Chapter 65: My Family's "Daughter" is Really Cute

  That night, they went down the mountain and stayed in a small town called Anxi at the foot of the mountain. It was only then that Tai Shi Lan realized that they had been washed away by the water to the lower reaches of the Yi River, leaving Xiling Province and entering Anxi Province. Their current location was over 300 miles away from Beiyuan, and it would take six or seven days of hard travel to get back.

  This group of people added up to about a hundred, bustling and filling an entire inn. The other inns in the town were already fully booked, with many martial artists coming and going, armed with swords and knives. It seemed that the call of the Martial World's leader was truly effective. Taishi Lan inadvertently overheard Wang Meng and Wen Jing whispering to each other, saying that this time the Alliance Leader had brought out a precious medicine made from human bones as a reward, which was why people were flocking to it like ducks to water.

  These hundred or so people were mostly lone travelers or small sects of Jianghu people. Wang Meng's Seven Ring Broadsword Sect had some reputation, so he was elected as the leader. That white-faced man, Wen Jing, was said to be a great thief from the north, a lone hero. Looking at his drooping eyelids and lackluster appearance, he seemed more like a flower thief.

  Tai Shi Lan felt uncomfortable every time he saw Wen Jing, and subconsciously avoided him. One time, he inadvertently saw Rong Chu looking at Wen Jing with a strange gaze - had he discovered something?

  When staying, because Tai Shi Lan is "a family of three", so they were allocated a suite. The room next door was Wen Jing's residence, and further away was Wang Meng. Wang Meng and Wen Jing seemed to get along well, after dinner, the two made an appointment to have a heart-to-heart talk in the room.

  Tai Shi's meal was delivered to her room, and she ate with unease. The servant boy kept knocking on the door, saying: "Young Master An has asked me to deliver this newly purchased rouge to Mistress Shi." "Young Master Wang has asked me to deliver a bowl of braised ham and cabbage to Mistress Shi, to nourish her body." "Young Master Li has asked me to deliver ginseng soup to Mistress Shi..."

  "Shi Niangzi" lay stiffly on the bed, refusing to eat anything - she was fed up.

  Jingtai Lan was devouring the ham and stewed cabbage on the table, rinsing his mouth with ginseng soup. Taishi Lan sat on one side, a slight smile playing on his lips, in an extremely good mood.

  She then glanced at those cosmetics with disdain - her "husband" was right in front of her, and she was so brazenly flirting with him, what did she take him for? These people's character were really not good.

  Under the dim light, she rarely smiled, and thought that occasionally "dressing up to amuse her relatives" was not an unacceptable thing.

  Tai Shi Lan suddenly stood up and walked out.

  "Where are you going?"

  "Shh."

  "It's okay in the house."

  "Have you ever heard of men urinating in the house?"

  ……

  She's really quiet and reserved, carrying herself like a man - does she think she's actually a man or something?

  As Jing Tai lay on the bed, Rong Chu held his face and said with sincerity: "You must remember that all our concessions to women are just a way of pampering them."

  "Does that include being her wife?" Jing Tai Lan asked innocently.

  "Today you pretend to be her fake husband, tomorrow she will become your real wife. Only when you let go can you gain."

  "Hehe." Jing Tai Lan smiled.

  "Are you in favor?" Rong Chu smiled.

  "Mom told me," said Jing Tai Lan, biting her finger, "Hehe, in their place, it's 'get out'."

  “……”

  Tai Shi Lan left the house, of course not to pee, she had a vague sense of foreboding in her heart, and Wen Jing's black beard kept flashing before her eyes. After casually circling around outside, she ended up behind Wang Meng's house.

  The window paper reflected the shadows of two people. The more robust one was Wang Meng, who seemed to have heard something delightful and was laughing with abandon.

  A slightly thinner and longer shadow was cast on the window paper, leaning slightly to one side, his waist bent just right, his posture made Taishi Lan feel familiar, she quietly moved forward a step, moving under the window.

  "...and when I see Brother Wen, it will be like old times. If I see the Alliance Leader, I will definitely introduce you to Brother Wen..."

  The sound of respectful applause and gratitude came, but it seemed a bit distracted. He chuckled twice, lowered his voice, and said: "Brother Wang, I know you admire that alliance leader, but there are more heavens beyond the sky, and people outside of people. A mere Northern Green Forest Alliance leader is not worth Brother Wang's attention as a hero. I have a better way, and I'd be happy to introduce it to Brother Wang..."

  "What?" Wang Meng's tone sounded somewhat displeased, "What kind of extraordinary person? Tell me and I'll listen."

  Wen Jing seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then changed the subject and said: "This matter is not urgent. By the way, I came to find Brother Wang tonight with another important matter. Brother Wang, have you noticed that the couple who joined today seems suspicious?"

  "Oh?" Wang Meng's tone rose, and Tai Shi Lan's eyes turned cold.

  "Looking at them from below, these two people seem to be a pair of notorious thieves secretly wanted by the Northern Yan government. I have friends in the Northern Yan government who have asked us fellow travelers from the north to keep an eye out for this couple. They are murderers and robbers, committing all sorts of evil deeds without exception. It's said that they were also involved in the recent great flood in Northern Yan, as they had stolen some important items from a noble person. The government doesn't want to make it public, but secretly wants to capture them, so they've privately offered a reward of 1,000 taels of gold. No need to capture them alive, just execute them on the spot and verify their identities with their heads afterwards. Not only will the gold be handed over immediately, but there will also be additional rewards - beautiful women, wealth, a high-ranking position... being a military officer or a historian would be possible, and it's all within reach. Isn't that better than this life of bloodshed on the jianghu?"

  The last sentence was slightly higher in tone. It seemed to be said with excitement, and Wang Meng also seemed to be startled by the last sentence, his posture of listening attentively without moving suddenly jerked up.

  He immediately lowered his voice and said solemnly: "From your tone, it seems like you're an official?"

  Wen Jing seemed somewhat embarrassed and said: "It is... but it's not either."

  "Hear me, brother." Wang Meng's tone was unpleasant. "Although we are strangers who have met by chance, it is as if we had known each other before. I, Wang, truly regard you as a brother. In the relationship between brothers, what is most valuable is openness and honesty. You speak hesitantly, how can I trust you? How can I help you?"

  After a moment of silence, he seemed to have made up his mind and said: "Although Brother Wang is from the martial arts world, I've investigated and found that your ancestors were also officials. They were squeezed out by corrupt officials of the previous dynasty and had to flee to the rivers and lakes. So, in a way, you are also from an official background. As for me, I don't have much to hide either. I am indeed someone from the officialdom, but not just any ordinary official."

  "Oh?"

  "My younger brother is from the Western Bureau. I don't know if you've heard of it, Brother Wang. Originally, we were quite secretive, but in recent years, with a new commander taking office, our external strategy has changed, and now probably most people are aware of us." Wen Jing let out a loud guffaw, only then revealing his slightly hoarse voice, "We belong to the Imperial Palace's inner court, directly under the jurisdiction of His Majesty, personally managed by Prince Kang!"

  "Western Bureau!" Wang Meng's tone was shocked, as if he had lost his ability to react.

  "Brother Wang," Wen Jing said with a pleased tone, "your family has fallen on hard times and must still miss the glory of your former official position. Now that good fortune has returned, it won't be long before you restore your family's reputation. If you help me capture this husband and wife today and make a great contribution to the Western Bureau, and do a few more things in the future, you'll rise to prominence quickly, and who knows, maybe even surpass me... Ha ha ha ha..."

  "Slap."

  The sound of shattering startled the crowd into silence, and beneath the window, Ta Shi Lan's lips were pursed tightly as he leaned against the wall, his hand grasping the dagger in his bosom.

  Human Spike had always tightly bound the three-layered leather strip around her arm, and since knowing that a big flood was coming, she had strengthened her defenses even more. So even if her clothes were almost washed away, Human Spike remained safe and sound.

  Wang Meng, who was crushing a wine glass indoors, let out a loud roar.

  "It was the dog of the Western Bureau!" He suddenly slammed his fist on the table, "Get out! Get out of here!"

  "Wang brother you——" Wen Jing seemed to have not expected Wang Meng's sudden change in expression, and was shocked to the point of rolling off the bed, "What is this...what is this..."

  "Eunuchs!" Wang Meng cursed in a low voice, the figure on the window paper trembled all over, seemingly unable to suppress his anger. "You actually want me to do things for your Western Bureau! What is your Western Bureau? Power-hungry! Eunuchs! The most shameless! A dirty place where countless innocent souls have died, and you still dare to call us to step on it!"

  "Wang Meng, you'd better know your place!" Wen Jing was furious. "What status does the Western Bureau have? How dare you insult us like this?"

  "I just scolded like this, how about it?" Wang Meng coldly smiled. "Isn't the Western Bureau touted as the number one dark organization? Isn't it said to be most skilled at digging up information? How come they didn't investigate, back then my ancestor was framed by an underground detective agency similar to the Western Bureau, and was nearly killed after being heavily tortured and imprisoned. Luckily, he was able to resign from his official position and return home, where on his deathbed, he left a final testament: do not allow our descendants to enter officialdom again, nor allow them to become the imperial court's hawks and dogs who frame good people, kill and rob, and eliminate dissidents for any tyrannical government! Listen, brother, since we know each other, you don't have much fault, I'll spare your life today. Don't say anything more, leave!"

  Wen Jing seemed stunned for a moment, then coldly laughed and said: "Different paths don't make for good company, since that's the case, let's part ways here!"

  Wang Meng coldly smiled, picked up the wine jug and took a swig directly from it.

  Wen Jing turned around and left, while Tai Shi Lan slowly stood up straight.

  The shadow of Wen Jing had just left the window, when suddenly a gust of wind blew, accompanied by a loud "whooshing" sound, followed by a series of rapid slapping sounds, and then a burst of fresh blood splattered onto the window paper.

  A bright red blood clot, initially stuck to the window paper, like a cluster of plum blossom petals, soon unable to withstand its weight, slowly dripping down, on the pristine white window paper, smearing out a crimson landscape of wrinkles.

  A drop of blood hung from Tai Shi's nose tip, only a hair's breadth away, the thick smell of blood rushed into his nostrils, Tai Shi didn't move.

  Wang Meng's mournful cry was like being strangled in his throat, coming intermittently, "You... you..."

  "You spare my life, but I don't want to spare yours." Wen Jing sneered coldly, "Since you know the Western Bureau, how can you not know our style? If we can't recruit someone, how can we not kill them to silence them?"

  He swung his hand, and Wang Meng's body was thrown under the bed like a sack. Tai Shi Lan saw through the window gap that Wen Jing stuffed Wang Meng's corpse under the bed, then jumped onto the kang and punched out the window.

  Tai Shi Lan was startled, thinking he had discovered her. However, Wen Jing seemed unaffected and broke the window to jump out again, as if trying to create an alibi. Tai Shi Lan took advantage of the moment when he was handling the body to quickly leave.

  She hastily returned, planning to call up Rong Chu and Jing Tai Lan to leave immediately. As she ran, she thought about how they should proceed. Rong Chu's waist injury would take at least three days to recover, and he could barely walk tomorrow. Even if they left now, they wouldn't get far.

  Not yet arrived at her own room, she suddenly saw several people rushing towards her house, and she was taken aback - could it be that Wen Jing is making his move now? So soon?

  But looking closely again, it doesn't seem like that either. Those few people weren't together, but rather each sneaked out of their own rooms, and the timing seemed to have some order to it, but coincidentally they all met in the corridor, exchanging awkward smiles with each other.

  Tai Shi Lan dodged behind a pillar and heard one of them say: "Hehe, Brother Sun, you're also out for a stroll?"

  "Hehe, take a walk, take a walk."

  Those few people squeezed forward a few steps, then stopped again, looking at each other.

  After a while, the young man who had called out earlier said: "Uh... Brother Sun, aren't you also going to Shi's daughter's place?"

  That young man with the surname Sun sneered: "What? Are you not?"

  "Brother Sun." The one who spoke first pulled out a note, "This... single-mindedness is probably not good, right? I have Shi Niangzi's invitation note here, and I'm going as promised."

  "I have one too." The young man with the surname Sun immediately pulled out an identical piece of paper.

  The rest of them chimed in: "Ah, I have one too."

  A bunch of notes were pulled out, and everyone looked at each other in dismay. After a while, the young man with the surname Sun finally said: "Perhaps Miss Shi saw our eagerness and intentionally chose to select her future husband from among us, so she invited us together?"

  The crowd fell silent, and after a while, the young man who had spoken first said: "In that case, let's go together. To be honest, I pity Shi Nuangzi, but I have no intention of taking her as my concubine or wife. My family is a prominent one in Western Shaanxi, and we cannot marry a woman who has already been married. It's just a game, and I don't mind being friends with all of you brothers."

  "Me too."

  "Me too."

  Everyone responded in unison, exchanged a glance, and burst out laughing. "This is actually quite interesting, let's all play together! With many people, things can be done easily. If that Shi Tai doesn't agree, we can just beat him up and tie him up, to help Shi's wife vent her anger and not disturb our fun."

  "It's extreme, it's extreme." A group of people seemed to think this was more interesting, and with a laugh, they all headed towards Tai Shi Lan's room.

  Tai Shi Lan also chuckled twice under the corridor.

  Awesome, truly awesome.

  Seduce someone's wife, fine. Robbery is also acceptable. Having sex in turns is also acceptable. Beating the husband is also acceptable. Having sex with his wife and beating him up is also acceptable. But making the husband watch while being tied up is not acceptable.

  This alley is no worse than Xibei Bureau.

  These "young heroes" gave such behavior the noble reason of "sympathizing with the weak woman and teaching a lesson to the unscrupulous husband", and then went ahead to execute it with a clear conscience.

  Indeed, whether in ancient or modern times, the weak are always a group with no place to air their grievances.

  However, what does Rong Chu want to do by inviting these scoundrels?

  Tai Shilan turned around and changed direction, entering the house through the back window, which was open. Voices of conversation came from inside.

  "How dare you bully Shi's wife!"

  "Save me, Xiaoxia!" It seemed like it was Yan Chu who was shouting in a suppressed voice. Taishi Lan looked out from the window slit and saw...

  A young man stood in front of the bed, his shirt half undone, a lustful smile on his face, pressing forward towards the bedside.

  She supported herself with one hand on the bed, covered her face with a sleeve, and leaned back slightly, trembling slightly. Her black hair was scattered and disheveled, looking pitiful. At the same time, she pulled over the quilt to cover herself, and called out towards the door, "Young hero, save me..."

  There was a young hero by the gate, who had just entered and saw this scene, his anger burning, he grabbed a wooden basin from the basin rack and rushed over.

  Tai Shi Lan bumped his head against the wall...

  "Bang." A dull thud, Tai Shi Lan took a glance, and Dong Tu Zi was knocked unconscious by the wooden basin. He fell forward onto the bed.

  Just then, the heroic knight rushed up and sat beside Rong Chu. He was about to gently put his arm around "Shi Niangzi's" shoulder to comfort her when Rong Chu covered her face with one hand and exclaimed in fright, "Afraid..." and pushed the young hero who had been beaten until his head was bleeding back into the newcomer's arms.

  That man subconsciously went to catch her, saying: "Don't be afraid, Miss Shi, I'll save you..." Just as he was about to kick away the unlucky egg, taking advantage of the beauty's shock and tears, he gently stroked her soft, warm, and fragrant skin. Suddenly, his palm felt a sharp pain.

  He lowered his head and saw that at some point, a hand had come out from under the person who had fainted, holding a knife as thin as a heartless person's lips or a beautiful woman's newly trimmed eyebrow. With a flash of white fingers, it slowly and steadily pierced into his wrist tendon.

  "Bang."

  Actually, there should be no sound, but for some reason, he seemed to have heard the sound of his tendons being severed. Or perhaps it wasn't the sound of his tendons being severed, but rather all his dreams of galloping through Jianghu, displaying his grandeur, being suddenly cut off and coming to an abrupt end.

  That knife, like a new eyebrow, did not stop because of that sudden sound, and slid over his left wrist like flowing water, and again lightly lifted.

  A faint bloody aura spread out, but after bleeding a few drops of blood, he suddenly fainted.

  What destroyed him was not two strands of nerve, but all the hopes in his life.

  Tai Shi Lan climbed in through the back window, and Rong Chu raised an eyebrow to look at her without any surprise, leaning against the pillow, leisurely picking up a candied fruit, which was probably given by the first person who got knocked unconscious.

  Two people were bleeding at his feet, but he acted as if he hadn't seen them. After finishing the candied fruit, he used that extraordinary small knife to slowly and leisurely pick at his fingernails.

  "What's going on?"

  Rong Chu ate honeyed dates and ignored her.

  What's with all these questions? Didn't you bring this upon yourself?

  Tai Shi Lan took another look at the two men, their clothes disheveled, both lying on the ground. Speaking of which, one of them was a lifesaver, but his tendons were pulled and it seemed a bit unjust. However, Tai Shi Lan glanced at him and saw a pink medicine pouch fall to the ground, no need to guess what kind of thing it was.

  His heart can be punished in the same way.

  She hastily told what had just happened, and by this time those young men had naturally arrived, but they were muttering at the door, pushing each other, seemingly all feeling that it was embarrassing to be the first to enter, which gave Tai Shi Lan a chance to speak.

  "Go?" asked Tai Shi Lan to Rong Chu.

  Rong Chu leaned against the bedding, shaking her head and smiling: "Why leave?"

  Tai Shi looked at him silently, "You've known all along, haven't you?"

  She suddenly remembered what was wrong with Wen Jing. It was his two black whiskers, a person with soft and yellow hair, how could his whiskers be hard and black? This disguise technique is too unscientific.

  "What do you plan to do now?"

  Rong Chu just smiled, eating the candied fruit one by one. She picked up a piece of candied plum and asked with a smile, "Want one? This pickled plum is not bad, but they used a bit too much osmanthus."

  Tai Shi Lan gave him a glance, with someone's blood flowing down his face at his feet, and he could still eat so fragrantly. It was indeed true that humans and demons were all perverts.

  "Wen Jing should not be the only companion," Rong Chu said, "Xi Ju's style is rarely solo, so he came out to probe Wang Meng, if it didn't go well, he dared to rise up and kill people. If we leave now, we'll just be startling the snake in the grass."

  "Did you see through him from the very beginning?"

  "The people from the Western Bureau have a whiff of urine about them." Rong Chu said lightly.

  Tai Shi-lan expressed that he could not agree more.

  "Didn't Xi Juqiao get along well with you?" she asked. "How dare he kill you?"

  "Who said it was Xi Ju who wanted to kill me?" Rong Chu smiled, "Obviously we died at the hands of bandits."

  Tai Shi was silent, and indeed, she still had a lot to learn about officialdom.

  The gate creaked open with a "creak" sound, the guests were very polite, and finally negotiated a program, preparing to enter elegantly, plunder gently, divide peacefully, and take turns compassionately.

  Taishi Lan's raised eyebrows were asking - what are you going to use them for?

  The corners of Rong Chu's smiling lips were in response - just watch and see.

  "The door isn't closed..." Rong Chuyi let Ta Shi Lan climb out the window again, pinching his throat and covering his face with his sleeve, answering in a falsetto voice, "Come in quickly... I'm scared..."

  The young heroes outside exchanged a glance, revealed a joyful expression, and hastily squeezed inside. The person who first squeezed in stretched their head, looked at the two people on the ground, and froze with a "huh".

  "Just now, these two men wanted to use force on me... " It's really rare for Rong Chu Xue to speak in a feminine tone, and it's actually quite smooth, although it's a bit affected, but ladies have always been like this, so the affectation is just right.

  "That's going too far!" The angry crowd, forgetting that they were also there to prepare for the strong, immediately had someone drag the two out and heavily throw them into the courtyard.

  Two whizzing sounds of clothes fluttering in the wind came from the rooftop, because this house was full of people, so they just flew over.

  Wen Jing and others who tried to come forward were halfway back.

  A faint smile played on her lips and at the corners of her mouth.

  He knew the eunuchs of the Western Depot, the most sinister and filthy under heaven, came to do the most sinister and filthy espionage. It was just that they had exhausted their use, and the sinister and filthy were brought to an extreme. They were like groundhogs underground, fond of life, cunning and cautious, not easily willing to come out of their holes, only daring to wreak havoc in large numbers when they gathered together. As long as there weren't many of them, even if Zong Chu was lying down, Ta Shi Lan looked like he didn't have any martial arts skills, they wouldn't take the risk.

  "Shi Niangzi is quite skilled, and Li Qiu is also one of the two. Their martial arts skills are not weak either." Some people had doubts in their hearts and spoke out to test them.

  "My family doesn't have such martial arts..." Rong Chu bowed her head, her long hair flowing like water, her elegant posture making the group of people's evil fire surge up, "It...it is said that Great Hero..."

  "What's going on?" Everyone was stunned.

  "Earlier... earlier, it was Wen Da Xia, who entered without permission and went straight into my room..." Rong Chu said with a blush, "I was frightened and tried to push him away, just as those two burst in. I was about to call for help when Wen Da Xia suddenly became enraged, knocked the two men down, and left, saying... saying..."

  "What else can be said?"

  "Also said... " Rong Chu glanced at the Sun surname youth with a coquettish gaze, "He said he had taken a liking to me, and also said that Wang Da Xia had taken a liking to me. He would go settle Wang Da Xia first, then come find me. He also said... I can only be his... If anyone else dares to make a move on me, he'll kill them one by one, strip them bare... Hang them from the gate for everyone to see... The consequences of daring to compete with him for a woman..."

  "How dare you be so arrogant!" The young man with the surname Sun's face turned bright red with rage, he drew his sword and jumped up, "How dare you look down on us like that!"

  "Hear that a lone bandit dares to be so arrogant, looking down on all heroes under the sky?"

  "He's asking for it!"

  "Want to strip us naked and hang us up? Haha! Not afraid of the strong wind slapping our tongues, brothers, let's go see how he dares to strip us one by one and hang us up!"

  The young men were excited and enthusiastic, rolling up their sleeves, drawing their swords, and preparing to go out.

  It's okay for brothers to share things equally, but it's unacceptable for one person to monopolize everything. If someone doesn't know how to restrain themselves from eating alone, they must be taught a lesson.

  "Everyone, wait a minute——" Rong Chu bent down under the bed and grabbed the collar of a young man's clothes. "Don't be impulsive, that Wen Jing seems to have very high martial arts skills, and...and it seems he also has accomplices. If you all rush in recklessly, what if something goes wrong? How can I put my mind at ease..."

  "Is his martial arts skills very high? Does he have any accomplices?" The young men turned around one after another, their eyes filled with suspicion and uncertainty. They thought that they had never seen Wang Gong showcase his martial arts skills before, but judging from how much Wang Meng valued him, he probably wasn't weak. But if he did have an accomplice, who could it be? Their gazes swept across the crowd, gradually filling with doubt.

  "Is there anyone else, let's see what Wen Jing does next." Rong Chu covered her mouth with her sleeve and smiled, "Wen Jing, his martial arts skills are not as good as Wang Da Xia's, how can he teach Wang Da Xia a lesson? But if Wang Da Xia suffers a loss, then..."

  "That's right." Everyone suddenly understood, "That means Wen Jing must have had accomplices helping him."

  The young man with the surname Sun gazed at her with an unusual light in his eyes, "Not only is the young lady beautiful, but she's also so intelligent. Meeting her is truly a blessing for us."

  Chu Yan blushed and smiled, "Young Master's excessive praise." Her eyes flew over from the sleeve, gently swaying, as if with a hook, one hook after another, hooking everyone's gaze straight, if not still worried about Wen Jing's matter, they would have rushed up to press this charming little thing deeply into the powder couch.

  Tai Shi Lan crouched under the window, chewing on a grass root, thinking that meeting Shi Niangzi was indeed good fortune.

  Find death.

  Everyone fell silent, and at this time, no one was in the mood to fight over the beauty. They were all thinking that if Wen Jing really moved against Wang Meng, they would not be able to gain an advantage even if they rushed over to settle accounts together. Who knew which one of them was Wen Jing's secret friend?

  A single sentence from Rong Chu was enough to make everyone's hearts stray, and suspicious eyes darted back and forth in the dark room, filled with an atmosphere of distrust.

  Just a little while later, suddenly there was an outburst of shouting, "Something's happened!"

  Everyone was shocked, rushed out, and saw Wen Jing stumbling out of Wang Meng's house, his left arm covered in blood, shouting loudly, "Something's happened! Someone broke into the inn at night! Brother Wang Meng has been killed!"

  Everyone shivered with a chill, exchanged a glance, and saw each other's pale faces.

  "Where is the murderer?" shouted a young man with the surname Sun, plucking up his courage. "Let us go and capture him!"

  "He broke the window and ran away!" Wen Jing replied.

  The crowd shuddered again, this time with a look of suspicion replaced by a thrilling certainty. "Hear that Jing really killed Wang Meng! Indeed, there is an accomplice!"

  "What a cruel person..." someone whispered.

  "What to do..."

  "Gentlemen," Rong Chu said in a low voice, "in my humble opinion, we should always keep our enemies in the dark while we remain hidden. This is the key to victory. I advise you not to alarm them prematurely, but rather pretend to be friendly and courteous for now, lest they become enraged and harm you all. You should first socialize with Wen Jing, secretly investigate, and find out who his accomplices are. Once you arrive in Beishan, hand him over to the authorities. This man must have a record with the authorities, and it's likely that he's some kind of notorious thief hiding under an assumed name. If you do this, not only will you capture the murderer, but you'll also receive rewards from the authorities. The officials will see your bravery and wisdom, and they'll definitely invite you to become judges or historians, bringing benefits to the people and creating a bright future for yourselves."

  Everyone's eyes lit up - what a great idea!

  It's safe and effective. In the end, it's just a matter of deceiving people into going to the government office, without having to exert any effort or take any risks oneself. What's not to love about that?

  "Shi's daughter is truly a lovely and clever girl." The young man with the surname Sun smiled and went to hold Chu's hand, "Such a beautiful and charming flower that can understand people's words, I really have some thoughts about wanting to marry her as a concubine and make her a virtuous wife in the future..."

  "Bang." The door was pushed open, bringing in a gust of cool wind. Standing at the entrance was the tall and slender "Shi Jia Xiang Gong", his face expressionless as he gazed at the group of lechers, his voice equally expressionless: "At this late hour, what are you all gathered here for?"

  The young man with the surname Sun withdrew his hand, dusting off his robe and chuckling to himself. Before he could think of a reason, Rong Chu spoke up in a coquettish tone: "I just heard that Wang Meng was killed, and all of you young heroes are worried that I'll be harmed by the killer's hands, so you've come to protect me and discuss countermeasures." She glanced around at the crowd with a sly gaze.

  His eyes swept across, everyone saw it, no one saw it, and everyone thought they were looking at themselves. The woman's eyebrows stretched far into the mountains, her eyes condensed like autumn water, a glance that was full of charm, as if it was an unspoken invitation: "Young master, please bear with me for now, when there is a chance, I..."

  Everyone's enthusiasm was stirred, and with their enthusiasm came a sense of grandeur. They all stood up straight and proudly declared: "Yes, yes! We will protect Miss Shi here and discuss strategies to drive the enemy away."

  "I won't bother you all again next time to protect my wife." Tai Shi Lan emphasized the two words "my family" heavily, took big strides to walk over, and heavily wrapped his arms around Rong Chu, "Wang Meng was killed, Wen Jing is looking for your help to catch the murderer, you all should hurry up and go!"

  "It's extreme, it's extreme." The young heroes sneered, "Brother Shi doesn't know martial arts, such a big deal is still at home, protecting his wife is the right thing to do." With envy, jealousy and hatred, he looked at the arm that was wrapped around her slender waist, cutting it into seventeen or eighteen pieces with his eyes, before reluctantly retreating.

  Everyone left, and the room fell into a moment of silence.

  After a while.

  "Get out of the way." Ta Shi Lan's voice.

  "Hmm?" Yung Cho's voice.

  "Get out of my way."

  "It was you who held me."

  "Let go!" Tai Shi Lan started to tear off the painful claws - she symbolically hugged that guy, and as soon as he left, she let go, who knew that guy somehow used a strap to tie himself to her waistband...

  "Shh, don't tear it. Someone is watching."

  Tai Shi Lan was taken aback, stopped in her tracks, and looked outside with a suspicious gaze.

  "Hiss...hiss..." Rong Chu lazily hissed, sounding more like she was coaxing a child to pee than being tense. After a few hisses, she leaned back against Tai Shi Lan's waist, boneless and languid.

  What a relief.

  I've said it before, this woman looks tough, but her body is actually extremely soft and delicate. Her skin and physique are more tender and lustrous than other women's. For example, the curve of her waist is a beautiful concave shape, slender without being bony, and the sides of her waist are soft and rounded, forming a whirlpool that makes you want to lean in and not let go. If she could shift a bit more and sleep in a proper position, it would be even more intoxicating... And her arms, earlier when she hugged him tightly, although being turned upside down was a bit unpleasant, but the way she took the initiative so naturally was a first for him. He shouldn't miss the opportunity to take advantage of it a few more times, or should he wait until next time?

  Tai Shi Lan cautiously looked around for a while, didn't feel any danger, and then lowered his head again.

  Someone leaned against her waist, her eyes half-closed, seemingly asleep but not quite, a hint of a flirtatious smile on the corner of her lips.

  Tai Shi suddenly stood up, without caring that someone's hand was still tied to her waist - as if he had tied himself to her pants!

  Rong Chu's head didn't heavily fall onto the bed, nor was it dragged under the bed by her footsteps. As soon as Tai Shi Lan stood up, he opened his eyes, with a hint of regret at the corner of his lips. With a sweep of his hand, the knife light flashed and the casually tied knot broke apart. He let out a long sigh, looked at someone's straight back, stretched out his hand and called out in a gentle voice, "Come, sleep."

  "This time I won't take advantage of you."

  "It doesn't matter," said Tai Shi Lan, "You're my wife, taking advantage of me is understandable."

  "Then come and sleep, my husband." Rong Chu seemed to smile but not quite, lifting half of the quilt.

  Tai Shi's lips curled slightly, just about to pick up the unfinished ginseng soup on the table and pour it into the half of the bed quilt, and then sleep with Jing Tai Lan. Suddenly, he saw that Rong Chu was still smiling, but his eyes flashed with a fierce light.

  At the same time, she also sensed a warning in her heart. Although she didn't hear anything, she knew that this time there was really an enemy approaching.

  "Alright." Tai Shi Lan picked up the baby from the small bed and handed him to Rong Chuhuai, "Wife, the child will need milk in the middle of the night, you remember to feed him. It's really hard on you. In order not to affect your sleep, I'll make do with the short bed for one night. Remember to squeeze out excess milk, or it will be painful from engorgement."

  The smile at the corner of her mouth stiffened slightly.

  Tai Shi Lan stared at him with a serious expression.

  There is a faint sound on top of my head.

  "Shi Niangzi" curled up her lips with a smile and took over "the child", softly saying: "Alright, husband."

  The husband, Lord An, slept soundly, and it's unknown whether Shi Nu had squeezed out the milk or not. The noise on the roof soon stopped. At dawn, Tai Shi got up to see two men, big and small, sleeping with their legs splayed out in all directions. Jing Tai Lan's foot was resting on Rong Chu's belly, and Rong Chu's hand was grasping Jing Tai Lan's hair.

  It seems that all men, whether they are dignified or handsome, do not possess the good quality of "sleeping beautifully".

  Fortunately, neither of them snore. Of course, if there really was someone who did, Tai Shi Lan would definitely pick him up and hang him out to dry in the moonlight.

  In the morning, as usual, someone sent breakfast, a big pile of various pastries and buns. The young man with the surname Sun sent especially rich and exquisite ones. Tai Shi Lan drank the snow lotus silver ear soup he sent, feeding Jing Tai Lan the crab roe soup buns he also sent. He discussed with Da Tou Er Zi: "It seems that Young Master Sun really has his eyes on your family's grandfather."

  "Alright, alright." Jing Tai Lan said with a puffed up face.

  Tai Shi Lan nodded, thinking it was not impossible.

  Someone who was sold by the wicked mother and son, didn't have time to eat breakfast, was working hard - Rong Chupa Zi wrapped his head, leaned against the dark shadow in the inner room, and was deeply confessing to Sun Shaoxia.

  "I didn't sleep all night, my husband was so rough and his snoring sounded like a cow. I tossed and turned, crying until dawn..."

  "Shi Niangzi, don't worry." Sun Shaoxia looked at the beauty with a mixture of pity and adoration, thinking that Shi Niangzi was perfect in every way except for her affected tone and tendency to hide behind her long black hair. But people who are ill fear light and prefer quiet, so it's actually quite pitiful. As he thought about this, he reached out to stroke the beauty's hand hidden under her long sleeve. "You can rest assured, since you trust me so much, I will definitely cherish and love you well."

  Jia Ren's hand was covered under the sleeve of a light golden embroidered plum blossom garment, feeling soft and smooth to the touch. Sun Shaoxia felt dazed, thinking that although Shi Niangzi looked thin, her hands were plump and had plenty of flesh.

  Chu's gaze swept sideways over the sleeve - his hand was properly inside the quilt, and under that sleeve was just a pig's trotter.

  "Rumor has it that Jing Shi is very powerful and also cruel, he won't give up on his evil intentions towards my family. Later, he will definitely come to cause trouble." Rong Chu sighed, "Young Master, you are protecting my family, so I don't have anything to worry about. But I'm afraid you're in a difficult situation, if by any chance you get harmed by those hidden villains on the other side... how can I be at ease..."

  The last sentence is light and airy, quiet and still, with a swaying tail tone that makes the listener's soul fly away.

  Sun Shaoxia listened to the beauty's concern, his heart blooming with anger, but also felt that this was reasonable. He hesitated and said: "Last night, Wen Jing's demeanor was normal, and he even said he wanted to find the murderer who killed Wang Da Ge. It can be seen that this person has an extremely evil and resolute will, not like ordinary people. Now he wants to be a good person, it's unlikely that he would make a move against us in person, so there's no need to fear him. However, you said he still has accomplices, which requires some thought. As the saying goes, 'it's easy to dodge an open spear but hard to guard against a hidden arrow'."

  "Our family is worried about this, or..." Rong Chu leaned in, "Should we take the initiative?"

  "Huh?" Sun Shaoxia's eyebrows moved, "But with so many people, who knows which one is his accomplice?"

  "There's a plan I have..." Rong Chu's voice trailed off, Sun Shaoxia leaned in, listening intently. After a while, the door curtain rustled, he came out with a spring in his step, glanced at Tai Shi Lan who was feeding their son in the outer room, and said mildly: "Lady Shi is tired, Brother Shi, remember not to disturb her." Then he strode away.

  Tai Shi Lan crossed his arms, looking at this man who had entered their home and was seducing his wife, and even ordering him around. He said to Jing Tai Lan: "Jing Tai Lan, look, a man who can't protect his own wife is the most useless kind of man. You can spit in his face."

  Jingtai Lan didn't nod his head this time, seemingly deep in thought. After a while, he said: "I want to marry Xiao Ying."

  Tai Shi Lan thought for a while before remembering who Xiao Ying was, "Oh? Can you protect her?"

  "Why can't you protect her?" Jing Tai Lan blinked his eyes. He thought Xiao Ying was so good and beautiful, everyone should like her just as much as he did, could it be that someone wouldn't like her?

  She is a blind girl.

  Yes.

  "So?"

  "So I'll accompany her then."

  Tai Shi Lan didn't say anything else.

  The innocence of a child over two years old is precious and should not be tainted by too much reality too early, she will eventually have to bear many responsibilities and face many difficulties, there is no need for her to take them on now.

  A carefree and delightful affection is also a rare beautiful mood, she wants to keep it for him for a little longer, a little longer.

  She picked up the blue porcelain and said in front of his eyes, "Be a brave man."

  "Mum, I can."

  Suddenly a voice cut in, laughing and saying:

  "I will too."

  Digression

  With a lustful smile, he reached into the pockets of the beautiful women... "Little girls, hurry up and hand over your tickets. Don't worry, since you've given me your most precious things, I will definitely take good care of you..."