Chapter 05: The Post Station

Xie Yang was completely unaware, engrossed in eating and drinking. Li Yue looked around and noticed that in the not-so-large dining hall, there were only three tables occupied by guests. Apart from their own table and a man in a blue robe sitting in the corner, there were three guests at the boisterous table, all dressed like wealthy young masters, appearing to be around thirty years old, with a haughty expression on their faces

With a loud "bang," Qie Yang slapped the table, causing a braised carp on the table to leap up, fish and plate together, and crash directly towards Young Master Liu. Young Master Liu, who appeared to be quite plump, surprisingly displayed remarkable agility, slightly dodging as the braised fish smashed against the screen behind him

Xie Yang took out a piece of broken silver from his body, weighing at least three or four taels. He threw the silver onto the table and said, "Record this first, and then open two upper rooms for me." He cast a cold glance at the shopkeeper, and seeing him still standing motionless, he angrily said, "What are you still doing here wasting time?"

"Why is it that we arrived first and ordered the food and drinks first, yet you served them instead! Are you taking advantage of the fact that the young master has no money to tip you?" As the speaker said this, he reached out and grabbed the innkeeper's collar, who, despite weighing around 300 pounds, was easily pressed down onto the table like a small chicken.

She was startled by such a fierce gaze and softly called out his name. He suddenly stepped back, shaking off her hand as if avoiding a snake or scorpion

The sound of sobbing gradually grew louder, yet Qie Yang in the front seat remained oblivious, continuing to focus on driving the horse-drawn carriage, not once turning back.

The shopkeeper suddenly felt a difficulty in breathing: "I... I dare not, I have no such... intention... Young Master Liu... you, you misunderstood..."

While the commotion was intense over there, Qie Yang was solely focused on serving dishes to Li Yue: "Is the food and drink here not to your liking, Aunt? I haven't seen you eat anything."

Young Master Liu laughed heartily and said, "Is that charming young lady your aunt? Young man, you are indeed still wet behind the ears; are you hoping to have me as your uncle?" He raised his hand, intending to grab Xu Yang's collar just as he had done with the shopkeeper earlier. However, as soon as his fingers touched Xu Yang's clothing, he found it slippery and elusive, as if he had caught a mudfish. His hand slipped, and he failed to grasp it, causing him to stumble forward.

It is good that you are fine. His expression was indifferent, as if he were a different person from just a moment ago, as he turned around and climbed back into the front seat to continue driving.

Faced with his anger, the man in the green robe slightly furrowed his brow

"Did I misunderstand? Where did I misunderstand you? I have eyes and can see clearly. You know very well that today I, Young Master Liu Er, am hosting guests here, yet you insist on humiliating me. Hmph, I see that you don't even regard my father with any respect!" With a stronger grip, the shopkeeper immediately began to wail like a pig being slaughtered.

The two individuals beside me, seemingly eager to stir up trouble, only fueled the fire with their attempts to mediate

Then, Young Master Liu pointed at Qie Yang with his chopsticks and shouted, "What are you up to, you rascal?"

Xie Yang took a step back lightly, retreating two steps, and kicked out with his foot. This time, even the table along with the soup and water was overturned. The other two individuals reacted quickly and had already moved aside, but only Liu Gongzi had just avoided the plate of braised fish. Unexpectedly, Xie Yang's follow-up move came so swiftly that he was unable to dodge in time and was struck squarely by the table.

After lighting the fire stick, he suddenly saw Li Yue's pale face, weakly slumped in the carriage. His expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly crawled into the carriage to help her up

Xie Yang finally glanced at her, his cold gaze gradually softening, revealing an unimaginable tenderness and compliance: "Whatever my aunt says, that is what it is." He reached out and held her hand tightly, a playful smile appearing on his face, "Let’s go!"

Since I entered the Central Plains, I have heard your great name no less than dozens of times, and I have long been pondering an opportunity to spar with you. Xu Yang licked his lips with a grin.

Just as I was reluctantly about to leave, I heard someone on the left shout: "Hey, does this young master eat without paying?" With a clang, a bright golden ingot was smashed out, and the ingot, struck lightly by that seemingly inconspicuous person, actually sank half an inch into the tabletop, firmly securing itself in place.

"Your aunt finds you noisy." Qian Yang's voice was not loud, seemingly casual, yet Li Yue felt an inexplicable jolt in her heart

Xie Yang ignored him, and the man in the green robe suddenly asked: "Did you really kill him?"

"Exchanging insights... on medical skills?" He lowered his eyelids, his expression one of indifference, neither pleased nor angry, making it difficult for others to read him. "Little brother, I didn't realize you were so interested in medical skills." As soon as this sentence was finished, he suddenly raised his head, his gaze shooting like lightning towards Li Yue's back, and he shouted sternly, "If you do not wish to seek your own demise, it is best to abandon your foolish actions!"

Li Yue felt deeply wronged, her heart filled with sorrow, and tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls that had come loose from a string. Having grown up, she had never before been hurt so ruthlessly by others.

The two individuals boarded the carriage and had not traveled far when, indeed, a thunderous sound of hooves approached from behind, indicating that there were at least twenty or thirty people. These crab soldiers and shrimp generals were certainly not a concern for Qie Yang, but he was apprehensive about the possibility of being outnumbered, fearing that in the event of a fierce battle, he would be unable to ensure Li Yue's safety. Consequently, he vigorously shook the reins, urging the horse to gallop at full speed.

At that moment, their gazes met directly, and the person suddenly smiled at her. The smile was gentle yet filled with an overwhelming dominance that was suffocating. Li Yue's heart skipped a beat, and before she could think it through, she was pulled out the door by Xie Yang.

You... you. You killed him, he... he, do you know who he is? He is Liu Jisheng, the second son of Lord Liu from Henan Prefecture. By killing him, you have offended the government and committed a capital crime, you...

It is too noisy

Li Yue was startled, her whole body trembling, and at the same time, behind her, the young master Liu, who was holding a dagger and intending to launch a surprise attack, was also frightened.

Li Yue's face turned pale, her delicate body slightly trembling, while Qi Yang tightly gripped a short sword as thin as frost, his face filled with murderous intent: "Anyone who dares to show disrespect to my aunt deserves to die"

The dagger traced an arc in the air, yet it did not land on the beautiful neck of the young girl as he had anticipated. A crisp sound of "ding" echoed through the vast station, the lingering resonance filling the air, and a dazzling light flashed and vanished in the dim twilight. Liu Gongzi's body was propelled far away, crashing against the wall before falling to the ground, his dagger shattered into countless pieces, scattering around his body.

Xie Yang sneered: "Do you not have eyes?"

He truly left without a word, disregarding those around him, and directly took Li Yue away. Li Yue stumbled and followed him to the door, casually glancing back, only to see the man in blue half-squatting on the ground, intently gazing at her with a focused expression.

The man in the blue attire glanced at her with apparent indifference, slowly releasing the hand of Liu Gongzi, his silent gesture indicating his willingness to seek a peaceful resolution

"Although you claim to be the 'Divine Healer', I do not believe you can bring the dead back to life" Qian Yang mocked without restraint

At this moment, the shopkeeper had obediently brought out all the food and drinks under their scolding, setting a large table filled to the brim. The three of them were enjoying their meal and drinks when they suddenly saw Xie Yang standing straight in front of them, all taken aback.

However, in that brief moment of astonishment, the young Master Liu, exposed in his trickery, was filled with rage and charged at Li Yue with a furious roar. Initially, he had only intended to take Li Yue hostage, but now, consumed by madness, he no longer cared for the delicate nature of the situation. He was willing to kill in order to restore his lost face

She felt both shy and delighted, her heart racing as if it were about to leap out of her chest, her whole body trembling uncontrollably: "You... you..."

Qian Yang ... ... Let us leave!

The man in the blue attire crouched down to examine the corpse of Young Master Liu, casually adding, "The pace of the officials and soldiers from Henan Prefecture should not be slow"

Li Yue's originally pale complexion became even more bloodless, and she cautiously tugged at Xi Yang's sleeve. Xi Yang's body was tense, as if he still hesitated to give up the thought of competing with the "Master Healer".

As the speed of the carriage increased, the cabin shook violently from side to side. Li Yue, sitting inside the carriage, felt her head spinning, her chest tight, and her breathing labored, making her feel utterly miserable. Just as she was about to call out to Qi Yang, she saw him sitting at the front of the carriage, completely focused, and the words caught in her throat. After more than half an hour of the carriage racing forward, Li Yue felt extremely unwell, her head spinning to the point that she fainted.

Li Yue let out a sigh, slightly nodded to him in apology. In her life, she had never apologized to anyone, but this time, for the sake of Xie Yang, it could be considered an exception.

A tremendous noise erupted, and Young Master Liu awkwardly crawled out from under the table, drenched in wine from head to toe.

To be honest, the young man just now drew his sword so quickly that even he could not see how that strike was executed

For the first time, I tasted the unusual flavor of rejection

For some reason, the young man in front of me, dressed in blue, had a handsome appearance and an elegant demeanor, not resembling a villain. However, within his calm and reserved aura, there was an unsettling malevolence that made Li Yue feel very uneasy, as if... His temperament was not as easy to deal with as his looks suggested. If Qie Yang were to provoke him for no reason, he would likely be a formidable character who would not easily let things go.

However, after a considerable amount of time, the lip print did not appear as expected. She slightly lifted her eyelids, only to find Qie Yang staring at her with a strange expression, a mix of annoyance, self-mockery, disappointment, and resentment, all intertwined, ultimately transforming into a deep sense of despair.

The next morning, the two set off eastward together. Although Qie Yang was boisterous in his actions and speech, he was extremely considerate towards Li Yue. Noticing that Li Yue was frail and had limited stamina, he arranged for a horse-drawn carriage for her to ride in. They traveled westward for about ten days, arriving in Henan Prefecture. Li Yue was completely oblivious to the social customs and affairs outside, so Qie Yang took charge of everything, which saved them quite a bit of trouble.

Upon arriving at the Henan Prefecture, they could take lodging at the post station, no longer needing to endure the hardships of traveling in the wind and rain. However, as soon as the two entered the inn, they immediately attracted countless gazes—Li Yue, stunningly beautiful, and Qi Yang, strikingly handsome. Entering side by side, it was difficult for them to remain low-key and avoid drawing attention.

Aunt, I have gotten rid of them all, so now you can rest assured... Aunt!

The figure in blue remained unperturbed, his gaze sweeping past the still-frightened Li Yue, and he said with a hint of implication: "You should pray that I can bring the dead back to life... Unless your medical skills truly surpass mine, there will come a day when you will seek my help."

The inn was so quiet that one could hear even the faintest sound of people's breathing. After a moment, a sharp scream from the innkeeper pierced the silence: "Murder!" He stumbled and rushed out of the door in a panic.

However, Ke Qiang seemed to be ungrateful, his feet rooted in place as if they had grown into the ground, his gaze fixed like a torch on the man in blue, completely ignoring the young Master Liu behind him, who was preparing to sneak in for a covert attack.

That initially budding young girl's heart suddenly fell to the cold depths of the valley

The figure in the blue attire did not respond to his words, but merely gazed quietly at the opposite Qie Yang, with a gaze that was cold and sharp, slightly tinged with reproach. Li Yue stood up uneasily, noticing that the shoes of the figure in blue were stained with quite a bit of sauce, evidently having been inadvertently splattered during the earlier scuffle.

Xie Yang paused for a moment, suddenly put down his chopsticks, and walked over to the dining table of the three young masters

Qian Yang ... ... Qian Yang ... ... " She bit her lip, calling out several times. If the officials and soldiers from Henan Prefecture were to come here, Qian Yang, being skilled and bold, would naturally not fear them. However, if this were to attract the attention of the authorities, her identity would likely be exposed as a result.

The person in the blue attire slightly raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh?"

The scorching kiss left on her forehead made her shiver, her entire body felt as if it were ignited by fire, and with a sigh from within, she closed her eyes, tense yet slightly exhilarated

The innkeeper, in a distracted state, took the silver and said: "Yes, yes, yes, please enjoy your meal, I will prepare the rooms for you right away"

The shopkeeper had sent the assistant away to help, and with a beaming smile, he personally took charge. Before long, the food and drinks were all served, yet the shopkeeper still stood by the table, not leaving, occasionally stealing glances at Li Yue, flattering her by saying: "Miss, if you have any instructions, please feel free to tell me."

Li Yue gradually regained consciousness, yet her limbs were weak, forcing her to lean against him. Her gaze was shimmering, her cheeks flushed, and she breathed lightly as she looked up at him.

After a moment, Qie Yang suddenly smiled and said, "I think I know who you are."

With his gaze fixed, Qian Yang felt a wave of dizziness and confusion, suddenly murmuring as if lost in emotion: "Aunt, is it really you? Aunt, Aunt, I miss you so much!" He wrapped his arms around the girl in his embrace, carefully kissing her soft hair.

Li Yue felt cold all over, her face devoid of color. Xie Yang hurriedly placed his palm on her back, slowly channeling his vital energy. Fearing that her frail body could not withstand it, he could only input it into her system gradually. After a short while, Li Yue let out a soft "mm" sound, and her eyelids finally began to open slowly

Qie! Qie Yang wore a face full of disdain, exuding an air of arrogance

Xie Yang sat at the front driving the carriage, unaware of Li Yue's condition, urging the horse to run faster. After running for more than two hours, they finally shook off the pursuers behind and gradually came to a stop

Xie Yang pretended not to know, pulling Li Yue to sit down at an empty table, and casually called the waiter to bring the dishes as if no one else was around

Who are you to suddenly appear? Are you two in cahoots?

"You little brat, I will definitely kill you today..." He furiously swung his fist to strike, but was suddenly seized by someone from behind, rendering him unable to move.

Startled, he turned around, only to find that the young man in the green attire, who had been dining in the corner, had somehow appeared behind him. One of the man's hands gripped him tightly like a vice, causing him to cry out in pain.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "Aunt, you are awake! You really scared me!"