Qiu Lingling was overjoyed and quickly snuggled into his arms, saying, "You're so sweet."
It was like hugging a huge furnace, the heat instantly coursing through his body. Jin was about to lash out in embarrassment, but the words "You're so nice" silenced his anger. The rebuke that was on the tip of his tongue could no longer be uttered. He had no choice but to push her away and move away. But the little girl instinctively tried to hug him and pressed herself even closer.
With the soft, fragrant body in his arms, Jin Huanlai felt his whole body stiffen, almost wanting to cry. "You're so innocent, while I'm just a perfectly normal man! Isn't this deliberately tempting me to commit a crime?! I only ate a few pieces of osmanthus cake, you don't have to torture me like this! Trying to be a saint every day, you'll surely cause problems..."
The girl's body exuded a faint, sweet fragrance. Her skin was tight and elastic, and one could even feel the undulating curves and the pulse beneath her skin. Warmth emanated from her undergarments.
The feeling from that night returned, and Jin felt like crying but couldn't. He finally understood that a fourteen-year-old girl was also a living, breathing woman, no different from those eighteen- or twenty-year-old women! He suddenly realized that loneliness wasn't the worst thing; it was having something good in front of you but not being able to eat it that was even more unbearable.
.
Because it was so late, Qiu Lingling quickly fell asleep peacefully. Her petite body curled up in his arms, her soft breath blowing against his chest, the heat penetrating his undergarments and stimulating a certain sensitive nerve.
Jin Huanlai's brain finally started to malfunction.
"Tch, so what if you ate it? If it weren't for me, you'd still be stuck in that kind of place. Ten thousand taels of silver could buy countless women, enough to open a dozen brothels. It's only natural that you repay me. I am the dignified leader of this sect, and countless women want to climb into my bed. Besides, you offered yourself up, so don't blame me..."
Realizing the danger of this kind of thinking, Jin wanted to slap himself twice. "How disgusting!" he thought. "If it were any other woman, it would be one thing, but how could he do this to a child?"
After eating her, will I reluctantly accept her as a concubine in the future?
Or should he refuse to eat, and continue to maintain a lofty and glorious image in the little girl's mind?
After much struggle, our Great Master Jin ended up sleeping on the floor with his blanket.
A dimwitted little girl, and the dignified leader didn't even dare to lay a hand on her, instead being kicked off the bed—it would be a laughing stock if word got out! Lying on the ground, Jin lamented, "How can I make this little girl understand that casually climbing into a man's bed is a dangerous thing?" "How lucky you are to have met such a kind person like me, who not only picked up my baggage but also gave me my sleeping place! My once carefree and wonderful life is gone!"
However, the feeling of loneliness and desolation that I had before seemed to have lessened considerably.
.
"Give me back my gold!"
"What are you calling me!" Hearing the clear and impolite address, Jin Huanlai finally had a place to vent his anger that he had been holding back all night. Apart from that old guy, who would dare to call this sect leader by his name to his face? Now that a little girl was using it, what kind of behavior was this!
Seeing him get angry, Qiu Lingling looked completely innocent: "I was calling you, didn't you call for Jin to come back?"
Jin remained silent for a long time before sighing, "I'm older than you, how can you call me by my first name?"
Qiu Lingling blinked: "How old are you?"
Knowing that arguing with this naive young girl wouldn't be easy, Jin still decided to correct her way of addressing him: "I'm almost twenty-four, older than you, so you can't call me by my name. In front of others, you can call me 'Big Brother'..."
Qiu Lingling was displeased and interrupted him: "You are my friend, not my older brother."
Jin wanted to burst into tears, but decided to give up on the matter. Anyway, no one would hear it outside Jin Garden, so it wouldn't damage the reputation of this sect leader. Oh well!
He pointed at her hair and said in a harsh voice, "Fine, fine, comb your hair properly!"
"I don't know how, can you help me?"
"What!"
"Will you help me comb my hair?"
"No way!" How could a dignified sect leader comb a woman's hair?
“My older sister used to do my hair, but I don’t know how.”
Being bossed around by a child, acting as a wet nurse and then a maid? My prestigious image is ruined! Jin gritted her teeth, haphazardly tying her long, smooth black hair on top of her head with a red ribbon, thinking maliciously, "I can't do that either. If it looks bad, you're out of luck."
Her hair was long and thick, and even though it was tied up, it still cascaded down her back like a small waterfall, glistening with an oily sheen. From the front, Qiu Lingling was already lively and cute, and this simple outfit, though a bit incongruous, added a touch of playfulness, making her look like a handsome tomboy.
"Does it look good?" I asked happily.
Jin glared at her for a long time, then turned and left, muttering, "Ugly!"
.
Orioles and swallows danced and sang, countless butterflies fluttered past his eyes, carrying a fragrant breeze. Feeling the familiar atmosphere, Jin Huanlai felt much better and felt very comfortable. Holding a beautiful girl while she slept, yet being unable to do anything else, was such a painful thing. Grandpa Jin was simply the most pathetic leader in the history of the Thousand Hands Sect. Now that the little girl was asleep, he could finally run out and have some fun with the courtesan.
The madam greeted them with a smile.
Too lazy to listen to her rambling, Jin waved his hand and said, "I have long admired Miss Xin Yu. I wonder if I will have the honor of seeing your beautiful face today?"
The madam hesitated, "Miss Xin is entertaining guests tonight..."
Jin Huanlai knew what method to use in this situation. He tossed over a few silver notes and raised an eyebrow: "I have long admired you. I would like to trouble you, Mother, to help me send a message."
Upon seeing the amount on the silver note, the madam's eyes widened at first, then narrowed to mere slits: "I'll go right away, young master, please wait a moment. That girl is a bit stubborn, and I can't do anything with her. It's all because of that useless boy, Jiang Xiaohu..."
Upon hearing the name, Jin Huanlai's heart skipped a beat: "Jiang Xiaohu? The useless Jiang Xiaohu?"
"Who else could it be but him!" the madam complained. "He just hangs around here all the time, blocking so much business from our Miss Xin's business, but that girl treats him like a treasure and has completely forgotten about me, her mother..."
Jiang Xiaohu is a useless man. He is penniless, a gambler, but extremely popular with women. He is a well-known figure in the martial arts world because he is the eldest grandson of the Jiang family, the richest family in Jiangnan. The Jiang family was wiped out a few years ago, but this useless guy is still alive and well, and so many women are willing to support him, including the most beautiful courtesan.
Jin frowned.
The once-powerful Jiang family? The "Daytime Startling Wind Sword Manual"? A rare treasure born alongside this person, which, if obtained, would allow one to contend for supremacy in the martial arts world.
The madam was still grumbling to herself when she turned to go upstairs. Suddenly, someone rushed down from upstairs and bumped into her. The two of them fell towards Jin Huanlai, who was standing next to her.
Small skills reveal true talent
Jin was getting annoyed and quickly moved aside, but the man was about to fall to the ground. In a panic, he waved his hands, grabbed Jin's arm, and shook him several times before he regained his footing.
Jin was in a hurry to see the courtesan, but his mood was inexplicably ruined. He was furious and kicked her without thinking.
The man was kicked over and rolled on the ground, crying out in pain.
Jin was taken aback for a moment, then looked at him with surprise.
He looked to be in his early twenties, his clothes were somewhat worn, but his face was extremely handsome, with a straight nose, elegant eyebrows, and fair skin. At this moment, he was clutching his calf, which had been kicked, and screaming in pain, seemingly in great agony.
But Jin Huanlai discovered something amiss.
The force of the kick seemed to sink into the sea, as if it had no effect. The falling motion was more like using the momentum, as if he had just touched him and then collapsed. It was as if he had kicked the air. If an ordinary person did this, they would definitely notice. But this person's control was extremely skillful. It was as if he hadn't been hit, but he had still received some force. It was as if he had been hit, but not so hard that he would be injured. It was half real and half fake, making it hard to detect. Even a top-notch expert would definitely be fooled by him.
Unfortunately, he ran into Jin Huanlai.
An act? Jin sneered. Are there really such masters in the martial arts world?
The madam got up, rubbing her lower back, and angrily cursed, "Jiang Xiaohu, you brat, are you blind? What were you doing barging in like that? Did you hurt your mother's old back?!"
"Ha, useless Jiang Xiaohu?" Jin was quite surprised and began to find it amusing.
A strange character who indulged in all sorts of vices, including eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring. He was kicked out of his home by his father and relied on prostitutes for support. He didn't shed a single tear after his parents died. He was utterly useless and heartless.
However, this person himself is a master.
Alright! Kid, let's have a game and see if Grandpa Jin's feet are any better, or if you're just a good actor!
Jin remained calm and kicked again.
.
Sure enough, Jiang Xiaohu was kicked to the side and rolled away, crying out in pain.
Jin Huanlai became even more certain, because this kick was different from the previous one, as it carried internal force. Since Jin Yue passed on his skills, Jin Huanlai himself had nearly forty years of internal force in his body. Even if he only used three-tenths of it, an ordinary person would probably have several broken ribs if they were kicked. But this kid showed no signs of having broken any bones!
He became increasingly interested and kicked at the opponent without any hesitation, forgetting that he came here to have fun, not to fight.
His kicks seemed haphazard, but each one contained hidden variations. No matter how fast or skillful he was, Jiang Xiaohu always managed to control the timing perfectly, taking a hit half-heartedly and dodging the blows. In front of so many people, he seemed to be deliberately concealing his martial arts skills, unwilling to reveal any weaknesses. As a result, he had a hard time dodging, knocking over several tables and chairs, and occasionally rolling under the tables while begging for mercy. To others, he looked extremely disheveled and only knew how to take a beating, but they did not know that these two were serious about their martial arts.
After several attempts, Jin sighed inwardly. It seemed that the information the Four Protectors had gathered was accurate. Someone was secretly monitoring him, probably for that treasure that would allow him to "compete for supremacy in the martial arts world." This kid wasn't stupid; he knew he was being watched, so he deliberately acted useless to hide his martial arts skills. To be able to deceive everyone's eyes for so many years, just that level of patience was already quite remarkable.
At the same time, he was also a little shocked. He had profound internal strength because of the Thousand Hands Sect's method of transmitting skills, while Jiang Xiaohu looked to be only twenty years old, yet he had no less than thirty years of internal strength in his body. How could this be!
It's rare to encounter such an opponent, so let's test your true skills, Grandpa Jin!
With this in mind, Jin began to show no mercy, increasing his strength and pressing closer step by step.
Finally, Jiang Xiaohu was cornered by him.
Jin raised an eyebrow. Kid, you either fight back or you're doomed.
Jiang Xiaohu was clearly aware of his predicament. Seeing the fatal kick coming, he suddenly raised his face. His previously lifeless eyes instantly became sharp and bright, and something flashed through them quickly. It was a look of bitter endurance, a sadness of knowing that he was about to fail, an expression of unwillingness and helplessness, but there was absolutely no pleading.
What kind of enemy could make a master endure to this extent? Jin stopped in time, seemingly lost in thought.
"Sir, spare my life!" Jiang Xiaohu reverted to his useless self, kowtowing and begging for mercy, trembling uncontrollably.
Although he was the most useless guy, at least he was still somewhat entertaining to be alive and could serve as a negative example to educate children. Besides, he hadn't done anything else bad except for gambling and whoring. Now that he was being beaten, the people around couldn't bear to watch and came over to persuade him to stop.
Jin Huanlai's heart stirred slightly. Ignoring the crowd, he walked over, grabbed him, and sneered, "Kid, it's good that you know how powerful I am. I'll let you off this time, but if I catch you again, I'll skin you alive!"
Jiang Xiaohu looked miserable, her head drooping, too afraid to move.
However, Jin heard a faint but clear sound.
"Tomorrow night at four o'clock, at the Earth God Temple in the west of the city."
.
Darkness is usually hard to associate with liveliness, and Jin Hailai is conflicted. He likes both liveliness and darkness. The nights in Jin Garden are often pitch black, without any lights.
But tonight he made an exception and lit a dozen or so large candles, illuminating the room as if it were daytime.
Under the lamp, Jin frowned as he straightened his clothes.
Qiu Lingling sat on the bed, blinked at him, and asked, "Jin Huanlai, are you going out?"
Jin responded with an "Mm," then bent down to fasten the gold-inlaid jade belt. He had originally planned to wait until the little girl fell asleep before going out, but the little girl seemed to sense something and refused to sleep until midnight.
After getting dressed, he began to retrieve his hidden weapon: "Let this candle burn, and I'll call someone to keep you company in a bit."
Qiu Lingling remained silent, watching him prepare his things.
Feeling that concerned gaze, Jin became a little irritated and put on a stern face: "Don't move around, don't run around, and don't leave this garden, do you hear me?"
Qiu Lingling didn't answer, but asked softly, "Are you going out to steal again?"
Jin raised an eyebrow: "Yes."
Qiu Lingling said "Oh," and lowered her head: "Then be careful. I don't need anyone to accompany me. I'll wait for you."
Jin paused for a moment, then said in a harsh voice, "Suit yourself, but don't cry if you're scared!"
Will you come back at dawn?
"Nonsense!" Despite saying that, he took a few more shadowless needles and hid them in his belt, and also took some medicinal powder and put it into his pocket.
Although Jin Huanlai had no ill intentions in today's meeting, merely seeking an opponent to play with, Jiang Xiaohu was rather strange. His internal strength was profound, and his martial arts skills were hard to predict. Whether he was friend or foe was uncertain, and going empty-handed would be too risky. To hell with such despicable behavior! Playing with poison was hardly low-class; did everyone think they could do it? Using poison was originally a Thousand Hands Sect tactic, and I, as the sect leader, was carrying it just in case, because I cannot afford to be harmed.