Leisurely Young Master

Chapter 10

"What's wrong with her?" Her eyes were filled with anger, her face was flushed, and she sat up straight, her posture was terrifying.

"She was struck by a unique acupressure technique," He Zai replied calmly.

"..." She paused for a moment, then her gaze involuntarily drifted back to Gongsun Yun. Was this man even a man? Tonight, Che Yanyan was so beautiful, like a vibrant flower worthy of being plucked; instead of picking her, he was forcibly shoving the flower into the mud—was that right?

He noticed she was looking at him, and hurriedly opened his eyes, only to find her handsome eyes clear and bright.

Her heart skipped a beat again, and she quickly looked away.

She sat down on the spot, and He Zai brought a thin blanket that had been prepared and covered her legs. She said, "You can sleep behind me."

"Yes." He Zai sat cross-legged, back to back with her.

What appears to be mutual comfort is actually a facade of mutual protection. She's used to this kind of behavior, but clearly some people aren't.

She noticed that Gongsun Yun kept looking at her.

Her dark eyes, which were normally devoid of depth, now seemed to hold the captivating depths of water tonight, rippling and shimmering.

She closed her eyes, pretending not to see anything. She had recently memorized "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" very well, and didn't want to continue memorizing it for the time being.

Tonight, she was in a good mood, thanks to He Zai's promise that was easy to say but difficult to do, and at the same time, she saw another man's smile.

The patriarch... the people of Yun Family Village must have seen him often. It is said that he has extremely high martial arts skills, and she is probably the only one who saved his life. Of course, he will take good care of her and treat her like family...

His smile wasn't the main reason he was deceptive; rather, it was the intimacy in his smile that transformed his otherwise cold appearance, making people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze and had found a precious treasure.

No wonder he doesn't show much facial expression in front of strangers. It turns out that his smile is for his own family. Only someone who already has a family can show such an intimate smile.

Unfortunately, she won't have it, so she has no regrets or longing for it.

She closed her eyes to rest, with He Zai leaning against her back, which put her at ease. So she allowed herself to drift into a deep sleep, her mind filled with that gentle, spring-like smile...

Such laughter is definitely a poison; one should not indulge in it too much. Thinking of this, even in her sleep, she instinctively felt a chill and subconsciously pondered her future path with He Zai.

Chapter 4

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The sky was tinged with orange in the early morning light, and the air was filled with the aroma of damp earth.

A storm was brewing, and a strong wind whipped everyone's robes wildly. He Zai stayed by her side, shielding her from some of the fierce wind. Such weather and wind brought a touch of coolness in the sweltering heat, yet she still felt somewhat uneasy.

She once said that she was mostly lucky to be alive, and that she had a strong sixth sense. She sensed a dangerous atmosphere in the air, but she just couldn't guess what would happen.

Suddenly, a burst of colorful fireworks erupted in the distant sky, accompanied by a thunderous roar. Everyone looked up, and Gongsun Zhi exclaimed in surprise:

"Idle clouds, fireworks!"

Gongsun Yun narrowed his eyes and said without turning his head, "You follow the two protectors."

Wang Yun watched as his white figure swiftly disappeared from sight, and couldn't help but be secretly astonished by the man's unparalleled lightness skill.

Originally, a heavy rain was about to fall, and the Yun family manor had prepared shelter ahead. But given the current situation, they could only use their lightness skills to follow Gongsun Yun to prevent him from luring them away from the mountain. No joke, Gongsun Yun was the mountain's most prized possession; they absolutely couldn't stray too far.

The lush forest flashed past her eyes. She followed Che Yanyan and her slaves at a distance of three steps. He Zai followed behind them, while Gongsun Zhi stood beside her.

"You don't need to worry. Few people in the Central Plains dare to touch the Yun Family Manor. Those who do are mostly mountain bandits or low-level Jianghu people." Gongsun Zhi said softly, "If they can set off fireworks, they probably have an unsolvable problem. Judging from this location, it's probably because the brother who set up the shelter earlier bumped into the young people from various factions who were persuaded to leave, and they may have had a dispute."

Wang Yi gave him a strange look. "Do you know what I'm thinking?"

Gongsun Zhi smiled and said, "When you are thinking, you always play the flute. There is a sword in the flute, which must be very important to the Dharma Protector. However, you should not think the worst. If you always think the worst, it will affect your heart meridian. Over time, once you have a heart disease, you will be plagued by a hundred diseases."

She trembled slightly, afraid he would launch into another long-winded lecture, and quickly stopped stroking the jade flute. How could she not think the worst? If she didn't, she would have died countless times; if she didn't think, how could she be prepared?

There were already people ahead, and she landed gracefully with them, then paused in surprise.

Gongsun Zhi was also shocked, staring at the young man in Gongsun Yun's arms.

"Seventh Brother!" he shouted suddenly, rushing forward.

Wang Xie habitually stroked the jade flute again. There were several corpses on the muddy ground, all dressed in Yun Family Manor clothing. Ignoring the young heroes from other sects who had surrounded her, she squatted down beside the dead and observed them for a while.

"Girl, you haven't been dead for long," He Zai said in a low voice.

She didn't respond, ignoring the corpses on the ground, and instead observed the surrounding terrain. This place was on a cliff, its face steep, a place where mist and dew should have condensed, but the impending rain had dispersed the smoke. Standing on the edge of the cliff, she looked down. This cliff was far less towering and difficult to climb than Tianbi Cliff, but a fall would likely result in serious injury, if not death.

She then came to Gongsun Yun's side.

Gongsun Yun was sealing several major acupoints on the Seventh Prince. Gongsun Zhi's hands trembled as he attempted to perform preliminary treatment.

"...I brought seven disciples with me, have they all...left?" The Seventh Young Master had just reached the age of twenty. He was weak and listless, but he forced himself to lock onto Gongsun Yun.

"He passed away without any pain." Gongsun Yun infused him with his true energy.

"Is that so... Xianyun, I don't know who that is, but his kung fu is terrifying. Or, there are two or three people..." the Seventh Young Master said in a hoarse voice, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Xiao Qi, stop talking now, let's talk when you're better!" Gongsun Zhi said in a trembling voice.

"It's too late to say anything now... I couldn't even see his or their shadows. If Xianyun hadn't personally taught me lightness skills, I would have barely dodged that attack... Otherwise, I would be..." He choked on blood.

"Xiao Qi, I don't care anymore! Aren't you giving your last words?!" Gongsun Zhi pressed his pressure point to silence him, gritting her teeth and glaring, "If you want to say anything, wait until you're better!"

Wang Xie watched everything indifferently.

"Young Master Xianyun, we witnessed it with our own eyes!" A young hero from a certain sect said angrily, "Although we arrived a step too late, the corpses of these Yun Family Manor disciples were not killed by knife wounds or sword wounds, but by shattered internal organs. The Right Protector of the Bai Ming Cult wields a whip, the Left Protector wields a sword, and the Cult Leader can take lives with his bare hands from a distance. Such evil martial arts must be the work of the Bai Ming Cult."

Wang Yun smiled faintly and interjected:

"If it were our sect leader who made the move, none of you would be alive today. I'm afraid someone is framing us."

"You vixen, prepare to die! The White Ming Cult turned my little brother into a Heavenly Slave, causing him to die of shame and making my father unable to face the other sects. Today, I will make you taste the bitterness of being a Heavenly Slave, and parade you through the streets like dogs!"

Without warning, a longsword flashed and sped towards her, but He Zai immediately stepped in front of her. Che Yanyan's beautiful eyes narrowed, and she sneered:

"Alright! Let's see who will die a horrible death today!" She brandished her long whip.

Gongsun Yun swept forward, flicking his sleeve and sending the whip and sharp sword flying. His handsome face was slightly pale, but his expression was stern.

"If you two make a move now, you're not giving Xianyun any face," he said sternly.

"Young Master Xianyun, he killed the people of Yun Family Manor—"

Wang Yun was practically bowing down to him. She'd heard that the Yun family was extremely protective of their own; even though some of their own members had died or been injured, he hadn't immediately attacked her and Che Yanyan. She was deeply grateful; he truly was a divine being.

Lost in thought, she looked around. She had a feeling that things weren't so simple and that there would be more to come.

What is the leader's purpose? It's definitely not as simple as just wanting the Baiming Cult to fall out with the martial arts world. Her target is undoubtedly her, but what benefit would she gain from killing the people of Yun Family Manor?

She thought and thought, trying to figure out the cult leader's true purpose.

Just then, she noticed that things had changed.

Those who followed were mostly hot-blooded young martial arts practitioners who didn't respect Yun Family Village much. She had also noticed that Gongsun Yun had recklessly given most of his true energy to the Seventh Young Master just to preserve his life force.

Gongsun Yun's face was now shockingly pale, and although his expression was cold and stern, these teenagers were still bold. One of them made a move, and then one, two, three...

It's a huge free-for-all.

She remained aloof and observed. Gongsun Yun couldn't bring himself to kill them; with a flick of his sleeve, he swiftly passed through the crowd and disarmed them.

In the blink of an eye, most of the martial arts practitioners had left empty-handed.

Someone attacked her, but she didn't even raise her head. He Zai drew his sword from her jade flute to fight back, and she simply said:

"It's okay to hurt others, but don't kill them."

In the midst of the chaos, she gently bent down and asked Gongsun Zhi, who was protecting the Seventh Prince:

"Will the Seventh Young Master survive?"

"Of course!" Gongsun Zhi affirmed.

She remembered that he had said he hoped his family would live long and healthy lives, and just for that reason, she smiled again:

"It's a mess here, and Qi Gongyu can't afford to suffer any more damage. Let's move him." We can also take this opportunity to maintain friendly relations.

Che Yanyan likes to find opportunities to kill, but she doesn't. It's best to distinguish between the two.

Gongsun Zhi nodded slightly. "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Huangfu."

She helped support the person, retreating all the way to the edge of the cliff. The Seventh Young Master moved slightly, suddenly opened his eyes, and stared intently at Huangfu Yun.

Her heart skipped a beat. This man's eyes were clouded; he must be nearing death. Looking at her like that, she wasn't an enemy. She shouldn't remember him so vividly; he didn't seek revenge in the next life!

Gongsun Zhi gently stroked his eyelids and whispered in his ear:

"It's Huangfu Yun, no doubt. Xianyun wasn't wrong, it's her."

Wang Yun had a slight doubt in his heart, and saw that the Seventh Young Master moved violently again.

Gongsun Zhi tried to make his tone as cheerful as possible, and then said:

"I think the same thing as Xianyun. You volunteered to take care of our food and lodging, wasn't it all so you could see her? Once you recover, you can see her properly." As she said this, Gongsun Zhi's tears silently streamed down her face.

Her suspicions deepened, and she noticed a chilling smile playing on the Seventh Young Master's blood-red lips. His hand trembled slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, she made sure he was harmless before reaching out to grasp his cold palm.

The wind on the mountainside was extremely strong, almost blowing people into the air. Faintly, she seemed to hear some sound.

Gongsun Zhi suddenly looked up and met her gaze.

The ground shook!

"Xianyun, the earth dragon has awakened!" Gongsun Zhi shouted.

No! What a coincidence! Her eyes widened in disbelief. Was it caused by explosives? She had only ever witnessed explosives detonate once in her life, when she was a child, causing rocks to fly everywhere—more dangerous than a sudden awakening of an earth dragon. Seeing the ground begin to crack, she immediately helped lift the Seventh Prince up, letting Gongsun Zhi carry him on his back.

He Zai immediately stepped back to her side.

"Get out of here!" Her face darkened, and her usual fear vanished.

Gongsun Yun clearly noticed something amiss, and his sharp voice echoed across the cliff. "Quick, get down the mountain!"

Wang Xie followed behind, her steps slightly unsteady, and He Zai assisted her. "Miss, be careful!" He Zai dodged the falling rocks in time.

She had a vague feeling that something was wrong. Ever since arriving at Tianhe Manor, she felt as if she had been drawn here step by step by an invisible thread. The heavens and earth were collapsing; who did the cult leader want to die? It was too easy for him to kill anyone, or perhaps…

Gongsun Yun turned and swiftly landed, carrying the Seventh Young Master on his back. He glanced back at her and asked:

"Can you catch up?"

"Of course," she replied. What else could she ask for? However, the people of Yun Family Manor were truly loyal and righteous; even though the Seventh Young Master's life was in grave danger, they still refused to give up.

What a pity! What a pity! She was always outside that door, and she was never on the list of those who were treated with kindness and loyalty.

There was another void beneath her feet, and He Zai grabbed her just in time. The cliff was collapsing at an incredible speed; before she could take two steps, more rocks collapsed, and her left foot slipped. She relied on He Zai to steady her again.

"Big brother!"