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Suddenly, Su Xiuning's voice came from behind. Xia Muxin turned to look and saw her in a plain dress, running towards them while the panting Qin Matron followed closely behind.
Shen Muhan frowned in extreme annoyance. If it weren't for his habit of not hitting women, he would have sent this persistent woman flying far away by now.
He couldn't find a moment of peace; why hadn't he noticed before how bothersome and clingy Su Xiuning was?
Just then, Xia Muxin's sharp eyes caught sight of a figure hurrying towards the main gate. Guessing it was the Retired Emperor arriving, she exchanged a glance with Shen Muhan. He had already heard the footsteps and replied, "Hmm."
With that simple response, he dismissed Su Xiuning and took Xia Muxin to the back door.
"Hey, hey, Brother Mu Han, this way, this way!"
Watching their retreating figures, Su Xiuning stomped her feet in frustration and helplessly ran after them.
Qin Matron, who was at least in her fifties, held a delicate flower basket filled with incense papers and other items. After finally catching her breath, she had barely settled when she found herself running again. At this rate, her old body would be worn out soon.
After walking for over half an hour, they arrived at Moon Elder Temple. Xia Muxin felt quite comfortable along the way. Knowing Shen Muhan hadn't had breakfast, she pulled him into a noodle shop and ordered a large bowl of noodles. However, she ended up eating half of it herself and felt so full that she needed to walk to digest it.
She was fine; when tired, she had Shen Muhan to carry her. But the two women behind them were pitifully drenched in sweat. One held a wooden stick, her hair disheveled and sticking to her face due to sweat, as she gasped for air.
Her embroidered shoes were no longer recognizable due to the mud on the path to Moon Elder Temple. That stretch of road was notoriously difficult to traverse; it was full of pits and muddy even on sunny days because water would occasionally gush out like a fountain from the mountain, splattering onto that road. As a result, it remained muddy year-round.
"Miss Su, you really need to exercise more. At such a young age, you can barely keep going after just this little walk. What will you do when you get older?"
Seeing her in such a disheveled state, Xia Muxin couldn't help but speak up with a "kind heart."
Su Xiuning shot her a fierce glare and leaned closer to Shen Muhan.
"Brother Mu Han, I feel dizzy and unwell."
Shen Muhan braced himself, avoiding her physical closeness, yet still used his strength to support her leaning body. Noticing that she was indeed exhausted, he said calmly, "If you're tired, just sit over there and rest for a while."
Su Xiuning's brows lifted in delight as she looked toward the spot he pointed at. However, her expression quickly turned to one of distress as she pouted and said, "It's so dirty over there..."
"In that case, you should just go down the mountain. It's much easier to go down than to come up; you could do it with your eyes closed out of habit."
Upon hearing this, Shen Muhan withdrew his hand without mercy.
Caught off guard by his action, Su Xiuning stumbled and nearly fell flat on her back. Before she could voice her grievances, she saw Shen Muhan leading Xia Muxin away.
Fuming, she stomped her feet in frustration.
"Miss, this won't work. The Young Master is currently enchanted by that little vixen. You're only asking for trouble like this; in the end, it will be a loss for you."
Qin Matron had followed closely behind and had witnessed the entire scene. Having spent many years in the palace observing the schemes and rivalries among the concubines, she had become immune to such antics. Xia Muxin was a formidable character; not only was she powerful, but she also possessed the ability to captivate others. If Su Xiuning wanted to draw Shen Muhan's attention, she would need to put in some effort somewhere.
"Grandma, do you mean..."
Trusting Qin Matron Su Xiuning greatly, she leaned in to ask. Qin Matron also leaned down, whispering in her ear for quite a while. After exchanging a glance, they slowly made their way up.
Upon reaching the top of the mountain, Xia Muxin was taken aback by the crowd, which rivaled that of the New Year celebrations in Town.
The Moon Elder Temple was not large and showed signs of age, but just by looking at the throngs of people, one could tell it had quite a reputation. In front of the temple stood a large tree adorned with red ribbons. Beside it was a rectangular table where a man with a mustache, resembling a Star Anise, was calling out to passersby.
Many young men and women bought red ribbons from him, writing their wishes on them before tying them to the tree.
"Uncle, let's go check out the back," Xia Muxin suggested after losing interest in the scene.
Shen Muhan naturally did not enjoy such crowds. Upon hearing Xia Muxin's suggestion, he took her hand and led her toward the back of the Moon Elder Temple.
"By the way, Uncle, what about Ming Lie and the Zhao Family Brothers? Are they going to come looking for you again?"
As they strolled leisurely, Xia Muxin finally voiced her long-held concerns.
"They won't for now," Shen Muhan replied honestly. After their last encounter, Ming Lie would need at least three months to recuperate, so he could enjoy some peace during that time.
"Uncle, once we deal with these annoying people and things, will you teach me martial arts?"
"Why do you want to learn martial arts?"
"Because I want to stand by your side when you encounter bad people, rather than holding you back and hiding behind you for safety."
"You fool, I am more than willing."
By the time Su Xiuning arrived at the Moon Elder Temple, people were already coming down the mountain in groups. However, she circled the entire Moon Elder Temple several times without seeing Shen Muhan and Xia Muxin, and her anger began to boil.
With no other choice, she knelt in prayer and then rented a Jiaozi to head down the mountain.
"Alright, it seems most have left. Let's go inside and take a look."
When Shen Muhan and Xia Muxin finally emerged from behind the mountain, it was already lunchtime. Seeing only a few people around, they exchanged smiles and walked hand in hand into the Moon Elder Temple.
"Are you here to seek a romantic relationship?"
As most of the visitors had already left, a Child who was cleaning saw them and approached respectfully.
Xia Muxin smiled as she patted the Child's head and said, "The romance is right before our eyes; we are just here to celebrate the Matchmaker's birthday."
Saying this, she took out a silver ingot to buy some paper incense and knelt in prayer.
The Child looked at them in confusion, not understanding the situation even as they descended the mountain together.
"Master, why are these two not wearing red ribbons? Shouldn't they be asking about romance?"
Seeing her master arrive, the Child stepped forward to ask.
The master merely looked at Child and smiled lightly, not answering directly.
Xia Muxin and Shen Muhan continued walking along the mountain path, feeling no fatigue but rather enjoying their time together.
"Young Master, Young Master..."
As they reached halfway up the mountain, a faint voice called out. Xia Muxin heard it, and Shen Muhan heard it even more clearly. They exchanged glances and turned toward the source of the sound.
To their surprise, they saw Qin Matron stretching out her blood-stained hand, waving slightly.
"Qin Matron, what happened?"
Shen Muhan and Xia Muxin hurried over and pulled Qin Matron out from the thick weeds. Her clothes were wrinkled and stained with blood, her eyes filled with fear as if she had just experienced something terrible. She scanned the surroundings but did not see Su Xiuning, so she furrowed her brow and asked.
Qin Matron was close to the Empress Dowager, while Su Xiuning was the daughter of the Prime Minister. It was strange that they had come to Moon Elder Temple together, yet one was missing and the other injured. It simply didn't add up.
"Young Master, I kneel before you. Please save Miss Su; she has been abducted."
Qin Matron trembled all over as she knelt before Shen Muhan, tears streaming down her face.
"Which direction did they go?"
Shen Muhan looked at her, paused for a moment, then asked.
"That way, that way."
Qin Matron pointed with her blood-stained hand toward the opposite direction. In an instant, Shen Muhan placed his index finger to his lips and blew gently, immediately summoning a dozen shadowy figures.
"Everyone split up and make sure to find Miss Su."
Shen Muhan issued the urgent order, and after giving it, he grabbed Xia Muxin and headed in that direction. Qin Matron was thrown over the shoulder of a man in black, and no matter how much she shouted, he remained indifferent.
"Uncle, do you think this could be a scam?"
On the way, Xia Muxin noticed that the road was wide and there were no intersections. Occasionally, couples would brush past them, prompting her to ask with suspicion.
"Given Su Xiuning's personality, it shouldn't be," Shen Muhan replied confidently.
*
"Woo... woo..."
In a hidden thicket, Su Xiuning was tied up in a disheveled state. In front of her stood several tall Masked Men. Seeing her struggle, one of them spoke up:
"Miss Su, as long as you cooperate obediently, we won't harm you. Once Shen Muhan is dead, that wild Girl will be left to you to deal with. For now, all you need to do is perform a captivating act with us."
- End of Chapter -
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