Arc 4
Ten Years Lanterns (6)
Mo Xingchen deemed the idea particularly good.
Thus, he ordered people to standby at Yao Wang Valley’s entrance all the time, waiting for Ye Chen to leave the Valley.
Unfortunately for them, because Shen Jingfeng’s eyes were improving, Ye Chen seldom left the Valley. She busied herself treating Shen Jingfeng. Mo Xingchen and his people squatted for a long time yet didn’t even get to see a strand of Ye Chen’s hair.
Mo Xingchen was a bit anxious. He squatted at the mouth of the valley and whispered, “You say, why does none of them leave the Valley?”
Subordinate A suggested, “Jiaozhu, why don’t we just attack them?”
Mo Xingchen smashed his fan at the said subordinate, “Scram!”
Subordinate B followed, “Then, how about we lure them out?”
Mo Xingchen judged the suggestion was feasible.
He acquaintanced Ye Chen with three things.
Foodie. Innocent. Beautiful.
He was an expert on the first one, so he swiftly ordered his people to buy more than a dozen of roast ducks from Fujian City while he stood at the gate of the valley and played with his fan.
Ye Chen was currently treating Shen Jingfeng with needles. Out of nowhere, she smelled the fragrance of roast duck and her hand jerked. The needle was almost crooked to stab Shen Jingfeng blind again.
Ye Chen fumed.
Who was it?! Who was so evil?! Who bought a duck and passed Yao Wang Valley while she was applying needles?!
She knew the fragrance of Fujian City’s roast duck by heart. The fragrance could be smelled from ten miles away. As long as someone passed by with the duck, she could smell it!
The gluttonous part in her stomach growled.
Shen Jingfeng also smelled the fragrance of the duck.
The fragrance was strong. It was by no means a coincidence for it to pass by here. He frowned. He could perceive Ye Chen’s hasty actions to end the treatment.
Ye Chen rose to her feet and stated, “”Jingfeng, have a rest. I have some business to do outside.”
Ye Chen spoke seriously, but somehow, Shen Jingfeng felt that…
“Guniang,” he helplessly voiced, “Are you going out of the valley to buy a roast duck?”
Ye Chen, “……”
Was she so obvious? It’s quite embarrassing to get exposed like this…
Shen Jingfeng’s brows scrunched. He warned earnestly, “Guniang, the smell of this roast duck doesn’t seem to pass by accident. I’m afraid someone deliberately set this up and is waiting to ambush Guniang outside.”
Ye Chen smiled at this. She exuded her Goddess’s Aura, “Do I look like a person who can fall into a trap merely for a roast duck?”
Shen Jingfeng’s silence confirmed the answer to Ye Chen’s question.
Chunsheng and Qiusheng behind her bowed their head and reminded in a hushed tone, “Shijie, it’s better for you not to leave the Valley.”
Ye Chen, “……”
So her image in everyone’s heart had fallen this low.
“Alright.” Ye Chen nodded, “I’m not going out. I’ll take a break. Jingfeng, remember to have a rest.”
Everyone was relieved by her words.
After Ye Chen walked out, Shen Jingfeng got up and changed his clothes. Chunsheng, who was helping him get dressed, asked, “Where is Shen-gongzi going? ”
“I am going to buy something for Guniang.”
Shen Jingdeng smiled, “I am not assured to let Guniang leave by herself, but she really craved it, I’m afraid she couldn’t endure it.”
“Why does Gongzi not tell this to Guniang?”
“She won’t let me leave the valley by myself. But, frankly, it’s faster for me to make a round trip alone.”
Shen Jingfeng explained. He got dressed and went out.
He had just stepped out of the Valley when Mo Xingchen’s subordinates, who had been fanning the ducks, reported to Mo Xingchen, “Jiaozhu, someone comes out!”
“Go hide!” Mo Xingchen saw Shen Jingfeng from a distance and hurriedly ordered, “Hide, quick!”
Hence, everyone hid, including Mo Xingchen with the roast ducks.
Shen Jingfeng reached the Valley’s entrance and noticed more than a dozen of roast ducks by smell…. And not only that but also a Master lurking in the forest with the roast ducks. He didn’t say much. He directly proceeded to one of the trees and kicked people down with one foot.
“Oh shit!” The man who was kicked down exclaimed.
The subordinates around whispered, “Shall we kill him or run?”
Mo Xingchen winked at one of his subordinates. The said subordinate whispered back, “Run!”
Thus, everyone escaped with the duck, leaving the man who was kicked down alone. That person detected Shen Jinigfeng was blind and buried himself in the soil, holding his breath. He practiced Qigong[1] and could hold his breath underwater for half an hour. Shen Jingfeng stood there for a while, He sensed no breath from the other party, so he left.
When Shen Jingfeng was out of sight, Mo Xingchen hustled back to the man. He lifted the man from the soil and patted his face, “Lao San[2], are you okay?”
“Jiaozhu…” Lao San gasped. He pointed to the Valley and conveyed in a trembling voice, “Someone… comes… out…”
Mo Xingchen’s gaze tracked his finger. The girl who he had missed for so much in recent days was coming from a distance in a carriage. Without saying a word, he immediately shoved Lao San back into the soil.
“Don’t talk. Don’t move. If she doesn’t stop to save us, I’ll put you to death!”
Mo Xingchen wasted no time fetching out the blood pack and spilled blood all over them. Then, he lurched to the roadside.
Ye Chen drove out of the valley leisurely.
She knew that they wouldn’t let her out of the valley by herself.
But, she thought it over. If there was indeed a person who lured her out using roast duck, that person must be an idiot. An idiot was not to be feared. Plus, she had experience as a swordsman in her time in Tian Jian Sect and the previous world. She could be considered as a first-class Master in this world in terms of swordsmanship, comparable to Shen Jingfeng. Shen Jingfeng had no fear when wandering the Jianghu, so she also had no fear.
She carried a pile of medicine and a sword. She intended that if someone really ambushed her, she would use all the lessons she had learned in her life in the four worlds and beat them back! Therefore, she sneaked out of the Valley to buy roast duck without worry.
No one would have thought that the high and cold Beauty, which was their Shijie who grew up following the rules to the dot, by the way, would be a cunning person who would sneak out in a carriage just for a roast duck.
Ye Chen drove forward in joy. Suddenly, she saw a man with luxurious clothes covered in blood lying on the side of the road.
Oh shit.
Ye Chen was frightened to death and drove the carriage faster, bypassing the man.
The dust blew and splashed on Mo Xingchen’s face. Mo Xingchen, Lao San, and 38 were stricken dumb with amazement.
38 had an uncontrollable urge to ask, “Host, there is a man on the roadside just now. Why won’t you save him?”
“As if!” Ye Chen immediately replied, “Listen, that man has steady breath but is covered with blood. That must be staged[3]! If I stop to save them, I will fall for their scam! 38, you don’t understand this. In our world, driving is considered very dangerous. There are many rules. You must learn them later.”
38 thought Ye Chen’s words made sense. It nodded, “Host is as clever as always.”
Ye Chen drove away, leaving a trail of dust in her way. Mo Xingchen got up. Lao San also got up and said anxiously, “Jiaozhu, the Guniang didn’t stop, why is that?”
“I would have never thought…” Mo Xingchen lay back on the ground. He stared in Ye Chen’s direction and stated leisurely, “She may be so pure and innocent, but she won’t stupidly fall for a trap…”
Ye Chen rushed all the way to Fujian City. Halfway there, she smelled the fragrance of roast duck. She subconsciously turned around and caught Shen Jingfeng dressed in white, holding a roast duck and springing from one branch to another, dashing back to Yao Wang Valley.
Ye Chen shouted at once, “Shen Jingfeng!”
“Guniang?!” Shen Jingfeng halted his movement right away and spun his head. He jumped down and walked to Ye Chen. He frowned and said, “Why did Guniang come out?”
“Why are you here?” As Ye Chen spoke, her gaze fell on the roast duck in his hand. She understood it in a second, “You are here to buy me a roast duck?”
Shen Jingfeng smiled and said gently, “Exactly. Is Guniang also here to buy a roast duck?”
Ye Chen, who was caught, was embarrassed. Shen Jingfeng handed the roast duck to Ye Chen. He noticed the other party’s shyness and was amused. He raised his hand and rubbed Ye Chen’s head.
Ye Chen’s hair was soft, rubbing it on the palm of his hand was like rubbing some small animal, Shen Jingfeng felt his heart melt.
“Go in.” Shen Jingfeng retraced his hand and said softly, “I’ll send Guniang back.”
“Mn.” Ye Chen hugged the duck in her arms, delighted. She got into the carriage in a well-behaved manner.
Then, she rolled up the curtain, Shen Jingfeng listened to her movements and asked with curiosity, “What is Guniang doing?”
“Rolling the curtain.” Ye Chen answered, “I want to see you while I eat.”
“Why?”
“You look good.”
Ye Chen grabbed a duck leg and hesitated, “Has no one praised you about it before?”
Shen Jingfeng listened to her and pondered.
“Perhaps I’m used to it, so I don’t really care about those compliments.”
Ye Chen, “……”
In terms of acting like a pretentious prick, I award you the first rank trophy.
Ye Chen ate the duck while watching Shen Jingfeng. Shen Jingfeng stared ahead after his talk with her. When they arrived at the Yao Wang Valley, someone halted them “Wait!”
Ye Chen was shocked by this shout, and a mouthful of meat stuck in her throat. She coughed sharply. Shen Jingfeng quickly stopped the carriage and turned back, “Guniang?”
Ye Chen was choked by the meat and coughed for a long time. Eventually, she eased down and furiously shouted, “Who is it?!”
“Guniang!” Mo Xingchen emerged, “So, it’s you!”
Ye Chen was dumbfounded. Then she saw Mo Xingchen’s complexion changed when he saw Shen Jingdeng. He tugged over Lao San whose face was swollen like he was at the gate of Death. “Shen Jingfeng, you severely wounded my servant for no reason. How do you explain this?!”
Shen Jingfeng knitted his brows and Ye Chen sighed with emotion.
“So it’s you who planned to scam me today?”
Footnotes
气功 – qì gōng. A system of deep breathing exercises; breathing technique.↵
老三 – lǎo sān. Old Three/Third.↵
碰瓷 – pèngcí; Lit. Porcelain bumper. A scam by setting up an “accident” in which one appears to have sustained damage or injury caused by the scam victim, then demanding compensation (variations include putting “expensive” porcelain in a place where it is likely to be knocked over by passers-by, and stepping into the path of a slow-moving car.↵
Ry’s Corner
A short chapter is a blessing.
Pengci is a common occurrence in my place, so one must be careful when driving. Well, not that common, but still. Istg those people are very annoying.
Please consider checking ‘The Memory Lost in Space‘ in case you like a good read(feels)! I’m gonna always put this here because I’m obsessed with it! No thanks needed.
If you like what I do please consider buying me ko-fi! Who needs sleep, anyway. I don’t offer Advanced Chapters like Lyre yet, but you are free to water this thirsty cat!
Words count (excluding title, footnotes, TL’s corner): 1827
The chatting guest on the seat went, so the book slept.
I think this Arc is lighter than the previous Arcs.
Domestic fluff UwU
Ye Chen and her roasted duck XD…
Shen JinFeng, you’re number 1 in my heart till Qin Zhao appears XD.
Now im craving roast duck as well
(@￣ρ￣@)