Chapter 23: Hijack Successful!

For several days in a row, Ruan Xing came to Hu San's house every morning to accumulate practical combat experience. She improved very quickly; from being unable to take a single move under Hu San at the start, she was now able to trade blows with him, and even won more often than she lost.

However, Ruan Xing had not truly seen blood after all, nor had she experienced a life-or-death moment; if they were to truly fight for their lives, it would likely still be a toss-up.

Based on the occasional offerings she gave to Shi Shifu, and the fact that she could satisfy him every time he tested her learning progress, Shi Shifu never said anything to her, even though Ruan Xing was often nowhere to be seen for the better part of the day.

As long as she did not cause any major trouble, Shi Shifu tacitly allowed it.

Ruan Xing was even more glad that she had not chosen the wrong path, as it had granted her immense freedom.

This day, just as Ruan Xing arrived at Hu San's place early in the morning to prepare for their sparring, Hu San suddenly said he had something to tell her.

"That Young Master Liu who bet against you last time, he sent word to me, wanting to invite you to play at Lichun Fang."

"Lichun Fang? What kind of place is that?" Ruan Xing had never heard of this place name.

Hu San found it a bit hard to say, "Uh... it's considered a theater, a place to drink tea and watch performances."

So it was an ancient high-end entertainment venue. Ruan Xing nodded to show she understood, but shouldn't women and children be barred from such places?

"Can I go?"

As soon as Hu San heard this, he knew Ruan Xing had misunderstood. "It doesn't have the nature of a brothel; some noble ladies also go there to listen to plays and show support. It's just that if you feel a rapport with a certain opera singer or actor, you can call them to the table to drink tea and chat together."

"So that's how it is."

Ruan Xing lowered her head and pondered for a moment. This was quite a coincidence; the plan she had been thinking about a few days ago just happened to require Young Master Liu's help. This Young Master Liu was quite understanding, delivering himself to her doorstep, though she wondered if it could succeed.

She still needed to simulate and rehearse a few times first.

"Hu San, what time did he invite me to go?"

"Today at noon."

"Does Young Master Liu usually bring servants and guards when he goes out?"

"He doesn't; there is only one coachman who drives for him."

"What do you think of my kung fu now?"

"I think..." Hu San said halfway, then suddenly reacted, his expression grave. "Miss, are you thinking of making a move on Young Master Liu?"

"Yes, do you think that with my kung fu, I can kidnap him?" Ruan Xing admitted it openly and humbly asked Hu San for advice.

"You can, but it's hard to wrap up. Given his status and background, once he is kidnapped, both the Red Head Gang and the Patrol Security Division will send a large number of men to surround and block you. With just the two of us, we wouldn't even last half an hour before we'd be beheaded."

Hu San felt this plan was extremely whimsical, but he did not ask why or try to dissuade her; instead, he put himself in Ruan Xing's shoes to analyze it.

"Can you drive a carriage? What if we steal his carriage and kidnap him out of the city?" Ruan Xing continued.

Young Master Liu had some heaven-defying luck; she was already tired of saying the word "envy."

And the thirty-plus deaths in the Dense Forest Labyrinth had also made her sick of dying.

Previously, in order to deal with the masked person's attacks on her and to find the distinct features on that masked person, she had chosen to recall her memories several times, and had long since secretly memorized the path to the Dense Forest Labyrinth. This time, she would try kidnapping Young Master Liu to the Dense Forest Labyrinth to lead the way; if he truly had great fortune, he could not possibly die there.

His luck would guide them to a safe path.

"I can, but his carriage has the Liu family mark; we would be intercepted as soon as we left the city."

"Then we'll just rent a carriage ourselves, knock him and that coachman out first, and then put them in our carriage to take them out of the city. Is that feasible?"

Hu San thought for a moment and said, "The feasibility is thirty percent, but it won't stay hidden for long. Once we leave the city, we will still be caught up to. Don't look at the Patrol Security Division as if they don't do much; there are many experts inside. By then, it will still be hard to escape with our lives."

"It doesn't matter, I'll try it first, we'll talk later." Ruan Xing waved her small hand. She didn't need to consider whether she could survive after pulling this off; it was a Simulation anyway. As long as she could get Young Master Liu to the Dense Forest Labyrinth, it didn't matter if she could come back or not.

Assuming so many prior conditions was also to avoid wasting Simulation attempts on detours.

Hu San didn't quite understand what Ruan Xing meant by this, but seeing her head lowered and not intending to speak further, he swallowed the words he was about to say, silently canceled today's sparring arrangement, and exited the room.

"Start Simulation!"

【Simulating...】

At age six, Young Master Liu invites you to play at Lichun Fang. You gladly accept, and together with Hu San, you ambush him on his necessary route, knocking out Young Master Liu and his coachman. You take Young Master Liu to a temporarily rented carriage, and Hu San drives the carriage, successfully taking you out of the city. Soon, Young Master Liu's original, unmanned carriage wanders the streets, trampling stalls at the morning market, and the carriage's emblem is recognized by someone who reports it to the authorities. The Red Head Gang and the Patrol Security Division quickly investigate you and Hu San as suspects, sending a large number of experts to hunt you down.

Half an hour later, the carriage horses lack endurance and slow down; you and Hu San are caught up to and die under a flurry of blades.

【Simulation ended】

Please choose the reward for this Simulation: 1, Memories from age six.

2, A random item from age six.

3, A random skill mastered at age six.

4, The cultivation realm reached at age six.

It seems this plan still has shortcomings; she would have to check for leaks and fill the gaps again.

If only she could conjure Young Master Liu directly.

Ruan Xing sighed and casually chose two; there was nothing else good to choose anyway. What if she actually managed to conjure a twin of Young Master Liu?

The next second, Ruan Xing's eyes widened.

"Holy shit!"

Shocked, she even subconsciously blurted out a catchphrase from her past life.

"What's wrong, Miss?" Hu San heard the sound and hurried in. When he saw the object that had suddenly appeared in the room, he also fell into a stunned silence.

"This is..."

A carriage.

Yes, Ruan Xing had brought back the carriage she was riding in at the time. The carriage had signs of damage from being hacked by swords, as well as large, dripping bloodstains smeared all over it.

Perhaps because she was clutching a part of the carriage tightly when she died, it counted as an item on her person.

It was just a pity there was no horse.

It stood to reason that the items recognized by the Simulator did not include living creatures. Ruan Xing immediately said, "Don't ask, don't worry about it, find a way to clean it up, don't let anyone find out."

The string of words jolted the still-bewildered Hu San awake. Hearing Ruan Xing's order, he instantly regained his senses and solemnly agreed.

People who practiced martial arts were stronger than the average person, and since this carriage was rented, the cabin was narrow and the wood old, so it wasn't very heavy. Hu San didn't find it difficult to lift, though it took some effort to figure out how to pull the carriage out of the room—there was no help for it, the door was too small.

In the end, they had to dismantle the top of the cabin to get it out. In any case, many parts needed to be reinforced, and it was easier to clean once dismantled.

Hu San went to repair the carriage, and Ruan Xing immediately started the second Simulation, patching up the areas she hadn't taken care of before.

【Simulation in progress】

At age six, Young Master Liu invites you to visit Lichun Fang, and you happily accept the invitation.

After the carriage is repaired, you have Hu San rent two horses, leave one of them halfway outside the city, and then lie in ambush with Hu San on the road Young Master Liu must take, launching a sneak attack to knock out Young Master Liu, his coachman, and his horse. You quietly transfer Young Master Liu to your carriage, and Hu San drives the carriage, successfully taking you out of the city.

Two quarter-hours later, Young Master Liu's companions wait in vain at Lichun Fang for a long time; they go to search the road and see the coachman stuffed into the carriage and the horse lying on the ground, both knocked unconscious. After the coachman is woken up, he identifies you and Hu San as the ones who attacked Young Master Liu. After receiving the news, the Red Head Gang and the Patrol Security Division quickly dispatch a large number of experts to pursue you.

Half an hour later, the carriage horse's stamina is insufficient and its speed slows down. You were well-prepared and switch to the horse you left halfway.

One hour later, the carriage horse's stamina is once again insufficient, and you and Hu San are caught up to. You tell Hu San to get off the carriage to hold them back, while you, unable to drive, can only let the carriage keep moving forward. Hu San holds them off for less than the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, and you are hacked to death by a flurry of blades.

【Simulation ended】

Please select a reward for this simulation: 1, Memories from age six.

2, A random item on your person at age six.

3, A random skill mastered at age six.

4, The cultivation realm reached at age six.

Ruan Xing chooses the memories.

The situation is much better, living half an hour longer than the first time, but Ruan Xing sees the location where she died at the end; it is still one-third of the way from the Dense Forest Labyrinth.

When Qiye took her there, they set off in the morning, brought dozens of guards, and walked at a steady pace; they experienced one attack and one rest in between, and it was nearly dark when they reached the destination.

A carriage running at full speed is naturally faster than them; Ruan Xing estimates it only needs one and a half hours to get there, but the horse cannot hold out, and they must switch horses once in the middle.

Moreover, her horse is pulling a carriage with three people on it, while the Patrol Security Division Ling guards pursuing them are single riders on single horses, which is bound to be faster than her.

What she can do is widen the time gap, letting the people in the city discover the news of Young Master Liu's disappearance later, giving her enough time to lengthen the pursuit route.

As long as she enters the Dense Forest Labyrinth, her goal will be achieved.

However, she has no way to influence Young Master Liu's companions; if the companions get anxious, they will definitely go looking for him, but she has no time to hide the coachman and the carriage in a more concealed place.

Ruan Xing continues the Simulation.

……

You kill Young Master Liu's coachman and his horse. After waiting for a long time, Young Master Liu's companions find the corpses of the coachman and the horse on the road. They report it to the authorities, and after an investigation, the Red Head Gang and the Patrol Security Division determine that you and Hu San are the suspects and dispatch a large number of experts to pursue you.

One and a half hours later, you have already switched horses twice on the road, and the third horse is already failing. However, the pursuers are right before your eyes. You tell Hu San to get off the carriage to hold them back, and you attempt to drive the carriage to sprint the last few hundred meters, but you are pierced through the heart by an arrow from behind.

"That was a miscalculation. Each horse can only last for half an hour at most, but it will slow down due to fatigue before even half an hour passes. I must switch horses earlier. Again!"

After several more simulations, Ruan Xing chooses the memories every time. Through the control of various fine-tuned details, she finally finds a successful path.

……

One and a half hours later, your horse is exhausted and begins to slow down. There is less than a thousand meters left to the Dense Forest Labyrinth. You both get off the carriage, you tell Hu San to go hold them back and delay them, then you stab the Sword into the horse's rump. Stimulated by the pain, the horse continues to gallop with the carriage, while you hide in the grass with the unconscious Young Master Liu. After the Patrol Security Division pursuers kill Hu San and continue chasing the carriage, you drag Young Master Liu into the Dense Forest Labyrinth.

This time there is no Daoist boy at the entrance. You wake Young Master Liu up and force him to lead the way. Under your threat, Young Master Liu relies on his intuition to walk out the correct path. However, as soon as you exit the labyrinth, you see a blinding white light, and you die.

【Simulation ended】

She chooses the memories again. What she saw at the moment of death was still very rewarding: it was a youth with a completely white appearance, looking about eleven or twelve years old, with white hair, white skin, white pupils, and wearing white clothes. If not for the lack of a hat on his head, Ruan Xing would have thought he was White Impermanence.

He suddenly appeared in front of her, expressionless, the white light in his hand piercing through her heart, while also cutting the fleeing Young Master Liu in half at the waist.

What kind of skill is this? Flash? Invisibility? In any case, he appeared in front of her suddenly, without any warning.

Ruan Xing rests her chin on her hand and falls into thought. This youth shouldn't be the third trial, right... If so, this trial is too difficult; it is impossible for anyone to pass it. Qiye sending people in would just be sending them to their deaths.

But the fact that others are scrambling to kill her to take her place makes her feel that this should be a good place after all.

That youth doesn't look like a normal person; he is likely an illegal intrusion alert mechanism. If she enters through Qiye's path, she probably won't encounter him.

The problem is not big. Anyway, she has already figured out the correct path to the Dense Forest Labyrinth. All of this is thanks to the heaven-defyingly lucky Young Master Liu!

Ruan Xing decides that if she is going to gamble today, she will win a little less.

It can be considered as repaying him for the unprovoked disaster he suffered in the simulation.

With a big problem in her heart solved, Ruan Xing happily stretches.

Hu San pokes his head in, "Miss, the carriage is repaired. I have already scouted the location; there is a spot that is just right. Shall we go hijack Young Master Liu now?"

"Hijack my foot." Ruan Xing rolls her eyes, "Go and reply to Young Master Liu; I will attend his appointment at noon."

"Oh." Hu San scratches his head, not quite understanding why Ruan Xing changes her mind so suddenly. However, in his feeling, Miss is a very mysterious person: smart, good-looking, skilled at Gambling, able to master External Strength Perfection at age six, and even able to conjure a carriage out of thin air.

She is very extraordinary. Regardless of whether she has had some fortuitous encounter or has some other identity, as long as she is willing to help him see his younger brother, he has already offered his loyalty and will have no second thoughts.

Miss must have her reasons for doing this; he just needs to follow orders.

He is about to turn and go out, but is called back by Ruan Xing.

"Wait, buy... rent a horse, and drive me over."

A horse is actually quite expensive, and keeping one is even more expensive. She doesn't use one much, so there is no need to waste money on this.

However, she really doesn't want to rely on her own short little legs to walk around the Inner City anymore! She must! Ride in a carriage!

Ruan Xing weeps silently in her heart, sadly counting the few hundred copper coins she has left.

Thanks to book friend 20231002145930421 for the tip~ (End of chapter)