roccoschili Chapter 496 The Entanglement Between the Chen and Zhao Families of Jiangnan
Chapter 496 The Entanglement Between the Chen and Zhao Families of Jiangnan
The burly man's gaze swept over the corpses scattered on the ground, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
He looked at the young man standing in the middle of the pile of corpses, his moon-white robe unstained by a single drop of blood.
His hand rested on the hilt of the knife, his eyes cold.
"Who exactly are you?"
Qin Mu looked at him, smiled, and said, "Guess."
The sword in his hand was still dripping with blood, drop after drop, falling onto the yellow earth and spreading a small, dark stain.
He did not swing his sword again, but simply stood there, his moon-white robe fluttering gently in the evening breeze, like a silent flag.
The burly man gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
With a wave of his hand, the men in black behind him drew their swords and charged forward with strange cries.
Qin Mu sighed.
He neither retreated nor dodged, but simply stepped forward, and the sword light shone once more.
This time it was faster, more ruthless, and more merciless than before.
The sword's edge sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound, like some ancient lament.
The first man in black to rush forward had half his head sliced off by a sword, his brains and blood splattering all over the faces of those behind him.
The second one was stabbed in the throat, the tip of the sword protruding from the back of his neck, blood droplets rolling down the blade and dripping onto the ground.
The third, the fourth, the fifth... fell one after another, like harvested wheat, without even a chance to struggle.
The burly man's legs were trembling.
All his men had fallen, leaving him the only one still standing.
He watched the pale figure walk towards him, step by step, unhurriedly, as if strolling leisurely.
He wanted to run, but his legs felt like they were nailed to the ground, and he couldn't lift them no matter what he did.
He tried to draw his sword, but his hands were shaking so badly that he couldn't even grip the hilt.
Qin Mu walked up to him, stopped, and pressed the tip of his sword against his throat.
The sword tip was cold, and against his skin, it felt like a block of ice.
The burly man swallowed hard, his eyes filled with fear.
"Speak, who sent you?" Qin Mu's voice was calm.
The burly man's lips trembled violently, his teeth chattered, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Qin Mu's sword tip moved forward slightly, piercing his skin, and a drop of blood slid down the blade.
The burly man trembled, and finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
"It's...it's the Zhao family. The second young master of the Zhao family...Zhao Tianci. He sent us. He...he's had his eye on Miss Chen for a long time, wanting to...want to kidnap her, force her into marriage, and make the Chen family submit."
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow slightly.
The Zhao family? The Zhao family of Jiangnan, who are in the silk and tea business, are old friends with the Chen family, but also competitors.
The two sides have been fighting openly and covertly for many years, but I never expected them to resort to such despicable means now.
He nodded, his gaze sweeping over the corpses before returning to the burly man's face.
"Miss Chen? What's her name?"
The burly man swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Chen... Chen Wanqing. The eldest daughter of the Chen family, the only daughter of the Chen family."
Qin Mu turned his head and glanced at the woman whose veil was askew and who was leaning against the carriage wheel, still in a daze.
Chen Wanqing.
The name sounds nice.
He withdrew his gaze, and the tip of the sword moved forward another notch, leaving another bloody gash on the burly man's neck.
"Did Zhao Tianci send any other people? Were there any ambushes along the way?"
The burly man shook his head frantically, as if pounding garlic, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the ground.
"No...no more. Just our group. We were the advance party, to scout ahead and then notify the others. Young Master Zhao said...that after we succeed, he'll take the young lady to the town ahead, and he...he'll be waiting there."
Qin Mu nodded and sheathed his sword.
The burly man let out a long breath.
He thought his life was saved, and a look of relief, as if he had survived a disaster, flashed in his eyes.
Qin Mu's sword moved again.
With a flash of sword light, the burly man clutched his throat, his eyes wide open, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out.
Blood gushed from between his fingers and wouldn't stop.
He slowly knelt down, then lay prostrate on the ground, motionless.
Qin Mu sheathed his sword, turned around, and looked at Chen Wanqing.
As dusk deepened, the last vestiges of orange-red on the horizon were being swallowed by the deep blue.
One by one, the lanterns in the courtyard lit up, their orange-red glow spreading in the twilight and falling on her, coating her pale blue dress with a soft, warm light.
Her veil was tilted even further, barely covering her face.
Those eyes shone brightly in the twilight, staring at him blankly, filled with shock, gratitude, and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Qin Mu walked up to her, stopped, reached out and gently straightened the veil on her head.
Chen Wanqing's body stiffened slightly, then went limp.
Her face was burning hot, the heat spreading from her cheeks to her neck and deep into her collar.
She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, her lips trembling slightly, wanting to say something, but unable to squeeze out a single word.
"You...you..." Her voice was very soft, as soft as a mosquito's buzz, so soft that even she herself couldn't hear it.
Qin Mu withdrew his hand, took a step back, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at her.
"Chen Wanqing. A good name."
Chen Wanqing's heart skipped a beat.
She looked up at him, then quickly looked down again.
She didn't know why she was like this, why her heart was beating so fast, or why her face was so hot.
She just felt that this person was incredibly capable.
"Thank you... thank you so much for saving my life, young master."
She curtsied, the veil of her hat drooping down to cover her flushed face.
Qin Mu smiled and waved his hand. "It was nothing. No need to thank me."
He turned around and walked towards the east wing.
He took two steps, then stopped without looking back.
"I killed those people for you. Be careful with Zhao Tianci. If you need any help, I'm staying in the first room of the east wing."
He stepped over the threshold and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.
Chen Wanqing stood there, watching the pale white figure gradually disappear into the twilight.
Her heart was still pounding, her face was still burning, and her hands were still trembling slightly.
She held onto the carriage, slowly slid down, sat beside the wheels, hugged her knees, and buried her face in her arms.
The scene from just moments ago kept replaying in her mind—the sword light that descended from the sky, that warm and strong embrace…
At this time,
Two maids ran out from the corner, rushed to her side, one on each side, and hugged her tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. "Miss! Are you alright! You scared us to death!"
Chen Wanqing raised her head, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and the smile on her lips had not yet faded. "I'm fine. Thanks to that young master."
The two maids exchanged a glance, both seeing the gossip gleam in each other's eyes.
"Miss, that young master is amazing! One sword strike, one kill, swish, swish, like chopping melons and vegetables!"
Chen Wanqing shook her head, stood up, and patted the dust off her dress.
Her gaze lingered on the tightly closed door of the first room in the east wing for a long time.
"I don't know who he is either..."
As dusk deepened, the glow of the lanterns spread across the courtyard, bathing everything in a hazy, warm light.
Chen Wanqing took a deep breath, turned around, and walked towards her room.
He took two steps, then stopped without looking back.
"Go and fetch those two jars of aged Shaoxing wine and take them to the first room in the east wing. I need to thank that young master."
The two maids nodded quickly and ran off to fetch the wine.
Chen Wanqing stood at the door, gazing at the tightly closed door, her smile deepening.
She thought, this must be what they call a chance encounter in the martial arts world...
The night breeze stirred, lifting the veil of her hat and stirring the ripples in her heart that had just begun to rise and could not be calmed.
The bodies in the courtyard had not yet been cleared away; the blood had turned dark red in the twilight, and a strong stench filled the air.
At this time,
Chen Wanqing's commander staggered over from the other end of the courtyard, his body covered in blood. A long gash had been cut into the sleeve of his left arm, the flesh torn open, and blood dripping down his arm onto the bluestone slab.
His face was pale, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his steps were unsteady, as if he were walking on cotton, swaying with every step.
He rushed to Chen Wanqing, his voice urgent, filled with barely suppressed panic and self-reproach.
"Miss, run! They're here for us! I'm incompetent, I couldn't stop them—"
His words came to an abrupt end.
He saw corpses all over the ground.
His eyes widened, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
Chen Wanqing looked at him, her gaze calm, her voice soft yet clear.
"I understand. The danger has been averted."
The commander's body jolted, and he raised his head, his gaze shifting from the corpses to the tightly closed door of the first room in the east wing.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice became hoarse.
"They...resolved it?"
Chen Wanqing nodded, the light veil of her hat swaying slightly.
The commander let out a long breath.
His back was covered in sweat, his undershirt was soaked through, sticky and clinging to his skin, icy cold.
He dared not imagine what would happen if that young master hadn't intervened, or if something had happened to the young lady. How could he possibly face his master again?
He was still shaken and it took him a while to recover. He looked up at Chen Wanqing with his brows furrowed.
"Miss, who exactly are these people?"
Chen Wanqing was silent for a moment, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes beneath the veil.
"It's Zhao Jiaqian's. Zhao Tianci is waiting in the town ahead."
The commander's pupils suddenly contracted, his fists clenched tightly, and his eyes burned with barely suppressed rage.
"That Zhao Tianci! He's worse than a beast! Our two families have been friends for generations, how could he do such a despicable thing!"
Chen Wanqing didn't reply, but just stood there quietly, waiting for his anger to subside.
After a while.
The commander took a deep breath and gradually suppressed his surging anger.
He lowered his head, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice hoarse.
"Miss, I am incompetent and have caused you distress."
Chen Wanqing shook her head. Although she couldn't see clearly through the veil, she could feel the coldness emanating from her.
"It's not your fault. It's just that the Zhao family is too treacherous."
She paused, her gaze falling on the closed door, her voice even softer.
"I'll go thank that young master. You take some men and clean up this place, and make sure the wounded brothers are properly cared for."
The commander raised his head, followed her gaze to the first room in the east wing, a complex light flashing in his eyes, and then clasped his hands and bowed.
"Yes. Please be careful, Miss."
Chen Wanqing strode towards the east wing.
Two maids followed at a distance, carrying the two jars of aged Shaoxing wine in their hands, not daring to approach or make a sound.
She walked to the door and stopped.
The dim candlelight shone through the crack in the door, like a half-open, half-closed eye.
She raised her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then gently knocked on the door.
"Tap, tap, tap."
Three sounds, neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough to be heard.
The door opened.
It was Jiang Zhaoyue who opened the door.
She wore a moon-white dress, her long hair loosely tied up and secured with a single jade hairpin, her features exquisite, and her demeanor aloof and icy.
She looked at Chen Wanqing outside the door, her lips slightly upturned, a faint smile that carried an indescribable meaning.
"Miss, is there something you need?"
Chen Wanqing gave a slight curtsy, the light veil of her hat falling down to cover her flushed face.
"I am deeply grateful for your help, young master. I have no way to repay you, so I have prepared this small gift to express my gratitude."
Jiang Zhaoyue glanced at her, her gaze falling on the wine jars held by the two maids, and the smile on her lips deepened.
She stepped aside and made way for him.
"The young master is inside. Please come in, young lady."