When the sun shone on his body, it was nice and warm. Jiang Kuai was wearing a moon-white innerwear and sat lazily on the old-fashioned wooden armchair.
The old-fashion wooden armchair was at the pagoda below the steps and was facing the sun.
In the pagoda, he could enjoy the rustling of the green bamboo and flowers everywhere but he liked sunbathing even more. The unexplainable feeling of comfort when the sun was shining on him was as if he was melted as a whole, and he could completely relax.
He squinted his eyes that opened from time to time to stare at his wife who was busy in the parterre.
Tina rolled her sleeves up and revealed her white-lotus-like arm while holding a long scissor, trimming the flower branches.
Even though there was someone to upkeep the parterre, it seemed a little messy and lacked details. So only the weeds were removed, leaving the flower shapes and branches untrimmed.
Her face was gentle and sparkling under the sun. The more it spread on her face, the more beautiful and purer she looked. Jiang Kuai’s heart was filled with happiness and warmth.
This courtyard was made into an independent world that no one could disturb.
He used to look for a place deep in the mountains for a place to relax but deep down, he still felt tense. He was afraid that enemies would come knocking on his door and afraid of losing his vigilance which was why he could not completely relax.
Since they came and lived in the High Duke’s Public House, he could finally experience a taste of how complete relaxation felt like. He could observe how Tina sunk into the flowers leisurely and without worries. He then felt even happier and warmer.
As he was thinking of that, footstep sounds came from the outside suddenly. Then came the knocking on the door.
“Who is it?” Jiang Kuai asked in a low voice.
Chu Li’s voice rang out, “Brother Jiang Kuai, it’s me, Chu Li.”
“Brother Chu.” Jiang Kuai got up and walked to the front door, pulled open the courtyard door, and laughed. “Rare guest, please come in! Tina, Brother Chu is here!”
Tina straightened her back, pulled back the messy ends of her hair and smiled. “Master Chu, please come in!”
Chu Li fist saluted and said, “Madam sister-in-law, you don’t have to welcome me. I’m looking for Brother Jiang Kuai for a drink. After I have entered the residence, we still have yet had a good chat.”
“Then here’s fine.” Tina smiled. “I’ll cook you two some dishes.”
Chu Li shook his head. “No worries, outside will be just as good.”
He hinted Jiang Kuai with his eyes which Jiang Kuai got the cue and realized something was wrong. He waved his hand and said, “You get going with what you’re doing and we’ll go out for a drink.”
“Alright then, don’t drink too much.” Tina reminded him. “Don’t make a misbehave.”
When they first arrived, it was because of drinking that he misbehaved. It was bad for his future.
“I know.” Jiang Kuai smiled while waving as he went into the house for a change of clothes.
Two of them came out of the courtyard and when they came to a pine tree, Jiang Kuai asked, “Brother Chu, what’s wrong?”
Chu Li answered, “Take a look at those two injured ones.”
“Sure, no problem.” Jiang Kuai let out a breath. He thought that something major happened that Chu Li had to show up personally.
Chu Li put his hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go!”
Jiang Kuai’s sight became a blur as he could not see anything clearly. The only thing he could see was twisted light shadows and his felt a strong urge to puke but he resisted. Meanwhile, his body was so stiff that he could not move.
As he saw a bright spot in front of him, the urge to puke was even stronger. He took a deep breath and suppressed his churning chest and turned his head to find that they had arrived at the North Gate of the High Duke’s Public House because he had strong impressions of the two ferocious stone lions.
He opened his eyes widely to look at Chu Li then he looked at the girl in the white shirt who was standing quietly at the side. Although a white veil covered her face, her stature was graceful with a goddess-like spiritual force. He could not avert his gaze.
Chu Li coughed softly. “Brother Jiang Kuai, this is Lady Xiao.”
Jiang Kuai met Xiao Qi’s cool gaze which felt like a bucket of water which splashed on his head. Her white gown and graceful stature, along with the idea of a strong spiritual force disappeared. He quickly gave a fist salute. “Nice to meet you, Lady Xiao!”
Xiao Qi clenched her jaw. “No worries, Protector Jiang. Let’s go.”
Jiang Kuai gave a fist salute.
His knowledge led him to lead the way with Chu Li accompanying Xiao Qi at the back.
Jiang Kuai displayed his Light-body Technique which made him quicker than anything else.
He thought of the situation earlier and took countless breaths in between. From his courtyard to the North Gate of the High Duke’s Public House, the speed was extremely frightening. He could not even imagine how that was equivalent to Light-body Technique!
Indeed, there was no limit to the sky and there was no limit to people’s abilities. He had always thought that his Light-body Technique was a masterpiece, the first in the world. Only now did he realized how little he knew!
His body movement technique was fast. Very quickly, they arrived at the courtyard of yesterday’s incident.
Jiang Kuai went to the door of the courtyard and explained, “They’re a pair of married couple. They just had a child and the child was already sent to the resident for care.”
Xiao Qi clenched her jaw.
Jiang Kuai pushed open the door of the courtyard and went in. There was still a trace of bloody odour.
Jiang Kuai brought them into the bedroom in the main hall. The couple was sitting on the bed practicing their martial arts.
“Xiao Deng, Madame Deng, Lady Xiao is here to visit you,” Jiang Kuai said.
They opened their eyes to look at Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi asked faintly, “Where are you both from?”
They were startled but they exchanged glances and said nothing.
Xiao Qi stared deeply at the young man, her tone became even duller each time. “From Phoenix Tree Faction?”
Both of their expressions changed slightly.
Jiang Kuai was surprised and asked, “That can’t be? Unless they’re anti-Phoenix Tree Faction?”
The assassination of these two was done by the followers of Phoenix Tree Faction and they were from Phoenix Tree Faction as well. They realized it once they thought about it.
Suddenly, Chu Li put his hands on the shoulders of Xiao Qi and Jiang Kuai. In a flash, the three of them disappeared from the bedroom and appeared in the living room.
“Boom!”
A muffled sound came from the bedroom.
Jiang Kuai, who was busy moving around to keep his body from shaking, widened his eyes to look at the bedroom.
Chu Li sighed. “Amazing indeed!”
Xiao Qi said weakly, “It’s unavoidable! Let’s leave.”
“Lady Xiao?” Jiang Kuai did not know what just happened.
Xiao Qi answered, “Report that to the government offices.”
Chu Li shook his head and sighed. “They’re the assassins who tried to assassinate Lady Xiao. What desperate measure! Now will need to trouble you, Brother Jiang Kuai for the rest of the final phase.”
“Desperate measure?” Jiang Kuai was in half-believe and half-doubt.
Chu Li smiled with a fist salute and left.
Jiang Kuai stepped into the messy bedroom doubtfully.
The walls were filled with hundreds of holes as if it was caused by countless shooting arrows. The bed frame was shattered into a pile and the rest were just torn cloth.
Jiang Kuai frowned. This torn cloth belonged to the couple just now. If their clothes were torn to such an extent, then where were they?
He searched everywhere in detail. There was some debris from the corner of the walls. It looked like debris from porcelain pieces, warm to the sensation when he touched them.
His expression changed abruptly. With a “waa” sound which came out from his mouth, he escaped the bedroom in a panic.
He rushed to the courtyard, greedy for some fresh air and he finally guessed it. That couple demonstrated a type of secret manual that was similar to Demon Disintegration where they could turn themselves into the most tyrannical burst of power, not even leaving behind their bones!
He could not help that he was scared. No matter how powerful his Light-body Technique was, coming across this secret manual of disintegration, there was nowhere he could run to especially since he was just in the cramped bedroom. There was nowhere he could escape to!
——
Chu Li and Xiao Qi moved swiftly as they traveled.
“Lady Xiao Shi has already taken the Longevity Grass. How’s her situation?”
“No changes yet,” Xiao Qi said, “maybe the effect of the medicine will only take place after some time.”
“I’d like to visit Lady Xiao Shi,” Chu Li said.
Xiao Qi shot him a glance. “You care a lot about my Second Eldest Sister!”
“The Longevity Grass doesn’t work on the Vitality Sealing Finger.” Chu Li shook his head. “It cannot delay her weakness.”
“Second Eldest Sister doesn’t meet outsiders.”
“Even I can’t see her?”
“You don’t think that you’re an outsider?” Xiao Qi looked at him weakly.
Chu Li said helplessly, “There really isn’t a way?”
Xiao Qi answered, “Let me ask. Her mood hasn’t been great. She might not even want to see you.”
“Thank you, Lady Xiao!” Chu Li saluted with his fist.
Xiao Qi faintly glanced at him and turned around. She did not say anything else as they went back to the Jade Island Guardian in silence.