Chapter 33 033 You brat... don't fall into my hands!!!
The hottest days of summer have passed in the blink of an eye. Last night, no sooner had the group from Riyuebao left than a torrential downpour began.
The torrential rain brought a long-awaited coolness, and before we knew it, autumn had arrived.
When Jiang Ling'er woke up, the little poisoner had already returned and was drinking the porridge that Aunt Yang had cooked. Jiang Ling'er glanced at the motionless bedding, paused, and then sat down as if nothing had happened. Ji Yunshu and her group left, and they even took the puppet with them. Besides, so much had happened last night… She had a rare day off this morning, but after only a short rest, she felt restless all over, starting with her hands, as if ants were crawling all over her body.
It doesn't matter if the puppet is lost. She can practice her leg techniques by hitting tree stumps, practicing with sparrows, crows, and other birds, or even fight with her own two hands while blindfolded... In short, there are so many ways she can practice!
She didn't want to, couldn't, or even be able to stop for a moment, because only by seizing every second could she make up for the time she had lost and wasted!
Thinking this, she couldn't wait even a moment longer. She hurriedly gulped down a bowl of plain porridge and wanted to go practice martial arts, but a familiar voice came from the opposite side and stopped her:
"Get ready, we'll be leaving in three days."
Jiang Ling'er was stunned for a moment and almost choked. She patted her chest for a while before barely managing to swallow the porridge in her throat. She suddenly stood up, placed her hands on the table, leaned over and stared at the person in front of her, her almond-shaped eyes wide open:
"Leave...where?"
The little poisoner slowly finished the last mouthful of porridge before leisurely setting down the bowl. Hearing this, he glanced at her as if she were an idiot, but what he first noticed was the white rice grains stuck to her chest, the porridge wetting her undershirt. They were only a small space between them on the table. After a slight pause, he awkwardly looked away, staring at the rain dripping from the leaves outside the window. His Adam's apple bobbed… After the warm porridge entered his stomach, he let out a soft scoff.
"Where else can we leave? Are we going to stay in this little mountain village forever?"
Jiang Ling'er paused upon hearing this, and the next moment her fingernails gripped the corner of the table tightly, her lips turning white.
He... is right.
They can't stay here forever.
But--
Her gaze involuntarily followed Granny Yang washing clothes outside. Granny Yang was blind and couldn't do delicate work. Jiang Ling'er had originally wanted her to rest, but she couldn't stay idle, saying that a young lady's hands needed to be nurtured, and refused to do any rough work, taking over all the household chores. Her arrival and that of Little Poison seemed to have injected new life into the old body that was originally called "Granny Yang." She gradually became less "confused," and life became more hopeful. But now... they were going to take that life back.
Jiang Ling'er didn't speak, but her fingernails scratched a harsh mark under the tightly closed desk.
The little poisonous creature had very sharp ears; after a slight pause, it finally turned to look at the person in front of it. This time, it deliberately avoided looking at the rice grains stained the person's front, raised an eyebrow, glanced at her, and seeing her forlorn expression, pursed its lips and offered a rare explanation:
“The fact that Ji Yunshu has appeared means we can’t stay here any longer. Since Ji Yunshu can be found, Di Qing will find us sooner or later.” He paused, then suddenly added, “But there’s something important I need to do before I leave…”
Jiang Ling'er listened intently, but after a long while, the person stopped talking.
She knew that the little poisoner was always very sparing with words, and that she would usually spend half a day trying to get a single word out of him during breakfast. But today, he had broken his silence and said a lot.
He'll say what he wants to say, and if he doesn't want to say it, there's no point in trying to get him to talk.
Jiang Ling'er naturally wouldn't want to make a fool of herself, but after a long silence, she finally couldn't help but say dryly:
"Then... what about her?"
The meaning of "she" is self-evident.
However, the little poisoner did not answer her, but only raised an eyebrow at her, sneered, and asked her in return:
"What does it have to do with me?"
Jiang Ling'er was startled, biting her lower lip tightly, her hand gripping the table so hard that her knuckles turned white. She turned her head to stare at Granny Yang outside the window, her lips pressed tightly together, and said nothing more.
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After hastily drinking a bowl of porridge, Jiang Ling'er didn't go to practice her martial arts. Instead, she chopped all the firewood in the backyard. Chopping just enough for today and tomorrow wasn't enough; she chopped enough for the entire next month. This time, she unusually firmly refused Aunt Yang's offer. After finishing the firewood, she started looking for work all over the house, doing everything she could before finally shouldering her basket and heading out.
Throughout the ordeal, the little poisonous creature silently watched her, and finally, it raised its hands behind its head and lazily followed her into the fields.
The silence continued until Jiang Ling'er bent down to roll up her trouser legs, when suddenly someone tugged at a strand of her hair.
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Jiang Ling'er paused, then ignored it. She continued rolling up the left pant leg, and just as she was about to roll up the right one, her hair was tugged again. She frowned but still ignored it.
Soon, they tugged a third and a fourth time.
Finally, on the fifth time, she couldn't hold back anymore. When the little poisoner was about to pull her hair again, she pushed him away with her hand. However, the little poisoner was faster. Perhaps he had been waiting for this moment. He grabbed her hair and then grabbed her wrist as she tried to pull back. Before Jiang Ling'er could react, she was pulled up. The movement was so fast that it was almost a blur. The next moment, the basket on her back was in his hands!
This move was so beautiful that Jiang Ling'er couldn't help but brighten her eyes and exclaim "Good!" in her heart! However, she only paused for a moment before reacting quickly. Her slender yet strong waist swayed slightly in the air like wheat waves being swayed by a gentle breeze. She steadied herself with a small horse stance and pulled the shoulder strap at the end of the small basket back half an inch!
This time, the little poisoner paused, narrowed his eyes, and stared at her for a while, noticing her hand, which was smaller than his, clutching the bra strap. He then snorted.
"It seems that all that training these past few days... hasn't been in vain."
"Of course!" Jiang Ling'er grabbed the shoulder strap and pulled it a little closer, her eyes sparkling, as if two flames were burning in her almond-shaped eyes. "Anyway, you're leaving soon, so you don't need to pretend to be a good husband anymore... Give it back!"
She was still holding back a nameless anger.
Although she knew she would have to leave this small village sooner or later, the little poisoner's simple, heartless four words, "What does it have to do with me?" still stung her.
Was all our usual interaction just a charade?
Was his compassion fake?
Could it be... could it be that he is an ungrateful snake?
She still thought... she still thought they were a family!
Seemingly sensing her thoughts, the little poisoner's eyes darkened, his deep black pupils filled with mockery. He uttered two words with a slight movement of his thin lips:
No, not back.
As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled her with all his might, causing Jiang Ling'er to stumble and bump into his arms. When she looked up, she met the little poisoner's dark, inky eyes, which reflected her bewildered, pale face.
The little poisonous creature looked down at her, who was leaning against his chest, and smiled. But the words that followed were like a knife, each one stabbing at her sore spots:
"Are you angry? What are you angry about? Is this the first day you've met me? I've been ruthless for a long time, are you really angry at my ruthlessness or... my own incompetence?"
Jiang Ling'er gritted her teeth, her eyes red with anger. Using a light-footed move like "Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow," she bypassed his chest, released her grip on the shoulder straps, and then fiercely gripped the basket with both hands, even using thirty percent of her internal energy!
Not to be outdone, the little poisonous creature gripped the shoulder strap of the basket tightly. The woven rattan strap outlined a bright red line on his jade-white hand, creating an eerie yet poignant beauty against the backdrop of the prominent veins on the back of his hand.
Soon the small basket was stretched to its limit by their pulling, neither of them willing to let go first, and they were locked in a struggle. As they were at an impasse, the sounds of farmers chatting and laughing nearby reached their ears.
"Oh my, do you know about the old镖头 (old镖头 is a nickname for a镖师, meaning镖师, who is the best镖师 in the world) in Jinling?"
"Of course! It spread yesterday! Back in the day, the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) even ran a porridge shop here to help with disaster relief. He was a truly famous and upright hero! I never would have thought... I never would have thought..."
The news of the genius's first dart has finally reached this small village, and it must be known throughout the world by now.
Upon hearing the words "Old Escort," Jiang Ling'er paused slightly. In the martial arts world, the difference between skilled fighters often lies in the smallest of margins. She had only been distracted for a moment when the little poisonous creature's internal energy backfired on her. She let out a muffled groan as her hand went numb. She subconsciously let go, and the basket shattered into pieces of rattan fragments right before her eyes.
She stared blankly at the vines scattered on the ground for a long while before squatting down and picking them up piece by piece, putting them into her bosom.
It wasn't the frustration of being defeated by the little poison, nor the helplessness and anger of hearing others belittle her father again.
She silently calculated in her heart, "It's over."
They even managed to break Grandma Yang's simple basket.
Before you leave, you must make sure to pick up one, no, two.
Okay, three it is.
Having a few extras is never a bad thing.
Meanwhile, the farmers' idle chatter continued:
"Bah! You can never judge a book by its cover! He appears to be a chivalrous hero of the martial world, but who would have thought he's such a treacherous villain who colludes with the Jurchens and the Demonic Cult..." The words of disgust abruptly stopped, turning into a plea for mercy, "Help...help me!"
Jiang Ling'er paused, looking up to see that the little poisonous creature had somehow walked up to the farmers, grabbed one of them by the neck, and lifted him up, tightening its grip on his neck inch by inch. Its voice was cold:
"What did you say? Say it again."
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
What is he doing?
Jiang Ling'er blinked rapidly, her eyes blank. Seeing the farmer's face turn from red to green, and the other farmers shouting and crowding around, realizing the situation was getting out of control, she abruptly stood up and strode to the little poisoner, grabbing his hand that was choking the farmer… but she couldn't budge it!
The little poisonous creature stared menacingly at the panting farmer in its palm, an expression it had never shown before, even during the fiercest arguments.
She was not surprised at all that the little poisonous creature would snap his neck in the next moment.
In fact, Jiang Ling'er no longer cares about what others say about the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort). She is no longer the easily angered person she used to be; instead, she gets along with Little Poison.
That's strange.
Jiang Ling'er glanced at him again. The little poisoner's handsome face, though pale, remained calm and still, as if he were looking at an ant as he stared at the farmer struggling in vain in his palm.
But Jiang Ling'er knew that the little poisoner was deep in thought despite his young age, and the more expressionless he appeared, the angrier he was inside.
For what...?
He wasn't cursing his own father, so why is he getting so worked up?
She hadn't forgotten how the coachman at the inn had also cursed his father as a treacherous villain, and how Little Poison had even forbade her from standing up for him that time. She remembered clearly the warning he'd given her that day—
Don't cause me any unnecessary trouble. If you get entangled with someone like this, I won't save you, understand? Not only will I not save you, I'll also gouge out your eyes and give them to him myself. Got it?
What, you've forgotten everything you said after only ten or twenty days?
Jiang Ling'er stared at the little poisoner's handsome profile, blinked her almond-shaped eyes rapidly, and looked even more bewildered.
Actually, these strange behaviors of the little poisonous creature have been happening for a while now, but today it's no longer being concealed, or rather... there's no time to conceal them.
She couldn't pretend she hadn't seen it or convince herself she'd misread it. It was like a drop of water falling into a calm lake; in that instant, her heartstrings twitched, and her long eyelashes trembled. She seemed to sense something; her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly before relaxing again.
But seeing the farmer's face turn from blue to black, and people running around shouting to report to the authorities, Jiang Ling'er had no choice but to keep quiet. Seeing that she couldn't pull the little poisonous creature away, she could only grit her teeth and whisper in his ear:
"No...didn't you say we should keep things quiet and avoid trouble?! What are you doing now?! You hurry up..." Jiang Ling'er pinched his arm hard and said fiercely, "Let go of me!"
Jiang Ling'er used considerable force, and the little poisonous creature frowned and released its grip.
The farmer fell to the ground, clutching his neck and coughing violently; he had at least escaped death.
The farmer coughed and struggled to his feet: "Zhao... Zhao Dalang, you...you wait! I won't let you get away with this, I...I'll go report to the authorities right now..."
Jiang Ling'er wanted to step forward to stop the farmer, but the little poisonous creature was faster than her. With two long strides, it blocked the farmer's path. The farmer trembled, still in shock. Even Jiang Ling'er thought to herself, "This is bad!"
But the little poisonous creature bowed respectfully to the farmer, leaving not only the farmer but also Jiang Ling'er stunned in place.
The little poisoner seemed like a different person; a sincere and apologetic smile graced his handsome face as he repeatedly apologized to the farmer, even squeezing out the few copper coins he had left and stuffing them into the farmer's hand.
"Uncle, please forgive me. It's just that my mother... my mother is seriously ill, and I was so worried that I lost my composure..."
Jiang Ling'er was taken aback, stunned, and quickly said, "Seriously ill? When did Aunt Yang...?"
The little poisonous creature glanced back at her, and Jiang Ling'er paused, then shut her mouth.
The farmer's expression softened after receiving the money. He then noticed that "Yang Dalang" was sincere, even cowardly, and looked like he had lost his parents. His worried expression seemed genuine. The farmer thought to himself that concern can cloud judgment, and even a cornered dog will jump over a wall. He figured that Yang Dalang must be seriously ill, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to change the nature of such a sickly man.
It's clear that Yang Dalang was indeed a filial son.
He stuffed the copper coins into his pocket, cursing and berating "Yang Dalang" for a while. Seeing that "Yang Dalang" kept his head down and accepted the coins without uttering a word of rebuttal, he finally felt relieved and waved them away.
"Alright, alright, it's only because your uncle is a good person. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't be so lenient! I'll let you off this time. Your mother's health wasn't good to begin with, and now this illness is like a landslide, and she's already so old... Sigh, you should go back now."
The little poisoner whispered, "Thank you, Uncle." Then, tugging at Jiang Ling'er's sleeve, he turned and walked back.
After being pulled along for several dozen steps, Jiang Ling'er stared at the person beside her with a bewildered expression once she saw that no one else was around:
"...Hey, what are you doing? Why did you lie to him that Aunt Yang was seriously ill?"
Yang was perfectly fine before she left. Was it just to lie and make the farmer give up the idea of reporting to the authorities?
But Little Poison wouldn't be afraid of him reporting to the authorities, nor does he seem like the kind of person who would apologize to someone just to cover up a lie.
Unless there's an ulterior motive.
But the little poisonous creature had no intention of replying to her at all. Its long legs moved very fast, and she had to walk quickly to keep up.
The little poison was acting so strangely that she couldn't help but suspect that... Aunt Yang might really be seriously ill?
Jiang Ling'er was startled and dared not delay any longer. She pushed the little poisoner away, grabbed her long skirt and tied a knot on her calf, and ran back!
The little venomous creature, suddenly pushed aside and staggering back several steps before regaining its balance, thought: "..."
He stared at the figure that vanished without a trace in no time for a while, then laughed in exasperation. He stopped walking, bent down to pick up a fallen leaf, and leaned against a tree by the roadside, covering his eyes with the leaf and closing them to rest.
Sure enough, in less than half a breath, a slender figure came rushing over like a man on fire, his voice preceding his arrival with a shout:
"...You'd better get out of here!"
A slight smile played on his thin lips beneath the fallen leaves. As if he hadn't heard, he lazily stretched before removing the leaves from his face.
His vision returned, and there was now a person standing in front of him, who had been feeling empty.
Jiang Ling'er, her face pale, bent over in a horse stance, panting with her hands on her knees. Cold sweat soaked her temples. After a long while, she finally looked up, glaring at him, gritting her teeth but forced to force a smile.
"Sir...can you leave now?"
A fallen leaf was flicked by someone's finger and drifted down.
The little poisonous creature then slowly emerged from under the shade of the tree, smiled with narrowed eyes as if bestowing a favor, and beckoned her with two fingers, a gesture that could only be described as gentle:
"come over."
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Jiang Ling'er gritted her teeth and reluctantly walked over.
However, she had only taken half a step when someone grabbed her left shoulder like a chick and pulled her in front of him. The large hand that had been holding her left shoulder suddenly released its grip and instead stroked the top of her head. Jiang Ling'er paused, stunned.
But the next second, that large hand vigorously ruffled her hair until it was a complete mess before letting go, and a strange, hearty laugh rang in her ears:
"Let's go."
...That brat!!!
Jiang Ling'er was furious, her eyes blazing with fury.
The little poisonous creature laughed even harder, its smile almost blindingly bright under the blazing sun. It turned and left, its posture upright and its steps brisk, showing no trace of the frail, sickly figure it had appeared to be when it first arrived in this small village.
It seems the internal injuries have truly healed.
Jiang Ling'er let out a sigh of dejection, realizing that as the little poison left, her life force was constantly draining away. And it happened again!
Enraged, she kicked the void and gritted her teeth as she chased after it!
You little brat... don't fall into my hands!!!
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-08-07 22:44:49 and 2023-08-15 00:37:09!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 10 bottles of Chlorophyll-Free; 1 bottle of Bluebird Lau;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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