Chapter 3, Youthful Grudges

"You can sell me the stone, and I can buy as many buns as I want!" This person is just stubborn.

The little beggar scoffed, "Fool."

He suddenly became irritable, unwilling to admit his guilt, and carelessly stuffed his hair into his arms. He jumped out of the cabin and swiftly leaped into the water. In a short while, he brought up the meteorite hidden at the bottom of the water and threw it to her. Taking a deep breath, he nimbly dove back into the water, while she stomped her feet in anger, not knowing where he had swum off to

The little beggar coldly pushed aside the dagger that she had feigned to hold against his neck, turned over, and sat up, saying, "You need not concern yourself with this."

The little beggar chuckled mockingly, "If you want to pretend to leave and then secretly follow me, there's no need for that. That stone is worth nothing to me. You don't want it, and I will never look back in my lifetime until I encounter a buyer worthy of what I have to sell."

The little beggar suddenly stood up and walked towards the river, winding around the crooked little dock where boats were moored. He stopped in front of a shabby little boat among the array of anchored vessels. Xue Mu You chuckled to herself, perhaps that was his home, where he hid the stone. She ran along to catch up with him

The cabin was silent.

Have you finished reading?" Xue Yunmu's lips twitched, "Once you finish, come and check if this little beggar has anything I want on him!"

The best inn is not far from the restaurant. The three of them each took a room. Xue Mu You pretended to go to sleep and advised Yue Tian Heng not to disturb her, then slipped out as soon as her father and he entered the room

Hurry up! Xue Yunmu threatened with a fierce look.

"Who... who cried?" She pouted and glared, speaking nonsense, and threw the paper bag that contained the dumplings at him

Xue Mu You angrily struck the cabin floor and once again contemplated leaving in a huff

The little beggar gritted his teeth and nodded, while Xue Yunmu crouched down to unlock his mute point

Xue Mu You was left speechless; the victims were so genuine, yet she, the one who committed the murders, found herself utterly helpless

Ah, this is indeed the case, the mountain peach blossoms are in full bloom above, the waters of the Shu River flow against the books. He let out a long sigh, raising his slender fingers, as if sprinkling water, he waved through the air, "The red flowers fade easily like a young man's affection, the flowing water is boundless like your sorrow"

He must have a lot of fleas on him; I definitely do not want to turn over his clothes. My master just caught him for such a long time, he must have picked up quite a few as well, so don't go rubbing against him later." Yue Tianheng calmly advised, while Xue Muyao grimaced in disgust and jumped back a little further.

Although Yuetian Heng verbally expressed difficulty, the small stick meticulously examined the beggar boy from head to toe, leaving no part untouched, including his private areas. The beggar boy, subjected to such humiliation, trembled with rage.

There are quite a few people in the area who make their homes on boats, and abandoned small boats like this are seen everywhere. A little beggar nimbly jumps onto a boat and squeezes into the cramped cabin. Xue Mu feels troubled and frowns; does she have to go in as well? Just being close to him, who is reeking of filth, is enough to make her feel nauseous, let alone entering his living quarters? Just thinking about it makes her feel itchy all over.

Well, we can only say that we are fated to have no connection with this stone. That little beggar is quite shrewd and holds a grudge against us; seeking him out would only bring humiliation upon ourselves said Xue Yunmu淡淡地, with a hint of melancholy in his tone

Yue Tianheng looked up at the flowing clouds over the river, where water and sky blended into one. The river breeze stirred the hem of his long robe. Despite his young age, he possessed a certain elegance reminiscent of cultured scholars and refined guests. He shook his head, sighing at the beauty of the countryside by the river, deliberately avoiding the gaze of his master who was glancing at him.

Xue Yunmu glanced at him twice, raised his hand and waved, causing the beggar boy to shudder all over as his acupoints were released

"Let's find an inn to rest for a day before returning to the Bamboo Sea." Xue Yunmu felt disheartened; he was straightforward and candid, with his thoughts clearly written on his face. He was indeed extremely disappointed at not being able to obtain the stone.

The young man flashed, opening his hand, his fierce gaze, akin to that of a wolf or an eagle, swept over Yue Tianheng with a cold smile, "One day, I will personally kill you!"

I want your hair! He suddenly harbored malicious intent

Xue Yunmu clicked his tongue, about to lose his temper, when he was interrupted by a cough from Yue Tianheng. This time, he did not mind that the beggar boy was dirty and walked over to help him up.

"Alright." Her voice weakened with pain, "But what do you want my hair for?"

Sighing deeply, Yue Tianheng was immersed in the artistic conception of writing landscape poetry. He took a deep breath, his expression perfectly poised, just as he was about to speak. However, the intolerable Xue Yunmu, unable to bear it any longer, slapped him before he could conjure up another sentimental poem, causing his head to bow in a gesture of confession towards his chest, abruptly interrupting both the poetry and the lament.

"Kill it." The little beggar said generously

"Forget it, it's just a stone, I don't want it anymore." Xue Yunmu had had enough of the little beggar's cowardice, and with a cold face, he turned and left

"What are you crying about?" the little beggar asked impatiently. "Where are the buns?"

Oh. Xu Tianheng, who hailed from the esteemed Junjie, squatted down and picked up a dry branch from the ground.

Xue Mu You silently cursed him a few times, then got up to search the cabin carefully, while the little beggar paid her no mind. The cabin was already small and shabby, and the little beggar didn't even have a spare blanket. The cabin was bare with hardly any items, and there was truly no trace of the meteorite.

"Just two?" The little beggar scoffed disdainfully. "Who can eat this?"

The little beggar chuckled coldly, "You need something from me now, don't you? Let go of my pressure point, and I won't run away."

I, Cheng Yueren, never default on my debts! He raised an eyebrow, seized the dagger from her hand, and with a single stroke, severed her soft, lustrous black hair at the root

"How much do you want?" Xue Mu You patted the exquisite small pouch at her waist, which contained the golden beans given by her father and the golden leaves given by her master. As long as he set a price, there was nothing she couldn't afford. She had already tilted her little chin up with a smile, truly an unexpectedly smooth affair

The little beggar sat on the deck of the boat eating a bun, glancing at her with a sly smile, "How much are you willing to pay?"

"Hello, are you listening to me?" She pouted, having never encountered such a difficult person from childhood to adulthood

"My hair?" She was taken aback, her wide-eyed expression was so adorable, and her rosy cheeks made one want to pinch them. She pouted, childishly covering her cherished bun, "No way!"

Her knee throbbed with pain, her skirt was torn, and she was mocked by him like this, feeling both humiliated and exposed. Her nose tinged with bitterness, and large tears began to fall.

"Help me up," he chuckled

She drew the small dagger from her waist, swiftly pressing it against the throat of the little beggar. Her cute and sweet little face feigned ferocity, which was quite amusing. "Are you going to take it out or not? Otherwise, I will kill you!"

Xue Mu You slowly set down the bowl. Yue Tianheng had long said that the stone was a rare gem among meteorites, no wonder Father was so disappointed. It was all her fault; if she had just endured a little longer at that time, what difference would it have made to help him a bit.

Oh? The little beggar stuffed the last bite of the bun into her mouth and chuckled twice. She was clearly the type of child who had grown up in luxury, unaware of hardship. A small figure, her hair was styled in a little girl's bun, yet adorned with an incredibly expensive jeweled headband.

The young man did not stand up after regaining his freedom; instead, he leisurely leaned against the tree behind him, his gaze coldly sweeping over the three impeccably dressed individuals opposite him, a disdainful smile curling at the corners of his mouth

The little beggar rolled his eyes and ignored her

The expression of the small beggar, who was thrown under the tree by Xue Yunmu, was obscured by his dirty and disheveled hair, and he was also struck mute, only able to clench his teeth in anger, making a grinding sound.

On the way back, she tightly clutched the damp meteorite, while everyone looked at her with mocking smiles, pointing at her ugly hairstyle. She fought back her tears, Cheng Yueren, she remembered him, he slipped away quickly, probably fearing her retaliation. One day, she would settle this score with interest.

Xue Yunmu flicked his robe sleeves, snorted softly, and walked away without looking back

She stamped her foot in frustration, reflecting that without entering the tiger's den, how could one catch the tiger cub? Perhaps by going in, she might obtain a meteorite, so why continue to be constrained by him

"What are you picking up branches for?" Xue Muyao said, covering her nose and staring wide-eyed.

Oh, is that so? Yue Tianheng was completely unconcerned by his threat and reached out to pull him again

She let out a cry, not because of the pain, but because the hair she had cherished for twelve years was cut off at the roots by him, and it was only one side that was severed; it was truly more distressing than being stabbed with a knife!

Xue Mu You was astonished and opened her mouth wide, asking her to help him

Xue Yunmu also frowned, taking a step forward to stand beside the little beggar, "If you dare to shout, I will slap you to death! Do you understand?"

With a greenish face, Xue Yunmu felt a tingling sensation all over his body upon hearing his words. He continued to glare at his disciple in a threatening manner, suppressing the urge to scratch the itchy spots.

Hey! Did she sell the stone?

"No, Master," said Yue Tianheng, frowning as he threw away the tree branch and walked over to Xue Yunmu. This little beggar has some skills; in a moment of haste, he even thought to hide the stone elsewhere, not carrying it on him. No wonder he was able to speak so arrogantly just now.

Yue Tianheng and Xue Muyao were eager to leave as soon as possible, and Xue Muyao did not forget to turn around and glare at the beggar boy who was lost in his fantasies.

I just want your hair, if you don't give it, then so be it

"Where is the stone?" Xue Yunmu was extremely annoyed by the persistent entanglement with this beggar boy, his tone irritated, "Just say what you want directly."

Having grown up in the northern frontier, her swimming skills were not very good. When she stepped onto the deck of the small boat, it swayed, and she panicked, nearly falling into the cabin. Her skirt was also torn by a protruding nail at the narrow cabin door, leaving her in a very awkward situation

"Master, do not be disheartened. I will go find that little beggar again shortly and will definitely obtain the meteorite," said Yue Tianheng in a heavy tone, startling Xue Muyao, as it was rare for him to speak in such a manner

Is it because she is fortunate, born into a good family, that she can look at him with such disdain? Whenever he recalls her manner of keeping her distance from him, he feels a surge of shame and anger

If it doesn't work, then so be it. The little beggar was quite straightforward, collapsing onto the deck and resting his head on his arm with his eyes closed.

Having chosen a somewhat decent restaurant, Xue Mu You had not eaten all morning despite being busy, and was already feeling hungry. She slowly sipped her porridge, observing the porters downstairs laboriously transporting goods, while vendors shouted and hawked their wares along the way

"So close to me, and you don't mind the smell?" He scoffed coldly. As expected, her delicate and beautifully made-up face immediately displayed a look of disdain and disgust. The light in his eyes suddenly turned fierce.

No, let her come!" The beggar boy raised his eyebrows, his dirty finger pointing at Xue Mu You, who was still covering her nose. The disgust in her expression had deeply wounded him from the very beginning

Although the dock was crowded and noisy, the space was not large, and soon they found the small grove from earlier. Xue Mu You was overjoyed, as the little beggar was still leaning against the tree, half lying down.

"Hey—" she stretched her neck to peek into the cabin, "Are you hungry? I brought some buns." She had brought two buns when she decided to come find him earlier, as beggars are always hungry, right? She thought she was being quite considerate.

Yue Tianheng lowered his head in silence, aware that his master was right. Moreover, there were so many people searching for meteorites; it was likely that the little beggar had already sold the stone by now. He had truly underestimated that little beggar and had acted recklessly.

Xue Mu You furrowed her brows deeply, hair that has been cut will grow back, but without the meteorite, father will be sad for a very long time

He roughly tugged at one side of her hair bun, and her smooth silk-like hair immediately fell loose. She did not struggle, and her dark, bright eyes instantly filled with tears. "I gave you my hair, will you really give me the stone?"

She silently watched the long strands of broken hair in his hand, tears dripping down, biting her lip in grievance, yet she did not cry out.