“Good, now that’s the spirit! … From henceforth, after downing this big bowl of wine of ours, let the blood of criminals be spilled by your hands!” Han Yi Meng grinned.
“A great big bowl of wine this is, let the blood of criminals be spilled by my hands!” The slender young man threw his fist into the air and said, “I, from the House of Lu, will accept this as I so desire!”
“Men, release the young miss!” Lu Yu Shu turned to give an order, “Since today’s the day the White Shroud Shen Dao joined the House of Duke, for such joyous occasion, the young miss will be released, and she will choose her own path!”
The four porters who had been upright carrying the litter, listened as they lowered the jade litter, parted the litter curtains, revealing the poor young beauty to Chu Li’s view.
One of the porters reached in to tap the young lady’s shoulder, her body shivered for a moment, then slowly stood up.
Lu Yu Shu glanced at her from top to bottom, feeling pity quietly.
Such a beauty, to not fall into his hands, to be presented to his little sister, truly preposterous!
“Young beauty, today we shall release you.” Lu Yu Shu grinned from ear to ear as he said, “Tell us, do you wish to return to your home, or leave with me, and become a maid of the House of Duke?”
“I… I…” The delicate lady dipped her head.
For anyone to rest their eyes upon this beauty, it’s unsurprising for one to be astonished by her. With such alluring features, it’s no wonder she caught the eye of the second young master, and snatched away by him.
“Young miss, if you wish to return, I will send my men to take you home, never to kidnap you again, rest assured, though I, Lu Yu Shu, may not look like it, I will keep to my word!” Lu Yu Shu declared as a matter-of-factly, a gleeful grin crept to his face.
As he bore dashing features however, such act did not earn the women’s disgust, many women in the street wouldn’t mind taking the young beauty’s place, to be kidnapped back to the House of Duke.
“If you wish to follow me, then you will be a maid.” Lu Yu Shu snickered as he said, “The maids of our House of Duke are a cut above the rest, aside from myself, no one else will be able to give you trouble, when you’re outside the House, even more so that no one would dare to touch you, think about it, to huddle in a filthy, broken down house, or enter the House of Duke, bathed in luxurious clothing and food? A once in a lifetime chance!”
He smiled oddly, yet curious at the same time, on what will this young maiden choose.
“I… I wish to return home!” The delicate maiden murmured.
This shook Lu Yu Shu, shot her a surprised look, then chuckled, “Feisty one, aren’t you? Very well, to each their own, one can’t possibly force the other, since you do not wish to live better days, then forget about it, send her away!”
“Yes, young master!” The four porters responded solemnly.
The crowd cheered all around.
Lu Yu Shu berated them as a bunch of fools in his mind, nonchalantly ignored them, and got on his steed, “Brother Du, I shall head back to the House to prepare a warm welcome!”
“Hold on!” As he was about to gallop back to the House of Duke, Chu Li appeared before him.
Shrouded in robes of white, legendary blade at his side, he stood silently on the main street, blocking their path.
“Who goes there?” Lu Yu Shu furrowed his brows as he huffed, “Do not think that I am kind, step aside at once!”
Chu Li clenched his fists, and calmly declared, “I am Du Feng!”
“Du Feng…?” This shocked the crowd, all of them slowly turned their attention toward the slender young man.
The slender young man furrowed his brows, and huffed, “Du Feng? You’re known as Du Feng as well?”
Chu Li plastered a sarcastic smile onto him as he looked towards him, “Chen Gui He, since when did you change your name to Du Feng? ……To change your surname even, have you forsaken your ancestors?”
“You… who exactly are you?” The slender young man, Chen Gui He, bellowed, “What are you blabbering about!?”
Chu Li shouted, “Are you not Chen Gui He, the fifth highest guardsman of the House of Duke?”
“I am Du Feng!” Chen Gui He said solemnly, “Not Chen Gui He or whatever!”
Chu Li cocked his head to gaze at Lu Yu Shu, “This man acted without a sense of honor and morals, the House of Duke shall remember, that they had tarnished the Du name!”
“Who exactly are you?” Lu Yu Shu huffed, “Who sent you, to step upon the name of House of Duke?”
“Sigh…” Chu Li shook his head.
He suddenly leaped out, stood before Chen Gui He, and flashed his blade.
Chen Gui He’s belt split apart in an instant, the buckle gleamed in silver “clanked” on the floor.
The crowd wowed in that instant.
They recognized this buckle all too well, the badge of a guardsman from the House of Duke, fearsome across the Green Hill Road, with a flash of their badge, none could deny them anything.
Chen Gui He froze where he stood.
Chu Li’s blade glimmered constantly before his chest, sending chills down his spine, sweat poured profusely as he trembled.
As soon as he realized his buckle dropped, he hastily picked it up.
Chu Li shoved his blade, the tip of his sword picked up the badge, rotated it in the air, for all to see in plain sight.
The words “Public House Ren” engraved on one side, “Chen Gui He” engraved on the other, both sides were decorated with five stars.
Lu Yu Shu berated the man’s carelessness in his mind as he sat on his horse.
To carry the badge as he put up this act, was beyond that of a buffoon, little sis faulted as well, how could she had relied upon this idiot, if the badge fell during the fight, what then?
Lu Yu Shu wasn’t aware that it wasn’t too much stupidity that Chen Gui He had, but rather too smart for his own good.
When he accepted this mission, nothing but doubt seeped into in his mind.
There was a chance that this incident couldn’t be acted out as planned, the young missus intended it as an act of Du Feng’s defeat, joining the House of Duke. But what if this became more than an act, that as he executed his part, they decided to kill off this fake Du Feng?
Many things could happen during the young missus’s plans, plans would alter according to the flow, nothing would go exactly as planned.
With this badge, in the scenario whereby they stepped beyond the boundaries of an act, he could fish it out, as a lifeline of sorts perhaps.
—
Discussions flourished amongst the crowd, curious looks fell upon Chu Li.
It seemed this man was the real Du Feng, the White Shroud Shen Dao!
Lady Lu’s part in this however, was quite impressive on its own, to had predicted such, that it would lure out the White Shroud Shen Dao through the use of his name alone. With such a fierce grasp of the bigger picture, it could only belong to one all-seeing young mistress!
Chu Li pointed his blade towards Lu Yu Shu, “Young master, I believe you have some explaining to do in regards to myself.”
“Explaining?” Lu Yu Shu huffed without a care, “Of what?”
“The wrongful misuse of my name, all to put on this farce.” Chu Li shook his head, “It seems this act from the House of Duke followed a strict steps of precautions, could this be the work of the lady?”
“So what if it was the lady’s?” Lu Yu Shu frowned as he huffed, “Du Feng, do you wish to enter our House of Duke?”
To hear of Chu Li criticizing his sister’s overly cautious planning, it pleased him greatly in his mind.
Chu Lu shouted aloud, “As I’ve been born and raised in the wilderness, slacking off is of second nature to me, I could not stand being confined in every step I take, even more so of being under the command of others, I could do no more other than thanking the young master for the generous offer, rather than accepting it for myself!”
“Pity.” Lu Yu Shu continued, “The door to our House of Duke will always be ready to welcome you!”
Chu Li grinned, “Young master, let’s not discuss about this, settling his unruly impersonation of me takes priority, or had you let it slide already?”
“Oh, so what if I let it slide?” Lu Yu Shu grinned as he said, “Do you truly desire to have the House of Duke as your enemy?”
Chu Li said, “I myself see the value of one’s reputation, and I wish to take on this senior one on one!”
“Old man Han?” Lu Yu Shu glanced towards Han Yi Meng.
He was also rather curious of Chu Li’s strength in the martial arts.
On appearance alone, this Du Feng didn’t seem like the sort to practice any form of martial arts, not a speck of dust stuck to his white robe, bearing not the look of a warrior, but more of a scholar.
Han Yi Meng solemnly spoke out, “Very well, then let us clash in battle!”
Chu Li clenched his fists.
The crowd backed off in that instant, this was the true White Shroud Shen Dao after all, not a pushover, the one who’s numbed to murder, as if he was merely dicing vegetables.
Han Yi Meng threw a fearsome punch.
Chu Li’s blade transformed itself into a flash of lightning, soared through the powerful fist in an instant, and barely brushed against Han Yi Meng’s neck.
Chu Li sheathed his blade, and remained at where he stood.
Han Yi Meng did not move a muscle, as if he was frozen in place.
He slowly rubbed his neck, took his time with each breath as cold air escaped his lungs, yet his neck remained smooth as if untouched, not a single wound to be found, yet it was rather obvious that the blade had brushed past the skin of his neck!
Chu Li spoke calmly, “It was the blunt side of the blade!”
Han Yi Meng stared at Chu Li in shock.
Lu Yu Shu frowned as well.
To think that he didn’t see Chu Li’s movements clearly, the apparent flash of the blade, one swift motion, but he couldn’t make out which side of the blade he swung in the midst of it all.