Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Taking the General’s Son Hostage

Lou Yun had never held Qin Wufeng in high regard. But now that Qin Wufeng was actually committing such vile and despicable acts, Lou Yun found it even more unforgivable!

In one leap, Lou Yun arrived before Qin Wufeng’s door. To avoid detection by others, he silently pushed the door open. At that moment, Qin Wufeng had his back to the door, pinning a young girl on the bed, completely unaware that the door had opened and someone had entered.

Hearing the lewd laughter emanating from Qin Wufeng’s mouth, Lou Yun struggled to contain his anger. First, he turned and closed the door. Then, the Dream Emperor Sword materialized in his hand. In one swift stride, he reached Qin Wufeng’s back and pressed the sword tip against his waist. “If you dare make a sound,” he said coldly, “I’ll pierce your dantian and destroy your magical weapon!”

Qin Wufeng was currently burning with desire. How could he have imagined that here, within his own family’s general’s residence, someone would burst into his room and press some object against his waist? Though he didn’t turn around, as an intermediate five-star magical weapons master, he could certainly feel the chilling aura radiating from behind.

Instantly, Qin Wufeng felt his courage shatter. True to the threat, he didn’t dare to cry out, nor did he dare to move his body. He could only stammer fearfully, “W-Who are you? Y-You… you have such guts! Daring to… to come assassinate me in the general’s residence?!”

Lou Yun grabbed Qin Wufeng by his collar and yanked him backward violently, forcibly tearing him away from the girl he had been pinning down. The girl proved remarkably quick-witted; she didn’t scream. Instead, she hurriedly got up, frantically trying to straighten her almost-torn clothes while quietly sobbing, her head bowed low.

Lou Yun let out a cold laugh. “Qin Wufeng, it seems important people are prone to forgetting. Don’t you recognize my voice?”

The last time Qin Wufeng had ambushed Lou Yun was nearly two years ago. Fearing exposure after the incident, he had dared not return to the Ancient Weapon Academy, choosing instead to flee back home. He hadn’t laid eyes on Lou Yun since then. If they had met elsewhere under different circumstances, he might have recognized Lou Yun’s voice. But caught in his current situation, panic clouded his senses. He frantically shook his head. “No, I don’t recognize it! Are you bold enough to let me see your face?”

Lou Yun murmured an incantation. His empty left hand suddenly radiated a brilliant white light. Encased within the light was a shimmering golden character: ‘封’ – Seal! He slammed this radiant light directly onto Qin Wufeng’s waist. The light, carrying the golden character, seemed to sink into his body through that spot.

Qin Wufeng felt no pain. He only sensed an overwhelming surge of spiritual energy wrapping around his dantian, specifically encasing his magical weapon like a cage. An alarm bell rang in his mind. He tried secretly channeling power to his magical weapon, only to discover it utterly refused to obey him!

This was a new weapon technique Lou Yun had mastered back at Yulu Mountain Manor, learned from the vast knowledge imparted by his mentor, Mr. Commoner: the Seal Technique! It involved condensing his own spiritual energy into a searingly hot seal, forcefully driving it into an opponent’s dantian to forcibly block their connection to their magical weapon and seal it.

Techniques like the Seal Technique involved specific poses and methods. Unlike other weapon techniques, they weren’t strictly categorized by tier levels. Mr. Commoner had innovatively created this by leveraging flexible, minute control over spiritual energy. There were several similar techniques. Lou Yun had tried learning it back then simply because it seemed interesting and relatively straightforward. He never expected it would prove truly useful today.

Seeing that Qin Wufeng’s magical weapon was indeed sealed, reducing him effectively to nothing more than a helpless cripple, Lou Yun sneered coldly. “You can turn around now. See for yourself who I am!”

Discovering he couldn’t control his magical weapon deepened Qin Wufeng’s terror immensely. When Lou Yun commanded him to turn around, a wave of fear washed over him; he actually hesitated to look. After a long pause, he finally gritted his teeth and slowly began to turn.

The sight of Lou Yun standing before him struck Qin Wufeng like a bolt of heavenly lightning. He froze rigidly, petrified, utterly speechless.

Lou Yun stared back at Qin Wufeng, a cold mockery on his face, his eyes gleaming with chilling ferocity. He likewise remained silent. The young maidservant, now fully dressed and standing nearby – clearly Qin Wufeng’s attendant – looked frantically back and forth between Lou Yun and her master, wringing her hands, completely bewildered by the unfolding situation.

After a long while, Qin Wufeng finally managed to shake off the paralysis of shock. His voice shaking, he choked out a few words: “It’s… it’s you!”

“Surprised, Qin Wufeng?” Lou Yun’s voice dripped with icy hostility. “Today I’ve come to collect what you owe me, principal and interest.”

Qin Wufeng was certainly aware of Lou Yun’s reputation and exploits. The mere fact that Lou Yun stood before him now, within his own home, without alerting anyone in the vast general’s residence, served as undeniable proof. Two years… Lou Yun’s power had unquestionably soared far beyond his own!

He understood precisely what debt Lou Yun referred to. If it were anyone else confronting him, he might have attempted to negotiate, offer concessions to secure his release. But facing Lou Yun? That thought chilled him to his core. He had tried to kill Lou Yun not once, but twice. Why would Lou Yun show mercy now?

This realization turned Qin Wufeng’s voice brittle with terror. “Thud!” He collapsed onto his knees. He lunged forward and desperately clutched Lou Yun’s leg. “Brother Lou! Brother Lou! Before, it was all my fault! I was wrong! Utterly wrong! I looked down on others! I shouldn’t have attacked you! I know I was wrong! Please… for the sake of us both attending the Ancient Weapon Academy… No, wait! For Xia Zhilan’s sake! Spare my life!”

“And also, Brother Lou! I… I’ve heard about what happened to your Lou Family. Please, I promise! As long as you spare me, I’ll make sure my father intervenes! He’ll plead your case for sure!”

Had Qin Wufeng displayed even an ounce of backbone, stood firm like a man, Lou Yun might have felt a flicker of grim respect. But witnessing this pathetic display—this sniveling cowardice—only served to infuriate him further. The urge to kick Qin Wufeng to death right then surged within him.

“Get away from me!” True to his thoughts, Lou Yun violently jerked his leg free and delivered a kick that sent Qin Wufeng sprawling away. He then forcefully brushed his trousers where the hand had gripped them.

Utterly defenseless, Qin Wufeng tumbled to the floor. At that instant, he began to whimper. His fear bubbled over as suppressed sob finally broke free, transforming into genuine crying.

This sight deepened Lou Yun’s aversion intensely. This was supposed to be the son of the Breakthrough General? A grown man! Yet faced with danger, he not only abandoned every shred of dignity and resorted to kowtowing and begging, but now he was actually weeping like a child?

Lou Yun did, however, have a genuine concern: Qin Wufeng’s escalating wails could attract others within the residence. He might not fear most guards, but the old man before whom even Qin Luoyuan showed deep respect… he was a different matter.

Lou Yun raised his hand. Several sharp beams of spiritual energy shot out from his fingertips, striking Qin Wufeng. They forced him into instant unconsciousness, silencing the grating, pathetic sobs that polluted the tense air. His body went slack.

Lou Yun then turned his focus to the servant girl. She stood frozen near the wall, completely overwhelmed by terror. Seeing how utterly frightened she was, a flicker of pity surfaced within him. Yet, his own paramount priority remained security. For that, he had to instill fear. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.

“What happened tonight? You witnessed nothing,” he commanded, his icy stare pinning her in place. “Keep silent about every detail. Or… you know what will happen.” He let the threat hang, heavy and unspoken, emphasizing the gravity of the consequence.

The maidservant was stunned, then suddenly knelt before Lou Yun with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. "Benefactor, this humble girl dares to beg you to save me and take me away from here!"

Lou Yun had only meant to frighten her earlier. Seeing her kneeling and kowtowing now, he couldn’t bear it. He hastily flicked his sleeve, releasing a surge of energy that forcibly lifted her mid-air. "Whatever you have to say, stand and speak!"

The young maidservant had never experienced being lifted remotely before. Startled, she nearly cried out, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

At this point, Lou Yun couldn’t maintain his pretense of villainy and smiled. "You asked me to take you away. Why?"

Regaining her wits, the maidservant instinctively tried to kneel again. She strained until her face flushed red, but couldn’t lower herself. Standing awkwardly, she whispered, "Benefactor, this humble girl was sent by the steward to serve Young Master Qin. If something happens to Young Master Qin, the steward will surely hold me accountable. When that time comes…"

Lou Yun suddenly understood. The clever girl realized he wouldn’t let Qin Wufeng off easily, and if Qin Wufeng got hurt, she would be implicated.

Nodding, Lou Yun said, "Alright, I understand. I plan to take him out of the general’s residence. Why don’t you just come away with me?"

Hesitation flickered across the maidservant’s face. "But I am only an ordinary person. If I follow you, trying to escape the residence will probably burden you!"

Lou Yun gestured at the unconscious Qin Wufeng, smiling faintly. "What difference is there between him and a dead pig right now? Since I can get him out, I can certainly get you out too! Don’t worry!"

The maidservant truly was an ordinary person with no understanding of Lou Yun’s strength. However, since Lou Yun had saved her in her most desperate moment, a deep admiration for him bloomed in her heart. She didn’t doubt his words.

Knowing he still needed to return for Qin Luoyuan and had little time to spare, Lou Yun thought for a moment. "Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll take you out first, then come back for him."

The maidservant hurriedly waved her hands. "Benefactor, I know you risked entering the general’s residence specifically for him. You really should take him first. If anything changes and disrupts your purpose, a hundred deaths wouldn’t be punishment enough for my sin!"

Lou Yun felt heartened by her cleverness and consideration for him. However, personally, while taking Qin Wufeng was important, if someone discovered Qin Wufeng’s absence while he was gone, the maidservant would certainly face dire consequences. Taking her first meant any discovery would, at worst, require him to find another way into the palace later, but at least her life would be saved.

"Alright, enough debate. I’ll take you out first. But I’ll have to carry you on my back. Circumstances force this impropriety, I hope you don’t mind!" Lou Yun felt a bit embarrassed himself afterward. Though his intentions were pure, the maidservant was, after all, a maiden.

The maid blushed deeply, nodding softly. "Benefactor is saving my life. How could I possibly mind?"

"Good, climb onto my back!" Lou Yun turned around. The maid, extremely shy, gently wrapped her arms around his neck, slowly pressing her body against his back.

Lou Yun distinctly felt a warm, soft body pressed tight against his spine. An impulse surged from his abdomen. He quickly took a deep breath, held her legs firmly with both hands, opened the door, scanned his surroundings, and swiftly dashed out.

The maid was already light. Combined with Lou Yun’s formidable physique, carrying her felt effortless; he moved completely unimpeded and exited the general’s residence with remarkable ease.

Trying to save time, Lou Yun didn’t put her down. He continued carrying her, finding a nearby inn. He avoided the main entrance, bounding onto the roof instead. Using his spiritual perception, he located an empty room, jumped in, and finally set her down. "Alright, wait here for me temporarily. I’ll bring Qin Wufeng out."

He brought Qin Wufeng back to the room just as smoothly. Only then did Lou Yun feel a slight problem: how should he arrange accommodation for these two?

The maidservant clearly discerned his concern. After a moment’s thought, she said, "Benefactor, you needn’t worry about me. I have an aunt in a small town not far from here. I can go seek refuge with her, and the people from the general’s residence know nothing of this!"

"Good. Then I’ll move you to a different inn. This one is too close to the residence. You can leave tomorrow morning."

Lou Yun carried her again, this time finding an inn near the west city gate. He gently lowered her at the entrance, taking out several pieces of gold to hand to her. "I truly have pressing matters and can’t escort you. You’re a young woman traveling alone; be careful on the road!"

Receiving the gold pieces, the maid’s eyes instantly reddened. In all her life, she had never encountered someone as good as Lou Yun. Overwhelmed, she nearly knelt again. Lou Yun naturally held her steady once more, smiling. "You must break this habit in the future! Alright, hurry into the inn now. I must leave!"

The maid nodded, holding back moved tears. She took two steps, then suddenly turned back. "Benefactor, I completely forgot to ask your esteemed name! Could you please tell me? Oh, and my name is Shui Lingluo!"

The moment Shui Lingluo’s voice faded, before Lou Yun could reply, Chang Xiang’s voice abruptly sounded:

"She’s surnamed Shui?"