Chapter 422: Beating the Three Heroes

Pan Yun spread her legs to block them, sneering, "Speak—were you with that beggar?"

The Three Heroes' eyes lit up at once. "Where's that beggar?"

"You really are his accomplices," Pan Yun extended her hand. "Give me back my money! He robbed me!"

The Three Heroes stared at her skeptically. "How could Master Hu possibly rob a young girl? Are you lying?"

Pan Yun: "Lying to whom? He just snatched a string of copper coins right from my hand—full ten strings! That was the tuition for my eldest nephew going to school. He said if you want money, go ask the person behind me!"

First Hero nearly jumped up. "So Hu Jing deliberately sent her to block us!"

"That can't be right—Master Hu is famous for his righteousness. How could he do such a thing?"

"Forget it, first catch the man," Second Hero stepped forward, pressing Pan Yun. "Tell us— which way did the beggar go?"

"Return my money first, or I won't tell you."

Of course, the three couldn't return the money.

Most martial heroes were poor, and these three were no exception. Seeing Pan Yun truly wouldn't speak, First Hero drew his blade and threatened, "Speak or I'll cut you down!"

Pan Yun, who had been carefree, grew slightly cold. A glint of ice flashed in her eyes as she smiled faintly. "I'm so scared. You can leave—but you must leave behind one string of coins."

"Hey, this girl's stubborn!" First Hero gripped his knife in one hand and clenched his fist with the other, swinging it straight at Pan Yun's eye.

Thud-thud-thud—the three slammed into the wall, bounced off, and rolled to the ground. Their cries of pain didn't come until two breaths later.

Pan Yun bent down, glaring fiercely at the little dog barking furiously at her. "Bark again, and I'll stew you!"

The yellow dog lowered its body, switching to a low, rumbling whine, its eyes full of hostility as it glared at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun thought the tiny thing was rather cute. "What breed are you? Oh, wait—better ask, what breed are your parents?"

The yellow dog whined.

Pan Yun gasped. "Ah, your father's a Lion Dog and your mother's a local mutt? Then you're a 'Tǔsōng'!"

The yellow dog froze, then barked loudly at her: "Wang-wang-wang!"

Pan Yun picked it up. "Since you sincerely asked me, I'll agree. Come on—come home with me."

The Three Heroes sat up slightly, clutching their stomachs, and cried out as she walked off with the dog: "Wait—wait! That dog's ours!"

Pan Yun walked over and kicked one down, still angry, then kicked the other two as well. "Ours? The dog said it was stolen from you!"

The three stiffened, then widened their eyes in denial. "You want to steal our dog, fine—but why slander us like this?"

"Deny stealing a dog!" Pan Yun stomped on them repeatedly, kicking them several times until they howled in pain and she finally stopped.

She adjusted her hat, then asked the yellow dog in her arms, "Feeling better?"

"Wang-wang—" The yellow dog jumped out of her arms, trotted to Second Hero's head, lifted its hind leg, and urinated.

Second Hero screamed "Aaah!" and scrambled sideways, but the urine still splashed onto his neck and hair.

The yellow dog finished, ran back, and looked up at Pan Yun with its head raised.

Pan Yun recoiled in disgust. "Walk on your own—I don't want to carry you anymore." Then she turned to Second Hero: "Little Yellow says this is punishment for always withholding its food, whipping it, and kicking it."

Pan Yun clenched her fist. "Get out now. If I see you again, I'll beat you again."

The three scrambled away, completely forgetting to chase Hu Jing.

Even if they remembered, it wouldn't help—they'd lost the dog that could find Hu Jing, so they couldn't find him anyway.

Pan Yun carried Pan Xiaohei and led the yellow dog back to Yin Zhai.

Wang Cong was pacing anxiously in the courtyard. Seeing Pan Yun return, he rushed over. "Little Master, I lost him! And Master Hu was spotted changing clothes by the Wu Lin Alliance—they're now searching the whole city for him!"

Pan Yun replied calmly, "I know."

Wang Cong circled her. "Little Master, why aren't you worried? Master Hu's still injured! The Wu Lin Alliance has so many people—if they find him…"

Pan Yun placed Pan Xiaohei on the stone table, poured herself a cup of warm water, and drank it down. "No need to worry. Master Hu's suffered outside, realized the world isn't what he imagined—he'll come back on his own."

"But now Master Hu ditched me—if he's in danger, we won't even know!"

Pan Yun handed the yellow dog to Wang Cong. "For the next few days, your task is to take good care of it. If it's well, Master Hu will be well."

!. Read

Wang Cong looked down at the dog leash, then at the dog. One human, one dog stared into each other's eyes. "What does this dog have to do with Master Hu?"

"A lot," Pan Yun picked up Pan Xiaohei and walked inside, waving behind her. "It can find Master Hu."

Wang Cong's eyes lit up—he had no doubt in Pan Yun's words.

He crouched down, gazing at the yellow dog, and asked earnestly: "Little Yellow? What's your name? Are you hungry? What kind of doghouse do you want?"

The yellow dog: "Wang-wang-wang…"

Wang Cong had no talent for communicating with animals. He listened intently, then turned and shouted toward Pan Yun's room: "Little Master, come quick—I don't understand what it's saying!"

Pan Yun shouted from inside: "It says its name is Xiao San because it's the youngest of three brothers. It's hungry, wants meat and bones, and doesn't care about the doghouse—just soft straw or wheat straw! Next time, don't shout my name so loud! Dog language is easy to tell—you should learn! If you don't understand, guess!"

Pan Yun was counting the gold, silver, and jewels Pan Xiaohei had brought out of the secret chamber.

Opening one chest, golden ingots gleamed—each shaped like a brick, weighing two jin apiece, heavy and solid.

Beneath the ingots lay straw; atop the straw, a layer of silk—clearly placed to prevent damage from clashing ingots, so straw and silk cushioned each ingot from the next.

One chest had four layers, fifteen ingots per layer—sixty ingots total.

There were two and a half such chests; the rest were mostly filled with silver ingots.

All were official silver, ten taels each, their quality unmistakably top-grade.

Pan Yun opened another chest—this one even more impressive: full of jewels and ornaments, and a separate box holding pearls the size of a thumb.

Pan Yun picked up one pearl, held it to the sunlight, and smiled faintly. "They say the Emperor isn't wealthy—state treasury empty, private vault empty too. Rumors, perhaps untrue—but clearly, the Emperor's chief eunuch is very rich."

Pan Yun said, "No wonder so many want to be the Emperor's favorite, to become powerful ministers—it's clearly profitable."

See you tomorrow

(End of Chapter)