Jiang Chen then slowly sneered at the young princess, "Princess, why don't you search me yourself?"
The princess blushed and glared at him resentfully.
Jiang Chen snorted: "If you can't find anything, don't blame me for being impolite."
The young princess ignored him, glanced at me disdainfully, and then turned to Yunzhou with a mocking laugh: "Zizhao, you have good taste." After saying that, she said to the maid beside her: "Let's go."
This is so inexplicable. They came with great momentum but ended up hastily, and they even said something to Yunzhou before leaving. It's really strange.
The master looked embarrassed, his face turning a little pale. He cupped his hands and said to the outsiders who were watching the commotion, "Well, my disciple Yunmo and Jiang Chen got engaged last month. Tomorrow, I'll invite everyone to the Xiaoyao Sect for their wedding feast."
The men from Wuya Sect dispersed, laughing and joking. The two beauties from Yuanshan Sect and the Wudang Taoist priest also offered their congratulations and left. Only the senior brothers remained in the courtyard, staring at each other, wide-eyed at Master, me, and Jiang Chen.
My master gritted his teeth and yelled at Jiang Chen and me, "You two, come in here!" It was the first time I'd ever seen my master so furious; he looked so cool and it was quite a shock.
I followed my master into the house in a daze. My master slammed the door shut with a loud bang, which jolted me awake. I grabbed my master's sleeve and wailed, "Master, what did you just say? When did I get engaged to Jiang Chen?"
The master gasped for breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "You two, besides getting married, do you have any other options?"
I said anxiously, "Master, I didn't do anything."
My master looked at me with anger at my lack of self-respect: "Yunmo Heroine, a living, breathing man walked out of your room in broad daylight, disheveled and alluring. Could it be anyone but your husband? If you want to be able to hold your head high in the martial world, there is no other way but to marry Jiang Chen as soon as possible."
I looked over my master's shoulder at Jiang Chen. He looked innocent and surprised, as if he were also a victim and was about to sympathize with me and comfort each other.
I forced out a harsh word through gritted teeth: "Jiang Chen, are you trying to kill me?" If I could, I wish I had a small dagger in every word, to stab him all over.
He looked aggrieved: "Xiao Mo, I saw that you wouldn't let them in, and I guessed that there must be some unspeakable secret in your room, so I jumped in through the back window to take a look. I did this just to divert their attention and protect you. I really didn't mean to marry you."
I almost vomited blood. He ruined my reputation and then said something like that.
I said fiercely, "If you don't want to marry me, that's fine, I don't want to marry you either."
The master angrily said, "Little Mo, you mustn't be willful! A woman's reputation is more important than her life. Would your master harm you?"
Jiang Chen touched his brow and muttered, "Isn't my reputation a reputation too?"
I looked at my master with a wronged expression and said, "Reputation is more important than life. Marrying Jiang Chen was to protect my reputation, but you can't just value your reputation at the expense of your life!"
The master angrily said, "Fine, if you two are unwilling, from today onwards you will no longer be disciples of my Xiaoyao Sect, lest others talk about your good deeds and ruin the clean reputation of my Xiaoyao Sect for hundreds of years."
Jiang Chen and I both fell silent. For nearly a hundred years, the Xiaoyao Sect has produced generation after generation of flourishing iron trees, making the people of the Xiaoyao Sect appear extremely holy, almost on par with Shaolin and Wudang. I have been raised by my master for over a decade, and I absolutely cannot let the reputation of the Xiaoyao Sect be ruined in my hands.
My master slammed the door and left. It was the first time in my life I had ever seen him so angry. I watched his retreating figure, countless words choking in my throat, but I couldn't utter a single one.
Jiang Chen and I were left alone in the room. The thought of marrying him sent chills down my spine.
Jiang Chen pulled something out of his pocket, held it up to my eyes, and said with a grin, "Xiao Mo, is this what you're hiding to keep people out?"
He was actually holding the Chongshan Sword Manual in his hand!
I stepped forward to snatch it, but he quickly stuffed it back into his arms. My hand reached for his collar, but stopped abruptly just three inches away, not daring to go any further. He probably expected that I wouldn't dare to touch him, and smiled smugly.
I asked in a low voice, "How did you find it?"
He chuckled and said, "If you have anything good, you hide it under your pillow, so of course I know."
I shouted, my voice trembling with fear, "Give it back to me right now! And you're not allowed to tell anyone!"
He sat down in the armchair, squinted his eyes and smiled: "Little Mo, usually, if you want someone to keep a secret, it all boils down to four words: coercion and bribery. With your skills, coercion probably won't work on me, but bribery, I can consider it."
I glared at him: "I have no money!"
He chuckled: "Sex or seduction will do."
I couldn't take it anymore and lunged at him with my bare hands. He dodged while laughing and shouting, "Master, Master, save me! Xiao Mo has assaulted me!"
A soft sigh came from outside the door: "Zhao Yebai, is this what they call 'beating is a sign of affection, scolding is a sign of love'?"
Senior Brother Zhao replied sullenly, "I have no experience, how would I know?"
I became increasingly embarrassed and angry, and used my small grappling technique to strike bravely.
He actually grabbed my waist with a sly grin! I was so angry that my vision went black. Then I noticed that his collar was half open, and I could clearly see the Chongshan Sword Manual inside. I was so reckless that I closed my eyes and reached for it.
Suddenly, his body stiffened, and my fingers stiffened too!
My face flushed and my heart pounded as I pushed him away, opened the door, and left. I didn't need the Chongshan Sword Manual for now. Just now, I really did touch something, but it wasn't the Chongshan Sword Manual; it was a small bump.
I was filled with shame and indignation, but the firm and smooth skin felt like it was stuck to my fingers. I ran to the stream and washed them again and again, but the more I washed, the hotter my fingers felt.
I scooped up a handful of stream water and washed my face again, it took a while for the heat to subside. When I'm with him, I easily become impulsive, and when I'm impulsive, I lose my composure; when I lose my composure, I lose my purity; and when I lose my purity... the consequences are unimaginable.
Masked men, a couple
As I was reflecting on myself by the stream, suddenly, a few green leaves fell into the water. There was no wind, and it wasn't the season for falling leaves, so why were these beautiful, lush green leaves suddenly falling? My martial arts instincts kicked in, and I immediately turned around to look.
A gust of wind arose! A masked man leaped down from the tree behind him, his long sword flashing like lightning as he thrust straight at him.
The sword tip was originally aimed at the back of my neck, but I suddenly stood up, and the sword's momentum was so strong that I couldn't stop it for a moment, and it turned into a thrust towards my waist.
In a moment of desperation, I leaped backward and stepped into the stream.
The sword followed closely, angled upwards and aimed straight at my heart. I stumbled back two steps before managing to avoid the blade.