Chapter 40: The Young Master Better Behave
The kitchen behind the outer courtyard.
Ah Cheng, the young servant who fainted on the ground, slowly regained consciousness.
Originally, he was a bit confused, but when he saw the servant and the cook beside him being stripped of their clothes, as well as the dead body of the black dog, he immediately remembered what had just happened.
"Childe Guo was abducted by Qiao Lin, who intruded into the mansion..." He stood up and was about to shout for help, but then he saw the cooked beef on the stove and the dead body of the black dog next to it, and suddenly fell silent.
He was forced to sell himself as a slave due to famine, because he was poor, he endured it, there was no other way.
His childhood playmate, the cow used for farming at home, was sold for meat, and this was all because he was poor. Although he was sad, he had no choice but to endure it.
But when the cow meat was treated as dog food by the Lord of the mansion, he couldn't bear it anymore... Okay, he couldn't hold back.
"I was knocked unconscious by the righteous man Qiao Lin who broke into the mansion." He quietly locked the doors and windows of the back kitchen from the inside, collapsed on the ground again, and closed his eyes.
Can he at least gain a little more time?
.........
Qiao Mu successfully infiltrated the inner courtyard, much to his surprise.
Just when he lowered his head and followed Childe Guo closely, he could always feel the guards' hidden gaze from behind.
"Who is that person? I don't seem to have seen him before. Why is he sticking so close to the young master?"
"Stop looking, stop looking. Be careful, the young master might get angry."
Clearly, Childe Guo had brought his servants into the bedroom before.
Qiao Mu walked behind, keeping his head low to avoid attracting attention, and could only catch a glimpse of Childe Guo's nape from the corner of his eye.
It could be seen that Childe Guo was quite nervous, with sweat on his nape. Whenever a guard approached, he would sternly scold them, afraid that they would uncover Qiao Mu's identity and put him in danger.
They easily entered the young master's bedroom, and nothing happened.
The bedroom was located on the west side of the inner courtyard. Upon entering, there was a half-wall of antique vases, which looked quite stylish. Childe Guo didn't play any tricks and quickly pulled out a thin booklet from under the pillow, handing it to Qiao Mu.
Qiao Mu carefully browsed through it, his brows furrowing little by little.
His martial arts skills come from Qiao Canxue, who is from a prestigious family and has practiced excellent boxing techniques like Long Life Fist. So, in terms of vision and understanding, he is not weak. With just a simple skim, one can tell that this so-called "Martial Saint Spiritual Technique" is not just a fancy name, but it actually has some substance.
But the problem is also very obvious.
What is taught in this manual is not about breathing techniques or martial arts with fists and weapons. It talks about a mysterious kind of intuition that, after practice, can reach the level of "sharp intuition, anticipating the enemy's moves."
"Starting from the 8th rank, martial artists train their five senses of the body through sound, touch, smell, gradually advancing until the 4th rank."
"Starting from the 3rd rank, it is the Spiritual Refining Method, which is equivalent to training an elusive sixth sense, intuition!"
"The Martial Saint Spiritual Technique is a spiritual refining secret method that martial artists can practice before reaching the sharpness of the 4th rank of the five senses!"
Qiao Mu quickly skimmed through this thin little book, and many thoughts flashed through his mind.
The Martial Saint Spiritual Technique, which allows even lower-ranked martial artists to practice, is naturally a very precious and excellent secret method. However, it also demands high mental qualities from martial artists.
Mental qualities, just like intuition, are quite mysterious and don't have a definite standard.
This secret technique practices the intuition in the unknown and seeks a relentless martial artist's mentality.
"Precious, but also a bit disappointing... Is there a second half?" Qiao Mu quickly browsed through it and looked up at Childe Guo, who anxiously awaited beside him.
"Um..." Childe Guo broke out in a cold sweat and chuckled awkwardly.
"It seems like there's more in my father's secret chamber in the study room."
"My father is quite secretive. He likes to keep good things hidden. There's even a secret chamber in the study room with several martial arts manuals. Would you like me to take you there to have a look?"
You're really a filial son... Qiao Mu couldn't help but comment.
Now that he was alone, he felt free to do anything. If he could find something extra, it would be a pleasant surprise.
He was actually quite curious. Could Childe Guo, who informed him about the emperor's message and the "Martial Saint Spiritual Technique," still bring him surprises?
............
Time is running out, the two of them left the bedroom again, this time heading towards the study on the east side of the courtyard.
Childe Guo walked ahead, feeling sweat forming on the back of his neck, and his heart pounding.
His fear was not fake, not acted.
But with a cunning and steady father like this, even though he usually acted arrogantly, in this critical moment, he displayed a bit of quick thinking.
"Now Qiao Lin is behind me, ready to strike whenever I make a move, but he can't see my expression..."
"In his eyes, I am just a timid and brainless playboy. I am afraid, I am scared, I dare not defy him. But if I don't use my brain at this time, I will truly be doomed."
"Qiao Lin is tempted by the secret manual. As long as he is tempted and desires something, then there is a weakness..."
Childe Guo broke out in a cold sweat, having countless thoughts running through his mind.
The conversation he just had with Qiao Mu, nine parts truth and one part lie.
Most of it is true, including the secret message of the Great Yan Emperor and even the book "Martial Saint Spiritual Technique" that he stole from the study's secret room.
But they are all decoys.
"Qiao Mu and Qiao Lin are outlaws, he won't be able to escape the Lord's Manor. But before he dies, I'm afraid I will die too!"
"If there's anyone in the Lord's Manor who could possibly save me, it would only be my father or Zhou Wen..."
Childe Guo is not skilled in martial arts and has no idea about "Qiao Lin's" current rank or strength.
But he knows that the grey-clothed old man, Uncle Fu, who is a 7th ranked martial artist, went out of the city to kill "Qiao Lin". And now "Qiao Lin" has appeared in the Lord's Manor, clearly indicating that Uncle Fu has failed.
So, the only ones who have a chance of saving him are either Zhou Wen, a skilled martial artist of the 7th rank, or his father, who is a 6th ranked martial artist.
And both of them are actually in the inner courtyard study.
Nine truths and one lie. Almost all of the previous words were decoys thrown out to gain Qiao Mu's trust, but the news about his father is false... Guo Yan is not in the main hall of the inner courtyard, he is actually in the study's private room, practicing healing techniques!
And Zhou Wen, the 7th ranked martial artist, stood guard outside the door.
"As long as... as long as I can reach that place... I should be able to survive, right?" Childe Guo's face turned pale.
The study was only twenty steps away.
Zhou Wen, the 7th ranked martial artist guarding the entrance of the study, noticed him and nodded.
"Young master?"
"Hmm, I'm going to the study to read." Childe Guo said in a deep voice, without any hesitation in his tone.
You? Reading?
Zhou Wen instinctively looked up at Childe Guo's face and immediately noticed Childe Guo blinking his eyes at him two or three times.
Huh? Something's not right.
Zhou Wen glanced at Qiao Mu, who stood behind Childe Guo, and his expression changed slightly.
Finally, he understood my meaning... Childe Guo silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he saw Zhou Wen speaking seriously, his face grave:
"Please behave yourself, young master. Do not flirt with me. I, Zhou Wen, am already over forty and have a wife. I don't have interest in such behavior."
As his words fell silent.
Little Guo widened his eyes.
In an instant, he felt a sudden stiffness in his back, as if a sharp gaze pierced the back of his neck.
