Wandering Swordsman |

Although Yan Shang's actions made Murong Qing feel slightly uncomfortable, she considered that it would indeed take more time for her to find Shen Mo alone, and Yan Shang's suggestion wasn't entirely unreasonable. After pondering for a while, she finally nodded: "Alright, that's fine too."

Led by Yan Shang, Murong Qing's pace gradually slowed, a nameless unease rising within her. She noticed the scenery shifting from bustling city streets to tranquil suburbs; the city gate was now behind her. She gently tugged at her sleeve, trying to conceal her unease, but ultimately couldn't help asking, "Young Master Yan, why haven't we reached your residence even after leaving the city gate?"

Yan Shang maintained his elegant demeanor and smiled, "I prefer tranquility, so I built my residence outside the city. It's far from the hustle and bustle here, allowing one's mind to truly relax."

Murong Qing frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes. She continued to ask, "Then, Young Master Yan, how much longer until we reach your residence?" Her voice was soft, but carried a trace of urgency.

"Don't worry, young lady, we'll be there soon." Yan Shang's smile remained gentle, as if everything was under his control.

After a while, Murong Qing followed Yan Shang into a bamboo forest. The bamboo leaves rustled in the breeze, and sunlight filtered through the dappled branches, creating patches of golden light. In this interplay of light and shadow, Murong Qing noticed a figure standing motionless in the forest, seemingly waiting for something.

As they drew closer, the man slowly turned around, and Murong Qing's face instantly turned pale—it was the thief who had stolen her silver notes. Her voice trembled slightly with shock: "How could it be you? What are you doing here?!"

Yan Shang's smile suddenly turned cold, and he said coldly, "Young lady, don't you know how treacherous people can be?"

Suddenly, a sense of foreboding washed over Murong Qing. As she turned to run, the two constables appeared behind her like ghosts. In that instant, all the clues rapidly pieced together in her mind—Yan Shang's every move, the thief's appearance, the constables' cooperation…it was all a meticulously planned conspiracy.

Murong Qing's pupils suddenly contracted, realizing that these people were all in cahoots, and that she had just moments before harbored some goodwill and trust towards Yan Shang. Anger and regret swirled in her heart, but she had no time to dwell on these emotions. In this critical moment, Murong Qing immediately used her lightness skill, leaping like a swallow onto a bamboo stalk, attempting to escape this dangerous place.

However, before he could even stand firmly on top of the bamboo, she felt an unprecedented fatigue wash over her.

Perhaps it was the previous mental stress combined with the sudden strenuous exercise that exhausted her strength, or perhaps someone had secretly exerted some influence on her, but Murong Qing suddenly lost her balance and fell off the bamboo branch.

After falling to the ground, Murong Qing endured the pain, using her hands to support herself and barely managing to sit up. Her eyes burned with rage, and despite her extreme exhaustion, she still loudly warned, "Do you know who I am? If you dare touch a hair on my head, you're dead!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Shang burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the bamboo forest with a chilling mockery. "Hahaha, even if you are a princess, no one is coming to save you now." His smile gradually faded, his eyes revealing greed and smugness. "Besides, look at any piece of jewelry you wear; it's worth thousands of taels of silver. Once I kidnap you and find out your background, even if you have royalty backing you, you'll have to obediently pay the ransom."

He slowly approached Murong Qing, each step feeling like a blow to her heart. His voice was low and threatening: "Besides the ransom, your pretty face should fetch a good price. In the eyes of wealthy merchants, a beautiful woman from a prestigious family is a rare find. They're willing to pay any price for a night's pleasure."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a chilling laugh echoed through the bamboo forest from somewhere. "Hahaha, in that case, the heads of these four should fetch a good price." The voice seemed to pierce through the veil of night, carrying an ominous premonition.

Upon hearing this, Yan Shang and the others immediately looked around alertly, their weapons tensing. A tense atmosphere filled the air, as if a storm might erupt at any moment. "Who is it!" Yan Shang's voice was tinged with panic as he tried to locate the source of the sound in the darkness, his eyes flashing with unease and vigilance.

"Jinzhou Ronin." As the voice faded, a dark figure flashed through the bamboo forest like a ghost in the night. Immediately afterward, the two fake constables collapsed to the ground without warning, as if struck by an invisible force, and never uttered a sound again.

Yan Shang's face instantly turned ashen. He gripped the sword at his waist tightly, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily. Every nerve in his body was on high alert; his breathing was rapid, and his eyes constantly scanned his surroundings, trying to detect any possible threat.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Murong Qing was overjoyed and shouted loudly into the forest, "Shen Mo, I knew you would come! Quickly defeat the remaining two bad guys!" Her voice was full of trust and expectation, as if her shout could dispel all the gloom.

Before she could finish speaking, the thief standing with Yan Shang also suddenly met with misfortune, struck by a flying stone that seemed to come from nowhere. He groaned and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up. All of this happened so fast that Yan Shang barely had time to react.

Seeing this, Yan Shang disregarded his companions, his face turned ashen, and he turned and ran away.

After Yan Shang had run far away, Shen Mo suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as silently as a shadow. He quickly walked to Murong Qing's side, gently helped her up, and asked with concern, "How are you? Can you still walk?" His voice was gentle yet firm, as if it could bring a sense of security.

Murong Qing frowned slightly and complained, feigning dissatisfaction, "Hmph, couldn't you have shown up sooner? You made me fall from such a high place." Her tone carried a hint of grievance and reproach, but her eyes revealed the relief she felt upon seeing Shen Mo.

Shen Mo chuckled and teased, "Miss Murong, isn't your master known as the 'Swallow Flying' master? How come your lightness skill..." Before he could finish speaking, Murong Qing interrupted him, "I don't know what happened either. After using my lightness skill, I felt weak all over."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo's expression instantly turned serious. He immediately turned his back to Murong Qing and squatted down, saying, "Come on, I'll carry you to see a doctor. This might be a symptom of poisoning." Murong Qing hesitated for a moment, but ultimately climbed onto Shen Mo's back. She felt Shen Mo's back was firm and reliable, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.