Wuwu, You're Bullying Me

Chapter 18: Wuwu... You're Bullying Me

Chen Yi furrowed his brow. It didn't seem to be the case.

First, he could confirm that the newcomer didn't know him, otherwise she wouldn't have asked like that earlier.

Second, her finding him should have something to do with his wife, Lady Xiao Jinghong.

An enemy of Second Miss Xiao?

Perhaps. After all, Xiao Jinghong, as a general guarding Shuzhou, had no shortage of enemies.

Chen Yi's brow unconsciously knitted tighter. Just how strong would a Martial Path cultivator have to be to bypass the Marquis's Mansion Guards and reach Chunhe Garden?

Thinking this.

Chen Yi slowly shifted his steps, backing against a few Purple Bamboo stalks, his expression wary as he surveyed his surroundings.

Just as he was about to speak and probe further, he heard a sound of wind behind his head.

Along with it, a crisp, playful laugh: "Hehehe..."

Without time to think.

Chen Yi stamped his foot, crouched low, and used his hands to support himself as he rolled sideways, his eyes locking onto the newcomer—only to catch a glimpse of a short, small figure flitting past.

Such fast movement.

The thought had barely flashed through his mind when he saw that shadow closing in again. A bell seemed to hang around her neck, jingling as she moved.

"Since you called me a heroine, this heroine will let you suffer a little less."

The voice arrived, and a pale, jade-like hand followed, striking toward him.

Chen Yi's gaze focused. The sounds around him vanished instantly, leaving only that incoming palm in his sight.

The Qi within his body flowed instinctively, dispersing from his Dantian and Qi Sea back into his sinews, bones, and skin, through every limb and joint.

Then, instead of retreating, he advanced. His wrists pressed together as he crouched and raised his arms to block—Collapsing Mountain · Heaven Supporting Style!

Slap!

The moment he made contact with that hand, Chen Yi abruptly gripped her wrist, intending to twist both hands in opposite directions and snap her arm, while driving his elbow forward with the force of Collapsing Mountain.

But before he could finish, the newcomer seemed startled by him. She went limp, her entire body sagging against him.

"Stop, stop, stop... It hurts, it hurts..."

"..."

Chen Yi's elbow stopped just short of her chest. He still held her arm in both hands, studying her by the lantern light outside the Wooden Tower.

She was a woman with many small braids in her hair, her face round, soft, and glowing. A ring of silver bells hung around her neck.

Her clothes were strange too, very much like the mountain Tribe people he'd seen on the road earlier. The colors were mainly red and blue, with a low neckline that bared much of her chest, and even the slit on her skirt reached above the knee.

"Who are you?"

"I, I'm Pei Guanli..."

"Why are you trying to assassinate me?"

"Ass-assassinate?"

The woman tilted her head up, looking at him pitifully, her big eyes sweeping over her wrist. "I wasn't trying to assassinate you. I was just playing with you."

"Pei Guanli?" Chen Yi naturally wouldn't believe her so easily. He twisted her arm behind her back, pressing his knee against her spine.

"Playing means you can attack me?"

"If you don't tell the truth, I'll hand you over to the mansion's guards. I'm sure those rough military men would love a tender, soft-skinned little girl like you."

"No, no, no... I'm telling the truth... I really was just playing with you. I saw Sister Jinghong before I came."

Pei Guanli hurriedly explained, only thinking about getting free as soon as possible.

At the same time, she was confused in her heart—hadn't her brother said that Sister Jinghong's husband was a frail scholar, an embroidered pillow, a complete waste?

How was this man so strong? At least Ninth Rank, Upper Stage.

And his Martial Path techniques were no joke either. Not only had he dodged her attack, but he'd subdued her in an instant.

If she'd known this earlier, Pei Guanli would have dosed him with some Poisons before making a move.

Seen his wife? Chen Yi was half-convinced. "And?"

"And, and Sister Jinghong has known my Grandma for years. Our Tribe only started living better thanks to Sister Jinghong. We're going to set up a Mutual Market with her soon, to trade what we have for what we don't."

"Then why didn't you say so from the start?"

"She, Sister Jinghong didn't let me come to the Old Marquis's birthday banquet, so, so I wanted to mess with you a little, to make her angry..."

Finished speaking, Pei Guanli twisted her head to look at him, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes as she wailed, "Brother-in-law, I know I was wrong, wuwu..."

Hearing this, the corner of Chen Yi's mouth twitched slightly. He already believed her.

"Get up."

But after releasing her, Chen Yi still cautiously stepped back two paces, just in case.

Pei Guanli rubbed her aching arm as she stood up, looking at the bruise on her wrist as tears streamed down her face.

"Just you wait, I'm going to, I'm going to tell Sister Jinghong that you bullied me."

"I'm also going to tell my brother and Grandma, and have them come beat you up, boohoo..."

Chen Yi watched her crying and sniveling, a headache spreading across his face.

It wasn't because of the crying or the talk of brothers and grandmas, but because he suddenly realized—

If this girl knew Xiao Jinghong and was close with her, didn't that mean his hidden Martial Path cultivation and techniques were about to be exposed?

"Stop crying. Get up and talk."

"I won't... Huh? Huh? Where are you taking me?"

Chen Yi had no patience to coax her. He grabbed her and pulled her straight into another of Xiao Jinghong's wooden tower rooms, tossing her onto a stool.

Pei Guanli looked around the pitch-black room, then at Chen Yi's irritated expression, and finally felt a flicker of fear.

"B-brother-in-law, what, what are you going to do?"

"Don't you dare do anything rash. I-I-I'm telling you, the girls in our tribe are implanted with a special kind of Gu worm from childhood. If you try anything, the consequences will be dire."

Pei Guanli forgot to cry, frantically "threatening" him: "I'm telling the truth, and Sister Jinghong won't let you off either when she finds out."

"..."

What was all this about?

Chen Yi looked her over. Pretty enough, but certainly not enough to make him break his peaceful life.

Thinking this, he sat down to the side on his own and said flatly, "How about we make a deal?"

Pei Guanli crossed her arms over her chest, wary and afraid as she asked, "Wh-what deal?"

"I'll let tonight's matter slide, but you can't tell anyone about what happened here."

"Th-that's it?" Pei Guanli looked at him cautiously.

Chen Yi nodded. "That's it. Pretend it never happened."

I just don't say anything, don't say anything...

Pei Guanli thought back to the rumors she'd heard earlier, and a flash of insight struck her.

"You're afraid people will find out you know martial arts? You want to hide it from Sister Jinghong, right? So you've been keeping it secret on purpose—are you planning something against Xiao Manor?"

Hearing this, Chen Yi shook his head helplessly. What an idiot.

"If you don't agree, I'll hand you over to the Marquis's Mansion Guards right now on charges of attempted assassination."

"Then your martial arts will be exposed too."

"Who would believe you?"

"Sister Jinghong would." Pei Guanli saw his calm demeanor but was still a little scared, scooting her stool a bit farther away.

Chen Yi said seriously, "I've only been practicing martial arts for a little over ten days. Who do you think would believe that?"

"Ten days... impossible!" Pei Guanli shot to her feet, pointing at him. "You, you you... you're lying to me, aren't you?"

Who could possibly train martial arts to this level in just ten days?

If it were that easy, what did it say about her, stuck at Ninth Rank, Upper Stage for all these years without breaking through?

Chen Yi glanced at her. "That's how it is. Believe it or not."

"In any case, if you don't agree, we'll just go our separate ways. Maybe one of the guards will take a liking to you, and you'll be in the bridal chamber tonight."

"..."

Pei Guanli stared at him for a long time, as if looking at a monster.

After a while.

Her eyes darted around a few times, and she edged a little closer, a flattering smile spreading across her round face.

"Brother-in-law, how did you do it? Teach me, won't you?"