Your Majesty, Please Stop!

Chapter 54: The Wordless Stele in the Autumn Palace Pavilion and the Illiterate Young Master

The two servants were dressed like beggars, wearing straw hats with cloth forehead protectors that covered their eyebrows. Their cheeks were dark and swollen, and they walked in a strange manner, as if something had hit their crotch.

Yuan Yourong and Ada frowned at the same time, watching the two servants place four bowls of noodles on the table.

"Are you beggars?" Yuan Yourong looked at the servants' clean and immaculate fingernails, which did not match their appearance.

"I'm not," one of the servants mumbled.

"They are not beggars, they are my nephews from the countryside here to help. They had a childhood illness and look a bit ugly. Please don't mind, guests!" The shop owner immediately came out to explain.

Yuan Yourong nodded slightly and waved his hand, indicating for the two to leave. However, he still frowned, feeling that... the voice of that servant just now sounded familiar.

Soon, the two servants came out again with the noodles.

Ada's gaze had never left the two of them, and at this moment, his pupils contracted as he spoke in a low voice, "Something's not right with these two. They are both seventh-grade martial artists!"

A seventh-grade martial artist wouldn't willingly become a waiter in a noodle shop!

Before the words had even finished, the two servants suddenly smashed the bowls of noodles towards Yuan Yourong and Ada, splattering hot noodles and soup everywhere.

Yuan Yourong and Ada immediately jumped and dodged, ready to draw their weapons. "How dare you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the servant who had just spoken suddenly flickered strangely and appeared in front of Ada, raising his hand to strike.

This strike had a strange and unpredictable momentum, with even a hint of indescribable ripples around it, incredibly mysterious.

Ada was already a step too slow, and whether it was drawing his sword or dodging, it was too late.

In a high-level clash, being a step too slow would often lead to an inescapable situation.

In a rush, he instinctively raised his hand and returned a strike.

The palms collided.

Boom!

"Crack!"

The nearby wooden table was shattered by the powerful palm wind, and chopsticks, vinegar, and chili sauce flew everywhere.

Ada's entire right arm twisted into a spiral, and a strange force extended from his broken arm to his chest, causing him to fly out and crash heavily onto the ground, instantly losing consciousness.

The power of a single palm strike is terrifying.

In contrast, the servant who clapped his hands had a calm expression, as if it was just an ordinary thing to cripple a seventh-grade expert.

Yuan Yourong was taken aback and angrily rebuked, "Xin Zhuo, it's you!"

"Canglang--"

The long sword was unsheathed, and the body mysteriously changed position. It stabbed seven times in a row, with sword shadows cutting through the sound of the wind, mysteriously and incomprehensibly.

However, just as she was about to get close, Xin Zhuo was faster than her and once again struck out with a palm, using the exact same technique as before.

Yuan Yourong had already seen this palm strike once, but when she faced it herself, she still couldn't dodge or decipher it.

"Bang!"

The long sword was slapped crookedly by the palm wind. Yuan Yourong knew she had lost the initiative. Just as she was about to swing her sword again, she took a solid palm strike to her chest. She flew backward like a kite with a broken string, heavily smashing into the signboard of the noodle shop, and fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Not far away, another servant suddenly drew a sword from behind and pressed it against her neck, saying, "Don't move!"

This scene happened very quickly. The other eighth-grade Practitioners from the Yuan family who were searching the town heard the commotion and rushed over, but they were still too slow and looked at each other helplessly.

"If you don't want them to die, put down your weapons honestly."

The servant holding the sword scolded, watching as the Yuan family Practitioners obediently complied. He then spat out two pigeon eggs from his mouth and took out the cotton from his crotch. It was Murong Xiu. He grinned at Xin Zhuo and said, "Boss, I want to learn those two palm strikes just now! They were so violent!"

"You won't be able to learn them!"

Xin Zhuo also spat out pigeon eggs and tore off the cotton cloth from his crotch. This disguise was his idea. Applying plaster, eating pigeon eggs to change his facial features, and stuffing cotton to change his walking posture could effectively disguise a person's aura, gait, and tone of speech, making it difficult to distinguish them at least for a short time.

The shop owner, who had been secretly observing inside the noodle shop, hurriedly ran out at this moment and knelt down with tears streaming down his face, saying, "Two lords, I've done as you asked. Please don't kill me!"

Murong Xiu laughed heartily, "What nonsense are you talking about? Your acting skills are good. As bandits, the most we'll do is rob your money and take your daughter. Why would we kill you?"

"Ah, this..." The noodle shop owner trembled. Isn't this worse than killing me?

At this moment, Yuan Yourong on the ground struggled to lift her head, wiping away the blood from the corner of her mouth. The playful and shrewdness on her face disappeared, "Did you know I would come?"

Murong Xiu said, "No! It was Song Dongxi who confessed. He knew you would come to Taohua Town."

Yuan Yourong's face changed slightly, "You captured Song Dongxi?"

"Isn't that an easy task?" Murong Xiu said smugly, "He was defeated by our boss."

After Xin Zhuo and Murong Xiu brought Song Dongxi and the other four to the back of Menghu Village, they found a secluded cave and chained them up. Cui Ying'er and the others were left to watch over them.

After Song Dongxi regained consciousness, he initially refused to reveal any information about the other three families. However, when Huang Dagui presented a lump of sheep dung in front of him, he reluctantly confessed.

Proud as he was, Song Dongxi would never touch any feces. That was his bottom line.

Shortly after, Xin Zhuo and Murong Xiu rushed to Taohua Town, forcing the noodle shop owner to cooperate and disguising themselves, waiting for an opportunity.

"So, skilled hunters often only need to use the most despicable means, such as ambush! That's what the boss said," Murong Xiu explained, unable to contain the excitement on his face, as if he had done something extraordinary.

Yuan Yourong coldly asked, "How do you know that we would eat noodles?"

Xin Zhuo continued, "After spending a few days in the mountains, who would refuse a bowl of fragrant braised beef noodles? Actually, we underestimated your vigilance. We originally planned to make a move when you were bowing your heads to eat!"

"Alright, Xin Zhuo, I admit defeat. I can't outsmart you!" Yuan Yourong looked deeply at Xin Zhuo, unable to bear the immense pain in his chest and the chaotic True Qi, and fainted.

Xin Zhuo and Murong Xiu exchanged glances and escorted the nine people away.

Just as the group had just left the town, two people walked out of a tailor shop next to the noodle shop. One was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with a square face and dressed like a wealthy young master. The other was a girl of fourteen or fifteen, resembling a maid.

"Interesting, interesting! I didn't expect such interesting people in this remote place. The young man's palm strikes just now were like a dragon and a tiger, a nest of snakes and tigers, full of ambition. I can't help but feel pity for him!" the young master said, watching Xin Zhuo and his group go further away, tapping his folding fan and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes.

"Young Master, you used so many idioms today, but all of them were used incorrectly and not quite appropriate!" the maid reminded him in a low voice.

"Impossible, I am a person who mends the pen after sheep are lost, and I have a great deal of knowledge." The young man smiled faintly, full of confidence. He picked up a silver ingot, accurately threw it into the apron pocket of the noodle shop owner, and said, "I'll compensate you on their behalf."

After speaking, without waiting for the owner to express gratitude, he walked towards the outskirts of the town.

"Phew—"

The maid gave up on correcting him and caught up, asking, "Young Master, where are we going?"

"Um... The Autumn Palace Pavilion has invited many sects for insights. Many beauties from the martial world will come soon, and we also have our Divine Machine Pavilion's Cliff Character Hall. If I don't go, who will? We still have some time left, so why don't we go to Fufeng Mansion and see if there's anything interesting? Indulging in luxury and desires for a while."

"Wow! Young Master, that idiom you used is really appropriate!"

"Is it? Haha, it's just a rat's courage, and the Yazi will surely retaliate!"

"???"

...

Inside the cave, it was unusually cold. Even though the ground was covered with withered grass, it couldn't stop the biting cold wind.

The Song and Yuan families, a total of fourteen or fifteen people, were chained and imprisoned on stalactites.

After undergoing bone-setting, Yuan Yourong and Song Dongxi have finally woken up. Although they cannot mobilize True Qi, they can at least communicate normally.

However, neither of them has any intention of saying a word. They remember how just a few days ago they were full of spirit, chasing and killing bandits. Today, they have become prisoners, which is ridiculous. How can they face each other? Anything they say would be meaningless.

Xin Zhuo, accompanied by six subordinates and Sun Wu and Wang Calabash, is examining the two experts from the other families. They don't know what to say.

After a while, Sun Wu nervously rubs his hands and opens the conversation: "Xin, Xin old friend, where did you catch them? This isn't good, right? We have no grudges with them, if we are retaliated against..."

"Don't worry! The fact has already happened, and it happened in Menghuo Village. The leader of the Sun family must be punished for his crimes. Even if it means death, I will bear a scar the size of a bowl on my head!"

Xin Zhuo replies sincerely.

Sun Wu and Wang Calabash exchange a glance. Sun Wu feels that Xin Zhuo and his men have become distorted in their admiration for their leader. He doesn't want to be involved in this anymore, it's scary.

At this moment, Cui Ying'er asks, "Boss, do we need to interrogate them?"

Xin Zhuo remains silent for a long time. "There's no need. Whether they know the exact location of Chen Guiyan's people or not, the result will be the same. We can still launch separate surprise attacks on Yuan Yourong and Song Dongxi, but if the two families join forces, with four seventh-grade experts and too many people, we won't be able to defeat them."

The bandits fall into silence.

Yuan Yourong and Song Dongxi exchange a glance, unsure whether to be happy or sad.

At this moment, Xin Zhuo suddenly asks, "Murong, do you think... Chen Guiyan and Murong Lei have any weaknesses?"

"What do you mean, boss..." Murong Xiu's eyes, which were dim, instantly light up. The boss is up to something again, and it's nerve-wracking.

"You've known them since you were young. Do they have any weaknesses or something we can use to blackmail them?"

"They do!"

Murong Xiu's answer is resolute. He rubs his nose and continues, "If we're talking about Yuan Yourong and Song Dongxi, they probably don't have any weaknesses. But Chen Guiyan and Murong Lei do, and we can easily manipulate them. However..."

"However, what?" Xin Zhuo looks at Murong Xiu in surprise.

Yuan Yourong and Song Dongxi also look over curiously.

Murong Xiu leans close to Xin Zhuo's ear and whispers a few words.

Xin Zhuo falls silent again, then suddenly turns his head and blinks.

Murong Xiu and Cui Ying'er understand each other without words. Almost simultaneously, they move and instantly restrain Sun Wu and Wang Calabash.

The two are stunned. Sun Wu's face is pressed against the ground, not daring to resist, and he angrily says, "Xin, my friend, what does this mean? I am the leader!"

"Leader, I'm going to the capital city for a trip. I'm not at ease with you here. Cui Ying'er will temporarily take over Menghuo Village. You can rest for a few days, there's not much to worry about."

(End of this chapter)