A gruff voice, like a drake's, cursed as he fought.
Xie Jiang recognized the voice and headed towards the woods to the east.
A boy, no older than thirteen or fourteen, was fighting two of Lu Shi's trained assassins.
This was the same young man who had been perched in the tree earlier, planning to attack Lu Baohong.
He was an acquaintance of Xie Jiang and Xu Hengyan.
The assassins were stationed in the woods to guard Xie Jiang and Xu Hengyan.
Xie Jiang immediately understood what was happening. The boy had clearly come to find her and Xu Hengyan, and the assassins had intervened, leading to the fight.
Seeing the boy struggling against the two assassins, Xie Jiang strolled over leisurely, hands clasped behind her back, and struck each assassin with a palm.
The boy stared in stunned silence as the two assassins instantly collapsed at his feet, blood gushing from their heads. He then sheathed his saber and approached Xie Jiang. "They're not going to die, are they?"
How many more years would he need to train to match Young Master Xie's skill?
The boy was about the same height as Xie Jiang, but when he looked up at her, he couldn't help but gaze at her with admiration.
Xie Jiang said, "If they die, they die. Were you looking for me?"
The boy nodded, his voice filled with surprise. "Young Master Xie, Young Master Xu, how did Lu Baohong manage to capture you two and bring you to our village?"
Xie Jiang replied, "Xu Hengyan was more or less captured by him, but I wasn't. I came to keep Xu Hengyan company."
The boy looked utterly confused. "Company? Isn't that still being captured?"
Xie Jiang said, "If you insist on thinking so, then fine."
The boy was bewildered. Wasn't that the truth?
He had clearly seen from the tree that Young Master Xie and Young Master Xu were being guarded by Lu Baohong's men, with black cloths covering their eyes.
The courtyard where they were staying was also guarded by Lu Baohong's people. If this wasn't being captured by Lu Baohong, what was?
However, the situation for Young Master Xie and Young Master Xu didn't seem particularly dire. Weren't most captured people tied up tightly?
"What do they want with you and Young Master Xu?" Moreover, with Young Master Xie's skills, how did Lu Baohong's men manage to capture them?
"His family members are in Dali Temple's prison. He intends to exchange Xu Hengyan for his kin."
"Is there a chance of a successful exchange?"
"There is hope."
But this sliver of hope could be extinguished at any moment.
Xie Jiang took a couple of steps back, then stopped, looking the boy up and down. "What exactly did you come here for? Empty-handed?"
"Didn't you and Young Master Xu signal me to come find you quietly?" The boy puffed out his chest proudly. "Once you arrive at Yongfeng Village, you're on my territory. Isn't it simple to rescue you and Young Master Xu?"
"When did we ever tell you to come find us quietly? The signal we gave you was for you not to act rashly. Can you handle so many of Lu Baohong's men by yourself?"
"Ah? Then you and Young Master Xu don't need me to rescue you?"
"No, we're doing fine. Where were you going to rescue us to?"
Looking at the humble, dilapidated houses before him, Xie Jiang couldn't help but sigh. "Xu Hengyan and I, well, we're living a bit frugally. You came to visit, but you didn't bring anything?"
The boy drooped his head in disappointment. "I thought this was your chance to finally repay my kindness, like a dragon fallen to the plains, bullied by dogs."
Xie Jiang said, "That's a good phrase. Lu Baohong is indeed a dog."
The boy followed Xie Jiang back to the small courtyard, step by step. Xu Hengyan happened to be coming out of the kitchen after washing up.
The boy exclaimed, "Young Master Xu!"
Xu Hengyan saw the boy and nodded. "I didn't expect to meet you here. So you're from Yongfeng Village."
The boy had dark skin and a mouth full of shining white teeth when he smiled. "Yes, I am from Yongfeng Village. Now that you're here, you're on my territory. My brother is the village chief of Yongfeng Village. Do you really not need me to rescue you and Young Master Xie?"
Even in his worn, coarse cloth clothes, Xu Hengyan's every casual movement was still elegant, noble, and peerless. "Lu Baohong won't do anything to us. It's fine for us to stay here for a while, consider it you visiting Yongfeng Village."
"In that case, if you and Young Master Xie need anything, just call me."
The boy was full of confidence in Xu Hengyan and Xie Jiang.
These two didn't look like prisoners at all. Young Master Xie had dealt with the guards in the woods to the east as easily as swatting flies.
There must be something strange going on!
Young Master Xu and Young Master Xie were clearly intelligent people. Why would they need his concern?
Xu Hengyan said, "Speaking of which, we actually do have something we need your help with."
Upon hearing this, the boy's eyes lit up, and he said with great enthusiasm, "Please, tell me."
"We'll be staying in this small courtyard for now. This courtyard seemed to be vacant before, so there's nothing here. Could you help us find some food, and bedding for the beds? If you could also find two sets of clothes to change into, and simple toiletries, that would be ideal." Xu Hengyan listed the necessities in a rather understated manner.
When they first arrived, the beds were only covered with straw, from who knows how long ago.
Scattered on the straw were unknown black particles emitting a strange aura.
He had thrown all the straw out and cleaned the bed boards before placing Xie Jiang on the bed.
It was hot during the day, but the mountain air grew a bit cool at night, so they needed something to cover themselves with.
The boy counted on his fingers. "I see smoke coming from your chimney. Have you had dinner yet?"
He had thought he would be able to help Young Master Xie and Young Master Xu in a significant way, but he hadn't expected Young Master Xu to make such a small request.
The boy felt a pang of disappointment, but even a small act of help was still help, so he would start with small favors.
Xie Jiang said, "We've managed for today, but we still have no guarantee of food for tomorrow. If you could find some for us, we won't have to ask Lu Baohong for it. He's barely able to protect himself."
Knowing that Yongfeng Village was isolated and its people lived a hard life, Xu Hengyan said to the boy, "We won't take these things from you for free. Next time you sneak out to play, remember to come find us in Ninghe County. We can help you find some things your village needs, in exchange."
Yongfeng Village was deep in the mountains, and its inhabitants rarely interacted with the outside world, but they weren't completely isolated.
At least the boy before him had secretly slipped out to play more than once.
What thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy wasn't curious and yearning for the outside world?
However, the reason Xu Hengyan and Xie Jiang knew this boy wasn't because he had secretly slipped out, but because they had rescued him when he was in danger.
At that time, Xie Jiang had just arrived in Ninghe, the sweet potato seedlings were still being cultivated, and the glass factory was still under construction.
One day, with rare leisure time, Xie Jiang invited Xu Hengyan to go boating and fishing. Unexpectedly, when Xie Jiang cast her fishing rod, she pulled a boy out of the river.
The boy had escaped from a pirate ship. Injured and having been in the river for too long, he had finally lost strength and gotten his legs tangled in water weeds. He thought his life was about to end at the bottom of the river, but then his clothes were caught by a fishhook.
Following the pull of the fishing line, the boy freed himself from the tangled water weeds and reached the shore.