Entangled Love GL - Chapter 23

As early as when the Four Overlords of the capital surrounded the Shuangfu Inn, someone in the Yunyun Hall had received the news. There was much discussion in the Hall, but no certainty.

Lady Yun rushed back to the Quiet Garden and reported the news to Duan Min and Mu Ye. Mu Ye decided to go and see. Duan Min believed the matter was irrelevant to her, and Yang Mei’s worries were excessive, so she let Mu Ye go and stayed in the room with Lady Yun.

Lady Yun was uneasy. She sat down and then stood up, walked around, and looked out the window, sighing, “These people are truly audacious, so lawless even under the Emperor’s nose. It’s just to catch one person, yet they make such a fuss, causing panic.”

Duan Min smiled and advised her, “The Emperor’s domain has the Emperor to manage it. Why worry? If we close the doors and windows and don’t go out, everything will be normal tomorrow. Sit here, and I’ll play the zither for you to relieve your boredom.”

“Forget it. Let me play instead. You are a noble person. Listening to you play would be ill-omened.” Lady Yun asked Nao Hong to fetch the precious zither, Xuan Zhen. She placed it on the small table, purified her hands, lit incense, and sat down, testing the strings. “The zither is a spiritual object, its music communicates with the divine. Sit properly and do not disturb me.”

After she finished speaking, the zither music began, each note a sigh, penetrating deeply and profoundly sorrowful.

Duan Min knew she was unhappy. She sat quietly beside her, feeling a momentary urge to interrupt out of sympathy, yet also feeling that letting her express her sorrow was a kind of comfort. As she was hesitating, the door opened with a pa, and a gust of autumn wind swept into the room.

The event was sudden. The zither music stopped immediately. Lady Yun looked up and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Rao Lu!”

The person who entered was precisely Rao Lu, Lady Yun’s maid, her face pale, her teeth chattering. Behind her was another woman, half her face beautiful, the other half crisscrossed with scars. She was holding her shoulder with one hand and had the other clamped on Rao Lu’s throat.

“Shh, don’t make any noise.” The woman exuded a dangerous aura, yet her tone was very gentle.

Nao Hong and Ling Er were terrified and quickly retreated to the side, not daring to make a sound. Duan Min immediately stood up, shielding Lady Yun, frowning as she scrutinized the woman.

The woman stared at Duan Min and smiled, “Duan Min?”

“It is I.” Duan Min also smiled and asked in return, “Shui Yanghua?”

“So you have heard of me,” Shui Yanghua seemed very satisfied, “Then you must know why I came?”

“Yes, I know.” Duan Min slowly walked a few steps forward, her voice gentle and soft, as if comforting a startled close friend, “No one here knows martial arts. You can let go of that girl. You’ve come for me, haven’t you?”

Shui Yanghua raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Duan Min. She raised her hand, released Rao Lu, and instead grabbed Duan Min’s wrist, not with force, but as if leading her: “You’re not afraid at all?”

“Ah Min!” Lady Yun watched helplessly as she fell into the clutches of the demon, unable to stop herself from crying out, her face full of anxiety and powerlessness.

Duan Min looked back at Lady Yun, nodded slightly, and answered Shui Yanghua, “If I were to pretend to be afraid and shrink back, would you stop looking for me?”

“I knew we would get along!” Shui Yanghua raised her eyebrows and smiled. She suddenly leaned forward and embraced Duan Min, quickly turning around. The positions of the two had changed: “Don’t move!”

Duan Min’s vision blurred, and she felt a sharp pain in her neck. She heard a window open wide, and wind rushed in. Looking again, the person in front of her had changed: Yang Mei was grinding her teeth, glaring, and gasping; Mu Ye was frowning slightly, standing with her arms crossed.

“Miss Yang, you’ve arrived at the perfect time! It wasn’t in vain for me to run all this way!” Shui Yanghua’s demeanor instantly changed when she saw Yang Mei, and her eyes became sharp.

Yang Mei held her sword tightly and asked, “What do you want?”

“I want your life!” Shui Yanghua’s face turned red, looking as if she was about to lose control, “I want your life! If you don’t die, I’ll kill her right now!”

There was no surprise on Yang Mei’s face, as if she had already anticipated this. Her eyes stared straight at Shui Yanghua: “Nonsense! Do you know what you are saying?”

Mu Ye stood to the side and said sharply, “Shui Yanghua, you’re crazy! Did you come here to seek death instead of survival?”

Shui Yanghua screamed, “I want her to die! I’ll die too if she dies! We all die together!” In her agitation, one of her fingernails dug into Duan Min’s skin. Duan Min couldn’t endure the pain and let out a soft cry.

“Shui Yanghua, don’t act recklessly!” Yang Mei shuddered. The hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and her other hand was clenched so hard that bl00d was drawn, yet she felt no pain. Her gaze struggled as she watched the fresh bl00d flow from Duan Min’s neck. They had already discussed on their way here: if Duan Min was taken hostage, Mu Ye would look for an opportunity to save her, and Yang Mei would try her best to stabilize Shui Yanghua and stall for time. Yang Mei had to force herself to remain calm, steadying her emotions as she asked, “Shui Yanghua, can you give me a clear explanation? What exactly is our feud?”

Unexpectedly, before Shui Yanghua could react, Duan Min suddenly spoke, “Shui Yanghua, that’s not good business sense!”

Duan Min’s throat was restrained, her voice hoarse: “Even a monopoly business shouldn’t set the price too high! You’ve waited ten years for revenge. Why take such a desperate risk with this inferior strategy! Leave quickly, and you’ll have a chance to return. Do you really expect her to commit suicide? Are you truly willing to die here with me!”

Shui Yanghua glanced at Duan Min. Mu Ye was about to seize the opportunity to persuade her when a sudden commotion was heard outside. In the stunned pause of everyone present, Zhang Man, Yan Bozhan, and Mei Jingxian rushed through the door leading the charge.

Zhang Man roared, raising his axe, “Demoness, take this!” He lunged forward recklessly.

Zhang Man and the others’ lightness skills were no match for Shui Yanghua. They didn’t know where she had gone, only struggling to chase after her. Yang Mei and Mu Ye, worried about Duan Min, took a shortcut directly to the Yunyun Hall, which is why they arrived first, yet they were still a step slower than Shui Yanghua.

How fast was Shui Yanghua? But no matter how fast she was, she couldn’t evade this axe strike now.

This axe strike was infused with all of Zhang Man’s hatred, unstoppable in its sharpness, and moreover, completely unexpected. Yan Bozhan and Mei Jingxian, who entered the door simultaneously, stopped at the entrance. They saw from a distance that Yang Mei and Mu Ye were standing directly in front of Shui Yanghua. They knew there was a situation and should not act rashly. No one expected Zhang Man to charge in and strike with his axe regardless of the consequences.

Shui Yanghua was stunned. One hand was around Duan Min’s waist, and the other was on her neck. For a moment, she didn’t know which hand to withdraw to defend. Furthermore, with the sudden change in the situation, Duan Min was useless. Shui Yanghua fundamentally didn’t want to strangle her, yet she was unwilling to let go.

In the span of a thought, the fierce wind had arrived. Just when it seemed inevitable that she would be hit, Zhang Man suddenly flew backward, crashing against the wall with a peng, and tumbling onto the writing desk, sending books, painting albums, brushes, and ink sticks scattering across the floor.

Everyone was shocked. Someone quickly rushed to help him up. Looking again, the large axe was no longer in his hand.

Zhang Man pointed a hand forward—his hand was smeared with ink and streaked with bl00d, looking extremely disheveled—trembling with rage: “Peach Blossom Thief! How dare you block me! Are you working with this demoness, trying to be our enemy!”

Mu Ye, holding the axe, quickly said, “Old Hall Master, my friend is in her hands, and I had no choice. I temporarily took the axe to prevent you from hurting yourself. I will return it to you now. Please forgive me for the offense.”

Zhang Man snorted and took the axe: “Peach Blossom Thief, I have a bl00d feud with this demoness. I must chop her into a thousand pieces, and I will not let the effort fail here. If you obstruct me again, don’t blame us for using our numbers against you! As for your friend, I will arrange a proper burial for her!” With that, he waved his hand, and dozens of people behind him, armed with swords, daggers, bows, and crossbows, formed a semi-circle, awaiting Zhang Man’s command.

“Hall Master Zhang! Aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed for acting this way! I politely ask you to step aside this once. After I save my friend, you can exact your revenge however you wish!” Seeing Zhang Man’s disdainful expression, Mu Ye couldn’t help but hold her dagger level, her face stern, “If you refuse, I am not afraid either!”

“Good! Little thief, my precious daughter went to the west of the city because of your reputation! Strictly speaking, you are not entirely blameless! You despicable martial arts rogue who steals like a sneak, your sneak attack just now doesn’t count as skill! Today, I will chop you both up and eliminate a scourge for the jianghu!” Zhang Man was furious. He roared at his subordinates, “All of you, attack!” He himself shouted and rushed forward, raising his axe.

“Wait!”

Yang Mei had been quietly observing the situation since the crowd entered, remaining silent. Firstly, her identity was awkward, and she didn’t want to step forward easily at this time. Secondly, she was genuinely surprised. She had initially thought that Mu Ye could definitely save Duan Min when Shui Yanghua was momentarily stunned upon the crowd’s entry. Unexpectedly, Mu Ye let the opportunity slip, bringing them to this critical moment. She could no longer stand by.

Although Zhang Man had given the order, Yan Bozhan and Mei Jingxian had not acted rashly. Yang Mei abruptly yelled to stop them. The people around hesitated, and no one stepped forward. Zhang Man himself had to pause, yet he was utterly enraged.

Yang Mei quickly persuaded him politely, “Hall Master Zhang, the Peach Blossom Thief has a reputation for righteousness in the jianghu. Why should we needlessly make an enemy? Moreover, it is Shui Yanghua’s ruthlessness for involving innocent people. But for us, as members of the righteous sects, how can we imitate the cruel and unjust actions of villains!”

By this point, Zhang Man’s eyes were red with hatred. How could he listen to any persuasion? His eyes were wide open, and he gnashed his teeth: “Yang Mei! It was made clear this morning that this cooperation is led by me! How can you break your promise halfway and oppose me! Are you trying to shield a thief as well!”

Zhang Man’s words were aggressive. Yang Mei suppressed her anger and said with a conciliatory smile, “Hall Master Zhang, I do not intend to oppose you, it is just that…”

Before she finished speaking, a cold laugh was heard from the side: “It’s just that, my brother Zhang, how can you be so unreasonable? Can’t you see that every word from the young mistress’s mouth is about reason, but her heart—” Elder Master Mei Jingxian stroked his beard, slowly saying with a double meaning, “—is even more tender and sympathetic to beauties than yours and mine!”