Dragon Funeral

Chapter 15: Dragon Funeral

Meanwhile, deep within the Ye residence, in Ye Lingdang's boudoir.

A dark figure was steadily approaching Ye Lingdang, who had been cornered against the wall.

"You... Don't come any closer!"

Ye Lingdang clutched a golden hairpin tightly in her hands, pressing the sharp tip against her fair neck. The pointed end had already broken the skin, drawing a bead of bright red blood. She trembled all over, tears streaming uncontrollably:

"If you dare come closer, I... I'll kill myself immediately!"

Rather than be defiled and killed by this villain, she would end her own life. At least that way, she could preserve the Ye family's honor.

"Heh heh heh... Little beauty, why bother?"

The dark figure licked his lips, letting out a chilling, wicked laugh. Upon closer inspection, this person's voice, build, and even his vulgar demeanor were identical to the Flower Thief that Bai Yan had captured earlier. If the two were standing side-by-side, one couldn't tell them apart.

"This master still has important business to attend to, but before I do, it wouldn't be bad to 'favor' you, little beauty."

"I'll let you taste the ultimate pleasure in life right away. I guarantee you'll never forget it after just one try..."

He advanced step by step, his eyes gleaming with lust.

"Lord Bai won't let you get away with this!"

"You'll definitely go to hell!"

Ye Lingdang sobbed uncontrollably, her whole body shaking.

Her hand holding the hairpin trembled incessantly, filled with despair.

She had thought she was safe once the Flower Thief was caught. She had even planned to attend the banquet with her father the next day, hoping to see Bai Yan again.

But she never expected that not long after Bai Yan left, another man would break into her room, intending to assault her.

Who could have guessed that there were actually two so-called Flower Thieves, and they were identical twin brothers!

The brothers sometimes worked together and sometimes took turns, which explained the high frequency of their crimes and why the authorities could never track them down.

"Heh heh heh, little beauty, stop struggling. That Imperial Guard is already gone. No one can save you now!"

He took another step forward, his shadow completely engulfing Ye Lingdang:

"If you dare kill yourself, I naturally won't be able to touch you, this wilting flower. But what about your parents? Your entire family, dozens of lives – can you bear to watch them be buried with you?"

"Can you stand watching your father and mother being sliced to death by me, begging you to live?"

The Flower Thief let out a crazed, lecherous laugh. Silhouetted against the moon, his expression was ferocious and terrifying, like a demon ready to devour its prey.

"You... You're despicable... You're not human!"

Ye Lingdang was completely despairing. The Flower Thief's words had struck her weakness.

She could steel herself to commit suicide, but she couldn't bear to have her parents buried with her.

And it was this moment of hesitation that the Flower Thief seized.

With a flick of his finger, a copper coin shot through the air, striking Ye Lingdang's wrist.

Ye Lingdang cried out in pain, and the hairpin fell from her hand.

"Heh heh heh, finally got you!"

The Flower Thief took a step forward, reaching out to grab Ye Lingdang.

She was a rare gem, far superior to any woman he had played with before.

For Ye Lingdang, he was willing to disregard his own brother's life, just to pluck this tender bud first.

"No...!"

"Lord Bai!!"

Ye Lingdang looked at the Flower Thief's grasping hand, her heart turning to ash.

At this critical moment, a thunderous roar erupted from outside the door, as if angry lightning was tearing through the night sky.

A blinding bolt of electricity, like a speeding thunderbolt, and a dark figure, enveloped in a gust of wind, burst through the window. The wooden window shattered instantly, splinters flying. In almost the same moment, a chilling white saber light flashed like a lightning shuttle!

The saber light was too cold, carrying a suffocating, icy killing intent. As soon as it appeared, the temperature in the entire room dropped several degrees. Even the candlelight flickered fearfully, and a bone-chilling cold permeated the air, as if even the soul would freeze.

The saber light flashed and disappeared. Bai Yan appeared in front of Ye Lingdang, slowly sheathing his sword.

Three Gang Saber Art, the Soaring Dragon style, swift as a swan's flight, Dragon Funeral!

"It's alright now, get up."

Bai Yan deliberately slowed his tone, trying to make his voice gentle, and extended his right hand to Ye Lingdang, who had collapsed on the floor.

Ye Lingdang stared blankly at Bai Yan, instinctively placing her small hand in his palm. The moment their palms touched, Ye Lingdang felt his large hand was incredibly warm, giving her an unparalleled sense of security.

"Sob sob sob..."

The fear that had been building up for so long, combined with the relief of surviving a near-death experience, finally found an outlet. Ye Lingdang could no longer hold back, and she threw herself into Bai Yan's arms, clutching his clothes tightly, and burst into tears.

"There, there, it's alright now."

Bai Yan gently patted Ye Lingdang's back, murmuring words of comfort.

His gaze swept around the room before finally settling on a jewelry box in the corner.

He saw it clearly: there was a jade hairpin in the box, and its material was exactly the same as the broken jade he had just taken from those Azure Lotus Sect thugs.

Bai Yan flicked his wrist, circulating internal energy in his palm, and telekinetically drew the hairpin into his hand. He then quietly tucked it into his sleeve.

Afterward, Bai Yan helped Ye Lingdang out of the room.

The moment they stepped out, a bloody line suddenly split open on the neck of the Flower Thief behind them, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Immediately after, his head rolled onto the floor, spinning a dozen times on the smooth tiles before finally stopping at the corner of a table. On that table was the jewelry box.

The head's eyes were still wide open, the lewdness and satisfaction of imminent success frozen deep within them.

Bai Yan's blade was too fast. It was so fast that the thief hadn't even seen his attacker or sensed death approaching. His last conscious thought was of the moment he was about to grab Ye Lingdang.

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Ye Youcai and Madam Ye, along with a group of martial artist guards, rushed over. They happened to see Bai Yan helping Ye Lingdang out of the side room. The young lady had tear tracks on her face and was still trembling slightly.

"Lord Bai? What's going on?"

Ye Youcai looked bewildered, staring at Bai Yan, who had returned, and then at his daughter's reddened eyes. His heart tightened:

"Didn't you already..."

"Mom..."

Ye Lingdang threw herself into her mother's arms, sobbing too hard to speak coherently. Madam Ye quickly hugged her daughter, stroking her back and whispering words of comfort, but her eyes looked at Bai Yan with surprise.

Since this involved the Azure Lotus Sect, Bai Yan couldn't explain the details. Moreover, the flustered appearance of Ye Youcai's family seemed genuine, indicating they were unaware of the situation. They had merely suffered an undeserved disaster.

After a moment of thought, Bai Yan offered his prepared explanation:

"There were actually two Flower Thieves; they were twin brothers."

"After I left, I realized something was off. Their crime rate was too high to be the work of a single person."

"So, I predicted that another would take advantage of the situation and immediately returned. Fortunately, I arrived in time, and Miss Ye was not violated."

As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard from outside the courtyard. Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao arrived with the Imperial Guard. Seeing that the situation was resolved, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Bai Yan looked at them and instructed:

"There is another body in the room. You two go and carry it out."

"Yes, sir!"

Two Enforcers responded and entered the side room. Before long, they carried out a headless corpse, while another person held a bloody head.

When the head was placed next to the severed neck of the corpse, Ye Youcai and his wife saw clearly that this person looked exactly like the Flower Thief from before!

"This... they were actually two..."

Ye Youcai gasped, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat.

He looked at the corpse, then at his daughter still trembling in his wife's arms, and a wave of fear washed over him. If Bai Yan hadn't been so meticulous and returned in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Madam Ye's legs went weak. If not for the maidservant beside her, she would have collapsed on the spot.

"Lord Bai, if not for your keen observation and insight into the Flower Thief's scheme, my daughter would have surely... surely fallen victim to that villain tonight!"

He said this and actually knelt before Bai Yan, his graying temples trembling slightly, tears streaming from his eyes:

"Such a great kindness, I truly don't know how to repay you!"

Seeing this, Madam Ye quickly pulled Ye Lingdang to her side and knelt down as well. Mother and daughter bowed deeply to Bai Yan.

"Patriarch Ye, Madam Ye, please rise quickly."

Bai Yan quickly reached out to help them up:

"You honor me too much."

"Strictly speaking, this incident was our oversight. If I had realized from the beginning that the Flower Thief was working with a partner, perhaps these subsequent complications could have been avoided."

"What are you saying, my lord!"

Ye Youcai quickly interjected:

"That Flower Thief was cunning and treacherous. Who could have imagined they were twin brothers working together? Even the authorities have been investigating for so long and couldn't figure it out!"

"For Lord Bai to see through the deception at such a critical moment and save my daughter is already an immense favor to our Ye family!"

Bai Yan looked at his excited expression and comforted him:

"Rest assured, Patriarch Ye. Both Flower Thieves have been apprehended. It's truly over now."

He then looked at Ye Lingdang, seeing that although her face was pale, her eyes had calmed considerably. He added:

"Miss Ye was frightened, but her body is unharmed. She just needs to rest well for a while, and she will gradually recover."

Hearing this, Ye Lingdang looked up at Bai Yan with her tear-filled eyes, then quickly lowered her head, her fingertips nervously twisting her sleeves, a faint blush rising on her earlobes.

"Everything is settled, and I should take my leave."

This time, Bai Yan had absolute confidence because he had already heard the system prompt: the mission to capture the Flower Thief was complete.