Bloodstained Kill

Chapter 20

Qi Mo reached out and gently pulled her into his arms, whispering in her ear, "The ground is so hard, don't go down to sleep, just sleep here."

Held in her arms, Yun Ran listened to his soft pleading words, and her heart wavered for a moment. She remained stiff and motionless for a long while before silently pushing him away, pulling back the covers, and jumping out of bed.

After a night of commotion, the three of them slept until late morning the next day before getting up.

Little Bean rubbed his eyes and yawned as he came out from the inner room. Seeing Yun Ran rolling up and putting away the straw mat, he said to her, "I'm hungry."

Yun Ran was taken aback and said, "We finished our rations yesterday. How about I give you some money to buy some food?"

Xiao Douzi walked to the rice jar, lifted the lid, stared blankly at Yun Ran, and said, "My mother always cooks for me in the morning."

Seeing the longing in his eyes, Yunran couldn't refuse and could only slowly walk to the stove. Xiaodouzi cheered, found a bowl, scooped up some rice, washed it, and handed it to her with both hands.

Yun Ran took the bowl of rice and stared blankly at the stove for a long time, not knowing how to start.

Qi Mo got out of bed and walked behind her, chuckling softly, "Call me good brother, and I'll teach you."

Yun Ran turned around and glared at him. Qi Mo quickly smiled and sighed, "I'll teach you even if you don't want to." He then patiently instructed her from the side. Yun Ran followed his instructions, lit a fire, added water, and cooked a pot of rice.

She served rice to the two of them. Seeing that Xiaodouzi ate with relish and finished the bowl in no time, she was pleased with herself. But then Xiaodouzi touched his stomach and said, "The rice is a bit burnt today. It's not very tasty."

Qi Mo glanced at Yun Ran's expression and said calmly, "That's rice crust. You little brat, you've got a pretty sharp tongue. Let me ask you, why did you say we were your parents when those soldiers came last night?"

Little Bean said blankly, "You don't like it? Then next time they come, I'll call you 'good brother'."

Yunran, who hadn't even swallowed a bite of food, suddenly started coughing incessantly, choking until her face turned red.

Qi Mo stared at Xiao Douzi for a long time with a deep look in his eyes, then suddenly said, "Now that you're full, come with me to the river to wash the pot." He reached for the iron pot, told Xiao Douzi to hold the empty bowl, and then prepared to take him out.

Yun Ran couldn't help but say, "I'll go with you."

Qi Mo said to her, "Stay for dinner. Don't worry, I rested overnight and my injuries are mostly healed."

Yun Ran blushed slightly and whispered, "Who's worried about you?" Qi Mo smiled and pulled Xiao Douzi out the door.

After finishing her meal, Yun Ran noticed that the two had not yet returned, and she became uneasy. She was worried that Qi Mo's injuries would relapse, and she was also concerned that he might encounter pursuers. After waiting for a while, she still couldn't put her mind at ease, so she took her soft sword and hurriedly went out.

She took a deep breath and ran towards the riverbank. In the distance, she saw Qi Mo sitting cross-legged on the bank. He must have heard footsteps behind him and was turning to look at her.

Seeing that he was unharmed, Yunran felt relieved and rushed to his side. She saw that the iron pot and empty bowl had been washed and placed aside. Looking around, she couldn't see Xiaodouzi, so she asked, "Where's Xiaodouzi?"

Qi Mo's eyes flickered, and he didn't answer immediately, but slowly said, "Why are you here?"

Yun Ran was filled with doubt, but she saw that Qi Mo had turned his gaze back to the river, a faint smile playing on his lips. She couldn't help but follow his gaze to the river, but saw that the water was calm and there wasn't a ripple.

Yun Ran felt a chill run down her spine and asked in a trembling voice, "Where's Xiaodouzi?"

Qi Mo noticed something amiss in her tone, looked up and saw her expression. He frowned slightly and was about to speak when Yun Ran said in a deep voice, "You've always been extremely cold to him, but just now you suddenly brought him to this riverbank. I suppose after what happened last night, you're afraid he'll reveal our whereabouts, so you want to kill him to silence him."

After listening to her, Qi Mo suddenly smiled and slowly said, "I'm rather curious, what would you do if I killed him?"

Yun Ran's face was pale. She glared at him with hatred, her heart filled with resentment and anger, but also with a hint of disappointment.

Just then, a muffled child's voice came from behind: "You're lying. I've been hiding for so long, and you haven't come to catch me."

Yun Ran turned around in surprise, only to see Xiao Douzi standing right behind her, pouting. She was both surprised and delighted, and quickly pulled him aside, asking, "Where did you run off to?"

Little Bean pointed at Qi Mo and said, "He promised to play hide-and-seek with me, so I hid, but he only talked to you and didn't come to catch me." After saying that, she looked at the two of them angrily, with tears seemingly glistening in her eyes.

Qi Mo glanced at him indifferently and said, "Take the pots and pans and go home first. I'll play with you again tomorrow."

Little Bean seemed to trust him completely, obediently went over to pick up the washed pots and pans, and then turned back to ask, "You're not lying to me, are you?"

Qi Mo's eyes lit up with a smile, and he gave a soft "Mmm." Seeing that he had agreed, Xiao Douzi excitedly grabbed the pot and ran home in a flash.

Just as Yun Ran was about to follow, she felt her hand tighten as Qi Mo grabbed it. She heard him whisper, "You made me break my promise to Xiao Douzi. How are you going to make it up to me?"

Yun Ran was afraid he would be rude again, and was about to break free, but Qi Mo smiled and said, "I'll punish you by making you sit with me by the river for a while." He then released her hand.

Yun Ran bit her lip and sat down beside him, feeling a little guilty and embarrassed. She complained in a low voice, "You don't like to talk to Xiao Douzi, so why were you playing with him just now? It made me think..."

Qi Mo remained silent for a while before suddenly speaking, "When I was his age, I also liked to play hide-and-seek by the river."

Yun Ran was taken aback and turned to look. She saw Qi Mo with a half-smile on his face, saying indifferently, "He was also abandoned by his parents when he was about the same age as him."

He stared at the river for a while, then turned his gaze to Yun Ran, who was looking at him with a strange expression. A self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips as he said softly, "But you don't need to feel guilty. I brought Xiao Douzi to this riverbank originally to kill him and silence him."

Yun Ran was stunned upon hearing this, while Qi Mo stood up with a low laugh and said, "Let's go back."

Each with their own thoughts, they slowly made their way home.

Yun Ran lowered her head and silently thought about Qi Mo's childhood. She also recalled his distant and indifferent words and actions towards Xiao Douzi. She couldn't help but secretly glance at him, only to see that Qi Mo was also looking at her.

Their eyes met, and Yun Ran's face flushed. Qi Mo looked at her and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Yun Ran said in a low voice, "Even if I hadn't arrived, you wouldn't have killed Xiaodouzi, would you?"

Qi Mo laughed and said, "That's not necessarily true. But if you call me 'good brother' and let me kiss you, I definitely won't kill him."

Yun Ran spat softly, then looked up and saw the farmhouse was right in front of them. Little Bean was squatting at the door, peering longingly towards the roadside. He spotted the two of them immediately and ran over, pointing at the farmhouse and saying, "Come quick, someone's waiting for you inside."

☆, Right and wrong, good and evil

Su Rang touched Wanwan's wrist with his fingers, about to seal her acupoints, when he suddenly saw dark lights in front of his eyes, and a dense cluster of steel needles flew towards her head and face.

Knowing that Su Yunjin's wife and children had died from this kind of deadly poisoned weapon, he roared, "You bitch, are you looking for death!" He quickly leaped backward, unleashing a burst of internal energy from his palms, creating a gust of wind in front of him. Under the force of his palms, the ball of poisoned needles was repelled before it could reach his side, flying rapidly towards Wanwan.

Su Rang looked up and saw Wanwan's resolute gaze and a cold smile on her lips. He realized that she intended to commit suicide. He thought to himself that something was wrong, but it was too late to make a move.

Just then, a figure flashed, and Sima Liuyun leaped out, gently pulling Wanwan around the waist, and gliding her backward several feet. He then swung his palm, the force of which shattered the steel needles flying in front of him. He stopped, released Wanwan, and asked in a low voice, "Are you hurt?"

Wanwan shook her head, tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "You can't beat so many of them, let's run away quickly." As she spoke, she lowered her eyelashes to hide the hint of smugness in her eyes.

Seeing her intimate expression with Sima Liuyun, Su Rang felt a surge of anger in his chest and sneered, "It seems that Young Master Sima has already colluded with this vixen and is willing to be an enemy of my Kongtong Sect to protect her?"

Sima Liuyun was secretly annoyed by his harsh words, but fortunately, he was quite composed and managed to suppress his anger, replying calmly, "Miss Wanwan has been kind to me, and I certainly cannot stand idly by and do nothing. As for..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his chest wound, and he couldn't help but frown and press his hand against his chest.

Seeing his condition, Su Rang's eyes flashed, and he slowly asked, "Young Master Sima, are you injured?"

Wanwan knew something was wrong, so she waved her hand and threw several steel needles at the Kongtong Sect members, then pulled Sima Liuyun and turned to leave.

Knowing that she was always cunning, Su Rang was already on guard. He lightly touched the ground with his toes, leaped up, dodged the steel needle, and swung his palm at Wanwan's back in mid-air.

Upon hearing the sound of wind behind him, Sima Liuyun immediately stopped and turned around. He gathered his energy in his chest and unleashed a palm strike to meet Su Rang's palm strike.

The two men's palms touched, and Su Rang felt his blood surging in his chest, making him feel suffocated. He quickly leaped backward and landed on the ground. Before he could even regain his footing, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood while clutching his chest.

Seeing their sect leader injured in a single move, the members of the Kongtong Sect were filled with fear and were about to swarm him when Sima Liuyun casually removed the beaded necklace from Wanwan's wrist, snapped the string with a flick of his fingers, and flung the broken beads away. His attack was far superior to Wanwan's, and cries of alarm rang out as several members of the Kongtong Sect were struck in their pressure points, their bodies stiffening as they collapsed to the ground.

Sima Liuyun glanced coldly at everyone, then took Wanwan's hand and strode away. The members of the Kongtong Sect, fearing his formidable martial arts, dared not pursue him.

Wanwan followed Sima Liuyun in a hurried run. When she looked back and saw that no one was following, she felt relieved and said with a soft laugh, "If I had known that your hidden weapon skills were so good, I wouldn't have worried for so long." Seeing that Sima Liuyun remained silent, she sighed and said, "It's just a pity about my beaded necklace."

Sima Liuyun glanced at her indifferently, then suddenly stumbled and nearly fell. Wanwan quickly steadied him and asked in surprise, "What happened?" She looked down and saw that Sima Liuyun's clothes were stained with blood, knowing that his wound had reopened. She said anxiously, "I told you to run away with me, but you insisted on fighting back. Now your injury has flared up. How are we going to get to Qiannan?"

Sima Liuyun said softly, "My forceful action is exactly what Miss Wanwan wanted."

Wanwan was taken aback and asked in surprise, "What did you say?"

Sima Liuyun said calmly, "If you are determined to die, you can just prick yourself with a poisoned needle hidden in your sleeve. Why wait for Su Rang to repel the poisoned needle? You must have already anticipated that I would not be able to bear to see you die and would definitely step in to help you out of this predicament."

Wanwan's expression changed slightly, but she forced a smile and said, "I did save your life, after all. You don't believe me after that shameless Su Rang spouted nonsense?"

Sima Liuyun stared intently at her and slowly asked, "Then did you kill your aunt and cousins as he claimed?"

Wanwan dared not meet his gaze, lowered her eyes, and her face had turned somewhat pale.

Sima Liuyun said in a deep voice, "It was because you once saved my life that I helped you, which can be considered as repaying your life-saving grace. Now that your powerful enemy is gone, we shall meet again."

Wanwan frowned and asked, "You're injured like this now. Without my escort, can you get to Qiannan by yourself?"

Sima Liuyun lowered his eyes and said calmly, "I also cannot agree with what you have done, and I am afraid I can no longer travel with you."

Wanwan felt a chill in her heart and sneered, "Since you look down on me, I, Su Wan, will not shamelessly insist on traveling with you. Young Master Sima, please make your way."

Sima Liuyun remained silent, pressed his chest, and walked toward a fork in the road ahead.

Wanwan stood there stunned for a long time, then wiped away her tears with her sleeve and said bitterly, "Sima Liuyun, what's so great about you? You look down on me, but do you think I would look up to you?"

Feeling depressed, she was about to set off when she suddenly heard someone call out from behind: "Hey you village girl up ahead, don't go any further, I have something to ask you!"

Wanwan paused, glancing back furtively. She saw two men in black approaching her rapidly. Seeing their heavy steps and silent landings, she knew they were highly skilled in martial arts and that she was no match for them. She could only lower her head and wait where she was.

The man approached her, and one of them asked, "Have you seen this person in the portrait nearby?" He then unfurled a scroll. Wanwan looked up and saw that the man in the portrait bore a striking resemblance to Sima Liuyun. A chill ran through her; she guessed that these two must be experts sent by Wen Huaifeng to hunt down Sima Liuyun, and she slowly shook her head.

One of the burly men glanced at her twice, then suddenly let out a soft "Eh?" and said, "Isn't this Miss Wanwan from Lanxiang Pavilion?"

It turned out that when she wiped away her tears with her sleeve earlier, she had removed a lot of the disguise powder from her face, which was why the man recognized her. She stared at the big man for a moment, trying hard to recall when she had ever seen him before.

The burly man's gaze suddenly became somewhat ambiguous. He turned to his companion and said with a smile, "This Miss Wanwan is quite famous in our capital. Countless young men are lining up to become her lovers. She must have some special skills."

The other man chuckled deeply, "Whether you have a special skill or not, we'll find out later by trying it out. You haven't touched a woman since you left the capital, have you?"

The burly man spat and laughed, "Stop pretending! Don't you want to try? Don't try to take it from me later." As he spoke, he stepped forward and put his arm around Wanwan's shoulder.

Wanwan took two steps back, her face pale. The man's companion chuckled and said, "Don't be afraid, beauty. If you serve the gentlemen well, you'll be richly rewarded."

The burly man seemed to have reached his limit and rushed forward, reaching out to tear open Wanwan's clothes.

Wanwan, remembering the grappling hook she had hidden on her body, quickly smiled at him and said, "Why are you in such a hurry, sir? If you tear my clothes, Wanwan won't let you get away with it."

The burly man was nearly captivated by her smile, which revealed her dimples. He leered at her and said, "Then I'll go easy on you. I promise I won't tear it."

Wanwan had already held his hand down and said in a sweet voice, "I'll do it myself. Besides, we can't just stay on the main road like this..." She covered her mouth and giggled.

Seeing her alluring appearance, the two men felt even more eager and hurriedly followed her into the roadside field. When they reached a thicket, she laughed and said, "I'm taking off my clothes, but you two are not allowed to peek."

She glanced back and saw the two men staring intently at her. Knowing she couldn't escape, she quietly tossed the grappling hook and hidden weapon into the bushes and slowly reached out to take off her clothes.

The two men were itching to get their hands on something when they suddenly heard a rustling in the bushes beside them. They immediately became alert and shouted, "Who goes there!"

Wanwan turned around and followed their gaze, only to see Sima Liuyun with a gloomy expression, who had appeared in the bushes nearby at some point.

Sima Liuyun had disguised himself, and the two men didn't recognize him at first, thinking he was just a passing villager. They glared at him and shouted, "What are you looking at? If you want to live, get the hell out of here!"

Wanwan was anxious and quickly said with a coquettish smile, "These two are high-ranking officials from the capital. If they get angry and arrest you, you'll be in big trouble! Why don't you hurry up and leave?" As she spoke, she winked at him repeatedly.

Sima Liuyun ignored him, lowered his eyelids slightly, and said indifferently, "Aren't you two gentlemen searching for me everywhere?"

The two men were Wen Huaifeng's guards. When they heard Sima Liuyun speak, they immediately recognized his voice and were overjoyed. They rushed forward and shouted, "Sima Liuyun, so you were hiding here! Surrender now!"