Chapter 9, Revenge

Jun Ke felt somewhat embarrassed, yet the young man laughed again. He was astonished not only by Jun Ke's remarkable initiative, which contrasted with her seemingly refined demeanor, but also by the fact that she maintained an elegant posture while performing such a crude action. It was strikingly natural and pleasing to the eye, making it hard to look away.

The young man gazed at her, always feeling that the girl before him was somewhat different from the one he had seen that night. She was beautiful, indeed, but she lacked the ethereal quality that had initially captivated him. However, he soon smiled—he was certain he had not mistaken her; such a pair of eyes was truly unique.

I understand. Jun Ke took a deep breath and said, "Please do me another favor and distract the soldiers outside. I will go in... and just take a souvenir before leaving"

Hong Yan was startled to see her as well. After carefully identifying her, she was about to rush over, but was stopped by the swords and knives, and could only sob, "Miss... I was hiding in the corner of the corridor... No one was looking for me, but later I saw them..."

Do not be angry anymore. The young man gently pressed her shoulder and whispered in her ear, Such people can be found everywhere

Madam Zhou looked up and saw her, her eyes bursting with surprise and joy, which soon gradually changed color

The young man stared in astonishment at her, watching as the refined lady instantly transformed into a wild bandit, striking him in the throat in one swift motion

The young man pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and with a wave of his hand, several guards dispersed. It was unclear what method was employed, but after a while, a portion of the royal army departed, leaving a corner of the courtyard vacant

The young man cast a glance at the treasures on the ground, fully believing in Jun Ke's words. It was evident at a glance that these items were not possessions of a servant; they clearly belonged to a cunning slave taking advantage of the situation. Seeing Jun Ke trembling all over in 'grief and indignation,' he quickly patted her back and signaled to the guards who had come along with them.

Almost immediately, Jun Ke understood why the old woman in Madam Zhou's courtyard was so agitated; it was merely to divert the attention of the Jibei army, allowing Madam Zhou to disguise herself as the old woman and sneak out of the courtyard, attempting to escape through the underground passage.

She raised her hand under the hopeful gaze of Madam Zhou

Several guards swiftly emerged, pulling Madam Zhou aside and driving her towards the group of matrons

Uh, do the young ladies of the Great Yan Dynasty not know how to wield an axe

"Are you here to see your mother?" he said slowly, "I am sorry, but I can no longer save her, and we cannot delay any longer"

The young man turned around; he did not recognize that this old woman was Madam Zhou, but he noticed that Jun Ke was familiar with her. At that moment, he felt a sense of pity for Jun Ke and did not think it mattered much that an old woman had escaped. He lowered his head and smiled, saying: "Is she your old woman? If she can escape, then let her go."

Recalling that maid from the past, who was the only one in the Zhou residence that had ever reminded her, Jun Ke's heart softened, and she gently said: "She is my loyal maid..."

Just such a person

Jun Ke wiped his sweat and returned the knife to the young man, smiling elegantly this time, "Not bad, it is indeed fast." In the blink of an eye, he noticed the young man's strange expression, and after a moment of surprise, he recalled his earlier actions, which seemed, perhaps, a bit too fierce

The youth behind could not help but smile, and his gaze towards the little chick was somewhat peculiar. Jun Ke knew that the little chick's appearance was likely an oddity in the Great Yan Dynasty, but since she already had many unusual traits in his eyes, she did not mind having one more.

Amidst the crackling sound of the torch, a person strides forward with great steps

Jun Ke silently turned her back to the books, without revealing her identity

Did it surprise him

The chest beneath his face seemed to tremble, and then his body shook slightly as he held her and slowly descended the chimney. His arm wrapped around her waist, merely a protective gesture without any fingers touching her. The chimney was not long; he embraced her as they leaped down. She only felt the rush of wind by her ear, her face brushing against the smooth satin of his garment. She faintly heard the sound of her heartbeat, while a subtle, clear fragrance and his slightly warm breath, accompanied by the faint scent of pine from his oilskin, swept past her nose, evoking memories of the green trees in the mist of high mountains, basking in the sunlight from afar. She only felt the rush of wind by her ear, her face brushing against the smooth satin of his garment. She faintly heard the sound of her heartbeat, while a subtle, clear fragrance and his slightly warm breath, accompanied by the faint scent of pine from his oilskin, swept past her nose, evoking memories of the green trees in the mist of high mountains, basking in the sunlight from afar

With a nearly neurotic grip, she clutched this slender thread of hope. Jun Ke furrowed her brow as she looked down at the breathless Madam Hu.

Jun Ke searched in vain and turned her attention to the bed. Focusing her gaze, she indeed saw the shadow of a bag beneath the sealed bed. She gathered her skirt, rolled up her sleeves, and swiftly jumped onto the bed. Crouching on the bed, she looked around but did not find any mechanism. Without turning her head, she reached back and said: "Axe!"

I implore her to make do with the mistakes, I beseech her to let it go this time

You repay kindness with enmity, I block your escape, and we are even.

Although the Zhou couple knew that even a genuine escape route might not guarantee their exit from the city, they were still unwilling to give up on the one in ten thousand chance.

If you have the ability, go earn your own living!

The soldiers surrounding the kitchen did not take action, nor did they attempt to enter; they remained silent, seemingly waiting for something.

In her slowly despairing gaze, she gradually and resolutely unraveled Madam Zhou's hand, inch by inch

Jun Ke lifted the oilskin and saw several guards had already jumped down, surrounding a round-faced maid with swords drawn, who was none other than Hong Yan

Yes, she is pleading with all her might for the books, realizing the preciousness of life before the crisis of life and death

Jun Ke's hand fell, landing on Madam Zhou's finger

"What are you doing!" he said sternly

For a long time, I fear that she will not hear those three saying this to her

Jun Ke momentarily did not react. At sixteen, she lived a sheltered life, having had no contact with males of her age, and thus had no romantic thoughts. She felt a slight shyness instinctively, yet her heart warmed at the word "together," recalling the many years spent in the research institute alongside Jing Hengbo, Taishi Lan, and Wen Zhen, where they often said, "together".

Do not waste any more time, let's go underground. The young man was quite decisive, waving his hand.

A few individuals decided to take the underground passage to avoid having to evade the troops. They stealthily made their way back to the kitchen of Junke's courtyard. It must be said that the few bodyguards accompanying the young man truly exceeded the scope of ordinary guards; they were agile, decisive, and exceptionally skilled. Junke understood them to be masters of the martial arts.

Madam Zhou initially noticed Jun Ke's nervousness and panic. At this moment, upon hearing the voice, her expression changed again. Turning her head, she caught sight of the black jade ornament at the youth's waist. The jade pendant was partially concealed within the folds of his clothing, faintly carved with a beastly face pattern. She stared at the jade ornament, her fingers trembled slightly, and suddenly she grasped Jun Ke's sleeve.

The body was suddenly pulled by someone into a warm embrace, and then a raincoat was draped over the head. A youthful voice filled with laughter sounded beside the ear, saying: "Together"

"You treacherous woman!" Jun Ke trembled with anger, pointing at Madam Zhou and scolding, "Madam has treated you with such trust and respect, yet at the moment of our Zhou family's crisis, you wish to take Madam's belongings and flee! You! You shameless wretch!"

Jun Ke immediately pushed the red inkstone into the tunnel, just as he was about to embrace the little chicken and jump down, he suddenly heard a flurry of hurried footsteps. A large group of people rushed towards this place, and soon shadows of guns and spears were reflected in the kitchen window, while black heads surged at the doorway, and the kitchen was instantly surrounded.

As Lady Zhou's hand was pulled away, Junke immediately let out a low scream, snatching Lady Zhou's bundle. With a tremor of her hand, a dazzling sound erupted, and jewels and hairpins fell to the ground, all of which were exquisite items worth a fortune

At first glance, she mistakenly thought it was her daughter, Miss Zhou, but then she remembered it was Junke

Jun Ke raised her hand, and the little chicken extended its fluffy front paw. She placed her hand on the dog's paw and gave it a gentle squeeze

Jun Ke's courtyard has also been surrounded, and the troops are conducting a search. Since someone had previously visited the kitchen, there is currently no one there. However, it is impossible to leave through the front door. A few individuals quietly slipped down through the kitchen chimney. The chimneys of local houses are quite wide, making entry and exit easy. It is surprising that the guards even brought oilskin, wrapping their master up tightly to avoid getting dirty. Jun Ke wrinkled his nose, feeling no jealousy, and with a smile, prepared to go down first.

At the outset, even the opportunity to plead was never given to her

Jun Ke nodded randomly and said, "Step back a bit, I am not familiar with the gestures." The young man was taken aback and instinctively stepped back. Before he could steady himself, he saw Jun Ke swing his arm vigorously and strike down forcefully!

Jun Ke turned back and smiled at him

As soon as the body touched the ground, a sharp sound of swords and guns rang out, followed by a low gasp from a woman.

Behind her, there seemed to be a low sound of "uh," and then someone silently handed over a dagger, quickly explaining to prevent her disappointment, "This knife is very fast"

Stepping back from Lady Zhou of the library, she was left speechless. She had never anticipated that Jun Ke would suddenly pull such a move, but how could she possibly argue that she was the true Lady Zhou?

Her finger was gradually freed from her unyielding determination, and Madam Zhou retreated dejectedly.

Jun Ke understood that Hong Yan must have seen her "fainting" scene and secretly followed her here to try to save her, hiding in this kitchen

Random

However

At this moment, she finally experienced the bittersweet taste of being replaced by someone else, a feeling that was difficult to articulate.

The young man confidently held Jun Ke's hand as they approached. Jun Ke headed straight for Madam Zhou's bedroom. Upon entering, she began searching everywhere: the treasure cabinet, the dressing table, the wardrobe, the drawers. Without a word, she yanked down the curtain that belonged to Cheng Chen, causing a large swath of fabric to fall. Jun Ke jumped onto the pile of cloth, looking up with bright eyes at Cheng Chen, searching for traces of her belongings.

Jun Ke had no expression

Madam Zhou's eyes sparkled with hope

The young man's expression changed, and he pulled her behind him

With her heart in turmoil, Jun Ke unconsciously leaned against the only chest that currently gave her a hint of trust, closed her eyes, and three smiling faces flashed through her mind. Amidst a faint sense of melancholy and longing, she softly said: "Together"

Jun Ke's gaze slowly fell on the tightly clenched fingers, then gradually moved upward. Opposite her, Madam Zhou was half-bent, slightly bending her knees, and gazing up at her with a direct stare, her eyes filled with pleading.

Mission accomplished, let's shake hands

"Let's go." Jun Ke adjusted her denim backpack, and although the boy noticed its peculiar style, he refrained from asking due to his good upbringing. The two exited Madam Zhou's inner chamber, and Jun Ke whistled. After a short while, a flash of white light appeared, and the little chicken leaped onto her shoulder

A loud crack! A huge gap opened up in the bed.