Flower-Plucking Thief

Yin Yingying had already lost all interest in looking at jewelry. She said coldly, "Let's go! What's there to look at?"

After saying that, she stormed out of the shop, cheeks puffed with anger.

Jiang Che hurried after her and said in a low voice:

"I think that young master in the shop is suspicious. I suspect he's the Flower-Plucking Thief!"

Yin Yingying frowned when she heard that. "He is handsome, but he looks completely different from the man in the wanted poster! You're not jealous because he's better-looking than you, are you?"

Jiang Che wore a grave expression. "Trust me. My instincts are sharp; I can't be wrong. Hurry and report this. I'll keep watch on them here!"

Seeing how serious Jiang Che looked, Yin Yingying hesitated.

"Catch the Flower-Plucking Thief!"

Someone suddenly shouted from the street.

Jiang Che and Yin Yingying could not help turning around to look.

A figure flashed swiftly down the street. His steps were light, as though he had practiced qinggong.

Jiang Che focused his gaze and found that the man's appearance was almost identical to the person in the wanted poster!

Several constables and a few young people dressed in Martial Arts Hall disciple uniforms were chasing after him.

They were precisely the people who had discussed capturing the Flower-Plucking Thief at the Yamen earlier.

A constable saw Jiang Che and Yin Yingying standing at the entrance of the jewelry shop and urgently called out:

"What are you standing around for? Go after him!"

Yin Yingying promptly shot Jiang Che a glare. "Are you even reliable? You nearly made me report false information!"

With that, she took off after them as well.

Jiang Che was just about to give chase when he suddenly stopped.

He had practiced qinggong too. He realized that although the Flower-Plucking Thief was fast, the force behind his steps was definitely not at the Stone Skin Realm level!

When he looked back into the shop, he found that only Miss Shao remained. That handsome young master was nowhere to be seen.

"Eh? Where did he go?"

Jiang Che immediately returned to the jewelry shop.

He walked straight up to Miss Shao.

"May I ask where that young master from earlier went?"

"You know Young Master Zhang?" Miss Shao looked somewhat surprised. "He went out to take care of something. He'll be back soon."

Jiang Che hesitated slightly, then continued:

"He just looked familiar. I wasn't sure whether he was the person I knew. As far as I know, that person shouldn't be from here. I didn't expect to run into him in this place."

Miss Shao's eyes lit up. "Young Master Zhang really isn't a local. He said he came from Cang Prefecture. Can you tell me about his past? I'm curious, but he refuses to talk about it."

Jiang Che frowned. "So you only just met him too?"

Miss Shao nodded. "I met him yesterday. He knows a great deal about jewelry and ornaments, and he invited me to appraise jewels with him today."

Jiang Che said with a solemn expression, "As far as I know, the Young Master Zhang you mentioned is very likely a Flower-Plucking Thief currently wanted by the authorities. Miss Shao, please be extremely careful!"

Miss Shao's expression changed at once. She said coldly, "Say no more. I know perfectly well what kind of person Young Master Zhang is! Please see yourself out!"

Several of her guards immediately surrounded him, their expressions unfriendly.

Left with no choice, Jiang Che could only leave.

Once outside the shop, he saw that Young Master Zhang had returned.

Miss Shao chatted and laughed with him. Then she waved her guards away and followed him out through the back door.

"This is bad!"

Jiang Che inwardly cried that things were not good, then hurried into the shop and chased after them through the back door.

Beyond the back door was a small forest.

Miss Shao and Young Master Zhang were walking side by side, chatting and laughing.

Jiang Che used the Flying Swallow Steps to follow them in secret. Whenever the other man showed any sign of noticing him, he quickly hid behind a tree.

Before long, they arrived at an open clearing in the middle of the woods and stopped.

Young Master Zhang gave a light tug and pulled Miss Shao into his arms, then began groping her all over.

But Jiang Che was certain this was not a normal interaction between a man and a woman.

Because Miss Shao's body was stiff, and her gaze was dull. She clearly was not acting normally!

"No... don't..."

Miss Shao resisted in a weak voice, but she felt powerless all over and could barely do anything except let him have his way.

At that moment, she regretted beyond measure that she had failed to see this man's true face.

Someone had even kindly warned her, yet she had driven him away.

Now she had dismissed her guards herself. What was she supposed to do?

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a stone striking the ground.

Right afterward, Young Master Zhang stopped what he was doing.

"Who is it!"

Young Master Zhang shouted furiously.

His voice was filled with force. Jiang Che was now certain that this Young Master Zhang was undoubtedly at the Stone Skin Realm!

Jiang Che had deliberately thrown that stone wide just now, mainly because he feared he might be mistaken and accidentally hurt an ordinary person.

Now that he knew the other man was no ordinary person, Jiang Che concluded that he was the Flower-Plucking Thief, though he did not know why the man had changed his appearance.

He threw another stone. This time, it shot straight at the man's face!

Young Master Zhang caught the stone with one hand, then gave it a light squeeze. The stone crumbled into powder.

"Who are you?! Get out here!"

This sharp shout was rough and deep, nothing like the voice of a graceful young gentleman!

After throwing the stone, Jiang Che turned and ran.

Young Master Zhang watched Jiang Che's retreating back, unsure where he had come from.

He wanted to chase him, but feared there might be an ambush.

"Forget it. Better change locations!"

After thinking it over, he scooped Miss Shao up and decided to move elsewhere.

Seeing that the man had not come after him, Jiang Che thought to himself that the man was truly cautious, then followed again.

Young Master Zhang carried Miss Shao into a patch of grass.

He bent down, just about to set Miss Shao down.

Then he suddenly sensed the whistle of something cutting through the air behind him!

His body flashed aside, and a stone grazed past his ear.

"You again!"

Young Master Zhang spun around sharply. When he saw Jiang Che again, he instantly flew into a rage.

Jiang Che decisively ran again.

But this time, Jiang Che had thoroughly Enraged him. Young Master Zhang flung Miss Shao aside, then charged forward fiercely!

Seeing him give chase, Jiang Che immediately pushed his qinggong to its limit and ran toward the edge of the woods.

At the same time, he kept throwing stones backward to disrupt the man's speed.

Young Master Zhang dodged several stones in succession, but carelessly missed one and got struck on the toe.

Even at the Stone Skin Realm, getting hit on the toe still hurt. His steps faltered, and his speed slowed.

"You brat! You're courting death!"

Young Master Zhang pushed his qinggong to the limit. His speed surged in an instant, and he reached Jiang Che's back in a flash, grabbing for Jiang Che's neck!

Jiang Che sensed the powerful wind at his back and knew the man had caught up. He instantly entered the Flow State, and the Flying Swallow Steps erupted with force, sending him shooting more than three meters ahead.

"This brat knows qinggong too!"

Young Master Zhang was somewhat surprised.

"But he's only at the Ox-Hide Realm. Mere tricks of the trade!"

He suddenly accelerated again, and the distance between them closed in an instant!

Seeing that he could no longer widen the gap, Jiang Che reached toward his waist and flung a handful of lime behind him.

Young Master Zhang reacted swiftly and decisively shut his eyes. The lime only scattered across his face and did not enter his eyes.

He wiped his face. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw another stone flying through the cloud of lime!

Bang!

The stone struck his forehead and shattered at once.

He hurriedly shut his eyes again to keep the stone fragments from falling into them.

Bang!

At the same time, he heard another bang. Thinking Jiang Che had unleashed some hidden weapon again, he hurriedly dodged aside.

When he opened his eyes again, Jiang Che had already escaped.

"You!"

Young Master Zhang had been toyed with time and again. Furious beyond measure, he closed in once more, his hand shaped like an eagle's claw as he grabbed for Jiang Che's shoulder!

But Jiang Che turned around and threw a punch.

Their fist and palm collided, and Jiang Che was instantly sent flying.

This man is at least at the Mid-Stage Stone Skin Realm! He's far stronger than that servant from before!

Jiang Che was startled. Borrowing the force of the impact, he turned and fled.