Miss Xu, Be Careful

Moonlight spilled across the eaves of the roof.

Xu Xiaogang, whom he had met during the day, stood on top, dressed in white, hands behind his back, his head tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, gazing at the moon in the sky.

He then slowly recited, "Worldly affairs are fleeting, dreams easily disturbed. Clouds gather and disperse, their fate unclear. If life could grant eternal leisure, I'd ask for neither future nor fame."

After finishing, Xu Xiaogang glanced sideways below, wanting to observe Jiang Yun's expression.

This poem, he had spent a full hundred taels in the Capital City to have someone write it for him, meant to be recited upon his grand entrance to elevate his status.

Didn't all the masters in those plays have a line like this when they appeared?

Jiang Yun's mind was filled with question marks. What was this guy doing here? Not sleeping in the middle of the night, but running onto someone's roof to recite poetry?

"What are you doing?" Jiang Yun asked, frowning.

Seeing Jiang Yun's reaction, Xu Xiaogang felt a surge of dissatisfaction.

It seemed this guy hadn't realized he was a master.

He had to give this Jiang Yun a little demonstration.

With that thought, he stomped his foot, leaped into the air, and flew towards Jiang Yun's eaves.

"Careful!"

Jiang Yun's eyes widened as he saw him flying towards his eaves, and he quickly shouted a warning, but it was too late.

As Xu Xiaogang's foot landed on the roof, he slipped unexpectedly, falling with a bang and smashing his face against the eaves.

The eaves had long been greased with lard by Jiang Yun, who was worried about evil people sneaking in from the roof.

"Hiss." Xu Xiaogang, lying on the eaves, pushed himself up slowly. He looked at Jiang Yun staring at him, his eyes seeming to pity a fool.

"Xu Xiaogang!"

Hearing the commotion, Xu Suwen, who was inside the house, also came out. Her face was dark as she said sternly, "Didn't I tell you to stay put at Nanmanju Inn? What are you doing running over here?"

Xu Xiaogang managed to stand steadily on the roof, tidied his disheveled hair, and then said calmly, "Miss, the Xu Xiaogang you just called out sounds like a familiar name, like that of a handsome and dashing old acquaintance."

"However, my name is Xu Wuchang. It seems you've mistaken me for someone else."

Xu Suwen's face darkened, and Jiang Yun, his mind full of question marks, couldn't help but ask, "Who is this person?"

"My brother," Xu Suwen said through gritted teeth. "He had good talent since he was young, considered a young prodigy in martial arts, and has a very high opinion of himself."

"He desperately wants to show off, but the Capital City is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with countless geniuses."

"He finally managed to leave the Capital City recently..."

Jiang Yun finally understood. To put it bluntly, this guy just wanted to show off?

There were too many show-offs in the Capital City, so it wasn't his turn to shine. Now that he was in Nanzhou Prefecture, he wanted to put on a big display?

But if he wanted to show off, why climb onto a roof in the middle of the night...

Jiang Yun asked quietly, "How's his strength?"

"Not bad," Xu Suwen replied.

As long as he had strength!

Jiang Yun felt more confident. Anyone who could help deal with those evil people was his brother.

Jiang Yun shouted loudly, "Hey, Xu Xiaogang, right? Come down first. You just want to show off, no need to climb so high. Help me with something, and I'll teach you..."

"Go get a ladder," Jiang Yun said to Xu Suwen beside him.

"Haha, I, Xu Wuchang, come and go like the wind. Do I need a wooden ladder to get down from a roof?"

Xu Xiaogang leaped up, performing several graceful 360-degree spins in mid-air.

He then fell towards the backyard.

Jiang Yun inwardly thought, This is bad. "Be careful!"

A bang echoed from the backyard, followed by Xu Xiaogang's scream.

By the time Jiang Yun and Xu Suwen reached the backyard, a pit had been smashed open. However, Xu Xiaogang was nowhere to be seen inside.

He had disappeared somewhere.

"This guy," Xu Suwen gritted her teeth and stomped her foot fiercely. "I shouldn't have let him join the Imperial Guards in the first place. All he does is cause trouble."

Jiang Yun said with some helplessness, "What a shame. If he were here, tonight perhaps..."

"Don't worry, he hasn't gone far," Xu Suwen said, scanning the surroundings, her voice low. "He's probably hiding in some corner, waiting for the perfect moment to make his entrance."

"Because of this bad habit, many missions have been completed by other Imperial Guards before he even shows up."

"He gets no credit at all, but he enjoys it immensely."

Just as the two were about to return inside, the bells hanging around the courtyard suddenly began to ring.

Jiang Yun's expression darkened slightly as he looked around, his heart skipping a beat. They're here!

Xu Suwen also instantly drew the saber at her waist and scanned the surroundings.

"Miss Xu, why don't you reconsider my suggestion?" Jiang Yun asked.

Jiang Yun had suggested drawing another Golden Light Divine Incantation for Xu Suwen, but upon hearing the proposal, Xu Suwen almost drew her sword.

Xu Suwen glared fiercely at Jiang Yun and said, "If you dare mention it again, I'll cut you down first!"

Just then, footsteps slowly approached. Three elders, all over eighty years old, walked toward the Jiang Family's small courtyard.

All three wore black robes. Yang Qian, the leader, cast a cold, sinister gaze at Jiang Yun and Xu Suwen within the courtyard.

"Was it you who killed Ghost Granny?" Yang Qian's voice was icy, and his eyes fell on Jiang Yun.

"Since you're here for revenge, why waste so much time with chatter?" Xu Suwen coldly drew the saber at her waist.

The three evildoers slowly walked into the courtyard, their killing intent growing stronger. Yang Qian said, "Our fourth sister knew us for fifty years and shared hardships with us."

"I didn't expect her to fall into your hands."

Watching the three enter the courtyard, Jiang Yun couldn't help but feel regret and glanced at Xu Suwen.

The two basins of black dog blood by the door had been wasted by Xu Suwen.

There was no way to find two more black dogs in a short time.

Otherwise, if those two basins of black dog blood had been splashed on them, the power of these guys' evil arts would likely have been greatly reduced.

"Miss Xu, attack!" Jiang Yun said, then retreated backward.

Xu Suwen snorted coldly, holding her long saber, and attacked the three evildoers.

Xu Suwen's swordsmanship was sharp. With a swing, she rapidly slashed and chopped at the three evildoers.

The three evildoers didn't dodge. Their steel blades cut open their bodies, creating wounds.

But inside their wounds were only strange black insects.

The insects wriggled, and the wounds quickly healed.

They were impossible to kill.

"Little girl, these tricks can't kill us." Yang Qian said, then opened his mouth.

From his mouth flew out swarms of flies.

These countless flies, dense and covering the sky, swarmed toward Xu Suwen.

Xu Suwen was forced to retreat to the trees by the courtyard.

Jiang Yun became anxious and quickly reminded her, "Miss Xu, be careful!"

Xu Suwen swung her steel saber, while inwardly thinking, I'm surrounded by these strange insects, don't I know to be careful?

Do I need him to remind me?

But soon, Xu Suwen's heart stirred.

What he means is...

Could it be to beware of his trap?

Afterward, Xu Suwen felt like her foot had stepped on some kind of mechanism.