Chapter 22: "If you're going to blame someone after you go down there, blame Cheng..."

Chapter 22: "If you're going to blame someone after you go down there, blame Cheng..."

"If you want to blame someone after you go down, blame Prince Cheng. If he hadn't been so ruthless towards us, you wouldn't have lost your lives here." The masked man sneered and prepared to make his move.

What happened next made Xiao Yan feel like she was watching an absurd movie.

The masked man had already drawn his cold blade. He stood there, weak in the knees, while his two maids collapsed to the ground. Qin's eldest son, whom they had only met once, stood in front of them with his arms outstretched as if to protect them.

But seeing that he only defended himself and did not take an offensive stance even in such a life-or-death situation, he must not have much fighting ability.

"We are probably really going to die here today."

Although the thought of giving up lingered in her mind at first, Xiao Yan Hui quickly began to consider the chances of picking up the stream stone at her feet, throwing it before the knife pierced her through, and knocking the person unconscious or dead.

A strong gust of wind blowing through the mountains seemed to be a signal; the masked man moved, and everyone present moved as well.

The masked man's first target was naturally Qin Ji, who was closest to him and stood in front of Xiao Yan and her two servants.

Almost simultaneously, Xiao Yan regained control of Mu Leng's limbs. She quickly squatted down, grabbed the stone that had been chosen earlier, and then threw it out almost haphazardly.

"This is probably the last desperate struggle of the weak." His eyes followed the stone as it moved, and he prayed with a hint of self-mockery for that one in a million chance of a miracle.

At the same moment, Qingfu screamed while clutching his head, Zhuyue crawled backward, and Qin Ji waved the folding fan in his hand, seemingly trying to hold it in front of him to block the masked man's sharp blade, or perhaps hoping to use this jade fan to inflict some fatal damage on the ferocious fellow.

"Ah...you ugly monster, you're not allowed to hurt my husband! I'll fight you to the death!" This was the one who made the biggest move.

Xiao Yan's gaze, which had been fixed on the stone in the air, shifted to staring dumbfounded at the young man—who must be Qin Ji's attendant.

He actually rushed towards the masked man with mumbling and erratic steps. The "weapon" he was holding was just an ordinary wooden stick, which the boy probably picked up as a hiking stick to scout ahead because it was relatively straight.

Perhaps because he was too agile, the masked man flipped his wrist, and the blade that was originally aimed at Qin Ji flashed with cold light and temporarily changed direction.

The blood-stained blade was about to slash at the boy's fragile neck.

Xiao Yan thought she was about to witness a horrific severance, but the boy's unsteady steps were suddenly tripped by a protruding stream stone.

"Ahhh..." He stumbled and fell forward, flailing his arms and legs, and luckily dodged the knife that was about to kiss his throat.

"Bang!" A very familiar-looking stone slammed into the temple of the masked man who was swinging his knife to the side, causing him to twitch and fall to the side.

"Thud!" Just then, the young attendant who had also fallen was propelled by the inertia, and the straight wooden stick in his hand pierced straight into the masked man's chest and abdomen.

With a "bang," the masked man, whose head was covered in blood and whose chest and abdomen were pierced by a wooden stick, collapsed to the ground and could not get up.

The scene was so quiet that only the sound of the wind in the mountains could be heard.

What exactly happened? Was that person dead?

Almost everyone was bewildered.

What was initially thought to be a certain death turned into a completely different situation in an instant.

"Is he... that weak?" Xiao Yan Hui murmured to herself, but she knew very well that someone with that kind of physique and aura, with such a strong killing intent, could not possibly be a weakling.

But he was indeed lying on the ground covered in blood.

"Miss... are we alright now? Amitabha, Amitabha... it's all thanks to the Bodhisattva's protection, it must be the Bodhisattva's blessing!" Qingfu rushed over with tears streaming down her face and hugged Xiao Yan Hui tightly, then turned around and excitedly kowtowed towards Jing'an Hall.

Not only did he kowtow himself, but he also forcefully tugged at Xiao Yan Hui and Zhu Yue a few times, signaling them to join him.

After Xiao Yan bowed three times, her mind, which had been bewildered by the bizarre turn of events, began to regain some of its ability to think.

She turned her attention to Qin Ji and his servant. The young attendant's face was a mixture of fear and excitement: "My lord, he's still breathing. Is it alright if we just tie him up? Will he wake up? What should we do with him? Should we report him to the authorities? Is this man a bandit? Will he die if we leave him like this? Will the authorities hold me responsible and kill him with a stick...?"

The boy kept babbling on and on, apparently trying to ease his nervousness by talking incessantly after suddenly encountering this situation. But his hands weren't idle either; he was untying the straps from his own feet and wrapping them tightly around the masked man's hands and feet.

"Just tie him up. We'll send a message to Zhao Tu and his men to take him directly to the authorities. Don't worry, even if he dies on the way, it will be considered self-defense..."

Xiao Yan looked back at Qin Ji, whose expression had calmed down. She hadn't expected him to recover his composure so quickly after the ordeal and to be so patient, answering his attendants' series of questions one by one without getting annoyed.

Noticing Xiao Yan's gaze, Qin Ji smiled gently: "Third Miss, are you alright? Were you frightened just now?"

"We are all fine. If it weren't for you all being there today, the three of us would have been in grave danger if we had run into such a vicious criminal." She had not forgotten the kindness of Qin Ji who had shielded them when they were facing life and death.

And Qin Ji's attendant, his brilliant maneuvering was also key to everyone's escape today.

Xiao Yan returned the greeting by bowing to the two men and then asked, "May I ask your honorable name, young man? I am so grateful for your bravery and fearlessness just now."

Looking at the girl before him, who was now speaking with almost complete ease, a hint of surprise flashed in Qin Ji's eyes. Although her voice still sounded a little tense, it seemed that everything that had just happened had left her with few lingering effects; such courage was indeed rare.

"Haha, you flatter me, young lady. My name is Qin Xi, or you can call me Fifteen if you like, Miss Xiao. I'm just lucky, all because of my good luck." Qin Xi's face was slightly red, and he looked proud but was trying his best to suppress it. It seemed that the compliment about being brave and fearless had really touched his heart, and even his previous nervousness had completely disappeared.

"We were incredibly lucky to escape unharmed this time, and it was all thanks to the Third Miss's courage in throwing that stone. We really don't dare to talk about any favors; if there are any favors, it's the Third Miss who has been kind to us." Qin Ji gave Xiao Yan Hui a grateful smile and bowed in greeting.

In the instant he bent down, Qin Ji gave Qin Xi a secretive yet sharp glance: "You're making a fool of yourself by acting so exaggeratedly. Are you afraid of not being able to spot the flaws?"

Qin Xi received a look from his young master and immediately adjusted his state. He was familiar with killing, but acting was a novice for him.

Moreover, he felt that he acted quite well, and everything was just right!

"Third Miss, I will handle the aftermath properly. You were just out for a stroll with your maids today, nothing happened," Qin Ji emphasized.

Hearing Qin Ji's words, it seemed he was taking on all the subsequent troubles, and Xiao Yan felt even more grateful.

Although they are indeed 100% victims of today's events, if government officials come to question them, their reputations will definitely be damaged.

"Thank you very much, Young Master Qin." Xiao Yan Hui thanked him again solemnly.

This young man from Qin is kind-hearted and has the demeanor of a gentleman.

"It was nothing, Third Miss, you don't need to worry about it."

......

Watching the three figures supporting each other as they slowly walked away, Qin Ji took out the jade fan from his pocket. At this moment, there was a long crack on the handle of the fan.

The stone that Xiao Yan threw out haphazardly could not possibly have hit the masked man's temple so precisely, but if it had been given a little help along the way, it would have been a different story.

"My lord, there's nothing on him." Qin Xi, who had already thoroughly searched the man, stepped forward to report.

"Take him back first. You can go to the yamen later to smooth things over," Qin Ji instructed.

"yes".

"Did she just say something about whether one can go back after death?" Touching the crack in the folding fan, Qin Ji glanced again in the direction Xiao Yan had gone, his suspicions deepening.

At this moment, Xiao Yan Hui, who had returned to Jing An Tang and had a good rest, also felt some unresolved doubts in her heart.

A note from the author:

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