Chapter 6

Three people suddenly stumbled out of the grass ahead.
One of them was none other than Zhou Qiren.
Their faces pale and panicked, they ran toward them, shouting as they went, “Run! There’s a tiger behind us!”
Yun Pianpian’s heart skipped a beat.
No way, was her luck really this bad? On her second day in this book world, she had to run into the great tyrant of the animal kingdom, a tiger?
Before Yun Pianpian could even turn to flee, she heard a majestic tiger roar from the woods ahead. Immediately after, a tiger leaped out from the grass, its bloody maw wide open, and pounced fiercely toward Doctor Zhou and the other two.
Yun Pianpian was so terrified that her entire body turned cold, and her heart nearly stopped beating.
Overwhelming despair flooded over her.
How could a human possibly outrun a tiger?
Today, all five of them would likely die here.
At the critical moment.
A withered branch shot out from beside her.
The branch was as swift as lightning, piercing fiercely through the tiger's abdomen. Fresh blood sprayed out along with the half of the branch that had penetrated the tiger's back. The tiger was thrown to the ground by the force carried by the branch, rolling several times before coming to a stop.
It lay on the ground, whimpering twice, as if trying to get up.
But it never rose again.
The branch had struck a vital point, accurately hitting the tiger's heart. This was no accident but the result of countless repetitions and refinement.
Yun Pianpian stiffly turned her head, staring blankly at Xiao Changyuan standing beside her.
“.Husband, was it you who shot that branch?”
Xiao Changyuan didn't look at Yun Pianpian but lowered his gaze to his own hands.
His dark eyes were cold and intense, his handsome face icy, and his long brows slightly furrowed.
“Wife, did I know martial arts before?”
“Husband, your martial arts were unparalleled, a rare master in this world.”
At this, Yun Pianpian suddenly felt a pang of anxiety, her face filled with panic as she looked at Xiao Changyuan.
“Husband, have you remembered something?”
Xiao Changyuan lowered his long, thick, and curled black eyelashes, slowly shaking his head.
“Although I don't remember, my body hasn't forgotten.”
When the tiger appeared, his body immediately sprang into action, fluid and seamless, as if…as if it were his instinct.
Killing the tiger was his instinct.
It was the result of his body being tempered and trained thousands of times.
Hearing this, Yun Pianpian breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he hadn't remembered anything.
Otherwise, with all her lies, she would have found it hard to explain herself.
After the two villagers escaped the tiger's jaws, their faces pale and hearts still racing, they hurried over to thank Xiao Changyuan.
“Thank you, young master, for saving us! Thank you, young master, for saving us!”
Zhou Qiren walked at the back, his gaze toward Xiao Changyuan somewhat complicated. After a long pause, he cupped his hands and bowed deeply to Xiao Changyuan.
“Thank you, young master, for your life, saving grace. Please accept this bow from Zhou.”
Xiao Changyuan looked at Zhou Qiren indifferently, his cold, handsome face devoid of any expression.
“It was just a small effort.”
Meanwhile, Xie Yu and Mu Bai followed closely behind Xiao Changyuan and Yun Pianpian. Hiding in the grass, they were preparing to catch Xiao Changyuan off guard when they suddenly saw him pick up a branch and effortlessly kill a fierce tiger.
His movements were as effortless as crushing an ant, without the slightest exertion.
Xie Yu and Mu Bai exchanged glances.
In each other's eyes, they saw fear.
A deathly silence fell.
Xie Yu suddenly said, “Thinking carefully, my relationship with my elder brother was never close, so this vengeance for killing my brother isn't something I must pursue.”
Mu Bai nodded vigorously. “Your Highness speaks wisely.”
“Moreover.”
Xie Yu lowered his head, his voice growing even softer. “Moreover, for the sake of the throne, my elder brother killed our second brother, third brother, and fifth brother. If I hadn't pretended to be mad and uninterested in the throne since childhood, perhaps I would have been the next one he killed.”
“Your Highness.”
Mu Bai wanted to comfort Xie Yu but didn't know what to say.
He was Xie Yu's shadow guard, three years older than Xie Yu, and had watched him grow up since childhood.
When Xie Zhui and Chu Yi used a honey trap to kill the second prince, Xie Yu was only ten years old.
Later, the third and fifth princes successively died at Xie Zhui's hands. By the time Xie Yu was twelve, he had no choice but to feign madness and play the fool to evade Xie Zhui's suspicion and assassination attempts. Eventually, Xie Zhui successfully ascended the throne, and Xiao Changyuan led his troops to attack the Liang Kingdom.
During the standoff between the two armies, Xie Yu and Mu Bai once stood atop the city wall and caught a distant glimpse of Xiao Changyuan.
Later, Xie Yu and Mu Bai took advantage of the chaos to hide in Jiangjia Village.
They were hiding from Xiao Changyuan, and at the same time, they were also hiding from Xie Zhui.
Not long after, they received news in Jiangjia Village that the Liang Kingdom had fallen.
The twelve, year, old Xie Yu cried all night.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
The once twelve, year, old Xie Yu was now fifteen.
“Your Highness, all of that is in the past now.”
“Though the events are over, the debts of gratitude must still be repaid.” Xie Yu lifted his dark eyes and said softly, “Xiao Changyuan killed my elder brother but saved my life. So, upon careful thought, he is not my enemy but my benefactor.”
As he spoke, a faint glimmer of life sparked in his previously dull peach, blossom eyes.
He stood up and leaped out of the grass, running toward Xiao Changyuan and his party.
Mu Bai was taken aback. “Your Highness, what are you doing?”
Xie Yu turned back, his eyes shining brightly. “Naturally, I'm going to repay the favor.”
Mu Bai had no idea what Xie Yu was scheming, but no matter what Xie Yu intended to do, Mu Bai would spare no effort to help him accomplish it. He hurried after him. “Your Highness, wait for me.”
Xiao Yu suddenly grew serious. “Remember to call me A Yu in front of Xiao Changyuan later. Don’t give us away.”
Mu Bai glanced at Xie Yu and replied, “Yes.”
Zhou Qiren crouched beside the tiger, reached out to feel its neck, and lifted its eyelids to check its pupils. Only after confirming that the tiger was truly dead did he slowly stand up and announce to the crowd, “It's dead.”
Yun Pianpian stayed close to Xiao Changyuan, clutching his sleeve, too afraid to approach the dead tiger.
Xiao Changyuan lowered his gaze to look at Yun Pianpian's small hand tightly gripping his sleeve.
His handsome, aloof face showed no expression.
But he stepped in front of her.
Upon hearing Zhou Qiren's words, the two villagers finally relaxed and repeatedly praised Xiao Changyuan as the hero who had slain the tiger.
“May we ask your esteemed name, benefactor?”
Xiao Changyuan replied indifferently, “Stone.”
The two villagers immediately expressed their gratitude, saying, “Thank you, Benefactor Stone, for saving our lives. If there is ever anything we can do for you in the future, please do not hesitate to ask. We are from Jiangjia Village. May we ask where you reside?”
Xiao Changyuan frowned; he disliked conversing with others.
Seeing his silence, the two villagers grew somewhat awkward.
Yun Pianpian smiled and said to them, “We have recently moved to Jiangjia Village. My name is Pianpian, and I am his wife.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiren’s fingers, hidden in his sleeves, twitched slightly.
The two villagers, seeing an opportunity to ease the tension, immediately began praising Yun Pianpian.
Xiao Changyuan’s frown deepened.
He disliked talking to others, and he disliked it even more when his wife spoke with others.
Noticing the expression on Xiao Changyuan’s face, Zhou Langzhong felt a twinge of fear and interrupted the villagers, saying, “This tiger can fetch a good price. Since it was killed by the benefactor, it should belong to him. Why don’t we help carry the tiger down the mountain together?”
The villagers nodded repeatedly. “Zhou Langzhong is right. Let’s help the benefactor carry the tiger down the mountain.”
Xiao Changyuan pressed his thin lips together and remained silent.
Yun Pianpian thanked everyone on his behalf. “Then we’ll trouble you.”
The villagers smiled and replied, “You’re too kind, Madam. We can never repay the debt of saving our lives. This is the least we can do.”
Tiger pelts were extremely valuable and could not be dragged on the ground, as the more the fur wore down, the less money it would fetch. The group found a sturdy wooden pole and twisted grass fibers into ropes, preparing to tie the tiger’s limbs to the pole with the grass ropes.
While they were busy, Yun Pianpian suddenly heard a clear, pleasant voice of a young man behind her.
“What a beautiful tiger pelt! It must be worth a lot, right?”
Yun Pianpian turned around and saw a handsome young man standing behind her, dressed in a green robe and looking about fifteen or sixteen years old.
The young man curved his eyes into a smile, his charming peach, blossom eyes filled with intelligence and mischief.
“No matter how much you can sell it for, I can help you get double the price.”
Yun Pianpian: “…” This kid might look young, but his tone was anything but modest.
The two villagers, who had been twisting grass ropes, looked up and immediately greeted the young man warmly.
“Isn’t this A Yu? What brings you up the mountain to collect goods today?”
The young man smiled obediently at the two villagers. “Recently, walnuts have been selling well in the city, and the entire market is struggling to meet demand. So, my brother and I came up the mountain early this morning to gather walnuts, thinking every extra one counts.”
Yun Pianpian noticed another tall, slender young man standing behind him, about eighteen or nineteen years old.
She assumed he was the brother the young man had mentioned.
Yun Pianpian asked, “Who are you?”
The young man smiled slightly. “My name is A Yu, and I’m a peddler. This is my brother, A Bai.”
Mu Bai nodded to Yun Pianpian as a greeting.
Xie Yu cupped his hands toward Yun Pianpian and asked with a grin, “May I ask for your name, sister?”
Yun Pianpian replied, “My name is Yun Pianpian.”
Xie Yu smiled sweetly. “So it’s Sister Pianpian.”
Yun Pianpian looked at him. “What did you mean by what you said earlier? What do you mean, you can help me sell it for double the price?”
Xie Yu grinned. “Does this tiger belong to you, sister?”
Yun Pianpian replied, “My husband hunted it.”
Xie Yu curved his lips into a smile. “I’m a traveling merchant, and I know every shop in the three nearby towns. I know which shops will buy tiger skins and which ones are willing to pay a high price. Instead of you running around looking for buyers and risking being cheated, why not leave the tiger to me? I’ll find a buyer for you, and I’ll only take a ten percent commission. I also have an ox cart to transport the goods.”
Yun Pianpian was somewhat tempted.
She was new to the area and truly didn’t know which shops would buy tiger skins. Moreover, she and Xiao Changyuan had no household registration or travel permits. While they could manage in a market, entering the city required travel permits. It might be better to entrust the tiger to Xie Yu to sell.
Though tempted, she kept her expression neutral.
“How do I know you won’t cheat me?”
Xie Yu gave a light smile. “If you’re worried, sister, you can come with me. Your husband can come too.”
Yun Pianpian frowned delicately. She and Xiao Changyuan had no travel permits, so they couldn’t go with him.
“Don’t worry, Benefactor’s wife…” The villager twisting straw rope nearby spoke up for Xie Yu. “Don’t judge A Yu by his youth. He’s clever, articulate, and really good at business.”
Another villager chimed in, “That’s right. We often give our goods to A Yu to sell in the city. The money he brings back is much more than what we’d get selling it ourselves. The boy is charming and sweet, tongued, city folks love buying from his stall…”
Hearing this, Yun Pianpian grew even more tempted.
Xie Yu seemed to sense her hesitation and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, sister. I’ll have the shop write a receipt as proof. If you’re afraid I might run off with the money, I can leave my older brother with you as collateral. What do you think?”
Yun Pianpian glanced at Xie Yu’s older brother, Mu Bai.
He had a refined and handsome face, as if carved from jade.
Though, like Xiao Changyuan, he had the aura of an icy beauty, he seemed much gentler.
Most importantly, he was quite good, looking.
“Alright then.”
Yun Pianpian quickly agreed. “I’ll leave the tiger to you.”
Xiao Changyuan frowned deeply upon seeing this.