Chapter 33
The Woman in Red, I've Got Her Cover
The incident happened suddenly; from the moment the woman in red was struck to the moment she fell into the lake, only a few breaths had passed.
Even if Jiang Chao reacted first, he wouldn't have time to jump into the water to rescue her because he was on horseback with his back to the woman in red.
They could only watch helplessly as the other person was attacked, fell into the lake, and disappeared.
Jiang Chao did not rush to save her. The woman in red, who had died once before, would not drown so easily.
The boy turned his head and looked coldly at the pavilion to the side.
The sneak attack just now came from this direction.
The invisible energy fluctuations were about to dissipate, but a trace remained, which he could clearly perceive.
"What is the meaning of this, sir? Why did you attack someone for no reason?" Jiang Chao asked calmly.
Inside the pavilion, two men and a woman were chatting and laughing, facing Jiang Chao and his companions.
Upon hearing this, one of them turned around. He was a young man in his twenties dressed in white, with a fair complexion and no beard. He looked gentle and refined, not like a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of martial arts and chivalry), but rather like a scholar.
The young man in white asked in surprise, "Young hero, are you speaking to us?"
The other man and woman also turned their gazes toward Jiang Chao on horseback, their eyes filled with doubt.
Jiang Chao curled the corners of his lips, staring directly at the young man in white, and smiled:
"You dare to do it but not admit it? Are you perhaps related to the turtles in this lake? You bite people and then cower away."
A flicker of anger flashed in the young man's eyes, but his face remained refined. He shook his head, feigning ignorance, and said:
"I wonder what you're talking about, young hero."
Only then did the martial arts practitioners nearby realize that the woman in red who had been following two young men on horseback had vanished without a trace.
Coupled with the earlier sound of falling into the water, everyone suddenly realized that they had been ambushed and fallen into the lake on the other side of the road.
They couldn't help but stop and watch the spectacle.
Seeing that the other party refused to admit it and continued to play dumb, Jiang Chao stopped talking. He turned around, reached out and lifted the bewildered Lu Jing behind him, pushed off the saddle with both feet, and the two of them took off into the air and landed on the steps at the edge of the pavilion.
Even if Chu Nüxia and Su E were slow to react, they would realize what had happened by this time.
The two dismounted from their horses in perfect unison and stood still, observing the situation.
The pavilion was small, so when Jiang Chao and Lu Jing landed on the steps, they were less than five steps away from the three people standing by the railing.
Ignoring the gazes of the three men, Jiang Chao, with a clear objective, took two steps at a time and stood in front of the young man in white. Before he could say anything, he raised his arm and slapped him across the face.
If someone were to take that slap in front of everyone, not only would the young man in white who was the first to be slapped lose face, but the other man and woman would also lose face because their companion had been humiliated.
Almost instantly, the man and woman flanking the young man in white simultaneously intervened.
However, before they could get close, they were blasted back by an invisible force, their bodies crashing into the railing, and they let out a muffled groan.
Then.
With a sharp "slap," the clear sound of a slap echoed across the lakeside.
But it didn't end there. The boy who slapped the other person in public seemed to be swatting away a fly, or perhaps he was disgusted by the other person's thick skin, and the slap hurt his hand.
With a frown and a flick of his wrist, the white-clad youth who had just been slapped was sent flying, plummeting straight into the lake.
Since you really think of yourself as a turtle or tortoise, then go cool off in the lake.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, seeing their young master being humiliated like this, the two guards who had failed to protect their master, despite having already tested the extraordinary nature of the young man before them when they tried to stop him, were still filled with uncontrollable rage. They immediately drew their swords and attacked the young man from the left and right.
With a flash of sword light, the boy struck again, delivering two crisp, clear slaps.
"Slap, slap"
The man and woman, who appeared to be dressed as江湖人士 (jianghu figures), were sent flying backward at an even faster speed, landing in the lake before the young man in white.
Plop—
The two fell into the water at the same time, creating a huge splash.
Meanwhile, the white-clad youth who had been carried away by the boy's arm was still flying backwards on the lake, his speed not slow, but not as fast as expected.
White mist swirled over the lake, and soon the figure of the young man in white disappeared from sight.
However, the sound of falling into the water was nowhere to be heard.
This scene, though seemingly complex, was actually very quick, lasting only a few breaths before the inexplicable commotion ended.
The onlookers, though shocked, felt it wasn't enough.
I thought I would see a thrilling scene of swords flashing and blood splattering, but who would have thought that a conflict would end so hastily.
Jiang Chao ignored the thoughts of those martial arts figures. He leaped up from his spot and crashed straight into the lake on the other side of the road.
A moment later, the boy, carrying the woman in red who was soaking wet and covered in mud, leaped out of the lake and landed on the shore.
The young man's inner energy surged, shaking off the moisture from his clothes. He then waved to Lu Jing, who was standing blankly in the pavilion, signaling him to come over, before walking towards the chestnut horse.
Not far from the pavilion, a wandering swordsman who had witnessed this strange scene touched his bald head and muttered to himself, looking utterly bewildered:
"What's going on here? Did I just see things, or what?"
There were quite a few people present who felt just as confused as the wandering swordsman, but judging from the skills the young man had just displayed, it was best not to ask these questions to avoid getting into trouble.
However, the young man's approach of first being courteous and then resorting to force still left a deep impression on these people of the martial arts world.
After the group of five left, the martial arts practitioners who followed behind began to discuss loudly.
Some people say that the young man in white and the other two men and women in the pavilion deserved to be humiliated. They had no grudges against them, so why did they suddenly attack them, especially with such a sneak attack that showed no regard for chivalry?
They made the move and then denied it; it's utterly shameless.
Some people say that the boy was too arrogant, attacking someone without even asking why, and slapping them in the face in the most humiliating way. What if it was a misunderstanding? Wouldn't he have offended the person terribly?
Those who had witnessed the spectacle had differing opinions and argued endlessly, but they were all even more eager for this grand martial arts tournament.
After walking a distance, Chu Ning, who kept turning back to look at Jiang Chao's calm face, finally couldn't help but ask:
"Hey, Jiang Qilin, what exactly happened just now? How are you so sure that the three people in the pavilion were the ones who attacked her?"
Meeting Chu's questioning gaze, Jiang Chao smiled but did not answer.
Su E, who was standing to the side, spoke up at this moment, gently explaining to Chu Ning:
"The three people in the pavilion were clearly a master and two servants, not ordinary martial arts travelers. If they were ordinary martial arts travelers who had come to participate in the martial arts tournament, they would not have the leisure to stay by the lake and enjoy the scenery. They would be like us, hurrying to our destination. I just don't understand why they suddenly attacked us. Could it be that they recognized her?"
Jiang Chao actually guessed the same thing.
The young man in white must have recognized the woman in red, but due to some concerns, he didn't want to reveal it in public, so he secretly tried to test her.
Who would have thought that the woman in red, who appeared to be no different from a living person, had long lost her original martial arts cultivation and even her mind was incomplete. Struck by the hidden force, she was immediately sent flying.
The reason he asked questions first was to test the waters and find out the specific reason, but the other party kept pretending to be stupid and refused to admit it, so Jiang Chao had no choice but to be blunt.
No matter what, the woman in red is now practically one of his own, protected by Jiang Chao. How could he allow others to bully her like this?
Do you really think that Young Master Jiang has no temper?
If you anger this young master, I don't care who you are, I'll beat you up first.
Even if Jiang Chao reacted first, he wouldn't have time to jump into the water to rescue her because he was on horseback with his back to the woman in red.
They could only watch helplessly as the other person was attacked, fell into the lake, and disappeared.
Jiang Chao did not rush to save her. The woman in red, who had died once before, would not drown so easily.
The boy turned his head and looked coldly at the pavilion to the side.
The sneak attack just now came from this direction.
The invisible energy fluctuations were about to dissipate, but a trace remained, which he could clearly perceive.
"What is the meaning of this, sir? Why did you attack someone for no reason?" Jiang Chao asked calmly.
Inside the pavilion, two men and a woman were chatting and laughing, facing Jiang Chao and his companions.
Upon hearing this, one of them turned around. He was a young man in his twenties dressed in white, with a fair complexion and no beard. He looked gentle and refined, not like a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of martial arts and chivalry), but rather like a scholar.
The young man in white asked in surprise, "Young hero, are you speaking to us?"
The other man and woman also turned their gazes toward Jiang Chao on horseback, their eyes filled with doubt.
Jiang Chao curled the corners of his lips, staring directly at the young man in white, and smiled:
"You dare to do it but not admit it? Are you perhaps related to the turtles in this lake? You bite people and then cower away."
A flicker of anger flashed in the young man's eyes, but his face remained refined. He shook his head, feigning ignorance, and said:
"I wonder what you're talking about, young hero."
Only then did the martial arts practitioners nearby realize that the woman in red who had been following two young men on horseback had vanished without a trace.
Coupled with the earlier sound of falling into the water, everyone suddenly realized that they had been ambushed and fallen into the lake on the other side of the road.
They couldn't help but stop and watch the spectacle.
Seeing that the other party refused to admit it and continued to play dumb, Jiang Chao stopped talking. He turned around, reached out and lifted the bewildered Lu Jing behind him, pushed off the saddle with both feet, and the two of them took off into the air and landed on the steps at the edge of the pavilion.
Even if Chu Nüxia and Su E were slow to react, they would realize what had happened by this time.
The two dismounted from their horses in perfect unison and stood still, observing the situation.
The pavilion was small, so when Jiang Chao and Lu Jing landed on the steps, they were less than five steps away from the three people standing by the railing.
Ignoring the gazes of the three men, Jiang Chao, with a clear objective, took two steps at a time and stood in front of the young man in white. Before he could say anything, he raised his arm and slapped him across the face.
If someone were to take that slap in front of everyone, not only would the young man in white who was the first to be slapped lose face, but the other man and woman would also lose face because their companion had been humiliated.
Almost instantly, the man and woman flanking the young man in white simultaneously intervened.
However, before they could get close, they were blasted back by an invisible force, their bodies crashing into the railing, and they let out a muffled groan.
Then.
With a sharp "slap," the clear sound of a slap echoed across the lakeside.
But it didn't end there. The boy who slapped the other person in public seemed to be swatting away a fly, or perhaps he was disgusted by the other person's thick skin, and the slap hurt his hand.
With a frown and a flick of his wrist, the white-clad youth who had just been slapped was sent flying, plummeting straight into the lake.
Since you really think of yourself as a turtle or tortoise, then go cool off in the lake.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, seeing their young master being humiliated like this, the two guards who had failed to protect their master, despite having already tested the extraordinary nature of the young man before them when they tried to stop him, were still filled with uncontrollable rage. They immediately drew their swords and attacked the young man from the left and right.
With a flash of sword light, the boy struck again, delivering two crisp, clear slaps.
"Slap, slap"
The man and woman, who appeared to be dressed as江湖人士 (jianghu figures), were sent flying backward at an even faster speed, landing in the lake before the young man in white.
Plop—
The two fell into the water at the same time, creating a huge splash.
Meanwhile, the white-clad youth who had been carried away by the boy's arm was still flying backwards on the lake, his speed not slow, but not as fast as expected.
White mist swirled over the lake, and soon the figure of the young man in white disappeared from sight.
However, the sound of falling into the water was nowhere to be heard.
This scene, though seemingly complex, was actually very quick, lasting only a few breaths before the inexplicable commotion ended.
The onlookers, though shocked, felt it wasn't enough.
I thought I would see a thrilling scene of swords flashing and blood splattering, but who would have thought that a conflict would end so hastily.
Jiang Chao ignored the thoughts of those martial arts figures. He leaped up from his spot and crashed straight into the lake on the other side of the road.
A moment later, the boy, carrying the woman in red who was soaking wet and covered in mud, leaped out of the lake and landed on the shore.
The young man's inner energy surged, shaking off the moisture from his clothes. He then waved to Lu Jing, who was standing blankly in the pavilion, signaling him to come over, before walking towards the chestnut horse.
Not far from the pavilion, a wandering swordsman who had witnessed this strange scene touched his bald head and muttered to himself, looking utterly bewildered:
"What's going on here? Did I just see things, or what?"
There were quite a few people present who felt just as confused as the wandering swordsman, but judging from the skills the young man had just displayed, it was best not to ask these questions to avoid getting into trouble.
However, the young man's approach of first being courteous and then resorting to force still left a deep impression on these people of the martial arts world.
After the group of five left, the martial arts practitioners who followed behind began to discuss loudly.
Some people say that the young man in white and the other two men and women in the pavilion deserved to be humiliated. They had no grudges against them, so why did they suddenly attack them, especially with such a sneak attack that showed no regard for chivalry?
They made the move and then denied it; it's utterly shameless.
Some people say that the boy was too arrogant, attacking someone without even asking why, and slapping them in the face in the most humiliating way. What if it was a misunderstanding? Wouldn't he have offended the person terribly?
Those who had witnessed the spectacle had differing opinions and argued endlessly, but they were all even more eager for this grand martial arts tournament.
After walking a distance, Chu Ning, who kept turning back to look at Jiang Chao's calm face, finally couldn't help but ask:
"Hey, Jiang Qilin, what exactly happened just now? How are you so sure that the three people in the pavilion were the ones who attacked her?"
Meeting Chu's questioning gaze, Jiang Chao smiled but did not answer.
Su E, who was standing to the side, spoke up at this moment, gently explaining to Chu Ning:
"The three people in the pavilion were clearly a master and two servants, not ordinary martial arts travelers. If they were ordinary martial arts travelers who had come to participate in the martial arts tournament, they would not have the leisure to stay by the lake and enjoy the scenery. They would be like us, hurrying to our destination. I just don't understand why they suddenly attacked us. Could it be that they recognized her?"
Jiang Chao actually guessed the same thing.
The young man in white must have recognized the woman in red, but due to some concerns, he didn't want to reveal it in public, so he secretly tried to test her.
Who would have thought that the woman in red, who appeared to be no different from a living person, had long lost her original martial arts cultivation and even her mind was incomplete. Struck by the hidden force, she was immediately sent flying.
The reason he asked questions first was to test the waters and find out the specific reason, but the other party kept pretending to be stupid and refused to admit it, so Jiang Chao had no choice but to be blunt.
No matter what, the woman in red is now practically one of his own, protected by Jiang Chao. How could he allow others to bully her like this?
Do you really think that Young Master Jiang has no temper?
If you anger this young master, I don't care who you are, I'll beat you up first.