sjar Chapter 13, 3 River Town 1
Chapter 13, 3 River Town 1
The morning wind was like a sharp blade, cutting into one's skin. A chill penetrated the skin and went straight to the bone, making one shiver involuntarily. Fei Xi shivered and couldn't help but grip the hot water bottle in her sleeve even tighter, but her face remained calm and composed, showing no sign of anything amiss.
She stood in the corridor, and her fellow disciples in the courtyard, under her command, used the Heavenly Palm technique in a coordinated and tacit manner.
They practiced martial arts for an hour every morning and evening. On Mount Qingcheng, Elder Li was in charge of supervising them, while in Nanxuan City, Fei Xi was in charge.
On her second day in Nanxuan City, Fei Xi, taking advantage of her status as the senior sister, imparted all the research results from her previous life to her junior brothers and sisters.
The weather is getting colder day by day, and the sun seems to have become lazy, reluctant to show its face and unwilling to bring any warmth to the world.
"Senior Sister, this is the eighth missing person case this month. Something's not right!"
At noon, Wang Zhizhong, who had returned for lunch, led his fellow students in through the door.
"It's not the 8th case, it's the 9th. Today, my junior colleagues also encountered people reporting that their family members had gone missing."
Picking up the ginger tea from the charcoal brazier, Fei Xi poured tea for her junior brothers while continuing, "..."
"It's not just the south that's experiencing this; there have been several disappearances in the north as well. Young Master Tie invited us to the east this evening to discuss this matter. In addition, I've also sent an invitation to Brother Dongfang."
As soon as Fei Xi finished speaking, Wang Zhizhong asked with barely concealed disgust in his eyes:
"Why bother with that hypocrite, Senior Sister?"
After spending the last few months with them, he grew deeply disgusted with the bookish Confucian scholars at Xuehai. Their every word was offensive and self-defeating, constantly spouting archaic phrases, devoid of any human decency. He genuinely suspected that their humanity had been completely devoured by their books; their books were cannibalistic.
“Junior brother, the martial world is never a solo show. It is because our predecessors helped each other that the martial world has achieved its glory today. Since our three sects are destined to come to Nanxuan City to defend the righteous path, we have an obligation to notify other sects to be careful in the event of special events.”
She patted her awkward older brother, who was much taller and older than her, and tilted her head, then smiled faintly:
"Moreover, more strength means more security. Letting them participate doesn't mean they get information for nothing. Just watch how I, their senior sister, take care of them."
Glancing at the smiling girl, Wang Zhizhong silently took a step back, silently praying for Dongfang Rui. He might curse those people a few times, but every time his senior sister smiled so kindly, someone was about to suffer.
*
At night, the Kuai Zai Lou restaurant was brightly lit, its interior as clear as day. A pair of large red lanterns hung at the entrance, their red candlelight illuminating the stone path in front. Two young men stood under the lanterns, smiling as they greeted a group of scholars as they approached.
After exchanging pleasantries and a few words, Dongfang Rui led his classmates and the young men into the Kuai Zai Lou.
The spacious hall was furnished with exquisite mahogany tables and chairs. Guests sat around them, chatting and laughing.
He told his classmates to find a table and order a pot of tea and two plates of snacks. Dongfang Rui then led two trusted confidants to the third-floor private room.
As soon as he reached the door, it was opened from the inside, and a young woman stepped out, greeting him with a warm smile.
"Brother Dongfang, it's been many days since we last met. You still look as dashing as ever. The young woman who was the first judge in the yamen spoke rudely earlier. I beg you to be magnanimous and not hold it against her."
Dongfang Rui harbored a deep grudge ever since the Qingcheng Sect's "senior sister" publicly humiliated him at the yamen, accusing him of behaving like a "gentleman." His classmates, who were at odds with him, even secretly nicknamed him "the traitor who killed his brother."
All this humiliation stems from the hateful woman in front of me!
Several disappearances have recently occurred in Nanxuan City, presenting a good opportunity. Just as he was plotting revenge, he received an invitation from a young woman.
If the host of the banquet were not the young master of Thunderbolt Fortress, he would definitely not give face to the little Qingcheng Sect!
Dongfang Rui had considered what the other person would do when they met again. He mentally rehearsed what she might say a hundred times, determined to appear magnanimous and let people know that he was a gentleman who wouldn't hold a grudge against a woman.
That way, he wouldn't arouse suspicion after this unreasonable woman disappeared.
But he never expected that Miss Fei would take the initiative to apologize to him.
Faced with a sincere and humble smile, the petty and narrow-minded Dongfang Rui wondered for the first time if he was being too sensitive and making a mountain out of a molehill.
It's normal for a young girl to have a bit of a temper and be a little spoiled. Besides, she's not unreasonable; she speaks and acts very logically...
The girl's eyes were tender and gentle, her smile seemingly sparkling. Dongfang Rui opened his folding fan, fanned himself, and replied softly, covering his face:
"Not at all, Miss Fei's words have also benefited me greatly. As the saying goes, 'Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me.' I will not take some harmless disputes to heart."
After exchanging pleasantries, the two took their seats, occasionally glancing at each other with smiles and nods. Dongfang Rui was secretly pleased; with his handsome appearance and gentlemanly demeanor, Miss Fei must be regretting her previous rudeness towards him.
"...Thunderbolt Fortress received 11 reports, and our Qingcheng Sect received 9. Apart from the elderly person who was found, the other 19 missing persons are all unmarried girls aged 12 to 18. Brother Dongfang, are you listening?"
"Miss Fei, please feel free to speak your mind."
Once he came to his senses, Dongfang Rui could easily understand the worry on the young girl's face. Yes, those who had gone missing were all young women, so it was understandable that Miss Fei would be afraid.
"There are no nobility or nobles committing crimes near Nanxuan City, and no new womanizers have appeared in the martial arts world recently. The situation is tense, and the brothels are behaving themselves. I think we can directly rule out the perpetrator as a lustful criminal. The disappearances are concentrated in time and have obvious commonalities, and the perpetrator is clearly not afraid that our three factions will discover any clues. I believe this matter is beyond our capabilities."
"Women are just cowards. You may be afraid, but I am not! I, Tie Yun, will bring this scoundrel who seduces innocent women to justice."
Thunderbolt Fortress is one of the top martial arts sects, yet his young master spends all his time hanging out with a third-rate sect like the Qingcheng Sect, even recognizing their senior sister, who knows no martial arts, as his senior sister. Tie Yun simply thinks his young master is head over heels in love. This weak sect might be afraid of a seducer, but Tie Yun isn't!
"Tie Yun! You are not allowed to be rude to Senior Sister."
With a slight smile, Fei Xi gestured for her junior brother Mo to hand her the item, shook her head at Tie Yi, and softly addressed the burly man who had questioned her:
"It's alright, Brother Tieyun's manly demeanor is impeccable, beyond doubt. But I'd like to ask Brother Tieyun a question: where are the scoundrels, and how do you plan to catch them?"
"If he appears before me, I will not let him go!"
Fei Xi opened the map in her hand and started drawing on the paper with a simple pen:
"Brother Tieyun's courage is commendable, but rather than waiting for the other side to appear, I think it would be better to strike directly."
"A direct attack? What exactly do you mean?!"
"The fact that they aren't afraid of us means they have the strength to not be afraid of us. So, notifying the elders to handle it is the safest option. But every day we wait increases the danger to the missing woman. Therefore, I share the same thought as you, Brother Tieyun; I also want to bring this scoundrel to justice myself. So, I have to ask you this: our actions might be life-threatening. Are you afraid?"
"What's there to be afraid of!"