Es gibt einen Xiao Chan im Jianghu

Kapitel 39

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly heard the man in the blue robe next to him clutching his chest and coughing violently. He couldn't help but glance over there a couple more times. He saw the man put his hand to his mouth, as if trying his best to suppress it, but he still couldn't stop coughing. After he finally calmed down, he lowered his head even further.

The man already seemed somewhat familiar with the face, but when he saw the man's slender, white fingers, he became even more suspicious. He looked closely at the man's throat and realized that he was a woman in disguise. He immediately recognized the man and whispered, "Senior Brother Lu, you and I are lucky. Isn't this the vixen Su Wan?"

The man in the blue robe quickly grabbed a copper coin and placed it on the table, then tried to get up. Senior Brother Lu shouted in a deep voice, "Surround her!"

In an instant, there were several whooshing sounds, and several people had drawn their swords, surrounding the man in the green robe. The man in the green robe remained calm and said with a soft laugh, "So it's the senior brothers from the Kongtong Sect who have arrived." His voice was melodious and charming, and it was Wanwan in disguise.

Knowing her cunning nature, Senior Brother Lu didn't want to say much to her and gestured. His junior brother, seeing Wanwan's haggard appearance and incessant coughing, guessed that she had been severely injured when she attempted suicide at the Kongtong Sect, and that her strength must be greatly diminished. He shouted, "Su Wan, surrender now!" With that, he stepped forward and used a grappling technique to grab her wrist. Wanwan's expression changed, and suddenly her body trembled slightly. She coughed violently again, and this time she couldn't dodge, and he grabbed her wrist.

The man laughed and said, "Now that your backer Sima Liuyun is in dire straits, let's see how you escape from our grasp this time." He was feeling smug when he suddenly saw Wanwan raise her eyes and look at him with a half-smile. Her expression was extremely charming, and he was stunned. He felt dizzy and weak all over. He let go of Wanwan's wrist and fell to the ground.

Senior Brother Lu was shocked. Seeing his junior brothers collapse one after another, and feeling dizzy himself, he angrily shouted, "Witch! How dare you poison the tea!" His voice grew weaker and weaker, and he finally collapsed and fainted.

Wanwan pouted slightly, coughed softly, and said in a low voice, "If I don't make a move, am I supposed to wait for you to harm me first?" When she saw the disciples of Kongtong arrive, she took advantage of the chaos to put a sleeping potion in the kettle while offering seats. The first few guests who arrived were all fine because they didn't get any tea, but they mistook Wanwan for a bandit and looked at her with fear and uncertainty.

Wanwan glanced at the Kongtong Sect disciples lying on the ground inside and outside the pavilion, and was about to leave when she suddenly heard a cold voice say, "What a vicious woman!" She was startled and quickly turned around. A figure had already swept into the pavilion with the voice and stared coldly at her.

The newcomer was none other than Yan Kunpeng, the leader of the Haixing Gang, who had instigated various factions to oppose Sima Liuyun that day. His Haixing Gang, relying on Su Rang's assistance, had previously acted recklessly and sought exorbitant profits. Now that Su Rang's backer had fallen, their lives were no longer as prosperous as before, and he harbored deep hatred for Wanwan. Having encountered her on this unexpected turn of events, he intended to capture her and bring her back to Kongtong Sect in order to continue his alliance with the Kongtong Sect. He immediately shouted, "Witch, will you pierce your collarbone yourself and come with me, or will I do it for you?"

Wanwan knew she was no match for him. She rolled her eyes, coughed lightly, and said, "Chief Yan is acting all high and mighty just because he's blocking your path to wealth. If I'm willing to offer you 10,000 gold coins, could you spare my life?"

Yan Kunpeng sneered, "What arrogance! Your lover, Sima Liuyun, is indeed a wealthy man in Sichuan, but he's not here right now. Where did you get ten thousand taels of gold from?"

Wanwan's eyes reddened, and she frowned, saying, "Chief Yan is underestimating me too much. If I didn't have silver notes with me, how could I dare to make such a promise to Chief Yan?"

Yan Kunpeng's eyes flickered slightly as he thought: Since this vixen has the ability to bewitch Sima Liuyun so completely, she must have gotten a lot of silver from him. Perhaps she really can produce ten thousand taels of gold. As greed arose in his heart, his eyes became somewhat ardent.

Wanwan knew he was interested, so she slowly reached into her robes and groped around, saying with a smile, "Now that you've accepted the money, Chief Yan must keep his promise and not make things difficult for me anymore."

Yan Kunpeng snorted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, when suddenly he felt a flash of cold light in front of him, and a cluster of steel needles shot towards him. Caught off guard, he leaped back and swung his palm to disperse the hidden weapon, but several steel needles still struck his chest and shoulder. He was momentarily shocked and angry, but then felt no numbness or itching in his wounds, which reassured him slightly.

Seeing Wanwan gracefully fleeing towards the outside of the pavilion, Yan Kunpeng's face darkened. He leaped several times, blocking her path. Enraged, he no longer cared about leaving her alive and unleashed his full power, striking her with his palm. Before Wanwan could dodge, she was enveloped by the force of the palm strike, her ears ringing, and stars flashing before her eyes. She immediately fainted.

As she gradually regained consciousness, she felt an unbearable tightness in her chest and couldn't help but cough a few times. A warm stream of fluid spilled from the corner of her mouth, and she vaguely heard someone beside her sigh, "It's really quite pitiful, that Sima Liuyun..." She felt that the voice was somewhat familiar, and when she heard Sima Liuyun mentioned, she tried to make out what the person was saying, but she felt her mind was wandering and she could hardly hold on, and she fell into a coma again.

When she regained consciousness, the pain in her body had subsided, and the cough that had lingered for days seemed to have lessened considerably. Wanwan opened her eyes and saw an old woman with gentle eyes looking down at her. She recognized her as the old peasant woman who had sat at the same table as her in the teahouse. Still feeling surprised and uncertain, she heard the old woman ask softly, "Young lady, how are you feeling now?"

Upon hearing her voice, Wanwan immediately recognized her and whispered, "Thank you for saving my life, Senior Ghost Bat." This old woman was one of the Ghost Bats who had attempted to assassinate Sima Liuyun at Anping Inn that day. Seeing that Wanwan still remembered her, she smiled and said, "If you hadn't been dressed as a man, my husband and I might not have recognized you."

Wanwan recalled her first encounter with Sima Liuyun at the Anping Inn, and her heart sank. The old woman asked, "Are you that Miss Su Wan? I heard that Sima Liuyun risked the world's condemnation to storm Mount Kongtong and rescue you. How could he allow you to be bullied alone outside, and even develop such a severe cough?" Looking at Wanwan's expression, she suddenly added, "Could it be that he changed his mind and abandoned you after starting something?"

Wanwan felt a pang of sadness and shook her head, saying, "Senior, you misunderstand. Young Master Sima saved me only out of loyalty to his friend, not... not because of any romantic feelings between us, as the rumors in the martial arts world suggest."

The old woman chuckled and said, "But you don't want to put him in a difficult position. It's absolutely true that you committed suicide in public. Your cough was caused by that knife, wasn't it?"

Wanwan trembled. Since leaving that day, every thought of Sima Liuyun had caused her immense heartache and longing, yet she couldn't help but yearn for him. To evade the Sima family and her enemies, she had endured a long and arduous journey. The knife wound she suffered had damaged her lungs, and without proper care, coupled with the torment of heartbreak and the hardships of travel, she developed a cough, and her health had deteriorated significantly. She had intended to find a secluded place to live out her remaining years, but unexpectedly, she encountered the members of the Kongtong Sect and Yan Kunpeng, leading to all these troubles. Hearing the old woman mention it now stirred her emotions, and she almost burst into tears. She quickly turned her head away, unable to utter a word.

Seeing her like this, the old woman gently stroked the strands of hair that fell over her shoulders and sighed, "Silly girl, why do you do this to yourself?"

Wanwan lost her father at a young age and had always been subjected to the cold stares and schemes of others, never receiving genuine love or pity. Looking up, she saw the old woman gazing at her with warm eyes, and the pent-up self-pity and grievances that had been building up in her heart for days were suddenly triggered. Finally, she couldn't help but throw herself into the old woman's arms, crying, "Grandma, I'm so heartbroken I wish I were dead, but I can't..."

The old woman patted her back gently and sighed softly, "Poor child, I understand your suffering."

After crying for a while, Wanwan felt a little better and felt a sense of closeness to the old woman. However, since she didn't know her well, she felt a little embarrassed. Suddenly, she heard the door creak open and an old man pushed it open and entered.

Wanwan saw that he had a handsome face and cold, imposing eyes, but his appearance was different from the old man she had met at Anping Inn and the teahouse. She knew that the Ghost Bat couple must be good at disguise, and this was probably his true appearance.

Seeing that Wanwan had woken up, the old man nodded to his wife and said, "I have found out that what that kid from the Kongtong Sect said is true. The day before yesterday, the Absolute Killing Sect did issue an absolute kill order and is now hunting down Young Master Sima."

Wanwan's heart tightened, and she hurriedly asked, "Senior, did he... did Young Master Sima suffer any injuries?"

The old man shook his head and said, "I haven't heard any news about Young Master Sima yet."

Wanwan thought of Qi Mo's martial arts skills and was immediately filled with anxiety, so she tried to get out of bed.

The old woman gently pressed her back onto the headboard and said, "Your injuries have only just begun to heal; there's no rush to leave now."

Wanwan said anxiously, "But the Absolute Killing Sect is full of tricks. If no one is there to help him, Sima Liuyun may fall victim to their ambush."

The old woman pondered for a moment, then asked, "Old man, what do you say?"

The old man smiled slightly: "You and I still owe Sima Liuyun a favor back then, and now we can find a way to repay it."

☆、64 Latest Chapter

In the past few days, rumors that the Absolute Killing Sect was hunting down Sima Liuyun had already spread throughout the martial arts world.

Leaning against the carriage wall, Wanwan was filled with worry. She was good at gathering information and had been inquiring in many ways for days, but she could not find out where Sima Liuyun was. Helpless, she had no choice but to turn to searching for Qi Mo and Yun Ran. She learned that the two were heading to the capital, so she drove north with the Ghost Bat couple, hoping to see Yun Ran and ask her about the matter.

Having spent several days with the ghost bat couple, she knew that the old man's surname was Shi. Granny Shi was nearly sixty years old, and her true face, after being disguised, was quite beautiful. She seemed to have a special affinity with her and took good care of her along the way. Therefore, although the three of them were traveling in a hurry, they did not suffer from any hardship, and their coughs actually improved day by day.

Seeing her frowning and lost in thought, Granny Shi advised, "In the current situation, it's actually a good thing that we can't get any news about Young Master Sima."

Wanwan knew she was right. Sima Liuyun was probably already on guard. If she couldn't find out his whereabouts, the Absolute Killing Sect would probably have a hard time getting to him. Granny Shi laughed and said, "This girl, she's been so anxious these days. Now she must regret escaping back then and not staying by someone's side."

After a moment of silence, Wanwan, now quite close to Granny Shi, couldn't help but confide her feelings: "My background is wretched, and being with him would only tarnish his reputation as a gentleman. After he escapes this danger, I... will eventually have to leave." As she spoke, she became saddened and lowered her head.

Granny Shi spat and said, "I saw how clever and skillful you were in dealing with those people from the Kongtong Sect, and your actions were quite to my liking. How could you have such a lamentable thought? Young Master Sima is a sincere and good man, but he is by no means bound by rigid etiquette. If he truly loves you, he might not care about his so-called gentlemanly reputation. Let me ask you, if you don't want to follow him, why were you so hesitant and indecisive when you plotted against the Kongtong Sect and Yan Kunpeng?"

Wanwan was stunned. Granny Shi sneered, "If you were any more ruthless, Yan Kunpeng would have died instantly from your hidden weapon, and my husband and I wouldn't have needed to save him."

Wanwan's face flushed slightly. Normally, to eliminate any lingering worries, she would have added deadly poison to the tea and the needle. But now, before acting, she always considered what would happen if Sima Liuyun were by her side, and her actions unconsciously became more restrained. Now, with Granny Shi pointing out her thoughts, she fell silent. After a long while, she softly said, "Although he intends to marry me, I suspect it's out of pity. Rather than forcing him, I'd better give up on the idea first."

Granny Shi looked at her and sighed, "Silly child, love is not as simple as you think. Look at you now, and I know that this feeling is not something that can be easily severed. Let's ask Young Master Sima in person. If he really has no feelings for you, then it's not too late to make a decision. Don't make a rash decision that you will regret for the rest of your life."

Wanwan bit her lip and nodded slightly, feeling a little relieved. But then she remembered that Sima Liuyun's whereabouts and situation were still unknown, and her brows furrowed slightly.

※※※※

After Qi Mo and Yun Ran arrived in the capital, secret reports came from both the Absolute Killing Sect and Wanhe Manor, mentioning that Marquis Chang Le had fallen seriously ill a few days ago. The two knew that there must be something mysterious about it and wanted to investigate further, but the Marquis's mansion was already heavily guarded, and no information could be transmitted.

This was the day Yun Ran was supposed to exchange antidotes with Wen Huaifeng. Worried, she whispered to Qi Mo, "The Black Clam Snow Lotus Pill can also slow down the spread of poison. The poison in my body won't flare up for a while. If Wen Huaifeng has other schemes, we must get out of here first and then try to get the antidote later."

Qi Mo nodded in agreement, but he knew in his heart that this poison was extremely potent. Last time, when Yun Ran activated her true energy, it spread into her eight extraordinary meridians along with her internal energy. If it was not cured as soon as possible, it would inevitably cause endless troubles. He had already made up his mind to get the antidote on this trip. He simply said, "Don't worry, wait for me." He smiled at Yun Ran and then led a few disciples to the Marquis of Chang Le's residence.

Two guards were already waiting in front of the Hou residence. When they saw Qi Mo, they bowed slightly to him and said, "We are here on orders to welcome Sect Master Qi into the residence."

Qi Mo understood the man's intention when he heard him emphasize the title "Sect Master Qi." He then instructed the disciples behind him, "You can wait outside the mansion." With a smile on his lips, he stepped into the mansion, and the two large red-lacquered doors immediately closed behind him.

Qi Mo followed the two guards into the hall, where Wen Huaifeng rose from his chair with a smile to greet him: "Sect Leader Qi is so punctual, truly a trustworthy person. But I wonder if you have brought what I wanted?"

Qi Mo smiled slightly, took out a brocade box from his bosom, opened it and held it in his palm, and said with a sneer, "Please let Lord Wen inspect it in person."

Upon seeing the warm, translucent jade seal in the brocade box, its luster subdued, Wen Huaifeng recognized it as the Imperial Seal of the State that he had longed for. Thinking of the power and wealth that this seal symbolized, his heart warmed. However, he immediately raised his gaze and asked with a smile, "Recently, I have heard that Sect Leader Qi has issued a kill order, commanding his disciples to hunt down Sima Liuyun. I wonder what the outcome of this matter is?"

Qi Mo said calmly, "I have fulfilled my mission. I received news yesterday that Sima Liuyun has been assassinated by the men I sent near Qiannan. His head will be sent to the capital in the next two days."

Wen Huaifeng smiled faintly and said slowly, "This puts me in a bit of a dilemma. Your sect usually insists on a fair exchange when trading with others. Now that we haven't seen Sima Liuyun's head, I can only say that Sect Leader Qi has completed half of the task I asked you to do. How can I hand over the antidote to Sect Leader Qi today?"

Qi Mo remained calm and slowly closed the box, saying, "Since Lord Wen is unwilling to bestow the antidote, I will keep this jade seal for a few more days."

Wen Huaifeng sneered: "Sect Leader Qi, why bother hiding it anymore? Sima Liuyun is not dead at all! You deliberately spread the word to make him wary. As for all your schemes, do you really need me to expose them?"

Qi Mo's eyes flashed, and a man outside the hall spoke up: "Sect Leader Qi secretly sent people to infiltrate the Marquis's mansion, hoping to cooperate with them from the inside to seize the antidote in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, Lord Wen saw through it long ago. Now your men have all died in the mansion. Do you think Sect Leader Qi can leave alive?" A figure flashed, and Ling Shang, his black clothes stained with blood, his eyes filled with a cold smile, led dozens of guards to block the hall door.

※※※※

Several miles away from the Marquis of Changle's residence, as the sun gradually began to set and Qi Mo still hadn't returned, Yun Ran sat in meditation on the bed for a long time, unable to calm her mind no matter what. Finally, she jumped off the bed and went to the door.

She was currently in a secluded courtyard on the outskirts of the city. Qi Mo was worried that the Dragon Guard might take the opportunity to attack, so he left Xie Feng and others to guard the place.

As Yun Ran approached the door, she heard Xie Feng call out softly outside, followed by the rustling of his clothes as he leaped out. She quickly peeked through the crack in the door and vaguely saw a figure in blue flash past the courtyard wall. The figure was slender and delicate, and seemed somewhat familiar. A thought struck her, and she saw Xie Feng leap over the wall and chase after her.

Yun Ran pushed open the door, and a member of the Absolute Kill Sect stepped forward and whispered, "Miss Yun, the sect leader has repeatedly instructed you that you must never leave this place."

Yun Ran nodded and asked, "Who was here just now?"

The man's expression was solemn as he said, "I don't know, but Master Xie has already gone out to investigate and should be back soon."

At this moment, he and several members of the Absolute Kill Sect who were guarding the courtyard were already on high alert. Suddenly, they saw another figure flash by on the high wall of the courtyard. He hurriedly pressed his weapon at his waist and gave a wink to one of the people standing a little further away, signaling him to go forward and check. He turned around to ask Yun Ran to go back to her room for a while, but suddenly broke out in a cold sweat: the place beside him was empty, and there was no trace of Yun Ran.

Yun Ran used her lightness skill and, taking advantage of the fact that all the members of the Absolute Kill Sect were attracted to the figure on the courtyard wall, she silently darted out from the other side of the courtyard wall. After running lightly for a while, she saw the blue figure in front of her stop and then leaped to the person in front of her and said, "It really is you."

Wanwan turned to look at her, her brows furrowed, her face full of doubt, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Seeing her expression, Yun Ran knew what she was worried about. She stepped forward, took her hand, and whispered, "Those messages are all false. I was poisoned by Wen Huaifeng. Brother Sima wanted to help me get back the antidote. He deliberately had Qi Mo spread the word. In fact, he has already secretly come to the capital. He is probably already working with Qi Mo to deal with Wen Huaifeng in the Chang Le Marquis's mansion."

Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief and pressed her hand to her chest, saying, "I knew you wouldn't disregard his life or death..." Then she thought of Sima Liuyun, who was currently at odds with Wen Huaifeng and whose situation must be extremely dangerous, and she couldn't help but worry.

Yun Ran recalled the figure that had flashed past the courtyard wall with ghostly speed just now, and asked, "Did another expert come with you?"

Wanwan nodded and said, "It's Senior Ghost Bat." Suddenly remembering that the couple was unaware of Qi Mo's feigned assassination attempt on Sima Liuyun, she realized that it wouldn't be good if she inadvertently made enemies with the Absolute Killing Sect. She quickly said, "I must go and inform the two seniors of this matter immediately."

Seeing Wanwan swiftly disappear into the distance, Yun Ran frowned but didn't follow. Her recent run, while not enough to trigger the poison, had still strained her internal energy. To prevent any unforeseen complications, she stood still, slowly regulating her breathing before turning to return to her dwelling. Suddenly, she sensed someone hiding in the grass about ten feet away. The person's breathing was faint and deep, almost inaudible. Had Yun Ran not recently improved her skills and gained much sharper hearing, she certainly wouldn't have noticed.

Yun Ran's eyes sharpened, she pressed her hand on the Broken Scale Sword, and shouted in a deep voice, "Who is it!"

The man chuckled, his voice seemingly casual, and said leisurely, "Ran'er is indeed exceptionally clever. I originally intended to launch a surprise attack and take you away, but it seems that will not be possible. I am destined to have to put in more effort." As he spoke, he rose from the bushes and walked slowly towards her with a smile.

Yun Ran's expression changed slightly, and she whispered, "Wen Huaifeng!"

Why would Wen Huaifeng appear here at this time? Was he deliberately creating a diversion to lure Qi Mo away so he could launch a sneak attack, or... had Qi Mo already met with misfortune? Thinking of this, Yun Ran's heart trembled violently. She suddenly gripped the hilt of the Broken Lin Sword tightly and looked up at Wen Huaifeng with a cold gaze.

Yun Ran's changing expression was noticed by Wen Huaifeng, who smiled faintly and said, "What's wrong? Ran'er doesn't seem very happy to see me." As he spoke, he took something out of his bosom and gently tossed it to her, saying, "Will seeing this make you feel better?"

Author's Note: Approaching the end, feeling a bit overwhelmed = =

☆, Chapter 65 (Latest)

Seeing the flash of dark light, Yun Ran's heart skipped a beat. She caught the object Wen Huaifeng had thrown in her hand and looked down to see that it was indeed the black gold ring. Still suspicious, she turned the ring over and, upon seeing the character "珞" engraved on the inside, her expression changed drastically.

Wen Huaifeng laughed and said, "So, are you willing to come with me or not?"

Yun Ran whispered, "You've already killed him?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that her voice was hoarse and almost inhuman.

Wen Huaifeng raised his eyebrows and stared at her for a moment, then said gently, "Come back with me, and I will spare his life and cure the poison in your body."

Yun Ran felt a chill run through her heart, and said in a hoarse voice, "You've already killed him." Qi Mo and Wen Huaifeng were mortal enemies, each wishing the other could be eliminated as soon as possible. Now that Qi Mo had failed, she couldn't think of any reason why Wen Huaifeng wouldn't kill him.

Wen Huaifeng shook his head slightly and said with a faint smile, "Since you refuse to believe me, there's nothing I can do."

Yun Ran's eyes turned cold, and with a flick of her wrist, the Broken Scale Sword was already unsheathed.

Seeing the astonishing power of her sword strike, which demonstrated her mastery of the Jade Sword Sect's swordsmanship, Wen Huaifeng drew his Purple Thorn Soft Sword to parry the incoming sword. He frowned and said, "Aren't you afraid of triggering the premature onset of the poison in your body by recklessly using your true energy?"

Yun Ran frowned but did not answer. Wen Huaifeng saw that she was using the Broken Scale Sword to perform one brilliant move after another, and a layer of cold mist was gradually spreading from the sword. He knew that she was using her inner strength to unleash the cold energy contained in the Broken Scale Sword, and that she had probably used all her strength. He thought to himself: She actually disregarded her own life and was willing to die with me for Qi Mo. A trace of jealousy rose in his heart, and he was also secretly shocked by Yun Ran's great progress in her skills in just a few months.