Chapter 19

Hearing Xu Yan say this, Zhu Youxiang pondered for a moment, "If you put it that way, this matter is indeed quite troublesome... Ah, I have an idea! I have a plan!"

Zhu Youxiang gracefully got up and casually grabbed the leg of one of the bandits' corpses, dragging it to the balcony.

Xu Yan looked at her in confusion, "Xunyun, what are you doing?"

From the balcony, Zhu Youxiang's voice drifted back, "Since Master Xu finds it difficult to clean up, let me handle it—"

Xu Yan was startled and rushed out to the balcony. He saw Zhu Youxiang holding the corpse's leg with one hand, swinging it outward with force. With a "whoosh" sound, the corpse flew over the balcony railing, soaring high into the dark night sky.

Zhu Youxiang turned around and smiled at Xu Yan, "This should do, right?"

At that moment, Xu Yan was dumbfounded—using a popular phrase, he and his friends were all amazed.

"This... Throwing waste downstairs is not good. What if it hits someone... Even if it hits plants, it's not good."

As soon as the words were out, Xu Yan wanted to slap himself: Is this the time to say such nonsense?

"It's fine. I've already checked; there's a wide open space over there, and no one is around."

"An open space?"

"Yes, a parking lot with many cars." Zhu Youxiang looked into the dark distance and said casually, "I've aimed well; it won't hurt anyone. Master Xu, please rest assured."

After saying that, she went back into the living room, leaving Xu Yan standing there, staring at the dark sky. After a while, he heard a distant, heavy thud, almost inaudible.

Following the trajectory of the object Zhu Youxiang had thrown, Xu Yan stood there, stunned: "A parking lot with many cars... That must be the parking lot of the neighborhood across the street, right?"

During the day, Xu Yan had also looked at the Fengyuan neighborhood from the balcony. There was a spacious parking lot there. The two neighborhoods were separated by a six-lane road, about 200 meters away. Each of the bandits was physically fit, weighing at least 150 to 160 pounds—how could Zhu Youxiang, a slender and delicate girl, throw a body over 100 meters?

Killing four adult men in an instant without leaving a single drop of blood, what kind of power was this?

Thinking about this, Xu Yan felt a chill run down his spine: What kind of being was this beautiful girl with a radiant smile and bright eyes? Was she even human?

While Xu Yan was lost in thought, Zhu Youxiang was busy. She efficiently threw the other bodies out from the balcony, went back to the room to wash her hands, cleaned the bloodstains in the living room with a mop, and tidied up the furniture that had been knocked over during the fight.

Xu Yan stood on the balcony, watching the girl busily working in the house, unable to speak.

Finally, Zhu Youxiang noticed Xu Yan, "Master Xu, you are still recovering from your injuries. You shouldn't stand for too long. Please sit down and rest for a while."

She helped Xu Yan sit on the sofa. Due to fear, Xu Yan didn't dare to look at her, only staring at his own toes.

"Master Xu, you must have been frightened tonight. Come, let me make you a pot of hot tea to calm your nerves."

Zhu Youxiang took out a sealed jar from her long sleeves, opened it, and poured out some tea leaves. Even without adding water, a fresh tea aroma filled the air. Xu Yan marveled, wondering if Zhu Youxiang's sleeves were like Doraemon's pocket, from which anything could be taken out.

The kettle boiled, and Zhu Youxiang skillfully made the tea. Her fair and delicate wrists moved like butterflies, up and down, a delightful sight. The tea aroma filled the room.

"Master Xu, please have some tea."

Xu Yan thanked her and took a sip. The tea was so good that he praised it inwardly: From a young age, he had tasted many fine teas with his father, including famous ones like Longjing and Biluochun. But in his life, he had never tasted such a rich and delicious tea. The warm, concentrated tea flowed down his throat and into his stomach, making him feel comfortable to his toes. The tea seemed to have a soothing effect, and Xu Yan gradually calmed down.

"Master Xu, you look troubled. Is there something you want to say?"

Xu Yan looked up, gazed at Zhu Youxiang, and nodded, "I do have many questions, but I don't know where to start."

"That's fine. Take your time. I also have many questions. We have plenty of time. But—"

She paused and looked directly at Xu Yan, "Master Xu, you are a gentleman, and I wish to treat you as such. Therefore, I will not lie to you. So, for some things I cannot answer, I will remain silent. I hope you can understand."

Xu Yan nodded silently, "I—uh, I understand." He glanced at the empty space between the sofa and the door, now clean and empty, but both knew what Xu Yan was looking at—just a few minutes ago, several bodies had lain there.

"Miss Zhu, those five bandits were extremely vicious. How did you—uh, defeat them?"

Zhu Youxiang looked at Xu Yan in surprise, as if she couldn't believe someone would ask such a simple question. She patiently explained, "Master Xu, I already told you, I killed them with sword qi."

"Ah, did I—oh, I remember now. You said that."

Xu Yan lightly tapped his head, trying to recall, "You also said you used sword qi to rupture their heart meridians and vital energy without breaking the skin, so there was no blood."

Zhu Youxiang listened patiently and asked, "That's right. What is your question, Master?"

What was his question? Xu Yan smiled bitterly in his heart—his questions were too many and tangled, and he didn't know where to start. After a while, he asked, "Xunyun, where did you learn your... martial arts?"

"My cultivation is diverse. Since childhood, my father—uh, my father taught me the clan's techniques to lay the foundation for my cultivation. Later, I learned sword intent and sword techniques from the household's retainers. At twelve, my family sent me to the White Deer Academy, where I met the True Man Xia Dugudu of the Spirit Sword Sect.

The True Man was very kind to me, guiding my cultivation and helping me build a foundation. However, because of my special background, he did not allow me to join the sect. But in my heart, I regard him as my teacher and show him the respect due to a teacher. The sect's fellow disciples also treat me as a junior sister—these are my teachers and the origins of my skills."

Zhu Youxiang rambled on, and Xu Yan was completely lost, not understanding a word. He took a deep breath and finally asked the most critical question, "Xunyun, where are you from?"

As if she had been prepared for this question, Zhu Youxiang calmly said, "Master Xu, I think I have already answered this question for you, haven't I?"

"But how is that possible?" Xu Yan became agitated, "You said you are from the Ming Dynasty. That means you are a time traveler, right? How did you come from the Ming Dynasty to our world?"

Hearing Xu Yan's question, Zhu Youxiang pursed her lips and lowered her eyes. Then, she smiled and shook her head, apologizing, "Master, I really cannot answer this question. I am very sorry."

"Ah?" Xu Yan hesitated, realizing that this was the question Zhu Youxiang had mentioned earlier, which she could not answer and did not want to lie about.

Xu Yan wanted to ask more, but Zhu Youxiang did not want to continue. She changed the subject, "Master, what is the background of those bandits who came tonight? Are they your enemies?"

"Enemies?" Xu Yan was puzzled: He was a college student still in school, with no social entanglements. Where would he have enemies? If he had to name an enemy, it would be the fat Liu Yang, who always stole his lunch box.

"I don't recognize them. I don't have any enemies outside... They must have come to rob."

"Is that so?" Zhu Youxiang was skeptical. She pondered and said, "Master Xu, I am not being nosy, but I heard what happened. The bandits kept demanding something from you and said they would take you to see their boss. To be frank, this doesn't seem like a simple robbery. You should be more careful in the future."

Hearing Zhu Youxiang's words, Xu Yan shivered and involuntarily touched the wound on his thigh—Zhu Youxiang's medicine was truly amazing; in less than half an hour, the wound was almost healed, leaving only a faint pain. Although the wound was better, recalling the scene, Xu Yan was still terrified.

Zhu Youxiang was right; this was not a simple robbery. The bandits had come in and immediately demanded something from him, then tried to take him away. If it weren't for Zhu Youxiang, he would have been kidnapped—thinking of the consequences, Xu Yan shivered again.

Even though Xu Yan was a socially inexperienced otaku, thanks to the media, he had seen many detective and gangster movies. The bandits tonight were extremely vicious, willing to hurt people, and even avoided leaving any blood. This showed they were meticulous. Such vicious and thorough bandits would not let him live to report to the police after meeting their boss.

Xu Yan frowned, thinking about who his enemies could be. He was from out of town, with little interaction with locals, so he shouldn't have any enemies. He was also low-key at school, getting along well with classmates and teachers. The only one who disliked him was the rich and handsome Ma Chaoqun, who always tried to outshine him in front of the class beauty Yu Qiuting—surely Ma Chaoqun wouldn't hire killers to break in at night just for that?

Could it be an enemy his father made in business? But that was unlikely. His father was in the redwood furniture business, which valued harmony and profit, emphasizing connections and relationships, and the competition wasn't as fierce as in other industries. Besides, his father's annual turnover was only a few million, not enough to make someone travel so far to cause trouble.

After thinking for a while, Xu Yan rubbed his forehead and said dejectedly, "I can't think of anyone. Logically, no one should be seeking revenge on me. Maybe they came to the wrong room and mistook me for someone else?"

In Zhu Youxiang's opinion, the possibility of them coming to the wrong room was very small, but seeing Xu Yan's frightened and pitiful look, she didn't want to crush his fragile spirit and agreed, "Mistaking the room and the person? That's possible. Unfortunately, I didn't think of that at the time, or I would have left one alive to question."

Xu Yan also regretted not leaving one alive to question. But in the eyes of the noble Zhu Youxiang, removing a few bandits was like killing a few cockroaches—no one would think to leave one alive when exterminating pests. And Xu Yan, in pain from his injuries, didn't think of it either.

"Master Xu, they say that those who survive great disasters will have good fortune. Since this has happened, there's no point in worrying too much. We can deal with it as it comes. Since I arrived, I have been deeply grateful for your kindness. If you have any trouble, I will not stand by. If it's not too much trouble, I hope to stay here for a while—do you agree?"

Hearing that Zhu Youxiang was willing to stay with him, Xu Yan was relieved. To be honest, the events of last night had truly frightened him. If Zhu Youxiang hadn't said this, Xu Yan would have packed his bags and fled back to his parents as soon as it was light.

But now, with a powerful expert like Zhu Youxiang willing to stay with him, he not only had a free bodyguard but also the company of a beautiful girl. Was there anything better in the world?

Hearing this, Xu Yan's courage grew, and he immediately welcomed her, saying she could stay as long as she wanted, and he would provide food and lodging without charging rent.

Zhu Youxiang knew that his enthusiasm was mostly due to fear. She smiled, "Master Xu, there's no need to be so polite. I have enough resources to cover the rent and food. I just don't know the local customs and manners, so please guide me. If I offend you unintentionally, please forgive me."

At this point, the sky outside the window was beginning to turn a pale white. Zhu Youxiang bid farewell and went back to her room to rest.

Xu Yan went to the bathroom to wash up and returned to his room. He took off his torn pants and checked the knife wound on his leg. It was now just a red scar, and it didn't hurt much. He couldn't help but marvel at the incredible power of Zhu Youxiang's medicine, which had healed such a deep wound in just an hour.