Es gibt einen Xiao Chan im Jianghu

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☆, Miss Yun

The silver moon hung high in the sky, the night wind seemed to weep, and Yun Ran followed Song San with her head down, walking silently through the Jizhou government office.

The two passed through the back hall and entered the side courtyard garden. Song San glanced back at Yun Ran. This girl was in the prime of her youth, with a beautiful face, and was originally someone whom Lord Yun would cherish like a princess. But now...

Yun Ran remained calm, her eyes fixed straight ahead, intently watching her step as if afraid of making a wrong move. In her heart, she thought: "This crabapple grove is in full bloom."

A month ago, her father also had a large number of famous crabapple trees transplanted to her courtyard to celebrate her birthday...

Song San's deep voice rang out: "Third Miss, the room with the light on up ahead is Lord Wang's residence."

Yun Ran responded softly and saw a light shining from a room not far ahead, with a faint silhouette reflected on the window paper. She was familiar with that figure; in the past, that person would come to Yun Family Fort to visit her father several times a month, and when they met, she would respectfully yet warmly address him as Uncle Wang.

Lord Wang Renyuan of Jizhou Prefecture was my father's sworn brother.

Song San glanced at Yun Ran again, noticing that she had stopped and was gazing northeast with a slightly dazed expression. He knew that the northeast was where Yun Family Fortress was located, and feeling a pang of pity, he whispered, "Third Miss, perhaps..."

Yun Ran had already looked away and said calmly, "Steward Song, let's go."

As the two approached the house, two guards emerged from the shadows. Song San nodded to them and then respectfully reported from outside the door, "Sir, Miss Yun Ran is requesting an audience."

A moment later, a clear, melodious voice came from inside the room: "Come in."

Song Sanqing pushed open the door, let Yun Ran into the room, then bowed his head and withdrew, gently closing the door behind him.

Under the lamplight, a middle-aged man in his thirties with a handsome face stood facing the door with his hands behind his back. When he saw Yun Ran enter, his gaze lingered on her for a moment before he sighed softly, "Ran'er, this disaster at Yun Family Fortress has caused you a lot of suffering. It's only been a few days since I last saw you, how come you've become so thin?"

Yun Ran lowered her eyelashes and remained silent for a long while before softly calling out, "Uncle Wang."

Wang Renyuan frowned slightly, moved to Yun Ran's side, reached out and took her hand, and said softly, "Why are you being so distant with me?"

Yun Ran looked up at him, then lowered her head again and said in a low voice, "My father and brothers are both under investigation now. Aren't you afraid of being implicated?"

Wang Renyuan put his arm around her slender waist, gently kissed her cheek, and whispered, "Should I marry you right now to prove that my feelings for you have never changed?"

A blush crept across Yun Ran's pale face, and she gently shook her head.

Wang Renyuan smiled slightly. Of course he wouldn't marry her. Yun Jiutian had committed a serious crime. Although Yun Ran was beautiful and gentle, and extremely devoted to him, how could he, a man from the prestigious Jizhou Prefecture, marry the daughter of a criminal? Besides...

His eyes flickered slightly, but he sighed and said, "I'll think of something about your father and brothers, but this matter has already alarmed the capital. The higher-ups have sent people to investigate this matter personally. Although I want to protect them, I am powerless to do anything about it."

Yun Ran bit her lip, then suddenly raised her head and pleaded in a mournful voice, "For my sake, could you possibly make an exception? As long as their lives can be saved, I..."

Her voice choked with sobs, her body trembled slightly, and she leaned against Wang Renyuan's chest, appearing so frail and helpless that it evoked pity in one's heart.

Wang Renyuan felt a delicate fragrance wafting into his nostrils. With the beautiful woman in his arms, he could hardly control himself. Although he had a secret affair with Yun Ran, he had never dared to overstep his bounds with Yun Jiutian's beloved daughter in the past due to the power of the Yun family. But things were different now. Yun Jiutian, that powerful tree, had fallen, and he could have the beauty in his arms whenever he wanted.

Thinking of this, his heart warmed, and he pulled Yun Ran into a tight embrace, saying in a hoarse voice, "Okay, I promise you, I will do my best for you... Ran'er, I've missed you so much these days..." As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed Yun Ran's neck.

Yun Ran nestled softly in his arms, letting him do as he pleased. Only when she realized he was reaching to undress her did she blush and push his hand away, whispering, "There are people outside...they'll hear us..."

Seeing her shy expression and soft voice, Wang Renyuan noticed that although she was young and inexperienced, she possessed a captivating charm that made him even more impatient. He chuckled and released her, then strode to the door, opened it, and ordered, "You all go and guard outside the courtyard. No one is allowed to disturb us without my summons."

Song San and the two guards retreated in response. Wang Renyuan turned around and saw Yun Ran pour a bowl of tea from the table and hand it to him. He was thirsty, so he took it and drank it down in one gulp. He then hurriedly put the tea bowl down and reached out to hug Yun Ran.

Yun Ran did not dodge, letting him pull her into his arms, and slowly said, "I received news that my father and two elder brothers were secretly executed in prison last night."

Wang Renyuan was shocked. His hands stopped moving and he looked down at Yun Ran.

Yun Ran's face remained expressionless, her tone calm and unflappable: "After Father's accident, you came to Yun Family Fortress to offer my elder brother a plan, using the list of important court officials that Father had befriended over the years to blackmail them. You had a deep relationship with Father, so my elder brother naturally didn't suspect anything and took you to the secret vault to see the list. But the very next day, imperial guards came and arrested my two elder brothers, taking the list with them. Uncle Wang, you can't escape responsibility for this, can you?"

Wang Renyuan's expression changed drastically. He never expected that Yun Ran, such a delicate young girl, would know so much about these matters.

But then he thought again, Yun Jiutian and his two sons had been executed, and the power of Yun Family Fortress no longer existed. Yun Ran had been protected by Yun Jiutian since childhood and had never learned any martial arts. She was so delicate that she could be knocked down with a single finger. Even if he knew the inside story, what was there to fear?

He sneered and said in a deep voice, "Your Yun Family Fortress is a powerful force, and its influence has grown stronger in recent years, attracting the court's suspicion. You have no one to blame but yourself. That list was specifically requested by Lord Wen, who was sent from the capital. Your father's attempt to use it as a life-saving measure is utterly foolish. Although I have sworn brotherhood with him, do I really intend to die with him? Ran'er, if you submit to me tonight, out of consideration for our past relationship, I will protect you from now on. Otherwise..."

As he was speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Startled, he saw Yun Ran looking at him coldly with a hint of sarcasm on her lips. He turned his gaze to the teacup on the table, and as if he had realized something, he reached out and firmly grasped Yun Ran's wrist, and opened his mouth to call for someone to come over.

But he felt Yun Ran flip her wrist, easily breaking free from his grip. In an instant, she moved her fingers like the wind and struck his speech-impairing acupoint.

Wang Renyuan was speechless for a moment. He was terrified and full of doubt: How could Yun Ran possess martial arts skills?

Yun Ran watched him struggle in pain on the ground, her voice icy: "Uncle Wang, although my father forbade me to practice martial arts, I have never been an obedient daughter since childhood. Otherwise, why would I have secretly been intimate with you?" She bent down and lifted Wang Renyuan onto the bed, her gaze lingering on his handsome face for a moment, her eyes filled with hatred and contempt. She reached for the dagger hanging by the bedside and said coldly: "You disregarded our sworn brotherhood and betrayed me. My Yun Family Fortress has always been clear about right and wrong. Today, I will rip out your heart and liver to comfort the spirits of my father and brothers in heaven."

After a long while, Yun Ran walked out of the room with her head down and carefully closed the door. The lights in the room were out, so no one would have guessed that Lord Wang, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully, had already passed away.

Her hands were covered in cold sweat, and she felt nauseous. She had secretly seen the Yun family's ruthless treatment of traitors before, and she had secretly witnessed such methods of torture and punishment. But to do it herself was a different story.

The two guards standing outside the courtyard exchanged a knowing glance as she slowly emerged. One of them stepped forward and asked, "Has the master retired for the night?" Yun Ran seemed somewhat embarrassed and gave a soft "hmm," but remained silent. The other guard asked, "Why did you come out, young lady?" Yun Ran looked up and smiled slightly at him. The guard saw a glint of cold light flash in her clear, watery eyes, and a slight shock ran through him. He felt a chill on his neck, blood gushing from his throat, and he died without uttering a sound. Yun Ran's soft sword had already sliced through the throat of the other guard, and both of them fell silently to the ground.

Just then, a person quietly approached from outside the courtyard and said in a low voice, "We can't stay here any longer. Come with me quickly."

Yun Ran wrapped the soft sword back around her waist and nodded slightly to Song San.

She pulled some strings and during her last meeting with her father in prison, he quietly told her, "If you encounter any problems, find Song San, the chief steward of Wang Renyuan. He is a trustworthy man."

As it turned out, this person was indeed trustworthy. Unfortunately, it still couldn't save his father and brother's lives. They were handed over to Lord Wen, who was appointed from the capital, for personal interrogation, and then disappeared without a trace.

This morning, Song San came to Yunjiabao to inform them of their deaths and also brought an invitation from Wang Renyuan. She then made up her mind to kill Wang Renyuan to avenge her father and brothers.

Yun Ran followed Song San out of the back gate of the Jizhou government office and said softly, "Steward Song, thank you."

Song San smiled slightly and said, "Many years ago, I received a great favor from Lord Yunbao. It is only right that I do my part now. However, I admire Miss Yun's courage and determination in avenging her father." He took out a token from his pocket and handed it to Yun Ran: "Use this token to leave the city. Miss Yun, I hope everything goes well for you in the future."

Yun Ran took the token, nodded to Song San, and then turned and ran into the night.

It was past midnight. The guards guarding the south gate of Jizhou City had just closed the city gate and returned to their barracks to rest when they heard the sound of horses' hooves. A troop of soldiers was galloping towards them from afar. The guard cursed inwardly, "Can't a man get any sleep?!" He slowly poked his head out of his barracks, but when he saw the approaching riders, he was startled and hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

The leader was a burly man with a fierce expression. He snorted and said coldly, "Was a woman leaving the city through this gate just now?"

The gatekeeper smiled obsequiously and said, "That's right. She left the city with the token of Lord Wang of Jizhou Prefecture. Commander Yuan was with her?"

Before he could finish speaking, a whip lashed his face. One of the men beside Commander Yuan shouted, "Stop arguing! This female thief is a wanted criminal! Open the gate immediately, we're in a hurry to chase after her!"

The gatekeeper dared not say a word and hurriedly opened the city gate. Seeing that the cavalry had gone far away, he touched the wound on his face, grimaced, and wondered, "A wanted criminal? I have never seen such a beautiful female thief before."

☆ Mysterious passerby

A few miles outside Jizhou City, Yun Ran's thin and frail figure was moving forward in the dark night.

Now that her revenge is complete, she has lost the person she loved most in the world. The road ahead is long and uncertain; where should she go from here?

Yun Ran felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, but she could already hear the faint sound of horses' hooves behind her. Her expression hardened, and she immediately darted away to hide in the dense bushes and shrubs by the roadside.

After galloping for a while, she left the sound of horses' hooves far behind. Yun Ran was surprised. It had only been half an hour since she assassinated Wang Renyuan, so how could she have been discovered and caught up with?

She listened intently, and apart from the occasional hooting of owls in the forest, the surroundings remained silent. Just as she breathed a slight sigh of relief, she suddenly heard a soft sound not far behind her. Yun Ran's expression changed slightly, and she abruptly placed her right hand on her waist, stopping in her tracks.

A low, hoarse voice rang out from behind her: "Miss Yun, now that you've committed this crime, do you still think you can escape?" As soon as the words were spoken, more than ten figures emerged from the shadows and surrounded her from all sides.

When Yun Ran saw that the people who came were the same group of imperial guards who had taken away her two brothers, the leader, Commander Yuan, was arrogant and domineering in Yun Family Fortress. Now, however, his eyes were looking her up and down, which was obviously ill-intentioned. Therefore, she became more vigilant and slightly exerted force with her right hand to grasp the soft sword wrapped around her waist.

When Commander Yuan saw her draw her soft sword, he chuckled and said, "You gentlemen all misjudged her back then. You never expected that such a delicate beauty would actually be a martial arts expert."

One of the men beside him laughed and said, "This female thief is quite alluring; we'll have to let the brothers have a taste of her later."

Commander Yuan laughed and cursed, "Are you looking for death? You dare to touch the prisoner that Lord Wen specifically requested! Go and capture that girl right now!"

The man drew his steel knife, grinned, and walked toward Yun Ran, teasingly saying, "How can I capture her if you won't let me touch her? If I accidentally touch her somewhere, Commander Yuan, don't blame me."

Yun Ran's gaze was cold and clear. She listened to their laughter without saying a word. When the man walked a foot away from her, she suddenly moved with agility and flicked her soft sword. The guard saw a flash of green light in front of him and hurriedly dodged to the side, but felt a chill on his ear. His left ear had been cut off.

The guards were all shocked to learn that the woman was skilled in martial arts, and that Yun Ran had severed her left ear in a single move. They all abandoned their previous underestimation of her.

Commander Yuan, his face grim, shouted, "Everyone, charge! Let's finish this quickly!" The guards responded in unison, drew their weapons, and rushed forward to attack.

After fighting for a while, the guards saw that Yun Ran's soft sword moved as nimbly as a snake, and her sword moves were unpredictable and strange, clearly indicating that she had been taught by a famous master. However, it was definitely not the martial arts style of the Yun Family Fortress, and they couldn't help but marvel at it. But after all, the two sides were outnumbered, and Yun Ran lacked combat experience. Her moves were a bit clumsy, her steps gradually became unsteady, and her breathing became heavy. It seemed that she would be defeated and captured after a few more moves.

Yun Ran knew things were going badly. She thought that if she fell into the hands of these people, she would inevitably suffer great humiliation. Her eyes darkened, and she swung her soft sword around, intending to slit her neck.

Just then, Commander Yuan suddenly shouted, "Who goes there!" Seeing someone arrive, the guards stopped their attack on Yun Ran and all looked in the direction of Commander Yuan's shout, waiting intently.

Yun Ran's heart stirred, and with a slight flick of her wrist, the soft sword that had been wrapped around her neck snapped back to its straight position with a whoosh. She held the sword to her chest, and following the gazes of the guards, she saw several figures vaguely appearing behind the bushes not far away. A deep, pleasant voice slowly rang out from the shadows: "Passing by, no hostility."

Commander Yuan was slightly taken aback and said, "If there is no hostility, why won't you show yourself!"

The man seemed to chuckle, but then said nothing more.

A guard shouted angrily, "Commander Yuan of the Dragon Guard in the capital is questioning you! How dare you, a mere commoner, not answer! Passing through this desolate wilderness in the dead of night? Do you think we're fools? Get out here right now for the officers to question!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a rustling sound, and the men actually came out from behind the bushes.

Commander Yuan saw that the group consisted of four people, all dressed in tight-fitting clothes and looking travel-worn, which eased his suspicions. Although he knew that these martial artists traveling at night must be suspicious, he was focused on capturing Yun Ran and returning to report, so he didn't want to cause any trouble. He waved his hand, preparing to let them pass, when the young man at the head of the group spoke coldly: "Dragon Guard? Wen Huaifeng's men?"

Commander Yuan was slightly startled when he heard the person's unusually sharp voice. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the person had fair skin and beautiful features and was actually a woman in disguise. He was even more surprised when he heard her recite Lord Wen's name.

A guard beside him immediately rebuked, "How dare you! A commoner like you dares to address our Lord Wen by his given name? Don't you have a death wish!"

As soon as she finished speaking, several people behind the woman chuckled in unison. Commander Yuan knew something was amiss. A young man with a scar on his face lazily turned around and smiled, "Boss, you don't want to cause trouble, but now you've run into Wen Huaifeng's men."

The leader was the man who had spoken earlier. He stood at the very back, his face still hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see his features or expression. Only his deep voice, seemingly tinged with a helpless smile, rang out as he calmly said, "Let's make our move."

As soon as he uttered those three words, several beams of silver light shot out, and screams of agony were heard from among the guards as several fell to the ground.

When Commander Yuan saw that the fallen guards had died instantly, he realized that the hidden weapons were all coated with a deadly poison that would kill on contact with blood. He was horrified and said in a trembling voice, "How dare you attack an official of the imperial court!"

The young man with the scar on his face smiled upon hearing this: "Don't worry, we'll kill them all in a bit, and then who will know?" He then turned his head and winked at his companion: "Xiao Ye, wanna have a match?"

His companion, dressed entirely in black, was thin and had a stern expression. Upon hearing the young man's suggestion, he smiled slightly and slowly nodded.

The young man let out a long laugh, his figure moving like an arrow, and in a flash he had closed in on the enemy group. The guards only saw a flash of cold light, and one of them had already coughed up blood from his throat and died under the short knife in his hand.

The young man dodged the bloodstains, chuckling as he counted, "One." With a swift movement, he appeared like a ghost in front of another guard.

The guard panicked and swung his ghost-head saber straight at the young man's chest. The young man, however, neither dodged nor evaded. Seeing the attack coming, he roared and swiftly sliced the guard's hand off at the wrist. The severed hand, still clutching the saber, flew overhead with a whooshing sound, spraying blood everywhere. The young man's face was covered in blood, making him look somewhat gruesome. He licked his lips, narrowed his eyes, and with a swift movement, the saber plunged into the guard's heart. He laughed loudly, "Second!"

His companion remained silent throughout, yet his movements were never a fraction slower. He wielded a dark-colored longsword, weaving through the guards with concise and powerful strikes. With each thrust, a man would cry out in agony and die.

In an instant, only Commander Yuan and Yun Ran remained in the originally large circle of people.

The young man with the scar on his face had already counted to "six." He turned his head and exchanged a glance with his companion in black. A smile flashed in both of their eyes, and then they both looked at Commander Yuan.

Just then, a silver light streaked across the sky. Commander Yuan clutched his chest, his face showing shock and anger, but before he could even utter a sound, he collapsed and died.

The young man looked extremely annoyed and complained, "A-Luo, what did you do..."

The woman he called A'luo remained expressionless as she leaped forward, retrieved a hidden weapon from the dead guard's body, and put it back into her pouch.