Es gibt einen Xiao Chan im Jianghu

Kapitel 27

Qi Mo watched the two leave, a smile playing on his lips, then turned to Yun Ran and asked in a low voice, "Have you missed me these past few days?"

Author's Note: Second update... There will be more tonight, working hard to write...

☆、42 Latest Chapter

Yun Ran's face was gloomy. Without saying a word, she turned and left.

Qi Mo reached out to grab her wrist, but Yun Ran flung it away and angrily said, "Don't touch me."

Qi Mo felt a surge of dark force and quickly withdrew his hand. He looked at Yun Ran suspiciously and asked in a low voice, "It's only been half a month since I last saw you. How come your skill has improved so quickly?"

Seeing that she had forced Qi Mo back with a single move, Yun Ran was also surprised. When he asked her about it, she realized that she had been practicing her internal energy daily according to the incantations in the sword manual given to her by Shi Wei, and that she no longer seemed to feel the chilling aura emanating from the Broken Scale Sword when wielding it. She had heard that the Broken Scale Sword greatly benefited the user's skill, but since obtaining the sword, she hadn't felt any increase in her power. Every time she wielded the sword, she still needed to exert force to resist the strange coldness within it. She had assumed the rumors were false and hadn't paid much attention to it. Now it seemed that the Broken Scale Sword needed to be practiced in conjunction with this sword manual to effectively utilize the sword's chilling aura, allowing her power to increase significantly without her even realizing it.

Yun Ran understood this, but did not want to pay attention to Qi Mo, and said indifferently: "How much my skill has progressed is none of your concern, Chief Qi."

Qi Mo choked, recalling that Xie Feng had carefully reported Yun Ran's every word and action when he returned last night. It was clear from her words that she cared deeply for him, but he wondered why she was so cold and awkward when they met.

He pondered for a moment, then seemed to understand. He lowered his head to look at Yun Ran and said softly, "You've misunderstood. Although I live in this brothel, I am not..."

Yun Ran coldly interrupted him, saying, "Where Chief Qi likes to live or where he likes to spend his money is none of my business, and there's no need for further explanation. I have things to do and don't have time to chat with Chief Qi, so I'll take my leave."

Seeing her turn to leave, Qi Mo hurriedly reached out his hand. This time, he was on guard, but Yun Ran didn't dodge, and he grabbed her left wrist. Annoyed, she hissed, "Let go!"

Qi Mo laughed and said, "I will not let go."

Yun Ran's face darkened. She struggled with all her might, and while entangled with Qi Mo, she caught a glimpse of two constables walking towards them. Her heart skipped a beat. She remembered that Qi Mo was currently wanted by the authorities, and there were many soldiers in Youzhou City. If these constables recognized him, it would be very dangerous for him. She quickly whispered, "The constables are coming. Let go quickly and don't give us away."

Seeing the anxious and concerned look on her face, Qi Mo was secretly pleased and said lazily, "If you've revealed your identity, you've revealed it. But I can't let go."

Yun Ran was furious and at a loss for what to do with him. She heard two officers approaching, and one of them questioned her, "Hey, you two..."

Yun Ran gritted her teeth, and before the man could finish his question, she suddenly raised her right hand and flung it out forcefully.

With a sharp "smack," Qi Mo received a slap to the left cheek, which immediately swelled up. Startled, he involuntarily loosened his grip on Yun Ran's hand, only to feel a sharp pain on his right cheek as he received another heavy slap.

Qi Mo had never seen Yun Ran lose her temper like this before. He touched his cheek, feeling bewildered, but then he saw Yun Ran's face full of anger as she angrily said, "If you're so capable, then live in a brothel for the rest of your life and never come home!"

Qi Mo was taken aback, only to hear a constable beside him exclaim in surprise, "What a fierce woman!"

Another officer laughed and said, "They say a good wife should be virtuous. It seems this kid is blinded by lust and wants to find a beautiful shrew as his wife. He only visits a brothel once in a while and gets beaten up like a pig. If he really marries her, wouldn't he be asking for trouble?"

Yun Ran glanced coldly at the two constables, then turned back to glare at Qi Mo and said angrily, "If you also feel like you're being tortured, then just ignore me. Otherwise, you'd better come back with me obediently and never think about messing around again!"

Qi Mo already knew what she meant, so he quickly stepped forward and hugged her tightly, saying with a smile, "My Ranran cares for me so much, how could outsiders understand? I'm happy for her, how could I feel like I'm suffering?"

Yun Ran was caught off guard by Qi Mo's attempt to touch her, but he held her tightly in his arms. Afraid of revealing his martial arts skills, she dared not struggle. She heard Qi Mo say softly, "I have only ever had you as my woman. Nothing happened between Wanwan and me that time. Don't be so suspicious and jealous. Otherwise, people will call you a shrew."

Yun Ran heard that his words were half-true and half-false, but his eyes were full of smiles as he looked at her affectionately. She blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed and annoyed, and for a moment she couldn't say a word.

Qi Mo's cheeks were swollen and his appearance was unrecognizable. The two officers, seeing Yun Ran causing a scene with him, were only concerned with discussing it and did not suspect at all that he was the leader of the Absolute Kill Sect depicted in the wanted poster.

The officer shook his head and said, "This kid is really spineless. He's a coward. He's being ridden on by a young woman. He's going to suffer in the future."

The other person smiled knowingly and whispered, "Didn't you see that even the shrew softened and didn't hit him anymore? They're just a couple who fight in bed and make up before they get out of bed. Why are we meddling? Besides, didn't they say that only he knows how good Ranran is? Hehe, what good is she? Don't you understand?"

Seeing that there was no excitement to be had and no suspicious people nearby, the two changed direction and went to investigate elsewhere.

After the two had walked away, Yun Ran nudged Qi Mo and whispered, "Let me go."

Qi Mo lowered his head and smiled at her, "You hit me so hard just now. If you don't let me hug you a little longer, I'll get my revenge for those two slaps." He paused, a sly smile on his face, "If you're afraid of pain, I can use my mouth instead of my hands to get revenge..."

Yun Ran looked up at him angrily, but saw that Qi Mo's face was red and swollen, yet he was still joking with her as usual, looking extremely strange. While she found it amusing, she also felt a pang of regret for having hurt him so badly in her haste.

Qi Mo saw a hint of a smile in her eyes, knowing that her anger had subsided, and took the opportunity to laugh, "You've ruined my handsome appearance. You'd better not regret it later."

Yun Ran spat and said softly, "Since you like to show off everywhere, it'll be convenient for you to keep this face. You won't be afraid of being recognized." As she spoke, she couldn't help but smile.

Qi Mo and Yun Ran had been separated for many days. When he saw her smile, he felt that her beauty was indescribable. He was so captivated by her that he was momentarily lost in thought.

When Yun Ran saw him staring intently at her with an expression of admiration that was somewhat different from his usual carefree demeanor, her heart skipped a beat, her face gradually flushed, and she lowered her eyes and looked away.

Suddenly, they heard someone cough softly, and the two of them were startled and turned to look at each other.

Xie Feng and A Luo had appeared before her without her noticing. Yun Ran blushed and quickly pushed Qi Mo away, biting her lip and taking a few steps back.

Xie Feng, who had been watching the two with a smile, suddenly noticed Yun Ran stepping aside to reveal Qi Mo's profile. He couldn't help but point at him and exclaim, "Big...Big Boss...how could you..."

A Luo, who had been expressionless, turned to Yun Ran with a hateful look when she saw Qi Mo's swollen cheeks. She quickly stepped forward, took out a box of ointment from her bosom, and gently applied it to Qi Mo's face with her finger.

Yun Ran watched from the side and saw that A Luo moved gently, staring at Qi Mo's face with eyes full of pity and admiration. Then, recalling the intoxicating events of the previous night, her expression changed slightly, and she turned to leave.

Qi Mo leaped forward and asked in a low voice, "Are you going back already? Now that Huo Qingfeng has arrived in Youzhou, if he finds out that you are the person he is looking for, he might make things difficult for you. Why don't we discuss it? I'll go with you to see him?"

Yun Ran said calmly, "No need."

Qi Mo was about to speak again when he suddenly saw her pull something out of her bosom and throw it at him, coldly saying, "Here you go." She had already darted away with the sound and was far away in no time.

Qi Mo looked down at the object in his hand; it was the box of Night's Dew he had given to Yun Ran a few days ago. He felt a wave of confusion, not understanding why, just moments ago, they had been fine, but now she had changed her attitude and was so cold and distant towards him. He couldn't help but sigh and shake his head helplessly.

Yun Ran returned to the inn. Sima Liuyun had been waiting for her for a long time and was starting to worry. When he saw her arrive, he quickly went up to ask what was wrong. Yun Ran didn't want to hide anything from him, so she briefly told him about tracking Su Rang to that brothel and her encounters with the envoy from Muying Tower and Qi Mo.

When Sima Liuyun heard her mention Muying Tower and inquired in detail about her meeting with the Muying Tower envoy, he felt a vague unease as he recalled Huo Qingfeng's search for the owner of the Purple Thorn Soft Sword. After a moment's thought, he pondered and said, "Since the Muying Tower Master is looking for you because of the Purple Thorn Soft Sword, why don't we go find him first and explain that the Purple Thorn Soft Sword is no longer in your possession, thus resolving the matter and preventing any further complications?" Yun Ran nodded in agreement.

After the two discussed the matter, Yun Ran chatted with Sima Liuyun for a few words before returning to her room to rest. When she woke up, it was already dark outside the window. She guessed that Sima Liuyun had seen that she was tired and hadn't woken her up to go to the main hall for dinner.

She sat up, recalling her encounter with Qi Mo during the day, and felt a surge of unease in her heart. Suddenly, she saw a figure flash outside the window, followed by three gentle knocks on the window frame.

Yun Ran whispered, "Who is it?" She reached for the Broken Scale Sword beside her pillow, focused her mind on defense, and pushed open the door to go out.

Under the moonlight, a man in blue robes stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his eyes slightly lowered. His profile was like jade, and he seemed to be deep in thought. When he saw Yun Ran appear, he turned to her and nodded slightly, greeting her in a low voice: "Miss Yun Ran, I didn't tell you in our hasty farewell last time that my surname is Huo, and I am the owner of Muying Tower."

Yun Ran was somewhat surprised to see Huo Qingfeng arrive so late at night and to hear him state his name.

Huo Qingfeng said calmly, "If one is determined, it is not difficult to find out the background of Miss Yun and Sect Master Qi. However, I only learned today that Miss Yun is actually the owner of the Purple Thorn Soft Sword."

Just as Yun Ran was about to explain that the Purple Thorn Soft Sword was no longer in her possession, Huo Qingfeng slowly continued, "So, Miss Yun must be the one known as 'Rouge Blood One-Point Kill'?"

Yun Ran was startled, then realized what was going on. Her fingers tightened around the Broken Scale Sword, and she said in a deep voice, "Master Huo isn't looking for the Purple Thorn Soft Sword, but rather the 'Rouge Blood One-Point Kill'?"

Huo Qingfeng smiled faintly, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before he said coldly, "It is said that the one who assassinated He Chun, the eldest disciple of the Jade Sword Sect, in Hanchuan City was none other than 'Rouge Blood One-Point Killer.' Miss Yun, was my senior brother He Chun truly killed by you?"

Author's Note: Finished with a lot of hard work.

This chapter should actually be called "Pig-Headed Sect Master, Oh Heaven..."

☆、43 Latest Chapter

Yun Ran raised her eyebrows and said, "So, Lord Huo, you've come tonight to avenge He Chun?"

Huo Qingfeng remained calm, nodded slightly, and slowly unfastened his longsword from his waist.

Yun Ran knew that tonight's battle was a matter of life and death, and Huo Qingfeng's swordsmanship was far superior to hers. If she could seize the initiative, she might have a chance to survive. Without hesitation, she lightly touched the ground with her toes, her figure flashed, and she used the Broken Scale Sword to stab several times in front of him.

Seeing her draw her sword, Huo Qingfeng's usually calm face finally showed a hint of emotion, and he asked in surprise, "The Broken Scale Sword?"

He was already familiar with Yun Ran's sword style, and seeing that she didn't adhere to the established sword moves but instead subtly modified the original ones, showing a unique ingenuity, he couldn't help but admire her. With a flick of his longsword, he dodged the edge of the Broken Scale Sword and engaged Yun Ran in combat.

After several moves, Yun Ran began to feel the strain. Although her skill had greatly improved in just half a month, she had only been practicing the Broken Scale Sword Technique for a short time and was still a step behind Huo Qingfeng. However, with the help of the Broken Scale Sword, she was able to last for half a day longer than in the competition outside the farmhouse that day.

Huo Qingfeng thrust his sword forward, but Yun Ran slashed back, flicking the hilt with her finger. A short hook suddenly extended from the tip of the sword, hooking towards the blade of his longsword. Huo Qingfeng did not dodge, allowing the hook to catch his sword. Yun Ran was overjoyed and was about to use her strength to cut the sword in half when she suddenly realized that the Broken Scale Sword was so light that she had no leverage.

In a flash, Huo Qingfeng's longsword slid out of the short hook and thrust towards her neck. The sword strike was swift as thunder and carried immense force. Seeing that Yun Ran had no way to dodge, two people in the distance shouted in unison, "Stop!"

Huo Qingfeng glanced up and saw a white figure swiftly approaching from the shadows. At the same time, he heard a sharp whistling sound as several hidden weapons flew behind him.

He raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanged, and with a flick of his left sleeve, he swept away all the incoming hidden weapons. Just then, the white figure arrived and swung a palm at him. Huo Qingfeng met the attack with his left palm, and the two palms collided. His right hand, with its long sword, did not obstruct the movement and was already pointing at Yun Ran's throat.

Yun Ran felt a chill run down her spine, but saw that the tip of the other party's sword had stopped at this critical moment, without harming her in the slightest. She was filled with doubt and surprise, and looked up to see a smile flash across Huo Qingfeng's cold face as he looked at her and said indifferently, "It's been a few days since I last saw you, Miss Yun, your martial arts have improved quite a bit."

The one exchanging blows with Huo Qingfeng was Sima Liuyun. The moment their palms touched, he felt the opponent's strength was heavy and sharp, and he knew that this palm could not stop him. He was feeling anxious, but when he saw that Huo Qingfeng did not kill him at the last moment, he felt relieved.

The person who launched the hidden weapon arrived behind Huo Qingfeng at that moment; it was Qi Mo. Seeing that Huo Qingfeng's longsword was still pressed against Yun Ran's neck, his expression changed slightly. He quickly flicked his finger between the sword and then wrapped his other arm around Yun Ran's waist, pulling her back a few steps to shield her behind him.

Huo Qingfeng sheathed his sword and nodded, saying, "Sect Leader Qi, how have you been?" He then turned to Sima Liuyun, his eyes flashing slightly, and asked, "This young master's palm technique is exquisite, and his inner strength is profound. He must be the Liuyun Young Master from the Sima family in Sichuan?"

Sima Liuyun clasped his hands in greeting and said, "I dare not accept such praise. I am indeed Sima Liuyun."

Qi Mo said in a deep voice, "I don't know what Miss Yun has done to offend Muying Tower. I am willing to speak to Tower Master Huo on her behalf."

Yun Ran glanced sideways and saw that the redness and swelling on Qi Mo's face had subsided, knowing it was due to the effect of the elixir applied by A Luo. Seeing his displeased expression, as if he intended to question Huo Qingfeng, she was at a loss for words. She gently tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Lord Huo had no intention of taking my life."

She had initially assumed that Huo Qingfeng was solely focused on avenging He Chun, and knowing his exceptional martial arts skills, she was already wary of him. She focused entirely on the fight without giving it much thought. Now, calming down and recalling their earlier exchange, she realized that Huo Qingfeng hadn't used his full strength; his attacks were restrained in several places, seemingly without any intention of harming her. This surprised her somewhat.

Huo Qingfeng smiled slightly and said, "That's right. Although I came to avenge my senior brother, I have no intention of taking Miss Yun's life." He glanced at Yun Ran and continued, "My senior brother He Chun's skill is about the same as mine. With Miss Yun's current martial arts skills, I'm afraid you can't hurt him."

Yun Ran was even more puzzled. On the night she sneaked into the inn to assassinate He Chun, she felt that his martial arts were mediocre. She had taken his life in just three moves with her Purple Thorn Soft Sword during her sneak attack. How could He Chun's martial arts be as Huo Qingfeng claimed, on par with hers?

Huo Qingfeng said calmly, "My senior brother has never liked to go out. I heard a few days ago that he was assassinated in Hanchuan, and I felt something was amiss. He is always calm and vigilant, and he would never be harmed by ordinary assassination tricks unless the person who killed him was indeed a top expert. Therefore, after I learned that Miss Yun was the 'Rouge Blood One-Point Killer', I came to test her overnight."

Qi Mo frowned and said, "Lord Huo fought with Miss Yun last time, so he should already know how powerful she is."

Huo Qingfeng slowly said, "It's because I'm not sure if Miss Yun is hiding her martial arts skills. Just now, we fought to the death. Although Miss Yun's skill and swordsmanship have improved rapidly since our last meeting, she is still not able to compete with my senior brother. Therefore, I guess that the person killed by Miss Yun in Hanchuan City was most likely not my senior brother himself, but someone else in disguise."

Upon hearing this, Yun Ran and the other two were all taken aback. Yun Ran carefully recalled the events of that day, and seemed to understand something. She whispered, "That's right, that person acted timidly and had mediocre martial arts skills. Now that I think about it, he is indeed quite suspicious. So, the real He Chun..."

Qi Mo said from the side, "Since the fake He Chun dares to openly show up and flaunt himself in the martial arts world, the real He Chun must be in grave danger."

Huo Qingfeng nodded slightly and sighed softly, "I'm afraid my senior brother was killed before he was even listed on the Jianghu bounty list."

Sima Liuyun pondered and said, "Does Master Huo mean that someone killed He Chun, then issued a bounty on his life, and had someone impersonate him to make him a scapegoat, intending to frame 'Rouge Blood One-Point Killer'?"

Huo Qingfeng said calmly, "The person who intends to frame someone is probably not Miss Yun."

Qi Mo smiled and suddenly said, "With the passing of our revered master Long Yanzi, the position of Jade Sword Sect leader is vacant. At this time, He Chun's name suddenly appears on the Jianghu bounty list, and those with ulterior motives will inevitably suspect Lord Huo. In this way, even if He Chun's disciples do not seek revenge on Lord Huo, Lord Huo will not be able to compete for the position of sect leader at the Jade Sword Sect leader conference in two days to avoid suspicion. This move kills two birds with one stone, truly a brilliant strategy."

Huo Qingfeng lowered his gaze slightly and slowly said, "I usually focus on martial arts and have no intention of competing for the position of sect leader. However, if anyone tries to take advantage of this opportunity to stir up trouble in my Jade Sword Sect, I cannot tolerate it."

As he said this, he looked up at Yun Ran, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Miss Yun, would you be willing to lend me a hand?"

※※※※

Two days later, the Jade Sword Sect will hold its election for a new sect leader.

The martial arts practitioners gathered in Youzhou City had already received the news that the Jade Sword Sect's leadership conference would be held at Shuangquan Manor on the outskirts of the city. Early that morning, they began to flock to the outskirts of the city in groups of two or three.

Yun Ran and Sima Liuyun, along with Xiao Douzi, arrived at Shuangquan Manor with the flow of people. Several disciples of the Jade Sword Sect were already waiting at the gate, leading them into the manor's main hall to serve tea.