Guo Neng had always been hot-tempered and impulsive, so in his excessive force, he accidentally slammed the basket against the small door, causing a noise. In the end, he couldn’t bear it any longer and harshly cursed, fortunately still aware of his circumstances and refraining from cursing like before.
This eldest young master of the Guo family, who had been pampered from birth—never having done any hard labor—was now forced to disguise himself as a commoner, whom he despised. Although he felt suppressed and aggrieved inside, he had no choice but to endure. However, expecting him to work skillfully like a commoner was simply impossible.
As Guo Neng left the secret chamber and moved outside, Guo Shun, guessing the situation, directed his fierce gaze back onto Lian Musu, preparing to finish him off in one fell swoop.
In the blink of an eye, Lian Musu’s suspicions were confirmed; Guo Shun was indeed orchestrating this elaborate charade just to cover for Guo Neng.
Facing a formidable enemy, with his most hated foe just a wall away, he couldn’t help but breathe rapidly, grinding his teeth and saying, "Guo Neng, he really is here!"
Guo Shun sneered, "Guessing won’t help you, as today you are destined to die here." With that, he immediately charged forward with his dagger raised.
With eyes sharp as an eagle, Lian Musu gripped the embroidery needle in his hand and bowed forward to meet him, and just as they were about to clash, as the dagger neared his throat, Lian Musu threw caution to the wind and struck at Guo Shun’s heart. This life-risking strike might not hit its target, but Lian Musu was certain to die.
As quick as a flash, a strong force suddenly came from behind, and before Lian Musu could react, he was flung into the air, flying backward and landing hard, barely keeping his balance, with one of the Men in Black steadying him.
On Guo Shun’s end, as he brandished his dagger aimed directly for the vital spot at the throat, intending to stab the abdomen in a continuous move when Lian Musu dodged to protect his throat, and then to mangle the internal organs with the dagger, expecting to end Lian Musu’s life with this one move, he did not anticipate that Lian Musu wouldn’t dodge at all, only striking with his hand.
In a split second, Guo Shun instantly realized something was amiss. Reacting swiftly, he raised his other hand to block and thrust the dagger forward sharply. Just as he was about to strike, the person in front of him suddenly changed.
A rotund man with a Maitreya Buddha-like smile on his face appeared, staring straight at him, nimbly avoiding his dagger with a strangely angled move, pinpointing his wrist, while the other hand pushed forward with an overwhelming force, striking his chest with a palm.
In an instant, his hand went numb, the dagger fell to the ground, Guo Shun felt a severe pain in his chest, and his body was thrown seven or eight steps away, landing with a force that caused him to vomit a large mouthful of blood uncontrollably.
He looked in horror at the fat man in front of him—the very leader of the black-robed figures and the head of the Ma Xiapo Inn!
This sudden turn of events happened so swiftly that Lian Musu had not even reacted before it was over; he survived from the jaws of death. Bending down, he instinctively clasped his throat and gasped for air, filled with an unbelieving relief of having narrowly escaped death.
As Guo Shun charged at him, the legendary Hu the Fatty did not appear, and knowing his chances were slim, he had embraced a resolve to die, struggling desperately to meet his end. Yet Guo Shun intercepted his path, and as the dagger reached his throat, no amount of skill could have turned the tide.
At that moment, many thoughts surfaced in his mind. He just couldn’t accept it; despite fighting with all his might, he couldn’t even hurt his enemy in the slightest. When news of his death would reach home, his parents and two younger brothers would be heartbroken. What he feared most was for his mother’s health, afraid that she might not withstand the shock; moreover, he regretted not being able to see his younger sister again. If he were to die, he hoped that the news of his death would not reach his younger sister’s ears, letting her believe that her big brother was still alive.
Unexpectedly, the situation took a dramatic turn. He was unscathed, even holding the embroidery needle in his hand, while Guo Shun lay heavily injured on the ground.
The person in front of him, round and plump, back turned with a fair and fat figure, looked a lot like the white fatty Lian Bingcheng always mentioned, born with a face that screamed treachery?!
Hu Miaomiao patted the dust off himself, feeling quite pleased, and with a beaming smile said to the severely injured and immobile Guo Shun, "Hey, look who it is! Why so pathetic, huh? Oh, dear, you’re even spitting blood. Aren’t you the imposing right-hand man of the young master of the Guo family? What’s your name again?"
He slapped his forehead, recalling the name: "It’s Xiao Shunzi, right? Have you been well since we last met? I’ve missed you to death. Xiao Shunzi, day and night, every moment, I’ve been thinking about you, even more than your young master. Oh, Xiao Shunzi, what’s with that fierce expression? That won’t do, come on, give us a smile. Oh, I didn’t hit your other hand, what are you hiding there for, not planning a sneak attack, are you? Or perhaps planning to leave without saying goodbye, like before?"
Hu Miaomiao’s smile reduced slightly as he backed up two steps with hands behind his back, shaking his head, full face disapproving: "That’s just not nice, Xiao Shunzi. Look at us, we just met and haven’t even caught up, and you’re thinking of leaving? That’s not appropriate, such a stubborn little temperament. Even your young master isn’t as heartless as you. Oh right, where is your young master?"
When Hu Miaomiao was in a good mood, his chatterbox syndrome kicked in. A string of words came pouring out, not letting anyone else get a word in, repeatedly calling him ’Xiao Shunzi’ almost as if calling a little grandson, which earned him an angry glare from Guo Shun, who quickly saw through Guo Shun’s intentions.
Guo Shun felt his blood boiling with nausea rising in his chest; he was deeply shocked. In the Ma Xiapo Post Station, he had witnessed firsthand Hu Miaomiao’s extraordinary martial arts, slaying Dead Soldiers as easily as slicing melons, yet he had never personally crossed hands with him. Now, experiencing it firsthand was truly shocking.
With just one move, Hu Miaomiao had severely injured him, leaving him powerless to retaliate, thoroughly terrifying him. How profound was this fatty’s martial arts skills really?
Though Guo Shun had practiced martial arts, his skills were not as honed as the Dead Soldiers specifically trained for assassinations and protection. Thus, he knew Hu Miaomiao had still held back with that strike. Even so, his internal organs had still suffered a severe impact. The thought of what would happen if this fatty exerted his full strength terrified him; he might end up smashed to pieces.
But thinking this would make Guo Shun concede? That was a mistake. Guo Shun was extremely resilient, having taken many lives with his hands and survived numerous perils. Even if he had just a breath left, he would still counterattack with all he had.
After being heavily wounded and falling to the ground, he quickly scanned his surroundings. Listening to Hu Miaomiao’s demeaning words, he deliberately showed an angry expression but discreetly hid his uninjured hand within his sleeve, trying to grasp a hidden weapon inside, yet his intent was instantly seen through. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N0veI.Fiɾe.net
Hearing Hu Miaomiao finally mention Guo Neng, Guo Shun’s expression shifted subtly. Worried about Guo Neng, he immediately clutched his chest, attempting to rise. From the moment he had arrived, he hadn’t heard any noise from Guo Neng inside the ruined mansion, something was definitely amiss!
Hu Miaomiao’s face bloomed with a joyful smile, his cheeks rippling in layers. With heartfelt sympathy, he said, "Oh, my, the loyalty between master and servant is truly touching. But don’t move, I wasn’t asking you; no need to get agitated. You’re injured, how could you stand up? Oh, it breaks my heart to see."