Escape the Miaojiang Villain - Chapter 7
Chapter 7: His Little Slave-Bell- Washing Feet
That vine hung upside down from above the gorge. Looking upward, a thread-like fine rain fell from the quiet blue sky. The vine swung its body left and right like a fat giant snake, exceptionally restless beneath Lian Jing’s palm.
The vine suddenly released Sang Yue, reversing into a curl that wrapped Lian Jing up instead. The long black vine moved rapidly, coiling around him several times in a matter of moments, trapping him entirely from neck to foot.
Leaping into the air, the vine soared into the high sky, carrying the red-clothed youth up above the gorge. Below, Huo Xin shouted anxiously.
“Young Master! Young Master!”
Sang Yue looked up at the sky. The curved blade in her hand flew out at a slant, its sharp metallic surface catching raindrops that reflected a cold, clear glitter. The blade flew toward the top of the gorge, charging at those black vines, yet those vines seemed to possess eyes of their own, actively swerving to avoid the blade.
She stood below, the silver ornaments atop her head shining brightly. Her eyes were focused intently on the sky above while her right hand controlled the curved blade mid-air. Her jet-black hair fluttered, and the light blue Miao attire drifted gently in the rain.
Tu Lingxiang stared blankly at her from across.
Was this the female lead written by her own pen?
So beautiful.
So fierce and formidable.
Everyone was looking up at Lian Jing above—she alone was looking at the young woman across from her.
High in the sky, Lian Jing suddenly spun upward, looking immensely like a freshly bloomed water lotus. This time, it was no longer the vine wrapping around him to move, but rather he who moved, dragging the vine along.
He flew toward an even higher place, seemingly headed for the vine’s nest. Before long, a loud boom echoed from above, resounding across the entire valley.
Immediately after, fragments of black vines rained down from the high sky like dismembered remains. Because the distance was too great and the night was pitch-black, no one could clearly see how Lian Jing had sliced through that vine. Both Sang Yue and Sang Yu showed expressions of surprise; they had not expected a youth so young to be this powerful.
Countless severed vines slammed to the ground around their feet. Sang Yue squatted down to inspect them. These vines had already developed a spiritual nature and had lived for at least a thousand years. Fine traces of time lined the vines—dry and withered.
She picked up a piece of dry vine to examine it for a moment, but inside it, she caught sight of a tiny bug crawling out. Her expression instantly changed drastically, and she called out: “There are Gu insects!”
“Quickly tell your Young Master to come down! There are Gu insects inside these vines!”
The moment she heard there were Gu insects, Sang Yu scrambled to her feet from the ground, grabbing Sang Yue’s sleeve and pulling her along to flee.
“Sister, run!”
Sang Yue took two steps and then stopped in her tracks.
“No, that young master hasn’t come down yet.”
Sang Yu said in a panicked hurry, “Who knows how many Gu insects are hidden inside these vines? Staying a single moment longer will cost us our lives!”
Huo Xin was still shouting toward the sky, “Young Master, come down quickly! There are Gu insects!”
Meanwhile, Tu Lingxiang had already begun to flee. She rushed over, grabbed Sang Yu’s hand, and said, “Quick, quick, quick! Let’s escape! They’re super strong, don’t worry about them! Which way do we run? Tell me quickly!”
Sang Yu’s mind couldn’t process things in time either; driven purely by self-preservation, she pulled Tu Lingxiang along and ran toward a certain direction.
“Over there! Going that way leads out of the gorge!”
At that point, the two ran for their lives. At that moment, they shared only one common goal: they absolutely could not get bitten by the Gu creatures.
After running out of the gorge, Sang Yu held onto Tu Lingxiang’s cuff and said out of breath.
“Rest… let’s rest for a moment.”
Tu Lingxiang was also gasping for air, exhausted. The two sat down on the grass together, both panting heavily. Once she caught her breath, Sang Yu pointed at her and said with considerable admiration.
“You don’t even want your master anymore?”
Tu Lingxiang scratched her head. In that moment, she couldn’t care about anything else; surviving was all that mattered.
Lian Jing was so strong—how could he possibly fear a mere handful of Gu insects?
She raised her chin and said, “Didn’t you say your legs couldn’t walk? You ran pretty fast just now, huh?”
“Uh…” Sang Yu lowered her head in slight embarrassment.
Back inside the gorge, Lian Jing landed gracefully on the ground. Sang Yue immediately rushed forward and asked with concern, “Young Master, are you alright?”
He shook his head lightly.
“Follow me out of here quickly. There are too many Gu insects to linger.”
With that, she turned to lead the way for him.
Lian Jing stood still without moving, his gaze sweeping the surroundings before turning to Huo Xin at his side.
Gritting his teeth, he asked, “Where is she?”
She? What person?
Huo Xin looked around, only then realizing that Tu Lingxiang had actually vanished. He hadn’t even noticed when she ran off.
Sang Yue, up ahead, turned her head and answered, “Young Master’s maidservant and my younger sister have already left the valley ahead of us.”
Hearing this, Lian Jing’s gaze grew several degrees colder.
Heh!
Not bad, Tu Lingxiang.
My life and death are still uncertain, and you ran off first.
However, Tu Lingxiang, currently sitting on the grassy ground outside the valley, was completely unaware of this. She genuinely believed she had created an opportunity for Lian Jing and Sang Yue to be alone together. She was certain he would be grateful to her in his heart, perhaps even praising her right now for being observant and a sensible little maid.
Not long after, a group of people walked out of the valley—it was Lian Jing, Sang Yue, and the others.
At this moment, Lian Jing was being supported by Sang Yue, looking severely injured.
Tu Lingxiang thought to herself: He’s acting pretty convincingly.
Once they reached a bright spot, Sang Yue stopped in her tracks, turned around, and said, “Young Master, let me see your wound quickly. You must not get bitten by the Gu creatures.”
Lian Jing’s clear, translucent gaze locked onto Tu Lingxiang standing in the distance.
He gestured with his hand and said feebly, “Come here.”
“???”
Why was he calling her over?
Tu Lingxiang walked over sluggishly and asked respectfully, “What orders does Young Master have?”
He raised one arm and said, “Roll up my sleeve for me.”
“…”
He needed her for something this trivial?
She grabbed his wide silk sleeve embroidered with lotus patterns and was just about to roll it up forcefully when she heard him speak again, “Gently. Are you blind? Can’t you see your Young Master is injured?”
Tu Lingxiang hung her head, thinking to herself: With a minor wound like yours, I don’t believe it hurts that much.
She gently rolled up his long sleeve, revealing a section of his arm that was fairer and tenderer than lotus root. Upon his upper arm, there was indeed a half-finger-long bloody gash.
Sang Yue leaned in to take a look, her tense expression relaxing.
“Fortunately, you weren’t infected by Gu.”
She pulled a small medicine bottle from her person and handed it to Tu Lingxiang.
“Apply some medicine to your Young Master.”
“???”
Tu Lingxiang froze for a long moment without taking it. Lian Jing clearly wanted you to apply the medicine for him—why give it to me?
“What are you standing there for? Take it quickly! With this behavior, don’t go saying you’re Lian Jing’s maid when we’re outside.”
Lian Jing’s displeased voice sounded above her head. She could only take it quickly and thank Sang Yue.
“Thank you, Miss.”
She unstoppered the bottle, looked up at Lian Jing, and said, “Then Young Master, I’m going to apply the medicine for you now?”
Lian Jing had a dark face, his glare seemingly saying: If you don’t apply it for me, do you expect me to do it myself?
Seeing his foul mood, Tu Lingxiang figured it must be because the female lead didn’t apply the medicine for him, which made him angry now.
She lowered her head, carefully sprinkling the medicinal powder over his wound. Afterward, she drew a snow-white embroidered handkerchief from his other sleeve and bound his arm up simply.
Sang Yue said, “Young Master, thank you for saving us earlier. If it weren’t for my father’s strict discipline, I would surely invite you to stay at my home for a few days. It’s late now—do you have a place to stay? If not, do you need me to arrange it for you?”
Lian Jing cupped his hands in gratitude.
“No need to trouble you, Miss. We have our own place to stay.”
“Alright then. My sister and I will take our leave first.” She supported Sang Yu, and after bidding farewell to Lian Jing, the two turned and walked toward the Miao village illuminated by a thousand lights.
Lian Jing gazed quietly in the direction they departed, his eyes reflecting the brilliant, flickering lights of the village.
Dots like stars, winding and crisscrossing.
Tu Lingxiang followed his gaze, watching the graceful silhouettes of Sang Yue and Sang Yu. Both wore uniquely styled Miao clothing with silver hair ornaments atop their heads. Sang Yue was slightly taller than Sang Yu. The two beauties supported each other as they walked, gradually vanishing into the dust scattered by the moonlight.
Where they were heading was the very Miao village she had always longed for.
And few in this world knew that Lian Jing, in fact, was also half a Miao youth himself.
While she was lost in thought, Lian Jing grabbed her by the collar, lifting her like a little squirrel and dragging her toward that mystery-filled village.
“Yo… Young Master…”
She pleaded loudly for mercy; being hoisted by her collar like this was choking her neck so badly she could barely breathe.
Lian Jing let go, grabbing her arm instead, and dragged her along like dragging a corpse.
“Tu Lingxiang, you’ve got quite the nerve.”
Tu Lingxiang lay flat on her back on the ground, being dragged across the grass. She looked up at the bright crescent moon above. The sky over the Miao border was like a deep blue ocean, and that moon was the sole vessel upon that sea—it felt as though she could touch it if she just reached out her hand.
She didn’t know how she had provoked Lian Jing again. Wasn’t it just because the female lead didn’t apply his medicine? Why take his anger out on her?
The moon-boat in her eyes grew increasingly blurred. She reached out her other hand, reaching toward the sky above, yearning to touch that pure, bright moon.
The moon inside the book seemed so close, yet in reality, it was so far away.
She was dragged back by Lian Jing into a courtyard. This place was Xiaoli Village, a residence specifically provided for outsiders attending the marriage-proposal tournament. Built along the river, Lian Jing had deliberately chosen a dwelling at the very end—secluded, quiet, and cool.
The architecture here consisted entirely of stilt houses (Diaojiaolou) in the hip-and-gable wooden style, constructed along the slope, suspended in mid-air, and standing elevated. The house they were staying in had three floors in total. The first floor was for Huo Xin and the other men to live in.
The second floor contained the main hall and kitchen, while the third floor was Lian Jing’s residence.
Lately, they had spent all their time in the carriage, and she had always slept inside Lian Jing’s carriage as well.
Now that they were staying in the Miao village, where was she supposed to sleep?
On the first floor with a group of grown men?
Just as she was looking at this tall stilt building and taking it in, Lian Jing threw her onto the ground, commanding her from above.
“Go boil water and serve this master by washing my feet.”
“…”
Tu Lingxiang scrambled up from the ground, turned her head away, and ran up the stairs, looking quite huffy and furious.
She went to the kitchen on the second floor, boiled a pot of water, scooped out a basin of hot water, and carried it up to the third floor.
There were several rooms on the third floor, but only the room in the very middle had candle light glowing. She carried the wooden basin toward that room.
“Young Master, the water is ready. You can wash now.”
After setting down the wooden basin, she saw Lian Jing examining the antique ornaments in the room. His clean, pale hand was caressing a Miao blade resting on a rack. Then, he drew the slender Miao blade out, releasing a blinding flash of silver light. The tip of his blade was pointed squarely at her with absolute precision.
She was instantly scared out of her wits, her feet trembling, and the corners of her mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Lian Jing took in the sight of her petrified expression. The corners of his gorgeously radiant lips turned up slightly. He gently flicked the blade’s tip, picking up a strand of her hair, and asked softly, “Hey, scared silly?”
Tu Lingxiang’s face turned pale, completely unable to smile. His blade edge was bright and clear as a mirror, reflecting her panicked, terrified face. The tip was incomparably sharp, cutting through iron like butter—in just this brief moment, a good deal of her hair strands fell to the floor.
“Now you know fear? What about earlier? What about when you abandoned me and ran off alone?”
Lian Jing’s voice was even colder than the moonlight outside the window.
“Young Master, you are so powerful… would you be afraid of those Gu insects?”
Tu Lingxiang said in a trembling voice, “But… I’m afraid…”
Getting bitten once would cost a person their life.
“So what? It seems you lack the self-awareness of a maidservant. When your master is in danger, no matter how afraid you are, you cannot leave first. You must wait until I arrive before you can leave.”
As he spoke, the tip of his blade shifted to her chest; with just a little force, it could pierce through her heart.
Tu Lingxiang trembled even harder from fright, unable to squeeze out a complete sentence from her mouth.
“Yo… Young Master…”
“Really can’t take a scare.”
Lian Jing shook his head disappointedly, pulled back the long blade, turned around, and placed it back in its original spot.
Seeing him retract the blade, Tu Lingxiang’s legs went soft, and she slid toward the floor.
Lian Jing walked over toward this side, sat down on the rosewood chair, and said: “Now, I shall cultivate your self-awareness as a maid.”
“???”
Tu Lingxiang raised her head in confusion, seeing laughter swirling in his eyes, looking exceedingly full of ill intent.
In the next moment, she heard him issue an order.
“Wash my feet.”
“Me… Me?” she pointed at herself and asked in astonishment.
“Who else? Is there a third person in this room?”
“Oh.”
It was just washing feet—nothing to make a big deal out of.
Her hands moved sluggishly toward his feet. She lifted one of his calves, removed his silver-threaded black leather boots and long socks for him, and then rolled up his soft, white silk trouser legs to his knees, revealing a large portion of his fair calf.
Some fine hair grew on those legs; seeing it made her face burn hot with embarrassment, and she even felt secretly and shamefully that it was quite sexy.
She first reached out to test the water temperature—neither too hot nor too cold, just right—before placing both his feet into the wooden basin. Cupping a palmful of warm water with both hands, she poured it over his legs, letting it trickle down from his knees.
Lian Jing leaned against the back of the chair, resting his head on one hand with his eyes closed to recover his energy. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and said, “I told you to wash my feet, not to wash my legs.”
The young girl raised a bright red face to ask him, “We’re not washing the legs?”
Lian Jing turned his gaze away, thinking to himself: I only asked her to wash my feet—why is her face blushing to that extent?
He closed his eyes again and said impatiently, “Wash it however you want.”
