Chapter Twenty-Three: A Stroke of Romantic Luck

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Jiang Lin handed the child in his arms, Jiang Haohai, over to Jiang Yunyun. The child was all messy, so the foolish younger sister was urged to quickly clean her up—especially since a child this young could easily wet herself out of fright! Unhurriedly, he fetched several vines, calling on the youths to first tie up the two villains before doing anything else.

These young men, inexperienced in such serious matters, bore bruises and wounds. Though in pain, their hearts surged with excitement; doing good deeds truly brought joy and a sense of fulfillment! The group wore grim expressions, their attempts to look intimidating somehow amusing and endearing on the naïve faces of the youths.

From afar on the road, two young men dressed in ornate robes rode swiftly on two rare steeds, their speed like shooting stars. One wore a dark gold celestial robe, while the other’s robe shimmered pearlescent, radiant as pearls. At their waists hung dazzling first-grade spirit swords that sparkled like diamonds. Compared to these heroic young men, the others seemed as insignificant as ants, low and dusty.

Jiang Yunyun, clutching Jiang Haohai, cried bitterly, her hands busy tending to her little sister, who had wet herself from fright and needed a diaper change. Meanwhile, the baby Jiang Haohai was on the verge of a breakdown. So many people around, yet second sister couldn’t even pretend not to notice she had wet herself? Besides, she was to be married off in a few years; crying so uncontrollably now, who would want her in the future? Could she at least keep up appearances!

The two young men in splendid robes, confident and gallant as swordsmen roaming the rivers and lakes, soon spotted the chaotic scene. Unlike those in the county town who would avoid trouble at all costs, they calmly stopped their horses nearby.

The mountain bandits’ hearts burned with fervor. They longed to rush down the mountain immediately. Clearly, these two young men, who looked like heirs of powerful aristocratic families, were the very targets of their mission.

Their leader, Master Leopard, had already informed them that two high-status youths would pass by. If they could pull off this job, would they still fear the difficulty of breaking through foundational cultivation? However, such noble and powerful individuals usually carried precious materials, talismans, and immortality pills on their persons. The bandits knew they couldn’t recklessly rush to their deaths. Hence, they had first sent some inexperienced youths to take them down, using them as sacrificial lambs.

Like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, they waited in silence for the outcome.

The young man in white robes looked at the crying girl holding a beautiful infant, both tearful and heart-wrenching, drawing much attention.

“Friend, has something happened? Do you need help?” he asked gently.

The chubby-faced girl looked up at him with teary eyes. Perhaps because of the bright sunlight, the young man in white suddenly blushed and dared not meet her gaze.

Beside him, the youth in the dark gold robe grumbled irritably: “Young Master Gu, you’ve saved every stray cat and dog along the way. The last poor woman you rescued even caused a lot of trouble!”

The white-robed youth replied with righteous solemnity:

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“Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-level pagoda. Though that woman was once fallen, she remains a pitiful soul. A gentleman must know what to do and what not to do; as long as one’s conscience is clear, that is enough!”

The dark gold robe youth pouted, saying, “You want to be a good gentleman, but all the trouble and that poor woman’s mess get dumped on me!”

The white-robed youth smiled foolishly, “With a brother like you, what more could I ask for?”

Meanwhile, a nearby peddler saw this as a perfect opportunity. He cried out to the youths: “Sir, please save us! These thieves robbed us and even wanted to kill my wife and me! Please help!”

The woman beside him sobbed loudly, which startled the young men. These troublemakers—they were here precisely to rob!

Hearing these angry words, Jiang Yunyun’s fighting spirit surged. She lifted her skirt, holding her little sister, and stood up, venting her anger on the peddler. She paid no mind to whether her newly bought magic shoes would get stained with blood.

“You damned villains! You captured me and my sister, planning to sell us. Such wickedness deserves death!”

“You even accuse us of robbery? I’ll kick you to death. How dare you cheat your own aunt without giving spirit stones? Are you seeking death?”

“You can knock me out, but if you don’t give me candy, I swear you’ll regret it!”

All her belated fears exploded onto the peddler. She cried so fiercely, trembling like a flower in the wind. Seeing blood stain her new magic shoes, she wailed in sorrow:

“You liar! You sold me without giving a single spirit stone. How could you do this without a word?”

...

On Qingmu Mountain, inside the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple, a young girl dressed in a blue and pink robe embroidered with gold sat resting in an ancient temple pavilion.

She had never truly believed in Buddhism or Taoism before. Usually, she only pretended to study and conform to gain favor from the elderly lady.

Today, though she came to the temple ostensibly to attend a sermon by Master Ranan, her heart sensed something else.

She didn’t know why she had come to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple—only that an inner voice told her to come, or she would regret it for life.

So she came, waiting for her destined opportunity.

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...

Along the way, only Jiang Yunyun’s cries could be heard. Even the less refined youths felt deeply pained seeing such humble misery.

Hua Zi couldn’t help but sob as well. He had lost his little sister; his parents had died searching for her. Boohoo...

But the girl had surprising strength. Her kicks were fierce, like a fierce tigress, causing the youths to tremble in fear.

Even Jiang Haohai, held in arms, was a bit frightened now. She no longer dared to scheme about taking second sister’s spirit stones...

The youth in white robes looked at the sorrowful, foolish girl and felt tears fall like rain. Though fragile in appearance, she resisted with all her might, enduring humiliation despite her many wounds.

His heart held only one thought: he wanted to save her. He did not want to see her cry.

The other youth in the dark gold robe trembled in fear nearby. This girl truly had formidable combat ability!

After Jiang Yunyun had vented all her emotions, she finally released the peddler and turned to the youth in white robes.

“Sir, could you please report these villains to the authorities? My brother and those others came to save us, but they are all injured. Could you kindly help us get back?”

The youth in white robes looked at the girl’s face, his heart suddenly pounding without warning.

“Very well, I will have someone report this to the officials. But for now, you should return home. Miss, I will escort you back.”

Jiang Haohai, sensing the faint scent of pink bubbles around the two, guessed to herself:

This youth in white robes drew his sword to help—could it be that he had taken a liking to her foolish second sister?

Could this be her second sister’s romantic fortune?

A troublesome romance, or...?

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