CH 5.2

Ming Huashang didn’t even realize that something happened. She seemed to catch a glimpse of a yellow shadow out of the corner of her eye, and before she could see what it was, she was pulled away by Ming Huazhang.

Ming Huashang staggered two steps back and if it wasn’t for Ming Huazhang grasping her wrist, she would have almost fallen. She looked up in astonishment and saw Ming Huazhang standing in front of her. The young man was holding a scabbard with one hand, and the red dragon and phoenix-patterned round-neck robe fitted him perfectly. His waist was tied tightly with a black leather belt, which outlined his broad shoulders and straight back. His limbs were slender and his waist was strong and lean.

The scabbard was holding back a strange animal that looked like a cat but was much bigger than a cat. It had thick, long, and vigorous limbs, and a body covered with light brown long fur. Ming Huashang’s and the cat’s cold and cunning green eyes met, and they were both stunned. At this time, Ming Huazhang spun the scabbard violently. Taking advantage of the moment when the big cat lost its balance, Ming Huazhang raised his leg and kicked it hard on its belly, and kicked it far away.

This set of movements was clean and neat, and by the time Ming Huashang reacted, the big cat had already been thrown into the snow. She blinked, and asked indistinctly, “This is…”

“A lynx.” Ming Huazhang retracted the scabbard and looked back at Ming Huashang, “You didn’t get hurt, right?”

Ming Huashang shook her head like a rattle drum. She walked past Ming Huazhang curiously and looked at the snow behind her. The lynx got up from the ground, lowered its forelimbs, and snorted threateningly toward them, but it dared not come any closer.

Ming Huashang truly experienced what it meant to excel in both civil and military arts, and what it meant to be bold and careful. Ming Huazhang’s reaction speed and attention to movements were too impressive, she didn’t even see where the lynx was hiding!

Maybe it was because Ming Huazhang was beside her, Ming Huashang was filled with self-confidence and not worried about her own safety at all, and was in the mood to observe this big cat, “Why is there a lynx here?”

Xie Jichuan also leaned over, looked at the footprints on the snow, and said, “Probably a certain guest brought it here.”

Ming Huashang couldn’t believe it, “A guest? Who brings such a big cat when they go out as a guest?”

Although Ming Huashang called it a big cat, the lynx was much more lethal than a cat. Half of Taiping Gonzhu’s guests were womenfolk. If a woman bumped into it, a bite or a scratch would be enough to kill her.

If it wasn’t for Ming Huazhang just now, Ming Huashang would have been the first victim.

Whatever you’re afraid of will come; another group of guests came behind them, and they happened to be womenfolk. The women cried out in fright when they saw the long-haired animal resembling a cat or a leopard lying in the snow. Ming Huazhang frowned, and handed Ming Huashang to Xie Jichuan, “Look after her, I’ll catch the lynx over there.”

Xie Jichuan nodded, took half a step forward, and stood in front of Ming Huashang. Ming Huazhang was about to leave when suddenly a spear flew over and stabbed heavily into the snow.

The lynx was frightened by the scattered snow and took two steps back. A woman in red shouted, ran over quickly, and kicked the red-tasseled spear in the snow back into her hand, “You evil creature, how dare you hurt people?”

Ming Huashang’s eyes widened, watching this scene in shock. When staying at the Gongzhu’s villa for a banquet, some brought lynxes, and some even brought spears.

This was an eye-opener for her. Ming Huashang suddenly felt that she was really ordinary to have only brought food.

The force of the woman in red’s shot was like a tiger’s roar, stirring up layers of snow and fog. Ming Huazhang retracted his scabbard, and when he turned his head, he saw Ming Huashang leaning closely behind Xie Jichuan. Frowning calmly, he held her wrist and pulled her towards him, saying, “Okay, it’s all right now. Go put away your luggage now.”

Ming Huashang didn’t know if it was because she didn’t go out much and didn’t know much, she looked at the woman fighting the lynx curiously, and asked, “Who is that? That lynx looks so fierce, don’t we need to help her?”

Xie Jichuan shook his head with a smile, and said, “No need. You don’t go out much younger sister, so you might not recognize this lady. She is quite well-known in Shendu. She’s the orphan daughter of the Pingnan Marquis manor — Miss Ren, Ren Yao. This lynx is not her opponent. Instead, I think it is the owner of the lynx who should worry.”

Ming Huashang had been a salted fish for too long, so she didn’t recognize many faces, but she still recognized her once she heard the name. She leaned out and looked behind again. It turned out that this was Ren Yao, Marquis Pingnan’s daughter and the successor of the renowned Ren family spear arts.

Ren Yao was also very famous in the capital, but unlike Ming Huazhang and Xie Jichuan, her reputation was not that good.

The sons of the Pingnan Marquis family all died on the battlefield. Everyone said that the Ren family no longer had a successor, which was a pity for the Ren family spear arts. Ren Yao was the only living child of Marquis Pingnan. Not to be outdone, she practiced marksmanship relentlessly since she was a child, and vowed to carry on the Ren family’s unique skills, take over for her father and elder brothers, and step out on the bloody battlefield to kill the enemy.

Such a woman was naturally unpopular in the social circle. Ming Huashang had only gone out a few times, and she had already heard the noble girls gather to speak ambiguously about Ren Yao, and even jokingly called Ren Yao “Female Marquis”.

Even if Ren Yao was indeed the remaining bloodline of the Pingnan Marquis, a woman cannot inherit a title. That name undoubtedly mocked that all the young men in Ren Yao’s family were dead, so she had no father or brother.

When Ming Huashang first heard about her, she felt that it was a good thing for a woman to have the ambition to inherit the mantle of her father and brothers. Why did they laugh at her? She didn’t bother with those ladylike talks. After meeting Ren Yao’s in person today, she found that Ren Yao’s spear skills were truly excellent, not inferior to men at all.

Ming Huashang was a salted fish herself, but she respected those who have ambition and can put it into practice, such as her brother Ming Huazhang, such as Ren Yao. Ming Huashang turned her head a few times, and couldn’t help tugging Ming Huazhang’s sleeve, “Miss Ren’s marksmanship is really good, should we stay behind to say hello?”

“You are the jewel in the palm of the Zhen Duke manor, so you can make friends with anyone you like.” Ming Huazhang really stopped, and he called on the trembling guide attendant who was hiding behind a tree and ordered, “Go to the courtyard where the Jiang’an Marquis manor is staying and announce that the lynx raised by their eldest son has escaped. Tell them that he will only have to collect the corpse if he doesn’t come over soon.”

Ming Huashang heard a familiar name again, “Shizi of Jiang’an Marquis? Second elder brother, how do you know this is Jiang Shizi’s pet?”

With a chuckle behind her, Xie Jichuan rolled up his sleeves and said with a smile, “Second younger sister, it seems that you really don’t like to go out. The Western Regions presented a batch of lynxes and leopards to the Empress, and the Empress gave them to Taiping Gongzhu. Marquis Jiang’an loves his son like his life, so he especially went to ask Taiping Gongzhu for grace, and asked for a lynx and a leopard for the Shizi. Jiang Ling brings these two treasures with him everywhere when he goes out. Who in Shendu still doesn’t know that the Shizi of Jiang’an Marquis adores his pets?”

Jiang Ling, the Shizi of Jiang’an Marquis, was also a well-known playboy. Ming Huashang sighed slowly. Although she turned a deaf ear to outside matters, she knew at least that Marquis Jiang’an was Taiping Gongzhu’s right-hand man. Jiang Ling was the only son of Marquis Jiang’an, and his doting rivaled Duke Zhen’s love for Ming Huashang.

If it was him, no wonder he was able to bring this dangerous animal into the villa.

Ming Huashang secretly clicked her tongue. One was Ren Yao, and the other was Jiang Ling, both were hot-headed and stubborn. When the two of them face off, she was afraid it wouldn’t end well.

As soon as she thought of this, a resounding wail of anguish came from behind, “Baobao, who beat you up like this!”