Chapter 103: The Girl with a Bow
Chai Yun was an expert in illicit affairs. Until he held the beauty in his arms, he wouldn’t easily let his guard down, so he hedged his bet by raising both possibilities of either getting a beauty or getting a dud. Dismounting his horse, he handed the reins to Zhang Yanghao. Pressing against the wooden ladder with both hands after confirming its stability, he said to the young man who had run the fastest in the alley behind the Cui residence, “Qilang, you go first.”
The young man, called Qilang, was taken aback. “Ah? Me first? Isn’t that inappropriate?”
“Bah, what are you thinking? I’m letting you go in to explore the path. Didn’t you run pretty fast previously? Now I’m giving you the chance to be on the frontlines this time.”
Qilang blushed in embarrassment and dared not refuse. He climbed the ladder with both hands, stopping midway, he lowered his head and asked, “Little Marquis Chai, there won’t be any danger inside, right?”
Chai Yun coldly said, “I’ll wait for you to tell me.”
Qilang chuckled awkwardly, and he could only continue climbing. When he reached the top of the wall and looked inside for a while, he whispered, “It’s pitch dark, can’t see anyone.”
“Of course, there’s no one. Hu You is the daughter of a marquis. Would she wait below the wall? Hurry up, go in and look around. If there’s nothing wrong, let me know.”
Qilang was very reluctant and muttered, “If I had known, I should have brought a servant...” but still climbed over the wall. “There’s a ladder on this side too.”
“Speak softly,” Chai Yun reprimanded.
The inside of the wall fell silent. Chai Yun smiled at Marquis Juanhou and said, “Engaging in such risky business has some risks after all. There was someone who got caught by the family patriarch, who had a bucket of urine poured over him from head to toe. Since then, his reputation was ruined, and he could only seek flowers in the red-light district. No decent girl from a good family would come near him.”
Han Ruzi laughed and shook his head. In his heart, he despised Chai Yun in front of him more than that “someone.”
” Little Marquis Chai, everything is fine inside,” came Qilang’s voice from inside the wall.
Chai Yun smiled, adjusted his clothes, and leisurely climbed the ladder. When he reached the top of the wall, he bowed and said, “Come in one by one. I’ll let you all have a glimpse of the beauty tonight, so that your trip tonight is not in vain. Then... forgive me for my lack of courtesy, but go home on your own. If you want to go to Jiang Residence, wait for me there. All expenses will be on me.”
Zhang Yanghao and the others were overjoyed. They quickly found a place to tie their horses, then ran back to snatch the ladder. Even though they knew that Hu You hadn’t waited below the wall, but still wanted to go over first.
“Come in,” Chai Yun’s voice came from inside the wall.
Zhang Yanghao and the others made a show of courtesy by yielding the way to the Weary Marquis, but eagerly climbed the ladder over the wall when the Weary Marquis refused.
“Weary Marquis, it’s your turn,” Chai Yun’s voice said.
Han Ruzi, who had hesitated for a long time, finally made up his mind. Unwilling to continue following Chai Yun’s madness, he whispered, “You guys have fun. I... I’m going home.”
There was a moment of silence inside the wall. Chai Yun was probably very displeased. When he spoke again, his voice was very cold, “Hu You... Lady Guiyi has also invited you. Come in.”
“Me?” Han Ruzi was surprised, but he still didn’t want to go in. “I don’t know her, and I don’t want to know her. I’d rather go home. Zhang Yanghao, if you go to Jiang Residence, please tell Du Chuanyun to return to the manor soon.”
There was no sound inside the wall. Han Ruzi took it as Chai Yun’s agreement and walked towards the tree where the horses were tied. After a few steps, he stopped, turned around, and looked at the top of the wall. Something felt strange. Chai Yun’s tone was off when he spoke, calling Hu You Lady Guiyi. There was no need to suddenly become polite even after going over the wall.
A figure appeared on the top of the wall, standing straight. Han Ruzi couldn’t see the person’s face clearly, but he could see that the person was drawing a bow, seemingly ready to shoot, and the target was none other than him.
Han Ruzi was shocked. Instinctively, he started to run. Just a dozen steps, and he could hide behind the horses. However, the arrow was faster. With a swish, the arrow grazed over his head, landing a few steps ahead, piercing the ground and trembling slightly.
Han Ruzi quickly stopped, and a stern female voice came from the top of the wall, “The next arrow will be aimed at you. Don’t think darkness will shield you from punishment.”
Han Ruzi’s heart pounded. He couldn’t believe such a thing would happen. The opponent’s arrow was indeed accurate, and he was sure he couldn’t outrun it. He had no choice but to turn slowly and say, “I have no grudges against you.”
“Stop talking nonsense and come up,” the woman’s tone became even more severe.
“Didn’t you suggest that Chai Yun should fight with Cui Teng using my family as an excuse?” Guiyi Marquis’s daughter asked.
Han Ruzi looked at Chai Yun. This was a private conversation between the two of them, and it shouldn’t have reached the ears of the person concerned. Chai Yun smiled wryly, “I wanted to help you gain some reputation, but who knew it would spread so quickly.”
Han Ruzi was about to explain when Marquis Guiyi’s two sons returned. They brought the ladder, the horses, and even the arrows that had fallen to the ground.
These two young men were not much older than twenty. Despite being called elder brothers, their faces showed more youthful innocence than their fourteen or fifteen-year-old sister.
“We got six. How should we deal with them?” one of the young men asked.
“The more, the better,” Guiyi Marquis’s daughter asked Chai Yun, “Did you tell anyone else to come here?”
Chai Yun hurriedly shook his head, “No one else, just these friends. I didn’t even bring any servants. I deliberately circled around the city a few times, all following the lady’s instructions.”
“What about the letter?”
Chai Yun took out a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket and carefully unfolded it, revealing the letter inside. “Here it is. I’ve been keeping it close to me all this time.”
The sword-wielding maidservant stepped forward and snatched the letter. She laughed, saying, “I’m the one who wrote the letter. Keeping it close to you won’t move me.”
Although the maidservant wasn’t ugly, she was far from being as attractive as Lady Guiyi. Chai Yun was greatly disappointed but quickly smiled again, “Even if it’s not the lady’s handwriting, I’ll consider it the lady’s sentiment. This piece of sincerity is still genuine.”
Han Ruzi really wanted to tell Chai Yun to speak less.
A young man with a sword stepped forward and said, “Stop wasting time; take them to see father.”
Chai Yun only began to feel a slight fear at this moment. “Isn’t it unnecessary? Isn’t it a bit too early to meet your father? How about I visit formally in a few days?”
The two young men looked angry, but Lady Guiyi laughed, “You really want to know my name, right?”
Ever since seeing the lady’s face, Chai Yun’s caution had completely vanished. He nodded and smiled, “I think of it day and night... But you don’t have to say it in front of them.”
“It doesn’t hurt to say it. It’s just a name. I am a descendant of the Xiongnu Virtuous King of the Right, my name is Jin Chuiduo.”
“Nice name,” Chai Yun praised, not even knowing which were the characters of the name.
“Our family is returning to the Xiongnu, and we need a guide,” Jin Chuiduo continued, keeping her arrow pointed at Chai Yun’s feet.
“Things are fine in the Capital. Why go back to the Xiongnu?” Chai Yun couldn’t bear to see such a beautiful person leave. “I don’t know the way either.”
Jin Chuiduo’s voice grew colder, “But now, we don’t need you.”
With that, she raised her bow and arrow. Before anyone could understand what was happening, an arrow shot out, hitting Chai Yun squarely in the chest.
Chai Yun opened his mouth in surprise, looking down at the arrow in his chest. He couldn’t believe it was real.
Zhang Yanghao and the others collapsed to the ground.
Jin Chuiduo turned around, took another arrow from her quiver, and said to the Weary Marquis, “You. Lead the way for us.”
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