Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 3: Sir, please stay
Zhao Wumian was covered in dust and blood, and his face was difficult to see. Although he was carrying a long sword and a long bow, at first glance, anyone would think that he was a refugee from some war-torn area.

When Wu Ming saw him, he was slightly stunned. After a rough sense, he felt that this person seemed to have suffered serious injuries.

Thinking of this, Wu Ming couldn't help but retract his strength, intending to kill the man with one blow and then turn around and chop at the little heroine.

After fighting for more than ten rounds, he recognized the girl's identity through her swordsmanship.

Yuehua Sword of the Jiangnan Su family. The current head of the Su family is the Chief Constable of the Detective Department, a third-rank official. This girl, who is estimated to be fifteen or sixteen years old, should be his youngest sister, Su Qingqi.

Although she is young, her strength is impressive. Last autumn, she received the Yuankui plaque awarded by the imperial court...which means she is a martial arts master of the younger generation recognized by the imperial court. So far, the imperial court has only awarded ten Yuankui plaques.

clang!
Just when Wu Mingdu had focused his attention on Su Qingqi, he heard a muffled sound like the sound of a bell.

However, he saw a raised palm mark appear on the broadsword. At the same time, a huge force came along the handle, and the broadsword almost slipped out of his hand on the spot.

Wu Ming, out of his warrior instinct, gripped the hilt tightly, but his palm broke, blood splattered, and his body was deflected to the side by the broadsword.

He couldn't help but look at Zhao Wumian with a bit of horror.

But Zhao Wumian slapped the broadsword away with one hand, and immediately grasped the long sword seized from his waist with his other hand, drew the sword out of the sheath, and the tip of the sword rubbed a bright spark on the door frame next to him, like a red line, and with a sharp "rubbing" sound, it slashed towards Wu Ming's waist and abdomen.

Wu Ming was horrified, and at the critical moment he bent over and the next moment the long sword cut off his wild long hair, and then the handle of the sword was directly crushed. The long sword flew out of his hand like a boomerang and penetrated into the wall. The blade trembled, and the "buzzing" sound was extremely harsh.

The whole audience was silent. What kind of terrifying grip strength was this? This person was not a refugee at all, but a martial arts master with strong bones and muscles!

Su Qingqi was also slightly startled, but as one of the top ten, she was able to seize the opportunity and thrust her sword forward. With a sharp sound of sword, the tip of the sword was already at the back of Wu Ming's heart.

The long sword was already there, and Wu Ming had no power to dodge the attack from both sides. He could only twist his body slightly to avoid the vital points, allowing the long sword to pierce his shoulder. He groaned, then pressed his hands on the ground, bounced up his right leg, and kicked Su Qingqi fiercely.

Su Qingqi raised her forearm to block in front of her, but heard a bang, and her body flew backwards several meters and hit the wall. The wooden wall behind her instantly cracked. She groaned, blood oozing from the corners of her mouth, but she stomped the ground with her white boots, and her body flew over again like a hawk catching a rabbit.

After a successful attack, Wu Ming was not happy but worried. The man in front of him stomped on the ground, causing gravel to rise. He rose from the ground and rushed forward. He spun like the wind, and his long boots kicked Wu Ming's hastily raised broadsword with a "clang" like a heavy artillery.

The huge force caused the raging fire burning around to suddenly flicker.

boom!
Wu Ming only felt a mountain-shaking force coming from the broadsword. The clothes on his forearms were instantly torn, revealing his sturdy muscles. The broadsword hit his chest and made him spit out a mouthful of blood. His clothes bulged like a hedgehog. Then his body suddenly flew backwards, slid several feet on the ground, smashed several tables, chairs and benches, then slapped the ground, bounced up, smashed the ceiling and fled away, without any desire to fight, leaving only a cry of shock and anger.

"Today's incident was caused by my underestimation of the Central Plains warriors! Can you please leave your name?!"

Zhao Wumian ignored these words, drew out his longbow, bent the bow and put an arrow on it, but he broke the bowstring with such force.

The bandits around were shocked again. They had never seen a strong man who could break the bowstring so easily in their lives.

Seeing that Wu Ming was about to disappear in the snow, Zhao Wumian immediately dropped his bow, raised his hand and pulled out a feather arrow from the quiver, and threw it at the black shadow like a javelin.

shhhhhh!
The arrows were like meteors, piercing through the snow curtain. Their accuracy was not good, but their quantity was large. In the blink of an eye, the sound of metal clashing was heard, and a flash of blood burst out in the snow curtain.

Wu Ming shouted in shock and anger, "The news that Emperor Dali is in northern Shanxi will spread all over the country by dawn. I wonder how you two are going to protect her back to the capital!!!"

Before he finished speaking, the dark figure disappeared into the night.

Zhao Wumian's chest was beating like a drum, he was panting, the back of his shirt was soaked with cold sweat, the surrounding firelight reflected on his profile, and the black hair of Wu Ming that he had cut off was now slowly floating in the air mixed with the snowflakes that fell from the hole in the ceiling.

Hearing this, he couldn't help but be a little surprised. The Emperor of Dali? What the hell? Why would the Emperor come to such a remote place? Another God of War from Tumubao who personally led the army?
Wu Ming's voice was like a loud bell, echoing far away in the snow. Everyone in Qinfeng Village was silent at first, and then burst into an argument, not even caring about fighting.

"The old emperor is in northern Shanxi?"

"No wonder Wu Ming came to Qinfeng Village... So the old emperor is near the village!?"

"Wang Changzhi colluded with the Rong tribe in order to capture the emperor?"

"I can't stay here, the wind is blowing!"

The Dali Kingdom has only had three emperors, and it has been less than fifty years. This year is the seventeenth year of Jingzheng, and these mountain bandits only know this much. They thought that the old emperor came to northern Shanxi to lead the army in person to fight against the Rong people...

Su Qingqi's face was not very good. She had no time to care that her precious sword was still stuck in Wu Ming's body. She hurried over with the scabbard in hand. "Wu Ming's lightness skill is peerless. He can't be caught up. Otherwise, he wouldn't be the first to come here. The other grassland masters are probably not far from here. If we let him go this time, troubled times will come..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Wumian suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Perhaps it was due to the light and shadow, the bloodstain was slightly blue.

Su Qingqi was slightly startled and was about to take out the pill from her pocket, but Zhao Wumian raised his hand to interrupt her, wiped the blood from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand, and said slowly: "I admire the girl's kindness, and I came here to help you in order to repay the favor of a meal. As for the emperor..."

He paused for a moment before saying, "I won't ask questions that I shouldn't ask. Now that I've repaid the favor, I won't stay any longer. See you in the rivers and lakes."

After saying this, Zhao Wumian turned around, walked out of the dilapidated gate, and walked alone towards the layers of snow.

Su Qingqi was stunned for a moment. Was he really just trying to repay the favor of a meal? There really were people like this in the world...

She certainly didn't come here to suppress bandits.

What Wu Ming said was true. The orthodox Dali clan was currently stranded in northern Shanxi. She was entrusted by her elder brother to secretly welcome the emperor to the capital. Meeting Zhao Wumian was purely a coincidence.

The matter is of great importance, and it stands to reason that the irrelevant people around should be either killed or expelled.

Zhao Wumian's identity is unknown, but she is quite powerful. Just kill her directly. There is no grudge against her, and she has a guilty conscience. It is not certain that we can defeat her... If she is seriously injured and escapes, then can we still complete the mission?
If I don't kill him and let him go, I'm worried that he might be someone from another force, secretly acting as the boss.

After much deliberation, she decided to go with him. At least everything Zhao Wumian did was under her nose and he couldn't do anything behind her back.

She said so much to Zhao Wumian not because she was interested in him... Zhao Wumian was trying to get information, so was she?
Until now, she still couldn't completely trust Zhao Wumian, a man of unknown identity, but at this moment, she could hardly suppress the feeling of guilt of "judging others by one's own standards".

Seeing that the man's figure had disappeared in the increasingly thick snow, she hurriedly asked, "Qingqi is to blame for what happened today. If you need anything in the future, you can come to the Su family in Jiangnan. Qingqi will certainly spare no effort to help you! Can you tell me Qingqi's name?"

"Zhao Wumian."

Zhao Wumian untied the empty quiver from his waist and threw it down. His boots made a rustling sound as he stepped on the snow, and there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes. Why did the emperor appear here? What was Su Qingqi's identity? Zhao Wumian didn't know, but he could roughly guess.

He also understood Su Qingqi's behavior. Neither of them were stupid college students. It was impossible for them to just trust a stranger they met on the street. He knew it from the time they were riding the horse.

But it's still fucked up enough. I thought he was helping the chivalrous and righteous heroine of the martial arts world...but in fact he was helping the court's lackeys. What the so-called martial arts world is, it's just a dispute between the court.

His injuries have not yet healed. He is not surrounded by enemies, but he cannot trust others easily either. If he gets involved in the internal strife of the court at this time, he may die without knowing how even if he has superb martial arts skills.

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. This is a truth that everyone knows.

There are people to deal with this kind of troublesome matter, and the reason why Wu Ming was forced to retreat was purely because he underestimated Zhao Wumian and suffered a great loss. In addition, Su Qingqi was by his side, otherwise Zhao Wumian might have been defeated if the fight lasted a few more rounds.

Heavy snow was falling outside the house, but the melee had slowly subsided. Those from the Rong faction had obviously seen Wu Ming's defeat, and their faces were ashen. They had either given up struggling or were thinking of retreating. Wang Changzhi was still hanging on the wall, and it was unknown whether he was dead or alive.

Several men holding knives wiped the blood off their faces, looked at Zhao Wumian, and laughed heartily: "You defeated the enemy with your strength, you are a true hero!"

"hero!"

"Why don't you be our boss!"

Zhao Wumian didn't think that these bandits were no longer bandits just because they were covered in a patriotic cloak, and he didn't know whether the little heroine's words about avenging the village were true or false.

He took a deep breath, and the cold air of the snowy day refreshed his lungs, with a hint of blood in his throat.

Although the situation is complicated, the human feelings have been restored, the thoughts are clear, the sky is high and the birds fly freely, the sea is wide and the fish swim freely. These are just minor episodes, and there is still a vast world for him to roam.

He was already looking forward to roaming the world with a sword, drinking and singing, and showing off his skills.

The snow was getting heavier, and there were raging fires all around. Zhao Wumian walked out of the village alone.

He suddenly thought of Wang Changzhi. This guy's head was worth 20 taels of silver. He came here and fought a grassland master for no apparent reason. He couldn't return empty-handed.

No matter what kind of dead traitor he is who colluded with the Rong tribe, he is just 20 taels in his hands.

Where did you take Wang Changzhi’s head?
Zhao Wumian felt a little confused again... The world is so big, where should he go?
At this moment, a clear voice called him in his ears.

"Young master stay."

Zhao Wumian frowned and looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a man wearing cloth and also covered in dust, who looked similar to him, standing not far away, acting stealthily, but unable to hide his pair of bright eyes.

Judging from her attire, this person is just a beggar, and looks about the same as Zhao Wumian. But at this moment, her calm voice, bright eyes and inexplicable temperament still made Zhao Wumian realize that this person is extraordinary. Combined with the current situation, he made a bold guess.

"What's the matter?" Standing there, with heavy snow falling on his shoulders, Zhao Wumian tilted his head to look at her and asked briefly.

"I beg you to escort me back to the capital." The beggar in front of him bowed very solemnly and saluted, and said something shocking.

Although his voice is cold and plain, one can still hear the sincerity in it.

After he finished speaking, Zhao Wumian did not respond for a while.

The beggar looked up, a little confused.

Zhao Wumian: “(-＿-)”

'Beggar': "(O_O)?"

Two dusty and disheveled guys stared at each other across the snow curtain, and an unspeakable silence lingered between them.

Zhao Wumian had a toothache and was just planning to stay as far away from this trouble as possible when the real culprit came looking for him.

Although he did not know the details of the matter, a young emperor was alone and wandering in the northern border of Shanxi. The obvious enemies were of the same level as Wu Ming, not to mention the local tyrants and princes.

Not every prince wants to be an idle prince. If the emperor dies, there will be a lot of room for maneuver as to who will be the next emperor.

Seeing that Zhao Wumian didn't seem very willing, the beggar whispered, "Master Mingzhao, I think you have guessed my identity..."

"Wait." Zhao Wumian raised his hand to interrupt her. "Why do you believe that I can help you? Aren't you afraid that I will kidnap you and sell you to a grassland tribe or a vassal king?"

"Qingqi has studied swordsmanship since she was young. In the capital, she often listened to storytellers telling stories of knights, hoping to be a hero in the future." The woman nodded slightly in the direction of Su Qingqi. "She can say 'Qingqi is to blame for what happened today', which shows that you are not a despicable villain who forgets his principles for the sake of profit, but in the final analysis..."

She paused for a moment, remained silent for a while, and then continued, "I'm afraid Qingqi alone can't protect me back to the capital. I just saw that you are an unparalleled martial artist and a great man, so asking you for help is really a waste of time."

After that, she bowed slightly to Zhao Wumian, apologetically, "This is from the bottom of my heart, I don't mean to offend you, I'm sure you would prefer to hear the truth."

The reason is simple. If you are about to die, of course you have to fight for all the power you can.

This is the merit of following the dragon. The woman thought that Zhao Wumian should at least hesitate a little, but she never expected that Zhao Wumian would directly wave his hand to refuse.

"I am seriously injured and have enemies beside me. I am too busy to take care of myself and cannot take on this important task."

Protecting the empress back to the capital sounds romantic and chivalrous, and maybe he can even become the "Queen Zhao" after returning to the capital, but he is not a novice who can't walk after seeing a woman. He is about to make his way in the underworld, so he should be careful not to fall into the trap of women... After all, his own affairs are still unresolved, how can he have the ability to get involved in such a quagmire?
The woman was slightly stunned, then some approval appeared in her eyes, and she actually looked up to him in her heart. If an ordinary person heard this, he would have patted his chest and guaranteed it. It was rare to find someone who could remain calm when following a dragon.

She thought for a moment and was about to continue persuading him, but then she noticed the blue and red blood on the corners of Zhao Wumian's lips and the back of his hand. A look of surprise appeared on her face, "Young Master, was poisoned by a Gu? The Cold Jade Gu?"

Zhao Wumian was slightly startled. When he heard the word "Han Yu Gu", his muddled brain suddenly became clear, as if a valve had been opened. The words he heard while unconscious instantly echoed in his mind.

The man who saved him did mention the 'Cold Jade Poison'.

Just by looking at this female emperor, she knew what poison he had been poisoned by. Was this because of her superb medical skills, or was she related to this matter?
(End of this chapter)