Le paysage est comme une peinture

Chapitre 4

Jiang Zhilin seemed quite satisfied with the situation, his chubby face beaming as he smiled and his chin drooped: "Same old rules, this item starts at 5 taels of silver, the highest bidder wins..."

Before he finished speaking, everyone below the stage looked at each other in disbelief. The ordinary girls in front of him were all priced starting at 50 taels of silver, but Shi Lanni, who was exceptionally beautiful, was priced starting at 5 taels of silver. Clearly, Jiang Zhilin's purpose was not to sell her, but to humiliate this poor girl, thereby humiliating the number one martial arts family, "Love Lotus Manor".

The audience, who had been astonished by Shi Lanni's beauty, were now astonished by her background, and none dared to go on stage to bid. It was well known that although her father, Shi Daming, had disappeared in recent years, his reputation from 20 years ago still lingered. Moreover, the "Love Lotus Manor" was full of skilled fighters, and Shi Lanni's mother, Fang Gege, was the foremost female knight-errant of her time.

Wang Jun stood up again, but before he could speak, a young man with a full head of blond hair went up on stage. The young man was short and stocky, and when he smiled, he revealed a set of big teeth: "To die under the peony flower is to die romantically. This young master offers ten thousand taels..." The young man spoke with a strong Beijing accent and looked arrogant. Before anyone could bargain, he threw several silver notes onto the jade table.

Jiang Zhilin glanced at the man, seemingly quite wary, and immediately said with a fawning smile, "Young Master Zhu, congratulations on winning the beauty's heart..." He was actually preparing to sell the beauty to this man before anyone else could bargain.

A commotion erupted in the audience. This time, Wang Jun and several others jumped onto the stage.

"Wait a minute!" A clear, melodious voice pierced through the noise and rang out distinctly on the stage. He seemed to have descended from the sky, or perhaps he had always been on stage. No one in the audience could tell how this blue-robed youth, who had only spent 3,000 taels of silver to buy the girls in the first round, had gotten onto the stage.

The young man smiled slightly: "Miss Shi's beauty is extraordinary, she is priceless." Then, his gaze swept over Wang Jun and the rest of the group, "Therefore, I would never dare to make a bid that would be presumptuous to such a beauty. What do you all think?"

Jiang Zhilin's expression changed drastically, and his chuckle became somewhat unnatural: "What kind of joke is this Prime Minister making? Young Master Zhu has already offered ten thousand taels..."

Shi Lanni stared blankly at the boy, a hint of gratitude flashing in her weary eyes.

The blond-haired youth surnamed Zhu, who had initially seemed confident of winning, blushed upon seeing the young man's handsome appearance. However, he was still unwilling to give up and couldn't help but let out a strange laugh: "Pretty boy, you want to have all the beauties in the world..."

Before the word "finished" could even leave his lips, he was already off the stage, letting out a strange cry of "Ouch!" and unable to get up for a moment. The crowd paled in shock. This short, stocky man weighed at least 100 pounds, yet the young man had effortlessly tossed him off the stage with a flick of his wrist, and with perfect control. He landed face-first in the mud, emerging completely unharmed. Immediately, several men in plainclothes surrounded him—clearly his bodyguards.

He glared at the boy hatefully, then turned and ran away into the distance.

Jiang Zhilin's face darkened further, and the guards on and off the stage immediately changed formation, their swords drawn.

For a moment, Wang Jun couldn't tell whether the young man was friend or foe, and remained silent. The young man's expression remained unchanged, and he glanced at Shi Lanni with pity: "Jiang Zhilin, I'm taking this girl with me!"

Jiang Zhilin sneered, "My lord, you're quite skilled, but you should at least show me one more trick to truly impress your brother!"

The boy didn't answer. He subtly changed his posture, and the guards on both sides quickly closed in to surround him. But they were already a step too late. The boy had already reached behind Shi Lanni. He quickly slapped her, and the two women who had been holding daggers to Shi Lanni suddenly swayed. The two daggers tilted and were about to fall to the ground when the boy raised his hand, and the daggers flew up and returned steadily to the hands of the two women.

The young man smiled and said, "Sisters, please forgive me." He had already released Shi Lanni from her pressure points and handed her over to Wang Jun, who had caught up quickly.

Under his gentle gaze, the two women, who were originally Jiang Zhilin's strong subordinates, blushed and stood still, showing no intention of pursuing him.

Jiang Zhilin roared, his obese figure leaping into the air, striking the boy with a palm strike. The boy, however, had somehow produced a gleaming longsword. With a flash of light, Jiang Zhilin's right arm suddenly dropped, blood gushing out!

"The young swordsman draws his sword, a drop of blood stains the dust!" Jiang Zhilin's expression changed drastically: "You are the famous Flying Marshal of Phoenix City?"

The young man glanced at him lazily: "If you don't want to lose manpower, you'd better retreat quickly..."

At this moment, Wang Jun had already pulled Shi Lanni out of the encirclement. Looking into the distance, the boy on the stage smiled at him leisurely, his eyes filled with the trust and friendliness that one would show to someone they were meeting for the first time.

"Jiang Zhilin admits his skills are inferior, but knowing he is the Flying General of Fengcheng, he'll have an explanation for his superior's accusations..."

"Please inform your superior that this act of coercing a woman is utterly despicable!"

Perhaps it was his piercing, star-like eyes, or perhaps it was the words "Flying General of Phoenix City" and the renowned Phoenix Army behind him, but Jiang Zhilin dared not say anything more. He let out a whistle and, in the blink of an eye, retreated swiftly with his guards.

The tents had been toppled, and Jiang Zhilin's horses had been removed, leaving only two empty carriages overturned outside the inn. Luo Luo and a group of girls were huddled together in the inn, wondering about their fates. Shi Lanni sat in a chair in the middle, her stubborn expression from the stage completely gone. After this ordeal, she looked exhausted and haggard.

Upon seeing the young man enter, the group of women let out soft cheers. Luo Luo, seeing that he was unharmed, couldn't help but show a look of joy. Shi Lanni glanced at him and lowered her head.

Wang Jun looked at Shi Lanni anxiously, seemingly wanting to say a few words of comfort, but unsure how to begin. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said, "Sister Shi, your parents are waiting for you."

Shi Lanni kept her head down with a mournful expression, remaining silent.

The young man looked at her with pity and said softly, "Lan Ni, it's all over now. Go home and rest for a while. Just think of it as being frightened by a mad dog. Everything will be alright."

Shi Lanni glanced at him gratefully and nodded.

Wang Jun breathed a sigh of relief, clasped his hands in thanks to the young man, and said, "Thank you, General Fengcheng, for your righteous assistance. Wang Jun and Ailian Manor are extremely grateful."

The young man clasped his hands in return, saying, "Brother Wang, you're too kind."

The Wang family and "Love Lotus Manor" are old friends. A few months ago, Shi Lanni, the eldest daughter of "Love Lotus Manor," disappeared without a trace. Her father, Shi Daming, the leader of the martial arts alliance, was in seclusion and did not concern himself with worldly affairs. Therefore, Wang Jun was entrusted by her mother to secretly search for her. After many hardships, he finally rescued her today.

Seeing that it was getting late, the young man said, "Brother Wang, you should take Lan Ni back first. Others will come to meet me soon."

Seeing that he had already given three signals, Wang Jun nodded and said, "I hope we will meet again someday."

The boy cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, saying, "Until we meet again."

After the two had gone, the boy turned back to look at the group of girls, with Luo Luo still standing calmly at the front. The boy smiled and said, "Luo Luo, tell me your hometown address, and I'll send someone to take you back."

The women looked at each other, unsure of what to say. It was Luo Luo who spoke first: "Young master, Luo Luo and her family were exiled to the north. Her mother, unable to bear the humiliation, has already passed away. Luo Luo was sold by her master and is now homeless. If you do not mind, young master, Luo Luo is willing to be your slave and serve you for life..." As if afraid that the young man would refuse, Luo Luo knelt down.

Before her legs even touched the ground, she was lifted up by a gentle force: "Sister, you must never kneel down to anyone casually in the future."

Luo Luo stared at him blankly, tears finally streaming down her face.

The boy nodded: "Lolo, you'll be following me from now on."

"Young master, I am also willing to stay," a timid voice said softly. The young man looked in the direction of the voice and saw a short woman looking at him nervously.

Apart from the four abducted girls, none of the other girls wanted to go home. Some of these women were originally orphans with no relatives, some had the same experience as Lolo, and some had been sold by their gambling husbands or fathers, for returning home might mean an even more terrible fate.

The young man pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Those who wish to go home, I will send someone to escort you home; those who do not wish to go home can go to Phoenix Village, where there are vast tea gardens. If you wish, you can make a living by picking tea."

The girls seemed quite satisfied with the arrangement and cheered in unison. They probably hadn't expected that after all the twists and turns, they would still have the opportunity to live independently.

A moment later, two carriages approached. A young girl in a lake-green dress jumped off the horse, followed by two men.

"Husband, we saw your signal and came immediately." The woman said with a smile, looking at the group of women in a friendly manner.

The boy smiled and said, "Manqing, thank you for your hard work."

He then looked at the two men who were standing silently waiting for orders: "Lu Ling, Bai Ruhui, you two help Manqing take these sisters back to the village and settle them in properly."

"Yes, Chieftain." The two men respectfully accepted the order.

All the women boarded the carriage, and Manqing suddenly led one of the very clean, lean horses she had brought. "Young master, this horse is called Xiao Shuai. I found it by chance this time. You'll look very, very handsome riding it..."

Little Shuai seemed to hear himself being praised, and raised his head and let out a proud neigh.

The boy laughed. He realized that this spotless, skinny horse was not only a rare and excellent steed, but also very interesting.

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Chapter 6: The Sixth Chapter

Last night's light rain couldn't stop the last rays of autumn sunshine, and the morning air had a damp, fishy, and stuffy smell. On both sides of the road, the leaves of the poplar trees, green and yellow in the autumn sunlight, shielded passersby.

A young man in a blue robe rode a thin horse at breakneck speed along the official road. The young man seemed to cherish the horse, always raising the whip high but never letting it fall.

Suddenly, the horse reared up and neighed. The boy gripped the reins tightly. A series of loud hoofbeats followed, and dust billowed up, almost obscuring his eyes.

Eight fast horses stopped a short distance away. The one at the front was none other than the blond-haired youth from the auction. The blond-haired youth gave the boy opposite him a vicious look, seemingly quite wary. But when he glanced at the man behind him, he immediately became arrogant and haughty, as if this man were a great backer of his.

The man was about twenty years old, with red lips and white teeth. He was handsome and dashing, yet also strong and powerful. His long silk robe with a snow-white collar was spotless under the sky, as if any dust that touched him would automatically be brushed off.

He reined in his horse, arrogantly sizing up the blue-robed youth opposite him. His eyes darted around a few times, and he scrutinized the young man from head to toe again before laughing: "Zhu Gang, is this the one who ruined your plans and stole your beauty?"

Zhu Gang said fiercely, "Second brother, it's this kid. You have to teach him a lesson today and avenge me. Make sure he hands over the person."

The man in white nodded, then scrutinized the young man several times. The young man in blue met his gaze and smiled, "What a coincidence, Zhu Yu!"

The man in white was Zhu Yu, the second son of the Prime Minister's household. The blond-haired boy, Zhu Gang, was his younger brother, born to the Prime Minister's last concubine.

That casual smile caused Zhu Yu's previously arrogant gaze to flicker. The morning sunlight slanted through the branches of the poplar trees, tinging the boy's fair face with a faint rosy hue, his eyes sparkling, and a gentle smile playing on his lips. He had always considered himself dashing and unparalleled in the world, but the indescribable air of the boy in the ordinary blue shirt opposite him had actually given him a jolt.

"Second brother..."

Zhu Yu suddenly came to his senses and laughed heartily: "Now that we've met, I would be ashamed to fail my old friend if I didn't learn from him."

This man had clearly come seeking revenge at his brother's instigation, yet he was now acting as if it were a chance encounter. The young man couldn't help but smile, shake his head, and had no intention of fighting him. He raised his whip, and his horse galloped away.

"Second Brother, stop this brat!"

Zhu Gang shouted, and Zhu Yu spurred his horse forward, laughing loudly: "Junyu, it's been many years since we last met. Today we shall settle this once and for all."

The blue-robed youth was none other than Junyu in her adulthood. She wanted to ride away but had no way to avoid it. At this moment, Zhu Yu attacked with a palm strike.

Junyu dodged to the side and leaped off her horse. Zhu Yu also dismounted and launched another attack. Junyu was secretly alarmed; Zhu Yu was worlds apart from her brother, who was like a festering sore. At that moment, a palm strike swept past, followed by another fierce attack aimed straight at her face. A heavy internal force pressed in, and Junyu, unable to dodge in time, met it with both palms. Zhu Yu, without withdrawing his attack, actually clashed with her internal force from the very first exchange.

Jun Yu's heart skipped a beat. It was too late to withdraw his attack now. His skills were evenly matched with Zhu Yu's, and there were still a group of warriors watching him from all sides.

Sure enough, Zhu Gang and his group of warriors immediately dismounted and walked over triumphantly: "You brat, this day next year will be your death anniversary..."

Junyu had no time to spare. She gathered her strength, trying to forcefully stop, but Zhu Gang had already struck her in the back with his palm. Junyu immediately released her grip, spitting a mouthful of blood onto Zhu Yu's white clothes.

Zhu Gang struck out with his palm again, but Zhu Yu shouted and stopped him. Jun Yu's face turned pale. He leaped onto his horse, forced a smile, and said, "Thank you for the favor." With a flick of his whip, the yellow horse sped away.

"Second Brother..." Zhu Gang was about to give chase when Zhu Yu looked at the shocking bloodstain on his clothes and glared at him fiercely: "Who told you to make a move? Mind your own business!"

Zhu Gang was filled with resentment but dared not disobey. Zhu Yu stood silently for a moment, then suddenly let out a long roar, "Junyu, our contest has only just begun..."

Junyu let out a long howl in response, and soon his figure disappeared ahead.

Zhu Gang watched Jun Yu's retreating figure with hatred, and shouted, "Second Brother, that kid is too powerful! We let him get away like that. I'm afraid we'll never have another chance to kill him. And that beauty is nowhere to be found either..."

Seeing that he kept talking about that beautiful woman, Zhu Yu sneered, "The beautiful woman in your eyes may not be that beautiful."

"If you don't believe me, ask Uncle Zhu. Uncle Zhu saw it all."

Zhu Yu's gaze immediately fell on the middle-aged guard who was leading the group. The middle-aged guard was named Zhu Sihuai, one of the prime minister's retainers. He was highly skilled in martial arts and deeply trusted by the prime minister.

"Reporting to the Second Young Master, that woman is extremely beautiful, and seems to have a special status."

The taciturn and composed Zhu Sihuai uttered the words "extremely beautiful," and Zhu Yu immediately became interested: "Oh, and his identity is special? Let's go take a look."

The sun had already dipped low behind the treetops, and the surrounding air was beginning to cool. Junyu lay on her horse's back, unaware of how far she had galloped. She hadn't expected that the first "old acquaintance" she would encounter in all these years would be Zhu Yu. Moreover, Zhu Yu hadn't changed at all from his childhood competitive spirit; upon meeting her, he immediately challenged her to a contest of internal strength, determined to determine who was superior. Fortunately, Zhu Gang's martial arts were too weak, but even so, the blow still seriously injured her.

Xiao Shuai was casually munching on some withered wild grass by the roadside when Jun Yu felt a sharp pain in her chest. She slowly sat down next to a withered tree, took out a small medicine bottle, and swallowed a few Qi-restoring pills.

Junyu stood up, and Xiaoshuai neighed, its front hooves automatically kneeling down. Junyu patted its neck and laughed, "Don't do that, okay? I'm not so badly injured that I can't move, am I?"

Ahead was an abandoned, dilapidated temple, originally far from the main road, its desolation exuding a sinister aura. However, at this moment, it had become incredibly lively due to the sounds of fighting.

Outside the dilapidated temple, a carriage was parked. Two men, one wielding a sword and the other a knife, were fighting against dozens of black-clad warriors in tight-fitting clothes, seemingly trying to protect the carriage at all costs.

Junyu looked over and saw that the man with the knife was Wang Jun, who had escorted Shi Lanni home last night, while the man with the sword had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, was tall and broad-shouldered, and had a very familiar face.

As dusk deepened, the black-clad warriors suddenly launched a fierce attack. One of them swung a blade at Wang Jun's back. Wang Jun couldn't turn in time, and the swordsman rushed to his aid. Instantly, several sharp blades attacked his vulnerable side, and a waist knife was about to pierce his back when a panicked cry came from inside the carriage: "Brother, be careful..."

It was Shi Lanni's voice.

The waist knife had already slashed through the man's clothes. With a flash of cold light, the two sharp swords joined together, and suddenly two faint lights, one red and one yellow, appeared in the sky. Several warriors immediately fell to the ground.

"Flying General of Phoenix City..."

Wang Jun and Shi Lanni exclaimed in surprise and joy at the same time. The man with the sword stared at the boy standing beside him in the setting sun, overjoyed, his voice trembling slightly: "Junyu, it's you?!"