Just as Dingdang was about to speak, a figure suddenly leaped from the bed, moving with incredible lightness towards the door. Ding Wuhen frowned and shouted, "Not good!" He rose and drew his sword to stab. However, he had just taken the antidote, the residual poison lingered, his inner energy was scattered, and he had no strength left in his body. He struggled to his feet but felt dizzy and fell back into Dingdang's arms.
Chu Tong ran towards the bedroom door without looking back. In a flash, she saw someone walking towards her, but it was too late to dodge. With a cry of "Ouch!", she bumped into the person. Chu Tong had rushed so fast that she caused the person to stumble. She looked up and saw that the person was none other than Consort Du Yujuan, and standing beside her was none other than Prince Jinyang, Qin Ye!
Qin Ye was enjoying drinks with guests at Jinbu Tower when an imperial decree arrived from the palace, summoning him to a banquet. Reluctant to part with the talented musicians in the room, Qin Ye asked Du Yujuan to go in his place. He also personally went back to his room to fetch a few things for her to take to her mother. Neither of them brought any attendants and went directly to Jingbo Pavilion, only to witness this unexpected scene.
Qin Ye glanced into the room but hadn't reacted yet. Even though Chu Tong was quick-witted, she pointed at the two people in the room and shouted, "Your Highness! So you are wise and powerful. You knew all along that Ding Dang was having affairs with one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight lovers. Today, you came unexpectedly to catch them in the act!" After saying that, she turned around and flashed behind Qin Ye.
Qin Ye stared intently and indeed saw Ding Dang holding a man in her arms, her jade-like hand caressing his face. Only the dim light obscured the man's features. Their intimate posture clearly indicated a close and unusual relationship. Qin Ye, who usually doted on Ding Dang, was instantly enraged upon seeing her. His head spun with rage, his usually narrow eyes widened, and he stormed over, gritting his teeth, shouting, "Ding Dang! You vile woman, tell me what's going on here!"
Dingdang froze, realizing that her scheme had been exposed and there was no way to salvage it. So she decided to go all out, raised her pretty face, and sneered, "What do you mean, what happened? I've hated you for a long time and couldn't wait to get away from you!"
Qin Ye trembled with rage and slapped Ding Dang across the face. At that moment, Ding Wuhen felt his body gradually relax. He quickly pulled his mask up over his face and, seeing Ding Dang and Qin Ye in this state, cursed Ding Dang inwardly as a stupid woman. If Qin Ye had been so enraged as to summon the guards, he would likely have been trapped in his current state.
Qin Ye's fair face flushed crimson as he gritted his teeth and roared, "I, I will tear you adulterers to pieces!"
Ding Dang was stunned for a moment, then covered her face and chuckled a few times, saying, "Wonderful, wonderfully wonderful!" After saying that, a few crazy glints flashed in her eyes, and she grabbed the sword next to Ding Wuhen and stabbed at Qin Ye!
Qin Ye was startled and took several steps back. Just then, Du Yujuan suddenly rushed forward and blocked Qin Ye's path. The sword pierced her right shoulder with a "whoosh." Du Yujuan cried out "Ah!" from the sword and leaned back. Qin Ye hurriedly braced himself with his hand, and when he saw the blood-red area in front of her, he was horrified. Before he could even cry out, Ding Wuhen had already swiftly stepped forward and pressed acupoints on Qin Ye and Du Yujuan. Both of them rolled their eyes and fainted simultaneously.
Seeing this, Chu Tong immediately took off running. Ding Wuhen turned back and searched the large bed but couldn't find the white jade box. His brow furrowed, and he immediately realized the mechanism inside. He cursed and chased after her. As Chu Tong ran, she heard the sound of wind chasing her from behind and was greatly alarmed. Knowing Ding Wuhen's superb lightness skill, she feared she was doomed. Seeing the Jinbu Tower in front of her, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Help! Catch the assassin! An assassin is trying to kill the Prince and Princess!" She rushed into the Jinbu Tower, where a group of beauties were singing and dancing in the hall. Chu Tong knocked down three or four beauties as she passed through the hall. At that moment, Ding Wuhen came chasing after her with his sword, and the dancers screamed and scattered. The guests were filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
Just then, countless guards armed with swords suddenly appeared from all sides. Chu Tong shouted, "Guards! He's an assassin! He just killed the Prince and Princess!"
Ding Wuhen angrily retorted, "Don't listen to this witch's nonsense! I'm here to settle a personal score with her!"
Chu Tong hid behind the guards and cursed, "Pah! You were having an affair with the prince's concubine in Jingbo Pavilion. When I caught you, you tried to kill him to cover it up. Just then, the prince arrived, and you killed the prince and the princess!"
Upon hearing this, everyone gasped in shock. Then, seeing Ding Wuhen dressed in black and wielding a sharp blade, they began to believe him. Just then, they heard the screams of maids and servants outside: "Help! It's terrible! The prince and princess are dying!" Hearing this, both the guards of the prince's mansion and the martial arts practitioners present drew their weapons and rushed towards Ding Wuhen.
Ding Wuhen couldn't help but groan, thinking to himself that a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. With so many people attacking, how could he possibly gain the upper hand? Thinking of this, he hurriedly used his lightness skill, leaped out of the door, and was chased after by the crowd who shouted angrily.
Chu Tong felt slightly relieved. Looking around, she saw that only a few guests remained, and the room was in a mess. Chu Tong let out a long sigh, but thinking that this was not a place to stay any longer, and that she had already obtained the two jade boxes, she might as well take advantage of the chaos and slip away. With that thought, she started to walk out, when she heard a woman's voice say, "Zhou Xianheng! You old thief, don't you dare run away! We have a deep-seated grudge, and today we will settle it!" After saying that, the beautiful young woman who had been sitting on the right playing the pipa jumped out with two swords in her hand.
Zhou Xianheng was putting his guqin into a cloth bag while sitting down when he heard this and was taken aback. He said, "I have no grudges with you, young lady. Just now when you were playing the guqin, you used your internal energy to provoke me. I wonder what your intentions are?"
The young woman spat angrily and said, "No past grudges or recent feuds? Then let me ask you, where did you get this Autumn Melody Zither in your hand?"
Zhou Xianheng's expression changed, and he stroked his beard, saying, "I bought this zither from a shop twenty years ago for a thousand taels of silver."
The young woman shouted, "Bullshit! You stole this zither from my house! For this Autumn Melody Zither, you old thief, you wiped out my entire family!"
No sooner had these words left his mouth than a man sitting next to the old man stood up abruptly, pointed at the young woman, and shouted angrily, "You barbarian, don't you dare spew such slander! How could my elder brother have wiped out your entire family!" The man looked to be in his forties, wearing a light blue shirt, with a square face and originally regular features, but he had a blood-red birthmark on his right eye, which made his whole face look somewhat ferocious.
The young woman's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "I'm making false accusations? Twenty years ago, this old scoundrel befriended a family of zither makers. The zither maker married a woman of Central Asian descent, who brought with her the world-renowned zither, Qiu Lai, as part of her dowry. This old scoundrel happened to see her and wanted to buy it at a high price, but the zither maker and his wife refused. So he devised a wicked plan, murdering the zither maker's entire family of eight in the dead of night, setting fire to their house, and fleeing with the zither!"
Zhou Xianheng slammed his hand on the wine table beside him and said sternly, "Don't you dare slander my reputation. Do you have any evidence to prove what you're saying?"
The young woman sneered, "Back then, when you grabbed my brother's neck, I pounced on you and bit the back of your hand. The scar on the back of your right hand is my teeth mark! Heaven has eyes. Back then, you struck me in the chest but didn't kill me. Just now, when you were playing the zither, I heard the music first and then looked at your right hand, and I knew you were my mortal enemy! Just now, out of consideration for the young prince, now that the banquet is over, we're going to settle this old score properly!"
When the young woman mentioned the teeth marks, Zhou Xianheng was startled. His left hand unconsciously reached to cover the crescent-shaped scar on his right hand. At this moment, the man in his forties shouted, "Where did you come from, you barbarian woman, spouting nonsense and slandering my elder brother! We, the Seven Sages of Peach Blossom Spring, are a righteous sect in the martial arts world. How could we do such a despicable thing? If you continue to tarnish my elder brother's reputation, don't blame me for being impolite!" With that, he drew a large knife with a clang.
At this moment, a man in his twenties jumped out from the right and said, "Now that we have the evidence, do you still want to deny it? Chu Yue is my wife, Shi Yiqing's wife, 'Right Eye with Blood' Qu Wuliang. If you insult her again by calling her a 'barbarian,' I will take your head off!"
Qu Wuliang sneered, "Shi Yiqing? You're the rebellious disciple who was expelled from the Liancang Sect? Rumor has it that you had a beautiful fiancée, the junior sister of the Fengcheng Sect, but you abandoned her and married a demoness. Now it seems the two of you are a perfect match!"
Shi Yiqing and Chu Yue's expressions changed instantly. At this moment, a clear voice said, "What does it matter to you what woman someone marries? I did hear that six years ago in Nanhuai of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there was an ugly freak with a birthmark on his right eye who drank and slept with prostitutes in brothels without paying them. He even went on a drunken rampage and stripped the clothes off a girl who played the zither! Bah! He even called himself a righteous sect in the martial arts world. He's a dead turtle and a rotten tortoise. He'll be struck by lightning as soon as he steps out the door. What Seven Sages of Peach Blossom Spring? I think he's clearly the Seven Scoundrels of Peach Blossom Spring!"
Everyone turned to look and saw Chu Tong standing on the steps with a mocking expression on her face. It turned out that as soon as Qu Wuliang stepped out, Chu Tong recognized him as the customer who had forced her mother to sell herself in a brothel six years ago, and she couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.
Chu Yue laughed loudly, but her eyes were full of hatred. She gritted her teeth and said, "Little sister, you are absolutely right. What Seven Sages of Peach Blossom Spring? They are clearly Seven Scoundrels of Peach Blossom Spring!" With that, she brandished her twin swords and slashed at him.
Zhou Xianheng and Qu Wuliang hurriedly brandished their weapons to defend themselves, and chaos erupted in the hall. Chu Tong thought to herself, "Mother, swords have no eyes, I hope they don't get caught in the crossfire." She slipped away through the side door.
Chaos reigned in the Jin Yang Prince's mansion. Chu Tong walked towards Huan Fang Zhai under the hazy moonlight. She hadn't taken two steps when she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder, then she was lifted up and thrown down heavily. Chu Tong cried out "Ouch!" and fell flat on her back, completely disoriented. Before she could recover from her groan, a sharp blade was pressed against her neck.
Chu Tong looked closely and saw Urina squatting in front of her, holding a dagger and rubbing it against her face. The burly man with a dark face stood beside Urina, glaring at Chu Tong and saying in a strained tongue, "You just embarrassed the princess, I'll kill you!"
Urina's eyes were cold and sinister as she spoke in broken Mandarin, "Killing her would be too easy! I'm going to paint her face! I'll turn her into an ugly monster!"
Chu Tong felt a chill run down his spine, thinking, "Damn it! I made fun of her at the banquet, and now that barbarian is going to take revenge!" He saw the dagger flashing coldly, and Urina raised her hand to slash. Chu Tong's legs trembled, but he laughed out loud, calculating how to escape.
The long burst of laughter startled Urina, who stopped what she was doing, frowned, and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Chu Tong smiled and said, "Do you know why I teased you just now? You are the most beautiful flower on the grassland, the pearl of Nur chieftain, the noble Princess Urina. I am just a lowly maid. How dare I tease you? I was acting under someone's orders."
Urina angrily asked, "Did the King of Jinyang order you to do this?"
Chu Tong laughed and said, "Of course not, it was the concubine who ordered me to do it. The princess is absolutely gorgeous, she's so beautiful that fish would sink, geese would fall from the sky, the moon would hide, and flowers would blush! The prince was completely smitten when he saw her. He told me that the princess is so beautiful that even if all the Twelve Beauties of Jinyang were tied together, they wouldn't be as beautiful as one of her arms. The princess is not only a pearl and flower of the grasslands, but also a beauty that is considered exceptional in Beiliang. If I could win the princess's favor, just one night of passion, tsk tsk tsk, the prince said that dying under the peony flower would be a romantic death! He could even die smiling in the afterlife!"
When Urina heard Chu Tong praise her beauty, she straightened her chest and her face lit up with joy. She had always been very confident in her appearance and figure, and now that Chu Tong said it, she couldn't help but believe it a little.
Upon seeing this, the burly, dark-faced man hurriedly leaned down and smiled at Urina, saying, "The princess's beauty is a gift from heaven, and even King Jinyang cannot resist it."
Urina's expression softened considerably. Chu Tong carefully used her index finger to deflect the dagger, still smiling broadly, "Yes, yes, the prince saw that the princess was accompanied by... this hero, and assumed that the princess already had someone she loved, so he developed feelings for her but dared not confess..."
Urna interrupted, "Handa is my servant, not my lover."
Chu Tong nodded and said, "But the prince doesn't know. He was afraid of offending the beauty, so he asked me to wear a red flower while I was practicing my sword dance and secretly throw it to the princess to see what she thought." After saying that, she took off the red velvet palace flower that she was wearing on her head and handed it to Urina.
Urina took the flower, thinking of the handsome and refined young prince of Beiliang, a different kind of charm compared to the burly men of the grasslands. A smile crept onto her lips, her thoughts swaying. At this moment, Chu Tong shook her head and sighed, "But! But good things always come with difficulties! The prince's words were overheard by the concubine, who was furious and warned me not to give the princess a red flower. Not only that, but I must also embarrass the princess in public, or else I'll chop off my head!" She then added mysteriously, "Actually, the prince and concubine weren't killed by assassins. Just now, they had an argument at Jingbo Pavilion about the princess, and the prince sent me and a disguised assassin to distract the crowd..." Her intention was actually to create a diversion and secretly meet with the princess. "Just now, the prince ordered me to find the princess, and she immediately ran into me. Isn't this a preordained fate?" She then pointed to a group of figures ahead and said, "Princess, please move to the Maple Dew Pavilion ahead. The prince is waiting there. I need to go to the princess's quarters to delay her, lest that jealous woman ruin your plans." In her heart, however, she thought, "I'll point you to the farthest courtyard. By the time you find her, hmph, I'll have already escaped."
Urina turned her head to look in the direction Chu Tong was pointing. Chu Tong jumped up and said passionately, "Princess, a moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and the warm boudoir is a place for lovers to revel in. Our prince is a dashing young man, and many young ladies are infatuated with him. Princess, do not waste this precious time, lest you miss out on the joy and regret it later!"
Urina stood up and nodded, her beautiful eyes sparkling with spring-like charm. She took off a necklace from her neck and put it into Chu Tong's hand, saying, "You did very well."
Chu Tong exclaimed, "Wow! What a beautiful necklace! This humble servant thanks the princess for the gift! Princess, please take care!" Then, looking at Wu Rina's retreating figure, she curled her lip in disdain, weighed the necklace in her hand, and muttered, "Brainless barbarian woman." She turned and left, when she heard someone above her say coldly, "You've tricked people time and time again, you're quite clever."
Chu Tong was taken aback. Looking around, she saw a figure suddenly leap down from a large tree not far away. Chu Tong instinctively took a few steps back and looked closely. The person in front of her was Lin Shangzhen, who was singing generously in Jinbu Tower.
Chu Tong snorted and didn't reply. She walked past Lin Shangzhen and stepped forward. Lin Shangzhen grabbed Chu Tong's arm and said coldly, "I'll give you money. Name your price and sell me the 'Qunfang Sword Manual'."
While struggling, Chu Tong glared at Lin Shangzhen and said, "You're ridiculous! Why should I sell you the sword manual?"
Lin Shangzhen said, "That sword manual originally belonged to me... and besides, you don't know the mental techniques of the sword manual, and you don't have any internal energy. Even if you master the moves, it's just for show and you can't defend yourself."
Chu Tong raised her eyebrows and said, "So what if it can't defend against enemies? If I ever go hungry, do I expect to use this sword technique to perform on the streets? If I sell you the sword manual, you can take on more than 18,000 disciples and grand-disciples. How am I supposed to make a living in the martial arts world then? No way!" With that, she tried to pry the man's large hand away, muttering, "Besides, I burned that sword manual long ago..."
Lin Shangzhen was both amused and exasperated when he heard Chu Tong's idea to practice this sword technique on the street. Suddenly, he saw Chu Tong raise her fist to punch him in the face, and he quickly subdued her. Unable to move, Chu Tong cried out, "Help! Something terrible has happened! Someone is bullying a weak woman!"
Lin Shangzhen frowned. Just then, a guard shouted, "Who's there!" Chu Tong opened her mouth to shout, but Lin Shangzhen quickly pressed Chu Tong's pressure points, tucked her under his arm, and leaped onto the roof of the adjacent courtyard. Then he walked quickly and ran straight outside.
Watching Lin Shangzhen lead her across rooftops and walls, Chu Tong thought to herself, "I wonder where this Lin guy comes from. First, he knocked off my veil while we were practicing swordsmanship, and now he wants to buy my sword manual. Is he... is he some kind of assassin sent by Xie Linghui to kill me for the reward?" Thinking this, Chu Tong felt a surge of anxiety. Suddenly, she remembered that she had left her lavishly saved cotton-padded jacket at the Prince's mansion! She felt a pang of regret for a moment, then consoled herself, "Bah! Just consider it as exchanging the gold and silver from that jacket for this jade box! When I possess all the wealth in the world, will I still care about such a small amount of money?"
Lin Shangzhen leaped and bounded, quickly leaping over the red walls of the Jin Yang Prince's Mansion. Once outside, he didn't stop, heading straight for the stables of an inn. He untied one of the horses, tossed a string of copper coins to the groom, scooped Chu Tong up, and spurred the horse into a gallop.
After riding for a while, Lin Shangzhen pulled on the reins and lifted Chu Tong down from the horse. Ahead lay a stream, its banks overgrown with weeds taller than a person. Chu Tong exclaimed in alarm, "Bold thief! Could it be... could it be that he not only wants to rob me of my money, but also of my virtue?"
Lin Shangzhen walked into the bushes, put Chu Tong down on the ground, then turned back to tie up the horse, and said to her, "Behave yourself, or I'll take your life right now!" After saying that, he pressed Chu Tong's pressure points.
Chu Tong's mind raced, and she said with a mournful face, "Great hero, I really have already burned the sword manual. Now that you've taken me out of the palace, all the hard-earned money I've saved up over the years will be gone! People might even think I'm a shameful woman who eloped with a wild man. It'll be so unpleasant to hear about it. How am I supposed to face people in the future?" As she spoke, she couldn't help but sob.
Lin Shangzhen was taken aback. When he saw Chu Tong acting unruly and the guards from the Prince's Mansion chasing after them, he had grabbed her in a moment of panic, without considering Chu Tong's reputation. He knew that women from noble families were different from women from the martial arts world, and that they had many rules. He was afraid that he had acted rashly this time.
Chu Tong shed a few tears, stealing a glance at Lin Shangzhen, who was deep in thought with furrowed brows. A sense of smugness welled up within her. Lin Shangzhen paused, then said, "If you are willing to draw the moves from the 'Qunfang Sword Manual' for me, I will give you a sum of money and find you a suitable family. Although it won't be as luxurious as the royal family's life, it will be comfortable and more carefree. Would you be willing, young lady?"
Chu Tong burst into tears: "Who knows if you'll sell me to a brothel to be a prostitute, or to a wealthy family to be a concubine or a maid? My life is so miserable!"
Lin Shangzhen frowned and said, "I would never do such a despicable and vile thing!"
Chu Tong retorted angrily, "Bah! The so-called righteous Seven Scoundrels of Peach Blossom Spring have wiped out entire families and raped women's mothers. Who are you to call yourself a hero?" Chu Tong was adept at reading people. She saw that although Lin Shangzhen was speaking harshly, he didn't seem to intend to cause any real harm like Ding Wuhen. Her courage grew, and she decided to make a scene first so that she could negotiate a better deal.
Just then, a hurried sound came from afar. Lin Shangzhen quickly covered Chu Tong and lay down, peeking out through the gaps in the weeds. He saw a man in black galloping towards them, carrying a girl on his shoulder. After running for a while, the man in black saw the horse Lin Shangzhen had left by the grass and exclaimed with joy, "Hahaha! Heaven has truly helped me! Dingdang, there's a horse here!" With that, he put the girl down, jumped onto the horse, pulled the girl into his arms, and spurred the horse to gallop away.
Just then, a dozen or so guards from the Prince's mansion and martial arts practitioners arrived from behind, each carrying a torch. The leaders were leading vicious dogs, which leaped and barked wildly, barking fiercely towards the place where Chu Tong and her companion were hiding. Lin Shangzhen was startled. Taking advantage of the chaos, he pressed Chu Tong's pressure points, then dragged her gently overboard into the stream.
Although it was summer, the river water was still icy cold, and Chu Tong couldn't help but shiver, cursing inwardly. Suddenly, Lin Shangzhen placed his hand on her back, and a surge of heat flowed from a major acupoint on her back to her limbs. Chu Tong let out a long sigh of relief. The two of them clung to the riverbank, and a guard came over for a quick inspection. Finding nothing amiss, he left, cursing all the while.
After the crowd dispersed, Lin Shangzhen pulled Chu Tong out of the water; both were soaking wet. Chu Tong, now a beautiful fifteen-year-old girl, had her wet clothes clinging to her body, outlining her exquisite curves. Lin Shangzhen glanced at her, coughed lightly, and turned his face away, saying, "Excuse me." Chu Tong looked down and felt a little shy. She crossed her arms and followed Lin Shangzhen to an open space, where they lit a fire. Then Lin Shangzhen turned his back to meditate and regulate his breathing. Chu Tong took off her clothes, dried them until they were half-dry, and then put them back on. Then she curled up her legs to break the awkward silence, saying, "I didn't realize Ding Wuhen was such a devoted lover; he even rescued Ding Dang. It's a pity your horse was stolen."
Lin Shangzhen turned his head in surprise and asked, "Are you talking about Ding Wuhen, who is known in the martial arts world as 'Jade Hawk'?"
Chu Tong lowered her head and said, "That's right." Then she explained why Ding Wuhen was being chased by the people of the Prince's Mansion. She omitted how she met Ding Wuhen, only saying that she had caught Ding Wuhen and Ding Dang having an affair in Jingbo Pavilion. Coincidentally, the Prince and Princess arrived, and the two of them were so angry that they wanted to kill the Prince. Unexpectedly, it was the Princess who stepped forward to take a sword for the Prince.
At this point, Chu Tong couldn't help but sigh, "This concubine was not favored by the prince. She was ignorant of music and poetry, and all she could do was peel fruit and mend clothes. I'm afraid even if she died for the prince, he wouldn't shed a single tear. Tsk tsk, she was deeply in love with the prince, and every time she looked at him, her eyes were always glazed over."
Lin Shangzhen paused for a moment after hearing this, then turned around and looked up at the sky, saying, "Some women are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, while others only know how to mend clothes. Those talented women may be able to help their husbands devise strategies to achieve fame and success, but that doesn't mean that the woman who only knows how to mend clothes loves less than the talented woman. It is admirable that the princess risked her life to save him, but we cannot ridicule her for admiring that handsome and charming prince just because she lacks beauty and talent. In my opinion, the prince is not worthy of the heart of this woman of deep affection."
Chu Tong was stunned by Lin Shangzhen's words and turned to stare at him for a long time. Lin Shangzhen suddenly noticed that Chu Tong's expression was becoming increasingly strange. He saw her gaze shift downwards, staring intently at his chest. Lin Shangzhen looked down and realized that they had just fallen into the water, and his clothes had loosened, causing the jade pendant hanging on his chest to slip out. The jade pendant was a jade plum blossom, warm and translucent, with a faint touch of red in the stamen.
Chu Tong stared at the plum blossoms, stunned, and exclaimed, "You, you are the great hero Yun Yinghuai!"
Upon seeing the jade pendant on her chest, Yun Yinghuai knew his identity had been exposed and lowered his eyes, remaining silent. He had his own reasons for entering the Jin Yang Prince's mansion, but he changed his mind after seeing Chu Tong's sword dance. Although Chu Tong's footwork and movements weren't precise, he could still discern several moves from the "Qunfang Sword Manual." Those who knew this sword technique were probably extinct in the world. Suspicious, he used a peanut as a hidden weapon to knock off Chu Tong's veil. In the past four years, Chu Tong had grown much taller and her appearance had become more striking, but her features and spirit remained almost unchanged. Therefore, Yun Yinghuai recognized the sword-wielding girl at a glance as the girl he had shared life and death with and swore an oath of brotherhood with four years ago at the Xie Mansion! Back then, he had left the Xie Mansion in haste, knowing that Chu Tong possessed the "Qunfang Sword Manual," but he hadn't retrieved it. Firstly, he feared that the future would be difficult and he might lose the manual; secondly, without understanding the manual's core principles, even mastering all thirty-six moves would be nothing more than empty showmanship. So he left the sword manual behind, but later, due to worldly affairs, he delayed going to the Xie residence to retrieve it. He was overjoyed to see Chu Tong today, but then he remembered how clever and cunning this little girl was; she had once forced him to marry heaven and earth in a ridiculous and childish way, and who knew what tricks she might come up with to make things difficult for him this time. Therefore, he didn't reveal his identity, intending only to take the sword manual, make proper arrangements for her, and then never see her again.
Chu Tong quickly figured out about 70-80% of the scheme. She knew that Yun Yinghuai was deliberately not recognizing her. She was slightly angry, but smiled and said, "It's been a long time. I wonder where you are, Master Yun, and where you are making your fortune? Has my appearance changed so much that you don't recognize me? Or are you ashamed of your appearance and think you are not as handsome as before, and are afraid that I will look down on you, so you dare not reveal your identity?"
Upon hearing the word "husband," Yun Yinghuai's eyes twitched, and she said coldly, "How can you take what was just a childish joke seriously?"
Chu Tong pulled out a phoenix-patterned jadeite from her collar and said, "Don't take it seriously? Your token of love is still with me." In fact, Chu Tong had never taken off the phoenix-patterned jadeite since she hung it around her neck. It wasn't that she missed Yun Yinghuai, but rather that it had become a habit since she started wearing it.
Yun Yinghuai's eyes lit up when he saw the jade pendant. He had thought that the jade pendant was probably lost after it fell into someone else's hands, but he didn't expect to see it again. Overjoyed, he reached out and snatched it. Chu Tong quickly protected the jade pendant with her hand and stuffed it into her bodice, saying, "What? You want to take it back now? That's fine. You bring me your jade plum blossom, and we'll exchange them. From now on, we'll have nothing to do with each other."
Yun Yinghuai said in a deep voice, "I can't give you that jade plum... How much silver do you want? I'll buy the jade back."
Chu Tong smiled broadly and shook her head, saying, "No, no, I don't want money. You just need to agree to ten conditions, and I will return this jade to you."
Yun Yinghuai sneered, "You little girl are quite greedy." But in his heart he thought, "This little girl is cunning and slippery. I might as well subdue her, take back the jade, and then give her some silver notes as compensation."
Seeing the cold glint in Yun Yinghuai's eyes, Chu Tong quickly moved back and said, "If you try to take it by force, I will never draw a sword manual for you!"
Yun Yinghuai stared at Chu Tong for a long time, his dark eyes looking up at the sky: "I will do two things for you, without violating the code of the martial world, and then you will return the jade to me."
Chu Tong rolled her eyes and bargained, saying, "Ten items."
Yun Yinghuai glanced at Chu Tong and said expressionlessly, "Two items."
Chu Tong raised her eyebrows and said, "Nine items."
Yun Yinghuai said calmly, "Two items." Then he paused and said, "At worst, I won't take the sword manual, I'll just steal the jade and leave you here. Have you thought it through?"
Chu Tong was taken aback, lowered her head and thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Five pieces, I'll draw the sword manual for you anyway, I won't take your money!"
Yun Yinghuai lay down, crossed his arms, rested his head on his hands, and looked up at the starry sky, saying, "Two items."
Chu Tong held up three fingers to Yun Yinghuai and said, "Three items, three items, please."
Yun Yinghuai closed her eyes and said, "One item."
Chu Tong widened her beautiful eyes and said, "No, no! How come there's one less? Then let's have two!"
Yun Yinghuai turned over, his back to Chu Tong, and remained silent.
Chu Tong bit her lip and said, "If you don't speak, I'll take that as your consent. You have to do two things for me, and then I'll return the jade to you."
After a long silence, Yun Yinghuai said, "It's a deal."
Chu Tong gritted her teeth in anger, cursing the little turtle as a rotten turtle, a black turtle, and a dead turtle in her heart. Then she lay down, turned over, and went to sleep.