Bloodstained Kill

Chapter 10

☆、The friendship of gentlemen

As dawn approached, the woods were utterly silent. Yun Ran looked up at the sky and then decided to turn back along the same path.

Suddenly, a clear, gentle voice called out from behind, "Miss Luo."

Yun Ran turned her head and saw Sima Liuyun with a gentle expression. His white robes fluttered in the wind, and he stood quietly in the night like a jade tree, appearing even more elegant, dashing and otherworldly.

She was taken aback, then asked in surprise, "You still haven't left?"

Seeing his expression just now, Yunran knew that Sima Liuyun had become suspicious of her. Although he was gentle and refined, he was extremely quick-witted. After tonight's events, he must have realized that her relationship with Qi Mo and the others was unusual, so how could he not be suspicious of her background?

"The young lady instructed me to wait for you here," Sima Liuyun said calmly, but his expression revealed a hint of concern. "Those people didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

Yun Ran's heart skipped a beat: So he stayed behind because he was worried that Qi Mo and the others would make trouble for me. Thinking of this, she felt secretly grateful, smiled slightly at Sima Liuyun, and slowly shook her head.

Sima Liuyun pondered for a moment and asked in a low voice, "Is the man who came with you just now the leader of the Absolute Killing Sect?"

Yun Ran glanced at him and said with a faint smile, "Young Master Sima has good eyesight. That person is none other than Qi Mo, the leader of the Absolute Killing Sect."

Sima Liuyun looked at Yun Ran, his heart filled with even more surprise and suspicion. Recalling the day he first met her, Mr. Luo Qi of Wanhe Manor had already treated her as an honored guest, and just now, he had seen the Juesha Sect Master's expression, which clearly showed that he valued her highly. It seemed that this seemingly delicate and mysterious girl must have an extraordinary identity.

His gaze fell on the soft sword at Yun Ran's waist, and he slowly said, "It is said that the 'Crimson Blood Dot Kill' kills people with only a single bloodstain on their throats. This person's martial arts skills are undoubtedly superb, but without the help of an incomparably sharp divine weapon, I'm afraid it would be difficult to achieve this."

Yun Ran's expression shifted slightly, and then Sima Liuyun continued, "After the assassination of Su Yunjin, the former head of Kongtong Sect, the whereabouts of his Purple Thorn Soft Sword have been unknown. A year later, the 'Rouge Blood One-Point Kill' became famous in the martial arts world... I wonder if Miss Luo's sword is the Purple Thorn Soft Sword, which ranks second on the weapon ranking list?"

Seeing that Sima Liuyun's eyes flickered and he was staring at her intently, Yun Ran knew that he already had the answer in his heart, so she said softly, "Young master is indeed very meticulous. He was able to deduce my identity from this purple thorn soft sword."

Sima Liuyun frowned and said in a deep voice, "So you are the famous 'Rouge Blood One-Point Killer'. But why did you conceal your identity and travel with me all this way? I find the reason quite puzzling."

Yun Ran smiled calmly: "Since you already know my identity, it is not unreasonable for you to guess that I came for the bounty."

Sima Liuyun's gaze turned deep as he looked at Yun Ran: "So, you really want to take my life, young lady?"

Yun Ran slowly shook her head, raised her eyes and said calmly, "If I say that I have no ill intentions towards you, Young Master Sima, would you believe me?"

Sima Liuyun gazed at her for a moment, smiled slightly, and said, "I believe you."

Yun Ran was quite surprised by his straightforward answer. Sima Liuyun laughed and said, "You have helped me many times and treated me with sincerity, which is not fake. Moreover, if you wanted to take my life, you would have had plenty of opportunities along the way."

Hearing the certainty in his tone, Yun Ran was delighted to see that he trusted her completely. She smiled and said, "Young Master Sima, why be so modest? Your martial arts are superb and your reactions are quick. Even if I were to launch a surprise attack when you are not paying attention, I'm afraid I might not be able to hit you in one strike."

The two looked at each other and smiled. Sima Liuyun was momentarily lost in thought when he saw Yun Ran's delightful and cheerful appearance under the moonlight.

Deep down, he firmly believed that the young woman before him harbored no ill intentions towards him, nor was it for the reasons he had previously mentioned. Rather, it was because her demeanor and mannerisms seemed strangely familiar, and he inexplicably felt a sense of trust in her…

Seeing his blank expression and the sudden stare at her, Yun Ran smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"

Sima Liuyun snapped out of his daze, his face showing embarrassment, and said, "When I saw your smiling face just now, I felt that it resembled one of my old friends. I hope you will forgive my rudeness, Miss Luo."

Yun Ran's eyes darkened, and the image of her second brother, Yun Yiqing's, handsome and dashing smile seemed to appear before her eyes. She felt a pang of pain in her heart, and softly said "Oh," before falling silent.

Sima Liuyun, however, did not notice her expression and was lost in thought. He said in a low voice, "My friend is a cheerful and easygoing person, and his personality is quite similar to Miss Luo's. If he were still alive... he would surely be happy to befriend you." He sighed, thinking of his old friend, and felt a pang of melancholy.

Yun Ran lowered her long eyelashes slightly and said softly, "That person has made a worthwhile life by being able to make a friend like Young Master Sima."

Sima Liuyun shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "When his family suffered a great tragedy, I was unable to arrive in time to save his life. Even his younger sister, whom he entrusted to my care, is now missing. I truly feel ashamed before my friend." He looked at Yun Ran, and a thought suddenly occurred to him: Yun Yi's younger sister, Yun Ran, should be about the same age as this Miss Luo. If he didn't know that Miss Yun had never practiced martial arts, he would almost certainly have thought that this Miss Luo was the person he had been searching for.

Although he found his idea absurd, he couldn't help but ask Yun Ran, "Miss Luo, is your surname really Luo?"

Yun Ran's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm on the surface and said with a smile, "That's right. Luo Qi is my uncle. If I don't have the surname Luo, what should I have?"

Sima Liuyun said, "Ah, I see. I thought..."

Yun Ran asked with a smile, "What did you think?"

Sima Liuyun blushed, thinking: "Miss Luo is highly skilled in martial arts and is an assassin. How could I suspect that she is Ran Mei? I'm really overthinking things." He shook his head and said with a smile, "It's nothing."

Yun Ran lowered her gaze, and seeing that he no longer asked questions, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The two returned to the inn. Sima Liuyun went back to his room for a short rest. When he got up again, it was already broad daylight. He took his luggage and was about to go find Yunran when he heard a horse neigh outside. The innkeeper had already led Yunran's horse to the door.

Sima Liuyun walked out of the inn and heard the innkeeper say, "Miss Luo left at dawn. She paid the inn fee before she left and also asked me to prepare this horse for you on your journey."

Sima Liuyun was taken aback, feeling a pang of disappointment. He nodded faintly, then leaped onto his horse and galloped off towards the Sichuan region.

Yun Ran was riding a blue donkey, currently on her way back to Yanzhou.

Sima Liuyun's question last night had already made her wary. She and her second brother, Yunyi, looked quite alike, and if she spent more time with Sima Liuyun, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't become suspicious and eventually recognize her.

Sima Liuyun was magnanimous and kind, sincere in his dealings with others, and had a deep and lasting friendship with her deceased brother, Yun Yi. In her heart, she had already regarded him as a confidant. It was precisely because of this that she was even less willing to acknowledge him as the third young lady of the Yun family.

Yun Ran reached into her bosom and took out a jade pendant. She looked down at the koi fish pattern carved on the pendant, and seemed to hear that person's cold and indifferent voice again: "When you show me this jade pendant, you won't have to worry about me not recognizing you."

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she held the jade pendant in her hand, examined it for a while, and then carefully put it back into her bosom.

Just then, several sounds of clashing weapons came from afar. Yun Ran frowned slightly, jumped down, and slapped the donkey's rump, driving it far away into the nearby woods. She then found a secluded spot in the bushes by the roadside to hide.

Before long, a figure appeared swiftly approaching from afar. The person was dressed as a scholar in a wide robe, yet their movements were light and graceful, revealing them to be a woman in disguise. Yun Ran stared intently and saw that the woman had fair skin, a beautiful face, delicate eyebrows, and very lively eyes. It was none other than Wanwan, the girl she had met at the Anping Inn the day before.

Behind her, more than ten men in black followed closely behind; they were He Zhenyang and his group from the Kongtong Sect. He Zhenyang's face was grim. Suddenly, he waved his hand, releasing several steel darts, all aimed at Wanwan's lower body, seemingly not wanting to kill her but intending to capture her alive. Wanwan chuckled softly, turned around, and flicked her sleeve. A grappling hook shot out from her hand, swirling in the air and deflecting all the steel darts to the sides.

Seeing one of the steel darts flying straight toward the bushes where she was hiding, Yun Ran cursed her bad luck and swung her sword, splitting the dart in two.

Wanwan's steps were slightly slowed by He Zhenyang's hidden weapon, and the Kongtong Sect members caught up. Both sides were startled to realize that someone was lying in ambush in the bushes beside them. He Zhenyang shouted sharply, "Who goes there!"

Helpless, Yun Ran stood up from the bushes, clasped her hands in a fist and said, "I just happened to be passing by. Please continue, everyone." She then nodded slightly to He Zhenyang and turned to leave.

He Zhenyang and the others recognized her. Although they felt it was a bit strange that she appeared here, they did not want to stop her out of respect for Sima Liuyun.

When Wanwan saw that it was Yun Ran, her eyes lit up as if she had met a savior, and she called out loudly, "Miss Yun! It's me!"

Yun Ran frowned, ignoring it. He Zhenyang and the others, upon hearing that Wanwan knew her, were all alarmed, their eyes showing vigilance.

Taking advantage of the moment, Wanwan swung her grappling hook at a nearby Kongtong disciple. The man dodged to the side, but in a flash, Wanwan had already darted past him and reached Yun Ran, crying out urgently, "Miss Yun, save me!"

Yun Ran frowned and said, "Get out of the way!" Seeing that the Kongtong Sect members were hostile and had already surrounded her and Wanwan, she felt a surge of anger and looked coldly at Wanwan: "If you don't move out of the way, I'll kill you with one sword."

☆、Wanwan the Enchantress

Wanwan's eyes flickered, then she smiled slyly and said in a low voice, "Your fiancé, Sima Liuyun, will soon die. Miss Yun, can you really bear to watch him die without helping him?"

Yun Ran was startled and frowned, asking, "What did you say?"

Wanwan chuckled and said, "One piece of information in exchange for your help, Miss Yun, what do you think?"

Yun Ran glanced at her coldly, seeing that her expression did not seem fake. Moreover, after only one day, she had already found out about her relationship with Sima Liuyun, which showed that what Qi Mo said was true. This woman was indeed very well-informed.

As she was lost in thought with her eyes lowered, He Zhenyang said from the side, "Young lady, this woman is a traitor of my Kongtong Sect. Since you are a friend of Young Master Sima, please leave quickly and do not interfere in this matter."

Wanwan pursed her lips, her expression disdainful, and muttered, "Hypocrite, sycophant." With that, she flicked her wrist, sending a flying claw hurtling towards He Zhenyang's face. He Zhenyang raised his sword to block, but Wanwan chuckled softly. Before the claw reached him, it suddenly veered in mid-air and slammed down on the shoulder of a man beside him. Caught off guard, the Kongtong disciple screamed as a chunk of flesh was torn from his shoulder by the claw, blood gushing out immediately.

He Zhenyang was furious and no longer cared about Yun Ran. He waved his hand and shouted, "Everyone, attack together! Be careful not to let this little bitch escape!"

The disciples of the Kongtong Sect stepped forward in response, each drawing their weapons and attacking Wanwan.

Wanwan's eyes darted around, and with a giggle, she darted behind Yunran. The crowd was stunned for a moment, then suddenly a purple light flashed before them, followed by a series of clanging sounds, and most of the people's weapons were snapped in two.

He Zhenyang stopped in time, and his longsword was not broken. He was shocked and looked closely, only to see that Yun Ran had a soft sword in her hand. The soft sword was as thin as a cicada's wing, and it shimmered with a purple cold light in the sunlight, trembling like a purple serpent.

The members of the Kongtong Sect stared at the sword in Yun Ran's hand, and several of them exclaimed in surprise: "The Purple Thorn Soft Sword!"

Wanwan, who had been hiding to the side with a sly smile, suddenly stopped smiling when she saw Yunran reveal her soft sword. A sharp glint seemed to flash in her eyes as she stared intently at the Zijing soft sword, revealing a thoughtful expression.

He Zhenyang looked at Yun Ran, his hostility increasing, and said in a deep voice, "Young lady, how did this treasured sword of my Kongtong Sect fall into your hands?"

Yun Ran didn't answer. She suddenly leaped forward, her soft sword flashing towards him. He Zhenyang, fearing the sharpness of her sword, quickly dodged backward. Yun Ran didn't pursue; instead, she moved swiftly and attacked someone beside her. Her movements were agile and her swordplay unpredictable. She weaved through the group of Kongtong disciples, and none of them could withstand three moves from her. They were all struck in vital points by her sword tip and collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Wanwan's eyes sparkled, and she clapped her hands and laughed, "Excellent swordsmanship, excellent skill! Truly worthy of the name 'Crimson Blood One-Point Kill'." Yun Ran glanced at her, noticing the smug look on her lips, but wondered what trick she was up to now.

He Zhenyang was now deathly pale, his wrist gripping the longsword trembling slightly, and he croaked, "So you're the 'Crimson Blood One-Point Killer'?"

Seeing that Yun Ran lowered her eyes and did not answer, nor did she rush forward to attack, he thought to himself: Now that I know her identity, how could she let me live? I must strike first!

He immediately raised his longsword and swiftly attacked Yun Ran.

However, Yun Ran's martial arts skills were far superior to his. Relying on the advantage of the Purple Thorn Soft Sword, her sword moves became even more powerful. In just a few moves, she had forced him to defend himself and retreat repeatedly.

A fierce glint suddenly flashed in He Zhenyang's eyes. With a flick of his left hand, several darts shot towards Yun Ran in three separate directions. At the same time, his right hand wielded a longsword with lightning speed, aiming straight for her abdomen. This simultaneous sword and dart attack was a unique move he had created himself. However, because it was too ruthless and lacked the decorum of a respectable sect, He Zhenyang rarely used it in public. Now that he was in close combat with Yun Ran, he figured that even if she could dodge the darts, she wouldn't be able to defend against the sword aimed at her abdomen. If he could kill her with one strike, although he would offend Sima Liuyun, the Purple Thorn Soft Sword would also fall into his hands. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a surge of secret joy, and he acted without the slightest hesitation.

Yun Ran's expression darkened, and she used her soft sword to extend and retract, striking left and right, instantly knocking down the steel darts one by one. He Zhenyang knew something was wrong. He felt his hand lighten, and his long sword was cut in half. Then he felt a chill on his neck. The Zijing soft sword was already at his neck, its coldness piercing to the bone, and a ring of blood immediately appeared on his neck.

Yun Ran looked at him coldly, a murderous glint in her eyes, but she slowly withdrew her soft sword and said, "For the sake of Young Master Sima, I will spare your life." After saying that, she wrapped the soft sword back around her waist, ignored him, and turned to go into the forest to find the blue donkey.

He Zhenyang felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, when suddenly he felt a strong wind rushing towards him. In his defeat, he was somewhat disoriented and had no time to react before the steel claw that suddenly flew in grabbed his throat and he died instantly.

Yun Ran turned around and saw Wanwan with a cold smile, glancing sideways at He Zhenyang's corpse. With a swift leap, she flew back and shouted at Wanwan, "You!"

Wanwan smiled at her, her voice soft and charming: "Miss Yun, now that this person knows you are 'Rouge Blood One-Point Killer,' keeping him in the world will surely cause endless trouble. I am doing this for your sake."

Yun Ran coldly said, "You deliberately revealed my identity in front of him just to have an excuse to eliminate me completely?"

Wanwan laughed and said, "These people from the Kongtong Sect appear respectable on the surface, but in reality they are vicious and have done countless despicable things behind the scenes. Miss Yun, just think about the underhanded tricks that the man surnamed He used just now, and you'll know that he deserves to die."

She glanced over and saw that Yun Ran's expression was calm, as if she wasn't too angry. So she boldly walked over and used her grappling hook to kill all the Kongtong Sect disciples who were lying on the ground.

Seeing that her enemies had left, Wanwan finally felt relieved. She looked up at Yun Ran and smiled, about to speak, when she saw Yun Ran coldly swing her sword, pointing it half an inch from her heart, and say in a cold voice, "You can tell me that news now."

Wanwan chuckled softly and slid back half a step. Yunran's soft sword followed, this time pressing against her chest.

Wanwan cried out urgently, "I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Yun Ran withdrew the soft sword half an inch. Wanwan's expression relaxed, and she looked down at the Zijing soft sword. Suddenly, she asked, "Did you kill Su Yunjin?" Seeing Yun Ran's face darken, she quickly replied, "Someone wanted to harm Sima Liuyun."

Yun Ran frowned at her, but Wanwan smiled sweetly and said, "I'm not talking about those assassins, but the person who issued the bounty on Sima Liuyun's head. I've received word that this person has laid a trap and is just waiting for Sima Liuyun to return to Sichuan before striking him. Even if Young Master Sima has extraordinary abilities, I'm afraid he won't be able to escape with his life this time."

Yun Ran asked, "Who is this person?"

Wanwan gave a sly smile and said, "I can't tell you."

Yun Ran raised her eyebrows, and Wanwan laughed, "Even if you want to kill me this time, I won't say anything. But if I die, you won't know that person's whole plan. Even if you get to Sichuan in time to warn Sima Liuyun, he still won't be able to guard against that person's sneak attacks, and he will still die."

Yun Ran knew she had something to say next, and sure enough, she saw her blink and then say, "But if you are willing to take me with you to Sichuan, I will teach you how to guard against that person, which can save your dear fiancé's life."

Yun Ran frowned and asked, "Why do you insist on following me?"

Wanwan coughed, a mysterious smile on her face, and whispered, "You'll find out soon enough."

Yun Ran snorted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. After pondering for a moment, she walked straight into the woods, led back the blue donkey, and prepared to turn back the way she came.