Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 656 Fame Spreads Throughout the World 4

Yun Chu sat cross-legged on the bamboo couch, her fingertips resting on the old wound on her right knee—a lingering pain left by the fierce battle on the official road against the Wang family's wicked servants. She closed her eyes and calmed her mind, her inner energy flowing gently and slowly.

She gently placed her palm over the wound, and a faint light (a healing ability) flashed in the darkness, as fleeting as a mayfly skimming the water. The blockage in her bones melted away half an inch like snow, but she deliberately held back her strength, only healing seven-tenths of the wound.

The pain lessened considerably, but it was not completely cured.

Yun Chu opened her eyes, her gaze calm and undisturbed.

The memory of Chief Escort Su's fingertip touching this spot was like a warning bell hanging over his head—revealing his supernatural abilities would only increase unforeseen complications.

This journey through the martial world is marked by a mission, not by any personal ties.

The crickets chirped softly outside the window, echoing the water clock. She raised her hand to touch the lingering dull pain on her knee, ultimately letting it become a bargaining chip in tomorrow's battle.

As the first rays of dawn touched the stone platform behind the mountain, Chief Escort Su was already standing under the green pine, his dark-colored outfit tightly binding his wrists and arms.

Yun Chu arrived, her azure robes untouched by a speck of dust. “Young lady,” the old man said, his gaze sharp as a ruler, precisely catching the moment she turned her wrist and raised her elbow, “the ‘Red Lips’ move was sharp at first, but if the elbow were to sink just half an inch further—you’d have room for both offense and defense.”

After speaking, his withered palm transformed into an eagle claw and reached out. The move seemed slow but was actually swift, aiming straight for Yun Chu's arm and the open space between them.

Yun Chu spun around and took a step, the scabbard of the Cold Moon Sword flashing out diagonally.

Keng!

The clanging of metal startled the sparrows under the eaves.

The old man pointed to the wind, which moved like a snake, touching and then disappearing: "The weakness lies in the moment when you lower your shoulders to release the force; if you are too rigid, you will break!" He then gently patted her shoulder blade with his palm, using the force to guide her momentum.

After several exchanges, figures flew across the stone platform.

The frost blade nearly touched the old man's clothes several times, but was always struck by his withered fingertips on the slightest flaw in his wrist bone.

Yun Chu's gaze remained as deep and focused as ever, but her movements, guided by the old man, improved inch by inch, becoming less hesitant and more fluid. Until the sun was high in the sky, the old man withdrew, his black robes soaked with sweat: "Ten moves will be enough for you to break my swords and spears."

In the dappled light and shadow, Yun Chu stroked the icy silk tassel of the sword. The knee injury that hadn't healed last night became the whetstone for today's offensive and defensive maneuvers.

After the initial greetings before dawn, the hustle and bustle of Wuzhou gradually spilled over the high walls and green tiles of the镖局 (bodyguard agency).

Su Ling excitedly pulled Yun Chu along, wanting to "show my little sister the great places in Wuzhou."

Shops lined both sides of the cobblestone streets, with banners fluttering in the breeze.

The fruit stalls were piled high with bright colors, and the aroma of breakfast filled the damp air.

Su Ling was in high spirits, like a bird released from its cage. She pointed to the newly arrived Suzhou and Hangzhou soft silk fabrics at the silk shop, and then stopped in front of the time-honored pastry shop, chattering about how soft the osmanthus cake was and how salty and fragrant the preserved vegetable shortbread was.

Without a word, she shoved a freshly baked sesame candy cake into Yun Chu's hand. The cake was so hot that Yun Chu's fingertips twitched slightly, but it was crispy and fragrant.

Su Ling broke off a piece for herself, her cheeks puffed out, and her almond-shaped eyes crinkled with laughter: "Isn't it delicious? Qin Ji is a three-generation brand!"

Yun Chu smiled slightly, took a small bite of the hot, sweet drink, but her gaze wandered subtly.

The old man selling bamboo cricket cages on the street corner, the tea drinkers chatting by the window on the second floor of the teahouse, the vendors hawking wontons across the alley... in her eyes, they are all part of the city scene, yet she sees them in every detail.

As she crossed an arched bridge, the two gray-clad men squatting behind the stone lions at the bridgehead, gnawing on steamed buns, briefly caught her attention.

They were quite ordinary, like two laborers waiting to be hired.

But just as they crossed the bridge and merged into the even more crowded rice market street, the two of them slowly stood up and trailed far behind.

They were unhurried and relaxed, but their gazes always landed precisely on Yun Chu's cool profile whenever Su Ling was talking loudly.

The first time was by chance, but the second time she passed by the spice shop, and the third time when that scrutinizing gaze lingered on her again as she shielded Su Ling from the crowd of rice cart drivers, it was by no means a coincidence.

The Wang family. This thought surfaced in Yun Chu's mind, as calm as ice.

She didn't turn around, not even the curve of her neck shifted.

The wind carried the faint sounds from not far behind: the rustling of rough fabric between two people, and the deliberate, yet habitually dragging, footsteps of their boots.

They are keeping watch.

The method wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it was more than enough to deal with unsuspecting people.

Su Ling was completely unaware of this.

She was excitedly crowding in front of the jewelry stall, picking up a silver apricot blossom hairpin and holding it up to the sun: "Sister, what do you think of this? It will definitely look good with your sky-blue dress."

Her eyes were bright, her mind completely absorbed in the lively scene before her and the younger sister she had just met beside her.

Yun Chu approached discreetly, and under the guise of looking at the hairpin, she glanced past Su Ling's hair and looked about ten feet to the side and behind her.

The two men in gray stopped in front of a bamboo ware stall, pretending to select winnowing baskets. One of them was talking to the stall owner, while the other's eyes, like a leech, pierced through the gaps in the crowd and were fixed on the two women.

It seems the Wang family has not calmed down despite the lessons learned on the official road.

The casual conversation the bodyguards had over dinner yesterday, in which Chief Bodyguard Su had deliberately mentioned that "the Wang family loves to poison snails," now had a specific and subtle implication.

They are officials, and their actions are backed by government connections and they have henchmen at their disposal.

If they fail to intercept him on the official road and lose face, they probably won't let it go easily.

Yun Chu roams the world alone, fearless and unscrupulous. Anyone who wants to cause trouble for her will have to see if they have the ability.

But the Su family is different.

The General Escort Agency was deeply rooted in this area, and it was constantly in contact with the government. Countless escort businesses relied on the government's approval and travel permits.

On the surface, bodyguards make a living from all walks of life, but ultimately, the word "official" weighs down on them.

If her actions cause the Su family to face difficulties from the authorities, or even lose their livelihood, then she will owe them a debt of gratitude.

In a flash, her fingers moved slightly, and the apricot blossom hairpin was smoothly placed on Su Ling's dark hair.

"It's beautiful." Yun Chu's voice was calm, without the slightest ripple, as if she wasn't the one who had just realized the tracking and potential danger. Her fingertips were slightly cool as she gently brushed a few stray strands of hair that had been ruffled by the wind across Su Ling's forehead. "What my sister chose is naturally excellent."

Sunlight fell on the apricot blossoms in the hairpin, reflecting a sharp light.

On the other side of the bridge, the shadow behind the stone lion swayed slightly.

***

As dusk settled, the hustle and bustle of Wuzhou gradually subsided, and the lights of thousands of homes lit up one after another in the streets and alleys, only to be swallowed up again by the high walls.

In a corner of the western city where the Prince's Mansion was located, the mansion was as imposing as a lurking beast, with stone lions guarding the vermilion gates, and in the shadows one could vaguely see the night patrol servants carrying lanterns.

Yun Chu stood quietly on the gnarled branches of a century-old locust tree, her sky-blue outfit blending into the night, only a cold light flashing in her eyes.

The sharp glint of light on Su Lingzan during the day still seemed to float before my eyes.

Debts of gratitude must be settled, but the Wang family owes even more blood debts. She lightly tapped the hilt of the sword at her waist, her inner energy flowing, and her supernatural power silently unfolded—her figure vanished from the branch like a drop of water into ink, leaving only a slight tremor on the branch tip.

When the time came to freeze again, it was already under the shadow of the eaves of a hipped roof.

The night wind swept across the rooftops, carrying the dampness of dew and a hint of decay.

Below lay a series of courtyards, with winding covered walkways. Yun Chu closed her eyes, lost in thought. Her psychic powers spread out like an invisible spiderweb, passing through the carved window lattices and piercing the depths of the slumbering sleeper's consciousness.