Chapter 61: Chapter 12: Pursuit in the Bamboo Grove

Is this a conspiracy by Shen Ruoxi?

In the dim prison cell, Cuicui was in a daze for a while, not believing that Shen Ruoxi would let her go so easily.

Outside, it was eerily silent, as if no one was there.

She tried to move her stiff legs, cautiously groping her way forward.

The door was wide open; she summoned the courage to take that step forward.

True enough, there was no one outside, just the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. She had truly regained her long-lost freedom.

Her fingers tightly clenched together, her mind rapidly working, she quickly made a decision.

She wasn’t a fool, and Shen Ruoxi’s words weren’t entirely without reason.

Old Mrs. Xu might not believe she would keep silent, after all, only the dead can keep secrets forever.

Instead of relying on others’ trust, she decided to trust herself and leave the Shen Mansion as soon as possible.

Determined, she quietly sneaked back into Old Mrs. Xu’s courtyard and returned to her small room.

Everything in the room remained unchanged. She quickly packed two sets of clothes, cautiously hid the only ten taels of Silver she had, and tiptoed out of Old Mrs. Xu’s courtyard.

She knew the main entrance was not an option, so she recalled an inconspicuous dog hole in the backyard.

Clutching her simple bundle, she made her way to the backyard.

Everything proceeded remarkably smoothly; she quickly crawled out through the dog hole.

She found herself on a secluded path, and suppressing her physical discomfort, she broke into a run.

At home, only her elderly father remained. She had to return quickly, warn him of the danger, and move house overnight.

The moonlight softly spilled through the sparse bamboo leaves, casting mottled shadows.

However, amidst these intertwined shadows, Cuicui’s steps suddenly halted.

Previously, in the excitement of her narrow escape, she hadn’t felt scared, but now, looking at the swaying shadows of the bamboo forest beside her, her heart began to pound uncontrollably.

In the depths of the bamboo forest, it seemed as if the wind was whispering, stirring the bamboo leaves, adding an eerie atmosphere.

Cuicui’s body began to tremble. She gritted her teeth, wanting to rush forward, but suddenly felt her vision blur as a shadow blocked her path.

Her scalp tingled, as if all the blood in her body had instantly solidified, and she almost collapsed to the ground.

“Run!”

She screamed internally, but her feet seemed shackled by invisible chains, unable to move an inch.

Her lips quivered, stammering as she asked, “Who—who exactly are you?”

The person chuckled coldly, the voice icy and cruel, “The one sending you on your way!”

“You—you are…” Cuicui’s eyes widened in horror, but before she could finish, a flash of cold light slashed towards her throat.

The sharp blade, filled with murderous intent, seemed about to pierce through her in an instant.

Cuicui had no time to dodge, only staring in terror at the bloodthirsty blade closing in on her throat.

At that critical moment, a crisp sound rang out, the tip of a spear clashing with a treasure sword, emitting a piercing metallic crash.

“I’ve been waiting for you, surrender now!” Xu Ji’s sinister voice broke the tense silence.

The assailant clearly hadn’t expected an ambush; their eyes narrowed, the sword twitched, instantly stabbing towards Xu Ji’s throat, “Courting death!”

In an instant, the two exchanged blows, sword shadows flew, every move deadly.

Cuicui lay collapsed on the ground, her body trembling uncontrollably, paralyzed with fear.

“Get up, it’s over.” Shen Ruoxi’s gentle voice sounded in Cuicui’s ear.

She raised her head, still shaking with fear, and saw Shen Ruoxi standing before her, trembling lips murmuring, “Marquis.”

Shen Ruoxi’s lips curled up slightly, coldly saying, “I was right! She wouldn’t spare your life, do you still wish to shield her? Only with her brought to justice can you survive.”

Cuicui bit her lip almost to the point of bleeding.

Though she had anticipated that Old Mrs. Xu wouldn’t let her go, facing reality, recalling all she had done loyally for Old Mrs. Xu, only to end like this, her heart ached with sadness and self-pity.

“Marquis, I was wrong, I’ll tell you everything.”

“Good, once we catch him, we’ll go back, there’s nothing to fear. The Shen Family has never feared any crooks or evil ways.” Shen Ruoxi said coldly.

“I understand.” Cuicui took a deep breath, having made up her mind.

Shen Ruoxi glanced towards the two fighting, her brows furrowing, sensing something was amiss.

She clearly remembered the person’s martial arts level; aside from decent Qinggong, their Martial Arts Value wasn’t high.

Xu Ji should have easily handled him, but how in just a few days had the person’s martial arts advanced so quickly? How had Xu Ji become evenly matched with him?

Could it not be him? But from the voice, it was clearly the same man from that night in Old Mrs. Xu’s room.

Shen Ruoxi was filled with doubts, but there was no time to ponder further. She pulled out the Cold Frost, leaped forward, saying coldly, “Ji, watch Cuicui, I’ll capture this one.”

“Alright!”

Xu Ji realized, this masked man’s martial arts were extraordinary, and he couldn’t be certain of victory.

But his cousin’s martial arts were far superior to his, dealing with this person would be a breeze.

Having said that, he lightly jumped out of the fight circle.

The masked man, finding Xu Ji tricky, saw him retreat, and also had no intent to prolong the battle, intending to withdraw.

Shen Ruoxi wouldn’t let him escape so easily. Her figure moved, blocking his path.

The Cold Frost Sword in her hand instantly radiated a sharp cold light, aiming directly at the opponent’s throat.

The masked man didn’t seem to take Shen Ruoxi seriously, having seen her martial arts before, thinking she was not his match.

His sharp blade swiftly blocked her attack.

The Cold Frost Sword, incredibly sharp, cut through iron like mud. With a clear “clang” followed by a “crack,” his arm tingled with numbness, and the treasure sword was snapped into two.

Simultaneously, a wisp of hair floated down, and a sharp pain came from the masked man’s cheek, injured by the Sword Qi of the Cold Frost Sword.

The masked man was instantly shocked, as the murderous intent of a fierce wind struck again. He hurriedly flipped and jumped, barely evading Shen Ruoxi’s deadly strike, a chill rising in his heart, cold sweat dripping down.

An unsuccessful move left Shen Ruoxi slightly surprised.

It seemed that in these few days, this person’s martial arts had indeed advanced significantly, greatly enhancing his strength.

But earlier, she held back slightly, determined to capture him alive.

Once he was caught, along with Cuicui’s testimony, Old Mrs. Xu would undoubtedly be brought to justice.

The masked man’s heart raced in fear, knowing he was no match for Shen Ruoxi. Immediately he pointed his toes on the ground, his body soared, intending to turn and flee.

Shen Ruoxi’s figure was nimble and fast as lightning. In an instant, she caught up with him, her fingers sharp as blades, ready to strike his acupuncture points.

At this moment, the man suddenly clenched his teeth, and a bone-chilling cold air burst out from within him, instantly spreading to the surroundings, causing the previously warm air to plummet in temperature.

Shen Ruoxi paused slightly, a hint of cold laughter rising in her heart.

She was about to wield the Cold Frost, but suddenly felt an even more intense wave of cold air, ten times colder, surge at her…

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