A smile can topple a city

Chapter 36

Doctor Zhang sighed, "Was it my good-for-nothing apprentice who said that? That kid is arrogant and doesn't study hard. His flirtatious nature is so extreme that, apart from the unique antidote concocted by the legendary healer Yama, there's no other way to cure it once you're exposed to it. Cutting off your finger won't help..."

Luo Qingcheng looked up in surprise: "How is that possible? But I heard..."

"Rumors in the martial arts world are just hearsay and not worth believing." A hint of pity gradually appeared in Doctor Zhang's eyes. "It's all because of my unworthy disciple that you almost couldn't even have a complete corpse in the end."

A complete corpse? Luo Qingcheng couldn't adapt for a moment. It turned out that it wasn't just a finger... If he had known, he would have taken a gamble, caught that person, and forced him to hand over the antidote. He never expected the consequences to be so serious, and he didn't want to fall out with him so quickly.

Ye Xiao quickly came to his senses: "I won't let you die like this... I'll take you to Tiangong Valley to find the Miraculous Healer Yama. He definitely has a way to cure Feng Sao Ru Gu..."

Luo Qingcheng looked up blankly and sighed softly, "Alright... However, I've been poisoned by Feng Sao, and my martial arts will soon be greatly reduced. Let's go find Lao San first, and then go to Tiangong Valley together. I'm worried that I won't be able to handle the risks on the way."

Ye Xiao hesitated slightly: "I'm afraid there won't be enough time... You've been poisoned and injured, so your pace will be greatly slowed down."

"There's still time. Phoenix Town isn't far, only a two-day drive." Luo Qingcheng slowly turned his eyes away. He had to ensure Xiaoxiao's safety and return her to Xiao Xun, especially now that his own life was in danger and he could no longer protect the person he cared about... How unfair is fate! He had finally had a chance to be alone with Xiaoxiao, a chance to confess his feelings, but the meaning of confession had already been lost... If life itself might not exist, what meaning does love have?

Ye Xiao wisely avoided unnecessary arguments and immediately hired a comfortable and fast carriage, taking the injured Luo Qingcheng with him, and set off for Phoenix Town.

Because of the generous reward, the carriage sped along, and they were almost at Phoenix Town. Due to the knife wound and poisoning, Luo Qingcheng had clearly weakened in just two days, barely able to muster his inner energy and almost completely unable to fight.

Around noon, Ye Xiao considerately helped him out of the carriage and led him into a restaurant for a bite to eat. It was a rather clean little restaurant, and it even had private rooms.

With a pale face, Luo Qingcheng limped along, leaning his entire body against Ye Xiao, and with ulterior motives, slowly took a long detour to sneak into the private room.

The two were enjoying their meal when they overheard someone outside whispering, "It's really strange! Our Martial Alliance has been bewitched lately! First, hundreds of brothers in the Northern Branch went mad, all of them infatuated with dogs and trees, and now it's hundreds of brothers in the Southern Branch's turn... Rumors are flying everywhere lately. Everyone's saying that the evil people of Netherworld City are using sorcery again... The Alliance Leader has ordered increased vigilance and is recruiting soldiers everywhere..."

Luo Qingcheng and Ye Xiao exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing: the person outside the Earth God Temple in Xishan that day was indeed a member of the Martial Alliance. Recalling the events of that day, Ye Xiao suddenly felt a pang of emotion and reached out to touch the pendant hanging around her neck once more.

Suddenly, they heard a low growl and the sound of tables and chairs overturning outside. They quickly pricked up their ears to listen. A familiar voice said, "Which branch are you from? Spreading rumors here! How can you say such things in public? You're going to cause chaos in the martial arts world and endanger the reputation of the Martial Alliance!"

Ye Xiao's heart skipped a beat. It was Ah Huang!

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Ye Xiao nimbly leaped up, about to lift the curtain to peek, when suddenly she felt a tightness around her waist, lost her balance, and fell into a soft embrace.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a low voice.

"Don't cause trouble... I'm no match for him in my current state. Just wait here for him to leave before going out..." Luo Qingcheng tightened his arms, truly enjoying the soft body in his embrace. He couldn't help but bury his face in her hair, inhaling her fragrant scent, and suddenly wished that Ah Huang would never leave.

Ye Xiao shifted her body, feeling somewhat uneasy, when Luo Qingcheng groaned as if in pain, "Tired..." Ye Xiao immediately felt guilty and gently reached out to hug him back.

Luo Qingcheng was secretly delighted. Xiaoxiao was quite oblivious in this regard, sometimes quite annoying, but now it was a good thing, allowing him to take advantage without considering the consequences. It wasn't irresponsible, but he wasn't confident he could bear the consequences. Thinking of this, his lust surged, and fearlessly pushing his luck, he slowly moved his head down, burying it in her exceptionally soft breasts. After rubbing against them a couple of times, he suddenly discovered something new. "Xiaoxiao...you've grown up."

Ye Xiao absentmindedly hummed in response, listened to the sounds outside, and said in a low voice, "Really? I also feel like I've grown taller."

Luo Qingcheng said shamelessly, "I didn't notice you were tall, but your chest has gotten bigger; it used to be very flat..."

Even the dim-witted Ye Xiao knew he had been taken advantage of, and in a fit of rage, he jumped up and, without thinking, kicked out. Luo Qingcheng cried out and fell, chair and all, out of the room. He rolled several times on the ground, but couldn't stop his fall, and tumbled straight through the curtains and out of the private room.

Luo Qingcheng had a bad feeling. In the midst of his busy work, he looked up and saw Huang Tingfeng's somewhat suspicious face. His heart skipped a beat, and countless thoughts raced through his mind.

Ye Xiao was startled, not expecting Luo Qingcheng to be in such a bad state. She quickly rushed out of the private room to help Luo Qingcheng.

Luo Qingcheng wickedly pulled her body, rolled over, and pinned her down. He chuckled softly and kissed her lips. Ye Xiao was stunned for a moment, suddenly feeling a little helpless, when she heard Luo Qingcheng whisper in her ear, "Don't let Ah Huang see that I'm seriously injured..." He then kissed her earlobe.

A tingling sensation rushed to Ye Xiao's head, and she shuddered. She felt goosebumps rise all over her body. She couldn't help but rub her ear against his shoulder, but dared not struggle anymore, letting him do as he pleased.

Huang Tingfeng secretly rejoiced that Luo Qingcheng was too busy to discipline him, and hurriedly flicked his sleeve: "What kind of behavior is this! It's an insult to culture!" He quickly turned and ran outside.

Before they had gone more than a few steps, a man suddenly rushed out from the side, fawningly saying, "Oh dear! Young Master Luo! Miss Ye! What happened? What happened? I told you long ago that the young master was poisoned and weak, unable to even stand up, and absolutely must not get out of the carriage to be exposed to the wind... but you wouldn't listen, and now look, he's fallen! Next time, I'll just bring the food into the carriage..."

Luo Qingcheng painfully raised his head, looking at the overly attentive coachman. It seems that being extravagant has its side effects…

Huang Tingfeng grabbed Ye Xiao like an eagle snatching a chick and threw her into the carriage with a thud, showing no mercy whatsoever. Ye Xiao miserably got up and looked at Luo Qingcheng, who had been thrown in earlier. The latter seemed completely unfazed by anxiety or fear, staring blankly with a wistful expression.

"Put the weapon away! The dagger on your waist just pricked me!" She glared at Luo Qingcheng with displeasure.

Luo Qingcheng was slightly taken aback, and his face under the mask suddenly flushed. He glanced at Ye Xiao and said, "With the sheath on, it won't pierce your body..." His eyes flickered, a half-smile on his face, tender and lingering.

Ye Xiao's heart suddenly skipped a beat, a secret joy welling up inside him. He quickly looked down, discreetly fiddling with the package beside him. With a soft clink, a dagger fell out. Ye Xiao was stunned. The dagger was clearly there; then what was that on his waist just now? Curious, he turned around, about to speak.

Luo Qingcheng saw through her thoughts and quickly shut her up: "You should spend your time planning how to escape, don't let your mind wander..."

With a cold snort, Huang Tingfeng sat in the carriage: "Trying to escape? Don't even dream about it! No one has ever escaped from my grasp!"

Luo Qingcheng smiled gently: "Even if I said I didn't want to escape, you wouldn't believe me."

Huang Tingfeng snorted coldly and turned his head away without saying a word. The carriage rumbled along, heading in the opposite direction from Phoenix Town...

Phoenix Town. Another small town in Jiangnan. In a restaurant along the main street, Xiao Xun occupied a large table by himself, ordering a lavish spread of dishes. With a worried expression, he raised his small wine glass and, with a slurp, downed the wine in one gulp.

A man approached and asked, "Excuse me, may I sit in the empty seat next to you, sir?"

Xiao Xun shook his head: "Sorry, there's another lady..."

The man left disappointed. After a while, a sweet and charming voice asked, "Excuse me, are there any empty seats here?"

Xiao Xun turned around at the sound and saw a girl. She was wearing a pink dress, had fair skin, a sweet smile, and two shallow dimples on her cheeks. Her eyes were not as big as Ye Xiao's, but they were still lively and bright. Although she was not as beautiful as the two great beauties, she was still very cute and pretty.

Xiao Xun grunted, then immediately cleared a small area of the table and smiled as he gestured for the young girl to sit down. The girl sat down without ceremony, looking up without any shyness: "Is young master a local?"

Xiao Xun smiled憨厚ly: "Do I look like it?"

Mo Yinxue's eyes curved into crescent moons: "Few people from the South are as tall as you... and you have an accent, I can hear you clearly as soon as you speak, you're just a Northwestern potato..."

Xiao Xun grunted, somewhat annoyed: "You seem to have a lot of experience, young lady. I am indeed more familiar with the Western Regions."

Mo Yinxue smiled sweetly again: "Over the years, I've traveled all over the place. I'm also from the North. I've heard that there are many beautiful women in Jiangnan, but when I actually came here, I didn't see many beauties..."

Before she could finish speaking, a sweet and gentle voice said, "Brother Xiao, is this your friend?" Mo Yinxue looked up somewhat awkwardly and saw a stunningly beautiful woman in white walking over like a willow in the wind.

Xiao Xun turned around and gestured for Shen Wan to sit down. Looking at her somewhat haggard face, he asked with pity, "How are you?"

Shen Wan shook her head sadly: "No. We've checked all the inns in town, but we couldn't find Brother Luo."

“He’s highly skilled in martial arts, extremely intelligent, and with the boss by his side, they can take care of each other. He’ll definitely be fine,” Xiao Xun comforted him, but his heart sank. Luo Qingcheng was somewhat unreliable, but given Ye Xiao’s personality, he was always a man of his word. He’d been in Phoenix Town for several days already; even if Ye Xiao and his group were slow travelers, they should have arrived by now. Something must have happened.

Mo Yinxue looked at Shen Wan, who looked like a figure in a painting, with a hint of jealousy. Ever since this beauty in white sat down, the room has been filled with brilliance, and all the men's eyes have been focused on her.

"Who is this young lady?" Even in her extreme exhaustion, Shen Wan remained vigilant.

"Mo Yinxue, you're so beautiful, young lady." Mo Yinxue smiled broadly.

“It’s fate that we meet. It’s rare that this young lady has chosen our table from among all the empty seats in this restaurant. It seems that my luck with women has improved a lot since I’m not with my second brother, as I’m actually able to sit with two beauties. Miss Mo, this meal is on me,” Xiao Xun said.

Shen Wan's heart stirred, and she smiled slightly at Mo Yinxue.

Mo Yinxue pondered Xiao Xun's words, feeling somewhat apprehensive. Ultimately, she was caught in a dilemma and smiled, saying, "Not at all. It's fate that we met by chance. I've made a little money; this meal is on me." With that, she loudly called for the waiter to come and settle the bill, then opened her bundle to take out the silver.

Xiao Xun's eyelids twitched, as if he saw a flash of golden light in her package, and he lowered his head without saying a word.

After dinner, Xiao Xun and Shen Wan searched Phoenix Town again, but still found no trace of Luo Ye and the other person. Both were heavy-hearted and returned to the inn. Passing the counter, they saw a familiar face. Mo Yinxue greeted them with a smile. Xiao Xun sighed inwardly. The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease; what is destined to happen will happen… If only his boss were here, he wouldn't have to worry about what to do. The problem was now, what to do?

Bang! Huang Tingfeng, arrogant and smug, kicked Luo Qingcheng hard and shouted, "Ye Xiao! I'll count to three! If you don't come out, I'm going in!"

"No! It stinks in there... I'll come out..." Ye Xiao's weak voice came from the outhouse. After a long time, so long that Huang Tingfeng almost lost his patience, Ye Xiao finally came out of the outhouse with a pale face.

Luo Qingcheng supported her with some concern. For some reason, it seemed she had eaten something unclean; not long after being with Huang Tingfeng, Ye Xiao started vomiting and having diarrhea, leaving her almost completely exhausted.

"Are you alright?" Luo Qingcheng bent down, picked up Ye Xiao, and felt her soft, weak body. His heart ached with heartache.

"Maintain it," Ye Xiao mumbled.

"What?" Luo Qingcheng limped forward with difficulty, looking at her with concern, and finally understood the meaning of those two words: everything was alright.

Ye Xiao opened her mouth to show him her tongue, and Luo Qingcheng gasped. Her tongue, for some reason, was completely swollen, and in some places even ulcerated.

"What happened?" Luo Qingcheng was shocked.

Ye Xiao made a face and gently scribbled a few lines on Luo Qingcheng's palm. Luo Qingcheng could see clearly that it read: "Eaten itching powder." "You..." He was almost driven mad with anger again, "Why do you eat everything! Are you crazy! You're not a three-year-old!"

Ye Xiao rolled her eyes and slurred, "I stopped eating random things when I was three." She then scribbled in his palm again: Ah Huang is in trouble...

Twists and turns

When Xiao Xun woke up, the sunlight in the room was dazzling, like gold. He stretched comfortably, then suddenly jolted awake. He hadn't done anything strenuous yesterday, so why was he up so late today? He jumped out of bed and rushed to the table next to the bed.

Thankfully, the package was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief, picked it up, and his heart sank – the package felt lighter. Opening it, sure enough, the golden dragon that Ye Xiao hadn't yet figured out was gone.

Xiao Xun froze for a moment, but managed to stay clear-headed. He quickly rushed out the door and arrived at Shen Wan's room. Thanks to his mother's strict upbringing, he even remembered to knock carefully, but there was no answer. Pushing open the door, he found the young woman's room, despite being an inn, neatly arranged, unlike his own, which was always a mess. Her belongings and clothes were neatly placed on the bedside table. However, she wasn't there.

Somewhat bewildered, Xiao Xun went downstairs and asked the innkeeper. The innkeeper told him very clearly that countless pairs of sharp eyes were watching, and that the stunningly beautiful girl definitely hadn't come downstairs. Only then did Xiao Xun realize the seriousness of the situation.

Xiao Xun searched the small town of Phoenix again in vain, but found no trace of Shen Wan. He returned to the inn dejectedly, listlessly climbed the stairs, and for a moment missed Ye Xiao terribly.

An acquaintance greeted Xiao Xun with a smile as always. Xiao Xun's eyes lit up, and he stared greedily at the radiant girl in front of him, as if he had met a savior.

Mo Yinxue finally got annoyed by his stare and pouted, "You really can't judge a book by its cover. I never expected you to look so honest and kind, but you're actually a big pervert..."

Before he could finish speaking, the lecherous man reached out and touched her slender waist. The poor, innocent girl immediately went limp, like a lamb to the slaughter, and was dragged directly into the room by the lecherous man.

"You! What are you doing! In broad daylight, under the clear sky..." The little lamb, though fierce, was actually quite weak and shouted loudly. Unfortunately, although the inn was also a wooden structure, it had an unusually good soundproofing effect.

"My golden dragon is lost, and Miss Shen has also disappeared!" Xiao Xun said confidently.

Mo Yinxue said "Oh," and breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Then you should report it to the authorities. Do you want me to help you report it?"

"My mother said that reporting these matters to the authorities is useless... Hey! Tell me, did you do it?"

Mo Yingxue chuckled inwardly at this big fool, then immediately put on a wronged expression: "How could that be? What does this have to do with me?"

Xiao Xun's stern expression didn't soften in the slightest: "Yesterday you came over with ulterior motives to try and get close to us, and today all my things and I are gone! My mother said that there are no truly coincidental things in this world; if it's a coincidence, then someone must have set me up..."

Hearing this bizarre logic, Mo Yingxue almost spat out a mouthful of blood. She actually had the patience to deal with this fool, and she even admired herself a little: "Did you meet with a lot of other people yesterday? Are they also suspects?"

Xiao Xun was slightly taken aback, then nodded and said, "That's true."

Just as Mo Yinxue was celebrating her victory, Xiao Xun said again, "But... you have a criminal record..."

"What criminal record do I have?!" Mo Yinxue was furious and questioned loudly, her tone aggressive.

However, Xiao Xun didn't seem intimidated by her fierce appearance. He quickly untied the bundle from her body, opened it, and pulled out a gold leaf: "Look, a gold leaf. This is mine, stolen by a wisp of fragrance. How did it end up in your bundle? And there's more than one... I saw it yesterday when you paid for our dinner!"

Mo Yinxue was stunned for a moment, and then said, "How can you prove that this is your gold leaf? This is a gold leaf that I specially made for easy carrying..."

Xiao Xun held out the gold leaf to her, pointing to a small "Xiao" character on the vein, and said, "This is a special mark on my family's gold leaf, specially engraved by my mother..."

Mo Yinxue felt like she was about to collapse: "How dare you say that! Your family is so stingy! You even have to engrave your own name on a gold leaf! Could it be that someone else stole it and it ended up in my hands?"

Xiao Xun paused for a moment, then nodded involuntarily: "That... is also possible..."

"Now you know you've wronged me?"

Xiao Xun shook his head: "My mother said it can't be such a coincidence..."