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

Chapter 13 Cliff

Jiang Xun quietly retreated to the doorway and slipped into the adjacent tea room when no one was looking.

Several jugs of wine were placed on the table, prepared for the front hall.

He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then pulled a small paper packet from his pocket—it was croton powder he had taken from the kitchen a few days ago, finely ground, originally intended by Aunt Zhao for weeding the vegetable garden.

He opened the paper package, poured half of it into one of the bottles of wine, shook it, and then resealed it.

Then, carrying the wine jug, he swaggered back to the front hall.

In the front hall, they had already drunk several rounds of wine and eaten several dishes.

"Come, come, try this dish," Su Guanlan enthusiastically invited, tapping the plate with her chopsticks. "This is our Chunshui School's signature dish, steamed sea bass, raised in mountain spring water, with tender and delicious meat..."

Everyone laughed and picked up their chopsticks, but no one noticed that Jiang Xun had been standing to the side at some point, filling everyone's cups with wine.

He moved very gently, pressing the spout low so that the wine entered the glass almost silently.

After pouring the last cup, he lowered his eyes and quietly left the front hall.

Jiang Xun originally planned to go directly to the Transmission Pavilion, but halfway there, he suddenly heard a name mentioned inside—

"Su Miao".

He paused in his steps.

As if possessed, he moved closer.

"Young Master Dugu," Su Guanlan raised his wine cup, his face beaming, "it is truly an honor for the Spring Water Sect that you could come in person this time."

Young Master Dugu?

Jiang Xun's heart skipped a beat—it turned out this person's surname was Dugu.

Young Master Dugu picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and displayed a very composed demeanor.

"Sect Leader Su, you're too kind. My father sent me here because he wanted to see the splendor of the Spring Water Sect."

"Not at all, not at all." Su Guanlan waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes almost disappearing with laughter. "The Chunshui Sect is a small and insignificant sect. How dare we boast in front of the Dugu family?"

He put down his wine glass, then suddenly changed the subject, as if it were just something he mentioned casually.

"Speaking of which, my daughter Su Miao is fifteen this year. Last time Madam Dugu came, she praised her for being so well-behaved."

Jiang Xun paused slightly in his movements.

"That girl Su Miao, although young, has learned some music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and can read a few words," Su Guanlan said with a smile, her tone slightly probing. "If she can catch the eye of Young Master Dugu, that would be a blessing for her."

Jiang Xun was stunned.

That tone—it sounds like someone is promoting their own daughter?

Young Master Dugu raised an eyebrow and put down his chopsticks.

"What does Sect Leader Su mean?"

Su Guanlan rubbed his hands together, a hint of flattery in his smile, and lowered his voice.

"Young Master Dugu, you may not know this, but my daughter has long admired the Dugu family. If she could marry you, even as a concubine, it would be her great fortune."

Jiang Xun almost cried out.

Concubine?

This old man is going to give his own daughter away as a concubine?

Young Master Dugu smiled, picked up his wine cup, and slowly swirled it around.

"What you're saying, Sect Leader Su? Miss Su is your precious daughter, how could she become a concubine?"

Su Guanlan's expression stiffened slightly, and he was about to speak—

Young Master Dugu added another sentence:

"If you're going to do it, you have to be the legal wife."

Su Guanlan was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, almost jumping off his chair.

"Is Young Master Dugu telling the truth?"

"Of course it is true." Young Master Dugu placed his wine cup on the table and said slowly, "However, I'll have to wait until I finish what I'm doing. Then I'll come to pick up Miss Su myself."

Su Guanlan was overjoyed and kept saying "good" to Su Guanlan.

"Alright, alright! It's settled then! Come on, let's drink!"

Jiang Xun stood in the corner, watching this scene, and suddenly felt a little uneasy.

Su Miao's face appeared before his eyes—her stubborn eyes, her biting her lip and remaining silent.

So that's what she meant when she said "I won't teach you".

It's not that we don't teach her, it's that we don't take her seriously at all.

A cool night breeze blew by, carrying the unique fragrance of the bamboo forest.

In the distance, a pale blue figure stood in the moonlight, having waited for an unknown amount of time.

Su Miao.

She stood there in a light blue dress, as quiet as a bamboo stalk, seemingly from a completely different world from the lively atmosphere at the dinner table.

Jiang Xun walked over.

"You're here?" she asked, her voice calm and devoid of emotion.

Jiang Xun nodded.

Su Miao turned and left.

"Come with me."

The two of them, one in front of the other, crept up to the vicinity of the Transmission Pavilion.

The moonlight cast their long shadows onto the bluestone slabs.

Su Miao took a small bamboo tube out of her bosom and handed it to Jiang Xun.

"I'll make a noise to distract the guards. You can go in while I'm at it."

Jiang Xun took the bamboo tube and weighed it in his hand.

"What is this?"

"Sedative smoke," Su Miao said crisply. "Use this if there are still people inside."

Jiang Xun looked at her.

Under the moonlight, her face was very white, her eyes were very bright, and her expression was unreadable.

"I heard what happened in the front hall just now," Jiang Xun suddenly spoke, his voice very low.

Su Miao was stunned for a moment.

Then she smiled, a very faint smile.

"So what if I heard it? It's not a secret anyway."

"You..." Jiang Xun didn't know what to say, and swallowed the words back. "You just admit it like that?"

Su Miao looked at him, her eyes flickering for a moment, but quickly calmed down.

"What can you do if you don't acknowledge it?"

Jiang Xun opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

Yes, what can we do if we don't acknowledge it?

What kind of trouble could a young girl like her possibly cause inside this mountain gate?

Su Miao didn't say anything more, turned around and ran towards the Transmission Pavilion, her steps quick and light.

As Jiang Xun watched her disappear into the night, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

This girl has had a tough time.

Not long after, a soft sound came from the Transmission Pavilion, as if something had been kicked over.

Then came a flurry of footsteps.

"Who goes there!"

"stop!"

Jiang Xun saw a dark figure dart past the Transmission Pavilion, and several guards chased after it with lanterns, shouting, "Don't run!"

Right now.

He crouched low and quickly made his way to the entrance of the Transmission Hall. The door wasn't locked—the guards had left in a hurry and hadn't bothered to lock it.

He slipped inside and gently closed the door behind him.

The Chuan Gong Pavilion was very dark, with only moonlight filtering through the cracks in the windows, illuminating rows of bookshelves and casting long shadows.

There was a smell of old paper and wood mixed together in the air.

The shelves were filled with books, some thick and some thin, some with labels on their spines.

Jiang Xun's heart was pounding as he looked through each bookshelf—

"Chin Na Hands", "Qingping Sword Technique", "Basic Breathing Techniques", "Introduction to Internal Energy"...

found it!

He reached out and stuffed the book "Introduction to Internal Kung Fu" into his robes; the rough pages pressed against his chest. After a moment's hesitation, he tiptoed upstairs.

As soon as I got to the second floor, I suddenly heard a soft breathing sound.

There are still people!

Jiang Xun was startled and quickly pressed himself against the wall, not daring to even breathe.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating a figure sitting cross-legged.

He was an old man with white hair and beard, his eyes closed, as if he were meditating, completely still.

Elder who transmits the power!

Jiang Xun held his breath, not daring to move, his back pressed tightly against the cold wall.

The old man remained motionless, as if he were asleep or in a meditative state.

Jiang Xun waited for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his legs were numb from squatting, but the old man still didn't move.

He gritted his teeth, took out the bamboo tube Su Miao had given him from his pocket, uncorked it, and gently blew into the opening.

A wisp of smoke drifted toward the old man, almost invisible in the moonlight.

The old man's breathing gradually became heavy, and his head slowly drooped down.

Jiang Xun waited a while longer to make sure he was sound asleep before tiptoeing up the stairs, each step as light as a cat's.

The third floor is much smaller than the second floor, with only a few bookshelves standing against the wall, covered with a thin layer of dust.

Jiang Xun searched through the books one by one, running his fingers along the spines of each book, and finally found a sandalwood box on the innermost shelf.

The box is not big, but the carving is exquisite and it feels smooth to the touch.

The box is engraved with four characters: Spring Water Sword Technique.

that's it!

Jiang Xun reached out to take it—

"Who?!"

A sudden shout came from behind him, making his ears ring.

Jiang Xun turned around abruptly and saw Elder Chuan Gong standing at the top of the stairs, glaring at him. His white beard trembled with anger, and his eyes were as wide as copper bells.

"Boy, you dare steal the sword manual?!"

Without saying a word, Jiang Xun grabbed the box and ran, tumbling and scrambling towards the stairwell.

"stop!"

The elder who was passing on his skills struck with a palm, and a strong wind rushed towards them.

Jiang Xun dodged to the side, and the palm grazed his shoulder, hitting the bookshelf with a "crack," breaking it in two and scattering books all over the floor.

so close!

Without thinking twice, he scrambled downstairs, nearly slipping and falling.

The elder who was passing on his skills pursued relentlessly, his footsteps pounding on the stairs, and another palm strike came down.

Jiang Xun couldn't dodge in time and took a solid hit to the back of his shoulder, causing him to stumble forward and nearly fall over.

My back burned like it was being scalded by a red-hot iron plate, a sweet taste rose in my chest, and a fishy smell filled my mouth.

He thought to himself: It's over.

But just then, a bright light suddenly appeared before them—there was a window right in front of them! Moonlight shone in from outside, illuminating the thin wooden strips on the window frame.

He gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and with a burst of energy, slammed his foot into the window—

"Splash!"

The window shattered, splinters flew everywhere, and the other person was thrown out of the window, plummeting straight down.

The wind howled sharply in my ears, making them ache. Below the third-floor window was—

cliff.

It was pitch black and bottomless.

Jiang Xun had only one thought left in his mind: It's over, it's really over this time.