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"Yuan Ruxuan! Are you tired of living?" Although Guo Qiwu was powerless, his voice was still sinister, cold and threatening, without the slightest fear.

Yuan Ruxuan smiled faintly: "Actually, I just want to live, and live a better life... Unfortunately, you won't let me. I know that the Martial Alliance has brought many sects under its control in recent years, seizing them by trickery and force, and quickly emptying them out. I also know that what your Alliance Leader Huang is after is only the wealth of my Langjing Manor... In your eyes, it's only a matter of time before Langjing Manor falls into the hands of the Martial Alliance. You've used coercion and bribery, and any means necessary... So I had no choice but to strike first... I pretended to want to make peace with the Martial Alliance and deal with Luo Qingcheng together, and tricked the two envoys into coming to the banquet so that I could capture you first."

Guo Qiwu sneered: "Oh? You're sure this is a wise move?"

Yuan Ruxuan sighed, "I have no choice. If I capture you first, and Pei'er falls into the hands of the Martial Alliance, I can use you to exchange for Pei'er's freedom. If Pei'er is in the hands of that brat Luo Qingcheng, he has a whole bunch of women held hostage here anyway... so she can't escape... It's not a perfect solution. Men, seize these two!"

The man who appeared to be the leader of Langjing Manor entered in response to the call, leading a dozen or so manor servants, and quickly entered Biluo Pavilion.

Ye Xiao was overjoyed and was about to happily go out to report the good news to everyone when he suddenly heard Yuan Ruxuan call out, "Ma San! You!" Ye Xiao quickly moved to the dark window and found that the situation inside the room had changed drastically.

The leader, Ma San, did not capture Guo Fang and the other man. Instead, he raised his hand towards Yuan Ruxuan, and a cloud of smoke rose up. Yuan Ruxuan collapsed softly. Ma San waved his hand, and several henchmen came over with ropes and tied Yuan Ruxuan up.

Guo Qiwu burst into laughter: "Master Yuan! What? I told you you were courting death! You probably never imagined that your confidant Ma San was one of our men, and he had already told us about your conspiracy. Otherwise, how could Lao Fang and I have gone along with your plan and come to the banquet with peace of mind? Hehe! Master Yuan! You didn't expect this, did you? With you in our hands, we're not afraid of your men making any moves. Once we take over your Langjing Manor, we can even use your dog's life to exchange for Young Master Huang... Haha! Without losing a single soldier, we can easily take over the entire Langjing Manor, along with those guests in your manor. Hehe, now Luo Qingcheng can't escape either! It's all thanks to your brilliant idea that we've gained such a good opportunity for free... Truly, using minimal effort to achieve maximum effect!"

Yuan Ruxuan said angrily, "Ma San! You ungrateful bastard!"

Ye Xiao didn't look any further. He quietly climbed out of the back window and headed straight for Dongting Garden. His eyes blurred as he walked, and a figure blocked his way. Ye Xiao looked closely and quickly said, "Steward Tu? Something terrible has happened! Your master has been kidnapped by the Martial Alliance… You need to think of something quickly…"

Butler Tu was surprisingly not surprised, and simply said, "Miss Ye, come with me." He quickly led her to the back garden, where Ye Xiao was even more surprised to see Xiao Xun, Shuai Ge, and the others.

“I already know the details and have told everyone. Langjing Manor is now surrounded by the Martial Alliance, and there’s no way out. You should stay here for now. I will send people to defend it… Don’t be impatient, the master has his own arrangements…” Steward Tu tried to keep his words brief.

Ye Xiao was slightly taken aback. Master? It was Yuan Ruxuan? Could it have been his trap to lure the enemy? Would Yuan Ruxuan really be so selfless as to sacrifice himself for the greater good? That seemed impossible.

Butler Tu didn't say anything more and hurried off.

Ye Xiao turned to look at Shuai Ge, but he ignored her and continued busily working in the bushes. "Brother Shuai? What are you doing?"

Shuai Ge sighed, "Set up the formation. Unfortunately, it's still early, so the Illusion Flower Mind-Capturing Formation is much weaker... It will take a lot of effort to activate it..."

Ye Xiao frantically slapped his head, and Xiao Xun asked curiously, "Boss, what did you do wrong? Why are you blaming yourself like this?"

“I’m always quick-witted… A couple of pats might make me even more anxious, and maybe that will help me come up with a good idea…”

Xiao Xun gave an "oh," then suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Although I lack quick wit, I often have sudden flashes of inspiration... I've thought of a way to escape..."

"What!" everyone present exclaimed in unison.

“A secret passage! Langjing Manor must have a secret passage…leading to the outside…we can escape through the secret passage…” With a slap, Ye Xiao smacked his head again, as expected. “Stupid! What wishful thinking! Even if there really is a secret passage, Master Yuan has already been captured. We wouldn’t know about it!”

Xiao Xun gave a disappointed "oh," only to hear Shuai Ge angrily say, "At this critical moment, could you two please stop flirting and let me focus on strategizing in the next episode? After all, we need to hold out until at least Shen Shi (3-5 PM)..."

Ye Xiao's eyes flickered, and she suddenly asked, "What will happen at Shen Shi (3-5 PM)?"

——————————————————————————————————―――

The water dripped slowly from the water clock, and time seemed to pass particularly slowly for Ye Xiao today. She anxiously stared at the Illusion Flower Mind-Controlling Array. Inside the array, a man in tight-fitting clothes looked tense, gripping his knife tightly. Suddenly, he shouted and swung his knife forward, but he missed, lost his balance, and fell headfirst, hitting his head on the back of his own blade, losing consciousness.

"Fifteen..." Xiao Xun chuckled and drew another horizontal line on the ground, completing the third tally mark. Fifteen people had already fallen into Shuai Ge's Illusionary Flower Mind-Controlling Array; several had fainted, and some had gone mad, fighting amongst themselves.

Ye Xiao watched nervously from the sidelines. Although the Illusionary Flower Mind-Capturing Array hadn't trapped many people, it had temporarily held back quite a few from the Martial Alliance. Those people stood at a distance, their eyes filled with anxiety and unease. Fang Qin and Guo Qiwu stood between them, their expressions perfectly calm.

"One more..." Guo Qiwu said calmly, glancing sharply at Shuai Ge, who was covered in sweat in the middle of the formation, his tone even and composed, "Let's see how long this kid can last..."

The usually gentle and refined Shuai Ge finally cursed inwardly! The Illusionary Flower Mind-Controlling Array was a complex system where a single move had far-reaching consequences; dealing with one person required roughly the same amount of effort as dealing with dozens. It seemed the Martial Alliance knew this, sending people to break through the array one by one, exhausting themselves in the process, only to stun a few minor enemies… akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. He looked up at the sky, then turned to Ye and smiled, “Uh… Miss Ye, I’d like to ask, do you think preserving your life is more important, or keeping your promise?”

Ye Xiao absentmindedly hummed in agreement, and answered instinctively, "Of course, life is more important."

Shuai Ge chuckled, “…Young lady, you are truly a woman of character! I thought the same thing…I promised to protect you until Shenshi (3-5 PM), but it’s still a while before then, and I’m already exhausted. If that person miscalculates, I won’t even have the strength to escape by Shenshi, and I’ll lose my life…Since you say that preserving my life is the most important thing, I’ll take my leave first…”

Before anyone could understand what was happening, Shuai Ge lightly lifted off the ground with both feet, her graceful movements like a beautiful bluebird, and flew away, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.

This time, Xiao Xun reacted quickly, shouting to Ye Xiao, "Boss! We're doomed! You let our savior go with just one sentence!"

Ye Xiao stared blankly at the spot where Shuai Ge had left, lost in thought: "No wonder he's surnamed Shuai, he's handsome too, even his hasty escape is so handsome..."

"Boss! Stop daydreaming! Look, the enemy is charging at us..." Xiao Xun shouted, swiftly straightening up and delivering a powerful, unstoppable kick that sent a burly man who had reacted incredibly quickly flying. The man's heavy body crashed headfirst into the bushes, leaving him dazed and confused. He was filled with remorse and secretly vowed never to be the first to act again.

However, Ye Xiao seemed to be bewitched by Shuai Ge, her eyes slightly closed, her mouth moving slightly, and it was unclear what she was doing.

"Boss..." Xiao Xun was filled with worry. He quickly teleported away from the crowd and flashed to Ye Xiao's side. "You... could you also have been bewitched by that Illusionary Flower Mind-Controlling Array?"

Ye Xiao remained silent, only muttering to himself in a very serious tone. Xiao Xun, getting closer, vaguely heard a few words: "...Great Golden Immortal...all the gods...bless..." He couldn't help but chuckle: "Boss! You really don't burn incense normally, but you only seek help from Buddha at the last minute. At such a crucial moment, you suddenly think of praying to gods and Buddhas? Isn't it a bit late?" While teasing him, he didn't slow down, sending a few more people to plant the trees in the bushes to make bonsai.

Ye Xiao sighed softly, "I've been venturing into the world alone since I was ten years old, and I've encountered countless crises, big and small, but I've always managed to turn misfortune into good fortune. I hope this time will be another turning point... I hope my little wish can reach the ears of the heavens, that a celestial being will descend and save us from this calamity..." After saying that, he quickly turned around and stood back to back with Xiao Xun to fight the enemy, protecting Shen Wan and Shan'er.

Xiao Xun gave an "oh," and looking at the surging tide of people, he gave a wry smile: "Boss, I don't mean to discourage you, but good luck is unreliable and will eventually run out. Today, I'm afraid things are going to turn out badly..."

Suddenly, a commotion arose on the outer edge of the crowd surrounding them, spreading inwards like ripples, quickly reaching the innermost layer of the vanguard. The vanguard quickly retreated, making way for a large open space.

Xiao Xun craned his neck in surprise to look, then suddenly said with some disappointment, "Boss... the immortal you're talking about... you mean the second brother?"

Ye Xiao was slightly stunned and looked on in disbelief. Luo Qingcheng was striding towards her with Huang Tingfeng in his arms. Everyone who passed by was unable to get out of the way. Those who were a little slow to dodge were like felled trees, falling straight outwards.

Luo Qingcheng tossed the acupunctured Huang Tingfeng to Xiao Xun, then moved to Ye Xiao's side, staring blankly at her. In his twenty years of life, he had never felt time stretch as long as these past few days. Each day felt like a year, each day like three autumns; he could hardly find a suitable word to describe his sleepless nights and restless days. His heart felt like it was suspended on a furnace, each beat scorching a piece… long since turned to coal, to charcoal, to smoke and ash… until now, until he saw Ye Xiao, until he saw her standing safely beside him, only now did his heart come alive again, beating normally.

"Xiaoxiao..." he called softly. Ye Xiao's nose tingled, and she burst into tears of joy: "Second brother... you're alright... that's for the best..."

Luo Qingcheng didn't speak again, but simply opened his arms. Accompanied by two clear female voices, "Brother Luo!" "Brother Qingcheng!", two figures flew over like little birds and threw themselves into his arms.

Luo Qingcheng stiffened slightly, hummed in response, and gently patted Shen Wan and Shan'er on the back as an apology. However, his eyes were fixed on Ye Xiao, as if he wished he could stretch his gaze into long threads, weave them into a cocoon, and tightly bind the person in front of him, trapping him by his side forever...

Xiao Xun promptly interrupted Luo Qingcheng's daze: "Uh... Second brother, what do you think we should do with this Young Master Huang?"

Luo Qingcheng was somewhat annoyed that someone was suggesting such thoughts to him, and he immediately felt displeased: "You can use him as a punching bag to practice your palm strikes, and see how many strikes it takes to send him to the Western Paradise..."

Huang Tingfeng was furious upon hearing this: "Luo Qingcheng, you despicable man! A scholar can be killed but not humiliated! The day you fall into my hands, I will also..."

Luo Qingcheng lazily turned around: "He's quite the man! Then kill him with one stroke! That would be clean enough."

Huang Tingfeng sneered: "You'd better keep your word. If you have the guts, then make your move! If I even flinch, I'm no hero. I'm afraid if you kill me, all these men and women here will have to pay with their lives..."

Luo Qingcheng gave an "oh," then kicked Huang Tingfeng hard, knocking him to the ground: "You've reminded me, I can't kill... I can only humiliate..."

Huang Tingfeng let out a scream, clutching his lower abdomen. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans streamed down his forehead as he gritted his teeth and said, "Luo Qingcheng!...You despicable scoundrel..."

Suddenly, Guo Qiwu's voice was heard, still unhurried and deliberate: "Luo Qingcheng, you didn't kidnap our young master just to torture him. Name your conditions."

Luo Qingcheng smiled faintly: "That's true. As for the conditions, there are two. Release Master Yuan and get out of Langjing Manor. Don't let me see you again..."

Guo Qiwu nodded slightly: "Alright, it's a deal!" His eyes flickered, and he thought to himself that once Young Master Huang was out of danger, he would immediately turn his back on them and wipe them all out... Suddenly, he heard someone call out from afar, "Right Envoy Guo!"

Guo Qiwu turned around, and a short subordinate struggled through the crowd to reach Guo Qiwu's side. He whispered in Guo Qiwu's ear, "We just received an urgent report that the Northern Branch of the Martial Alliance near Langjing Manor was attacked by unidentified assailants. Because all our brothers were mobilized to Langjing Manor to slay the demons, our ranks were empty, and we were unable to resist, suffering heavy losses… Also, our scouts just reported that the guards of Langjing Manor, led by that Steward Tu, have already advanced…"

Guo Qiwu's face darkened, and he gave Luo Qingcheng a sinister look before reiterating, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. We urge Young Master Luo to keep his promise and release Young Master Huang. We will then take him away from Langjing Manor immediately!"

Luo Qingcheng smiled faintly and remained silent. Ye Xiao, however, anxiously exclaimed from the side, "Qingcheng! Don't trust him so easily! The Martial Alliance is rife with despicable people who frequently go back on their word..."

Luo Qingcheng whispered in her ear, "Not this time. I asked a friend to use a diversionary tactic to attack the northern branch of the Martial Alliance... They're probably too busy to deal with their own problems..."

Ye Xiao happily responded with an "Oh." Luo Qingcheng casually said, "Oh, you know that friend too, his name is Yang Dui..." His eyes suddenly sharpened, staring intently at Ye Xiao's every smile and gesture. Ye Xiao looked up, puzzled, "Yang Dui? I don't think I know him..." Luo Qingcheng's heart immediately eased, a warm smile blooming in his eyes...

Leaving Langjingzhuang

The magnificent Biluo Pavilion was brightly lit and decorated with lanterns. Yuan Ruxuan held a grand banquet here to entertain the meritorious officials who had contributed to the defense of Langjing Manor.

After the banquet, he kept Ye Xiao and the other two behind. "Langjing Manor suffered such a great misfortune this time, and it was thanks to the three of you that we were saved, my daughter and I. Otherwise... to express my gratitude, I, Yuan, would like to give each of you a treasure. What would you like?"

Xiao Xun spoke first: "Master, upholding justice is what we should do, and we shouldn't ask for rewards. However, I really like something. Huang Tingfeng's Chasing Sun Sword should now belong to you, Master. If possible, I want that sword."

Before Yuan Ruxuan could agree, Ye Xiao shouted, "I want money. I want eight thousand taels of silver."

Yuan Ruxuan was slightly taken aback: "Money? Miss is short of money?"

Xiao Xun shouted, "Boss! How can you be so vulgar? We have plenty of money, but treasures are something you can only come across by chance. You should think again and ask for something else..."

Ye Xiao said, "Oh, I'll think about it some more. Oh, by the way, I need eight thousand five hundred taels of silver..."

Xiao Xun nearly collapsed, rubbing his head in frustration. "Boss, you're so embarrassing. If you really need money, I have it at home..."

However, Ye Xiao didn't seem to feel ashamed at all. She looked at Yuan Ruxuan with shining eyes until the latter nodded in surprise, then she breathed a sigh of relief and smiled brightly.

Yuan Ruxuan shifted his gaze to Luo Qingcheng: "Qingcheng, come with me."

Luo Qingcheng hesitated for a moment, but still obediently followed Yuan Ruxuan's steps and followed him into the inner hall.

"As for you... Qingcheng, you saved Pei'er and me this time, and your contribution is the greatest. I am willing to give you the most precious treasure of Langjing Manor..."

Luo Qingcheng hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Master Yuan..."

Yuan Ruxuan interrupted him: "Why are you still calling me Master Yuan? You should change how you address me... I've already asked Pei'er, and she's very grateful to you, but she regrets her previous actions and is willing to dedicate her life to you..."

“Master Yuan!” Luo Qingcheng quickly interrupted him, “Qingcheng… is not worthy of her entrusting her life to him…”

"Oh? You came to Langjing Manor this time to propose marriage? Why have you changed your mind now? Did Pei'er's misbehavior disappoint you back then? My daughter may be a bit willful, but she's not a bad person. She already knows she was wrong. Can't you, as a man, be a little more magnanimous?"

Luo Qingcheng bowed respectfully: "I have indeed come here to propose marriage. My original purpose was to use the power of Langjing Manor to accomplish something great. However, I also genuinely admire Miss Yuan's beauty. I truly wanted to marry her and treat her well for the rest of my life... But over this period of time, I suddenly realized that if I married her, I might not be able to be devoted to her... That would be very unfair to her... Therefore... I dare to ask to withdraw my initial request..."

Yuan Ruxuan gave an "oh," but wasn't particularly disappointed: "You have someone else in your heart. I should be able to imagine it. That day, when you came ashore after watching the sunrise on Biluo Lake, the way I looked at you was exactly the look of a man in love... Pei'er is truly infatuated..."

Luo Qingcheng remained silent. Yuan Ruxuan sighed softly, "However, since I've already asked, I must give you a treasure. How about this, I'll take you to the treasure room of Langjing Manor, where all the treasures I've collected in my life are kept. You can take a look and see what you like."

Luo Qingcheng didn't refuse and obediently followed him into the treasure room. The heavy iron door opened, revealing a dazzling array of treasures. Yuan Ruxuan looked at Luo Qingcheng with some pride, clearly confident in his collection. Luo Qingcheng casually picked up a dagger: "This one."

Yuan Ruxuan smiled faintly: "You're not a greedy person, choosing such a small thing. This dagger isn't an antique and isn't worth much money, but it can cut through iron like mud, which is quite rare."

Luo Qingcheng nodded, then suddenly noticed something and couldn't help but walk over and pick it up. It looked like a small seal, carved into the shape of a Buddha statue with four intertwined seven-colored lotus flowers coiled beneath it. The seal's design consisted of strange characters engraved in the shape of a lotus flower.

"Where did this... come from?" Luo Qingcheng's voice suddenly turned cold.

Yuan Ruxuan said "Oh," and walked over to take the seal: "This is an heirloom of my family, so it can't be given away... If you like seals, I have collected a few ancient seals from my ancestors..."

Luo Qingcheng suddenly turned around and called out a name.

Yuan Ruxuan was taken aback: "You...how did you know..."

Luo Qingcheng removed his mask and slowly said, "Look, who am I..."

With a clang, the seal in Yuan Ruxuan's hand fell to the ground...

After leaving the Yuan family's residence, the three returned to their original lodgings. Since that chaotic and eventful night, none of them had returned to live there, and a thin layer of dust had settled on the furniture.

Luo Qingcheng entered the house, tidied his things a bit, and glanced at the cup of tea. It had been sitting there for many days, turning a dark brown color, with some small white mold growing on the edges.

Luo Qingcheng was startled and suddenly asked, "Where did this cup of tea come from?"

Ye Xiao looked over and laughed, "This... it might be the one I poured it out that day. It was the night Miss Yuan invited you to dinner at Jianghu Xiaotan Pavilion. I was worried you'd be thirsty when you got back, so I brewed a big pot of tea for you and poured you a cup. Oh, I put it on the table then. Did you take it to the bedside table yourself?"

Luo Qingcheng remained silent, his eyes flashing with rapidly changing emotions, before quickly picking up the cup of tea and leaving.

The hibiscus in the courtyard had withered, but the herbalist was still there. He remained perfectly composed, leisurely drinking tea under the tree with a young boy. He didn't even frown when he saw Luo Qingcheng.

"You actually dare to stay here!" Luo Qingcheng said coldly.