Les bandits des montagnes sont en mouvement

Chapitre 4

She...she...she wouldn't have gotten drunk and...forced herself on the strange man who was with her, would she?

Although she was usually a reasonable bandit leader, it was understandable that a bandit leader who had just been abandoned by a heartless man might do something impulsive when drunk... There were precedents, such as Qin Shao's father, who pretended to be insane to force his way into the bridal chamber in order to marry his mother, and had Qin Shao's older brother before getting married. This kind of thing was a "fine" tradition in Black Wind Stronghold...

She cautiously and slowly lifted the blanket again, only to find that although she was only wearing her underwear, there was no sign that it had been undone. The bedding and quilt were also very neat, and even her blue outer garment and black cloak were folded neatly and placed at the head of the bed. It was not at all the mess she had imagined.

Her face turned even redder.

He's a good person.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he hadn't done anything beastly to the innocent stranger... or perhaps he had, but clearly, he was a gentleman.

As a man, shouldn't I care about being sexually harassed by a woman once or twice? Anyway, we won't see each other again.

Holding her still throbbing head, she suddenly roared, "I can't keep going like this!"

Just as she was about to get out of bed, she saw a flash of silver light and discovered a strange silver chain on her right ankle. The chain featured twelve unfamiliar animal heads inlaid with tourmaline stones. The workmanship was exquisite and the style was ancient, but the chains were definitely not hers.

When was it put on? Could it be Zhong Zhan?

She immediately became unhappy and reached out to pull it, but was surprised to find that the silver chain had no joints and its length was just right to fit her ankle, as if it were tailor-made for her.

It was impossible to remove it "peacefully" unless violence was used. Although she was very unhappy that someone had inexplicably put jewelry on her, she didn't want to ruin such exquisite things. In the end, she had no choice but to give up. She packed a few clothes and some silver in the cave, entrusted the affairs of the village to Hao Laosan and Huai Laosi, and slipped down the mountain alone.

Take a break. Qin Shao once said that when you're unhappy, finding something to do will make you feel better.

B: Where to read books?

Once you enter the world of martial arts, troubles begin (1)

He had a faint scent of osmanthus on him, which immediately brought her back to her senses from the embarrassment and panic caused by Bai Nianchen, but she was immediately plunged into another kind of embarrassment and panic.

one

Su Xianhua rode her horse leisurely along the official road for two days, bypassing Wancheng where Yulin Manor was located, and arrived at Qinghe Town, a large town west of Wancheng.

On the day she arrived in Qinghe Town, she discovered that she had run out of money.

Although Black Wind Stronghold was quite wealthy, she had already given most of her silver notes to Miao Ruotan and Zhong Zhan, and since she left in a hurry, she didn't have much silver with her.

But someone like her never has to worry about not having money to spend.

Robbers have the knack for spending other people's money.

Upon arriving in Qinghe Town, she quickly learned that the wealthiest man there was surnamed Duan, who had once served as a county magistrate in his youth. People called him "Master Duan," but most called him "Duan Datie," meaning a very large iron rooster.

So she decided to go to Duan Datie's house tonight to borrow money!

Duan Datie's mansion was located in the wealthy area of the town's east. It had a deep courtyard, carved beams and painted rafters, and two jade lions at the entrance with bared teeth and claws, which were awe-inspiring. It was indeed extraordinary.

Su Xianhua looked up at the dim moon, assessed the terrain, took out a black cloth from her bosom to cover her face, then swung on a tree branch and lightly leaped into the dark courtyard.

The layout of wealthy families mostly follows feng shui, and the orientation of their courtyards and rooms is similar. Su Xianhua quickly figured out the location of the study and storeroom in the Duan family mansion. With a light touch of her toes, she leaped onto the roof covered with blue tiles.

Just as she tiptoed closer to the east window of the study, preparing to hang upside down and peek inside, suddenly her vision blurred, and a gust of cold wind rushed swiftly toward her heart.

Without a second thought, she ducked low and swept her leg out, simultaneously gripping the large, heavy Hundred-Scale Dragon Blade on her back, ready to slash at his waist—

A strange voice shouted, "Stop!"

Su Xianhua was startled, but her wrist was quickly grabbed. Unable to move for a moment, she gritted her teeth and unleashed a series of kicks, muttering, "What kind of hero resorts to underhanded tricks!"

The other person dodged the deadly flying kick by shifting his feet, and said coldly, "You wear a black cloth over your face and walk on someone else's roof in the middle of the night. Do you think you're a hero?"

The voice was extremely cold, as if it contained a block of ice. Although Su Xianhua hated his sarcastic words, she was indeed dressed as a thief, so she didn't know how to defend herself. She could only stare intently at the uninvited guest on the roof with her clear black and white eyes.

Although the man was also dressed in black, he wasn't dressed for nighttime activities. His long hair cascaded down his shoulders, and his clothes fluttered in the breeze, making him appear as if he were taking a stroll. His face was strikingly handsome, with sharply defined eyebrows that were both stern and indifferent. His eyes, though shaped like alluring phoenix tails, held an icy coldness. Even more striking was the dark red scorpion tattooed on his left brow bone. The scorpion's long tail disappeared into his forehead, and although most of its shape was obscured by his loose hair, it still exuded a sinister and venomous aura, sending chills down one's spine.

Although judging a book by its cover is wrong, Su Xianhua still knew at first glance that this was definitely not a good person!

The other party's grip wasn't at full strength; she used a clever trick to break free, spread her arms, and held the hundred-scaled dragon knife, which was almost half a person's height, in front of her, watching the newcomer warily.

The man in black looked at the broadsword in her hand with undisguised surprise and amusement. After a moment, he said, "This sword of yours looks like a divine weapon, but unfortunately it's not quite suitable for you..."

"Whether it's suitable or not isn't up to you to decide." Su Xianhua couldn't contain her anger upon hearing this and spat out rudely, saying, "If you have the guts, come up here, and I'll fight you for three hundred rounds."

The man in black, taken aback by the woman's rudeness, paused for a moment. A playful glint flashed in his pale eyes, and the dark red totem at the corner of his left eye, reflecting the dim moonlight, exuded an eerie and mysterious aura. (txt ebook sharing platform, S)

Once you enter the world of martial arts, troubles begin (2)

He said slowly, "I'm happy to fight you, but if we linger here too long, we might not only fail to get the Duan family's treasure, but also risk being hunted down. If you think it's worth it, then come on."

Although he explained it very clearly, Su Xianhua was still completely confused and asked in bewilderment, "The Duan family's treasure?"

She had never heard of Duan Datie possessing any priceless treasures; she was just a passerby who happened to be there, casually "stealing" a little silver along the way...

The man in black frowned: "You came here not for Duan Wenzheng's family treasure, but for this?"

"You came here not for Duan Wenzheng's treasure?"

Faced with his aggressive sneer, Su Xianhua simply shook her head blankly: "I just came to borrow some travel expenses..." Suddenly her eyes lit up, "You said he has treasure?"

The man in black was taken aback, his gray eyes filled with doubt. Just as he was about to speak, a sound of something cutting through the air rang out not far away. Although it was faint, the two men could hear it clearly.

There were at least four or five people who came, and their lightness skills were not weak.

The man in black frowned, leaped off the roof, and was about to leave when his sleeve was tugged. Su Xianhua's eyes sparkled, and a sly smile played on her lips, like a cunning little fox: "Brother, are you going treasure hunting? Can we go together?"

Seeing four or five night travelers already on the rooftops, looking around, the man in black, unwilling to linger, glanced at her and headed towards the back garden storeroom. Su Xianhua assumed he had agreed and followed him lightly, completely unaware of the faint murderous intent emanating from his gray eyes.

She went on to discuss things with him, saying, "Brother, the saying goes, 'whoever sees it gets a share,' that's the rule of the underworld. But I, Su Xianhua, am not an unreasonable person. I'm an expert in this business, and you'll definitely need my help. When we get the goods, we'll split them 40/60, what do you think?"

Seeing that the man in black remained silent, she grew anxious: "You don't want to split the profits 30/70, do you? Doing business isn't easy, I've already been very polite..."

As the man in black listened to her rambling, the murderous intent in his eyes intensified. With a flick of his wrist, a silver light flashed from his narrow sleeve. Before he could make a move, Su Xianhua behind him suddenly cried out, "Not good!" and dashed away like an arrow released from a bow.

Had she seen through his plan to kill and silence him? The man in black stepped back three feet, but his gaze swept across the scene and he saw only a green figure with its back to him, standing in front of a pavilion not far away.

He couldn't help but chuckle, and without making a sound, he put the silver light back into his sleeve and rushed to her side. He saw a thin, slender figure reflected on the window paper, with a rope swaying gently. It turned out to be a woman hanging herself in the room.

Su Xianhua tugged at his arm: "Quickly save people!" Without waiting for his reply, she swung her Hundred-Refined Dragon Scale Blade, the blade flashing, and in an instant, she shredded the window paper and bamboo lattice together. She had already leaped into the house, and with a wave of her hand, the long rope snapped in her hand, and a white figure fell heavily to the ground.

Su Xianhua reached out and caught the hanging woman. Turning her head, she saw the man in black still standing outside the window with his hands behind his back, looking indifferent. The scorpion-shaped totem on his cheek accentuated his handsome face, making him look particularly eerie.

She grew a little anxious and said, "Why are you standing there without moving?"

"What does her suicide attempt have to do with me? I don't even know her." The man in black moved his lips, his eyes unreadable, then suddenly took three feet back and flew away, leaving behind a faint remark, "Since you want to save her, then please do as you please."

"Hey! Wait a minute, I don't know where the baby is..." she called out, but dared not raise her voice too much. At this moment, the girl in her arms grunted and tugged at her sleeve. In her half-awake state, she hadn't even seen which direction the man in black had gone.

"Am I...am I dead...?" The girl's voice was hoarse and indistinct, probably from being strangled by the rope. Fortunately, her breathing gradually returned to normal, so there should be no other injuries.

The girl in white appeared to be no more than eighteen years old, her face pale and tear-streaked, evoking a feeling of pity in one's heart. Su Xianhua quickly laid her flat on the ground and sighed, "You're not dead. Why would you try to kill yourself?"

Once you enter the world of martial arts, troubles begin (3)

The woman in white slowly turned to look at her, and asked in confusion, "Did you save me?"

"Not bad." Su Xianhua grasped her wrist, channeling her inner energy to help her recover her strength, and said, "Do you know what a person who hangs themselves looks like? Their tongue sticks out longer than their chin, their eyeballs pop out of their sockets, it's as ugly as can be..."

Her intention was just to scare her, but to her surprise, the young woman suddenly burst into tears.

"Why...why did you save me? You might as well have let me die...what's the point of me living..."

Su Xianhua was stunned.

Shouldn't you step in to save someone who's trying to commit suicide? Everyone in Black Wind Stronghold, numbering in the hundreds, knows the principles of helping the weak and saving lives. To stand idly by would be a crime punishable by lightning!

She scratched her head in embarrassment, forgetting that someone had clearly been standing by and watching.

The woman ignored her and began to sob. Su Xianhua was extremely annoyed by her crying and was about to cover her mouth when she suddenly heard the sound of clothes rustling in the wind. Listening carefully, she heard chaotic footsteps, like the four or five people who had come under the cover of night.

She hurriedly stood up and said, "You can decide what to do yourself, I have to go!"

"Please wait a moment!"

Before she could take a step, her sleeve was grabbed again by the woman in white. A small, pretty face, no bigger than a palm, looked at her with a mournful expression—as did the woman with the large knife in her hand. The woman added a title: "Heroine, please, have mercy and take me away!"

"Take you away?" Su Xianhua didn't understand.

The girl cried uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face, clutching her sleeve tightly. "You...you won't take me with you, or I'll be forced to marry someone! I already have someone I love...I...I don't want to marry someone I don't love..." She sobbed, wiping away her tears. "If you, heroine, won't take me with you, I'd rather die..."

"No...don't die!" Su Xianhua panicked and quickly grabbed her hand that was groping for the rope. Suddenly she blurted out, "Did that Duan Datie force you to marry him and forcibly separate you from your lover?"

The girl paused for a moment, then nodded hesitantly.

Su Xianhua was instantly filled with rage, her anger rising to a point where she couldn't stand anything more than the forced abduction of women into prostitution. This Duan Wenzheng was at least fifty years old, while the delicate girl before her looked no more than ten or so—a beautiful flower wasted on a pile of dung. That old lecher was despicable and deserved to die!

Suddenly filled with pride, she pulled the woman in white to her feet, patted her chest, and said, "Don't worry, leave this to me. I'll take you to see your lover!"

The Duan family's guards were actually very strict, but whether they were lured away by the man in black or because of the commotion caused by the others, when Su Xianhua quietly escaped with the girl, the sound of clashing swords came from the front yard, as if a fierce battle was underway, while the back yard was quiet and sparsely populated.

The only obstacle was the several-foot-high wall surrounding the courtyard, but Su Xianhua's light-footed skills made it easy to handle. Along the way, she had long forgotten about the man in black and the matter of borrowing money for the treasure hunt. Following the directions of the girl in white, she arrived at a dilapidated thatched hut in the east of Qinghe Town.

The girl's tears had long since dried. Upon seeing the thatched hut, she immediately broke free from Su Xianhua's hand and rushed over, banging on the door loudly in the dead of night, completely unlike her previous timid and helpless demeanor.

As soon as the wooden gate opened, a handsome young scholar dressed in simple clothes peeked out. He was stunned when he saw the smiling face before him and exclaimed in disbelief, "Ru...Hua?"

"Brother Tian!" the girl cried out joyfully, immediately throwing herself into the young scholar's arms. Her unrestrained and bold behavior left even Su Xianhua, the bandit leader, speechless.

After a long while, she realized that she was an oblivious bystander.

"Well... Miss Ruhua, now that you've seen the person you wanted to see, I'll take my leave..."

The two, caught up in their passionate embrace, finally snapped out of their daze. The girl in white, her pretty face flushed, smiled at Su Xianhua's embarrassed expression and took her hand, saying, "Sister, thank you so much for bringing me out to see Brother Tian. How can I ever repay you?"

Once you enter the world of martial arts, troubles begin (4)

"Repay me?" Su Xianhua looked at the girl in her simple white dress and quickly waved her hand, saying, "You don't need to repay me! To be honest, I originally wanted to go to Duan Datie's house tonight to 'borrow' some travel expenses. Although I've been delayed for some time, I should still have enough time to go now..."

"Sister, please wait a moment." Ru Hua smiled and pulled Su Xianhua, her pearly teeth slightly showing, and said softly, "It's almost dawn now. If you go to the Duan family, you probably won't be able to steal any silver. How about I lend you some things for your travel expenses, as a way of returning the favor?"

Before Su Xianhua could answer, Ruhua reached out and pulled a silver hairpin from her hair. The hairpin wasn't particularly pretty; it was simple and unadorned, and didn't look like it was worth much.