Chapter 10, The Moon

A group of individuals armed with weapons guarded a covered cart as they arrived at the entrance of the Feng family. Upon seeing them, the servants at the door sensed trouble and quickly gathered together to block the entrance

Feng Yuanjun was taken aback for a moment, but then he coldly laughed and said: "Kill you? I would still have to face a lawsuit for that! Get out of my way, I still want to see what Xue Chongxun's woman is like." After saying this, he snatched the sword and casually tossed it aside, grabbing her arm and pushing her towards the door.

The servant of the Feng family recognized Xue Chongxun, and upon seeing him, one of the servants hurriedly approached and said: "So it is the esteemed arrival of Young Master Xue. Please wait a moment, I will go report to Young Master..."

As Xue Chongxun swaggered out of the Feng family gate, he saw that a line of officials and soldiers had surrounded the residence. An official dressed in a purple robe jumped down from his horse and clasped his fists towards Xue Chongxun, saying: "I am Li Shouyi, the Prefect of Jingzhao. I have received reports of a brawl and bloodshed at the Feng residence. We need to ascertain whether this matter is related to the Duke of Wei. I kindly request you to come to the office for a discussion, so we can record the details for the higher authorities to adjudicate."

Feng Yuanjun furrowed his brows, looking at the enchanting face of Yu Wenji with an expression as if he were about to cry: "Do you still know that I, Feng Yuanjun, have treated you well? What status does your Yu Wen family have? Just small-time tea merchants! Have I ever looked down on you? My elder brother has repeatedly said that our Feng family is of humble origins and should seek a marriage alliance with a prominent family, but for you, I did not even heed my elder brother's words. In the end, what did my sincere feelings bring me? Betrayal!" My elder brother has repeatedly said that our Feng family is of humble origins and should seek a marriage alliance with a prominent family, but for you, I did not even heed my elder brother's words. In the end, what did my sincere feelings bring me? Betrayal!

Only two people remained unmoved: one was Xue Chongxun, who stood at the back watching, and the other was San Niang, who stood beside him, cold and motionless

A dozen or so of the Xue family's servants rushed forward with wooden sticks and other objects, and immediately a chaotic melee ensued, with the sounds of strikes and cries mingling in the air, raising a cloud of dust. In the blink of an eye, many had already fallen to the ground, crying out for their parents.

Li Shouyi watched in disbelief as Xue Chongxun behaved in such a manner, his mustache bristling, and he spat out curses: "A parasite of the nation, a calamity for the Tang Dynasty! The heavens' net is vast and wide, yet nothing escapes it. I, Li Shouyi, will ensure that you are brought to justice and face the sanctions of heavenly and national law"

The wooden stick was seized by Fang Yuzhong, who exclaimed that it was too late. Suddenly, his body flipped sideways, leaping into the air, and the wooden stick traced a large semicircle in the air. With a whoosh, it struck down on the shoulder of the servant rushing in from the left. With a loud bang, the stick immediately broke into two pieces, and the servant fell to the ground, crying out in pain.

... ...

Xue Chongxun said without changing his expression: "So, you are determined to oppose us?"

At that moment, San Niang suddenly appeared at the door. This ghostly woman, resembling a specter, walked without making a sound. She turned her head to glance back and slowly approached with a gentle pace, her cold, pale fingers brushing against the hilt of the short sword at her waist

Through the corridor, the servant quickly slipped through a doorway and ran to the front of a house, immediately knocking on the door with a loud "bang bang," while shouting: "Alang, Alang, the young master of the Xue family has come to the door!"

However, after a moment, she unexpectedly said something unrelated to the matter: "The lord has always said to treat us as his own children, but he is certainly just saying that casually; in fact, in anyone's eyes, Yu Wenji has always been more precious than I am"

"Bitch!" Feng Yuanjun slapped out with one hand. Although his stature was not tall, the force behind his hand was considerable, immediately knocking Yu Wenji to the ground, causing half of her face to swell up.

Ding! A silver needle collided with a short sword, sending it flying, while two others "pah pah" pierced into the beam ahead, embedding deeply.

Yuwen Ji said anxiously: "You must believe me, do not act on a moment's anger; everything should be considered in the long term. The matter of my humiliation was also beyond my control, I was forced into this situation..."

Unexpectedly, at that moment, Fang Yuzhong suddenly pulled the other end of the stick towards himself, and the servant's force was also directed this way. The two forces combined, causing him to stumble and lurch forward. The servant's path was completely open, and he was immediately met with a powerful iron fist, sending his teeth and blood flying, as the world spun around him.

At this moment, Yu Wenji recalled that during the earlier argument with Feng Yuanjun, he had casually thrown his sword, not paying attention at the time, and it had landed point-first into the wooden stool, with the tip facing upwards; just now, when Yu Wenji pushed Feng Yuaner, he unfortunately fell onto the sword.

"Remind me? Why do you want to remind me?" Feng Yuanjun said with a cold smile

Before the word "Lang" had even settled, Xue Chongxun suddenly launched a kick, his right leg tracing a graceful arc in the air. With a loud "bang," he struck the servant in the chest, applying force with the outer side of his right foot at a perfect point of impact. The servant let out a pained cry and staggered backward. "Boom!" The servant crashed into the black lacquered door, rebounding and falling face-first into the ground.

"I killed him?" Yu Wenji murmured

Yuwen Ji said: "If you are so afraid of trouble, why provoke Xue Chongxun? The more you fear trouble, the more it will come knocking at your door"

Sanniang said expressionlessly: "I have gotten used to it"

Yuwen Ji said coldly: "I did not come to plead with you, but to remind you to quickly release the concubine of the Xue family, otherwise you will fall into Xue Chongxun's trap"

Xue Chongxun laughed and said: "Do you think I, the esteemed Duke of Wei, would allow myself and my books to be humiliated by a mere clerk? That would require the consent of the current emperor."

Just as Xue Chongxun had caught up behind, the servant's legs went weak and he squatted down, covering his head with his hands. At that moment, the door opened, and Feng Yuanjun appeared at the entrance. He did not shy away from Xue Chongxun's furious gaze; their eyes met, and the atmosphere around them seemed to instantly fill with the scent of gunpowder. The servant who had delivered the message hurriedly rolled and crawled away.

"Who will take me down?" Xue Chongxun surveyed his surroundings amidst the clashing weapons and calmly said, "Who among you will take me down?"

Fang Yuzhong immediately shouted, "Brothers, charge!"

Is that moment of hesitation a lingering attachment to life

Xue Chongxun immediately sighed and said: "It is indeed rare. Since the reign of the Great Sage Emperor, the court has been mired in chaos and gloom for many years. What does this Li Shouyi, with his iron will and unyielding spirit, seek?"

Sanniang glanced at Xue Chongxun without speaking and obediently walked over, stabbing two swords into Feng Yuanjun's chest. Xue Chongxun said: "It was Sanniang who killed him, did you all hear that clearly? Feng Yuanjun captured my maid, and in a fit of anger, I brought people to retrieve her. During the ensuing conflict and struggle, my subordinate Sanniang accidentally stabbed Feng Yuanjun to death, that's how it happened. Sanniang, is that so..."

Yuwen Ji covered her swollen face, tears welling in her eyes. Suddenly, she walked to the large table and took down the ornamental sword placed on it. Feng Yuanjun was taken aback: "What are you going to do? Do you want to kill me?"

The other servants at the entrance immediately surrounded him. One of them pulled out a lamp, threw it away, leaving only the long handle as a weapon, and charged at Fang Yuzhong, swinging the handle down towards his head.

Xue Chongxun said: "It is not like that. If Yu Wenji gets involved, during the interrogation, they might think that I conspired with Yu Wenji to commit murder; moreover, Yu Wenxiao is very knowledgeable about the transportation of grain, and I still have my uses."

Xue Chongxun leisurely walked out of the felt tent and, with great interest, looked up at the plaque above the door, which read: Feng Residence

Yuwen Ji said: "This morning, my father and I happened to pass by the West Market and saw that you had someone capture that girl. My father immediately exclaimed that you had fallen into Xue Chongxun's trap, which he has been waiting for today. I absolutely detest Xue Chongxun, but considering the kindness you have shown to our family in the past, I kindly remind you."

"A prince who commits a crime is as guilty as a commoner!" Li Shouyi's expression suddenly turned stern, his official robe moving as if stirred by an unseen wind, and he declared with righteous indignation, "Officials are fed by the sovereign's grace and are duty-bound to serve the sovereign. From Weinan City in the east to Wugong in the west, from Huxian in the south to Tongchuan in the north, all matters of public order within the Guanzhong and Jingji regions fall under the jurisdiction of my Jingzhao Prefecture. The state administers rewards and punishments with fairness, and merits and faults are clearly defined. No one is allowed to challenge the dignity of the law, not even you, Duke Wei! Duke Wei, it would be best for you to accompany me willingly, lest I be forced to enforce the law with weapons!" The state administers rewards and punishments with fairness, and merits and faults are clearly defined. No one is allowed to challenge the dignity of the law, not even you, Duke Wei! Duke Wei, it would be best for you to accompany me willingly, lest I be forced to enforce the law with weapons!

Yuwen Ji smiled charmingly and said: "Do you not remember our intimacy that day? Can you bear to forget it? Do you not wish to have such warmth again in the future?"

Xue Chongxun leaned in closely, almost pressing his face against Feng Yuanjun's, his teeth grinding with a sharp "crunching" sound that made one feel a strong pang in their own teeth. He coldly stared into Feng Yuanjun's eyes, which had only two narrow slits left, and said: "Is it fun?"

At that moment, a servant at the entrance suddenly opened the door, turned around, and ran inside to deliver the news. The people on Xue Chongxun's side did not hesitate at all and hurriedly followed him in.

Bang bang bang ... ... In less than ten finger snaps, Xue Chongxun had thrown at least twenty punches, raining down like raindrops onto Feng Yuanjun's head. Feng Yuanjun's teeth flew out, blood streamed from his nose, his face was swollen and bruised, and his eyes could only squint open a narrow slit; in this state, even his mother would not recognize him if she saw him now

Noticing her hesitation, a melody of a song unexpectedly appeared in Xue Chongxun's mind

Li Shouyi was furious and pointed at the surrounding officials and soldiers, saying: "The country has raised you for nothing! Why aren't you taking action?"

Having said that, she seized Feng Yuanjun's clothing and forcefully pushed him backward to ensure he was distanced from the battlefield

Amidst everyone's astonishment, a hint of relief appeared in San Niang's eyes, as if she had let out a sigh of relief. However, Xue Chongxun pondered for a moment and then said to San Niang: "Feng Yuanjun is not completely dead yet; you should go and deliver two more strikes."

Yuwen Ji's face flushed red as she took a step back: "This is not the time to discuss right and wrong. Xue Chongxun is certainly sharpening his knives. You must release that girl quickly and not give him the opportunity; otherwise, disaster is imminent"

Ding! Ding! Ding! Suddenly, three points of starlight appeared in the air, flying towards the third lady from the front, middle, and back. Those starlights were silver needles used in acupuncture.

At this moment, Fang Yuzhong bent down and respectfully drew back the curtain of the felt cart for the person inside. Xue Chongxun, dressed in linen, calmly stepped out of the cart, while the surrounding servants all bowed in greeting.

"Sanniang, the one for whom you are sacrificing yourself is a demon, committing all manner of evil, resorting to any means, devoid of loyalty and morality. He is merely using you; once you have outlived your usefulness, he will kick you aside. You are nothing but a scapegoat. Is it worth it?" said Yuwen Ji

Fang Yuzhong observed the incoming force, firmly grounded his stance, and gently shifted his body to the side, causing the stick to miss its target. At the same time, he lightly supported the stick with both hands, gradually dissipating its force during the descent. Then, he pushed it forward, prompting the servant holding the stick to take a step back, establish a horse stance, and reflexively exert force to counter Fang Yuzhong's push.

It was likely Xue Chongxun's smile that infuriated Feng Yuanjun, who also forced a very unpleasant smile and said, "I have already stripped her bare and had my way with her." Of course, this was just a statement made in anger; shortly after returning, Feng Yuanjun got into an argument with Yu Wenji and didn't even have time to glance at Pei Niang.

Do you want to provoke me? You underestimate me too much

Feng Yuanjun chuckled, "It's just a maid I've caught, what can be done about it? I've caught her, and that's that!"

The official in the red attire exclaimed urgently, "Everyone, stay still!"

San Niang hesitated for a moment, but her figure suddenly moved like a startled rabbit, her steps swift as the wind, racing towards Feng Yuanjun like a flash of lightning

He discarded the hair in his hand, opened his palm, and grasped a large handful of hair again, lifting it up. Feng Yuanjun stood before him, trembling, as if he could fall with just a poke from a little finger

Clang! Yuwen Ji gently pressed the mechanism on the hilt of her sword, causing a section of the blade to spring out. She turned the sword upside down, presenting the hilt towards Feng Yuanjun, and said: "You may kill me now."

"It is like this," said San Niang expressionlessly

"Do you still have the face to come here?" Feng Yuanjun looked at Yu Wenji, his expression was extremely rich. There was anger, there was grievance, and there was also a hint of pride

Yuwen Ji was taken aback for a moment and said, "Very well, your martial arts were taught by my father, right? Today, let me experience them for myself."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly in an instant

Xue Chongxun paid him no mind and drove away in the carriage. Along the way, a guard outside commented, "This Li Shouyi is truly a person who does not know the meaning of danger"

In an instant, Yu Wenji had already darted in front of Feng Yuanjun, using her body to shield him. The swift movement stirred up a strong wind, causing the beaded curtain to jingle incessantly.

... ...

Hahaha... Xue Chongxun threw his head back in laughter, walking proudly towards his carriage. The guard, Hao Nu, respectfully lifted the curtain of the carriage for him and said in an admiring tone: "My lord, please, take your time"

Xue Chongxun pushed forward with the hand gripping his collar, causing Feng Yuanjun to stumble backward and crash into the door, falling to the ground. Xue Chongxun jumped in, stepping on his hand and grinding it hard, making Feng Yuanjun scream as if he were being slaughtered.

Did your father not say that you are both skilled in medicine and martial arts, possessing both beauty and intelligence? If you are unwilling, how could that debauched fellow Xue Chongxun move even a finger against you? Do you think I am a fool? The hatred in my heart makes me wish to tear you two adulterers apart and scatter your remains!

The servant then dashed down the corridor, heading straight inside. Along the way, there were occasionally maids carrying items, causing cups and plates to clatter and crash, resulting in a scene of chaos. The pursuers closely followed behind, fixated on chasing that servant.

He stepped forward, laughing heartily, almost to the point of tears: "The things from the Music Bureau, used on my fiancée, Feng Yuanjun..."

Xue Chongxun was furious. He immediately stepped forward, grabbed Feng Yuanjun by the collar, and his right fist swiftly struck Feng Yuanjun's face.

However, upon seeing Xue Chongxun's expression, it was evident that they could not cooperate so well. Yu Wenji took a step back and quickly turned her head to glance. The moment she looked, her face changed dramatically: she saw a precious sword had pierced through Feng Yuanjun's left chest, blood pooling on the ground. He hung his head, not even letting out a cry, and it was feared he had already died on the spot

Li Shouyi, however, said with a grim face: "As long as it is within my jurisdiction, it is my concern! Come here, take him down! Am I, Li Shouyi, someone who fears threats? If you want me to resign, it is very simple; just say one word to me, and I will return the official cap to Your Majesty."

At this moment, Xue Chongxun looked around but did not see San Niang, unsure of where she had hidden. However, Xue Chongxun believed she was nearby, waiting for the right moment to launch a sudden attack

She had just struck a pose when she noticed that San Niang was looking at her back with an unusual expression, not even glancing at her once. Yu Wenji thought to herself: Hmph! Still trying to play tricks, you won't succeed in luring me to turn around and lose my focus!

Xue Chongxun, still unsatisfied, grabbed Feng Yuanjun's already disheveled hair and pulled hard. However, there was too little hair to grasp, and with a cry of "ah," a strand of hair was yanked out, nearly taking a piece of scalp with it.

At that moment, a sudden sharp voice exclaimed: "Stop!" It was the voice of Yu Wenji

"Where are Feng Yuanjun and Pei Niang?" Xue Chongxun asked with a smile. Meanwhile, Fang Yuzhong beside him was clenching his fists, the knuckles cracking loudly, shaking his head from side to side, his neck making cracking sounds.

The word "men" in Xue Chongxun's statement "you" made the other officials feel pressured. At this moment, an elderly man in a crimson robe beside Li Shou leaned in and said in a low voice: "My lord, this concerns the Princess of National Stability's residence. What does it have to do with us? We should just ensure that the on-site investigation is thorough and report our findings."

Xue Chongxun, upon hearing this, said with frustration: "Yuwen Ji, what does it have to do with you? Is the Feng family still your in-laws? Stop dreaming and get out of the way quickly, otherwise I can make sure that your Yuwen family has no place to be buried at any time!"