Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 27

Jiang Xun was about to close his eyes—

"Thump."

A muffled thud came from the attic, as if something had hit the floor.

Jiang Xun's heart skipped a beat. He lay there motionless, listening intently for a while longer.

"Thump."

Another sound, very soft.

But he heard it clearly; it was coming from the main house, from the attic.

Jiang Xun slowly sat up, put on his coat, and quietly pushed open the door.

The courtyard was so quiet that only the chirping of insects could be heard. The moonlight cast dappled shadows of the pomegranate tree all over the ground.

He walked towards the main house, his steps as swift as a cat's.

Pushing open the door to the main room, it was pitch black inside, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

He reached for the attic ladder and glanced up.

There seems to be some movement up in the attic.

It was very slight, but it was definitely there, like something was moving.

Jiang Xun took a deep breath, his hand on his waist where the kitchen knife he had just bought that day was tucked, and it wasn't even sharpened yet.

He climbed the ladder, step by step.

"Squeak—"

The ladder made a sound, and the noise in the attic immediately stopped.

Jiang Xun also stopped, held his breath, and remained motionless.

Moonlight seeped in through the cracks in the attic window, drawing a thin white line on the floor.

After a while, more noises came from the attic.

This time he heard it clearly.

It's the sound of breathing, the sound of a person breathing.

Jiang Xun felt a sense of relief at first, realizing it wasn't a ghost; then his heart tightened again, realizing it was a person, and he had to be even more careful.

He continued climbing, reaching the top of the ladder, and slowly poked his head out.

The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating a person curled up in the corner.

The man had his back to him, curled up in a ball, and remained motionless.

Jiang Xun squinted to take a closer look—it was a man, dressed in drab gray clothes, his hair a mess like a bird's nest.

The man seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around—

The moonlight shone on his face.

He was in his forties, with a scraggly beard and a face as white as paper, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.

The two looked at each other for a moment.

The man suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing against wood: "Who are you?"

Jiang Xun was stunned for a moment, then laughed in exasperation: "This is my house! You're asking me?"

The man's expression froze.

The next moment, he moved.

It moved as fast as a gust of wind, sweeping in from the corner and striking Jiang Xun with a palm.

Jiang Xun was so frightened that he shrank back and almost fell off the ladder, frantically grabbing the edge of the ladder.

The man's palm grazed his cheek and slammed open the attic window with a "bang".

The man swayed and was about to jump out.

"stop!"

Jiang Xun leaped up from the ladder and grabbed the man's ankle.

The man didn't expect him to react so quickly, and was pulled so hard that he stumbled and almost fell.

He glanced back at Jiang Xun, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Kid, you—"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly clutched his side and his expression changed.

Jiang Xun then noticed that there was a cut on his waist, from which blood was seeping out and dripping down his clothes.

The man gritted his teeth, still trying to struggle.

Jiang Xun suddenly spoke up: "If you move again, you'll bleed to death."

The man froze.

Jiang Xun looked at him and said calmly, "Breaking into a private residence and playing tricks are nothing serious crimes. You don't need to risk your life."

The man's eyes flickered, and he looked down at his side—blood was still seeping out, staining half of his clothes red.

He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly sighed.

"Okay, I won't run anymore."

Jiang Xun helped the man down from the attic and into the west wing.

Only after the lamp was lit could the person's appearance be clearly seen.

He was in his early forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a scruffy beard; he looked quite ordinary.

But those eyes were indeed bright, as bright as two lamps, as if they could see right through you.

The wound on my side was still bleeding, and my clothes were covered in black and red blood, which looked quite frightening.

Jiang Xun rummaged through his bundle and pulled out a clean undergarment, which he quickly tore into strips. He then pulled out some hemostatic herbs he had gathered in the mountains—he had learned these from the old man, and he hadn't expected them to actually come in handy.

"Bear with it."

He applied the herbs to the wound and wrapped it tightly with a strip of cloth.

The man groaned, sweat beading on his forehead, but he gritted his teeth and didn't cry out.

After treating his wounds, Jiang Xun stood up and looked at him.

"Tell me, what happened?"

The man leaned against the wall, took a few breaths, and suddenly grinned: "Kid, you've got some nerve."

Jiang Xun raised an eyebrow.

"Most people would have called the authorities if they saw me like this," the man said. "But you're doing me a favor by bandaging me up."

Jiang Xun smiled and said, "Report to the authorities? I've been avoiding officials since I was a child."

The man's eyes lit up: "Oh? A fellow traveler?"

Jiang Xun didn't reply, he just looked at him.

"Tell me, who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

The man paused for a moment, then suddenly pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to Jiang Xun.

Jiang Xun caught it and took a look.

A piece of gold, heavy as a feather, weighing about two ounces.

"Rent," the man said, "let me stay here for a few days, and I'll leave once I'm healed."

Jiang Xun weighed the piece of gold in his hand and suddenly frowned.

He held the gold up to the light to examine it closely—it was of excellent quality and had a mark on it: "Imperial Treasury".

Jiang Xun's heart skipped a beat.

The Imperial Treasury? That's the court's money.

He looked up and stared at the man: "Are you from the government?"

The man paused, then laughed: "A government official? If I were a government official, would I be in this situation?"

Jiang Xun weighed the gold in his hand, his expression serious: "This gold is government silver. The words 'Inner Treasury' are only used by the Imperial Palace. You're either an official or you stole from the government."

The man's smile froze on his face.

He stared at Jiang Xun for three seconds, then suddenly sighed, "Hey kid, you have a sharp eye."

Jiang Xun didn't speak, he just looked at him.

The man was silent for a while, then suddenly straightened up. Although he was still leaning against the wall, his entire demeanor changed.

"Alright, I won't hesitate to tell you. My name is Liu Qing."

Jiang Xun was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened suddenly: "The Thief Saint Liu Qing?!"

The man smiled. "You've heard of me?"

Jiang Xun's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets—he had heard of it more than once!

Liu Qing, the legendary thief!

That's the founding father of their line of work!

His lightness skill was unparalleled, he could steal from anyone in the world without being defeated, and he could even come and go freely in the imperial palace.

Ten years ago, he was arrested by the imperial court, his collarbone was pierced, and he was imprisoned in the imperial prison.

Less than two years later, he actually escaped from prison and regained all his martial arts skills.

When Jiang Xun was a child, he listened intently to the old man's stories, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Are you really a master thief?"

Liu Qing smiled and unbuttoned her shirt.

Under the light, two deep scars below the collarbone were shocking to see—they were left from piercing the collarbone.

Jiang Xun gasped.

"You believe it?" Liu Qing asked.

Jiang Xun nodded, then shook his head: "I only half believe it."

Liu Qing raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Xun's gaze fell on his waist, his brows furrowing slightly: "This injury... is fresh. And—how could you, the mighty Thief Saint, be hiding in such a dilapidated courtyard?"

Liu Qing looked at him and suddenly laughed: "Kid, you're quite interesting."

He leaned back, shifting to a more comfortable position, and his tone softened: "Okay, I'll tell you. I've gotten myself into a bit of trouble this time."

"What's the trouble?"

Liu Qing didn't answer immediately. He glanced out the window first, then lowered his voice and said, "I stole something from a wealthy family in the capital. I thought I could get away with it, but I was discovered as soon as I succeeded."

"Those dogs of the Golden Feather Guard, with their keen senses, chased me all the way from the capital to Jiangning Prefecture."

"The Golden Feather Guard?" Jiang Xun was taken aback. "I've heard of them many times, but I've never understood what they do."

"The imperial court's lackeys." Liu Qing sneered and spat on the ground. "The commander's name is Huang Hao. That old bastard chased me for ten days and ten nights."

I confronted him head-on but didn't get the better of him. I fled all the way to Jiangning Prefecture and managed to escape using a clever escape technique.

I'm hiding in your yard, hoping to recover from my injuries before leaving.

After listening, Jiang Xun thought to himself: He clearly couldn't beat them, yet he said he "didn't get any advantage." He's injured like this and still being stubborn.

He didn't say anything more, stood up and walked out.

"Hey..." Liu Qing raised her chin. "Where are you going?"

Jiang Xun didn't even turn his head: "Go to sleep."

"You..." Liu Qing paused, a hint of surprise in her voice, "You're not going to kick me out?"

Jiang Xun stopped and turned to look at him.

The moonlight fell on his face, and he looked completely at ease.

"You paid the rent."

Liu Qing paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

This kid is interesting.