"Yu Huan, you're really good. You look like you were born to be a servant. My choice was definitely the right one." Pink Butterfly gently patted Rui Yu Huan's face, as if to praise her, but to Rui Yu Huan, it was a complete humiliation.
Pink Butterfly stood up, unable to hide the smile on her face. She let out a long sigh. She was by no means a kind and magnanimous person. When she was sent by the envoy to serve and protect Rui Yuhuan, she was already dissatisfied. Rui Yuhuan always bossed her around. She had been holding a grudge for a long time. She never expected that the tables would turn and now it was her turn.
Haha, good, very good, excellent. Now that the luck has turned in her favor, how can she not make good use of her privileges?
Pink Butterfly laughed and left. Rui Yuhuan knelt on the ground, her fair fists clenched into angry fists. Soon, red blood seeped from her palms. She pressed her fists tightly to the ground, her angry face contorted. "Pink Butterfly, I will never let you go. You just wait and see."
The rumors circulating in the capital about Lady Ning and Rui Yuhuan did not subside after Lady Huang and Lady Shang visited the General's Mansion; on the contrary, the rumors seemed to be spiraling out of control.
At this moment, in a rugged mountain forest with dense bushes and shrubs, things were not peaceful. Ouyang Yue, Dong Xue, and Chun Cao stood back to back, facing a group of people dressed in messy patched clothes, holding wooden sticks and iron rods, ranging in age from the old to the weak children and middle-aged women, but all with angry expressions.
A burly man with a red face, dressed in a thin layer of clothing, stepped out from the crowd. His eyes burned with anger like fire. He held an iron cauldron and slammed it heavily on the ground with a "clang," shouting, "Who are you people? How dare you trespass on Red Maple Mountain? What are your intentions?"
"Dashan, why are you wasting your breath talking to them? These people must have been sent by those damned officials. Just tie them up and kill them." A short man with a cold face stepped out from the crowd, his eyes sharp as he looked at Ouyang Yue and the other two.
"You were sent by that corrupt official again!" the red-faced man named Dashan shouted angrily, banging the pot on the ground. "That corrupt official still won't let us go! Fine, tie them up and execute them on the spot!" Dashan suddenly shouted, and the people around immediately moved towards Ouyang Yue and the other two, their sticks ready to strike them.
Ouyang Yue frowned. After leaving the capital, to avoid unnecessary trouble or being caught, she deliberately took mountain paths. Who knew that as soon as they crossed the mountain today, they were suddenly surrounded by these people. Before they even knew the details, these people were already trying to kill them. Ouyang Yue's eyes turned cold. Suddenly, she raised her leg and swept it, and the three people rushing towards her were immediately knocked to the ground. Upon seeing this, Dong Xue immediately drew her sword and attacked.
Seeing that the three Ouyangs dared to harm someone, Da Shan's eyes widened and he shouted, "Don't hold back, attack!" With that, he charged forward, wielding his iron cauldron, and brought it down heavily on Ouyang Yue's head. Ouyang Yue was startled and immediately turned to dodge. Da Shan possessed a fierce strength; his moves weren't particularly flashy, but every strike was deadly. The whistling wind whistled past her ears, making Ouyang Yue somewhat apprehensive. Fortunately, her training in her previous life had been fraught with danger, so she wasn't afraid. Her heart sank slightly, and she moved with lightning speed, striking Da Shan's vital areas on his chest with incredible speed. Seeing this, Da Shan immediately retreated to dodge, cold sweat dripping from his face.
This woman's technique is incredibly fast; she's definitely a trained fighter. I didn't expect that corrupt official to be so ruthless. Da Shan's face darkened, and he swung the iron cauldron heavily, drawing a white streak in the air before striking Ouyang Yue's face with a cunning move. Ouyang Yue blocked with both arms and swiftly swept her foot to kick Da Shan's side leg. "Bang!" Da Shan's forehead twitched in pain, and then his chest sank as Ouyang Yue coldly stepped on him, shouting, "Stop it, or his head will be on the chopping block!"
At this moment, Dongxue was entangled in a fight with two men and a woman. The three of them suddenly stopped, and the scene fell into silence. Then, the group suddenly shouted, "Release Dashan! Release Dashan!"
"Dashan, are you alright?"
"Uncle Dashan, waaaaah Uncle Dashan, you are bad people, bad women, waaaaah."
“Poor child, please release Dashan, please release him, cough cough.”
The group was making a huge fuss, with men, women, and children all looking sad and angry. The noise was giving Ouyang Yue a headache. Even Dongxue was stunned for a moment and came over to Ouyang Yue in a low voice: "Miss, I found out during the fight that they have not received traditional martial arts training. They are all half-baked and will never amount to anything."
Ouyang Yue nodded. She had just noticed that Da Shan was the best in the group, but he only relied on his strength and agility and had no martial arts routines. After exchanging two moves with him, she could predict his next move. Moreover, the group included men, women, young and old, and they did not seem like vicious criminals. They should be ordinary people, but ordinary people would become furious and start fighting when they saw them.
Seeing that Ouyang Yue and the other two had fallen silent and hadn't shown any particular anger or rage in killing Dashan, the group was taken aback. A rather elderly man from the crowd walked over tremblingly: "These three... ladies? Who are you? Why did you trespass on my Red Maple Mountain? Were you sent by the corrupt officials down the mountain?"
Ouyang Yue looked at the old man and saw that his face looked very old, but his expression was not fierce. She said, "Please forgive me, old man. My two sisters and I were just passing by by mistake. We had no ill intentions towards you. It was just a misunderstanding."
"Don't listen to her nonsense. If they were in a hurry, why didn't they take the main road? You know, these mountain roads are much more difficult to travel. The fact that they would happen to wander into our Red Maple Mountain is clearly suspicious. This must be a wicked scheme devised by that corrupt official. We must not believe their lies." The gloomy-faced man shouted, and those who had calmed down after hearing Ouyang Yue's words became restless.
“That’s right, it must be that corrupt official’s scheme. He used to send strong men, and we were on guard. Now he’s sending three women and he thinks he can make us lower our guard? Does he really think we’re so easy to fool? Quickly tie them up and interrogate them.” Someone in the crowd immediately chimed in.
"Yes, yes, they're up to no good. Arrest them quickly."
"Ugh..." Ouyang Yue twisted her foot, and the mountain that was stepped on immediately whimpered in pain. Those people immediately shut up when they heard this, but their eyes were full of anger as they stared at Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue was also in a bad mood. She had chosen this mountain path to avoid trouble, but who would have thought she would encounter obstacles here? Moreover, seeing these people arguing back and forth, it was really difficult to resolve the problem: "Whether you believe it or not is up to you. As long as my sisters and I get through this mountain safely, I will guarantee his safety. Now, all of you, get out of the way."
Seeing this, Da Shan cried out, "We can't let them leave! They were sent by corrupt officials. If they leave like this, there must be some conspiracy. Cough cough, I'm fine. Let her kill them. We can't let her go. Cough cough cough..." Da Shan endured the pain in his chest, his face turning even redder, but he stared at Ouyang Yue with wide, defiant eyes.
Looking at his resolute expression, Ouyang Yue's lips suddenly curled up: "And who is this corrupt official you're talking about? If possible, I might be able to help you."
"Cough cough, you're trying to fool us with sweet talk again, but we won't fall for it, cough cough cough!" Da Shan shouted even more angrily.
Ouyang Yue said "Oh": "It seems you've been fooled by sweet talk before. How were you fooled? By using a honey trap?"
Da Shan blushed, his lips pressed tightly together, and he remained silent, but his eyes were blazing with fury that could frighten away the timid, except for Ouyang Yue: "Dong Xue, mention this person and go into the mountains with them."
"Miss, let's hurry on our way. These people are so scary. Will we be in danger if we go into the mountains?" Chuncao hugged her bundle tightly and took small steps closer to Ouyang Yue, asking with great concern.
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "I could fight my way through Dongxue, but that would be too exhausting. Climbing the mountain in our current state would be even more dangerous. Besides, we've injured so many people here, they certainly won't let it go. They don't have any martial arts skills and aren't a threat, but they've lived in this mountain and know it well. They'd be more likely to set traps for us. If we leave like this, it will only be more dangerous than it is now."
Upon hearing this, Chuncao immediately shut up, because she also felt that what Ouyang Yue said was absolutely right. Just now, Dongxue only used the back of the sword, which hurt these people but did not injure them. Now, she grabbed Dashan by the back of the neck, pointed the sharp blade at Dashan's throat, and shouted, "Lead the way. If you try anything funny, this person will be splattered with blood on the spot!"
Dongxue's expression was cold, and her words lacked warmth, which startled the crowd. The old man in the crowd who kept coughing thought for a moment and said, "Alright, come with me. Do not harm the mountain, or we will fight you to the death."
Ouyang Yue and her two companions traversed the mountains, traveling along the lower to middle sections. These people led them uphill, using several hidden but safe paths. Chuncao watched with alarm, thinking, "As expected of Miss, she's incredibly resourceful. These paths are impossible for travelers like us to discover. If we had injured these people earlier and rushed on our way, they might have used other paths on the mountain. Not only would we have truly become enemies, but they would also have blocked our path, and we might even have lost our lives in these mountains."
After crossing a small hill, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a mountain with a semi-concave shape. Beyond this mountain lay a large open space, below which stretched a lush, green forest dotted with wildflowers. A narrow path led to a small, circular village, with wooden houses built on all four sides. Inside the village was another large open space, and they couldn't see what was inside. Ouyang Yue was somewhat moved, never expecting such a small village to exist in the mountains; it felt like a secluded paradise.
As Ouyang Yue and her two companions carried Dashan along, many villagers rushed out, their faces filled with anger. They surrounded the three women, and if it weren't for the fact that they still had a hostage, they would probably have been crushed to death by these people.
Ouyang Yue, however, didn't seem to care. Instead, she leisurely observed the scenery. She noticed two large patches of bright red forest on either side of the green woods below the mountain. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be two groves of red maple trees. It seemed that this was where the name "Red Maple Mountain" came from. Following the path into the village, the entrance was immediately blocked by the villagers, and Ouyang Yue and her companions were now completely trapped inside.
Chuncao nervously wrapped her bundle, while Dongxue gripped her sword even tighter, bringing the blade closer to Dashan's throat. They were tense; could Dashan really remain unfazed with his sword in front of them? Sweat beaded on their foreheads from their nervousness. Ouyang Yue, on the other hand, remained calm, smiling as she gazed at the village.
Most of the houses in the capital are mud-brick houses, but the ones here are all built of trees and bamboo, making them an ideal place to escape the summer heat. Ouyang Yue looked around with a slight smile, which made the villagers angry and nervous: "She really has ill intentions."
"That's right, judging from her greedy look, she must have been sent by a corrupt official."
"How hateful! These despicable people dare to hold us hostage and threaten us. We must not let them get away with this."
"Yes, we must kill them! We must kill them!"
"Stop!" A strong voice suddenly rang out, and all the villagers immediately fell silent and looked forward. They saw an old man in a gray cloth robe, with a white beard but a ruddy complexion, walking out of the main gate of the village, which was also the largest house in the village. He held a finely crafted cane and stood on the steps, looking at Ouyang Yue and the other two: "Who are you? Why are you holding Dashan hostage? What is your purpose in entering Red Maple Mountain? If you don't tell us, I'm afraid the people here won't let you leave. It's better to tell us honestly." The old man did not act overly humble because Ouyang Yue and the others were hostages; he had his own imposing manner.
Ouyang Yue slightly shifted her eyes, surprised to find such an old man in these wild mountains. It seemed she couldn't underestimate the villagers. She clasped her hands in greeting and replied, "Please forgive us, sir. We are from the capital and are on our way to Baiyun Temple to see Daoist Liuyun. We entered Hongfeng Mountain for no particular reason other than to make our journey easier. As for why we didn't take the main road, I think you understand. Everyone has their inconveniences, and we thought that although there were some dangers in the mountains, it would save us some trouble. We didn't expect to be surrounded by your villagers as soon as we passed through the mountains. In order to protect ourselves, we had no choice but to use some force. We took this mountain hero hostage because we didn't want to hurt any more villagers. This way, we can have a friendly conversation."
The white-bearded old man gazed at Ouyang Yue with deep, unfathomable eyes. The capital, being the capital city, was naturally a place teeming with powerful figures, but it was rare to find such a young girl who remained composed and articulate despite being surrounded by so many people. Ouyang Yue, though dressed in grey clothes of less-than-the finest material, possessed a fair complexion, her hair neatly combed high, her features delicate yet undeniably beautiful. Though slender, she stood ramrod straight, and a ray of sunlight gently shone upon her, exuding an indescribable noble elegance. This young woman was clearly not raised in an ordinary family.
The white-bearded old man stroked his long beard, his eyes sweeping over Dongxue and Chuncao. The one carrying the bundle seemed like a normal person, but the woman with the sword had a cold expression and murderous intent in her eyes; she seemed to be a trained fighter. Who were these people? Had they really gotten themselves into big trouble? The white-bearded old man wondered to himself, then said, "If that's the case, then it's all a misunderstanding. The three young ladies should go into the council hall to discuss this further."
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "You're too kind, sir. We meant no harm, so we should sit down and talk things over to resolve the misunderstanding. Please."
"Please!" The white-bearded old man's eyes lingered on Ouyang Yue, and he also made a gesture of invitation.
The two entered a large house on the right side of the village. The other villagers were a little stunned. Why was the village chief being so polite to these three? The village chief wasn't someone who trusted people so easily, was he? Everyone rushed in with doubts. Soon, the council hall was crowded with people. The white-bearded old man naturally sat in the main seat. Ouyang Yue sat to the lower left. Dong Xue stood to one side, holding a sword and holding Da Shan. Chun Cao stood on the other side. The other seats were filled with villagers. The hall immediately exuded a heavy atmosphere.
The white-bearded old man laughed and said, "Since it's a misunderstanding, why don't you release Dashan for now, young lady? This child is just a bit impulsive, but he's not a bad person. You're probably scaring him by acting like this. Wouldn't it be better if we talked it out peacefully?"
Ouyang Yue also laughed and said, "Old man, you should be the village chief of this village, and probably the most influential person here. To be honest, I do have the idea of negotiating with everyone, but I'm a timid woman. For us to negotiate, we need something that makes each other wary. If I release this brother Dashan, and your villagers surround us and tie us up, we won't even be able to cry. Old village chief, you're a wise man, you should understand our difficulties. We have no other choice. But everyone can rest assured, I will never easily harm brother Dashan."
The village chief looked at Ouyang Yue, who was indeed a very eloquent woman, and said, "But the fact that you are holding Dashan hostage makes it impossible for us to believe that you are not acting with malice."
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly and said, "Village Chief, I'm afraid you're wrong about one thing. First, when we entered the mountains, it was your villagers who attacked us without any explanation. We only fought back to protect ourselves and took Dashan hostage to avoid unnecessary fighting. Apart from the bruises from what my sisters and I gave you, your villagers didn't have any serious injuries, which shows that our motives were not impure. Second, our demands are very simple: ensure our safe departure, and Dashan will naturally return safely. How would that be detrimental to your village? We can each go our own way, without delaying anyone else, so we're not enemies, are we?"
The village chief stroked his long beard and nodded with a smile: "What this young lady says is quite right. However, you may not know that our village has an enemy outside. This enemy has repeatedly come up with various vicious schemes to harm us villagers. How do we know that you might not be someone they sent? Letting you leave like this would be the greatest threat to our villagers."
Ouyang Yue's smile faded slightly: "Does the village chief mean we can't reach an agreement?"
The village chief shook his head: "Not really, but you have to give us villagers some opportunities to observe you, so we can determine whether you are enemies or not."
Chuncao complained, "How long do we have to observe? It's you for a day, a month, or even a year or ten years. Are we supposed to grow old and die here? Wouldn't that delay our important business?"
Ouyang Yue smiled at the village chief: "As expected of the village chief, you are different from these villagers who charge into battle. You are indeed smart. Do you know that we are from the capital and want to use us to deal with the corrupt officials you mentioned?"
The village chief was completely stunned, staring at Ouyang Yue in disbelief. After a long while, he sighed and said, "This young lady's intelligence is indeed extraordinary. In such a short conversation, you have already pinpointed my thoughts. You are right, I do have this purpose."
Ouyang Yue gave an "Oh," her eyes sweeping over the villagers crammed into the hall. Seeing their tattered clothes, almost none of them had a single decent garment. Even the white-bearded village chief had a barely noticeable patch under his robe. One could imagine the hardship these villagers endured. Ouyang Yue slightly curled her lips: "The village chief is indeed the village chief; his heart is far more cunning than the others. Seeing how hard these villagers are living, I wouldn't mind helping you if I could. But the village chief hasn't been honest with me and even tried to take advantage of us, disregarding the lives of the three sisters. This is unacceptable. Anyone would feel uncomfortable in this situation. How can I help him?"
The village chief paused slightly, seemingly deep in thought, before saying, "To tell you the truth, our village used to live peacefully and prosperously in these mountains, far from the outside world. But over a decade ago, we rescued a man who had become separated from his servant, and disaster struck. Our villagers are very simple and kind, and we took great care of him. He was very grateful and treated us like family, gradually learning some of the village's secrets. Later, he claimed he had family outside and, fearing they would worry, took his leave. Not long after, he sent us some gifts as a token of his gratitude. We became more familiar with each other, but little did we know he harbored malicious intentions and had his eye on the village's treasure..." One night, a villain attempted to raid the village under cover of darkness, trying to steal their treasures. Fortunately, a family who had just returned from hunting noticed the anomaly and immediately alerted the village. We fought back fiercely and escaped disaster, but the village suffered heavy losses. Since then, this villain has repeatedly tried various methods to wipe out the village. However, the village is located in the mountains, making attacks difficult. So, although the village has suffered damage and everyone has lived a hard life over the years, that villain has never been able to subdue us. This is why the villagers were so agitated when they saw you; they thought you were sent by that villain to plot against them, and naturally wanted to subdue you first, which led to the misunderstanding.”
“Village chief, why are you telling them these things? They are obviously sent by that corrupt official. They are stalling for time and may already be planning some wicked scheme.”
"Yes, village chief, we can't let them get away with this."
"Yes, yes, let's subdue them first, then make plans!" The villagers started discussing among themselves, but the village chief waved his hand and they stopped talking.
Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at the people who had spoken, and then looked at the village chief: "What's the name of this corrupt official in the village? Where is he from? What rank is he?"
"That corrupt official is called a corrupt official."
"Yes, his name is Red Scoundrel, very scum and dog, that's what Grandpa said." Suddenly, a little boy biting his finger chimed in. Ouyang Yue couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. Just then, a round and cute little boy with eyes as clear as glass suddenly popped out from beside the white-bearded old man. As soon as he finished speaking, he made the village chief blush. He coughed lightly and said, "Xiao Chao, don't talk nonsense."
The little boy named Xiao Chao blinked, looking at the village chief with a puzzled expression: "Did Grandpa say that? That red scoundrel is really mean and evil. Sister, do you really have a way to help us defeat him?" Xiao Chao tilted his head, looking expectant, and his body flashed over. Ouyang Yue noticed that the little boy was only wearing a very thin piece of clothing with patches on his legs and arms. Even the village chief's grandson was living such a miserable life in this village, without even a new piece of clothing. He was indeed being persecuted.
Ouyang Yue's eyes flickered slightly as she smiled at Xiao Chao: "It's not that I don't want to help, it's just that my abilities are limited. Besides, I have no relation to you, so why should I help you?"
Xiao Chao came running over, his big eyes looking at Ouyang Yue: "Then can't I recognize you as my sister? That way we'll be relatives, and you'll have a way to help us, right?" Xiao Chao's face was innocent and pure, but he was very clever. Ouyang Yue's lips curled up slightly as she looked at the village chief with a smile.
The village chief stroked his long beard, pondering carefully: "If you, young lady, have no ill intentions towards our village and can help us solve this big problem, then of course it is possible."
“Village chief, this won’t do. This person’s background is unknown. What if he becomes another corrupt official?”
"Yes, village chief, I disagree. What if they were sent by corrupt officials to trust us so easily?"
"Yes, we can't trust them like that. It will only bring us disaster. Village chief, you should think twice."
Ouyang Yue pinched Xiao Chao's thin cheek and said, "Then let's deal with that scoundrel first, and then you can decide. But if you don't trust me now, what I want later will be more than just a smooth journey."
"See, she definitely had other motives."
"That's right, they definitely have ill intentions."
Ouyang Yue laughed, "You're right. I'll get rid of Red Dog for you. What I want is your whole village. You'll all be under my control, but in return, I'll make sure you live a better life. I'll provide you with food and drink, and let you live a peaceful and prosperous life. The children can study like the sons of wealthy families, and the women can be good wives and mothers and learn skills like needlework. The young men can learn martial arts and other skills. Even if there's another Red Dog, you won't be at a disadvantage. The premise is that you have to obey my orders."
The villagers, who were about to berate Ouyang Yue, suddenly changed their expressions. Some of them were still staring blankly with their mouths slightly open when Xiao Chao blinked her big eyes and suddenly asked, "Sister, can you...can you really let Xiao Chao study like the children in the city?"
"Of course, I never lie, and I always do what I say."
"Can you really teach me a skill that women possess?" a young woman asked.
"no sooner said than done."
Standing to the side, Da Shan couldn't help but ask, "Um... I can also learn martial arts. If I'm no longer afraid of corrupt officials, can I defeat you?"
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly, while Dongxue tightened her grip on her sword: "If you want to defeat Miss, you're a hundred years too early. Even if you learn martial arts, you'll only lose. If you dare to harbor any ill intentions, I'll kill you right now."
Da Shan stared intently at Ouyang Yue, who said, "Well, that depends on your own comprehension and talent. The few moves you showed off before only show that you have some strength. But when it comes to learning martial arts, you'll have a lot of hardship to endure."
"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid. As long as I can learn the skills to take revenge, I'm willing to endure any hardship." A tear glistened in Da Shan's eyes. He seemed to be thinking of something, and his anger intensified. He clenched his fists tightly, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged. Although Ouyang Yue was curious, now was not the time to ask.
"Village chief, how is it...?"
"Bah! You've given us such a grand promise, but you're just trying to gain our trust. How can you guarantee things will go as you say? Besides, what ability do you, a mere woman, have to avenge us and deal with that corrupt official? Trying to sweet-talk us? We won't fall for it." A man with a cold face stepped out from the crowd, his eyes gleaming with icy intent as he looked at Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes at him. From the very beginning, this man had been extremely unfriendly to her; every time she managed to gain control of the villagers' psychology, he would jump in and pour cold water on their hopes.
Sure enough, as soon as the man finished speaking, the villagers started talking amongst themselves.
"Yes, you're just talking nonsense and can't guarantee anything. How can we believe you? Could you be a liar sent by a corrupt official? What evidence do you have to prove your innocence?"
"That's right, we don't want to let the tiger return to the mountain. Who exactly are you?"
Ouyang Yue gazed calmly at the man with the cold expression and said, "The villagers are going to great lengths to make a living and take revenge on this corrupt official, yet you keep pouring cold water on their efforts." Ouyang Yue stood up and walked towards the man with the dark expression, saying, "Given a glimmer of hope, normal people would be happy to cooperate. What is the meaning of your repeated denials of me? You suspect I am working for this corrupt official, and I can just as easily suspect you of being a traitor."
"You're talking nonsense! I have nothing but hatred for that corrupt official, how could I possibly have anything to do with him!" The man with the dark face immediately shouted angrily, his eyes growing even colder as he looked at Ouyang Yue.
Ouyang Yue shrugged: "Oh, maybe I misunderstood you. I just felt that it was abnormal for you to keep denying me when I could help you. You said you can't trust me, so what? Don't forget, you're the ones who are begging me now. It's my good intention to help you, and it's normal for me not to help you. I have no obligation to do so. Besides, if I want to leave, no one can stop me."
Ouyang Yue suddenly turned around, picked up Xiao Chao, and gently wrapped her arms around Xiao Chao's neck. Xiao Chao felt a cool and comfortable sensation on his neck and even squinted his eyes in comfort, which surprised everyone in the hall.
"You dare? Put Xiao Chao down right now."
"Miss, please calm down. Please don't hurt Xiao Chao. We can talk everything over. If you want to leave the mountain, we can let you leave. Please calm down, calm down!" The village chief could no longer remain calm. He stood up abruptly and said urgently, his eyes red.
"Put Xiao Chao down right now, or I'll fight you to the death!"
"Release them! Release them!"