The Gusu Mistake - Chapter 18

“Their own family members have a strange illness, and instead of reflecting on whether they’ve done anything immoral to deserve it, they’re plotting to take someone else’s house for a burial ground!” After hearing what Old Li, the teahouse owner, said, Jiang Yilan was filled with righteous indignation. She wished she could go and get rid of that Steward Zhong right now.

“If they did that, they’d truly be inviting retribution!” Yuan ruo agreed. “This guy surnamed Zhong is truly despicable!”

“You think they’re despicable too?” Jiang Yilan looked at Yuan ruo. “Then are you going to get involved in this?”

“Heh!” Yuan ruo chuckled softly. “Of course!”

“Then… should we go find that guy surnamed Zhong now?” Jiang Yilan asked.

But Yuan ruo looked at the widow Zhou, who was comforting her child nearby. “What about her?”

“You want to take Xiao Yan away?” When the widow Zhou was mentioned, it was Old Li who got nervous first.

“Hmm?” Jiang Yilan blinked. “You don’t want her to leave?”

“I…” Old Li lowered his head. “I just feel she’s injured and shouldn’t travel. How about…”

“Let’s ask her herself!” Yuan ruo looked at the widow Zhou with a sly smile. “He wants you to stay. Do you want to stay?”

“I…” The widow Zhou looked nervously at Jiang Yilan and Yuan ruo for a moment, her lips moving as if to speak, but she remained silent.

“What about you?” Jiang Yilan pressed her.

Biting her lip, the widow Zhou’s ears turned bright red. She glanced at Old Li a few times but still didn’t say a word.

Seeing this, Jiang Yilan immediately understood. “Heh, so this is a case of two hearts beating as one!”

“Sister, don’t tease me!” The widow Zhou lowered her head even further. “Brother Li is a very good man!”

“Of course, I know he’s good. And now you are…”

“Let’s go!” Yuan ruo clapped a hand over Jiang Yilan’s mouth and dragged her outside. Only when they were in the courtyard did she let her go.

“Ugh, cough, what are you doing?” Jiang Yilan was very displeased with Yuanruo’s actions.

Yuan ruo said, “I always thought you were a clever person, so why are you being so foolish now?”

“What am I being foolish about?” Jiang Yilan asked, confused.

Yuan ruo asked, “Were you going to tell them that you were the one who used pebbles to hurt the Zhou woman’s leg, so she’d have a chance to stay?”

“Uh…” Jiang Yilan gave a dry laugh. “I guess I shouldn’t say that, huh?”

“You guess?” Yuan ruo retorted in annoyance. “If you said that, they might suspect we’re in cahoots with some ulterior motive, and a rift would form between them. How could they have a lasting relationship after that?”

Jiang Yilan shook her head. “Our motive wasn’t pure to begin with!”

“You’re still talking?” Yuan ruo glared at Jiang Yilan and suddenly poked her in the armpit.

“Ah…” Jiang Yilan yelped. “What are you doing?”

“You made a mistake, so I must punish you!” Yuan ruo said, continuing to look for Jiang Yilan’s vulnerable spots.

“If you do that again, I’ll fight back!” Jiang Yilan shouted while dodging. Seeing that Yuan ruo truly had no intention of stopping, she started to fight back.

“Are you fighting back?” While bickering with Jiang Yilan, Yuan ruo said, “It just so happens that I’ve never sparred with you. Today is a great opportunity to exchange some moves!”

Without the interference of spells or gu-arts, it was a pure contest between two martial artists. They went from playful wrestling to serious sparring, and the more they fought, the more they connected. They continued until the sky began to grow dark, finally stopping, both of them out of breath.

“I must say, your skills are really something!” Jiang Yilan said, panting.

“You’re not bad yourself!” Yuan ruo said, equally out of breath.

“So… shall we keep fighting?” Jiang Yilan asked.

“No more fighting!” Yuan ruo waved her hand. “Let’s first think about how to solve the problem with Old Li and the Zhou woman.”

Jiang Yilan said, “You think they’ll come back to cause trouble?”

“Definitely!” Yuan ruo said. “They didn’t want this plot of land for no reason. Since they want it, they won’t give up easily.”

Jiang Yilan said, “Do you have an idea for a solution?”

Yuan ruo shook her head. “Let’s go take a look first!”

“You mean, that Zhong family’s son?” Jiang Yilan thought for a moment and asked Yuanruo, “Are there any Taoist spells that can make someone forget everything while they sleep?”

“Possibly!” Yuan ruo spread her hands. “But I haven’t seen one!”

Jiang Yilan said, “I, however, know of a type of gu-worm that can make a person do that!”

“Oh?” Yuan ruo’s curiosity was piqued. “There are such gu-arts?”

“Of course!” Jiang Yilan said. “This is something that my Central Plains gu-raisers know. If it were the Miao-area gu-sorcerers, there are even more evil ones!”

Yuan ruo looked at Jiang Yilan meaningfully. “Then you…”

“I don’t know it!” Jiang Yilan finished Yuan ruo’s sentence. “I’ve heard that Miao gu-sorcery is cultivated with one’s lifespan. I’m not that foolish!”

“Hmm,” Yuan ruo nodded. “You have such a beautiful youth ahead of you, and you are so lovely. You shouldn’t waste it on such wicked and unorthodox things!”

“You said I’m beautiful?” Jiang Yilan suddenly moved closer to Yuan ruo. “Really?”

“I… you…” Yuan ruo’s gaze began to dart around, and she subconsciously pushed Jiang Yilan away. “Why are you standing so close?”

“Close?” Jiang Yilan looked at her feet with an innocent expression. “No, not at all, I’m quite far away!”

“You really are…” Yuan ruo wanted to say something but swallowed the words. “Alright, stop dawdling. Let’s go. If we’re late, those people might come back again, and your sister Zhou and the ideal husband you so carefully found for her will be in trouble.”

“It would be great if they dared to come now!” Jiang Yilan didn’t take this seriously. “I’ll give them another good beating!”

“Alright, alright, I know you’re skilled at kung fu!” Yuan ruo sighed. “But you can’t stay here and guard them forever. It’s better to solve the problem from the root.”

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