Peaceful Jianghu - Chapter 35
As Xue Beifan kept an eye on what was behind him, he saw a gray figure rush out of the temple gate and quickly catch up.
A thought flickered in his mind—this old nun had actually discovered them long ago. When they caught her serving human flesh to the seventh concubine before, she didn't chase after them. Why was she so murderous this time when she was just making a wooden dummy?
"Xue Er!"
Xue Beifan was lost in thought when he felt Xiao Dao pull his wrist upwards. He understood immediately and leaped up... At the same time, with three "whoosh" sounds from his feet, several darts emitting a faint blue light flew over, tracing eerie arcs of light, and landed in the bushes.
As the two landed, Xue Beifan pulled the small knife behind his back. He twirled the black knife he had been holding as a decoration, drew it from its sheath, and with a flash of cold light, blocked the gray figure that was closing in from behind.
Old Nu had already gotten close, but her unique hidden weapon failed to harm either of them, which surprised her. Upon seeing the flash of the blade, she knew she had encountered a master. She took a step back and did not rush in. Standing on a step ten steps away, she shrugged and sized up the two.
His gaze fell on Xue Beifan, and after a long while he spoke, "So you are a master of the Beihai Sect. No wonder you are so powerful."
When Xue Beifan saw her face clearly, he found that she looked even more ferocious than before, and subconsciously hid the knife better.
"Girl, how did you dodge my dart?" The old nun squinted, trying to see Xiao Dao's face clearly. "This is my unique skill, silent and unpredictable."
Xiao Dao thought to herself, "It's just an ordinary hidden weapon, what's all the fuss about... But she felt Xue Beifan grip her hand slightly tighter, as if telling her not to speak."
Xiao Dao pursed his lips. Although he felt a little embarrassed listening to this lecherous thief, he figured it was better to be smart and avoid trouble.
The old nun raised the corners of her mouth and smiled, "Oh, so they're a pair of little mandarin ducks."
Xiao Dao raised an eyebrow, and Xue Beifan tightened his grip. Xiao Dao had no choice but to suppress his anger. "Say what you want. You've already eaten me, so why should I bother with you?"
The old nun smiled and bowed to the two men. "Gentlemen, why have you come to my little temple? Are you searching for treasure? Or exploring mysteries?"
Xue Beifan replied to her casually, "Just passing by."
"Haha." The old nun shook her head with a laugh. "You think you can fool this old woman?"
Xue Beifan shook his head, "I got lost in the mountains and stumbled upon this place by accident."
Xiao Dao was a little confused. What was Xue Beifan worried about? Although she didn't have much experience in the martial arts world, she could still tell who was better at it. The Beihai Sect was known as the number one sect in the world, and Xue Beifan was a man of hidden strength; his skills were definitely enough to defeat this crazy nun. Why wasn't he making a move?
“Since that’s the case, it’s fate that we’ve met. Let me see the young lady behind you.” The old nun’s smile deepened. “She must be a pretty girl.”
Xiao Dao instinctively covered his face—this old nun is terrifying! Why does she want to look at his face?
"Heh." Xue Beifan sneered, "Just so-so."
Xiao Dao held his breath.
"Whether it looks good or not, you'll know at a glance..." the old nun said, taking a step forward. Xue Beifan suddenly raised his hand, and Xiao Dao subconsciously threw out the smoke-escape pill he had been holding.
With a loud "bang," a cloud of yellow smoke billowed up. By the time the old nun had broken through the smoke and taken a few steps to catch up, Xue Beifan had already vanished without a trace with his dagger.
"Master."
Only then did the two nuns catch up from behind.
He wanted to continue pursuing her, but the old nun waved her hand slightly, saying, "Don't provoke the Xue family so easily. Let's continue with our business." With that, she turned and went back to the main hall.
"call……"
Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan ran down the mountain, bypassing the guards and heading back. They only stopped when they saw the bustling Jinling Night Market.
Xiao Dao patted his chest, panting, "That old nun was really scary."
"Have you ever seen those wooden figures before, or heard your mother mention them?"
Xiao Dao shook his head. "My mother only ever talked to me about living people, never about bronze figures, iron figures, or wooden figures."
"Then let Chonghua investigate when we get back." Xue Beifan and Xiaodao walked back, with Xue Beifan asking, "The dart was indeed silent. How did you find it?"
Xiao Dao said smugly, "That's a ground-hugging dart. It's not silent, but rather it's so close to the ground that it's easy to mistake for footsteps. You can still spot it by looking at its shadow."
"Looking at shadows? That's a good trick!" Xue Beifan leaned closer, his serious expression vanishing, replaced by a half-smile. "You saved me, how about repaying me with your body?"
"Get lost." Xiao Dao patted his belly. "You can treat me to a late-night snack."
As he spoke, he ran into a grand restaurant on the left, ready to have a good meal and rip off Xue Beifan.
Xue Beifan shook his head and followed him inside. Before he even entered the room, Xiao Dao turned around and rushed out.
"What are you doing?" Xue Beifan caught the full embrace, both happy and puzzled.
"We've run into a plague! Run!" Xiao Dao grabbed Xue Beifan and turned to run.
As Xue Beifan ran, he kept looking back and saw a group of people chasing after him from the restaurant, all wielding sticks, knives, and swords. A man with a bandage on his arm and a limp followed behind, jumping up and down and shouting, "Catch them! Catch them!"
It was Cai Bian.
[Wooden Man]
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On the bustling streets of Jinling City, a sudden commotion erupted. Xue Beifan, pulling Yan Xiaodao along, ran ahead, pursued by a group of servants from Cai Bian's household.
Pedestrians and vendors on the street stopped to watch. A handsome young man and a pretty young woman were running fast ahead, with Cai Bian's men chasing after them fiercely. They all guessed that Cai Bian had probably taken a fancy to some good girl again.
While secretly cursing Cai Bian for his wickedness, many others tried to trip him up. The servants stumbled and fell as they ran, making a complete fool of themselves.
"That Cai Bian guy actually dares to come out for revenge." Xiao Dao looked back as she ran, when suddenly someone grabbed her and pulled her into a dark alley.