Double Box Record

Chapitre 12

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This is a heavily revised chapter.

Chapter Seven

As night faded, the pale morning light illuminated Yichun's face. This agonizing night was finally over.

Her eyes widened, then suddenly turned, her neck moving, followed by her arms and legs. Finally, she leaped to her feet—the time limit had expired, and she was free again.

She turned around and glared hatefully at the two heartless masters and servants opposite her. They were curled up in the thick blanket, like two caterpillars, fast asleep.

Yichun had no time to argue with them, so he jumped onto his horse and rode away.

The sound of horses' hooves gradually faded away. Little Pumpkin closed her eyes and whispered, "Master, she must have been in a hurry to rescue her companions and didn't even have time to pack her things."

Shu Jun covered his head with a blanket and said in a muffled voice, "Go and search, see if there's any money."

"...You've already made others scapegoats, but now you're trying to covet their money too?"

"She kept the things herself, so it wasn't considered taking them by force."

Little Pumpkin threw off the blanket and roared to the sky, "Why should I follow such a despicable, shameless, treacherous, and cunning master!"

Shu Jun poked his head out from under the thick blanket, his long, flowing black hair and handsome face making him look like a kind and innocent child. He writhed around in the blanket, rolled to the bundle, grabbed it, and said, "Then I'll find it myself."

When the bundle was opened, its contents were scattered all over the floor; it was nothing more than tattered clothes and the like, and there wasn't a single copper coin to be found.

Shu Jun tossed it out dismissively: "You poor wretch!"

"You even steal from poor people!" Little Pumpkin exclaimed indignantly.

Shu Jun crawled out from under the blanket, yawned, and muttered, "It's time to change my subordinates, otherwise they'll really take advantage of me."

Little Pumpkin brought him water to rinse his mouth and wash his face, combing his hair as she babbled on and on: "Master, you can't be so heartless, or you'll be punished by heaven! Look at so-and-so, he broke his left leg the year before last because he stole something. And look at so-and-so, he went blind last year because he framed someone..."

"Have you cursed enough?" Shu Jun glanced back at her, and Little Pumpkin immediately shut up and quickly tidied up her things.

He took two steps forward and said, "Come on, take this horse." He pointed to the horse tied to the tree, which was another mount that Yichun hadn't had time to take with him.

Little Pumpkin roared, "You want to steal someone else's horse?!"

Shu Jun glanced at her again and sighed, "Let's ride this horse to Xiaoyao Gate to watch the fun."

The Xiaoyao Sect is indeed a sect, with the three flamboyant characters "Xiaoyao Sect" written on it and covered in gold powder, as if afraid others wouldn't know how rich it is.

When Yichun kicked open the door, it was full of people, all turning to look at her with different expressions.

With her sharp eyes, she spotted the group of men in white who had kidnapped Yang Shen the night before in the crowd. She immediately drew her sword and shouted, "Hand over the sheep kidneys!"

No one answered her; a suffocating silence fell over the courtyard.

After a while, a middle-aged man in rich clothes with a serious expression, who was in the lead, said in a deep voice: "Who is this young lady? How can you be so rude!"

Yichun said, "You were the ones who were rude first. Last night you sent people to kidnap my junior brother!"

Then someone said with a hint of sarcasm, "I wonder which school you belong to, young lady? You actually need the Xiaoyao Sect to come out and kidnap your junior brother. You must be new to the martial world and have never heard of the Xiaoyao Sect's reputation."

Yichun shook her head: "This has nothing to do with reputation. I only believe what I hear and what I see."

The middle-aged man at the head of the group showed a hint of anger, turned around and clasped his hands in apology to a young man in blue opposite him, saying, "I'm sorry, Young Master Yan, someone from our sect came to provoke us today. Let me resolve this matter first before we can have a heart-to-heart talk."

The young man was tall and handsome, with an imposing presence; he was none other than Young Master Yan, whom he had met earlier at the clinic in Xiande Town. He had gone to Xiaoyao Sect early this morning to discuss important matters, but he hadn't expected to run into this little girl from Jianlan Manor here.

Yi Chun, lacking experience in the martial world, spoke rudely and arrogantly, thus getting herself into big trouble. To avoid trouble, he pretended not to know her, made a casual gesture to the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect, and then retreated into the shadows with his hands behind his back.

The sect leader immediately gave his subordinates a wink, and a group of people quickly surrounded Yichun.

The sect leader said calmly, "May I ask how this young lady is addressed? And who is your master? You insist that the Free and Unfettered Sect abducted your junior brother, but what evidence do you have?"

Yi Chun was too lazy to argue with him. She kicked the two people blocking her way, sending them staggering. The wind whistled behind her as they thrust their swords at her. She flipped forward, her sword whirling like a windmill, and with an incredibly domineering attitude, she broke through the encirclement.

However, these people were not a rabble like bandits. They were all on high alert. Although she was agile, she was still young and could not gain any advantage. Just as she broke through the encirclement, she was stabbed in the shoulder, and the pain made her shudder.

Right now, the only priority is to act quickly and find Yang Shen as soon as possible.

Ignoring the stinging pain in her wound, she leaped up the steps, determined to rush into the inner courtyard. Suddenly, a hand shot out from the shadows, moving with lightning speed, aiming for her face.

Instead of dodging, Yi Chun met him head-on, bending her index finger and flicking it at the man's wrist pulse point, forcing him to change his move midway and grab her arm with his other hand.

The two exchanged more than a dozen moves in an instant. Yi Chun's shoulder was injured, so her movements were not as agile as before. She flicked his hand with her finger, and the pain subsided for a moment. Then she felt a tightness in her pulse point as he held it with his five fingers.

"Why don't you calm down, young lady? Let's talk this out," the man advised gently.

Yi Chun suddenly looked up and was taken aback when she saw his handsome face—strange, he looked familiar. Had she seen this person before?

Young Master Yan originally did not want to get involved, but seeing her fight against the crowd with such fluid movements and beautiful skill, he, who had always loved martial arts, couldn't resist the urge to spar with her and impulsively captured her.

Seeing Yi Chun staring at him suspiciously, he smiled slightly and was about to speak when she suddenly kicked him in the face. An ordinary person with their wrist and pulse point held would not be able to make such a move, but her body was as soft as an eel; it was just a small test.

Young Master Yan had no choice but to let go of her hand. Yi Chun made a feint and rushed into the inner courtyard amidst shouts and curses.

A man wearing a bamboo hat beside him whispered, "Young master, shall I go and capture her?"

Young Master Yan shook his head: "Forget it, with so many people around, she'll suffer."

Yi Chun rushed around the inner courtyard like a headless fly, followed by a group of Xiaoyao Sect members. If he were caught, he would probably lose his life here.

Despite the perilous situation, she felt a thrilling excitement deep within her, and she found herself captivated by the feeling.