Duft erhebt sich zum Tanz

Kapitel 9

"An ambush!" the man outside cursed under his breath, followed by two gleaming broadswords and two burly figures leaping in! Oh, wrong guess, there were three people, definitely bandits. Huan'er's first instinct was to prevent the bandits from getting close to the bed, to stop them from harming Wuxia! She grabbed a chair and threw it, only to have it cleave in two mid-air. She overturned the table to temporarily hinder their pursuit, then quickly ran back to the inner room, locked the door, and used the dressing table as a shield. Occasionally, roars could be heard from outside:

"It's a woman! Old Li actually taught a woman to be assassinated!"

"Sister-in-law!" Wuxia was awakened by the sound of commotion. Huan'er pulled her out of bed and hid her under the bed, whispering:

"No matter what happens, don't come out!"

The door to the inner room finally gave way, bursting open as the dressing table toppled over. Huan'er rose, grabbed a sheet, and shoved it over the two men's heads, then picked up a chair and pounded on the struggling figure. In the struggle, a careless broadsword sliced open a bloody gash in her left shoulder. Huan'er felt a burning pain in her shoulder, but the wound was probably shallow, so it wasn't too unbearable for the moment. Besides, she didn't have time to dwell on the pain; dealing with the bandits was the most important thing!

Just as the two bandits finally ripped off the sheet, their anger blazing, and were about to stab her to death, they raised their sword hilts high, only to simultaneously collapse before her, motionless. Behind the bandits stood the three Shi brothers. Shi Wuji and Wuhen were only wearing their undergarments, their outer garments clutched in their hands, while Wujie was even shirtless. It was clear that all three had rushed over as if their pants were on fire, their clothes not even properly arranged. They had finally arrived, at this critical moment.

The candle was lit. The bloodstains on Huan'er's shoulder, visible through her white pajamas, looked horrifying.

"You're injured!" Shi Wuji roared as he walked towards her. Startled by his anger, Huan'er took a step back in fear. Was he going to hit her? Good heavens, she was exhausted, in pain, and still shaken; she couldn't withstand a single blow from his fist, not even a finger.

She called out around the table:

"You can't hit me, at least not until I'm healed!"

"If you don't stop so I can bandage you up, you'll die from blood loss without me even having to hit you." He grabbed her uninjured right hand across the table, and Huan'er fell into his arms. He carried her horizontally and sat her on the bed, his mouth never stopping.

"Wuhen, take Wuxia to my place to sleep; Wujie, throw these scumbags out and go ask the waiter for some hot water."

After clearing away the onlookers, Shi Wuji moved closer to the candlestick and carefully tore open the clothes around her wound. His brows furrowed even more. And when he frowned, his stern expression could terrify ten strong men. Huan'er missed his poker face when he wasn't smiling; at least it didn't make her hair stand on end with fear.

"I know you're angry, but what are you angry about? The bandits are here, and I can't just stand by and watch myself get killed or captured. The outcome would be the same anyway, so of course I had to fight them! After all, I didn't let your precious little sister get a single hair on her head, did I?" She felt obligated to explain, but the pain from her wound made her groan, unable to speak further. Looking down at the wound on her left shoulder, about ten centimeters long, extending above her left breast… Huan'er gasped! She didn't realize when she was naked from the waist up. She tried to grab the blanket to cover herself, but found that the sheets had been thrown to the bandits long ago and were now lying tattered on the floor. She could only cover her chest with her hands, something to make do. Her cheeks flushed, and she dared not look at Shi Wuji.

Shi Wuji's anger stemmed from himself; he was angry at himself for failing to protect her properly, leaving her to fight the bandits alone and get injured. And this little woman actually thought he would hit her! Shouldn't an injured person be quiet and weak? Instead, she kept talking, while her uninjured hand was busy covering her body.

"Brother, the hot water is here!" Shi Wujie pushed open the door, carrying steaming hot water and medicine. But he saw his brother glare at him with a murderous look—this was the second time Shi Wuji had lost control that night.

"Couldn't you knock before coming in?" he roared! His outer garment was quickly covered over Huan'er's naked body, and Shi Wujie hurriedly turned around.

"I'm sorry, brother, I didn't know!" His voice was filled with fear.

Huan'er couldn't bear it, and after putting on Wuji's outer garment, she softly said:

"Why are you being so fierce? Do we have to be so distant with family? Don't let me, an outsider, ruin the harmony between brothers." She had long noticed the polite yet distant manner of the Shi siblings, which had prevented her from feeling like a member of the Shi family. To the Shi family, she was an outsider; to this ancient era, she was an incongruous intruder. This constant feeling of alienation left her disheartened, but not particularly saddened.

"Wu Jie, put the water down and go out to have Wu Hen find out about those three people."

This audacious woman dares to openly challenge his authority! She's only been married a few days and she already dares to do this; she'll probably start to act wildly and domineeringly towards him in the future. He must give her an unforgettable experience, making her understand that a wife cannot arbitrarily contradict her husband without permission.

Huan'er noticed a hint of worry appear on Shi Wujie's usually cold face as he glanced at her hastily. That glance seemed to be a warning to her to be careful! She understood. Silently, she let Shi Wujie bandage her wound, waiting to see how he would treat her.

“You shouldn’t have fought three thugs all by yourself, bare-handed.” He began to announce the charges.

"Should I just sit here and wait for them to kill me? Only a fool wouldn't fight back!"