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墨書 Inktalez
Mei Shuang could discern the hidden meaning in Lin Yuan's words; perhaps if Lin Tian'er were here, it would be even more enjoyable.
Mei Shuang pretended not to hear and followed the bustling crowd up the hillside.
By the time they reached the entrance of the Flower God Temple, the sun was high in the sky, and the warm sunlight enveloped them.
As Mei Shuang wiped the light sweat from her forehead, she was lost in thought while gazing at the enormous Apricot Tree inside the Flower God Temple when Lin Yuan handed her a bowl of water.
Looking at the clear spring water, Mei Shuang suddenly realized how thirsty she was. She took it and drank it all in one go, wiping her mouth afterward, exclaiming, "This is amazing! What kind of water is this? It's sweet and delicious!"
Lin Yuan smiled and pointed to a nearby spot. "There’s a spring well over there called 'The Fountain of Youth.' It’s said that everyone who comes here should drink from it to make their visit worthwhile."
During the Flower Festival, most people came not just to admire the flowers but also to pay their respects to the Flower God. The century-old Apricot Tree in the Flower God Temple was the focal point of their worship.
The Apricot Tree was about as thick as two people could embrace, its blossoms resembling a flurry of snow. The low-hanging branches were adorned with colorful ribbons of wishes. Each visitor respectfully knelt beneath the tree to bow their heads before rising to touch the Apricot Tree.
"Apricot" sounds like "luck," symbolizing that the Flower God bestows "happiness."
Mei Shuang also knelt before the tree, clasped her hands together, and silently recited her wishes in her heart.
Lin Yuan knelt beside Mei Shuang, but his thoughts were not on worshipping the Flower God; instead, he was stealing glances at Mei Shuang.
Her side profile had soft and graceful lines, and her closed eyes had long eyelashes casting fan-like shadows beneath them. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the Apricot Tree and fell upon her, giving her an ethereal glow that made her appear almost otherworldly. Lin Yuan found himself entranced, staring intently at Mei Shuang.
Suddenly, he felt a hard slap on his shoulder that jolted him back to reality. He looked up to see a brawny man with a twisted beard standing with his hands on his hips. "Kid, this place is my territory; you better scram!"
He spoke with his mouth, but his eyes were lewdly glancing at Mei Shuang beside Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan immediately understood that the provocateur before him was after beauty.
He was furious and stood up abruptly, glaring at the shameless man in front of him.
The Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard wore a coarse linen outfit, his skin dark and rough, standing before Lin Yuan like a piece of black charcoal. He looked down his nose at Lin Yuan, clearly not considering this delicate, well-dressed young master worthy of his attention.
"You, kid!" The Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard crossed his arms and snorted disdainfully. "You know your place. Since you took Grandpa's spot, you should give it up."
As he spoke, he elbowed Lin Yuan and then knelt beside Mei Shuang, his eyes shining as he stared at her graceful face.
A strange smell nearby made Mei Shuang's nose itch. She frowned and opened her eyes, only to find the lewd man less than half a meter away from her.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan stood angrily to the side; evidently, the earlier ruckus had come from this man beside him.
The small rat-like eyes of the Brawny Man widened in shock when he saw Mei Shuang turn her head, as if he had seen a celestial being, momentarily unable to move his gaze.
Lin Yuan was infuriated and was about to push the Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard away when Mei Shuang had already stood up, signaling for Lin Yuan not to cause trouble.
A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake; moreover, the foul odor emanating from the lewd man was reminiscent of a pig butcher, truly nauseating.
Seeing Mei Shuang attempt to leave, the lewd man refused to let her go. In his desperation, he stood up and blocked her path.
"Hehe," he chuckled as he began to tease her. "My lady, it's hot today. You've been kneeling for so long; it pains me to see you like this. Aren't you tired? Where are you going? Do you want me to escort you?"
He reached out his hand, unsteadily trying to touch Mei Shuang's delicate face.
The greasy sight almost made Mei Shuang gag; she quickly turned her face away and pulled Lin Yuan, saying, "Let's go."
Seeing the Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard starting to get hands-on, Lin Yuan was displeased and raised his hand to block the man's filthy hands. However, the Brawny Man had anticipated this and swiftly twisted Lin Yuan's arm. Caught off guard, Lin Yuan winced in pain, and the Brawny Man let out a cold snort before pushing him away. Lin Yuan flew two yards and crashed onto the steps, letting out a muffled groan and unable to get up.
Mei Shuang was terrified and hurried over, only to see blood oozing from the corner of Lin Yuan's lips, indicating he had fallen hard.
Although there were many tourists around, they all dared not speak up and quickly moved aside.
Disappointedly looking at the people around her, Mei Shuang saw Lin Yuan in a daze from the fall and called out to him loudly.
The Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard, seeing this, became even more smug and took a lap around to show off his massive strength.
Lin Yuan felt dizzy from the impact, his body aching, and frustration welled up inside him.
Watching that burly man revel in his triumph, he regretted focusing solely on his studies without learning any martial arts. Now he was humiliated like this, unable even to muster the strength to retaliate. If Lin Tian'er were here, he wouldn't have to endure such disgrace.
Anger surged through him, making him grit his teeth.
Seeing that Lin Yuan was okay eased Mei Shuang's worries significantly. She no longer held hope for the cowering tourists nearby and tried her best to help Lin Yuan up.
Lin Yuan struggled to rise when the Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard approached smugly. Just as he reached out without hesitation to grab Mei Shuang, a flash caught his eye—a gleaming dagger suddenly pressed against his neck as if he had been caught in a Binding Technique.
Looking down, he saw the shiny blade resting under his chin, exuding a chilling aura. The hand gripping the hilt was delicate and white like lotus root.
He was momentarily stunned, instinctively loosening his grip while glancing at Mei Shuang. Her porcelain-white face showed no expression, and her distinct black-and-white eyes stared at him without a hint of emotion.
The Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard was inherently lecherous, relying on his modest family background to tease local women. He had done this numerous times and was a figure everyone avoided. He always succeeded, with those he encountered either crying and pleading or fiercely attacking him with punches and curses, vowing never to submit. He had never met someone so calm and composed, and the speed of the opponent's move was so quick that he barely saw it coming.
Mei Shuang's action genuinely shocked the onlookers nearby, and some secretly worried for her, thinking that this seemingly unfamiliar person might have gotten into trouble.
The Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard was first taken aback, then his gaze shifted from the knife to Mei Shuang's face, his black-and-white eyes fixating on her.
Cold, an inscrutable chill.
Calm, a kind of composure he had never seen before, as if even the collapse of Mount Tai would not change her expression!
The Brawny Man quickly weighed his options in his mind.
Although Mei Shuang was dressed simply, her gaze and demeanor clearly indicated she was not someone of low status. Coupled with the young master beside her, he felt a bit uneasy about provoking someone he shouldn't.
However, upon further thought, he realized that Mei Shuang did not appear to be a local; her accent was distinctly different. She seemed like an outsider or a tourist. Regardless, a strong dragon does not suppress a local snake. Moreover, with so many people watching, if he showed fear now, how could he continue to live in Wang Guantun?
Thus, his courage suddenly surged.
Mei Shuang's actions also startled Lin Yuan. Although he was angry, being a scholar by nature, he wasn't reckless enough to disregard the law entirely. He covered his chest with one hand and looked at Mei Shuang with some concern.
In this unfamiliar place, did it really have to come to bloodshed?
The Brawny Man with a Twisted Beard chuckled awkwardly and raised his hand to push away the dagger in Mei Shuang's hand while speaking in an even more frivolous tone. "Little lady is quite spicy; I like it..."
A sharp pain shot through his neck, and his words abruptly ceased. He looked down as a warm liquid flowed down his chest, the bright red blood strikingly vivid.
Meanwhile, Mei Shuang remained calm, seemingly unfazed by her actions.
Upon seeing that Mei Shuang was serious, the people around her began to shout that someone was going to die and scattered in all directions.
Some onlookers, eager for chaos, were particularly excited. The local thug known as Black Three had a notorious reputation; he was a bully who harmed others without remorse. So when they saw him being brazenly threatened with a dagger by an outsider, they felt a sense of vindication and were not about to miss such a bloody spectacle.
What was once a peaceful and lively Flower Festival had turned into something extraordinary due to this unexpected incident. Most people chose to watch from a distance, waiting to see how it would unfold. Although some sympathized with Mei Shuang, they were too intimidated by Black Three's reputation to intervene.
Black Three's real name was Wang Duo. He had two beautiful older sisters, while he himself was rough and brutish. Spoiled since childhood, he had grown up without discipline. His family was of average means, but his sisters were fortunate; one was a concubine of the Yangzhou Prefect, and the other was married to a wealthy local merchant. In short, they wielded power and influence in their community, which only encouraged Wang Duo's reckless behavior.
Now that Mei Shuang had pierced his chest without flinching, he was filled with rage and humiliation. He swung his hand to knock the dagger out of Mei Shuang's grasp while pushing Lin Yuan aside and reaching for Mei Shuang.
Mei Shuang caught his hand and forcefully pushed his wrist inward. Wang Duo winced in pain and instinctively pulled back his arm just as Mei Shuang's elbow struck toward his chest. Caught off guard, he stumbled backward several steps before falling onto the ground, his face contorted in pain from his injured wrist.
The elbow is one of the hardest parts of the human body and can be an effective self-defense tool in critical moments.
Mei Shuang withdrew her stance, surprised that her rudimentary taekwondo skills could actually be useful.
Lin Yuan watched in astonishment, not expecting Mei Shuang to have such a move.
Wang Duo felt heat rising in his chest; his wrist swelled like dough. While the injury wasn't life-threatening, the humiliation was unbearable.
Having never experienced such disgrace before, he went mad with fury. He scrambled to his feet and prepared to attack Mei Shuang.
Mei Shuang stood firm, not moving an inch.
Lin Yuan was stunned and, in a moment of urgency, reached out to push Mei Shuang aside to block the large hand that was coming at them like a basin.
Just as everyone was sweating for Lin Yuan and imagining the frail young man being sent flying and landing in a heap, they saw Wang Duo suddenly freeze as if struck by a spell, then "thud" fell to the ground and could no longer get up.
This shocking scene left everyone in disbelief.
It was incredible; this woman stood still and had subdued the bully.
After a brief pause, as Mei Shuang helped Lin Yuan down the mountain, the crowd erupted into enthusiastic applause.
In an instant, the extraordinary skills of this beautiful woman captivated everyone present.
This was likely the biggest news in Wang Guantun this year.
Lin Yuan, supported by Mei Shuang, limped down the mountain. No one noticed that among the crowd, a pair of eyes watched Mei Shuang's retreating figure with deep meaning...
(Happy New Year, everyone! Wishing you all prosperity in the Year of the Sheep! :) )
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