Chapter 165 Self-defense dagger
When He Danggui heard Zhu Quan’s name, her brows rose again, and she unconsciously grabbed Bai Yangbai’s hand for supporting. Why did Meng Xuan talk about Zhu Quan repeatedly? And how could he know that she had had conflicts with Zhu Quan? Did Zhu Quan have already started to do something to her when she knew nothing? That deep and terrible demon!
Yet Bai Yangbai’s eyes were bright with curiosity. Huh? When did He Danggui know Quan, and even treat him as “Duan Xiaolou”? Ah, adding Peng Jian and Luo Baiji of Luo’s Family, He Danggui had so many admirers. Ha-ha! He knew why Meng Xuan was so angry.
However, Meng Xuan didn’t know that He Danggui treated everyone as her younger brothers or sisters, including aged him, which differed from the love between men and women. Although he did not know how He Danggui became so mature with leisurely words and deeds which were more attractive than most of affected and bashful woman, he didn’t think her intimate behavior with him was queer. Gradually, He Danggui became a tacit friend of him from “a scheming, dark and terrible devil and queen with inside story” in his mind. She was even his true close friend.
Maybe this was her personal charisma. She was easy-going, clever and sophisticated. She had a natural compassion for human being rather than acquired hypocrisy. Also, she would give others advice in an acceptable way, or she would stop. She was a sensible and intelligent girl. However, she was too insensitive to recognize men’s love and chase. Luo Baiji borrowed and returned her books frequently. Even if he did it 20 years until He Danggui married and got 2 or 3 kids, he could only be regarded as a good booklover.
The most incomprehensible was that He Danggui even didn’t recognize that she loved and cared about Duan Xiaolou who affected her already. Bai Yangbai evoked her for kindness, and she firmly said that it was not love–If both of them were willing to die for each other, how could it not be love? The man slid into the woman’s room at midnight and stood like a stone, looking at the woman through the curtain of bed for an entire night. The woman, however, broke up with him stoutly because the man would marry other women. She said with sweet-tempered, “I was the only woman in your life.” If this was not love, what was the “love” in her mind? Did she ever love anyone?
By the way– “How do you know Quan? I usually passed through Yangzhou City during three years, and walked around your house. I don’t know anything about that.” Bai Yangbai observed her strange expression. Her hands were cold and shivering when she heard “Quan”. Did she really fell in love with Quan?
Bai Yangbai advised, “Girl, you and he are completely different people. Forget it. The distance between he and you just like an old wolf and a chick. If you touch him, you’ll be eaten out. And you demanded Duan Xiaolou that he couldn’t marry another woman, right? Honestly, there are so many women of Quan, and even his women and children can be found outside or inside of the mansion. How could you love such a philandering man? And strange to say, he is attractive. Girls at your age easily fall in love deeply and get overwhelmed with him at first sight. Just his name can agitate you…”
Feeling that Meng Xuan was angry, Bai Yangbai said, “But Seventh Childe, who acquired higher martial arts, is handsomer, kinder and more easy-going than Quan. Seventh Childe may spend time in being with you, bickering or getting cross with you. Well, Duan Xiaolou has been dumped by you. Besides, Peng Jian and Luo Baiji are not successful who are unworthy of you, a magnificent lady. What’s more, those who like Wen Han, Zong Qiao and Han Fang are too superficial and only love your appearance, but not knowing inner. How about Seventh Childe? I hope you can take it seriously, for I heard that Madam Luo is planning to promise you to Feng Yang or Guan Mo. She’s going to arrange a marriage for you after the New Year!”
He Danggui got panic, and her eyes widely opened. She stared at Bai Yangbai and said, “Bullshit! How do you know that? Don’t frighten me!”
Bai Yangbai scratched his chin and said innocently, “Come on, girl, speak with your conscience. Did I scare you before? On the contrary, you always frighten me. You don’t know how to respect the elder. It must be more difficult for you to handle the relationship with mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. Just take Quan as an example. Though his mother is dead, he treats his wet nurse as his mother because of his lack of maternal love–a poor guy. One of his favorite concubines once contradicted his wet nurse. She said that the wet nurse was a lowly maid who used to wash other masters’ feet. Next day, that concubine was given to the servants, a group of green-eyed servants. And just after one night, the concubine was tortured by them...”
“Come on! How did you know that! Is it true? Tell me everything you know!” He Danggui groped out a silver needle stained with Qian Mudan’s poison, putting it in front of him. Did Zhu Quan do something to her? He did think it was troublesome to give her a new false identity to get into his mansion, didn’t he? So, he just let Feng Yang get her away from Luo’s Family and then lock her up until he was not boring to enjoy, right?
Bai Yangbai looked at that poison needle sadly. Women were always fickle. Just now she said that if he was poisoned, she would go all the way down the mountain to find an antidote for him, which almost made him tell her half of the recipe for his bath water. While, now, she even wanted to stab him with a poison needle. This was a highly poisonous silver needle without an antidote but not a pleasant prop that she could play with good friends. She would rather take out a dagger than it. What a devil!
“My queen, calm down please. How dare I cheat you? I just heard it with my ears. Please forgive me! By the way, you are so excited and mentioned Feng Yang specifically. Is that the master of Caobang Organization also included in your plan?” Bai Yangbai couldn’t help asking even he was in danger. “Then you are wrong. It seemed that he is a gay. You will be a widow if you marry him! He even doesn’t touch the concubines his legitimate mother sent. One of his concubines could not bear to have illicit intercourse with a bodyguard of Feng’s Mansion, which even doesn’t matter to him even if they were caught. He was not angry at all, and he gave the concubine to that guard. So later, other concubines followed the example of her. They all finally fell in love with servants, cooks or coachmen as well! Also, if you marry him and you want to break up with him, you have to do the same thing with one coachman. And I would like to be this man to help you…”
“Xiaoyi, use it. That one in your hand is dangerous. Don’t take out. It will hurt you and others.”
Next moment, the poison needle in He Danggui’s left hand was replaced by a small, sharp and shimmering dagger. And her right hand was caught in a rough and calloused hand out of Bai Yangbai’s gloved hand. When He Danggui looked back, Meng Xuan became quiet. He took away the silver needle in her hand and all silver needles wrapped with “Bai Yangbai’s fabric.” “What are you doing? Give me back my needles!” She said disapprovingly.
Meng Xuan pointed to the dagger in her hand and said, “I exchange my dagger for your silver needles, and you won’t lose anything. This dagger is the only thing my grandfather left me before he died. I cherish it so much that I couldn’t bear to use it to cut the hands of Qian Mudan. Now I give it to you. This is the best sharp blade in the world, which is comparable to the Seven-star Sword that Cao Mengde (also Cao Cao) used to kill Dong Zhuo in the Three Kingdoms period. And it’s easy to cut off ears and noses.” He added with bitchiness. Tears fell down from Bai Yangbai’s face. Bai Yangbai thought that he was just an ordinary Taoist Sage who was fond of pretending to be a servant.
He Danggui shook her head and said, “No. I do not want your dagger. I stole those silver needles from Senior Lord Luo’s room, and I used them for almost 3 years. Give it back to me.”
Meng Xuan carefully wrapped a packet of poison needles and collected them into the innermost layer of pouch, and then he answered slowly, “These needles are highly poisonous. I’m afraid that you won’t clean them up, so I decided to do it for you. As for the dagger, once you receive it, you can’t return it back. My grandfather told me this dagger is the protection tool to his granddaughter-in-law before he passed away.”
He Danggui was surprised and angry, “Nonsense! Take your dagger and get out of here right away. I will extract all the information that that swindler knows. Stop bothering me! Give my needles back! I haven’t made up with you yet... Why are you hugging me? You told me that women should keep distance with men, and I should keep my manners, right?”
Meng Xuan stood behind her in silence, and his chest pressed against her back. His right hand held her cold hand, and his left hand...pressed her plump bosom!
He Danggui’s chest was touched suddenly. She just wanted to test whether the dagger was really sharp to cut down the hand or not. However, the “groper” slowly moved down a bit, and held her waist behind tighter and tighter.
“I’m sorry.” said Meng Xuan, pressing against the top of her head with his chin. He apologized, “You are so short. I want to hold your waist, but not your chest. While, you handled it so well that only I can do this to you. If anyone else does this, you should do it with your dagger. I’ll pay for it if anything happened. So, just do it. Don’t worry about it.” Then he glanced at Bai Yangbai.
He Danggui gnashed her teeth, “Meng Xuan, let me go. How dare you hug me? I hate you. Stop your crocodile tears! Ah!”
Meng Xuan gave her cheek a kiss and said tenderly, “Don’t be afraid, girl. No matter how many men Madam Luo looks for you, the man who can marry you is me only. Even if it needs to block the way to rob the bride, I will take you back to Meng’s Family, to my room. Now, let’s listen to Bai Yangbai’s words first. If Madam Luo wants to promise you to Feng Yang or Guan Mo, I’ll call on her and tell her give it up. If she has already begun to negotiate with those two families, I’ll try to destroy it. In short, don’t worry about it. I’ll help you.” Why was she so scared when she heard Madam Luo was fond of Feng Yang? Actually, he knew a bit about Feng Yang. He was a gentleman.
He Danggui sneered, “Meng Xuan, I don’t need your sympathy. I can’t give you what you want, and also you can’t give me what I want. So, from now on, there is no relationship between us! Let me go, or I’ll stab you with this dagger, and you will ...”
“Uh, I’m sorry...” Bai Yangbai interjected.
“No, never.” said Meng Xuan.
Bai Yangbai turned up his volume, “I’m sorry to interrupt both of you, but there’s a large crowd headed by President Bai and Pedant Bao. Look! They haven’t seen us yet. Do we need to see the fun, or converse with the loving feeling while drinking and eating?” In fact, Mr. Bao’s name was Bao Shuangfu, but since Bai Yangbai called him “Pedant Bao” (Bao Suanfu in Chinese pronunciation), this name was popular in the whole Chengxu Academy. Mr. Bao was so angry that he squatted in the corner to curse Bai Yangbai.
“See the fun.” said He Danggui. She would like to see what would happen when Shi Hua Poison attacked the most. She was reborn because of Zhou Jinglan’s Xiaoyao Poison. Therefore, she felt awesome towards the venomous insect from her heart.
“Converse with the loving feeling.” Meng Xuan said. For the first time, he felt Bai Yangbai was an understanding man.
“Uh…” Bai Yangbai compromised their wills and came up with a perfect idea, “Why don’t we hide in that bamboo grove and watch what will going on here? Both of you have eyes in the back of your head. Besides, it’s so dark and my eyes are in poor vision, so you can do whatever you want. Never mind. Merciful Buddha…” he said.
He Danggui cut away a piece of clothing of Bai Yangbai and scolded him, “If you continue to be so bitchy, I will kill you, so that you will become Emperor’s Princess!”
“Xiaoyi, don’t be so rude.” said Meng Xuan tenderly, “Since he is so considerate of us, let’s go and hide in the bamboo grove, and see what they will do with Qian Mudan. Since Yi Tong have heard your diagnosis, he will surely persuade them to cut off her right hand. After all, life is more important than anything else.”
He Danggui struggled to extricate herself from the arms of Meng Xuan and said angrily, “It’s too late. It seems that Shi Hua Poison have been attacking, and now no one can save her including the Immortal. Why don’t you give her a short suffering?”
“It’s late, isn’t it? But just now I thought she can be saved, and you refused.” Meng Xuan frowned and looked at Qian Mudan, who was ceaselessly sitting down and lying down in the distance. He said, “Her eyes open widely, but it’s so weird. What will happen? Will she die?”
He Danggui nodded and then shook her head. She said, “From book, I learn that if a person who was poisoned Shi Hua Poison gets the attack for 3 times, that person will become a living dead, a corpse which can still walk.”
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