Compendio de hombres apuestos en el mundo de las artes marciales

Capítulo 40

Back in his room, Duan Chen bolted the door and walked to the table to light the lamp, when suddenly his hand froze. Slowly straightening his spine, Duan Chen tried to even out his breathing, but goosebumps rose on his arms one by one, and it felt as if a string was hanging from the back of his neck, gradually tightening, as if it could snap at any moment.

From the darkness came a soft laugh: "Not bad! As expected of the person I've chosen." The man's voice was still a little hoarse, but unexpectedly deep and pleasant, his pronunciation slightly indistinct, with a hint of exoticism: "I heard you were looking for me?"

Chapter Eleven: Testing and Confusion

Duan Chen followed the sound and flicked his wrist. He heard two sharp sounds as the nut struck a hard object and fell to the ground with a crisp sound. The man chuckled softly. The next moment, Duan Chen felt a tingling sensation on his earlobe, a warm breath brushing against the back of his neck, and a deep, slightly husky voice sounding in his ear: "She taught you well."

Duan Chen twisted his waist and struck out with his palm, only to find no one behind him. He withdrew his palm and turned around, feeling his heart pounding violently. A chill ran down his spine from the back of his neck where the person had just brushed against him, and he couldn't help but shiver slightly.

The man's voice rang out again, as if he had discovered something new and interesting, with a slight rise in his tone at the end: "Are you afraid?"

Duan Chen's eyelashes were slightly damp. In the dim moonlight streaming through the window, she stared intently at the shadowy figure leaning against the bedside. Trying to calm her breathing and heartbeat, Duan Chen pressed her lips tightly together, remaining silent. She knew that if she spoke now, the other person would know that she was truly afraid.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" The man seemed a little puzzled, but upon closer listening, it wasn't hard to detect a faint smile in his tone: "I remember you were quite eloquent yesterday!"

Duan Chen clenched his fist, slowly exhaled without making a sound, and made sure that his voice would not tremble at all before speaking calmly: "Those weapons, you took them?"

The man shifted his position, seemingly more comfortable lying down, and appeared to be holding something in his hand. He let out a leisurely sigh: "I like this scent."

Duan Chen's eyes widened as he walked closer, but after seeing what the man was holding, his mind went blank for a moment. He then flicked his wrist and fired five nuclear nails at the man.

The man chuckled, flicked his wrist, and five nuclear nails landed at Duan Chen's feet with a "thud, thud, thud." He then shook his head helplessly and sighed, "Why can't you learn? I'm the one who taught her this, and you're using it against me, ha!"

Duan Chen's body trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth, about to make another move, when the other person moved and instantly pulled him into an embrace. A dizzying sensation followed, and he was pinned down on the bed. In the darkness, the man's facial features were vaguely discernible, his features appearing more defined than most men's. His eyes shone like stars in the sky, and he unconsciously evoked the image of a creature that only appears in the dark—a wolf!

The man pinned Duan Chen's hands above her head with one hand, trapping her beneath him. With his other hand, he still held the garment that would shame most young women to death, picking it up with two fingers, sniffing it again, then lowering his head to Duan Chen's hair, taking a deep breath. "Why aren't you afraid this time?" the man asked, looking up at the woman beneath him with some surprise.

Duan Chen's expression was calm and his voice flat: "Did you take those weapons?"

"So what if it is, so what if it isn't?" The man seemed to find it amusing, and moved even closer, his high nose almost touching Duan Chen's nose. As he spoke, his slightly hot breath brushed against the woman's lips, and his low, charming voice seemed to be telling the most touching love stories.

"Was it you who was in the cabin in the plum garden this morning?" Duan Chen remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the man.

The man propped himself up slightly, a hint of interest flashing in his bright eyes: "You and she are nothing alike."

"Answer my question," Duan Chen said, his voice growing even colder.

“But I like it!” the man concluded, releasing his grip on Duan Chen’s wrist and kneeling up from the bed to get off. A sharp “slap” rang out, startling him. The burning pain on his cheek proved the slap was real. He chuckled again, slipping to his feet on the edge of the bed, and simultaneously pulled Duan Chen into his arms, using the momentum of his movement. “You little rascal, you’ve got some nerve.”

A crisp knock sounded at the door, followed by Zhan Yun's clear and gentle voice: "Chen'er, are you asleep?"

Duan Chen subconsciously tilted his head, but suddenly felt his hair loosen. The man reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Duan Chen's ear, his low, husky voice carrying a hint of amusement: "Do you like the one outside the door?"

Before Duan Chen could react, the man released his grip on her waist, yanked open the door, brushed past Zhan Yun, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Duan Chen chased to the door and saw Zhan Yun holding a tray in one hand and clutching a soft, thin, icy blue garment to her chest in the other. She blinked, somewhat bewildered, but her expression was more serious than ever before: "Chen'er, that person just now..."

Duan Chen reached out and snatched the clothes from Zhan Yun's hand. Zhan Yun instinctively tightened his grip, and only when he looked down did he realize what he was holding. His handsome face flushed red. "Chen'er, I, I... this isn't me... it's what he just..."

"Let go now!" Duan Chen frowned slightly, as if he was slightly angry. His clear phoenix eyes were glistening with tears. Zhan Yun was stunned for a moment, then said "Oh" and quickly let go.

Duan Chen took back the bag, turned around and went into the house to close the door, but saw Zhan Yun lift his foot and lean between the two door panels, his cheeks still flushed pink, but his eyes showed deep concern: "What just happened?"

Duan Chen pursed his lips, loosened his grip on the doorframe, and turned to walk towards the table. He lit the oil lamp, making the room slightly brighter.

Zhan Yun followed him into the house, bolted the door, placed the tray on the table, and looked around. Seeing several nut nails scattered at the ground, Zhan Yun's expression hardened. He turned to Duan Chen, who was walking back from the bedside, and asked, "What just happened? Who was that person?"

Duan Chen folded the undergarment and put it back in his bundle. He walked to the table, his phoenix eyes half-closed, but suddenly felt something was wrong with his back. He raised his hand to touch it, and then looked up at Zhan Yun with a hint of panic. A hairpin! He turned around and walked back to the bedside, looked around, and then turned to meet Zhan Yun's eyes, which were fixed on him with a lowered gaze: "Did he bully you just now?"

Zhan Yun's expression grew increasingly grim, his usually clear and bright eyes gradually clouded with gloom, his gaze fixed intently on Duan Chen without blinking. The hairpin was missing, her hair was disheveled, and her most intimate clothing had almost been stolen. There were obvious signs of a struggle in the room, and the light gray sheets were wrinkled. Even without her saying anything, Zhan Yun could guess what had just happened. But this guess alone was enough to make his heart sink. The flames of anger within him burned ever brighter. He kept telling himself to calm down, but he couldn't control his increasingly rapid breathing and his clenched fists. Zhan Yun felt that he was truly drifting further and further away from the image of "gentle and refined."

Duan Chen lowered his eyes, his voice still cold: "I'm fine."

"We're right next door, why didn't you..." Zhan Yun took a deep breath, swallowed the rest of his question, and sighed softly, "It's our fault, we didn't protect you well. He just passed by me, but I only caught a glimpse of his figure. I couldn't even see his face clearly, nor could I sense his aura. This person's skills should be above mine."

This person appeared and disappeared without a trace. With his skills, he subdued Duan Chen, preventing her from making a sound, and even silently abducted her—it was as easy as turning his hand. For the first time, Zhan Yun knew what it meant to be terrified. If that were really the case… Zhan Yun didn't want to think about it anymore.

Just as he was frowning in self-reproach, he heard Duan Chen say softly, "That person just now was the one I saw behind the 'Jixian Hall' yesterday. He knew we were looking for him."

Zhan Yun frowned even more: "No wonder during the banquet just now, you checked all the guests and they all said it wasn't him; he wasn't even among these 112 people!"

Duan Chen nodded: "That's even stranger. Even if Wanliu Manor is at its worst, they wouldn't be able to leave without noticing someone else. Besides the fact that this person is skilled in martial arts, I suspect..."

Just then, there was another knock on the door, this time it was Zhao Ting's voice: "Chen'er, it's me."

Upon hearing this, Duan Chen glanced coldly at Zhan Yun, walked over to open the door, and his first words were: "I've already said, don't call me that when there are no outsiders around."

Zhao Ting's thin lips curved slightly, but his pupils suddenly contracted when he saw Duan Chen's disheveled hair and Zhan Yun still standing by the bed. Duan Chen, seeing his gaze, suddenly realized his disheveled appearance. Without caring about anything else, he quickly turned around, walked to the bedside, rummaged through his bundle for the jewelry box, took out a hairpin at random, and quickly tied his hair up.

Walking to the round table, Zhao Ting narrowed his eyes upon seeing the small covered bowls and a few side dishes. He then looked up at Zhan Yun, who was slowly walking towards him. This guy really knows how to seize every opportunity to be so attentive! Stepping aside, Zhao Ting frowned, lowered his head, moved his right foot, bent down to pick up a nut nail, and looked at the person standing opposite him with a questioning gaze.

Zhan Yun pulled a folding fan from his sleeve, tapped one palm, and said with a serious expression: "The person we've been looking for all night has just delivered himself to our door."

Zhao Ting raised an eyebrow, looked at the hidden weapon in his hand, and then looked at Duan Chen: "He came here?"

Duan Chen nodded slightly, walked to the table, sat down, moved the tray closer to himself, and thanked Zhan Yun softly. Zhan Yun's voice was slightly cold: "Zhao Ting, that person's skill should be above yours and mine. If it were a one-on-one fight, I wouldn't be confident of victory. Chen'er was in a very dangerous situation just now; it was our oversight."

During the banquet, Duan Chen walked up and down the entire pavilion, looking at all the guests, but he couldn't find the person he had encountered under the big willow tree yesterday noon. Returning to his room on an empty stomach, just as he was about to think about his next move, he sensed something was amiss. The moment the person spoke, Duan Chen knew trouble was brewing.

"What did he say when he approached you?" Connecting the dots, and seeing that even the usually gentle Zhan Yun had a grim expression and sharp eyes, Zhao Ting quickly understood what Zhan Yun meant. The two stared at each other for a moment, then Zhao Ting suppressed his temper and asked in a deep voice.

Duan Chen swallowed a mouthful of porridge, his voice lower than usual: "I didn't get any information." After hesitating for a while, Duan Chen put down his spoon and looked up at the two of them: "Yesterday, I felt something was off about his voice. Today he wasn't pretending. Although the room was dark, I could tell from his facial features and the way he spoke that he wasn't from the Central Plains."

Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun exchanged a quick glance, their expressions somewhat inscrutable: "Besides this, is there anything else?"

Duan Chen shook his head, quietly finishing the remaining congee, but leaving the dishes of pickles untouched. He raised a hand to wipe his mouth, then looked at the two who had remained silent: "I think this matter is a bit troublesome."