Peaceful Jianghu

Chapter 27

Suddenly, the tablecloth was lifted off the table.

Cai Bian looked up suddenly, and a ghostly face appeared right in front of him, right next to his nose.

This grotesque face was terrifying, with a bluish-green skin, a face full of wrinkles and creases, and a gaping, blood-red mouth. Cai Bian was so startled that his heart skipped a beat, he couldn't catch his breath, convulsed a few times, and then fainted.

After he fainted, the masked man in front of him stood up. Tearing off the mask, it was indeed Xiao Dao. And the person lying on the bed wasn't a maid, but the unconscious Seventh Concubine.

Just as Seventh Concubine turned to leave the courtyard, Xiao Dao appeared behind her, struck her pressure points, and moved her to the bed.

Xiao Dao tidied her hair and looked up.

Xue Beifan leaped down from the roof and crouched down to look at Cai Bian. Cai Bian had suffered terribly; his face was blue, his body was covered in bruises, and he had lost several teeth.

Xue Beifan suppressed a laugh and gave Xiao Dao a thumbs up, "Awesome!"

"The real show is yet to come." Xiao Dao instructed Xue Beifan to tie Cai Bian up tightly, gag her, and hang her from the ceiling. He also tied the Seventh Concubine to a chair and gagged her as well.

Xue Beifan finished his work, crossed his arms, and asked Xiao Dao, "And then? Shall we go find the Dragon Bone Five Diagrams?"

Xiao Dao waved his hand, "Just a little bit more." As he spoke, he took out a jar from his magic bag, opened it, and scooped out some red medicinal liquid, blood red, and he didn't know what it was.

Xiao Dao wrote bloody words on the bed sheet: "A life for a life," "Faithless man," "Pervert," "May you die a horrible death," and so on.

Xue Beifan stared in astonishment as he saw that the knife had not only written on the bed sheet, but all over the wall. "I mean, this is too ruthless!"

Xiao Dao wrinkled his nose. "How can he remember if I don't do something drastic?"

Having said that, he pointed behind the screen and said to Xue Beifan, "Bring the night-scented tub over here."

Xue Beifan's eyes widened. "No way?"

Xiao Dao squinted. "Give it to me!"

Xue Beifan couldn't dissuade her, so he moved the toilet from behind the screen and placed it on the bed as Xiao Dao instructed, directly facing Cai Bian's forehead, who was hanging upside down from the ceiling.

Xiao Dao pinched his nose, opened the toilet seat, and dragged Xue Beifan away.

The two fled to a deserted garden and hid behind a rockery. Xiao Dao jumped up and down with joy, "Let's see if that old lecher dares to do it again! Let's make him furious!"

Xue Beifan was both amused and exasperated. "It seems you've been holding back by only kicking me twice usually."

Xiao Dao glanced at him and said, "Good to know." Then, he looked around and walked out.

"Where are we going?" Xue Beifan followed her.

"This Cai mansion is so big, of course we have to find out where the treasure is!" Xiao Dao leaped onto the wall and began searching for Cai Bian's study.

“Studies are usually located on the east side. Cai Bian was an official, so he believed in the auspicious energy coming from the east.” Xue Beifan pulled out his knife and found the tallest house in the Cai family mansion, which was indeed the study.

Xiao Dao quietly slipped into the house, lit a tinderbox, and searched around.

Cai Bian's room was filled with antiques, each one seemingly priceless, but the Dragon Bone Five Diagrams were nowhere to be found.

"A knife."

Xiao Dao turned around and saw Xue Beifan standing behind the desk, looking at something on the desk, while waving at her.

Xiao Dao walked over, hands behind his back, and peered closer. He saw a map spread out on the table. It was a geographical map of Xianyun Mountain, clearly marking the locations of some hidden treasures, with annotations beside it.

Xue Beifan said in a low voice, "So they were looking for something in the pool below the Xianyun Mountain Waterfall."

Xiao Dao rested his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the picture. "Perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?"

Xiao Dao put down the blueprints and muttered, "Perhaps, a woman's heart is truly like a needle at the bottom of the sea; no one knows what she's thinking."

Xue Beifan was completely confused. "What do you mean?"

Xiao Dao patted him on the shoulder, "Did you memorize all the locations on the map?"

Xue Beifan glanced around a few more times, nodded, and Xiao Dao followed him out of the study, leaping onto the roof. Standing on the upturned eaves, Xiao Dao looked down at the entire Cai residence, thinking that the square shape of the place resembled a giant coffin. She smiled and pulled Xue Beifan, "Let's go."

"Have you gone back?"

Xiao Dao nodded. "The Dragon Bone Five Diagrams should still be in Immortal Cloud Mountain. Let's think of another way."

Xue Beifan noticed that Xiao Dao suddenly seemed a bit down. Could it be that he felt guilty for doing something wrong? Surely not. That lecherous man deserves to be punished by everyone.

The two left the Cai residence and headed back.

It was already late, and the streets of Jinling City were deserted, the lights were off, and the painted boats on the lake were moored.

Instead of taking the main road, Xiao Dao leaped onto a rooftop, spread his arms for balance, and walked forward along the high ridge of the roof. It seemed as if he was amusing himself, or perhaps he was simply walking forward aimlessly.

Xue Beifan followed behind and inexplicably felt that the girl seemed lonely, so he asked her, "What's wrong?"

"Hmm?" Xiao Dao lowered his head and walked away without saying a word; if he got distracted, he would fall.

Xue Beifan followed quietly behind, "What are you thinking about?"

Xiao Dao walked a little further, and just when Xue Beifan thought she didn't want to talk or force her, she suddenly spoke up, "I thought of someone."

"Men and women?"

"There are men and women."

Looking at the moonlight reflected on the glazed tiles, Xue Beifan asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with men and women?"