Beggar Travels the World

Chapter 35

"Yin Wuxiao, the humiliation you have inflicted on me today, I will repay you tenfold in the future!" She spun around, stepped onto the top of the wall, and then flew away.

Yin Wuxiao opened her rosy lips wide, and after a long while, she licked them.

Qiao Fenglang seemed to notice her unease and shrugged: "I just hate this kind of persistent woman."

※ ※ ※

That same year, Qiao Baiyue, the leader of the Qiao Gang, succumbed to a serious illness at the end of the year and passed away.

That same year, Qiao Fenglang, with his astonishing courage and strong tactics, took control of the Qiao Gang and succeeded as its leader.

In that same year, the young master in blue robes from Baili Mansion, who was already renowned throughout the martial arts world despite his young age, rescued a severely injured, amnesiac, and disfigured youth from the bottom of a cliff. He took him back to the manor and adopted him as his sworn brother, and made him acknowledge the old master of Baili Mansion as his godfather. The old master named him Qin Qiyun, meaning to dwell in the clouds and forget the mundane world.

The following spring, the patriarch of the Baili family passed away suddenly, and the martial arts world lost another great master. The Baili family was officially taken over by Baili Qingyi. That year, the young master in green inscribed a couplet on the screen wall in front of the Baili family hall. Rumors spread that the young master in green in green inscribed the couplet on the screen wall in front of the Baili family hall. He regarded the woman who could match the couplet as his destined beauty.

Hibiscus attracts fishing line

"Do you really think that by getting rid of me, you can get Brother Fenglang?" Yin Wuxiao stared at Yuwen Cuiyu in disbelief. "That night was an accident, an accident, you know?" Based on her observation, Qiao Fenglang should indeed have feelings for her, and as for the changes that happened later, it was really not what she wanted.

"All I know is that if I don't get rid of you, I won't have a single chance." Yuwen Cuiyu looked at her calmly.

So, her relative, her Aunt Nan, was brutally murdered for such a ridiculous reason?

Anger gradually gathered in her eyes.

Yin Wuxiao slowly sat up, then suddenly sneered. At this moment, all she wanted to do was to use sharp words to hurt the person who had taken away the little family affection she already had in this world.

"Actually, you're imitating me, aren't you?"

Yuwen Cuiyu finally changed her appearance.

"What did you say?" She stared intently at Yin Wuxiao.

“I’m telling you, all these years you’ve spent just trying to become another version of me,” Yin Wuxiao repeated as she wished.

Seeing Yuwen Cuiyu's pale face, she added insult to injury: "No need to deny it." She got off the bed and looked down at Yuwen Cuiyu like a proud phoenix: "Look at yourself three years later. You are covered in traces of Yin Wuxiao from back then. Why did you study poetry and practice your zither so hard? If Sister Cui hadn't reminded me, I really wouldn't have noticed that your every word and action is exactly like another Yin Wuxiao."

"I didn't, I didn't!" Yuwen Cuiyu was completely enraged.

"You didn't? Then tell me, what was the point of you lurking by my side for two whole years? Did you want to see what I, Yin Wuxiao, have that made Brother Fenglang so fond of me? Your painstaking schemes only proved that Brother Fenglang only likes me, and only me!"

"Shut up!" The calm, watery eyes could no longer withstand the sharp stimulation and turned into madness and rage. Yuwen Cuiyu's jade hand grew longer and turned into a demonic claw that fiercely gripped Yin Wuxiao's neck.

"You're sharp-tongued, I could never match you in my entire life. But I can kill you right now!" Her beautiful face drew close to Yin Wuxiao's eyes, like a seductive ghost seeking death.

Yin Wuxiao looked back at her fearlessly: "You're afraid, afraid that I'll tell you the truth. The truth is, you simply don't have the confidence that Brother Fenglang will fall in love with the real you!"

A crisp "snap" sound.

A thin, winding line of blood trickled from the corner of Yin Wuxiao's mouth as he gently turned his face, which had been struck to the side. Thank goodness, Yuwen Cuiyu must have used all her strength; half of her face was flushed red.

“This,” she said, enduring the sharp pain in her cheek, “is the real you. How pathetic.”

The pressure on her neck suddenly tightened, and the air she needed to survive instantly disappeared from her body.

"I've changed my mind. Now, I'm willing to pay any price to kill you." Yuwen Cuiyu's ferocious smile appeared before her eyes, then gradually blurred in the tears that flowed from her as she suffocated.

Yin Wuxiao heard himself coughing violently and the sounds of his hands and feet struggling and colliding, but his consciousness gradually faded as he was isolated from oxygen.

"If you don't stop, I will refuse to cooperate with a stupid woman." A low, hoarse voice, as cold as an ice cave, suddenly descended.

Yuwen Cuiyu turned around sharply. The owner of the voice was already standing behind him, holding something in her hand—or rather, a woman dressed as a maid who was frantically dancing.

The woman puffed out her cheeks and stared wide-eyed, but she couldn't make a sound; it was obvious at a glance that she had been silenced by acupressure.

"You can keep holding on like this and see what happens." The man who spoke seemed completely unconcerned about Yin Wuxiao's life or death, his eyes sweeping over Yuwen Cuiyu and Yin Wuxiao with a hint of amusement.

Yuwen Cuiyu couldn't help but shudder. She gritted her teeth and finally obediently let go, letting the unconscious Yin Wuxiao fall heavily to the ground.

"I know what I'm doing." She turned her face away and snorted. For some reason, she never dared to look this person in the eye, as if his gaze was filled with many mysteries she couldn't understand.

"But what are you doing?" She glanced at the ordinary little maid who was still struggling.

"This is the trouble you caused because of your clumsiness." The man casually threw the maid on the ground.

The maid pretended to roar a few times to protest her rude treatment, even though she knew she couldn't make a sound.

Yuwen Cuiyu smiled disdainfully: "She's just a little maid from the Qiao Gang. You can do whatever you want with her. Can she really be called a source of trouble?"

The man sneered: "Take a good look at who she is."

“She…” Yuwen Cuiyu looked at the maid’s simple and pretty face, which was unremarkable.

Suddenly, her ordinary yet delicate features stirred up some kind of memory in her.

"Shi Mansi!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling strangely.

The legendary Miss Shi was the most unconventional and extraordinary woman of her time. She was famous for her ever-changing identities, ever-changing appearances, and her extensive network of connections that extended to all corners of the world. It is said that Miss Shi despised the art of disguise because she had a very common yet unique face.

The reason it's described as "common" is because when this face appears alone, it would be instantly lost in a sea of people, leaving no impression whatsoever. The reason it's described as "unique" is because Shi Mansi doesn't need to disguise herself; she can transform this face into any form she desires. For example, she could be a handsome man disguised as a man serving as an official in the court, or a peerless enchantress when she's working as a prostitute, or... currently, a little maid who leaves absolutely no impression.

Unfortunately, although this woman's martial arts skills were terrible, she maintained a close, brotherly relationship with the leaders of various gangs. Even more unfortunately, her lover—well, to be precise, Cen Lu, the head manager of Huanyi Study, who had been openly and secretly in love with her for more than ten years—was said to have an unparalleled powerful background.

In short, this woman is the biggest trouble for anyone who wants to do bad things.

"Kill her?" After a long pause, Yuwen Cuiyu asked tentatively. This was the only solution she could think of. She had been by Yin Wuxiao's side for two years, and although she had interacted with Shi Mansi a few times, she still had to try very hard to recognize her.

The man remained silent, seemingly frowning in thought. He looked down at Shi Mansi on the ground, her face radiating innocence and purity, clearly conveying the message: I will be good.

"Keep her," the man finally said.

Shi Mansi breathed a sigh of relief. It was obvious who had the final say here.

“But…” Yuwen Cuiyu still had a question.

“Killing her would be a huge mistake for us.” The martial arts gangs were one thing, but Cen Lu… he still couldn’t figure out his background.

After the two left, Shi Mansi, whose speech had finally been released, hugged the unconscious Yin Wuxiao while crying and laughing.

"My dear sister, this time I'm completely doomed because of you!"

※ ※ ※

Qiao Fenglang stood alone in the empty new house.

A wedding banquet without the bride is like a lavish joke, coldly mocking his pathetic state.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open, and he strode out the door, sword in hand.

"Baili Qingyi, give me back Xiao'er!" Suddenly, a long sword was placed against Baili Qingyi's neck.

The guests had mostly left, and no one dared to show any regret or mockery at this juncture, much less step forward to interfere in the entanglement between the two.

Baili Qingyi did not dodge. He glanced sideways at the cold blade pressed against his neck, and a rare hint of annoyance appeared on his face.

"At this point, what we should do is carefully investigate the scene and leave no stone unturned, instead of needlessly taking our anger out on others!"

"Stop pretending!" Qiao Fenglang tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his eyes blazing with fury. "If you hadn't taken Xiao'er away, who else would have done it? Baili Qingyi, if you have the guts, compete with me fairly and squarely. What kind of hero resorts to these underhanded tricks?"

Baili Qingyi's dark eyes deepened: "I didn't take her away. Instead, I should ask you, you were the one who took a living person from Baiwen Manor, and now that she's gone, what right do you have to demand her back?"

"..." Qiao Fenglang was speechless for a moment after being blocked by him. He and Baili Qingyi had been at odds for a long time, but this was the first time he had heard Baili Qingyi retort in public.

"Even if you didn't take her away, it must be related to you! Xiao'er... Xiao'er must have run away from her marriage to find you!" Baili Qingyi's calmness made his jealousy even more unvented, and it burst out in an impulsive resentment.

Baili Qingyi's face tightened, his lowered eyelids concealing his current mood, while his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned blue inside his wide robe.

"Indeed, entrusting Xiao'er to you was a mistake."

"What?" Qiao Fenglang was stunned, thinking he had misheard.

“I say,” Baili Qingyi said slowly but firmly, “that entrusting Xiao’er to you was a mistake. You are not worthy of her. You cannot understand her feelings; you simply do not know her goodness.” He paused, and a warmth finally appeared in his eyes:

"The Yin Wuxiao I know is a woman of her word; she would never do something like running away from an arranged marriage."

Qiao Fenglang felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer. Baili Qingyi's words were an immense insult to him. No man could tolerate his beloved woman being mentioned by another man in such a tone and manner.

His face flushed red, then turned pale, then white, before finally letting out a mocking sneer.

"Do you think you're good enough for her? Someone who doesn't even have the courage to ask her to stay has no right to criticize me."

Baili Qingyi was startled.

Baili Tieyi behind him secretly broke out in a cold sweat.

A strong sense of oppression enveloped Baili Qingyi. No one saw what Baili Qingyi did. All they knew was that Qiao Fenglang's sword broke with a thud, and before Qiao Fenglang could react, he was thrown high into the air by a powerful and far-reaching force and crashed heavily to the ground.

Yuwen Hongying, who had followed behind, finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward, excitedly calling out, "Brother Qingyi, why must you suffer humiliation for that woman? It's their business if their bride is lost, we..." But she abruptly stopped when she saw Baili Qingyi's expression. At this moment, Baili Qingyi was neither warm nor relaxed; in fact, a shadow of darkness had appeared between his brows. He wasn't a benevolent deity, but a man of flesh and blood.

Baili Tieyi tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to stop talking.

The young master in blue was enraged. Even when facing the most vicious people, he had never seen Baili Qingyi angry. If Baili Qingyi's mood was merely unpredictable after Yin Wuxiao slipped out of the Baili manor last time, then this time, with Yin Wuxiao leaving Baiwen Manor, Baili Qingyi was shrouded in gloom. However, this time, seeing Qiao Fenglang's furious expression and the empty bridal chamber, Baili Qingyi's anger was beyond words.

But... Baili Tieyi shook his head helplessly. Wasn't Baili Qingyi himself also consumed by jealousy and hatred, just as angry and ashamed, and full of resentment? But his elder brother, who was worried about the world before others, was just asking for trouble. Even he wanted to ask his elder brother, "Why didn't you keep him here in the first place?"

“Miss Yuwen,” Baili Qingyi suddenly turned to Yuwen Hongying, “where is your sister?”

"Huh?" Yuwen Hongying was still reeling from the shock Baili Qingyi had just given her. "Um... my sister hasn't been feeling well these past few days, so she didn't come to the wedding..." What was she talking about now? How did the conversation suddenly turn to her sister again?

Baili Qingyi's brows were arched, and his deep, unfathomable pupils held unfathomable information. His breathing gradually stabilized, and he was about to gather his forces and follow the clues to rescue the person when he heard a commotion coming from the doorway.

As the crowd dispersed, several stern-faced guards in black appeared, and nestled in the center of them was none other than Cen Lu, the head manager of Huanyi Study in the capital. It was clear that even the usually icy head manager's face was somewhat pale.

"What brings Manager Cen here?" Baili Qingyi keenly sensed something.

Sure enough, Cen Lu gritted his teeth and spat out two words: "Find someone!"

The water ripples and the darkness is vast.