Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 12

At that moment, no one had expected Cheng Yaojin to emerge from nowhere.

Both of them, aware of their serious injuries, fearing any unforeseen circumstances, hastily leaped backward.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a chubby teenage boy popping out from the bushes, tumbling and scrambling along the way. He even stumbled twice, wielding a dazzling long sword, rushing all the way to Huai En's side.

"Miss Zheng, are you alright? It's all my fault for being late. Don't be afraid, leave everything to me!" Xiao Bao, his face filled with tender concern, uttered reassuring words with a stoic expression, though his legs were trembling with fear.

Huai En struggled to open her eyes, looking somewhat bewildered at him, her scattered gaze gradually becoming clearer.

Xiao Bao turned around to shield her, pointing his sword heroically, standing tall despite his trembling right arm betraying his fear.

"Damn, I never realized before, but this sword is way too heavy. Worth it!! Damn worth every penny spent. Even if I sold it as scrap metal, it would tip the scales!"

The boss's face suddenly filled with anger, but upon seeing the fine sword, unsure of its weight, he didn't dare to act recklessly. "Kid, who do you think you are?"

"I'm the junior leader of the Jiangnan Money Gang. And this person here is my future wife. If you know what's good for you, don't mess with the Money Gang!!!" His voice trembled as he spoke.

Both men were momentarily stunned, then burst into strange, unpleasant laughter.

"Future wife? Future wife? Haha, kid, are you out of your mind... Do you know who he..." The boss waved his hand to silence the woman, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Jin Xiaobao. "The junior leader of the Money Gang? That wealthy Money Gang?"

"Yeah, that's right." Xiaobao fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a bundle of banknotes, tremblingly extending it. "This is two hundred thousand taels of silver. As long as you leave immediately, all of this is yours."

Both men were taken aback once again. He hadn't taken out the banknotes before, but now that he had, they both knew he was afraid. The Money Gang indeed held a significant position in the martial world, renowned for its immense wealth. However, it was widely known that the Money Gang lacked true martial talent. Everything from their members to their enforcers and even their allies was bought with money. They figured this junior leader of the Money Gang probably didn't have much skill either.

They squinted at the bundle of banknotes, their greed undeniable. After all, they had also risked their lives for money when they served Prince Shen. But they couldn't just let Huai En go either; otherwise, they would face severe consequences from Prince Shen, perhaps even a gruesome death.

The boss reached out his hand to Xiaobao. "Kid, hand over the banknotes."

Xiaobao stared at the rough, calloused hand, swallowing nervously, too afraid to approach. "Will you... leave after taking the money?"

The old woman swaggered over, her hips swaying. "Hand over the banknotes." In the blink of an eye, the banknotes were in their hands.

"Boss, it's real, two hundred thousand taels." Despite being covered in injuries, the old woman's eyes still gleamed with excitement as she looked at the banknotes.

The boss was also ecstatic. "We hit the jackpot, haha, we hit the jackpot." He tucked the banknotes into his bosom, chuckling darkly. "Kid, you can be a pair of desperate lovebirds with your future wife, hahaahaha~"

As they spoke, they moved to attack again. Xiaobao felt tears welling up in his eyes, despairingly raising his sword, ready to fight them to the end.

Suddenly, both of them froze in place. Their momentum had carried them too far, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground in a comical manner.

"Uh... What's happening..." The boss lay on the ground, gradually losing strength, attempting to push himself up a few times but only falling back down.

"Kid, what poison did you give us... you..."

Seeing his plan take effect, Xiaobao shook off his previous disheveled appearance, hands on hips, bursting with energy and laughing heartily. "Ahahahahaha! You two bastards, serves you right for being greedy, for bullying my wife! You deserve it!! If I don't show my might, you'll treat me like a sick cat!!"

The old woman rolled on the ground, trying to get up. She seemed to be in slightly better shape than the boss, but her strength was rapidly draining, and she was filled with astonishment.

"It's impossible... I've been soaking in medicinal baths for over twenty years, how could someone easily get the better of me... It's impossible... What did you give us?"

"Xuanxiao Cartilage Powder."

"What?!" Xuanxiao Zhenren was a legendary figure in the art of witchcraft and poison. No wonder...

"It's impossible. Xuanxiao Zhenren has been missing for over twenty years. They say he's long dead. Where did you get it from..."

"Hahahahaha! Real person my ass, missing my ass, dead my ass! That old rascal is still kicking! He lost everything in my family's casino, so he used this to settle his debts. Granny sells a small bottle for a tael of silver. I thought he was just boasting, but damn, it really works when it matters! Hahahahaha!" Xiaobao was now brimming with pride. Just think about it! Not only did he heroically jump out to save the day, but he also stole the limelight in front of the beauty.

Turning to Huai En with a tender smile, Xiaobao said, "Miss Zheng, you can rest assured now. I'll go avenge you right away."

The woman, unwilling to accept defeat, laughed sarcastically. "Hahaha, Miss Zheng, you call him Miss Zheng, hahaha."

"What's wrong? Is there something not right?" Could it be that her last name wasn't Zheng?

"Hehe, kid, he's not Miss Zheng. Do you want to know who he really is?"

Xiaobao gripped the sword tightly, advancing step by step towards them.

"What do you want to say, spit it out!!"

Although he intended to avenge Huai En, he had never killed anyone before. He hadn't even personally harmed anyone; those were just fights resulting in superficial injuries. The thought of thrusting a sword into a living person's body made his scalp tingle, and he couldn't bring himself to do it.

As Xiaobao hesitated, he heard Huai En growl softly, "Be careful!!"

In the blink of an eye, Xiaobao was engulfed in a slender embrace. A strong scent of blood mixed with the familiar fragrance that often haunted his dreams rushed into his nose, causing him to lose focus for a moment.

A muffled grunt sounded in his ear, and Xiaobao panicked, struggling to break free.

A row of eight silver needles, emitting a dismal light of defeat, stood ominously on Huai En's slender back.

Xiaobao's eyes turned red as he screamed in confusion. He never expected Huai En to save him, let alone get injured for him. Their positions had completely reversed, and he would rather it be him with those things stuck in his back.

The woman chuckled sinisterly, mustering her last strength to throw the hidden weapon before collapsing, her hand still supporting her body as if in a final struggle, her face filled with cruelty. "Haha... cough... After throwing so many poisoned weapons, I finally hit... Too bad I've run out of lethal ones, but this one isn't bad either... Haha... Kid... Tonight, you can have an early wedding night with your future wife... Haha... cough... Haha..."

"What did you say?!" Xiaobao screamed at her in anguish. "The antidote, give me the antidote!! Antidote!!"

"Haha... That's an aphrodisiac... The antidote is... copulation, continuously... Haha... Let's just wait and see him bleed to death... Hahahaha..."

Kipzi - well.. that escalated quickly