Free Web NovelChapter 675: Chapter 675: Martial Artist
Yunlai Inn, the assassin pursued by Bai He and others.
Hiding under her bed, causing her to have a sleepless night!
At the time, not wanting to stir up more trouble, she didn’t pull him out from under the bed but opened the door and window to let him go.
As the person left, she caught a glimpse of his back.
No wonder the figure lying on the ground looked familiar.
But didn’t Bai He say in front of the Princess that he had already caught the assassin?
"Interesting."
Qin Yao sat back down on the chair, lifted her eyes to look at the curious Da Lang brothers and sisters, and waved her hand:
"It’s getting late, go back to your rooms and rest. Tomorrow morning, Da Lang, Second Lang, and Sanlang have to go to the Fan Family Private School to meet with the teacher."
The four siblings agreed tactfully, knowing not to ask what shouldn’t be asked and not to look at what shouldn’t be seen; they were all sensible children.
After sending the children away, Qin Yao’s expression immediately turned serious. She looked at Ah Wang and gestured with her chin toward the unconscious person on the ground.
Understanding her meaning, Ah Wang picked up a bucket of water initially meant for cleaning the yard and took a few strides into the flower hall, pouring the cold water over the person’s head.
"Swoosh!" The bucket of water washed away the grime from the person, mixed with traces of washed-away blood, making the scene quite dreadful.
Liu Ji sucked in a breath, retreating silently behind his wife, watching the person on the ground warily as they moaned and struggled, gradually regaining consciousness.
To endure so many injuries and not die was certainly no ordinary feat. If he were to suddenly attack, with his wife to shield him, he wouldn’t be the first to meet King Yan.
As for Yin Le and Ah Wang, Liu Ji felt that as an ordinary person, it wasn’t his place to worry about the two martial artists.
As he expected, that person struggled to sit up, looked around, and perhaps misunderstood something, thinking he might have been captured by the enemy. Suddenly, he lashed out fiercely, his fingers clawing toward Ah Wang, the nearest person to him.
The last counterattack of a dying beast is the fiercest. The person moved so quickly that Liu Ji hadn’t even seen clearly, and he was already less than half a meter away from Ah Wang, reaching out with his clawed hand toward Ah Wang’s neck.
All he heard was a disdainful snort from Ah Wang. In the next second, the situation reversed, and Ah Wang had already grabbed the person in his arms, holding one hand and clasping his neck with the other.
"Madam, should I kill him?" Ah Wang asked impatiently.
Qin Yao shook her head. This wasn’t the countryside, where she could bury a body in her courtyard, and she didn’t want to dirty her new house.
Moreover...
"Let’s ask what he’s done first, then send him to the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office in the morning." Qin Yao indicated to Ah Wang to release him first.
After calming down for a moment, the person seemed to realize he had misunderstood the situation. Once released by Ah Wang, he did not attack again.
Instead, he retreated to the door, his hand on the hidden weapon at his waist, watching them warily.
His gaze fell on Qin Yao, showing a hint of confusion. He felt she seemed familiar, her voice was familiar, and so was that intimidating aura.
"Who, who are you?" he attempted to ask.
Qin Yao snorted, "I’m no one. But you, you don’t look like a good person. Trespassing in a private residence, what are your intentions? Confess the truth now!"
The person quickly assessed the positions of the people in the hall.
Four in total. The scar-faced woman stood at his rear in the courtyard, the cold-faced man to his left. The handsome man, just a weak scholar, posed no threat.
But the woman seated directly facing him could trap him in this courtyard with no escape.
Not to mention, he was now seriously injured, like a trapped beast in a cage.
In a few short moments, he made a decision in his heart.
The lady of the house just said they would send him to the Capital Prefect’s Office at dawn; if he could indeed reach the government office, perhaps there was a slim chance of survival.
Standing was rather exhausting, so he simply sat cross-legged on the carpet and spoke:
"I have no name or surname, originally a minor martial artist with the opera troupe at the Eastern Palace Mansion. Everyone called me Martial Artist."
Martial Artist’s lips curled into a small smile. "I had no intention of trespassing in the noble house but, having overheard secrets I shouldn’t have, I was put on a wanted list by those in power, knowing that falling into their hands would be certain death. Thus, I fled. Tonight was truly an accident. If you want to send me to the Capital City Government, I am so grievously injured now that I won’t run. I’ll willingly go with you."
Performers are keen-eared and observant, and he could tell they did not have the typical Capital City accent. He also noticed that this household, although cautiously concealed, was in fact discreet in their actions.
So for them, less trouble was better than more.
Sending him to the Capital City Government was the best choice for them.
"Was there a banquet held here today?"
He looked at the leftover dishes outside the courtyard, revealing a fawning smile reminiscent of currying favor with officials and nobles, cupping his hands in a salute:
"Madam, please bestow upon me a bowl of food. After days on the run, my stomach is already growling with hunger."
Yin Le raised an eyebrow in surprise. This person has quite the nerves; in a life-and-death situation, he still has the mind to ask for food.
However, Master always says, "The vast earth, eating comes first, what more do ordinary folks yearn for than a meal?"
"Go gather the leftover food," Qin Yao instructed.
Yin Le nodded and turned to fetch the bowl.
Martial Artist’s eyes lit up, and just when he was about to bow and express his gratitude, a faint voice from above interrupted:
"Tell me your secret, and you can have as much food as you want."
Liu Ji, standing by Qin Yao’s side, got excited—gossip about the Eastern Palace, who wouldn’t love to hear that?
"My wife keeps her word. If you speak the truth, I’ll personally fetch some delicious food for you from the kitchen this instant."
Fearless, Liu Ji approached Martial Artist, squatted down, describing to him how fresh and spicy the drunken shrimp at Tianxiang Building was, how fragrant and soft the egg cake, how flavorful the eight-treasure turtle soup.
To someone hunger-stricken, these were deadly temptations. Martial Artist couldn’t help swallowing several times, his eyes red with desire.
Right then, Yin Le brought the dishes over, and Liu Ji snatched them, teasingly waving them under Martial Artist’s nose without letting him have a bite.
With Ah Wang and the others suppressing the scene, Martial Artist dared not snatch the food from Liu Ji’s bowl, so he compromised almost without any psychological burden.
"The matter is of great consequence, I can only reveal it to Madam." As he spoke, his eyes lingered on the bowl in Liu Ji’s hands, swallowing hard once again.
Qin Yao immediately beckoned, "Come and say it."
Martial Artist gave a mournful smile, "I’m afraid it requires Madam to step aside," truly unable to tear himself away from the food.
Liu Ji clicked his tongue twice; indeed, it’s pitiful. Suddenly feeling charitable, he picked up a piece of white-cut chicken and fed it over.
"Have a piece first, taste the flavor of Tianxiang Building. I wasn’t lying—it’s delicious, isn’t it?"
Martial Artist nodded intensely, "Delicious, I’ve never had such tasty meat before!"
And yet, there was no more to eat.
To a starving fugitive, what’s more frightening than an empty stomach is suddenly tasting a bit of delicious food.
Martial Artist’s stomach felt as if thousands of ants were gnawing at it. As soon as Qin Yao squatted down, he poured out the secrets he had heard in full.
