Zhao Shuning hadn't even stepped out of the inn when—
The next moment, a hasty figure rushed into the inn.
This time, it was a young lad who looked like a servant.
He was running at full speed.
Fortunately, Zhao Shuning reacted quickly enough to avoid being knocked down by the lad.
Looking at the lad, he was wiping the tears from his eyes while running.
The right side of his face was badly swollen.
Black and blue, sobbing uncontrollably—these words were the perfect description of the servant who had just rushed in.
Zhao Shuning was about to leave when—
She caught the sobbing of the lad.
"Madam, it's bad! The Second Young Master's leg has been broken, and the Eldest Young Master went to help. Now his hand has been broken by that man!"
"Woohoo—The Eldest Young Master is seriously injured!"
"Changfu, calm down and tell me what exactly happened?"
Yanran's voice trembled with shock at Changfu's words.
Zhao Shuning retracted her foot that was already out the door.
She walked into the room and asked, "What's going on?"
Changfu glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, but then turned his head and didn't answer Zhao Shuning.
Yanran said, "Changfu, take me there to have a look!"
"No! The Eldest Young Master specifically told me to watch over you and not let you go there. He said that man is a madman, and if you go, you'll surely get hurt."
Yanran didn't know anything about spiritual power or how to cultivate mental strength. Xie Buyan's words made sense.
"What on earth happened? The Eldest Young Master doesn't seem like an impulsive person. Every time he goes out, he's just cleaning up Xie Jing's mess. He's always been so calm. How could he do something so out of character?"
"Madam, this time it's different. Before the Eldest Young Master went there, he had already thought about how to talk to that person and minimize the losses. But when he got there, he saw that the Second Young Master had been tied up and was being stepped on by that man. That man's other hand was holding Miss Chuchu. And—"
"Just tell me everything!"
"And when the Eldest Young Master arrived, the Second Young Master couldn't move his legs at all. The girls from the Myriad Flowers Pavilion who were watching said that the Second Young Master's legs had been broken by that man. Although the Eldest Young Master has a good temper, he just couldn't hold it in!"
"What about now? How is the Eldest Young Master?"
"When I left, the Eldest Young Master's right hand seemed to be broken! It won't be long before the news spreads here. The Eldest Young Master told me to come back and watch over you. You mustn't go out!"
After hearing this, Yanran's legs gave way.
She sat down heavily.
Fortunately, Zhao Shuning quickly kicked a stool behind Yanran, so she didn't fall.
"Buyan, how could this happen to Buyan?"
Xie Buyan.
True to his name, he was usually very quiet and rarely spoke.
He only talked a lot when dealing with two people: Xie Jing, who always caused trouble, and his little daughter, Xiaotuanzi. That's why he always won his father Xie Yu's favor.
Sure enough, there was a commotion outside.
Zhao Shuning said to the lad, "Take me to the Myriad Flowers Pavilion. I don't know the way."
The lad looked at Zhao Shuning and then at Yanran.
Zhao Shuning sighed.
"Forget it. You'd better watch over Madam. I don't want you to end up not being able to take care of either of us."
Because Yanran suddenly fainted and fell backward, Xiaotuanzi, who was playing with a wooden sword, was so scared that she started crying.
"Daddy—Mommy—"
Zhao Shuning walked over to Xiaotuanzi and gently wiped the tears from her eyes.
Surprisingly, Xiaotuanzi actually stopped crying.
"Don't worry. Your mother will be fine, and I'll bring your father back to you. Be a good girl."
After saying that, Zhao Shuning walked out of the door.
She randomly stopped a passerby and asked how to get to the Myriad Flowers Pavilion.
She saw that all the passersby were running in one direction.
She stopped a young man.
Zhao Shuning asked, "Excuse me, how do I get to the Myriad Flowers Pavilion?"
The young man was about to get angry and shake off her hand at first, but when he turned around and saw Zhao Shuning's face, his expression immediately changed from angry to smiling.
"Miss, you're going to watch the excitement too, right? Follow me closely. I'll take you there."
"Watch the excitement?"
While talking, they didn't stop walking.
The young man said, "Yes. A bearded master came to the Myriad Flowers Pavilion. It's said that he's an alchemist. He beat up the two young masters of the Xie family there."
"Miss, think about it. Who are the young masters of the Xie family? In Yunmeng Marsh, hardly anyone dares to provoke them. This time, they've really suffered a setback."
"Do the two young masters of the Xie family act so recklessly? From your tone, it seems that you have some opinions about them?"
The young man replied, "I wouldn't dare to have any opinions. It's just that my family used to run a teahouse. After the Xie family came to Yunmeng Marsh, our business hasn't been as good as before. In recent years, the Xie family has opened teahouses in almost every city in the Eastern Marsh Wilderness. They must be extremely wealthy."
So, in the end, this young man was a bit jealous of the Xie family's teahouse business, which was better than his own?
Well, it was understandable. After all, business rivals were always enemies.
"How about the two young masters of the Xie family in Yunmeng Marsh? Do they bully young girls, occupy markets, or extort protection fees?"
"They wouldn't dare. Everyone knows that the Xie family is very strict with their sons. The two young masters of the Xie family are smart enough not to do such things that would damage their reputation."
"Oh—I heard that the Second Young Master of the Xie family isn't married yet?"
Hearing Zhao Shuning say this, the young man thought that the girl behind him was interested in Xie Jing, so he quickly said, "Miss, don't even think about that playboy Xie Jing. I can tell that you're a decent girl. There's no future for you if you follow someone like him. You don't know. He goes to the Myriad Flowers Pavilion every now and then, saying that he's going to listen to music and appreciate poems. But everyone in Yunmeng Marsh knows that he's actually going for the top courtesan, Miss Chuchu."
"Oh?"
"Speaking of Miss Chuchu from the Myriad Flowers Pavilion, she's so delicate and charming, and she sings so well. But she only sells her art, not her body. And with Xie Jing protecting her, no one dared to act recklessly. But now, a tough guy has come. Not only did Xie Jing fail to protect Chuchu, but he also got himself involved."
"If Xie Jing likes Chuchu, why doesn't he redeem her and marry her?"
The young man looked back at her in surprise.
Then he said, "Miss, are you from out of town?"
"Just tell me."
"Miss, the Xie family is a prominent family north of the Huai River. Xie Jing's mother has an even more prestigious background. She's the eldest daughter of the Zhao family. You should think about it. How could a family like that allow their son to marry a woman from a brothel?"