Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 184

Lu Xiu trembled, his face changing rapidly like a dye vat. He understood that Guo Gang wasn't bluffing; it was one thing to be ashamed to face anyone back home, but the crime of kidnapping Qing Jianyue was far more serious.

Shang Wanxia screamed in fury, "Lu Xiu, what are you thinking? Let go of Young Master Jianyue!"

"I'll beat you to death!" Guo Gang impulsively lunged forward to grab the man.

"Don't move, or I'll kill him."

Lu Xiu's hand trembled, and the sharp blade pierced her skin, bright red blood trickling down Qingjian Yue's fair shin. A gasp filled the council hall; Guo Gang, as expected, dared not act impulsively again.

A cry of alarm rang out; it was Xiaoqian, who let out a sad, worried, and fearful sob.

Lu Xiu wanted to laugh loudly and then use the opportunity to humiliate Lu Qingcheng, but when his gaze met Lu Qingcheng's eyes, he felt as if he had fallen into an abyss. Lu Qingcheng's eyes changed; they were no longer calm. His eyes radiated a storm of furious, bloodthirsty light, and with a slight tremor of his fingers, the precious sword clattered and leaped halfway from its sheath. At the same time, the white fox, smelling the blood, became even more restless. It moved back and forth, constantly changing its angle, searching for the best opportunity to attack, and emitting threatening low growls.

The atmosphere in the council chamber was so heavy it was as if the building was about to collapse.

Suddenly, Lü Xiu felt regret and fear. He knew that Lu Qingcheng would never forgive him. Lu Qingcheng would definitely kill him. Because he had kidnapped Qing Jianyue.

A worried glint flashed in Old Madam Lu's eyes. Xu Yun looked both gloomy and expectant. Xu Lan, on the other hand, was cold. Xiaoqian grabbed Cai Zhonghe's sleeve and said in a trembling voice, "Second Master, Second Master." Cai Zhonghe seemed not to hear anything; his eyes were fixed on Lü Xiu and Qing Jianyue without blinking.

"Don't move, whatever you do, don't move."

Kiyotsuki spoke. The sword Lü Xiu placed against his neck trembled more and more violently. Kiyotsuki was very worried, afraid that even if Lü Xiu didn't want to kill him, he would be so frightened that he would accidentally kill him.

Sure enough, because of his words, Lu Qingcheng did not make any further moves, but her poised and ready manner meant that she could very well decapitate Lü Xiu in the blink of an eye.

"Young Master Lü, what do you intend to do?"

Kiyoshi was both amused and annoyed. Did this kid have no brains? He actually took her hostage in front of so many people.

Lu Xiu was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Qing Jianyue, now in his hands, would still calmly ask him what he wanted to do.

"Are you trying to kill me to get revenge on Qingcheng? You seem to have forgotten that you are an envoy sent by Lord Long of Tianlong Fortress. If you kill me, you won't even be able to leave this house today, let alone complete the mission your lord has given you. A true man keeps his word; he must do what he promises, and even if he can't, he must go back and report. What kind of behavior is this?"

Lü Xiu was speechless. Indeed, what kind of behavior is this?

“I know you don’t want to kill me; you just acted on impulse.” Qing Jianyue said gently and calmly, “If you release me now, you can leave this fortress safely and return to report to your fortress lord. As for how your fortress lord will punish you, a man should be responsible for his actions.”

Lü Xiu hesitated; clearly, Qing Jianyue's words had moved him.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats. What would Lü Xiu do? Old Madam Lu stood up anxiously. Xu Lan remained as cold as ever. Xu Yun's heart was in turmoil; one moment she hoped Qing Jianyue would die, the next she prayed that Qing Jianyue wouldn't—she was utterly conflicted. Xiaoqian was frantic, wishing she could offer her neck in Qing Jianyue's place.

The white fox could no longer bear it and suddenly let out a beautiful howl. Soon after his howl, the neighing of horses could be heard, followed by the thunderous sound of galloping hooves, and at the same time, screams and shouts rose and fell.

All of this suddenly happened successfully attracted everyone's attention. Even Lü Xiu couldn't help but be distracted. A snow-white steed galloped in like a divine dragon descending from the sky. Its flowing mane was like a snow-white brocade, beautiful and wildly captivating.

Lü Xiu couldn't help but open her mouth wide.

At this moment, Qing Jianyue made his move. He twisted Lü Xiu's wrist, redirecting the sword Lü Xiu had been holding across his shin. With his other hand, he firmly grasped Lü Xiu's arm, and with all his strength, flung Lü Xiu's massive body into the air, then slammed him to the floor like a sack of flour. Afterward, he rushed towards Lu Qingcheng, who met him at the same time, grabbing his waist and pulling him into her arms. Qingfeng and Cai Zhonghe, as if by unspoken agreement, stood in front of them to protect them. However, they quickly protected Lu Qingcheng and Qing Jianyue as they escaped.

The reason was the horse that rushed in. As soon as it entered, the white fox howled at it, and as if it understood, the horse slammed its two iron hooves down on Lü Xiu.

Lü Xiu screamed in agony, but thankfully, he was a well-trained martial arts expert and managed to tumble and roll away. However, Fei Yun chased after him, kicking and stomping relentlessly. The white fox also assisted from the side, constantly launching sneak attacks, causing Lü Xiu to scream in agony.

People stared in astonishment, their mouths agape.

No one expected things to end so dramatically. Lü Xiu was dealt a more terrifying blow by Qing Jianyue's favored horse and fox than if she had gone to hell.

Everyone present felt a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

The weight that had been hanging over Xiaoqian's heart lifted, and she smiled with relief. Thank goodness, the young master was safe and sound. She walked over, feeling she had so much to say to Qing Jianyue, but what she saw was Qing Jianyue nestled in Lu Qingcheng's arms, Cai Zhonghe speaking to him with boundless concern, his eyes and brows brimming with tenderness and affection. Xiaoqian stopped. Her beautiful, lotus-like face suddenly felt as if it had been covered in dust. A worm seemed to be gnawing at her heart; she felt an indescribable pain and sorrow.

"How pitiful." Xu Yun's cold voice rang out from behind.

Xiaoqian was startled and hurriedly bowed respectfully to her.

"No matter how much you love him, his eyes will always only be on that person," Xu Yun mocked. "You must be in a lot of pain. His kindness towards you, even his attention to you, is only because that person likes you, isn't it?"

Xiaoqian's face grew increasingly pale.

"Don't be silly."

Another cold voice interrupted, but this voice was clearly different from Xu Yun's sinister one. Although the voice was cold, it was like an ice cube in plum soup on a June day, giving people an indescribable feeling of comfort.

Xiaoqian and Xu Yun turned around and found themselves in Lijiang. She wore a snow-white dress, and her ebony silk hair was not tied up but cascaded naturally down her back like a waterfall, flowing gracefully with her long, trailing skirt. A four-petaled cinnabar dot was painted on her forehead, setting off her jade-like, snow-white face, making her both alluring and pure.

“Jealousy is more poisonous than arsenic. Miss Xu, your internal organs are poisoned by jealousy. You should get it treated quickly, or you will kill yourself.”

Xu Yun's face was as white as snow, and she left without saying a word.

Lijiang then looked at Xiaoqian and said, "Don't ruin his love for you. You'll regret it if you lose his beautiful smile."

Xiaoqian lowered her head, her red lips trembling.

"Also, I need to remind you. If you dare to do anything to hurt him, I will be the first to not forgive you. What I hate most is people who don't know how to cherish what they have."

Lijiang proudly raised its head and swaggered away.

Cold sweat instantly soaked Xiaoqian's clothes. When she turned around, she saw Qing Jianyue smiling innocently and brightly at Lijiang, gesturing wildly as he described the dangerous incident that had just occurred. Judging from his smug look, he was bound to praise himself, and given Lijiang's teasing nature, it was easy to imagine that the two of them would inevitably have an argument next.

Xiaoqian suddenly felt a nagging pain in her heart, and tears streamed down her face. She abruptly turned and ran out of the council hall. When she returned to her residence, she practically collapsed onto her bed. She cried loudly, sobbing uncontrollably, as if her world was ending.

The door was quietly pushed open, and Du Ping stared at her with a complicated expression...

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Xiaoqian's Secret (Part Two)

Bai Yiting led his apprentice Du Fangwei and daughter, White Rabbit, into the large study. Lu Qingcheng was standing before the large table, intently studying a map. He wore a long black robe, a sword at his waist, and his black hair cascaded down like a ribbon. A ruby ribbon adorned his forehead, highlighting his handsome yet cold face. To his left stood Qingfeng, dressed identically except for his snow-white attire, also pointing at the map. The two brothers standing together were like a painting, captivating White Rabbit for a moment until she was almost mesmerized.