Ordre du Lotus Rouge

Chapitre 3

Su Yunjin held the soft sword in his hand and examined it for a while, then laughed proudly: "There are countless people in the martial world who want my Purple Thorn Soft Sword, but to steal it without anyone knowing is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Just as he was about to put the soft sword back into his jade belt, he suddenly heard a soft, delicate voice behind him call out, "Master?" He turned around and immediately felt his mouth go dry and a surge of lust rising in his stomach.

Ranyun had already removed her gauze robe, revealing her fair and jade-like skin. The undulating curves of her chest, encased in a smoky pink bodice, were even more alluring. When she saw him turn around, she blushed and forced a smile at him, stammering, "Mother Xu taught Ranyun some methods, saying that they can... can please you, sir. Would you like to try them, sir?"

Su Yunjin stared at her cherry-red lips as they opened and closed. Seeing her stammering out the usual words of a woman of the night, with a flustered and awkward expression on her face, he couldn't help but feel his heart flutter. He put down his sword, turned around, and said breathlessly, "Alright, let's give it a try."

Ran Yun lowered her head and bit her lip, took his large hand, and led him to sit down on the edge of the bed. She reached out to untie the rope of her bodice, and when she saw Su Yunjin staring straight at her, her face flushed. She said, "Master, please close your eyes first."

Su Yunjin laughed and said, "This was also taught by Mama Xu? This method is quite exciting!" He immediately closed his eyes as instructed, and was just imagining the pleasure he would experience when he suddenly felt a chill on his face. He hurriedly opened his eyes and felt a pain in his chest. He saw that Ran Yun's eyes were fierce and that the Purple Thorn Soft Sword in her hand was already stuck in his chest.

He groaned, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Yun Ran's neck. Just as he was about to use his last bit of strength to twist it, Yun Ran swiftly pulled a golden needle from her hair and flicked it lightly, sending it into his left eye. At the same time, she released the sword hilt and placed her hand on Su Yunjin's lips, silencing his scream.

Xie Feng crept along the top of the corridor to the eaves of Su Yunjin's room, gently bent down, lifted a corner of the tile, and listened intently to what was happening inside.

The expected moans of pleasure did not occur; the room remained silent. Xie Feng frowned slightly, and just as he hesitated, he heard a very faint female voice whisper in his ear: "It's done. Get down."

Xie Feng heard it clearly; it was Yun Ran speaking. He did as instructed, lifted the tile, and leaped into the room. He saw Yun Ran, draped in a light veil, her face serene, standing gracefully before him. Forgetting his surprise, he immediately asked her in a deep voice, "Where is Su Yunjin?"

Yun Ran remained calm, walked to the bedside, and lifted the curtain to reveal Su Yunjin's corpse.

Xie Feng reached out and probed Su Yunjin's neck, then nodded. Seeing that Su Yunjin still had a gold needle stuck in his left eye and a patch of blood on his chest, Xie Feng was shocked and turned to ask, "What weapon did you use to break his Iron Shirt?"

Yun Ran curled her lips into a cold smile: "So you knew he had Iron Shirt protection too."

Xie Feng chuckled awkwardly, then turned his gaze to Su Yunjin's waist and asked, "Where's that gold-inlaid jade belt?"

Yun Ran picked up a bundle from the table and held it in her hand, coldly saying, "Take me to see your boss. We'll exchange money for goods."

Xie Feng turned his head and gazed at her for a moment, his eyes revealing appreciation. He chuckled softly and said, "Okay."

※※※※

In the Zuiyue Tower in the city, in a private room on the second floor, Qi Mo smiled and filled two wine glasses in front of him with ten-year-aged Shaoxing wine, saying, "Seventh Master, please."

The man he called Seventh Master was a middle-aged man with an elegant demeanor. He was around forty years old, dressed in fine clothes, with a calm expression and a hint of tranquility and wisdom between his brows.

The middle-aged man reached for the wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and smiled, saying, "Sect Leader Qi, we have cooperated many times. If you continue to be so polite, I, Luo, will truly feel uneasy."

Qi Mo spoke modestly, but inwardly he was quite impatient: Xie Feng should have arrived long ago, could something have happened along the way?

Just then, Shen Ye walked into the room and whispered, "Boss, Xie Feng is back."

Qi Mo smiled slightly and said, "Then why don't you let him in quickly? Don't you know that Seventh Master and I are waiting for him?"

Shen Ye hesitated, but seeing the sect leader glance at him and seem quite displeased, he dared not say anything more and turned to announce his arrival.

A moment later, the curtain was lifted, and Xie Feng, dressed in a brocade robe, walked into the room. Qi Mo frowned and said, "Is the matter settled? Why did it take so long?"

Xie Feng chuckled and said, "You can't blame me for this. Miss Yun insisted that I accompany her to buy clothes first before coming over."

Qi Mo was taken aback when he heard this. He saw Yun Ran dressed in green, carrying a bundle, following Xie Feng as she walked in.

Her gaze swept indifferently over Seventh Master and stopped on Qi Mo's face, her smile carrying a rather meaningful meaning: "Chief Qi, I have not failed in my mission."

Qi Mo raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at her, asking, "Has Miss Yun already killed Su Yunjin?"

Xie Feng naturally knew that the sect leader was asking him a question, and laughed from the side, "Exactly, it was clean and efficient, and you couldn't tell that it was done by a novice at all."

Qi Mo's eyes remained fixed on Yun Ran's face, a slow smile spreading across his lips as he softly said, "Oh?"

Yun Ran met his gaze and said coldly, "The matter has been settled. As the head of a sect, Chief Qi will surely not go back on his word."

Qi Mo chuckled and said, "Of course."

He reached into his robes, took out a silver note, handed it to Yun Ran, and smiled, "Here is one hundred and twenty taels of gold. Miss Yun, please take a look at that gold-inlaid jade belt..."

Yun Ran took the silver note, glanced at it, nodded, put it into her pocket, placed the bundle on the table, and said calmly, "Chief Qi, please inspect the goods."

Xie Feng stepped forward and untied the bundle. Qi Mo saw that the gold-inlaid jade belt was indeed wrapped inside. He turned to the middle-aged man and smiled, "Please have Seventh Master examine it."

The middle-aged man nodded slightly, stepped forward to take the jade belt, pressed lightly on one side, and then gently moved the gold ornament on the other side to open the mechanism. He looked inside, but his expression changed slightly, and he whispered, "It's empty."

Qi Mo and Xie Feng both changed color and turned to look at Yun Ran. Qi Mo's voice was somewhat cold as he said in a deep voice, "Miss Yun, do you perhaps intend to play some tricks on me?"

Yun Ran remained expressionless, her eyelashes lowered as she said, "Chief Qi, twenty gold coins is naturally the price of this gold-inlaid jade belt. If what you truly desire is the Purple Thorn Soft Sword hidden within, I'm afraid we'll have to renegotiate the price." She smiled slightly, a cunning glint in her eyes, and looked up at Qi Mo: "Could it be that Chief Qi truly intends to exchange a mere twenty gold coins for this divine weapon ranked second on the weapon ranking list?"

Qi Mo blushed slightly, his gaze fixed on Yun Ran with a rather unfathomable expression.

The middle-aged man, who had been silent all along, suddenly smiled and interjected when he heard Yun Ran's words: "Young lady, how much are you willing to ask for before you give up that Purple Thorn Soft Sword?"

Yun Ran said calmly, "Ten thousand gold coins."

Xie Feng had just taken a sip of tea when he heard this and spat it out with a "pfft." He looked at Yun Ran and chuckled, "Ten thousand gold? You've got quite the appetite, girl!"

Qi Mo narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then laughed loudly, "Very well, ten thousand gold coins it is." He took out a silver note from his pocket, held it in his hand, and looked at Yun Ran with a smile, saying, "Miss Yun, I have another small suggestion. You are currently a lone woman wandering the martial world, and a wanted criminal by the imperial court, which makes things inconvenient for you. Why not consider joining my Absolute Killing Sect? I guarantee that within two years, I can make you stand out in the martial world. What do you think, Miss Yun?"

Yun Ran lowered her eyelids, reached out and took the silver note, and said coldly, "Yun Ran is dull-witted and often falls into the trap of others' schemes without realizing it. I'm afraid I'm not up to the task. I can only appreciate Chief Qi's kindness."

She reached out and took out the Bauhinia Soft Sword, saying calmly, "The Bauhinia Soft Sword is here. After Chief Qi has verified that it is correct, Yun Ran will take her leave."

Seeing her tightly pursed lips and cold expression, Qi Mo knew that she harbored deep resentment towards him, so he said no more, smiled slightly, and stepped forward to take the Purple Thorn Soft Sword.

Xie Feng stood beside Qi Mo, watching Yun Ran's figure disappear into the distance. He couldn't help but click his tongue and chuckle, "This little girl can be quite formidable when she gets angry."

Qi Mo shook his head, a smile in his eyes, and slowly said, "I do regret lying to her like that back then."

As Yun Ran stepped out of Zuiyue Tower, she felt refreshed and invigorated. In a single day, the renowned Kongtong Sect Leader and the Absolute Kill Sect Master had both fallen into her hands. Even though she was usually calm and composed, she couldn't help but show a smug expression and chuckle softly.

Suddenly, a person behind her called out with a smile, "Miss Yun, please wait."

☆, Wanhe Mountain Villa

Yun Ran paused, turned around, and saw the middle-aged man from the private room standing not far behind her, a slight smile in his eyes, nodding to her in greeting.

She was slightly taken aback. The man had already walked closer and said with a smile, "I am Luo Qi from Yanzhou. I was very impressed by your wit and boldness just now, so I took the liberty of following you. I hope you will forgive my rudeness, Miss Yun."

Yun Ran was suspicious and did not answer for a moment. Seeing the wary look on her face, the middle-aged man smiled slightly and said, "I have important matters to attend to and it is inconvenient for me to talk to you in detail. I would like to ask Miss Yun to do me the honor of visiting Wanhe Mountain Villa in Yanzhou in three days." He nodded and smiled at her, then turned and walked back to the restaurant.

Yun Ran frowned slightly. Although she was curious about Luo Qi's intentions, she was always cautious and was currently wanted by the government. She would not rashly accept an invitation from a stranger, especially since this person was involved with Qi Mo. She smiled indifferently, put the matter out of her mind, and floated out of the city.

As evening fell, having reached Hanchuan, Yunran found an inn to stay at. Not long after she settled down, she heard a gentle knock on her door. The innkeeper called out from outside, "Sir, someone has brought you something." Surprised, she went to open the door.

The shopkeeper, holding a wooden box, stood outside the door. When he saw her come out, he said, "Just now, Wanhe Manor sent someone to instruct me to give this to Miss Yun in Room Number One of the Heavenly Class. Isn't that you, sir?"

Upon hearing the words "Wanhe Mountain Villa," Yun Ran's heart stirred slightly, and she asked, "Where are they?"

The shopkeeper replied, "I left after delivering the items."

Left with no other choice, Yun Ran gestured for the shopkeeper to place the wooden box on the table, closed the door, and returned to the table. She saw that the box was made of sandalwood, with exquisitely beautiful carvings. Opening the lid, she was even more astonished. Inside, a purple light flickered, and a soft sword lay curled up, covered by a sheath that resembled neither gold nor silk. Taking it out, she recognized it as the Purple Thorn Soft Sword she had obtained from Su Yunjin earlier that day.

She was secretly alarmed. Since Qi Mo was willing to pay ten thousand gold pieces, and Luo Qi entrusted him to seize this sword, the reward he paid must have been much more than that. Why would he give this divine weapon to her so easily? After a moment's thought, she took the visiting card from the box and opened it. She saw that it still smelled of ink and had the words "Luo Qi of Yanzhou pays respects" written on it. The strokes were strong and gentle, just like the man himself.

Yun Ran smiled wryly. It seemed that Luo Qi had already anticipated her unwillingness to keep the appointment and had specially sent someone to deliver a generous gift beforehand. As a result, she was forced to make a trip to Wanhe Manor.

The next morning, Yun Ran bought a fast horse, asked the shopkeeper for directions, and set off for Yanzhou. Traveling day and night, she finally arrived at the outskirts of Yanzhou on the third day.

As she pondered how to find the location of Wanhe Manor, she suddenly heard the sound of galloping hooves, and several riders came rushing up from behind like lightning. Yun Ran pulled on the reins, intending to move her horse to the side of the road, but the horse suddenly twisted its front hoof, buckled to its knees, and nearly threw her off its back.

Suddenly, the situation changed. In an instant, the fast horses were upon her. Just as Yun Ran was about to gather her strength and leap to avoid them, a white figure leaped from the horse's back, flew like an arrow, reached out and pulled her into his arms, then darted to the side of the road. The man's mount was also extremely swift; as soon as its master left its back, it reared up and leaped past Yun Ran's horse.

The next rider couldn't stop in time, and with a series of long neighs, Yun Ran's horse was trampled, and the two horses immediately fell to the ground. The rider, agile as ever, leaped into the air and landed first. The others behind him quickly reined in their horses and dismounted to calm the frightened horses. In an instant, there was a chaotic cacophony of neighing horses and shouts.

Yun Ran frowned slightly. The rider in white had already put her down and asked, "Miss, did I frighten you?"

When Yun Ran looked up and saw the young and handsome face of the man in front of her, her heart skipped a beat.

Seeing her pale face, the man assumed she had been badly frightened and felt quite apologetic. He said gently, "My companion and I were in a hurry to get on our way and disturbed you, young lady. I'm truly sorry."

Yun Ran suppressed the turmoil in her heart and gently shook her head.

The man's companion came over and reported, "Young master, this young lady's horse has injured its hind leg and is probably beyond repair."

The young man hesitated for a moment, then said to Yun Ran, "I should have provided you with a horse, but we have urgent business to attend to in Yanzhou and cannot afford to delay for even a moment..."

Yun Ran interjected, "Young master, there's no need to make things difficult. I bought this horse for ten taels of silver; you can compensate me accordingly."

The man was slightly taken aback by her straightforwardness. He reached into his robes, took out a silver ingot, and placed it in Yun Ran's outstretched hand.

Yun Ran weighed the silver ingot in her hand and smiled, "This ingot is already more than ten taels. Please make your way here, young master."

The man gave her a deep look, and said in a deep voice, "Thank you." Then he and his companions quickly mounted their horses and rode away in a cloud of dust.

Yun Ran stood by the roadside, staring blankly at the dust rising in the distance. Meeting Sima Liuyun under these circumstances was something she had never expected. But why would he suddenly appear outside Yanzhou City?

Yun Ran gave a self-deprecating smile and sighed softly. In any case, she would have no further connection with this person from now on. This was originally her wish as well.

With a sense of relief, she immediately used her lightness skill and headed straight for Yanzhou.

As soon as Yun Ran entered the city gate, a man dressed as a servant came forward and respectfully asked, "Is this Miss Yun? My master specially ordered me to wait here to welcome you to Wanhe Manor."

Yun Ran smiled slightly, thinking that Luo Qi's hospitality was quite thoughtful, and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."

The servant led Yun Ran out of the city through the east gate. Two fine horses were already waiting at the city gate. The two mounted the horses and rode eastward for a while until they arrived in front of a magnificent manor.

Just as the servant was about to announce their arrival, the manor gate opened, and Luo Qi walked out with a young man. The man was dressed in white, very handsome and dashing, but his expression was slightly melancholy. His gaze met Yun Ran's, and both of them were startled at the same time.

Luo Qi's eyes lit up, and he smiled and said, "I have another distinguished guest visiting, so it is inconvenient for me to see him off. I hope Young Master Sima will forgive me."

The young man in white was none other than Sima Liuyun. He was surprised to see that Yun Ran, a young girl, was being treated as an honored guest by Luo Qi. He humbly said, "Seventh Master, you are too kind. It would be an insult to this junior." He then smiled slightly at Yun Ran and nodded, saying, "Miss, we meet again."

Yun Ran lowered her eyelashes and nodded in greeting. Even after Sima Liuyun and the others bid farewell to Luo Qi and left, she did not raise her eyelids again.

Luo Qi looked at her, his eyes seemingly understanding, and said with a smile, "Miss Yun, please come in."

He welcomed Yun Ran into the manor and led her into the main hall, where maids came forward to serve her tea and snacks.

Yun Ran took out the Purple Thorn Soft Sword and placed it on the table, saying calmly, "I cannot accept such a generous gift without having done anything in return. I wonder what brings Seventh Master to invite me here in such great effort?"

Luo Qi seemed unsurprised to see her return the Purple Thorn Soft Sword. He simply smiled, lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea, and then slowly said, "Miss Yun, do you know why that Young Master Sima visited my Wanhe Manor just now?"

Yun Ran was startled, but remained expressionless on her face, raising her eyes to look at Luo Qi. She heard him say with a smile, "My Wanhe Manor deals in bounty business. Anyone who can afford the price, Wanhe Manor can help them fulfill their wishes."

Yun Ran immediately understood, and then thought: I wonder what Sima Liuyun wants Luo Qi to do for him?

As if answering her thoughts, Luo Qi continued, "Young Master Sima offered a large sum of money, hoping I would save someone for him. Unfortunately, the person he wanted to save was murdered several days ago, so I, Luo, cannot accept this offer."

Yun Ran's fingers trembled slightly, and she said in a hoarse voice, "The person he wanted to save was..."

Luo Qi smiled and said, "Yun Jiutian, the lord of Yun Family Fortress in Jizhou, and his two sons, Yun Zheng and Yun Yi. These three are all well-known figures in the martial arts world. Miss Yun must have heard of them, right?"

Yun Ran remained silent, a sharp pain piercing her heart. Luo Qi then said, "The Sima family of Sichuan and the Yun family have been on good terms for generations. This young master Sima and the third young lady of the Yun family have been betrothed since childhood. Upon hearing of the Yun family's misfortune, he rushed from Sichuan to Wanhe Manor overnight to ask for my help. Unfortunately, he was too late. Yun Jiutian and his two sons have all died tragically in prison. Even his fiancée, whom he had never met, disappeared a few days ago."