“Really?!”
Venti’s mood brightened instantly.
“Mhm,” Jiang Yubai responded. Then, in a negotiating tone, he added, “Now, can you let go of me?”
Venti scrambled out of bed with surprising agility. By the time Jiang Yubai stood up and looked back, Venti had already put on his shoes and was standing right in front of him.
Jiang Yubai paused while buttoning his shirt. Being watched so intently while dressing felt odd. Ordinarily, it should not matter since they were both men. In fact, looking at Venti, he barely seemed like a man yet, just a child who had not fully grown up. But somehow, he felt uncomfortable.
Tugging at his collar to cover his exposed chest, Jiang Yubai let out a dry cough. “Your braids are messy. Aren’t you going to redo them?”
“Eh?” Venti looked down. “So they are.”
Seeing the youth leave the bedside to fix his hair in front of the mirror, Jiang Yubai hurriedly finished dressing. He was not sure why he was rushing, but he felt better once he was fully covered. Perhaps it was because the way Venti had been studying him was a bit too serious, or rather, a bit too intense.
After leaving the inn, they headed back to Leah’s house. Now that he had money and a place to stay, it was truly inappropriate to remain at a young woman’s home. Not only would it ruin her reputation, but the social repercussions would be severe. More practically, with Venti now in the picture, that small bed could not possibly fit two people.
“Leah?”
Jiang Yubai froze. Upon arriving, he found the front door wide open. A bad premonition surged in his heart, and he quickened his pace. The scene inside caused his heart to sink to rock bottom.
The items in the small courtyard had been smashed and scattered everywhere. The door to the hut was also hanging open, and the tables and stools inside were overturned. There was not a soul in sight. It was obvious that someone had taken advantage of his absence to abduct Leah.
“Ah, young man, you are back,” a shaky voice called out. An elderly neighbor emerged from his house, leaning heavily on a cane. “You are looking for Leah, aren’t you? You are too late. She was taken by the eldest son of the Lawrence family. It is a sin, truly.”
It was Barclay after all.
Jiang Yubai clenched his fists. He asked calmly, “Where is the Lawrence estate?”
Venti blinked and beat the old man to the answer. “I know where it is. But what are you planning to do?”
“What am I doing? I am bringing Leah back, of course,” Jiang Yubai sneered. “And while I am at it, I will beat that fat pig until he is looking for his teeth on the floor.”
Venti put on a look of shock.
The white haired old man nearby waved his hands frantically. After a fit of coughing, he managed to say, “Child, no! How can you go alone to a noble’s place to cause trouble? The Lawrence family holds total power in Mondstadt. They have so many soldiers guarding them. If you go, not only will you fail to save Leah, but you will also lose your own life!”
Jiang Yubai flashed a defiant smile, though his eyes were cold. “Don’t worry. I have a plan to bring her back safely.”
Without waiting for the anxious old man to say more, he grabbed Venti by the shoulder. “Tell me, where is his nest?”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Venti stumbled as he was pulled along. “Such a rush. What exactly is she to you?”
“The person who saved my life.”
“Oh, I see,” Venti said, sounding enlightened. He reached back and grabbed Jiang Yubai’s hand, flashing a smile. “This way, this way! You are running in the wrong direction!”
After being pulled along for a while and experiencing the feeling of a gale slapping his face, they finally stopped. Jiang Yubai looked at Venti, whose breathing had not even wavered. He glanced at the youth’s short legs.
His legs aren’t even long. How does he run so fast! If Venti had not been pulling him, he felt like he would have been left in the dust.
Jiang Yubai expressionlessly smoothed back his wind blown hair. He looked at the building ahead, which was clearly more grand than the surrounding houses. This was the Lawrence estate. He could see guards standing at the gate.
He patted the person beside him. When Venti looked over, Jiang Yubai said in a low voice, “You can go now.”
“Huh?” Venti blinked, looking lost.
“It is about to get unsafe here. Go back to Leah’s and wait for me,” Jiang Yubai added patiently.
Hearing this, Venti grabbed Jiang Yubai’s wrist and said stubbornly, “No! I am coming with you!”
“Don’t be difficult.” Jiang Yubai tried to shake his hand free, but the youth held on tight. “I am going there to fight, not to play.”
“No!”
“Be good. It is really dangerous here.”
Venti puffed out his cheeks in disapproval. “Don’t use that tone you use with children. I am not a kid. And I know it is dangerous. Don’t worry, I can protect myself. I might even be able to help you.”
Jiang Yubai did not believe a word of it. How could a kid help him? He would be lucky if the boy did not cause trouble. But seeing that Venti would not budge and could not be driven away, Jiang Yubai eventually relented.
“Fine. Stay behind me.”
“Okay, okay!” Venti nodded, looking as obedient as could be.
The System watched from the sidelines, grumbling internally: Host, please open your eyes! The person next to you is a Demon God! Not a weak, cute human child!
“Halt! Who goes there?” the two guards at the gate shouted, their eyes full of suspicion.
Jiang Yubai let out a short laugh. “What, did your young master kidnap someone and forget to mention that people would come looking for trouble?”
Before they could react, he moved with lightning speed and pinned them to the ground. He snatched their polearms, tested the weight of one with a look of disdain, and tossed the other to Venti. “Hold this.”
Venti caught the polearm, looking conflicted as he held a weapon taller than himself. It did not look like he was using the spear; it looked more like the spear was using him. It was a complete mismatch.
Jiang Yubai’s eyelid twitched at the sight. He took the weapon back. “Never mind. Just hide behind me.”
“Ehe?” Venti blinked slowly.
The commotion outside naturally drew the people from within. A swarm of men armed with polearms rushed out, surrounding the two of them.
Barclay, dressed in ornate finery, walked out arrogantly amidst a cluster of soldiers. He looked down his nose at them. “I wondered who it was. So it is you. What, did you come here to seek your own death?”
He looked at his surrounded prey with contempt and grinned. “Kill him!”
Then, reconsidering that a quick death was too good for him, he added, “No, capture him! Throw him into the arena. I want to see exactly how tough he really is!”
“Where is Leah?” Jiang Yubai stared at him coldly. Barclay flinched under the gaze, then snarled at himself for being intensified by a dead man walking.
“Her? She is in my room, of course.”
His expression was revolting. Jiang Yubai gripped his polearm and suddenly swept it forward in a wide arc. No one expected him to strike first. They had seen trapped turtles before, but never a turtle that launched an offensive.
Barclay jumped back in fright, only feeling safe once he was behind a wall of men. He pointed at Jiang Yubai. “What are you waiting for? Get him!”
Instantly, the crowd swarmed. Jiang Yubai protected Venti with one hand while using the polearm to fend off the approaching enemies with the other. Venti hopped around behind him, nimbly dodging any attacks that came his way, his green cape twirling playfully in the air.
He let out constant ouch and oh my sounds.
Several guards looked on in confusion as their attacks coincidentally missed the green clad youth every single time. They began to seriously doubt their own skills. How could they not even touch a child!
Before they could dwell on their life choices, Jiang Yubai grabbed Venti and pulled him back, and the guards were promptly taken down. Seeing their colleagues lying in a heap, several guards took the hint and simply laid down to play dead. Clearly, this man was too strong. They were already unhappy with Barclay, and there was no point in dying for the Lawrences.
“You! What are you doing! Get up!” Barclay cursed them for being useless trash. In the end, he had to rely on himself. He gave a meaningful look to a subordinate, who nodded and retreated.
“Now, can you tell me where she is?” Jiang Yubai approached Barclay slowly, stepping over the fallen men.
Barclay gritted his teeth and backed away. “Don’t get cocky!”
Venti glanced thoughtfully toward a certain spot ahead, then continued following Jiang Yubai with a relaxed air, staring at the youth’s back. Ehe! My partner is becoming more charming by the second! He secretly grabbed a corner of Jiang Yubai’s shirt and leaned in.
Jiang Yubai, thinking the previous scene had frightened Venti, gave the hand on his shirt a comforting squeeze. Venti took the opportunity to slide his hand into the youth’s palm.
At that moment, Barclay suddenly dragged Leah out from behind a servant. He held a small knife to her throat and threatened, “Don’t move! Take one more step and I will slit her throat.”
Leah’s long hair was a mess and her braid was undone. Her eyes were filled with terror as the cold blade pressed against her neck. She was shivering visibly, her eyes flashing with hope when she saw Jiang Yubai, which then turned into intense worry.
Jiang Yubai stopped.
Seeing him halt, Barclay moved the knife with malicious intent. “Tsk tsk. Where should I start? Where should I let this fair neck bloom with a beautiful red?”
“Despicable,” Jiang Yubai said. “Let her go.”
Barclay laughed as if he had heard a joke. “Are you dreaming? You want me to let her go? What are you thinking?”
“The price,” Jiang Yubai said. He looked Barclay in the eye. “What is the price for her release?”
Barclay looked at the polearm in Jiang Yubai’s hand. “Throw down your weapon and step forward.”
Jiang Yubai fell into thought. He pushed Venti aside and did as he was told.
“Seize him!” Barclay ordered.
“Yes!”
Once Jiang Yubai was restrained, Barclay finally relaxed and burst into mocking laughter. “What a moron! You thought I would actually let her go? Think again!”
He studied the pinned Jiang Yubai with pure malice. “You have ruined my fun one too many times. Killing you would be too easy. When the arena opens, I will toss you in to fend for yourself.”
Jiang Yubai remained calm, completely ignoring Barclay’s threats. He saw Leah’s look of guilt and apology but did not look back at her. He had his own calculations. In this situation, surrendering was the standard move to protect the hostage. It was simply a way to make Barclay lower his guard.
Barclay, interpreting Jiang Yubai’s lowered head as a sign of defeat, satisfiedly ordered his men: “Lock him in the dungeon!”
“Eh?” The ignored Venti suddenly lunged in front of Barclay, his green eyes full of sincerity. “And me! Don’t forget me! You forgot there is another person!”
“You!”
Barclay took a step back, his eyes full of shock. Is this brat stupid? He is actually asking to be caught.
Startled by the person who had suddenly jumped in front of him, Barclay pointed at the catch me Venti and shouted, “Take him down too!”