Bloodstained Kill

Chapter 15

Seeing the Purple Thorn Soft Sword already upon him, about to pierce his heart, Yun Ran was greatly alarmed. She hurriedly withdrew her hand and pulled the sword away, immediately revealing an opening in her chest. The man's lips curled slightly, and in an instant, he changed his palm into fingers, striking several major acupoints on her chest.

Yun Ran felt a numbness in her chest, her whole body went limp, and she immediately collapsed backward. The man rushed forward, caught her in his arms, lowered his eyes to examine her face for a moment, a playful smile appearing on his lips, and whispered, "You really don't want to hurt me, why?"

Yun Ran realized she had fallen into a trap, and a bitter feeling welled up inside her. Her pressure points had been sealed, rendering her unable to speak, and the man hadn't expected her to reply anyway. He picked up the soft sword that had fallen to the ground, put it away carefully, and then carried Yun Ran away quickly towards the east of the city.

At the same moment, in a valley a few miles outside the city, Qi Mo stood in front of the window of a bamboo house, looking down at the kill order tied to the leg of the carrier pigeon, and said with a slight smile, "It seems I have to go back to Lezhou City immediately."

Xie Feng took off the token and handed it to Qi Mo, then released the carrier pigeon out the window and said, "Boss, has something happened? Should A'Luo and I go with you?"

Qi Mo coughed and said, "No need, it's just meeting a friend, I'll go alone."

Xie Feng's eyes revealed a knowing look, and he asked with a smile, "Miss Yun?"

Qi Mo smiled but didn't answer. He reached out and touched his chin, then turned to A Luo and asked, "Where's the box of Nightmare you promised me?"

A Luo lowered her eyelashes, turned and went out. She returned shortly afterward, holding a delicate powder box in her hand, but her face was much paler than before.

Qi Mo reached out and took the powder, smiling, "Thank you." He then hurriedly left the room and rushed out of the valley.

A Luo leaned against the window, staring blankly at his back, seemingly lost in thought. Xie Feng turned his head to look at her, and suddenly chuckled softly, "Instead of wallowing in self-pity, you should do your best to fight for it."

A Luo was taken aback when she heard this, but Xie Feng had already walked out the door with a grin, leaving her alone in the room.

Yun Ran was carried in the man's arms as they hurried eastward. He deliberately chose to travel through secluded alleys, and his agility was superb. Occasionally, he would encounter a few pedestrians, but he would leap onto rooftops to avoid them. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he arrived at the back gate of a house. He lightly knocked on the door knocker, and someone immediately came to open the door and welcome him into the courtyard.

The man who opened the door was dressed as a yamen runner. He looked down at the ground and was extremely respectful to the man. Even though he saw the man carrying a woman back, he did not look up at him again.

The man said calmly, "Let your master focus on his business. There's no need for you to come and pay your respects." The constable bowed his head, acknowledged the order, and left.

Yun Ran was greatly surprised, thinking to herself: Could this be the backyard of the Lezhou government office? No wonder the Sima family couldn't find this man; it turns out he was hiding in the government office. Just who is he that even the Lezhou government has to come and pay their respects to him?

The man glanced down at Yun Ran, smiled slightly, and then carried her into a side room at the back.

After entering the room, he placed Yun Ran on the chair beside the table, took out her soft sword, examined it closely for a few moments, and chuckled in a deep voice, "The Bauhinia Soft Sword? No wonder it's so powerful." He casually placed the soft sword on the table, reached out and released Yun Ran's speech acupoint, and was about to ask a question when Yun Ran preemptively asked, "What did you do to Sima Liuyun?"

The man was taken aback, stared at her for a moment, and slowly said, "You woman have quite the nerve. You've been captured by me, and you still dare to question me?"

Yun Ran gave a soft snort.

The man smiled and said, "Not convinced? Then tell me, why would you rather take a palm strike from me than hurt me with your sword?"

Yun Ran blushed slightly, but remained silent.

Seeing her long eyelashes slightly lowered, her lips gently bitten, and her stubborn expression, the man found her endearing and couldn't help but chuckle softly, "You're quite an interesting little girl."

Yun Ran's eyelashes trembled slightly as she recalled the first time they met eight years ago. The man had looked at her in the same way and said the same thing with a faint smile.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look up at him. She saw that the man had a gentle face and a slight smile in his eyes, looking at her with great interest. She couldn't help but wonder: If I take out the jade pendant and acknowledge him, will he agree to let Young Master Sima go?

She had known this man since her youth, receiving martial arts instruction from him. Though their time together was brief, lasting only a few months, she had developed a deep and unwavering trust and admiration for him. When they parted, she asked him for a jade pendant as a token, hoping to one day reunite with him. Unexpectedly, after their separation, she heard nothing more from him. As she grew older, knowing the hope of seeing him again was slim, she still harbored a strange affection for him. Wang Renyuan, merely resembling this man, won her favor and frequently met with him, eventually leading to her writing to Sima Liuyun to annul their engagement. Who could have imagined that eight years later, their reunion would be like this?

Looking at the person in front of her, Yun Ran felt a surge of emotions.

Seeing her strange expression, the man smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Have you made up your mind yet? If you don't speak up, I'll have to put you in jail."

Yun Ran's voice was slightly hoarse as she softly said, "It's all because of me..."

Just then, a voice outside the door whispered, "Sir, Young Master Qin has arrived and is waiting in the back hall."

The man's expression shifted, and he said, "Please invite him to my room for a talk."

He glanced down at Yun Ran, then carried her to the bed and laid her down, saying with a smile, "I have guests, I'll interrogate you later, take a nap first." With that, he gently touched her pressure point and put her to sleep.

The man lowered the brocade curtain and sat at the table for a moment. Then he heard footsteps outside the door. Without waiting for the servant to announce his arrival, he quickly stepped forward, opened the door, and said with a smile, "I have been preoccupied with trivial matters and have not been able to greet you from afar. I hope the young marquis will forgive me."

The young man outside the door was dressed in a brocade robe, his pale, handsome face revealing a hint of ferocity. Upon hearing this, he cupped his hands and smiled, "This must be Lord Wen Huaifeng? Qin Luo has long admired your esteemed reputation, how could I dare to have you greet me?"

After exchanging a few polite words, Wen Huaifeng invited Qin Luo into the room, had the door closed, and said with a smile, "This place is far from the capital. Meeting here will avoid the notice of the old Marquis Qin. However, I feel quite uneasy about troubling the young marquis with his journey."

Qin Luo smiled slightly and said, "Lord Wen, now that we have decided to join forces, we are all on the same side from now on, so there is no need for such formalities." He took out a brocade box from his bosom and said, "In the future, Qin Luo will rely on you a lot. Please accept this small gift." He then handed over the brocade box.

Wen Huaifeng opened the brocade box and saw a string of bright pearls inside. Each pearl was the size of a longan, perfectly round and flawless, and radiant with luster. They were extremely precious. He immediately smiled and said, "This gift is so valuable that I am truly unworthy of it."

Qin Luo lowered his eyes and said, "After I inherit the title, such treasures will be inexhaustible in the Chang Le Marquis's mansion. At that time, I will do my best to help you achieve even greater things in the court."

Wen Huaifeng smiled faintly, reached out and put the brocade box into his pocket, and said slowly, "Since it is such a kind gesture from the young marquis, I will accept it without hesitation."

Qin Luo then said, "Upon returning to the capital, to avoid suspicion, I fear I will not be able to meet with you often, sir. You may instruct Steward Ling to convey my advice on how to proceed."

Wen Huaifeng nodded in agreement, and the two chatted for a few more minutes. Just as Qin Luo was about to get up and say goodbye, her gaze suddenly fell on the Bauhinia Soft Sword placed on the table. Her expression turned serious, and she let out a soft "Eh."

☆、Nine deaths and one life

Wen Huaifeng laughed and said, "Young Marquis, you have a good eye indeed. This Bauhinia Soft Sword can cut through iron like mud and is incomparably sharp. It ranks second on the weapon ranking list and is indeed a divine weapon."

Qin Luo frowned slightly, staring thoughtfully at the Purple Thorn Soft Sword, and did not respond for a moment.

Wen Huaifeng, observing his expression, smiled and said, "I was just wondering how to repay the young marquis's generous gift. If the young marquis likes it, please accept this Purple Thorn Soft Sword as my return gift."

A sinister glint flashed in Qin Luo's eyes as he said calmly, "Lord Wen, you misunderstand. Qin Luo does not covet this sword, but was once assassinated with it and nearly lost his life."

Wen Huaifeng was taken aback and said in a deep voice, "I also just obtained this sword today, but I did not know that there was such a reason behind it."

Qin Luo lowered his eyes and said calmly, "I naturally believe that this matter has nothing to do with Lord Wen, but I wonder from whom you obtained this soft sword?"

Wen Huaifeng knew that Qin Luo was a ruthless and suspicious person. If he didn't give him an explanation, he was afraid that Qin Luo would become suspicious of him, which would be very detrimental to their cooperation. So he didn't hesitate and walked to the bedside to lift the brocade curtain. He said, "This sword originally belonged to this female prisoner. I captured her today, but I haven't had time to interrogate her yet. I didn't expect that she had even tried to assassinate the young marquis. She is really quite bold."

Qin Luo glanced at the person on the bed, his expression changed slightly, then he sneered and turned around, saying, "Since that's the case, Qin Luo has a favor to ask. Lord Wen, would you be willing to hand over this female prisoner to me for interrogation?"

Wen Huaifeng's eyes flickered, and he hesitated.

Qin Luo continued, "To be honest, this woman not only attempted to assassinate me, but also stole the Langhuan Jade Disc, a priceless treasure of my household. That Langhuan Jade Disc is something my father cherishes. If we can get the whereabouts of this item from her, my father will definitely look at me differently. In that case, it will also be of great benefit to what we are plotting."

Seeing Qin Luo's determined expression towards this woman, Wen Huaifeng, who was currently trying to win Qin Luo over, was unwilling to offend Qin Luo for the sake of a stranger. He smiled and replied, "Very well, but I still have some questions for her. After you have finished questioning her, please send her back to the government office, and please do not harm her."

Qin Luo walked to the bedside, looked down at Yun Ran who was still unconscious, a sly smile appeared on his lips, and slowly said, "Please rest assured, my lord, I will be careful and will never let her die."

After Qin Luo left, Wen Huaifeng handled some official business in the study in the back hall, then summoned several trusted confidants for a long private discussion. It was already afternoon when he returned to his room.

He lay on the bed, resting with his eyes closed for a moment, but the beautiful and charming image of the woman from that morning lingered in his mind. In recent years, he had been preoccupied with affairs of state and had never valued women, yet for some reason, he felt a strong attraction to this woman of unknown origin. Recalling the rumors circulating in the capital about the young Marquis Qin's cruel and perverse sexual habits, he felt a surge of unease. He turned over, turning his head inward, and suddenly felt something hard pressing against his side. Reaching down, he felt its warmth, and upon closer inspection, found it was a jade pendant.

Wen Huaifeng held the jade pendant up to his eyes and stared at the koi pattern carved on it for a long time. The doubts that had been troubling him for the past few days were finally resolved one by one: Why was this woman's swordsmanship and martial arts similar to his own? Why did she willingly accept a palm strike rather than draw her sword to hurt him? And why did she stare at him with such a look that seemed to be both sad and happy?

Wen Huaifeng frowned, holding the jade pendant, and slowly sat up, muttering to himself, "So she is Ran'er."

※※※※

After an unknown amount of time, Yun Ran felt a cool sensation on her forehead and then slowly woke up.

She opened her eyes and saw a man standing just inches in front of her, his thin lips slightly pursed, his gaze intense, looking down at her with a half-smile.

When Yun Ran saw that the person in front of her was Qin Luo, she was shocked. She tried to sit up, but her body went limp and she fell back onto the bed, unable to move at all. It turned out that he had sealed her acupoints again.

Qin Luo slightly curved his lips and lowered his eyes, saying, "I really misjudged you. It turns out that such a delicate beauty is actually a female assassin with superb skills." His eyes turned cold, and he asked in a deep voice, "Who exactly ordered you to assassinate me? Did you steal the Langhuan Jade Disc?"

Seeing Yun Ran's cold gaze, silent and glaring at him with hatred, his anger intensified. He sneered, leaned down, and brought his face close to her ear, his voice suddenly turning ambiguous: "Won't talk? This young master has plenty of ways to make you beg for mercy." As he spoke, his fingers slid open Yun Ran's bodice.

Yun Ran was filled with shock and anger, but she knew this man was cruel and vicious. Verbal insults would only provoke his bestial nature. She bit her lip and remained silent, frantically channeling her inner energy, desperately trying to break free of the sealed acupoints. However, Wen Huaifeng's acupoint-striking technique was extremely skillful, and Qin Luo had just added a few more acupoints. Despite her best efforts, her internal energy remained empty and difficult to gather.

Seeing her face flush and beads of sweat on her forehead, Qin Luo felt an even stronger itch to act. His hands moved swiftly, tearing off all her clothes, leaving her only in her moon-white undergarment and panties. He stared at Yun Ran for a moment, chuckled softly, and leaped onto the bed, pressing himself against her.

Yun Ran felt his manhood pressing against her lower abdomen through her thin clothes, and her heart tightened. Then she heard Qin Luo laugh in a hoarse voice, "Don't cry out in pain later."

A sinister smile appeared in his eyes. He slowly pulled a dagger from his pocket, leaned down and kissed Yun Ran's neck. With a flick of his left hand, the dagger pierced through Yun Ran's right arm and plunged into the bed beneath her. Blood gushed out instantly, staining the pillows and bedding red.

Yun Ran was in so much pain she felt like she was about to faint, sweat pouring down her forehead. Qin Luo stared at her expression, his eyes burning with desire. He chuckled, then leaned in, ran his tongue along the dagger, licked the blood from the wound, and then, with his mouth full of blood, kissed her lips.

Yun Ran turned her head away from his lips and spat out a "pui." Qin Luo was not offended and chuckled softly, "Where should I stab next? Let me take a good look." As he spoke, he reached out to untie her bodice.

Suddenly, a cold snort came from behind her. Qin Luo's heart skipped a beat. Before she could turn around, she felt a numbness in her back. Someone had already grabbed her vital points and lifted her off the bed.

Qin Luo looked at the person who came in and saw that it was a handsome stranger. She was shocked: there were always guards outside the door, so how did this person sneak in?

The man glanced at the bed and saw Yun Ran lying half-naked in a pool of blood. His expression changed slightly, and he turned to look at Qin Luo, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

Qin Luo knew something was wrong, but she couldn't speak and couldn't call for help. Suddenly, she heard two muffled cracking sounds, and the bones in her wrists were broken by the man. Then, her body flew several feet into the air and crashed heavily to the ground on her back.

When Yun Ran saw that the man was Qi Mo, she felt relieved, but then felt a sharp pain in her arm and couldn't help but groan softly.

Qi Mo lowered his eyes to look at her right arm, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pulled out the dagger. At the same time, his fingers flew like the wind, striking several acupoints on her arm. Seeing that the bleeding had slowed down, he tore off some scraps of cloth and quickly wrapped the wound. He then took some clothes scattered around and covered Yun Ran with them. He then gently picked her up from the bed and strode quickly out the door.

Yun Ran nestled in Qi Mo's arms, enduring the pain. She glanced around and saw that this was the mansion she had followed the man surnamed Ling to that day. Knowing that Qin Luo was staying here, she knew the mansion must be heavily guarded, and she couldn't help but worry: it was afternoon, how could Qi Mo carry her away without being noticed by the guards? But along the way, she saw two or three corpses lying on the ground every so often; there wasn't a single guard left alive in the entire mansion.

Yun Ran couldn't help but glance at Qi Mo. He had killed more than ten experts when he arrived, so his martial arts skills were undoubtedly superb. However, he was always cautious. Seeing that there were many guards in the house, he should have concealed his presence and sneaked in quietly. Why was he so impatient this time?

Qi Mo lowered his head to meet her gaze, smiled slightly, and asked gently, "Does it still hurt a lot?"

Yun Ran gently shook her head. Qi Mo frowned, turned his head and murmured something.

He spoke in a very low voice, and Yun Ran only vaguely heard the words "get there as soon as possible." Seeing the annoyance on his face, she was about to ask a question when she suddenly saw a figure flying towards them.

Qi Mo let out a soft "Eh," then gently hooked his left arm around Yun Ran and pulled her into his embrace. He then swung his right palm out, pressing it down on the man's chest.

The man had already met the attack with his palm. The two palms collided, and the force surged, causing each of them to leap backward.

Qi Mo, afraid of aggravating Yun Ran's injury, slid back several feet before stopping and said with a deep laugh, "Lord Wen, it's been a long time. Your skills haven't improved much."

When Yun Ran saw that the person who had come was the mysterious man who had captured her, and heard Qi Mo address him as "Lord Wen," her heart trembled, and she whispered in a trembling voice, "Is it... Wen Huaifeng?"

Qi Mo noticed something amiss in her tone and glanced down at her. He saw that Yun Ran's face was completely devoid of color. He recalled the day he first met her outside Jizhou City when she was being chased by Wen Huaifeng's men. He assumed she was overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing her enemy, but he could never have imagined that Yun Ran was experiencing a mix of emotions, bitter and unspeakable.

Wen Huaifeng glanced at Yun Ran, who was covered in blood and looked haggard, leaning against Qi Mo's chest. His brows furrowed slightly, and he said indifferently, "So Sect Leader Qi has also come to Sichuan. That's good."

Qi Mo smiled leisurely and said, "What, does Lord Wen intend to arrest me? But I am worried that you may not have the ability to do so."

Wen Huaifeng's face darkened, and he shouted, "Put this woman down first!" As he spoke, he arrived and swiftly attacked Qi Mo with his palm.

Qi Mo chuckled softly, his figure swaying as he dodged the palm strike. With a flick of his sleeve, several iron caltrops shot towards him.

Wen Huaifeng dodged the hidden weapon, while Qi Mo had already carried Yun Ran and flew out of the courtyard.

Wen Huaifeng snorted and leaped after him. He had fought Qi Mo several times and knew that their agility was roughly equal. Now that Qi Mo was carrying someone, it would be difficult for him to shake him off. As he chased after him, he secretly regretted that he had come alone and had not brought more men. Otherwise, he could have taken the opportunity to eliminate Qi Mo, this major threat.

As he was pondering this, a figure suddenly leaped out from the side. A flash of cold light appeared before him, and the man thrust his sword at him, laughing, "Lord Wen, I've been waiting here for a long time. Why did you take so long?"

Wen Huaifeng dodged the longsword and recognized the man as Shen Ye, Qi Mo's capable subordinate. He was secretly alarmed: Could it be that the Absolute Killing Sect has set a trap here to lure me into it?

He hesitated for a moment, then saw Shen Ye's sword flash repeatedly as he thrust several more swords at him.

Wen Huaifeng was worried that the Absolute Kill Sect still had strong reinforcements, so he dared not attack rashly. He was only on guard and focused on responding to the attacks. However, Shen Ye's sword moves were all feints. Taking advantage of his dodges, Shen Ye laughed loudly and had already floated back several feet, chasing after Qi Mo and running away.

Fearing an ambush, Wen Huaifeng dared not give chase. He watched helplessly as the two figures disappeared around a street corner in the distance, his eyes filled with malice.