Encounter on the Road

"Good!"

Xu Yang did not hesitate in the slightest and was about to leave with the young woman when the voice of Bao Gang rang out: "Wait!"

Everyone looked toward Bao Gang in confusion, only to hear him continue in a deep voice: "I am a disciple of the Tiger Roar Martial Hall, while Xu Yang only hails from the Wei Yuan Hall. It would be far safer if I were the one to escort the Fifth Young Lady."

The implication was clear: he believed himself to be stronger than Xu Yang.

To outsiders, this certainly appeared to be the case.

The ranking of the Tiger Roar Martial Hall among the various martial halls in Qingyuan County was far above that of the Wei Yuan Hall.

The apprenticeship fee for the Wei Yuan Hall was only two taels of silver per month, whereas the Tiger Roar Martial Hall dared to charge three, and it boasted a larger number of disciples as well.

Xu Yang did not speak, choosing instead to look at Zhang Bo.

He roughly understood Bao Gang's intentions; it was nothing more than an attempt to use this opportunity to get close to the Liu Family's Fifth Young Lady, hoping to secure both a beauty and a fortune.

Marriages between great families and Qi-Gathering martial artists were the norm in the martial arts circles of Qingyuan County, but not every Qi-Gathering martial artist was appreciated by a great family the moment they stepped out into the world. Many relied on the opportunities afforded to them while serving as retainers to gain the favor of a young lady from a prominent family.

"There is no need. Let this Retainer Xu go!"

At that very moment, the voice of the woman dressed as a maid rang out.

Zhang Bo nodded and said: "Xu Yang, go with Miss Cuier. Remember to protect the Fifth Young Lady well and follow her arrangements."

"Understood!"

Xu Yang nodded and quickly left the Retainer Courtyard, following the woman named Cuier.

"Brother Zhang Bo, my strength is clearly superior to Xu Yang's. Why was I not chosen?"

Once Xu Yang had departed, Bao Gang remained somewhat unreconciled.

"If my strength is greater, should I go instead?" Zhang Bo retorted with a sarcastic tone.

Having served the Liu Family for over a decade, he had seen countless young men fresh out of martial halls and naturally understood Bao Gang's petty schemes.

However, the fact that Bao Gang had challenged him the very first time he assigned a task meant he could not agree, even if Bao Gang's words held some merit. Furthermore, his assignments were never made carelessly.

Bao Gang's face flushed red: "I... that is not what I meant."

Zhang Bo snorted coldly: "Put away those little thoughts of yours. Although the Fifth Young Lady is not the daughter of the primary wife, she is deeply favored by the Family Head. Even if she were to be used for a political marriage, it would never be with someone like you."

A flash of anger crossed Bao Gang's eyes, but he did not speak further.

"Greetings, Fifth Young Lady!"

Xu Yang soon followed Cuier to meet the Fifth Young Lady of the Liu Mansion, a woman who looked as if she had stepped out of a painting—the very model of a refined young lady from a noble house.

Though she wore a training outfit and held a precious sword, it could not conceal her gentle and graceful temperament.

Cuier stepped forward and said: "Young Lady, this is the new Retainer Xu Yang from the mansion, a talented individual from the Wei Yuan Hall."

Xu Yang noticed that upon hearing his name, the Fifth Young Lady's calm, water-like eyes seemed to ripple.

She first looked him up and down with curiosity, then said politely: "I must trouble Retainer Xu to escort me to the Plain Maiden Hall."

"It is my duty."

Xu Yang shook his head and, together with Cuier, followed behind the Fifth Young Lady as they quickly exited the Liu Mansion.

He had heard of the Plain Maiden Hall; it was an elite martial hall in Qingyuan County that only accepted women. The apprenticeship fee alone was ten taels per month, and those without a solid family background could not afford to attend.

Along the way, Xu Yang kept to his place, following quietly behind. No trouble arose, and they soon arrived at the Plain Maiden Hall.

"The Plain Maiden Hall does not allow outsiders to enter. Retainer Xu, there is no need to wait for me here; it is very safe. You may have the Retainer Courtyard send someone to pick me up this afternoon."

"Understood!"

Xu Yang cupped his hands in a salute, then turned and left.

"Back at the Retainer Courtyard, someone else was trying to scramble for the chance to escort you. I saw that this Xu Yang was quite handsome, so I let him come instead. Young Lady, what do you think of my judgment?"

Once Xu Yang was gone, the previously serious Cuier immediately became lively.

The Fifth Young Lady also shed her previous demeanor and laughed: "He is indeed quite handsome. You should get closer to him in the future; if it works out, I will ask Father to grant you your freedom."

Cuier shook her head: "He even rejected the marriage arrangements within the mansion; he wouldn't have eyes for me."

The Fifth Young Lady's face stiffened: "Since you know that, why are you still acting like a lovesick fool? Hurry up and let's go."

Cuier stuck out her tongue and hurriedly followed her into the Plain Maiden Hall.

When Xu Yang returned to the Liu Mansion, everyone from the Retainer Courtyard had already gone out, and even Zhang Bo was absent.

He followed Zhang Bo's instructions and did not practice, choosing instead to rest and conserve his energy in the Retainer Courtyard.

As it neared lunchtime, those who had gone out began to return one after another.

"So, how was it? Was the Fifth Young Lady beautiful?" Wang Yun leaned in with a lecherous grin.

Xu Yang thought for a moment and said: "Like someone out of a painting."

Wu Yongfeng chuckled: "The Sixth Young Lady I escorted was also like a celestial being."

Wang Yun looked amazed. "How come such a good thing never falls to me? I've been patrolling the perimeter of the Liu Mansion for half the day."

Bao Gang's expression was somewhat gloomy. He hadn't received the mission to escort the young lady of the Liu Family either, and had been patrolling the Liu Mansion until now.

After eating at the Liu Mansion, the next shift arrived to take over. Xu Yang and Zhang Bo discussed sending men to pick up the Fifth Young Lady in the afternoon, then returned to Wei Yuan Hall with Wu Yongfeng.

They saw that the Inner Courtyard, usually quite lively, now held only two people. Sun Tao, Lu Ren, and Jiang Ping seemed to have made an appointment to be elsewhere, as none of them had come to Wei Yuan Hall today.

These two people were none other than Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong.

"What's going on? Why are only the two of you here?" Wu Yongfeng asked curiously.

Zhang Hong finished his stance training and said, "It's all because of that Jade Butterfly. All the senior brothers have been summoned back by their respective factions to protect the virtue of the women in their own circles."

The day passed quickly, and Xu Yang heard no further news regarding Jade Butterfly.

The next day, he arrived at the Liu Mansion and heard the latest news about Jade Butterfly: yesterday, a woman from another wealthy family in the Outer City had fallen victim to Jade Butterfly. It was the Huang Family, and it was said she had been struck down right inside her own home.

The Liu Family made adjustments accordingly: until Jade Butterfly was caught, no young lady was allowed to leave the house.

Therefore, on this day, Xu Yang did not escort the Fifth Young Lady to Plain Maiden Hall. Instead, Zhang Bo assigned him to patrol a corner of the Liu Mansion. Even the other shift of retainers responsible for the daytime was brought in, with both shifts patrolling together to prevent Jade Butterfly from sneaking into the Liu Mansion.

He couldn't go to Wei Yuan Hall that day, and it wasn't until nightfall, when the martial artist retainers responsible for the Liu Mansion's nighttime security arrived to take over, that his patrol finally ended.

Treading under the moonlight, Xu Yang made his way out of the Inner City and headed toward his home.

As he neared White Stone Ward, he saw someone lying in the grass by the side of the road.

The person was half-lying with their head down, so he couldn't see what they looked like. Thinking it might be a neighbor from White Stone Ward who had met with an accident, he immediately stepped forward to see who it was.

As he drew closer, he smelled the scent of blood. Looking carefully, he discovered a pool of blood next to the person, sprayed out in a fan shape.

The blood had not yet dried, appearing as if it had been spat out only a short while ago.

"Brother, wake up!" Xu Yang stopped three paces away, not daring to approach rashly.

He called out a few times, but the person lying there didn't respond. He immediately gathered his internal energy and continued forward.

Just as he took two steps, the person on the ground suddenly sprang up, their five fingers hooking toward his throat like eagle talons.