The dishes that had just been served, being soupy, were naturally very hot, but Tang Huan didn't even frown, only slightly turning her head. The fleeting blush behind her ear didn't escape Green Cloud's notice. She suppressed a smile, deliberately ignoring her duties as a maid, burying her head in her rice bowl, letting Mo Xi do as she pleased. Tang Huan coughed lightly, and seeing Mo Xi's annoyed expression, said gently, "It's alright, we can change into something else later."
Mo Xi picked up another meatball, this time placing it carefully into Tang Huan's white jade bowl, and said with a fawning smile, "This is my apology." Lü Yun's face was practically pressed against the bottom of her bowl. Ahen thought to herself that this was all coming from someone else, but she kept her eyes down, not daring to utter a sound. After Tang Huan finished the meatball, the two exchanged a quick glance, then lowered their heads even further.
After this little incident, Tang Huan rarely spoke, and Lü Yun and A Hen became like gourds with their mouths sawed off. Mo Xi, however, seemed completely unaware, behaving naturally without showing the slightest embarrassment.
After the group had eaten and drunk their fill, they left.
A close call
( ) The carriage clattered along, and Mo Xi quietly watched the street scene outside the window.
Tang Huan's gaze fell on the magnetic tea tray, her expression as gentle as the tea itself.
From the moment she boarded the carriage, Lüyun stared intently out the window, her hands clenched tightly together under her sleeves, sweating profusely. As the carriage turned into the usually deserted Taiping Lane, she immediately spotted a house about thirty paces away, its entrance adorned with blooming glass begonias as red as jade. Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Lüyun averted her gaze, quickly glancing at Mo Xi, who was still looking out the window, then her eyes swept over the composed Tang Huan. A surge of anxiety welled up within her: "Young Master knows the danger, why did he insist on hosting Miss Mu's banquet today? What if something happens if we can't protect her in time?" She immediately resolved to protect Mo Xi, and thus quickly managed to regain her composure.
Suddenly, a petite figure emerged from a narrow alley about ten paces ahead. Ah-Hen, who had been on high alert, curled his lips into a contemptuous sneer. He was about to spur his horse over the frail figure without hesitation, but a reluctance struck him. In that moment of hesitation, he missed the optimal moment to slow his horse. His four well-trained, powerful steeds seemed to understand his fleeting thought, and simultaneously surged forward with even greater speed.
Mo Xi had already secretly grabbed the door handle the moment the carriage turned into Taiping Lane, channeling all his inner energy into his feet, ready to leap out at any moment.
The distance between the person and the carriage grew ever closer. Just as Mo Xi was about to push open the door and step out, in the nick of time, Tang Huan leaped out of the carriage and swiftly rushed towards the small, slender figure who was stunned and unable to dodge. Her swift, ethereal movement was only slightly less agile than Mo Xi's. Mo Xi loosened her grip on the doorknob. Even a moment later, she was confident she could have saved her, but even without Tang Huan's intervention, she had already decided not to risk it.
It turns out that she was still a human being, and still had a shred of compassion for life.
At this moment, Tang Huan had already pulled the ragged little beggar aside. Seeing that his young master had disregarded everything and risked his life to personally rescue him at this critical juncture, Ah Hen was filled with anxiety and regret. He should have known his young master's character; even at the cost of his own life, he should have saved the little beggar first. Now that the carriage had stopped, they were in a completely passive position! Moreover, this could very well be a ruse orchestrated by the other side! He quickly brought the carriage to a stop and cautiously looked around.
Mo Xi suppressed the sudden surge of self-loathing and despair that pierced her heart like solid ice, and suddenly struck with lightning speed, grabbing Lü Yun's pulse point and pulling her out of the carriage. At the same time, her left hand used Eagle Claw Kung Fu to grab Ahen, who was caught off guard and unable to resist, and with a roc spreading its wings, she grabbed and dragged the two out of the encirclement. In an instant, the carriage was riddled with holes by a dense rain of arrows, like a locust swarm passing through. Four Akhal-Teke horses were hit by arrows at the same time, and soon two of them collapsed. For a moment, the neighing and groaning of horses were incessant. Blood stained the long street, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.
Mo Xi led the two to Tang Huan's side and set them down. Seeing that he had already pressed Xi'er's pressure point to put her to sleep, she nodded and was about to reach out to take her when Tang Huan turned and scooped Xi'er up in his arms. Mo Xi cursed inwardly. "I just showed off my skills to save your two servants, and now you've turned around and ruined my life! It's too late to avoid getting involved now. Conscience is truly deadly!" This cunning fellow, he was genuinely saving them, and now he's holding a hostage. He must have noticed something amiss with Mo Xi'er's attitude. With Xi'er, he's not afraid Mo Xi won't let him fend off the pursuers! This is truly a case of being too clever for his own good, getting himself into a trap, and now regretting it too late. Fishing in troubled waters, my foot! This slippery fish has already been caught red-handed!
Despite his reluctance, Mo Xi had no choice but to draw his soft sword and deflect the arrows raining down on Tang Huan from all directions. Even the most ineffective weapons of the Tang Clan had to be handled with care. Ordinary arrows, if they hit him, would not only allow him to vent his anger but also give him the opportunity to snatch Xi'er back and escape. Even with Xi'er in his arms, Mo Xi would only suffer minor injuries. But this plan wouldn't work. This guy had no parents in the Tang Clan; who knew if he could withstand the poison on those arrows? If he couldn't, even a small injury could be fatal for Mo Xi protecting Xi'er.
Ignoring their astonishment at Mo Xi's unpredictable lightness skill, Green Cloud and Ah Hen followed Tang Huan and leaped into the air. The four of them scaled walls and rooftops, making their way towards the Ingenious Pavilion. Ah Hen, already possessing solid lower body strength, naturally had considerable lightness skill. Green Cloud drew a golden silk belt from her waist, tossed and pulled it, and it encircled Ah Hen's waist. Using his momentum, she moved swiftly, her green sleeves swirling like flowing clouds, dazzling the eye and deflecting countless arrows. At this moment, she was not surprised that Mo Xi had concealed his martial arts skills; instead, she was grateful for her life-saving grace. At the same time, she felt relieved, knowing she no longer needed to worry about Mo Xi's safety. With this in mind, Green Cloud acted with even greater composure.
Tang Huan, carrying Xi'er, slowed his pace. Behind them, about thirty skilled fighters in tight-fitting clothes, under the cover of archers, relentlessly pursued, gradually closing the distance. The sound of their footsteps on the rooftops was as dense as drumbeats. When they were only a few feet away, they all pulled out what they were carrying. Mo Xi immediately sensed something was wrong. Each of them held a sandalwood box, adorned with a barrage of pear-blossom nails! Sure enough, Tang Li used his own things without restraint! Mo Xi couldn't help but imagine how Tang Huan must feel, being chased by his own carefully orchestrated scheme. In this critical moment, he couldn't afford to gloat and quickly looked at Tang Huan. If this guy hadn't kept a backup plan, his life would be over right now, losing face on someone else's rooftop!
In the nick of time, a barrage of black arrows suddenly rained down on the pursuing troops. A group of crossbowmen, who had been lying in ambush on the rooftops for about two hundred meters, were vaguely visible. They had clearly been waiting for Tang Huan to lure the pursuers into their encirclement, and had finally struck before the barrage of arrows could be unleashed. Caught completely off guard, the thirty-odd men were instantly killed, losing more than half their number, greatly relieving the pressure on Mo Xi and his three companions. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the four quickly escaped the range of the barrage of arrows.
These crossbows have a maximum range of 600 meters. Their drawback is that they reload more slowly than ordinary bows and arrows, making them suitable only for ambushes; they are not flexible enough for direct confrontation. Their advantage is that they do not require aiming while drawing the string, and they demand less strength from the crossbowman, relying entirely on the mechanical force of the bow and arrow for a powerful shot. Their brilliance lies in their significantly greater range than ordinary bows and arrows, leaving enemy archers unable to retaliate.
Needless to say, it was Tang Si's design.
In the midst of this chase, the four, carrying Xi'er, had already slipped into the inner courtyard of the Ingenious Pavilion. Once on their territory, Tang Si smiled slightly, tossed Xi'er to Mo Xi, and then proceeded with strange, unpredictable steps, whether activating or avoiding mechanisms, or both. Mo Xi had no way to retreat and could only follow closely. Tang Si's plan was to use her as bait to lure them deeper into his territory. Now, forget about escaping; even taking a step back could trigger a trap. In the current situation, Mo Xi had been kidnapped by Tang Si and had become his free bodyguard.
They moved through the warehouse as if it were empty. Tang Huan pulled out a token from a row of small boxes and placed it inside. With a click, the entire row of storage cabinets slowly opened. The group quickly slipped inside and disappeared into the darkness.
After walking about twenty steps, they reached the end of the secret passage. Tang Huan knocked on the wall three times, rested for five seconds, and repeated this three times until the wall slowly opened. Two people were already waiting outside. Mo Xi recognized one of them; he was the waiter who had entertained her at the Jiqiao Pavilion the first time. It turned out that the secret passage led to Qing next door, which was presumably also Tang Huan's property. The Jiqiao Pavilion, located in a brothel, served as a double hideout. Qing was frequented by many people, making it a good place to conceal their activities. The two people waiting outside were somewhat surprised to see Mo Xi following Tang Huan out of the secret passage, carrying a small beggar in her arms.
The man she'd only met once was quite perceptive; he quickly grabbed a set of men's clothes from the wardrobe and handed them to Mo Xi. It was unclear whether they'd been left by a client. Tang Huan and the other two were clearly prepared; with a flick of their sleeves, they removed their ornate outer garments, revealing inconspicuous dark clothing underneath. Even Lü Yun wore trousers and a narrow robe for ease of movement. Mo Xi placed Xi'er on the bed and began to undress herself, her movements swift and unpretentious. Everyone else present was stunned. Tang Huan was the first to recover, her gaze sweeping sharply over the other three men, who all turned their backs. Lü Yun secretly gasped, realizing she'd misjudged this seemingly simple girl; she was a formidable character.
Mo Xi quickly finished dressing and said as if nothing had happened, "Let's go."
Tang Huan led the group through the central courtyard with an air of nonchalance, heading towards the backyard. It seemed they were about to use water escape techniques.
As expected, the other side, like Mo Xi, had surveyed the terrain and found no way out behind the Ingenious Pavilion. Therefore, they did not set up any defenses on the water. The group pursuing them had already joined up with all the experts who were lying in ambush around the main gate. Even though they watched them enter the Ingenious Pavilion, they were wary of the traps inside and could only try to block them without daring to attack rashly. As a result, Tang Si and his group were able to escape by water at their leisure.
Instead of a magnificent pleasure boat, an inconspicuous small fishing boat was moored by the water. Mo Xi followed Tang Huan into the cabin. Setting Xi'er aside, she swiftly drew a thin, cicada-wing-like dagger from her sleeve, silently pressing it against Tang Huan's carotid artery. Close to his ear, she whispered in an incredibly gentle voice, "I won't hurt you." Tang Huan could only manage a half-sigh when she struck twelve acupoints on his body, rendering him speechless. His handsome face contorted as if he had drunk bitter medicine.
Embrace
( ) When Green Cloud saw Mo Xi suddenly make a move, and saw that her usually bright eyes had turned cold and sharp, she suddenly felt as if someone had choked her, and the scream that was already in her throat could not be uttered for a moment.
"Did you drug me?" Mo Xi hadn't dared to attack him because while it wasn't difficult to inflict bloodshed, it was impossible for her to kill Ahen, Lüyun, and Tang Huan simultaneously in an instant. If any of them had a chance to catch their breath, Mo Xi would be unable to escape the Tang Clan's poison. Attacking him at his home was tantamount to walking into a trap for someone like Tang Huan, whose home had a security system comparable to a museum; it was an impossible path.
But now that she was on the wrong side of the law, she had no choice but to take a risky gamble.
Just as Lü Yun was at a loss for what to do, Mo Xi suddenly launched another attack, striking Tang Huan twice on the back of his knee with his right knee, causing him to fall to the floor of the cabin. At the same time, he raised his right hand, and with the hilt of his dagger, he struck Lü Yun's Jianjing acupoint. Striking this acupoint can paralyze the whole body, and because it is close to the throat, the initial strike will render him unable to speak.
She then retrieved the dagger, slowly sitting down next to Tang Huan. Her right arm encircled Tang Huan's neck, still concealing the dagger in her sleeve, pressed against Tang Huan's carotid artery. Her left hand gripped the pulse point on Tang Huan's left wrist, their sleeves concealing each other. She struck a standard pose, the kind of pose one would see everywhere in the Qingchu Pavilion, embracing a male prostitute.
Green Cloud was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. Her young master, such a divine figure, was being threatened in such a lewd manner by a young girl.
"I'll ask, you answer. If you answer poorly or incorrectly, your young master will be disfigured." As she spoke, she gently stroked Tang Si's perfectly sculpted profile with the sleeve of her right hand. Mo Xi didn't expect to pry anything out of Tang Huan; her question was purely a diversion. She was certain he had drugged her; otherwise, someone like Tang Huan wouldn't be so unguarded, completely emboldened. Before she lost her martial arts skills, she would strike first.
"Does the Tang Clan have an agreement with the imperial court?" This was Mo Xi's biggest concern, and also the initial reason she took on Tang Si, this hot potato. She had repeatedly, intentionally or unintentionally, ruined the Seventh Prince's plans. Since the organization could so easily hand over Lin Sen and Wu Hao, two peerless weapons, as bargaining chips, they certainly wouldn't have any consideration for a second-rate character like her. Perhaps once the wrangling between the two sides ended and they entered a honeymoon period of cooperation, she would be the first to be sacrificed. Although the Tang Clan sold hidden weapons and poisons, as far as Mo Xi knew, top-tier items, such as the "King of Hidden Weapons," the Rain of Pear Blossoms Nail, and the "One Stick of Incense," were simply unavailable even with money; they required the approval of the Elder Council before being sold. Otherwise, it could very well lead to the tragedy of enemies using weapons and poisons developed by the Tang Clan to attack them. The Tang Clan's "One Stick of Incense" was far beyond the reach of a drunken monk like Ru Wu, who knew absolutely no martial arts. Could the Seventh Prince be colluding with the Tang Clan?
The future successors of the Tang Clan are clearly divided into two major factions, with Tang Li and Tang Huan already locked in a bitter and irreconcilable conflict. Tang Huan has been biding his time for over a decade, and Tang Li appears to hold the absolute advantage within the Tang Clan, especially considering that the sect leader, Tang Yun, is his biological father. If the Seventh Prince were to seek some kind of tacit agreement with the Tang Clan, he would most likely approach Tang Yun and his son.
"Starting next year, all pharmacies of the Tang Clan will be exempt from paying taxes to the imperial court." Green Cloud saw no intention to object in Tang Huan's eyes and decided to cooperate. Besides, everyone in the Tang Clan knew about this.
Mo Xi sneered inwardly; this was using national treasury funds to do personal favors.
"Which high-ranking official in the court reached an agreement with the Tang Clan? What price will the Tang Clan have to pay?"
"Please forgive me for not knowing this. The Tang Clan handles these matters in secret from the young master, so I have no way of knowing."
Just because Green Cloud didn't know didn't mean Tang Huan didn't know. However, Mo Xi nodded, tacitly agreeing with her explanation.
"How could the young lady of the Yuejian Sect die on her wedding night?" Mo Xi's life is now in Tang Huan's hands, and she doesn't understand his personality and style. Although they've completely fallen out, Tang Huan and Tang Li haven't reached the point of direct confrontation yet. Tang Huan revealed his last trump card to save a complete stranger, a little beggar. How could someone like him drag the unrelated Miss Xiao into this mess and let her die innocently? Even if we take a step back, there's a risk that Xiao Qingyuan might find out the truth and directly confront Tang Huan. Sometimes, a borrowed knife can backfire.
"She deserves it. That woman is as venomous as a snake." Green Cloud blurted out these words indignantly, then immediately fell silent, secretly glancing at Tang Huan, after all, this involved her master's private affairs. Seeing his calm expression, she continued, "Everyone in the martial arts world envies the young master for marrying the eldest daughter of the prestigious Yuejian Sect, but who knows that this Miss Xiao is a fickle and promiscuous woman? She had an affair with her senior brother first, and then immediately fell in love with our young master."
It wouldn't be difficult for Tang Huan to make Xiao Qin mistake him for Tang Li. As long as he had the unique seal and the legend that Tang Huan was a cripple, Miss Xiao would never have thought of this substitution.
But Mo Xi was confused. Even so, Miss Xiao didn't deserve to die. Was Tang Si some kind of moral guardian? Was he allowed to seduce women, but women weren't allowed to be fickle? She subconsciously stroked Tang Si's wrist lightly. Could this poor boy still be a virgin? Or perhaps, in his act of feigning paralysis, he'd gotten too into it, and at twenty years old, he'd never had sex, leading to a hormonal imbalance and a twisted mentality. He now deeply despised and loathed so-called unchaste women who had premarital sex, and simply decided to stand up for justice?
Perhaps Mo Xi was too engrossed in his thoughts, involuntarily revealing a lewd expression. Green Cloud hurriedly said, "Miss Mu, please don't misunderstand. Our young master and that viper have always been completely innocent. Our young master did it for..." She paused, glancing at Tang Huan. Seeing a trace of sorrow in his eyes, but without stopping her, she continued, "For our young lady. Our young lady was separated from our young master's family when she was young. The master and mistress only agreed to return to Tang Family Fortress to find her. Our young lady was originally in love with Xiao Qin's eldest brother, but Xiao Qin, relying on her status as the eldest daughter and promising her future, stole her away and even had people commit inhuman acts against her. Our poor, angelic young lady, unable to bear the double blow of humiliation and betrayal, committed suicide." Green Cloud grew increasingly grief-stricken, tears welling in her eyes.
Mo Xi felt that what she said was probably true. Meeting Tang Huan at the mountain to sweep Xiao Qin's grave was the day after Xiao Qin's death; no wonder Tang Huan had a relieved expression—he had personally avenged his sister. The fact that Tang Huan's sister's tombstone was unmarked was also easily explained: neither Tang Huan's name, the one who erected the tombstone, nor the name of the deceased, Miss Tang, could be inscribed. Attracting the attention of either the Tang Clan or the Yuejian Clan would be disadvantageous for Tang Huan; firstly, it might expose his whereabouts, and secondly, it would disrupt his plans.
If Tang Huan had a reason for killing Xiao Qin, then his chances of letting Mo Xi go would undoubtedly be much greater. Even though Tang Li's pursuers were no longer behind her, she couldn't risk leaving now; if the poison took effect midway, she wouldn't have a shred of hope for survival. Killing Tang Huan was even worse; killing him would be like throwing the antidote into the Huangpu River, resulting in mutual destruction. Mo Xi now wished she could pinch Tang Huan hard to vent her anger. She truly couldn't leave, and she couldn't kill him either.
The antidote still requires the person who poisoned her. Thinking of this, Mo Xi whispered in Tang Huan's ear, "Be good, and I'll let you speak, okay?"