Chapter 68

Chapter 69: Never Seen Such a Matchmaking

The next day, Zhao Cheng got up early, changed into a white martial outfit, and tucked a short knife into his waist. With a fierce look on his face, he stepped out of the door, and Jian followed closely behind, carrying a box. They passed through the second gate and arrived at the outer courtyard, where the early-rising guards were already practicing their punches and kicks to build up their strength.

"Second Young Master, good morning!" The guards were used to the prince practicing with them every day, but today his expression seemed off, as if someone had stolen his gold ingot.

"Everyone, good morning! Today I have a favor to ask. I need to find someone and give them a hard time. Everyone, grab your weapons and follow me!" Zhao Cheng shouted loudly.

"Who’s so desperate as to anger Second Young Master? Let’s go, brothers!" Pan Long stepped forward, waving his hand.

"Got the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, daring to challenge Second Young Master. He’s asking for trouble!"

"Grab your weapons, follow Second Young Master!"

"Let’s go, my bones are all stiff. It’s a good time to stretch!" Yang Feng picked up a short staff and shouted.

"Thank you all in advance. The person we’re looking for is quite skilled, so be careful!" Zhao Cheng said.

"Second Young Master, don’t worry. With so many of us, he won’t stand a chance!" Xue Bao said with a smile.

"When I say be careful, I mean don’t kill him. If you injure him, he should submit. If he doesn’t, give him a good beating. But if anyone seriously injures him, I’ll deduct the medical expenses from their salary!" Zhao Cheng pointed at the guards.

"Alright, Second Young Master, we’ll beat him exactly as you say. If you want one of his legs, we won’t touch his arm!" Song Hu said with a smile.

"Good. Pan Brother, you four come with me. Master Meng and Master Yang, you two have good archery skills. Stay on the roof with your bows and arrows. If he tries to run, shoot to stop him, but don’t kill him. He’s quick on his feet, so don’t let him escape. The rest of you guard the courtyard. If he tries to run out, stop him. Set up trip wires or something!" Zhao Cheng began assigning tasks. "We have some fishing nets that we prepared to prevent intruders. Bring them and set them up at the doors and windows. He won’t escape this time!" Yang Feng said.

"Good, I’ll count on all of you. Follow my lead, and we’ll have plenty of food and drink after this!" Zhao Cheng said, offering a generous reward. The guards cheered, knowing they wouldn’t lack for food and drink when following the prince.

The weapons were ready, and Zhao Cheng saw that everyone was prepared. He led the group to a small courtyard in the eastern wing. Everyone knew this was where the third steward, who had been killed, used to live. After his death, no one wanted to live there, so it had been empty until recently when the new gardener and his wife moved in.

"Master Jian, what’s Second Young Master up to this time?" Meng Tao asked, puzzled as they approached.

"Hehe, don’t worry about it. Second Young Master is trying to do something good, he wants to arrange a marriage!" Jian said with a smile.

"This..." Meng Tao stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. This setup didn’t look like a marriage arrangement; it looked more like a kidnapping. However, the prince’s actions, though often bizarre and prone to causing trouble for officials, had never involved bullying commoners, let alone people in the mansion. Perhaps there was more to it. Meng Tao, still puzzled, followed along.

As they approached the small courtyard, the group moved quietly. The guards spread out according to Zhao Cheng’s instructions, securing the doors and windows. Meng Tao and Yang Feng climbed a tree and a roof, respectively, drawing their bows to block the courtyard. Zhao Cheng then led Pan Long and the others to knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Lu Xiaoyao had just woken up. Since joining the mansion, he had been low-key, rarely speaking to anyone and making no friends. This was the first time someone had come to his door.

"Open up, the prince needs to see you!" Zhao Cheng gave a signal, and Jian stepped forward to speak.

"Oh!" Lu Xiaoyao responded, pulling the door bolt. The door was immediately pushed open, and he took a step back, seeing Zhao Cheng enter with a cold smile. "Second Young Master!" He hesitated for a moment, then called out as the others in the mansion did.

"Lu Da, do you know your crime?" Zhao Cheng raised his eyebrows and asked suddenly.

"Second Young Master, what have I done wrong?" Lu Xiaoyao asked, puzzled. He had been well-behaved and hadn’t done anything wrong. He saw Pan Long and the others enter the courtyard, looking menacing. Suspicion and fear filled his mind, and he thought, "Is this little guy changing his mind and planning to turn me over to the authorities?"

"Are you still pretending to be ignorant?" Zhao Cheng sneered.

"Please enlighten me, Second Young Master!" Lu Xiaoyao bowed and suddenly reached out to grab Zhao Cheng. Zhao Cheng was prepared and, seeing Lu Xiaoyao’s shoulder move, knew he was about to attack. He ducked, using his height to his advantage and dodged.

"Trying to hurt Second Young Master!" Pan Long shouted, grabbing Lu Xiaoyao’s collar and pulling him back. However, he felt a sudden lightness, and only a piece of clothing remained in his hand. Lu Xiaoyao had used a technique to escape, leaving his coat behind.

"Where do you think you’re going!" Xue Bao kicked to block Lu Xiaoyao’s path. Lu Xiaoyao made an incredible twist, bypassing Xue Bao and lunging towards Zhao Cheng, who was standing at the door. The four men were shocked; if he managed to hurt the prince under their watch, they would lose face in the martial world. Pan Long roared and pounced in front of Zhao Cheng, while Song Hu swung his arm to block Lu Xiaoyao’s attack, and Zhang Feng attacked his lower body with a sweeping kick.

Seeing that he was about to be injured by the two men, Lu Xiaoyao used a technique to dodge Song Hu’s iron arm and Zhang Feng’s sweeping kick. He performed two backflips, landed on the window sill, and grabbed a roof beam with his right hand. He shouted, "Little Sister, run!" and with a quick movement, he flipped onto the roof. His target was not Zhao Cheng but to escape.

As Lu Xiaoyao stabilized himself, he heard the whistling of two arrows. He grabbed two tiles and threw them without looking back, knocking the arrows out of the air.

"What are you doing!" The sound outside startled Xiao Mei. She had just jumped out of the door when she was restrained. Looking down, she saw Zhao Cheng holding a sheathed short knife to her waist.

"Sister, don’t worry. I’m concerned about your future. Please cooperate!" Zhao Cheng whispered.

"You, you don’t hurt him!" Xiao Mei remembered Zhao Cheng’s words from the previous day about arranging a marriage for her. She thought he was joking, but now it seemed he was serious. However, the situation had already turned violent, and she was worried.

"Lu Da, listen. I’ve set up a trap around you. You won’t escape. Come down. I don’t think you’re so heartless as to leave your delicate little sister with me!" Zhao Cheng shouted from behind Xiao Mei.

"Hmph, do you think your men can trap me? They’re just like clay chickens and tiles to me. Release my little sister immediately, or I’ll take your life!" Lu Xiaoyao sneered.

"Sister Mei, he’s quite protective of you!" Zhao Cheng said with a smile, then waved his hand. Two arrows thudded into the ground at Lu Xiaoyao’s feet. "Everyone can talk big, but let’s see if you can move!"

"Alright, don’t hurt my little sister, I’ll come down!" Lu Xiaoyao looked around, seeing shadows moving, indicating a trap. After a moment’s thought, he seemed to resign himself to his fate.

"Good, come down." Zhao Cheng’s head was halfway out when he felt something was wrong. He leaned back and took a step, and a pebble grazed his nose, hitting the wall and raising a cloud of dust. "Finger Flicking Technique!" He was startled, a bizarre thought crossing his mind: Could such incredible martial arts from Jin Yong’s novels really exist in this world?

While Zhao Cheng was distracted, Xiao Mei vanished from in front of him. When he regained his senses, his four bodyguards had already surrounded him, and Lu Xiaoyao was pulling Xiao Mei towards the courtyard gate.

"This guy, who can become a sect leader, really has some skills. Even I, an old bird, was caught off guard!" Zhao Cheng thought to himself.

Lu Xiaoyao’s actions, though risky, were well-calculated. He feigned weakness to lure Zhao Cheng out, then attacked suddenly. Pan Long and the others would naturally prioritize protecting the prince, leaving him an opening. Once the two sides were mixed, the archers would be hesitant to shoot, fearing they might hit their own. He took advantage of this brief moment to rescue Xiao Mei and escape.

"One net doesn’t catch fish, the second doesn’t catch shrimp, but the third caught..." Zhao Cheng clapped and jumped towards the gate, looking at the two people caught in the net and said with a smile, "How did the third net catch a pair of lovebirds in distress?"

"Scoundrel, release me immediately, or I’ll kill you all!" Lu Xiaoyao, who had not anticipated the prince’s trap, was caught in the fishing net. The more he struggled, the tighter the net became, entangling both of them. Hearing Zhao Cheng’s taunts and remembering his repeated failures at the hands of this young man, he couldn’t help but curse in anger.

"You’re really ungrateful. Second Young Master wanted to arrange a marriage for you, but you repay kindness with enmity and try to kill me!" Zhao Cheng squatted down and pinched Lu Xiaoyao’s nose, twisting it.

"Ugh, ugh," Lu Xiaoyao, with his nose pinched, struggled to breathe, shaking his head and body, but unable to move, he could only glare in anger.

"Little brother, stop fooling around and release us!" Being tightly wrapped in the net, their bodies inevitably touched. Xiao Mei, feeling both embarrassed and angry, couldn’t help but speak up.

"Alright, alright, sister, I’ll release you as you wish!" Zhao Cheng agreed and ordered the release. Pan Long and Xue Bao approached. Although the prince had given prior instructions, they were still angry at his repeated escapes and couldn’t help but make some small moves. They untied the net, and Xiao Mei jumped up, but Lu Xiaoyao, looking pained, failed to stand up twice. Song Hu and Zhang Feng lifted him and carried him into the courtyard.

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