Chapter 252: Actually, I Am Also a Martial Artist

"Clap!"

Inside the room, a loud slapping sound suddenly rang out.

The woman trembled in fear and raised her head.

Luo Zijun clapped his hands together, looked at her, and said, "Look at me. Tell me, how were you captured and brought here?"

The woman continued to cry and plead, "Please, let me go back... please..."

Watching her familiar face, tear-streaked like rain on a pear blossom, Luo Zijun could not help but recall her former high spirits and pride, and then remembered her past pestering, sighing secretly in his heart.

Bai Qingtong walked over and asked in a low voice, "Brother-in-law, do you know her?"

Luo Zijun nodded slightly.

However, at this moment, he did not intend to tell her.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Judging by the sound, it was more than one person.

Bai Qingtong's expression turned stern, and her gaze shifted toward the doorway.

"Knock, knock!"

Someone was knocking on the door.

The voice of the maidservant rang out: "Two Young Masters, the whip has been brought."

Bai Qingtong walked over to open the door.

Outside the door, besides the maidservant, was Lai Da, whom they had encountered when they first entered.

Standing behind Lai Da were Fang Yi and a servant.

Fang Yi said with a face full of smiles, "Two Young Masters, my shopkeeper would like to come and pay his respects to you both."

Lai Da looked into the room with a smile, then turned his head and frowned, saying, "The two Young Masters are honored guests; how can you use this kind of disheveled woman who hasn't been properly trained yet to fool them? Xiao Fang, take this woman away immediately. I will personally accompany the two Young Masters to choose another."

Fang Yi hurriedly said respectfully, "Yes."

Saying this, she was about to enter the room to grab the woman.

Bai Qingtong immediately said in a rough voice, "No need, we like this woman."

Lai Da looked at the Mask on her face with a smile, saying, "Young Master, to be honest, the Colosseum is still short a few people. This woman is not very obedient, so we were planning to throw her into the Colosseum to fight against wild beasts. If the two Young Masters are interested, you may move over there now to watch."

As he spoke, he glanced behind him.

The sturdy-looking servant immediately entered the room and walked toward the woman on the floor.

Bai Qingtong immediately came over to block him and shouted, "What are you doing? We have already paid the silver. You open your doors to do business, how can you go back on your word and not keep your promise?"

Fang Yi stood to the side and said nothing more.

Lai Da laughed and said, "Xiao Fang, return the silver notes to the two guests."

"Yes."

Fang Yi hurriedly took out the six thousand five hundred taels she had collected earlier, including the tip Luo Zijun had given her, took it all out, placed it on the table nearby, and then lowered her head and retreated.

Lai Da said with a face full of smiles, "Two guests, Xiao Fang does not understand the rules, I am truly sorry. According to the rules here, guests who come wearing a Mask, and who have not been here more than five times, are not allowed to train the girls here alone."

As he spoke, he instructed the servant, "Take the person away."

Just as the servant was about to bypass Bai Qingtong to take action, Luo Zijun suddenly spoke up: "Does Shopkeeper Lai mean that as long as this Young Master removes his Mask, I can train her as I please?"

Lai Da's gaze turned toward him, his face still wearing a smile, and upon hearing this, he nodded and said, "Yes."

Luo Zijun said nothing more; he raised his hand and slowly removed the Mask from his face.

Seeing this, Bai Qingtong's expression beneath her own mask changed instantly, her fist inside her sleeve slowly tightened, and she stood ready for battle.

Luo Zijun removed the Mask, revealing a face with fair skin and ordinary features.

Lai Da stared intently at his face, his brows twitching slightly. After a moment of silence, he suddenly cupped his hands and smiled, "Since Young Master Yan has already removed his Mask, according to the rules, it is indeed permitted to train the girls here alone. My apologies for the disturbance."

Saying this, he glanced at Fang Yi to the side.

Fang Yi hurriedly went over to pick up the silver notes on the table again, smiling apologetically, "Two Young Masters, sorry for the disturbance, sorry for the disturbance."

With that, the three of them retreated together, leaving only the maidservant behind.

"You go out as well."

Luo Zijun gave the order to the maidservant.

The maidservant lowered her head in agreement, retreated, and closed the door for them.

Bai Qingtong stood frozen in place, her gaze looking at the strange face before her in astonishment.

Luo Zijun put his Mask back on and leaned into her ear, whispering an explanation: "I still have another layer of mask on my face."

Bai Qingtong still found it hard to believe.

What kind of mask could be so lifelike? Almost without a single flaw?

However, at this moment, she dared not ask any more questions.

The woman slumped on the floor continued to cry and plead.

Luo Zijun ignored her, walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked at the sky outside.

At the same time.

Lai Da left the pavilion, crossed the long corridor, and entered a gazebo.

At this moment, a servant walked over quickly, head lowered, and stood respectfully before him.

"Clap!"

Lai Da stepped up and delivered a loud slap, his face gloomy as he said, "Did you lose track of them? You said they left the city? Where are they?"

The servant knelt in terror and said, "Master, weren't those the two people from just now?"

Lai Da's eyes flickered a few times, and he said coldly, "Have you checked out those six guards outside?"

The servant said, "They are also wearing masks, their words are watertight, and they refused to go watch the performance; I haven't been able to find out anything yet."

Lai Da's face was gloomy, and he said nothing more.

Fang Yi, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up: "Master Lai, even if it really is them, what are we afraid of? With just those few guards they brought, we could wipe them out with a flick of our fingers. Even if they go to report us to the officials, it's useless; before the government even mobilizes, we will receive news and can immediately hide the people away. Besides, with the County Prince here, who would be so blind as to come looking for trouble?"

Lai Da's expression shifted for a moment, then he said, "Go find someone to watch them; if there are no other movements, don't worry about it."

"Yes."

Fang Yi immediately withdrew.

Lai Da looked up at the sky and said, "It's almost dawn; I must leave here. I'll try to finish handling the matters in the Inner City today, and then... Hmph, when the time comes, let's see what you can do to this old man!"

Luo Zijun stood on the second floor of the pavilion, looking at the scenery outside the window.

The night was almost fading away, and in the maple forest below, filled with the colors of autumn, several naked women were walking back and forth on the withered yellow fallen leaves.

In the pond nearby, a woman was sitting inside, stark naked, weeping.

The scenery in the Autumn Pavilion looked somewhat "desolate" and "dreary."

At this moment, the woman on the floor of the room suddenly stood up, rushed toward the window, and prepared to leap down.

But she did not know that this second floor was not high enough to kill anyone.

Committing suicide in this way was truly stupid.

Bai Qingtong reacted quickly, grabbed her, and couldn't help but say, "We are not bad people!"

In her anxiety, she had actually forgotten to disguise her voice.

The woman was stunned, looking at her with a face full of tears.

Bai Qingtong didn't dare to speak again, only pulling her tightly.

Luo Zijun, standing in front of the window, took another look at the sky outside and muttered to himself, "They should be here soon."

Then he turned his head and looked at the woman before him, saying, "If it weren't for you, we would have left by now."

The woman, brimming with tears, stared at him blankly.

Because when Luo Zijun spoke just now, he also hadn't disguised his voice.

"You... you..."

The woman's gaze was fixed tightly on him, her body trembling, doubting that she had heard correctly.

Luo Zijun did not speak again; his expression shifted, and his gaze turned back to the window.

"Third Miss, I am going into the inner room for a moment. Watch her; do not come in and disturb me."

He said this to Bai Qingtong and immediately entered the inner room to perform Soul Out-of-Body.

At this time, the manor should already be in chaos; those guards would be too busy to look after themselves, so who would still remain in place to stand guard?

He had to keep an eye on Lai Da now to prevent him from escaping.

Meanwhile.

Lai Da had just finished giving instructions to the guards in the manor and was leading people out of the main gate, preparing to leave by carriage, when he suddenly heard the sound of rapid, thunderous hoofbeats rolling in.

His expression changed instantly, and he hurriedly jumped onto the carriage, looking toward the front.

A moment later, he saw a group of soldiers clad in armor on the hillside ahead, riding fine horses and charging toward them like a dark tide.

His whole body shook, and he suddenly turned his head to look at the hillside behind.

Another group of soldiers on fine horses was surrounding them from the rear hillside!

"Quick! Quickly release the carrier pigeon and notify the County Prince!"

Lai Da's face turned deathly pale; he hurriedly jumped off the carriage, ran back into the manor, and dashed toward the backyard, preparing to escape through the Diyuan tunnel.

He didn't even notify the others or the guards.

Because those who had come from outside were none other than the army!

In the face of the army, any guards or martial artists in the manor were useless; they didn't even dare to resist.

Many guards began to flee.

But as soon as they ran out of the manor, a rain of arrows shot toward them, and many guards were turned into hedgehogs on the spot.

The manor immediately descended into chaos.

All kinds of screams and cries for help were endless.

When Lai Da ran to a garden at the very back of the manor and prepared to rush toward a building in front, a familiar voice suddenly came from the side: "Steward Lai, in such a rush, where are you planning to go?"

Lai Da suddenly stopped in his tracks.

On the small path nearby, a figure appeared—it was none other than the Young Master Yan who had been wearing a Mask earlier.

And directly in front of him, Bai Qingtong also appeared, wearing a Mask.

The muscles at the corners of Lai Da's eyes began to twitch, his fists inside his sleeves slowly tightened, and he stared fixedly at the tall, slender figure on the path nearby, gritting his teeth as he said, "It really is you!"

Luo Zijun said, "It is indeed me."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and slowly removed the Mask from his face, revealing a handsome face different from before: "Besides me, who else would care about Steward Lai?"

When he removed the Mask from his face, the woman in the flowerbed nearby widened her eyes, her face filled with an expression of disbelief.

At this time, the sounds of fighting and screaming had already begun to ring out in the manor.

A fierce look flashed in Lai Da's eyes, his robes billowed, the airflow around him swirled, and his entire aura rose sharply. With a ferocious grin, he said, "You little bastard, you certainly have your ways! But you are too arrogant! Do you really think this old man is just an ordinary servant of the Jia Family? Today, I will tell you: I am not just a servant, but a martial artist who can kill you with a single punch!"

Having said that, with a "whoosh," he suddenly charged forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Bai Qingtong had long been guarding against a sneak attack, but she hadn't expected his speed to be this fast. Her expression changed, and while rushing up to intercept him, she shouted urgently, "Brother-in-law! Run!"

"Run? Heh heh, it's too late!"

Lai Da completely ignored her sword blade attacking from the side, intent only on charging toward the youth in front, preparing to finish him off with one punch first.

"Swish!"

When he swung his fist, carrying terrifying power, toward the youth in front of him, the youth seemed to be frozen in fear, standing motionless on the spot.

Of course, at his speed, even if the opponent hadn't been frozen in fear, there was no way they could dodge this punch!

Even if this punch were to strike a hard rock, it could smash the rock to pieces, let alone strike the face of this frail, weak scholar.

In his mind, the beautiful image of the opponent's facial bones collapsing and his entire head shattering like a watermelon had already emerged!

A ferocious and smug smile had already appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Bai Qingtong was also so frightened that her face turned deathly pale.

"Boom!"

A loud explosion!

Lai Da's hammer-like fist did not strike Luo Zijun's face, but instead struck a fist that was just as hard as a hammer.

A tremendous force erupted from the two fists.

The explosive gale of wind produced a thunderous blast during the violent collision.

Lai Da's body shook, and involuntarily, he retreated "clack, clack, clack" for more than ten meters before he could steady himself, immediately feeling his arm go numb and his blood and Qi surging violently.

Then he "wahed" and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

He staggered, his vision went black, and he widened his eyes, looking at the youth opposite him.

Bai Qingtong, who had missed her sword strike, also froze in place, looking at that handsome face with her mouth agape, even forgetting to take the opportunity to attack.

Sun Yan'er, hiding in the flower bushes, was likewise frozen there, not moving a muscle.

Luo Zijun stood where he was, holding his fist, not moving a single bit; only his robes could be seen billowing, with a gale of wind circling his body, as he looked at the opposite side and said, "Actually, I also wanted to tell you today that I am not just a frail scholar; like you, I am also a martial artist. And, I really can kill you with one punch."

Lai Da froze in place, the muscles on his face twitching violently, his entire face twisted in an expression of disbelief.

At the same time, several figures suddenly swept in from the courtyard wall and the entrance.

"Zijun!"

Li Zhengshan was also among them.

When he saw Lai Da, his eyes immediately turned red, his face filled with an expression of hatred, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Lai Da, you have this day coming too!"

The guards of the Bai Family had all arrived, surrounding Lai Da in the middle from all directions.

At the same time, the Imperial Guard outside had already slaughtered their way into the villa.

Most of the guards chose to kneel and surrender, no longer putting up any pointless struggle.

Some guards who had committed all sorts of evil, knowing they would surely die if captured, tried their best to break out, but were all shot into hedgehogs by the archers outside.

Lai Da closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again, looked at the youth opposite him, and said tremblingly, "This old man has never been able to understand how a lowly Matrilocal Son-in-law like you could mobilize the army!"

Luo Zijun said in a calm tone, "Naturally, by my own ability. A lowly servant like you would naturally not be able to understand."

Lai Da gritted his teeth, his entire body's muscles bulging.

Luo Zijun added, "Steward Lai, don't be anxious; today you will die first, and when the time comes, we will send your son to reunite with you in Diyuan."

"Ah—"

Lai Da immediately let out a roar, and like a crazed beast, he charged toward him with red eyes.

(End of this chapter)