Chapter 348: Six Jiaqiang Still Has Some Chivalry

Desheng Prefecture has always been one of the top-ranked prefectures in Jizhou, and its capital city has consistently developed well.

Beyond its strong economy and good quality of life for its people, Desheng Prefecture is also a prominent force in the martial arts world. It has long enjoyed a formidable reputation in the martial arts community, a reputation even more significant than its official ranking within Jizhou.

This is largely due to Sunset Villa, located just outside Desheng Prefecture's capital city. Sunset Villa is highly renowned in the martial arts world, and the Luo family of Desheng Prefecture has gradually become a name recognized throughout the entire Great Zhen martial arts community.

As the saying goes, "scholars are poor, warriors are rich." The new blood at Sunset Villa, who practice martial arts, require a significant amount of medicinal herbs and various tonics, which cannot be sustained without ample financial resources.

Thanks to their cooperation with the powerful Wei family, the Luo family's finances have also prospered in recent years, ensuring their martial arts standing remains strong.

Sunset Villa also owns businesses on some of the most bustling streets in Desheng Prefecture's capital city.

Spring, typically March and April, is a season of vibrant flowers and when merchants, long dormant during winter, begin to become active again.

On this particular day, the streets of Desheng Prefecture were exceptionally lively. Good weather combined with the arrival of several renowned merchant caravans drew many city residents out to the bustling market.

Newly arrived cosmetics, various silk fabrics from Wanzhou, medicinal herbs from Jinzhou, and even furs collected from surrounding counties and towns...

All sorts of novel and interesting goods were in abundant supply, prominently displayed in street-side shops and stalls.

With the bright sun shining and the city so vibrant, some residents of Sunset Villa couldn't resist coming into the prefectural capital to stroll around. Among those who particularly enjoyed such markets was Luo Ningshuang, nearing forty years old.

As the closest of the original Nine Young Heroes, Lu Shan Jun naturally sought out Luo Ningshuang first.

A carriage slowly entered Desheng Prefecture. Two children, one on each side, peered out from behind the curtains, their faces full of curiosity as they watched the bustling scene outside.

"Mom, Mom, is that person over there really afraid of the cold, wearing such thick animal fur right now?"

"Mom, look over there, someone is bald..."

"Mom, and here, look here! There's a guy over there piercing his neck with a spear. He's amazing! The spear bent, but his neck is fine. His martial arts must be superb!"

"Oh, if only Big Brother could have come with us..."

One child suddenly said, sounding a little disappointed.

Inside the carriage, Luo Ningshuang smiled warmly and offered an explanation.

"A few days ago, during his martial arts assessment, your elder brother was scolded by your uncle and forbidden to leave Sunset Mountain for a month. But we can bring him back some delicious treats."

"Mmm!" "Yes! I'm going to bring Big Brother a roasted chicken, hahahaha..."

Luo Ningshuang shook her head, smiling, and gently caressed her belly, which had once again become slightly swollen. In recent years, she had been pregnant twice. Her eldest son was already at the age for diligently learning martial arts, and her twin children were only seven, playing together in the carriage. However, she still yearned for a daughter.

"Whoa..."

As the coachman tightened the reins, the carriage slowed and soon stopped in front of a large shop.

"Miss, we've arrived!"

"Alright, you two, stop fussing. We're getting off the carriage now."

"Oh!" "Get off, get off! Let's ask Papa for some pocket money to buy candied hawthorn!"

The two children playfully tumbled out of the carriage. The coachman waited patiently, only extending a hand to help Luo Ningshuang alight once she appeared.

Although nearing forty, Luo Ningshuang, with her martial arts background and proper upkeep, still possessed soft, delicate skin and considerable charm.

The shop was a large general store, selling everything from oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar to grains and tools. It was also a property of Sunset Villa, managed by Luo Ningshuang's live-in husband.

"Madam, why have you come here? You should be resting at home to carry the baby!"

A man with a handsome beard quickly emerged from inside with two shop assistants. From his gait, it was evident he was also a martial arts practitioner.

"Papa!"

"Husband."

The two children spoke almost simultaneously with their mother, making the man chuckle. Although he had married into the family, he lived quite contentedly at Sunset Villa, with a lovely wife, children, and a comfortable life, leaving him little to desire.

Luo Ningshuang's hand met her husband's, and as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a strange sensation and turned to look inside the shop.

Inside, several people were buying rice, a woman was selecting bamboo woven baskets, and a gentleman in a blue robe with a white hairpin was looking at some pastries. The strange feeling then vanished.

"Madam, what are you looking at?"

Luo Ningshuang shook her head, thinking it might have been an illusion.

"Nothing. I heard the city is lively today, and we wanted to stroll around. Can you spare the time?"

The man frowned, glanced inside the shop, and finally shook his head.

"No, I can't. A large caravan from the Wei family will be returning soon, and I need to personally oversee several important goods. How about this, I'll send someone with you, and also arrange for a sedan chair."

Luo Ningshuang was not one to be unreasonable. She declined the sedan chair, simply saying that going with the children was enough.

Outside the shop, the two children became even more energetic, making it difficult for the two accompanying servants to keep up. Luo Ningshuang also looked left and right, examining cosmetics and silk fabrics, yet showed no interest in weapons when passing by blacksmiths' shops.

Lu Shan Jun followed at a discreet distance for a long time, squinting as he watched the voluptuous, charming woman ahead.

'She's certainly living the life of a wife and mother, but she once aspired to be a knight-errant. Heh, in a way, isn't this a breach of contract?'

Lu Shan Jun smiled. This thought was, at most, a self-deprecating jest; he wasn't so deranged as to begrudge a woman for marrying and having children.

However, the vow from that year held significant meaning for Lu Shan Jun, and he wouldn't leave so easily. He moved closer to Luo Ningshuang, suppressing his demonic aura and using a faint amount of spiritual energy to empower his eyes.

In a daze, it seemed as if a pair of long, sharp, colossal eyes swept over Luo Ningshuang.

Aside from her human vitality and the qi from her pregnancy, there was no malevolent aura. However, a necessary test could not be avoided; Lu Shan Jun didn't want his first target to conclude so easily.

Thinking this, Lu Shan Jun scanned his surroundings and quickly spotted a target. A little further away, there was an seemingly ordinary man who, every time he passed someone he targeted, would deftly relieve them of a coin purse or other valuable items.

Moreover, this man clearly possessed martial arts skills; after a successful snatch, he could effortlessly slip away several steps, appearing casual and natural.

'Heh, you're the one!'

Lu Shan Jun smiled and turned to walk towards the man. Because of his refined clothing, prominent white hairpin, and light, somewhat frivolous steps, he was indeed immediately noticed by the thief.

The man, spotting Lu Shan Jun—the scholarly figure in the blue robe—among the crowd, inwardly smiled, thinking he had found a fat sheep. In a few steps, he drew near.

Seemingly passing by casually, he used the brief gap to quickly reach for a brocade pouch at Lu Shan Jun's waist.

But the moment his hand touched it, the pouch vanished into smoke. Just as the man froze in surprise, he met a pair of narrow, amber-colored eyes.

"Gulp..."

His heart gave a sudden leap, and for an instant, his mind became muddled before regaining clarity the very next second. By then, Lu Shan Jun had already passed him by.

The man shook his head, unable to recall what had just happened.

He continued to walk briskly forward when, as if possessed, he suddenly rushed directly toward an old man with a sallow face, snatched a coin purse from his bosom, and continued walking. Many bystanders witnessed this scene.

The old man was stunned for a moment, then realized he had been robbed in broad daylight. He immediately rushed forward and grabbed the man.

"You! Robber! Give it back to me, give it back! This is my son's life-saving money, give it back to me!"

"What are you talking about? When did I steal your money?"

The man shook his head and angrily pushed the old man away.

The old man was pushed into a nearby stall, letting out a cry of "Ouch!" Many people around gathered, pointing and murmuring about the man.

"It's him, I saw it too just now!" "Yes, he clearly stole it."

"Report it to the officials! Don't let him get away!"

Governance in Desheng Prefecture was relatively good, and people were not indifferent. Some went to help the old man, while others spontaneously tried to surround the thief.

'Damn it, what foolish thing did I just do? No, I need to get out of here quickly!'

"Get out of my way! Anyone who blocks me, I'll punch them to death!"

The man demonstrated a punch and struck a bystander with an open palm, sending the man stumbling back several steps and collapsing to the ground, coughing repeatedly.

"This man knows martial arts!" "Everyone, be careful."

"Where are the constables? Where are they?" "He hit someone, he's going to run!"

A little further away, Luo Ningshuang also witnessed the scene. Her hands clenched, but she hesitated to act, touching her belly.

A voice nearby sighed, "Oh... we're just ordinary folks. It seems that old man's hard-earned money is gone for good. This man knows martial arts, so he'll be hard to catch once he escapes. It's a shame that those grand heroes of the martial world only exist in legends; you never see them when you need them!"

"Mom..."

The boy looked at Luo Ningshuang and called out softly. Luo Ningshuang glanced at her two children, then looked towards the commotion, her eyes narrowing. She instructed the two servants, who were ordinary people:

"Take good care of them!"

With that, she executed the 'Falling Blossom Steps,' rapidly dodging passersby, then leapt into the crowd, grabbing the shoulder of the fleeing man.

"Stop!"

"You're asking for death!"

The man, thinking it was the meddling fellow from before, swung his elbow fiercely as he turned. However, Luo Ningshuang deflected the force and struck the man in the back with her fist.

"Thud..."

Wincing in pain, the man knew his assailant was skilled in martial arts. Although he saw it was a woman, he dared not hold back and launched a swift assault on Luo Ningshuang.

"Whack!" "Thwack!" "Thud!" "Crack!" "Boom!"...

A stall collapsed, a wooden stool was shattered, and the onlookers scattered in chaotic avoidance.

"Ouch!" "Get out of the way!"

"Careful, careful!"

Their movements in combat were incredibly fast; to ordinary eyes, it was a blur of rapidly shifting limbs. They exchanged many blows, and in their urgency, their strikes became heavier. Their figures leapt and dodged.

Ultimately, Luo Ningshuang had a stronger foundation. Although her martial arts had significantly declined, after more than thirty exchanges, she successfully tripped her opponent and delivered a hand-chop to his neck.

"Cough, cough, ugh... cough, cough..."

The man lay on the ground, clutching his neck and coughing, clearly in extreme discomfort.

"Make way, make way! Where is the thief, where is the thief?"

Patrolling constables arrived, pushing through the crowd. Guided by bystanders, they placed a blade at the neck of the man on the ground.

"Good!" "They caught the thief!"

"Excellent! Quickly tie him up!"

"Huh, where's that lady hero who was just here?"

"You're right, she was just here, now she's gone..."

At that moment, Luo Ningshuang, her face stern, had already left the crowd, slightly breathless. Only when she reached a less populated area did she clutch her belly, her face covered in cold sweat.

The Luo family members who had pushed through the crowd from the side and witnessed this scene were startled. They quickly rushed over to help her.

"Miss! Miss, are you alright?"

"Mom!" "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Miss, let's go back quickly!"

Luo Ningshuang composed her breathing and waved a hand.

"No, I can't make any more big movements. Find somewhere to sit, sit down for a moment!"

"There's a teahouse over there, help Miss sit down." "Let's go, let's go!"

The group slowly walked ahead, carefully supporting Luo Ningshuang, who seemed utterly exhausted after such a short while, as they entered a nearby teahouse.

Lu Shan Jun glanced at the still-encircled crowd, then continued to slowly follow Luo Ningshuang and her group.

Inside the teahouse ahead, the storyteller had just finished a segment of his tale, taken a sip of tea, and gone to the latrine in the back.

At this very moment, Ji Yuan, who had long since returned to Great Zhen, stood in the corridor behind the teahouse, reaching out to stop the storyteller returning from the latrine.

"Uh, excuse me, who are you?"

Seeing the refined man in white block his path, the storyteller asked with confusion.

Ji Yuan cupped his hands in a respectful bow and asked with a smile.

"Do you happen to know a story, Master, about nine heroic knights who went to Ning'an County to eliminate a tiger, roughly twenty years ago?"

"Oh, you mean 'The Tale of the Nine Tiger-Slaying Knights'? That was twenty years ago? Of course, I know that one."

"Perfect. I'd like to invite you to tell that part of the story later. Please accept this as a token of my appreciation!"

Saying this, Ji Yuan took two Wu Tong coins from his sleeve and handed them to the storyteller, who accepted them with a smile.

"No problem at all!"

Since his previous story was finished, he would have to tell a new one anyway. A requested story meant earning more money and doing a favor, which was certainly good. However, when he looked up, the gentleman in white who had given him the money was gone.