Chapter 216: Starting from the Feet

"Swish!"

Just at daybreak, in the front courtyard of the Xu Family.

A slender figure in a red dress was holding a Red Tasseled Spear, practicing her spear techniques earnestly.

One could see the red tassels dancing all over the courtyard, with spear blossoms blooming everywhere.

That figure was clear at first, but gradually, she became blurry.

One could only hear the sound of the spear tip piercing the air and the spear shaft dancing.

"Crack!"

The sharp spear tip, carrying the sound of breaking through the air, instantly pierced a wooden stake in the corner of the small courtyard, and with a light flick, it split into two halves.

The young girl panted lightly and slowly withdrew her spear.

The sweat oozing from her forehead flowed down her beautiful cheeks, dampening the strands of hair at her temples that had been ruffled by the wind.

A strand of hair stuck to her moist corners of her mouth, swaying gently with her breathing; paired with that pink, tender face, the glistening sweat, the young girl's chest rising and falling slightly, and that slender, charming figure, there was a kind of youthful, bright, and moving, unique allure under the rising morning sun.

Just as she was about to put away her spear to bathe, her gaze suddenly turned cold, and she turned her head to look at the corridor.

Xu Xian was holding books, head bowed, coming down from the corridor; seemingly sensing her cold, disgusted gaze, he timidly hugged the very edge of the small courtyard and walked toward the main gate.

"If you get swindled again this month, I will break your legs myself!"

The young girl said bitterly.

Xu Xian's body trembled; he dared not make a sound, continued to keep his head down, and walked toward the main gate.

Seeing him like this, the young girl became even angrier and shouted, "Look at your wretched, cowardly, spineless appearance. No wonder people only dare to swindle you. Can't you act like a man?"

Xu Xian stopped at the main gate, kept his head down in silence for a while, then slowly turned his head to look at her and gathered his courage to say, "I am a man, to begin with."

The young girl immediately sneered, her gaze full of contempt.

Xu Xian's face flushed red instantly, and he clenched his fists, saying, "I know you've looked down on me since I was a child, but I will prove that I am a real man!"

The young girl sneered, "If you were really a man, you wouldn't be living off others at home, and you wouldn't make me go help you pay back your debts every time."

Xu Xian's face was bright red; after stammering for a while, he suddenly said, "Brother Luo also lives off others; does that mean he isn't a man either?"

The young girl narrowed her eyes and said, "Who is Brother Luo?"

Xu Xian gave her a meaningful look and said, "It's Luo Zijun. Haven't you been asking me about him these past few days?"

The young girl's pretty face immediately turned cold, seemingly a bit embarrassed and angry, "I just asked a few questions; who has been asking about him all the time? Xu Xian, if you spout nonsense again, do you believe I'll break your legs right now?"

Saying this, she glared and walked over.

Xu Xian's expression changed; he hurriedly ran out of the main gate and turned his head to say, "I... I won't say it anymore. I'll go to the Academy today to ask where Brother Luo lives and when he's going to the Academy."

Having said that, he ran away quickly.

The young girl stopped in her tracks, gripping the Red Tasseled Spear tightly in her hand.

She stood in the small courtyard for a while longer.

She returned to her room to bathe, changed her clothes, sat in front of the dressing mirror for a while, then went out, boarded a carriage, and entered the Inner City.

She was the last one to arrive at the Gathering Worthies Hall.

After entering the shop, she did not go upstairs; after registering, the people waiting upstairs, led by the captain, Meng Hu, all walked down.

She stood by the counter and looked at the figure walking at the very back.

He was tall and slender, dressed in black, wearing a cloak and a Bamboo Hat, his entire face completely obscured.

Upon seeing her, that person spoke in a rough voice, "Sister Ziyin, did you bring the silver?"

Xu Ziyin was expressionless and said indifferently, "No money."

She had the look of a dead pig that isn't afraid of boiling water.

Seeing her attitude, that person snorted coldly and said, "No money again? Paying back debts is only right and proper. If you really don't want to pay, then don't blame this Young Master for being ruthless and destroying a flower."

Xu Ziyin said indifferently, "Do you have an IOU?"

The other party paused, looked at her, and said, "Are you trying to welsh on the debt?"

Xu Ziyin said, "Yes, I am going to welsh on the debt."

The other party stared at her for a while and said coldly, "Are you sure?"

Xu Ziyin ignored his threatening tone and said, "Sure."

After boarding the carriage, the two sat opposite each other.

At this time, a burly, black-faced man beside them chuckled and said, "Brother Dongfang, how much silver does Miss Xu owe you? I'll help her pay it!"

Luo Zijun said, "Really?"

As he spoke, he immediately reached out his hand and said, "A total of two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine taels. Brother Pang, thank you."

The man named Pang Shi changed color instantly: "So much? How did she owe that?"

Luo Zijun said, "Brother Pang, ask her yourself."

Pang Shi looked at the charming and lovely young girl beside him and smiled, "Miss Xu, how did you come to owe Brother Dongfang so much silver?"

Xu Ziyin kept her pretty face cold and ignored him.

Pang Shi asked for trouble and didn't make another sound.

If it were a few dozen or a few hundred taels, he could have taken the opportunity to curry favor with this little beauty, but for a few thousand taels, he might as well go to a Brothel and be a groom every night!

Along the way, no one else spoke.

After leaving the city, the captain, Meng Hu, once again gave instructions to everyone about the rules of the hunt.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the foot of Cangyun Mountain.

After getting off the carriage, several people began to ask about forming teams.

After Luo Zijun refused, he entered the woods alone.

After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked behind him.

Amidst the white, snow-covered landscape, a slender and dainty red figure followed behind.

"What, did you level up again?"

Luo Zijun found it somewhat amusing. This young girl seemed impossible to subdue; just last time she was calling him 'brother' incessantly, and now she was already trying to seek revenge again?

No wonder her attitude was off just now.

Xu Ziyin also stopped in her tracks, standing not far away, and said, "No."

She paused.

She added, "Even if I leveled up, I still couldn't beat you."

Luo Zijun was surprised to hear this: "Then how dare you talk to me like that just now? And dare to welch on your debt? And now, you actually dare to follow me?"

Xu Ziyin said expressionlessly, "I'm penniless anyway, I have nothing on me. You're so powerful, if I follow you, perhaps I can pick up some silver."

The corners of Luo Zijun's mouth twitched, and he looked at her in disbelief: "You mean to say that not only do you not want to pay me back, but you also want to follow me and snatch my silver?"

Xu Ziyin said calmly, "I'll help you as an assistant, and we can snatch from others together."

Luo Zijun: "..."

"Xu Ziyin, are you sick in the head or something?"

!

Luo Zijun cursed in a rough voice, suddenly turned around and walked toward her, saying fiercely, "Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?"

Xu Ziyin looked like someone ready to be slaughtered; she didn't even take out her Red Tasseled Spear, saying, "If you kill others, you can pick up silver. If you kill me, you get nothing. It's meaningless."

Luo Zijun stared at her for a while, then suddenly reached out, gripped her smooth, fair chin, leaned in, and stared at her pretty face: "Although you don't have silver, you have something better. With your beautiful and lovely appearance, and this delicate body of yours, isn't that more fragrant than silver? Or are you saying you think I have no interest in women?"

Xu Ziyin's pair of pitch-black, lively eyes met his gaze without any fear, and she said expressionlessly, "If you are interested, then count it as three thousand taels. I owe you two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine taels; when the time comes, you can just ask me for one tael."

Luo Zijun: "..."

"Xu Ziyin, do you think this Young Master is joking with you?"

The fingers gripping her chin suddenly increased in pressure.

Xu Ziyin did not change her expression, still meeting his gaze as she said, "I am not joking. If you want to bully me, just ask me for one tael of silver, and I won't resist."

The scene was quiet for a few seconds.

Luo Zijun suddenly let her go and sneered: "Who do you think you are? A Flower Courtesan? Three thousand taels a time?"

Xu Ziyin did not feel humiliated by the words "Flower Courtesan," but instead said generously, "Can a Flower Courtesan compare to me? My appearance is no weaker than any Flower Courtesan in a Brothel, and I am also a martial artist, and still a virgin. Do Flower Courtesans have that?"

Luo Zijun: "..."

This girl, how did she suddenly become so... so shameless?

"Three thousand taels, do you want it or not?"

Seeing him stunned, the corners of Xu Ziyin's mouth moved slightly, appearing somewhat triumphant.

"Get lost!"

Luo Zijun cursed in a rough voice and said, "Even if this Young Master were starving, it would be impossible to waste three thousand taels of silver just for a few moments of pleasure!"

He seemed to feel he had been manipulated by this girl, and his fierce image was slipping, so he immediately added viciously, "I'm afraid you've forgotten that this Young Master kills without blinking! Even if I played with you here, it's impossible for me to give you a single copper, and I might even kill you to silence you!"

Xu Ziyin slowly closed her eyes and said, "Then come ahead. Kill me, and it will be over once and for all. I won't have to live in the pain of filial piety and family ties every day."

Luo Zijun stared at her for a while, then suddenly punched her in the stomach.

"Bang!"

Xu Ziyin's slender and delicate body was sent flying by the punch, then fell heavily to the ground.

Luo Zijun came before her, snatched the sash from her waist, pressed her hands above her head, and tied them to the large tree behind her.

Then, he took a handkerchief from her bosom and covered her face and eyes with it.

"Since that's the case, then this Young Master won't be polite!"

Luo Zijun snorted coldly and began to undress her.

Xu Ziyin lay there, motionless, not struggling and not speaking, which was vastly different from her intense reaction when encountering such things before.

Luo Zijun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly went over and began to take off her shoes and socks, saying as he did so, "Miss Xu's little feet are truly beautiful; let's start with them!"

He remembered that when he took off this girl's shoes and socks before, she had been scared to the point of wailing and begging for mercy.

But today, it seemed there was still no reaction.

When he took off one of her shoes and began to pull off the pink silk sock on her foot, she still lay there, motionless, without even any struggle.

"..."

Luo Zijun stopped, went over, and ripped the handkerchief off her face. He had thought she had fainted, but after the handkerchief was removed, he discovered she still had those pitch-black, lively eyes wide open, looking at him with a sparkling gaze. On that pink, pretty face, two blushes had appeared at some point, and she spoke softly: "What's wrong? Why did you stop? Weren't you going to play with my feet first?"

Luo Zijun: "..."

People say there is no greater sorrow than a dead heart; could it be that because of her family's affairs, this girl's heart is completely dead? And therefore, she is no longer afraid of physical humiliation or death?

"Hmph! You wish!"

Luo Zijun untied the sash from her hands, threw it onto her heaving chest, and said coldly, "You want to use your body to seduce this Young Master, drain this Young Master dry, and then let the Demon Beast eat this Young Master, right? You despicable and shameless woman, you don't pay back your debts and you still want to harm this Young Master. Do you think this Young Master is a fool?"

"In your dreams!"

"Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine taels of silver, not a single copper less! I'll give you one month. If you haven't paid it back after a month, hmph hmph, by then, this Young Master will make you wish you were dead!"

After Luo Zijun finished speaking viciously, he walked away with a swaggering gait.

Xu Ziyin watched his back, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.

Then she sat up, looked at her little foot with one shoe removed, and the blushes on her cheeks, reflected by the surrounding white snow, were as beautiful as a flower.

A moment later.

Luo Zijun looked back and said viciously, "Don't follow me anymore! Do you believe this Young Master will kill you right now!"

"Go ahead and kill me, kill me right now, I won't fight back anyway."

The young girl behind him followed even more closely.

They walked for a while longer.

Luo Zijun turned his head back and said with a ferocious expression, "No one passes through here anymore. I am going to strip your clothes off, rape you, and then kill you! Then I will hang your corpse on a tree and let the Demon Beasts eat every last bit of it!"

The young girl said, "Oh, are we still starting with my little feet? I can take off my shoes myself."

"..."

(End of this chapter)