam! Are you alright?"
Through the faint moonlight, Gu Qianluo looked up and saw it was just bamboo shadows. She slowly climbed down from the windowsill and said calmly,
"It's alright, thank goodness you arrived in time, otherwise I would have jumped down."
Suddenly, a rough male voice came from outside the window, "Quick! They're up there! Get up here! We have to take them down tonight!"
This inn is built on the riverbank, with the surging river flowing right below the rooms.
Zhu Ying's heart sank. She quickly walked to the window and saw a group of mountain bandits slowly approaching the dock below the river.
"Oh no! Second Madam! These people are notoriously ruthless; we must leave immediately!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo quickly shouldered her only baggage and followed Zhu Ying to retreat.
"Second Madam, this way, there's a secret passage here!"
"You're quite impressive. You've even figured out the secret passage in just half a day?"
"Second Madam, you flatter me. Actually, it was the Second Young Master who taught me this."
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
"When the Second Young Master was working as a secret agent, he often taught me that when you go to an unfamiliar place, the first thing you should do is find a safe exit. You never know what might happen, so it's good to be prepared!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile, coldly praising, "He's thought of everything quite thoroughly."
"Yes, the second young master is quick-witted and skilled. To my shame, although I am his guard, it is he who protects me when there is danger."
"I never knew he had this side to him! By the way, Zhuying, where is the exit of the secret passage? Have you figured it out?"
"Don't worry, Second Madam, I've found out everything! The exit of the secret passage isn't far from Chaolu Manor, just a few miles away."
"That's good! This time it was a close call! Once things have settled down, tell me what the bandit looked like, and I'll draw his portrait and send it to the yamen."
"Yes, sir!"
"Bamboo Shadow! Look! The exit is just ahead!"
As the light in the dark passage grew brighter, a fast-flowing river immediately appeared before them as soon as they stepped out of the passage.
"Chaolu Manor is just across the river," Zhuying said excitedly.
Gu Qianlu looked at the deserted riverbank with a somber expression and asked, "It's so late, are there still any boats?"
"There are many stars and the weather is fine today, so the boatmen probably haven't rested yet."
The two walked quickly to the dock, where an old man saw them and waved and called out.
"Sir! Do you need to cross the river? My house is on the other side, and I only charge for one person." The old man bowed, his eyebrows furrowed, and said kindly.
"Looks like my luck isn't so bad today! Bamboo Shadow! Come on up."
Before Zhu Ying could even agree, Gu Qianluo had already stepped onto the small boat. Suddenly, several men in black appeared out of the boat, picked up the pole, and rowed off into the river.
"Second Madam!" Zhu Ying cried anxiously. She leaped into the river and swam toward the small boat that had kidnapped Gu Qianluo, but was swept back to the shore by the surging river.
"Second Madam! I will definitely find someone to rescue you!"
Seeing his disheveled appearance, Gu Qianluo's eyes turned cold, and she loudly instructed him.
"Bamboo Shadow! Don't take the risk!"
The small boat slowly drifted away from the shore, heading towards the small town on the opposite side.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
