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墨書 Inktalez
"Did you forget to bring a change of clothes? Would you like me to get them for you?"
The voice was enchanting, sending shivers down Xia Muxin's spine. She paused in her movements, quickly reaching for the screen and slipping back into the clothes she had just taken off. With a calm demeanor, she stepped out from behind the screen.
The man was tall and dressed in white, immaculate and unblemished. His face was covered by a white mask, leaving only his elegantly curved chin and a pair of fox-like eyes visible. At that moment, he wore a subtly alluring yet deadly smile.
Xia Muxin studied him for a moment, her heart certain that he was the monster her uncle had mentioned, even more formidable than the Undying Old Demon. After a brief pause, she waved her hand and said, "Hello there, handsome. My uncle was led away by one of your dogs. I mean, you're a man too; why act like a scoundrel? My uncle would never scheme behind someone's back or toy with an enemy's woman."
Looking at the man, Xia Muxin found herself no longer afraid. She casually picked up an apple from the table and began to eat it slowly.
"It seems... you're not really his woman, are you?"
The man leaned forward and sat directly across from Xia Muxin, his fox-like eyes fixed intently on her as she ate the apple, exhaling lightly.
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin clapped her hands together and replied sweetly, "If even this handsome guy can guess that, then it’s true what my uncle said—you're even more terrifying than a monster."
"Hahaha..."
At her words, the man threw his head back and laughed heartily.
"Alright then, are you going to fight or kill me? Just give me a sign so I can prepare."
Xia Muxin finished the apple in a few bites and spat out the seeds before speaking slowly.
"Interesting, very interesting. Come on, let me take you to see a good show."
The man, however, did not intend to make things difficult for Xia Muxin. After speaking, he stood up and walked toward the door. Xia Muxin, undeterred, followed in his footsteps. Just as they reached the doorway, the man stretched out his long arm and lifted Xia Muxin as if she were a small chick. With a leap, he disappeared from the private room.
"Hey, you bastard, where are you taking your aunt?"
Along the way, Xia Muxin nearly choked on her own collar as she looked up at the man who had been carrying her for quite some time without breaking a sweat. She spoke with an unfriendly tone.
"What’s the rush? The best part is yet to come. Don’t expect Shen Muhan to come; he’s probably in a tight spot right now."
At these words, Xia Muxin's eyes turned cold, and she immediately drew her small curved dagger and aimed it at the man's abdomen.
The man seemed to anticipate her move; he slightly shifted his waist and avoided her stab effortlessly. With one hand, he snatched her dagger away and let out a cold snort through his nose.
Xia Muxin was furious at this point. She began to lash out at him like a wild animal, wrapping her arms around his sturdy waist and biting down hard while her nails clawed at him without restraint.
The man was momentarily taken aback by her unexpected behavior. He looked down at the woman who was flailing on him, his lips twitching. This was the woman Shen Muhan had his eye on? She seemed rather shallow...
Suddenly, he halted as Xia Muxin struggled slightly and slipped from his grasp, landing directly on the gravel-covered ground. The impact made her grit her teeth in pain.
Immediately, she performed a swift roll and sprang back up, quickly reclaiming her small dagger from the white-clad man. She fixed her gaze on him as the blade traced down his chest.
"Hey handsome, tell me, where should I cut you?"
Xia Muxin's eyes glinted mischievously as she scanned him from head to toe before finally landing on a particular spot with ill intent.
"You dare..."
The man followed her gaze downward and gritted his teeth in anger.
"You’ve really misjudged me; there’s nothing I wouldn’t dare."
A charming smile played on Xia Muxin's lips. At that moment, to the white-clad man, she seemed like the King of Hell. Meanwhile, he felt a sharp pain in his chest as Xia Muxin made a shallow cut with her dagger. Though it wasn't deep, it still left a trace of blood.
"Hahaha, truly a case of searching high and low without success, only to find it effortlessly. Qing Ran, oh Qing Ran, did you really think you could stay up there on that mountain forever?"
Suddenly, a gust of wind rushed in, and Xia Muxin swiftly dodged to the side. Moments later, three dark figures appeared about ten meters away from her.
Two of them were familiar; they were brothers, Zhao Yangwei and Zhao Yaowu. The other one... was somewhat recognizable as well.
However, she was more concerned about what they had just said. This man in white was indeed Qing Ran, as Shen Muhan had mentioned. Therefore, the real enemies were these three.
"Hey, you damn girl, hurry up and release my acupoints!"
Qing Ran looked at the three with countless black lines appearing on his forehead, and then he quietly urged Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin turned to him and finally replied helplessly, "No one taught me how to release acupoints."
"......"
Besides, it was you who teased me first and led the uncle away. Isn't this just reaping what you sow? That uncle really is getting more foolish as time goes by; he actually chased after someone just because they provoked him a bit.
"Big brother, do you smell that fragrance from the blood of your favorite prey? This girl has quite the temper; she's not easy to deal with."
Zhao Yangwei glanced at Zhao Yaowu, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he spoke meaningfully.
The figure in black with a mask remained silent throughout, standing quietly with his hands behind his back.
"Haha, no matter how strong she is, I can still make her submit like a docile little lamb, just waiting for me to feast on."
At that moment, Zhao Yaowu let out a laugh reminiscent of a ghost in the night, licking his lips with a lewd grin.
Damn, these three are truly something else. I never expected the two sons of the Zhao Family to be like this, especially Zhao Yaowu, who is neither male nor female, even stranger than a transgender person. He really knows how to put on a show during the day, not revealing a hint of his true self.
"Is that so? Then it depends on whether you have the ability," Ming Lie said, "Long time no see."
Xia Muxin was anxiously thinking of a countermeasure when suddenly she was pulled into a familiar embrace. Who else could it be but Shen Muhan?
As he landed, Ming Yiming Peng and Ming Qi followed closely behind.
"Shen Muhan, you’re up to something," the Zhao Family brothers said as they took a few steps back, their voices filled with hostility.
Shen Muhan merely tilted his head back and laughed a few times.
"Hahaha, all's fair in war, isn’t that what you taught us?"
Then, a stone was thrown at Qing Ran's waist. He paused for a moment but soon regained his ability to move freely.
However, he didn’t dare face Shen Muhan directly; after all, he had just teased his woman. He figured he might end up getting skinned alive for that. He was also curious—since Shen Muhan had a woman he cared about, it seemed he had gone too far this time and almost caused her harm.
"Uncle, are we cats or mice now?" Xia Muxin asked Shen Muhan, feeling somewhat confused by the situation.
Shen Muhan smirked slightly and replied nonchalantly, "We are mice... and also cats."
Uh... A mouse escaping from home being caught by a wild cat? Is this really fun?
What exactly is this intricate play about?
“Shen Muhan, it’s time for our life-and-death battle again. Have your injuries from last time healed? Are you confident you can withstand three of my moves?”
The man named Ming Lie finally spoke, causing Xia Muxin to freeze momentarily. That voice...
Three tigers, yes, that time, and the uncle was injured. Instantly, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Shen Muhan.
“Qing Ran, it’s up to you.”
Shen Muhan didn’t look at her but instead pushed Xia Muxin into Qing Ran's hands with a deft motion. Immediately, over a dozen figures leaped into action, followed by a dazzling display of blades and swords.
“If you don’t want him to be distracted, just stay put.”
Qing Ran’s voice returned to normal, but Xia Muxin reached out and directly removed his mask. Even though it was night, she could still see his doll-like face clearly, leaving her unsure of what expression to make.
In terms of height and movements, Qing Ran appeared to be a normal adult; however, beneath that mask was a youthful face that seemed far too young.
This left her quite puzzled.
Qing Ran hadn’t expected her to take such an action. His doll-like face turned crimson with anger as he snatched the white mask back from Xia Muxin and put it on again.
Xia Muxin pouted; this was his sore spot and could be considered revenge for his earlier teasing.
“Hey, my uncle won’t be in trouble, will he? Aren’t you supposed to be really strong? Why are you just standing here like a turtle? Also, who is that Ming Lie? He’s like some kind of monster; it’s really annoying.”
After a long silence, feeling anxious, Xia Muxin couldn’t help but ask Qing Ran.
“They are fellow disciples—one soft and one hard, one yin and one yang. Their martial arts are mutually restraining. Ming Lie is the second prince of the Underworld, arrogant and ambitious. After mastering his skills, he killed his master and all his fellow disciples one by one, intending to kill his father and brother as well. As a result, two nations went to war; at that time, it was Shen Muhan leading the troops who directly annihilated the entire Underworld, shattering Ming Lie’s dreams of becoming emperor. To avenge his master and fellow disciples, Shen Muhan even severed his tendons. Ten years later, not only has he revived but his skills have become even more formidable. He swears to kill Shen Muhan to vent his hatred.”
Annihilation of a nation...
"What kind of country is the Underworld?"
The Shen Muhan she knew would never indiscriminately kill innocents. What about the common people if a nation were destroyed?
"Burning, killing, looting—there's no evil they won't commit."
"So they're just dogs biting dogs. Why does Uncle still have to go all out to eliminate them?"
"Forced by circumstances, there's no other choice."
At this moment, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Doll Face, do you want to go help? They may be powerful, but that Ming Lie seems even stronger. My uncle said you're the most formidable one."
Xia Muxin looked at the glaring red on his chest, coughed awkwardly a couple of times, and then cleared her throat to say, "Shen Muhan always has things arranged. If he says not to interfere, then we can't interfere."
Qing Ran turned to look at her, his fox-like eyes particularly strange. Then he picked up Xia Muxin and leaped into the night, disappearing from sight.
"Hey! Doll Face! You little brat, where are you taking me now?"
Having been lifted like this by such a small face twice already, Xia Muxin felt utterly humiliated and shouted loudly at Qing Ran.
"To Shen Manor."
"What did you say..."
"I like quiet women."
In the end, with her acupoints sealed, Xia Muxin could only glare at Qing Ran with her eyes, tears brimming. Didn't Uncle say he wouldn't let her face the wolves and tigers of his family? How could he change his mind in an instant?
Shen Manor was brightly lit despite the late hour, with a crowd gathered in the hall. When Xia Muxin was thrown down, she was met with dozens of curious and bewildered gazes.
Looking at Qing Ran, all she saw was his nonchalant back.
Ah, Qing Ran, you insufferable brat with that baby face that never seems to grow up! If I survive until tomorrow's sunrise, I swear I'll beat you so badly that even your mother won't recognize you.
"Hey hey hey... hello everyone."
However, the intense stares made Xia Muxin feel uncomfortable. Forgetting about revenge for the moment, she waved amiably at the crowd and greeted them cheerfully.
At that moment, she looked rather disheveled; her hair was a mess, her clothes were slightly askew, and to top it off, she had just been tossed down by that damn Qing Ran, leaving her in quite an embarrassing position.
"You are the woman Han Er fancies?"
Old Master Shen raised his bushy eyebrows and fixed his sharp gaze on Xia Muxin. After staring for a while, he spoke dismissively.
"Grandfather, I think it's more appropriate for you to ask your Han Er that question. How would I know what he thinks? Don't you agree?"
Xia Muxin hated being questioned and having someone point a finger at her. Her impression of Shen Muhan's grandfather plummeted, but the smile in her eyes only grew.
As soon as Xia Muxin spoke, the entire Shen Manor fell silent. This woman was not easy to deal with; no wonder Xiuxiu had cried so heartbreakingly.
"What the young lady says is true, but... we are not acquainted. It wouldn't be proper to take in a stranger like you for the night, would it? If something were to happen tomorrow, we wouldn't have a good explanation," said a middle-aged maid who glared at her.
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin turned toward the voice and saw the maid glaring at her. Pausing for a moment, she smiled sweetly and said:
"What this Aunt says is correct. May I ask your name? Tomorrow when my uncle asks about me, I should have an answer ready. It wouldn’t do to leave without knowing who let me out of the manor. You mentioned I'm just a weak woman with such beauty; if something were to happen to me on this cold winter night, how would you all at Shen Manor explain yourselves? Wouldn't that be quite troublesome?"
Her words left the maid speechless.
After a long pause, the maid finally managed to catch her breath and said:
"I am the Qin Matron of Su Residence. Why don't you come back with me to Su Residence and stay for a night?"
No wonder the hostility was so apparent; it turned out she was a spy. However, for a servant from Su Residence to speak so boldly in Shen Manor, especially in front of Old Master Shen and Lord Shen, indicated that her status was not ordinary.
Emma thought, with wolves in front and tigers behind, and that doll-like face leaving her here without a care—wasn't this just asking for trouble?
"Qin Matron, what brings you here at such a late hour? Is there something unspeakable going on, or have you taken a liking to the butler of Shen Manor, or perhaps one of the Iron-Blooded Sixteen Knights?"
Xia Muxin was at a loss for words. As long as she didn’t offend the Shen Family, she just needed to put the Qin Matron in her place. If Shen Muhan hadn’t returned yet, then she wouldn’t hold back her true nature.
The Qin Matron was an experienced matron who had served the Empress Dowager. She was like a mother to the Empress Dowager; even the Emperor had to show her respect. Her presence at Su Residence was merely because the Empress Dowager favored Miss Su and wanted her to teach some etiquette temporarily. Moreover, she had lived in the palace for so long that she had dedicated herself entirely to the Empress Dowager and had never sought a husband. Now, after Xia Muxin's reckless words, her well-maintained face flushed red with anger.
How could Shen Muhan, the eldest son of Shen Marquis Residence and the Regent appointed by the Emperor, have such poor taste as to be interested in such a crude girl?
Furthermore, she had stayed in Shen Manor today specifically to gather news about whether Shen Muhan had returned home. With Xia Muxin's remarks drawing dozens of eyes toward her—including Old Master Shen’s—she waved her hand in frustration, stamping her foot but unable to utter a word before storming off in anger.
"Aunt, it's dark at night; be careful not to trip," Xia Muxin called out with a tongue-in-cheek warning as she stuck her tongue out at the retreating figure.
- End of Chapter -
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