Chapter 10: As It Turns Out, a Misunderstanding
Before Yu Lingzhao could even snap back, the young man suddenly rose and struck out at her with speed as swift as a bolt of lightning.
Yu Lingzhao dodged to the side based purely on physical instinct. As she turned, she discovered a man dressed in black was actually behind her!
Well, would you look at that, it turned out that 'Get out' wasn't directed at her.
It was a good thing she hadn't started cursing him out yet.
Yu Lingzhao frowned; what kind of situation was this?
She hadn't even noticed someone was tailing her?
The young man’s palm struck the black-clad man directly on the shoulder, sending him flying.
Yu Lingzhao simply sat down in the spot where the young man had been, preparing to watch the show.
To her surprise, the young man seemed to lose his strength, swaying as he began to fall.
What was wrong with this "banished immortal" beauty?
*Literally, an immortal who has been banished from heaven to live on earth. An epithet for exceptional individuals such as the Tang poet Li Bai.
Why was he collapsing after just one move?
Having practiced martial arts since childhood, Yu Lingzhao’s physical instincts could not be faked.
She caught the beautiful young man in her arms and delivered a swift kick, sending the lunging man in black even further away.
The young man looked like a celestial beauty, but he was a man through and through, heavy as could be.
Yu Lingzhao helped him sit down, her brow remaining furrowed as she delivered a hand-chop to the man in black who was lunging for a third time, knocking him unconscious.
"You're already this weak, yet you still came out to enjoy the scenery?"
The young man gave a faint smile, and Yu Lingzhao was once again dazzled by him.
Yu Lingzhao had hidden guards following her, but since they hadn't received her instructions, they remained concealed.
She was speculating about the young man's identity when, in the next instant, he began coughing up blood.
Yu Lingzhao was greatly shocked. "Hey? Don't die on me!"
The young man raised a hand to wipe the blood from his lips and even smiled at her. "Thank you for your concern. It’s no matter; I won't die just yet."
Looking at his fragile appearance, Yu Lingzhao thought he truly was a sickly beauty.
"Don't die. The world only has a bit of color because beauties like you exist in it."
The young man hadn't expected the woman dressed as a guard to suddenly flirt with him.
Two red clouds bloomed on his face, and he began coughing again.
Yu Lingzhao looked down at him; this was truly ruinous, he was far too good-looking. How could someone look this good even while coughing up blood?
The young man coughed a few more times, took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his hands, and threw it away immediately.
He then pulled out a second handkerchief, intending to wipe Yu Lingzhao’s hands.
Yu Lingzhao abruptly pulled her hand back. "You..."
The young man gave a weak smile and pointed to the bloodstains on her hand.
"Blood. It's dirty."
Yu Lingzhao gave an awkward laugh, took the handkerchief from his hand, and wiped it herself.
The young man looked at Yu Lingzhao and suddenly asked, "Which family’s guard are you? I see your skills are quite good. How about you come and be my guard? I’ll pay you five times your current monthly salary."
Yu Lingzhao was greatly shocked. This beautiful young man’s family must be either extremely wealthy or noble; he just threw money at people the moment he opened his mouth.
If it weren't for the fact that she was also very rich, she might have been tempted by just a tiny bit.
Yu Lingzhao calmly maintained a slight distance and said tactfully, "That wouldn't be right. My master has shown me the kindness of rebuilding my life; how could I switch to another family for mere silver? No, no."
The young man laughed upon hearing this and coughed again. He covered his mouth with his hand, but it couldn't hide the blood.
Yu Lingzhao instinctively stuffed the handkerchief he had just given her back to him, saying sincerely, "Wipe it."
The young man froze, not expecting such a gesture from Yu Lingzhao.
He smiled and used his index finger to brush away the blood at the corner of his mouth. "It's no matter. I am sincerely inviting you to be my guard. Besides money, is there anything else you want?"
This young man's eyes were truly too beautiful. When he looked at someone sincerely, the earnestness in his gaze was simply too easy to get lost in.
Without thinking, Yu Lingzhao raised her hand to cover his eyes. She couldn't look anymore; looking any longer would be a foul.
"Anything else I want? Is anything okay?"
With his eyes covered, the young man felt her warm palm pressed against him.
He blinked and noticed her hand tremble slightly. Just after Yu Lingzhao asked, she felt his eyelashes flutter, and her hand couldn't help but shake a little as well.
"Anything," the young man said.
"Then tell me your name first, and I’ll go back and think about it."
Yu Lingzhao was curious about this young man.
Someone this good-looking didn't seem to have been mentioned in the original book.
Xiao Ning'an was already considered an extremely handsome and talented young man, but compared to this sickly beauty, it was like the difference between heaven and mud.
Xiao Ning'an was the mud.
The young man's thin lips parted slightly as he said warmly, "Yuan Heng."
"Hmm? Which 'Yuan'?"
"The 'Yuan' from 'Yi Yuan Fu Shi' (A new year begins)."
"Which 'Heng'?"
"The 'Heng' from 'Wearing the ceremonial robes, the vermilion knee-covers are grand, with the tinkling of the green gem-pendant* (Heng).'"
*This line is from the Book of Songs; the full phrase describes an official in resplendent attire.
Yuan Heng...
Yu Lingzhao repeated the name; it was truly very unfamiliar. As the rain gradually stopped, Yu Lingzhao didn't plan to linger.
She looked at the beautiful young man whose eyes she was still covering and felt it was quite a pity.
"The rain has stopped, I'm leaving now!"
Yu Lingzhao reached out, pulled a piece of gauze to drape over Yuan Heng's head, and using that as a slight leverage, she glided out using Qinggong.
By the time the beautiful young man brushed aside the gauze, Yu Lingzhao had already galloped away on her horse, her shadow nowhere to be found.
"Master, do you need this subordinate to investigate this woman's identity?"
Two ghost-masked men appeared silently behind the beautiful young man. One of them stepped forward and asked respectfully.
The young man shook his head slightly. "No need."
He had a premonition that they would certainly meet again.
—
The moment Yu Lingzhao returned, Feiwu detected the scent of blood on her.
Her heart instantly leaped into her throat, and she inspected Yu Lingzhao from head to toe.
Yu Lingzhao spread her arms and allowed Feiwu to check her over, but her mind was preoccupied with wondering exactly who Yuan Heng was.
He was far too good-looking; he truly didn't seem like an ordinary person.
That aura surrounding him was also impossible to ignore, yet for the life of her, she couldn't match him with anyone in the capital.
"County Princess, please take this servant with you the next time you go out."
Feiwu looked somewhat aggrieved. "One moment I see your head is cut open, and the next I see you covered in blood. This servant is frightened."
Yu Lingzhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Feiwu usually seemed so composed, yet she hadn't expected to scare the girl so much these past two times.
"Alright, I'll definitely take you along next time."
As Yu Lingzhao changed out of her bloodstained clothes, Feiwu felt there was still an unfamiliar fragrance lingering on her.
"A fragrance?" Yu Lingzhao thought for a moment; it was likely picked up from that beautiful young man just now.
"Have you smelled it before?"
Feiwu shook her head. "The County Princess has never liked incense, and we servants have never prepared any."
Yu Lingzhao nodded. It seemed that trying to investigate the beautiful young man's identity through the scent of incense was going to be a bit troublesome.
"Right, have someone go and find out which families have been staying at Huguo Temple these past few days."
Yu Lingzhao's intuition told her that the beautiful young man's identity was definitely not simple.
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