[Qiqi Town] Chapter Five: The Yellow Bird Behind

"But what?" Xia Shun asked anxiously. The stationmaster gestured for Xiao Mo, who had finished boiling water, to be quiet, then used the water to wash Duan Yi's body clean. Only then did he answer with a smacking sound of his mouth, 'It takes a hundred days for muscles and bones to heal. Your brother hasn't injured any muscles or bones, but he lost a lot of blood. Take good care of the injury for ten to fifteen days.' After speaking, the stationmaster stood up and walked toward his room.

As the ancients said, the early bird catches the worm. As usual, Lu Renjia woke up early this day to fetch vegetables. His residence was in the suburbs of Lin'an, near Qiqi Town. The fog in the countryside was especially thick. While it wasn't so dense that one couldn't see their hand, it did impair vision. Lu Renjia liked getting up early because the morning vegetables were the freshest. Clop, clop, clop, clop! As Lu Renjia fetched vegetables, he heard the sound of hooves. Judging by the sound, it wasn't just one horse. Just as Lu Renjia was startled for a moment, two horses and their riders emerged from the thick fog. 'Hoo!' A handsome man at the front saw Lu Renjia, dismounted, and clasped his fists in greeting. 'Warrior, do you know any nearby places to go?' Lu Renjia took off his old straw hat and pointed with his finger toward Qiqi Town. 'Go that way for a quarter hour, and there will be a small town.' The handsome man took some silver coins from a pouch at his waist and said, 'Warrior, my junior sister and I have been traveling all night. Both the horses and we are tired. May we trouble you for a cup of tea?' It was only then that Lu Renjia noticed the other horse carried a young woman with her hair tied in a ponytail, her appearance delicate yet somewhat heroic. Renjia organized the vegetables into baskets and entered the yard, saying as he walked, 'In ordinary households, it's just simple tea and plain food.' The man heard this and laughed, 'That's fine, that's fine.' The man and woman were none other than Yun Shui Piao and Xiao Nan from Hongye Manor!

Just as Yun Shui Piao and Xiao Nan tied the horses and followed Renjia into the thatched hut, loud laughter erupted from outside the yard: 'Young master of Hongye Manor, Yun Shui Piao! Come out and die… hahaha!' Suddenly, chaos ensued. Yun Shui Piao drew the Qingfeng Sword in his hand and shouted fiercely into the fog, 'Who's there! What gang of bandits is this!' Renjia had already hidden inside the hut to avoid being caught in the fray. 'Hahaha, a yellow-haired child. Fine, let him see his enemy before death; otherwise, he would not die in peace. Hahaha!' Swish! A shadow dressed in black leaped from the dense fog and landed firmly in the yard. Yun Shui Piao frowned, 'Blood Ridge Sect?!'"The Remnant Year chuckled a few times, 'I am the chief gate elder of the Blood Tomb Sect, known in the martial world as 'Fallen Flower Remnant Year'… that is… me!' When Remnant Year spoke the last word 'me,' he surged towards Yun Shui Piao like a thunderbolt, 'Take my palm!' Remnant Year shouted angrily, and a palm carrying a blood-colored illusion struck at Yun Shui Piao. Yun Shui Piao countered with a swipe of his Qingfeng sword. Ding! Sparks flew as the sword clashed with Remnant Year. Remnant Year raised his hand, palm facing down, again filling it with power. Like an eagle hunting a rabbit, he fiercely clawed at Yun Shui Piao's chest. If struck, it would surely tear the heart and liver apart!

Yun Shui Piao's face changed drastically, hastily withdrawing the sword, attempting to block with Qingfeng again. However, Remnant Year shifted his body, retracting his palm, but simultaneously kicked sideways. Yun Shui Piao couldn't pull back Qingfeng in time and tried to dodge with his movement skills. Teng teng teng teng! Yun Shui Piao staggered back four steps before stabilizing himself, pff! Then he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood. Xiao Nan, seeing her senior brother coughing up blood, hurriedly supported him. Yun Shui Piao coughed twice more, 'Cough… cough, Senior, such great skill and such calculation!' When he said 'calculation,' he was gritting his teeth in rage! Remnant Year brushed his hand over the hem of his black robe, speaking lightly, 'Young Master Shao, your experience is still insufficient.'

'Watch the sword!' Somehow, Xiao Nan had already drawn her sword, intending to pierce Remnant Year. Remnant Year glanced disdainfully at her, gathering energy under his feet. Before Xiao Nan even realized what was happening, he had grabbed her jade neck. 'Clang!' The sword slipped from her hands. 'Cough… you… let go of me!' Xiao Nan struggled with her hands and feet against Remnant Year, but he paid no attention, turning to Yun Shui Piao with a sinister look, 'Young Master Shao, how about handing that thing over to me?' Although phrased as a question, Remnant Year was already exerting force. 'Er… cough cough cough… you bastard… cough cough cough…' Xiao Nan's small face turned bright red, filled with discomfort. Yun Shui Piao, furious, shouted, 'Stop!' 'Just because you say stop, you think it will stop?' Remnant Year lifted Xiao Nan's chin with his hand, 'Such a lovely little girl, heh heh, I really can't bear to kill her.'