Escape the Miaojiang Villain - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: His Little Slave Bell-Saving the Beauty
A bell.
A bell trapped in a cage.
Tu Lingxiang nodded.
“Understood, Young Master.”
Faking compliance might be her only way to save her own life right now.
Lian Jing was in a great mood seeing how well-behaved she was today, so he applied medicine to both of her hands.
Tu Lingxiang’s throat felt dry and parched. He had choked her terribly yesterday, and her vocal cords still hurt when she spoke.
At this moment, she did not even need to pretend; she naturally looked like a helpless, tear-stained pear blossom in the rain.
Seeing that Lian Jing was in a good mood, she asked timidly, “Young Master, could you give me a sip of water to drink?”
Hearing this, Lian Jing surprisingly handed her a cup of clear tea with great generosity. Tu Lingxiang looked at the tea presented before her but did not dare to take it. However, he brought the cup directly to her lips, pressing the rim of the green jade cup right against her lip petals.
This cup… was probably going to be ruined.
She asked, “Can I really drink it?”
The young man before her showed a look of speechlessness in his eyes.
Tu Lingxiang observed his expression. Fearing he might regret it, she cupped the glass with both hands and, leaning on his hand, drank the entire cup of tea in one breath.
Lian Jing looked at his hand being cupped by her two small hands, stunned for a moment, before pulling his hand back. However, Tu Lingxiang followed along, grabbing his hand and gazing at him with eager eyes, “Young Master, can I have a refill?”
“…”
Did she take him for a tea seller?
Refill?
He placed the teacup onto the low table and said, “Pour it yourself!”
Tu Lingxiang was delighted. Her throat had been dry all night long, and she felt as if her throat was about to be ruined. Hearing Lian Jing’s permission, she immediately picked up the teapot on the low table and poured herself another cup of tea. She drank cup after cup until only the dregs of tea leaves remained in the pot.
She pursed her lips, lifted her head, and said somewhat timidly,”Young Master, what should I do? I drank all of it.”
The corner of Lian Jing’s mouth twitched. He turned his head away in annoyance and said coldly, “Boil a full pot for me yourself.”
“Okay.” Tu Lingxiang agreed readily. He was finally no longer throwing a temper. She prayed in her heart that they could quickly reach Miao Jiang. Once he met the female lead, his temper should improve significantly.
“Young Master, the wedding dress has been sent back to Changyan Sect,” a voice reported to him from outside.
“Mm.”
Tu Lingxiang was stunned. He had actually sent someone to return her wedding dress back to Changyan Sect—this was far too arrogant!
Five days later, the carriage finally arrived at the borders of Miao Jiang.
Along the journey, seven or eight people came with Lian Jing. After a few days, Tu Lingxiang was barely able to tell them apart. There was a young boy specifically serving Lian Jing named Huo Xin. Because she had now become Lian Jing’s personal maidservant, the boy had much less work to do. He glared at her from time to time, as if she had stolen his position.
Not far in front of the gate of the Miao Jiang stronghold was a high mountain canyon called Gusheng Valley. Carriages could not travel inside, so they could only proceed on foot.
Once they crossed this canyon, they would truly enter Miao Jiang.
Lian Jing just had to be someone who loved causing trouble. The inside of the canyon was dark and humid, with water dripping down from the stone walls now and then, so he demanded that she hold an umbrella for him.
However, he was tall—over eight feet tall—which truly made things difficult for a shorty like her. She could only hold up her hands high, struggling to hold up the oiled paper umbrella painted with a red lotus pattern for him.
The paths inside the canyon were rugged and uneven, covered with moss along the way. Her miserable cries of “Ouch!” could be heard from time to time. Yet Lian Jing would not let anyone else hold the umbrella for him, picking on her alone to torment.
“Young Master, why don’t we take a rest?”
Her arms were so sore from holding the umbrella.
Underneath the umbrella, Lian Jing reflected the red light of the canopy; his whole person looked as if he were placed in a flowing, dazzling rainbow of light. He lowered his eyes to look at her and said expressionlessly, “There are numerous Gu creatures in this valley. If you want to rest, I don’t mind leaving you here alone to rest.”
“Huh?”
The moment Tu Lingxiang heard this, she instantly chickened out. She was terrified of Gu creatures too.
She shook her head like a rattle-drum.
“No rest, no rest! Young Master, let’s hurry up and walk.”
Before they had walked long, an abrupt scream came from ahead. Hearing it, Tu Lingxiang immediately knew that the female lead was about to make her entrance, and Lian Jing was about to heroically save the beauty. Afterwards, he would even pretend to be injured so the female lead would help him apply medicine.
The corners of her lips curled up; the good show was finally about to begin.
The young man beside her snorted coldly.
“Hearing someone in trouble, yet you can smile so happily. You truly are scorpion-hearted.”
Tu Lingxiang: “???”
Fine, in his eyes, she was just a venomous, evil woman.
She immediately pulled back her smile and asked back,”Since Young Master cares so much about that person in trouble, why haven’t you gone to the rescue yet? Maybe they are a great beauty. If you save her, she might offer herself to you in marriage out of gratitude.”
Lian Jing raised his right hand, bending his index finger forward. Two people behind him immediately took the command and ran toward the direction where the sound came from.
Tu Lingxiang thought to herself: You’re not going?
Lian Jing’s hair was brushed by the umbrella, and he reprimanded her in dissatisfaction.
“Hold the umbrella properly for me!”
“Yes, yes, yes, Young Master.” She immediately focused her mind, raising the umbrella a bit higher. Even though her hands were already very sore, she still tried her best to hold it up.
Serving this lord was truly exhausting.
After a short moment, someone returned and reported to Lian Jing.
“Young Master, it seems someone fell into a pit up ahead.”
Hearing this, Lian Jing walked toward that direction, but he walked neither fast nor slow, looking completely unhurried.
He wasn’t even in a rush to save someone?
Tu Lingxiang knew clearly in her heart that this was just a plan of his. Earlier, he had already ordered Shu Yan to visit Miao Jiang to investigate the female lead.
Upon learning that the female lead often came to this Gusheng Valley, he had people lie in wait here in advance. When the female lead arrived, they would attack her. When she fell into danger, he would step in to save her. That way, wouldn’t he be able to become the favored son-in-law of the Miao King?
Tu Lingxiang knew this part of the plot inside out; after all, she had written it with her own hands.
Just wait to watch the good show later.
However, why was Lian Jing walking so slowly?
Didn’t he want to see the female lead sooner?
Although he approached the female lead with a motive at the beginning of the book, he actually fell in love with her for real during this period—madly in love to the point of becoming obsessed and insane for her.
The moonlight in the canyon was sparse, and the stone walls were cold and dreary. They walked along this long mountain path for dozens of steps before they finally heard a distinct sound.
“Help! Help!”
It was a woman’s voice, delicate and soft, coming from the dark valley pit below.
Lian Jing glanced below, then leapt down. Seeing him jump down, Tu Lingxiang finally put down the hand holding the umbrella.
She moved her two arms around, massaging them, and muttered.
“This is tiring me to death.”
A cold glare swept over from the side. It was that little boy named Huo Xin, fair and delicate, as pretty as a girl.
“Serving Young Master is your blessing, yet you dare to say it’s tiring.”
“…”
Can this blessing be given to you instead?
“Hey, since you want to serve your young master so badly, can’t you be a little more proactive?” As she spoke, she patted his shoulder, “Be more active in your work, kid.”
“You dare to pat me?” He opened his eyes wide in shock.
“Hehe, just encouraging you a bit,” Tu Lingxiang said with a grin.
“You are Young Master’s little manservant, and I am Young Master’s little maidservant. We should get along amicably.”
“Who wants to get along amicably with you?” Avoiding her like the plague, he took a step back and said, “You are nothing more than a little slave; your status is completely different from mine.”
“Then how about I recognize you as my big brother instead?”
“Ah?” Huo Xin was stunned for a moment, then immediately straightened his demeanor, cleared his throat, and held his head high with chest puffed out.
“It’s not that easy to be my little follower.”
“Tell me, what will it take?”
He rubbed his chin with one hand, seemingly in deep thought, but then shook his head again.
“No, no, absolutely not.”
Just at that moment, a red-clad figure leapt out from the pit in the valley, holding a young girl dressed in Miao attire in his hand.
Is that… the female lead, Sang Yue?
After Lian Jing landed, the young girl was still weeping. This spot was relatively dark, with crisscrossing branches and leaves, and mountain rocks standing all around. Lian Jing stood beside a bare boulder, released the girl’s hand, and asked her, “Young Lady, are you alright?”
Tu Lingxiang stood to the side watching them, thinking to herself that this kid Lian Jing was acting quite gentle.
The woman slightly lowered her head, her hair somewhat messy, her face covered in tear tracks. Hidden in the darkness, she wiped her tears with her sleeve while saying,”It hurts so much. I think I broke my arm, Young Master, please take a look for me.”
Tu Lingxiang held the umbrella and stared at the young girl on the ground, thinking to herself: When did the daughter I wrote become so delicate and frail?
Lian Jing squatted down, held one of her forearms, lifted it slightly, and said, “It’s not broken.”
“But why do I feel so much pain?” The woman raised her tear-filled eyes, looking at Lian Jing delicatelly and saying,”Young Master, my leg hurts very much too. Could you take me home?”
Seeing Lian Jing remain silent, she hurriedly added,”My home isn’t far, just in the Miao village below.”
“Alright, I will take you back.” Lian Jing leaned down close, picked her up, and when he walked in front of Tu Lingxiang, he saw her frowning her thin willow brows, wearing an ugly expression on her face.
“Move aside, don’t block the way.”
“…”
Standing there, Tu Lingxiang hurriedly made way for him. After he walked past, she scratched her head and stared in confusion at the woman in his arms, calling out, “Miss Sang Yue?”
Unexpectedly, the woman immediately turned around and looked back, asking, “Sister? Where is my sister?”
Lian Jing instantly stopped in his tracks and asked the person in his arms.
“You are not Sang Yue?”
“No, I am Sang Yu,” the person in his arms looked up and answered.
As soon as she finished speaking, Lian Jing opened his hands, and she fell right onto the ground just like that.
“Ouch…” The young girl cried out in pain, glaring at him in dissatisfaction.
“Why did you let go?”
Lian Jing said with an innocent face.
“My hands suddenly seem to have lost strength. How about I find someone to take you home?” Saying so, he looked behind toward Huo Xin, who was closest to them.
Huo Xin walked over extremely reluctantly, reaching out his hand to support the girl on the ground. However, Sang Yu brushed his hand away and said petulantly, “I’m not walking anymore, I want to wait for my sister here.”
Lian Jing’s gaze swept toward Tu Lingxiang across from him, catching her secretly pursing her lips in a smile. Was she laughing at his expense?
His voice carried sullen anger as he said, “Can’t you see this master is getting rained on? Hurry over and hold the umbrella!”
Tu Lingxiang gathered her smile and jogged over toward him, yet she could not hold back her desire to laugh. He was way too hilarious—going through all the trouble to arrange a hero-saving-the-beauty act, only to save the wrong person!
Saving the wrong person was one thing, but he had even hugged that Sang Yu just now. Right now, he probably wished he could wash his hands ten times over.
She walked to his side and held up the umbrella for him, quietly peeking at his dark, sullen face and sharp sword-like brows. Suddenly, he lowered his head, grabbed the back of her head with his left hand, pulled her toward his side, and whispered in a low voice, “Have you been to Miao Jiang before?”
She actually even knew the name Sang Yue.
Tu Lingxiang looked at his smooth chin that was right in front of her, as beautiful as a masterpiece from a master craftsman’s hands. Holding her breath, she answered, “No, I only heard senior brothers mention it before.”
Just then, a long black shadow plummeted down from the cliff ahead. It was exceptionally long, like a giant dragon hanging upside down on the mountain wall. At the end of the black shadow, it seemed to be wrapping around a slender young girl.
The young girl fell from the sky, entangled by a huge black vine. During her descent, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of two striking red figures standing in the valley. Because they were so conspicuous, they were impossible to ignore.
Over there, a young girl in a red dress was raising her hands high, struggling to hold up an umbrella for the young man beside her. The umbrella canopy blooming with red lotus covered the young man’s face, and their red garments clung together, looking just like twin-bloomed, alluring hell flowers of the underworld.
At that time, she did not know that the arrival of these two people would bring a devastating calamity to their Gusheng Village.
Nor did she know that the young man was the bridegroom she was to marry in the near future.
Just as she was about to plummet to the ground, the young man over there moved upon hearing the sound, flashing before her like lightning, grabbing the black vine wrapping around her with one hand. He lifted the vine up with his bare hands, and she was forced to be swept up along with it, without falling to the ground.
Not far away, Tu Lingxiang held the red umbrella alone, watching the show, growing anxious in her heart as she roared internally: Lian Jing, are you useless or what?!
Why didn’t you catch her with your hands?
What a great opportunity!
You should be doing a princess-carry right now!
That way her heart would flutter!
Does this author still need to teach you this?
Sigh, useless.
