https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-619-Chu-Liuxiang-s-Undefeated-Realm/12583852/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-621-Finally-Meeting-Chu-Liuxiang/12587594/
Chapter 620: Three Times, Red Marks the Spot
Chapter 620: Three Times, Red Marks the Spot
Late at night, with no boats in sight, Jin Banhua didn't feel like getting into the water.
"If it's not meant to be, there will be other opportunities. No need to rush," Jin Banhua shook her head and took a couple of steps forward. She picked up Yi Dianhong and quickly carried him away.
Upon returning to the inn, they rented another room, and Jin Banhua asked the attendant to light some charcoal before waking Yi Dianhong.
She kept her distance from him and said, "I've asked the attendant to prepare new clothes for you, but you'll have to take off your wet clothes yourself. I've never undressed a man before and don't plan to start now."
Yi Dianhong clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to smash her face with a single punch. "I've never had a man undress me either!"
"Oh? So you do have experience with women?" Jin Banhua asked curiously. "I thought someone as cold as you would take care of such matters yourself. I know a swordsman who was a virgin until he met his wife."
Yi Dianhong unconsciously glanced at his sword on the table before glaring at Jin Banhua. "Are you a wealthy young master from the capital?"
"Yes."
"Have you never ventured beyond the capital before? Is this your first time wandering the jianghu?"
"Yes."
"Then let me give you a piece of advice."
"Go on."
"Watch your mouth. If it weren't for the fact that I owe you, you would be dead by now," Yi Dianhong said coldly.
"I knew you were a man of principles, which is why I dared to speak so frankly with you," Jin Banhua said, gesturing to their surroundings. "I carried you back from the Daming Lake shore and spent eighteen taels of silver on you."
Yi Dianhong fell silent.
He took a deep breath and changed the subject. "What about Chu...the person who knocked me out?"
"You mean Zhang Xiaolin? After he threw you ashore, he dived back into the lake, probably to investigate the sudden music from the lake," Jin Banhua replied.
Yi Dianhong frowned, his thoughts drifting back to the melody from earlier. "That musician is a master."
"Indeed. Jing Xiang from the Jade Pavilion in the capital, Liu Sha from the Green Sleeve Manor, and Yu Yao from the Dreamland Garden are all masters of the zither, but they would be hard-pressed to outperform the musician from the lake," Jin Banhua agreed.
Yi Dianhong took another deep breath. "I'm talking about their martial arts skills. You did the right thing by not following them."
Jin Banhua was blunt. "I didn't follow because there were no boats around. I'm not sick, so why would I voluntarily dive into the water at night and risk catching a cold?"
He had voluntarily followed Chu Liuxiang into the water at night. Was he sick?
Yi Dianhong really didn't want to continue this conversation, but he couldn't help but ask, "Do you have a grudge against Chu Liuxiang?"
"A deep-seated one!" Jin Banhua nodded. "He stole my White Jade Beauty, causing me to fall ill and be ridiculed. I will make him kneel and return my White Jade Beauty!"
Yi Dianhong's lips curled up in a malicious smile. "What if one day you suddenly discover that he had been disguised as your friend all along, and you never even noticed?"
Jin Banhua declared, "Then it would be a case of old grudges and new hatreds. I'll make him kneel and admit his mistakes twice over!"
Yi Dianhong asked with a smile, "Do you really think you can beat Chu Liuxiang?"
Jin Banhua raised her eyebrows and laughed. "You probably don't know how many masters I've hired in the capital or how many martial arts I've learned. Dealing with a lone bandit like him is child's play."
Yi Dianhong couldn't help but sigh, "You're really not cut out for the jianghu. It's best you return to the capital soon."
"I'll go back after I retrieve my White Jade Beauty," Jin Banhua replied.
Yi Dianhong shook his head in exasperation and stopped talking to Jin Banhua. He proceeded to take off his wet clothes and hang them near the charcoal brazier to dry.
Jin Banhua waved her hand and left the room, saying, "This room is booked for three days, so feel free to stay. My room is number one on the third floor. If you need anything, come find me there."
"I won't be staying for three days. I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning," Yi Dianhong said.
"Suit yourself," Jin Banhua said as she left. Her voice drifted back into the room. "You don't need to reimburse me for the room. I don't need the money."
"I..." Yi Dianhong began, his jaw clenching.
"Anyway, you don't have any large denomination silver notes on you," Jin Banhua's voice finally faded away. "I definitely have more money than you."
Yi Dianhong's lips twitched, and he desperately wanted to draw his sword and strike her.
But Jin Banhua remained carefree as she casually returned to her room to sleep.
...
Having slept in late, Jin Banhua woke up a little later the next day.
As expected, Yi Dianhong had already left. Liao Gang and Ye Jin approached her with concerned looks on their faces. "Young Master, nothing happened last night, did it?"
"Nothing much, just witnessed a fight," Jin Banhua replied nonchalantly.
"Did Zhang Xiaolin catch the culprit?" Ye Jin asked excitedly.
"No, it was an intense battle between Zhang and Zhongyuan Yidianhong," Jin Banhua explained.
The two companions were shocked. "Zhongyuan Yidianhong! Is Zhang Xiaolin still alive?"
In their eyes, although Zhang Xiaolin was skilled, he was merely a merchant of medicinal herbs in the Changbai Mountains. How could he possibly be a match for the renowned Zhongyuan Yidianhong?
"Of course, he's alive. Zhang Xiaolin even won. He knocked Zhongyuan Yidianhong unconscious in the water and then left. I was the one who brought Yidianhong back to the inn and asked the attendants to help him change into dry clothes," Jin Banhua said casually.
Liao Gang and Ye Jin: _?_
Zhang Xiaolin won?
Hey, wait a minute! Young Master brought Zhongyuan Yidianhong back to the inn?!
The two men were slightly dazed as they recalled the formidable presence that Zhongyuan Yidianhong had exuded the night before, and they couldn't help but shiver involuntarily.
They couldn't fathom how their young master had dared to approach such a formidable opponent, let alone bring him back to the inn.
Liao Gang turned back involuntarily, half-expecting to see Zhongyuan Yidianhong standing there.
"Don't look, he's gone," Jin Banhua said.
Liao Gang breathed a sigh of relief, and Ye Jin also relaxed visibly.
"Young Master, we've already seen Daming Lake and Kuaiyitang. How about we climb Mount Tai now?" Ye Jin suggested.
"No," Jin Banhua said. "Aren't you curious about why Song Gang of the Tianxing Gang died? Or about the content of the letter Zuo Youzheng received?"
Liao Gang and Ye Jin shook their heads together, "Not curious!"
Although they weren't exactly veterans of the jianghu, they had enough experience to know what they should and shouldn't be curious about.
Song Gang of the Tianxing Gang had higher martial arts prowess and reputation than either of them, yet he had died before even finishing his sentence. They knew their place and didn't dare to pry into such matters.
"I'm very curious, though!" Jin Banhua clapped her hands and laughed, "Let's go!"
"Where to?" Liao Gang asked.
"To find Shen Shangu," Jin Banhua smiled. "With Song Gang dead, I don't believe the Tianxing Gang will just let it go."
(End of Chapter)
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