nashuaworldcup Chapter 490 A night of wind and rain, the ground covered with fallen petals!
Chapter 490 A night of wind and rain, the ground covered with fallen petals!
Because Xu Fenghua was worried that Qin Mu would ask her even more difficult questions, she kept choosing dares.
Each of Qin Mu's tasks required her to take off one piece of clothing, and after counting, she realized she couldn't take off any more.
She was only wearing a light purple bodice and a thin pair of underpants.
Her snow-white shoulders were exposed, and below her collarbone was a large expanse of snow-white skin, which shone with a soft glow from the candlelight.
Her face was burning hot, so red it looked like it was about to bleed, and even her neck was burning.
She lowered her head, instinctively hugging herself, shrinking into a small ball, like a trapped beast trembling in desperation.
It was only at this moment that Xu Fenghua truly understood the treacherous nature of this game.
It wasn't the shame of taking off clothes, but rather that Qin Mu had been using this method from the very beginning to peel away their outer shells, their disguises, and the secrets hidden deep within their hearts, bit by bit.
Truth or Dare is tearing into their hearts, and dare or dare is trampling on their dignity.
No matter which one you choose, you're going to lose.
At the same time, she also realized that Qin Mu was definitely not just playing the game for fun, but was using it to test them.
Test their bottom line, test their weaknesses, test how many things they dare not say out loud.
He understood each of their thoughts better than they understood themselves.
Xu Fenghua became even more wary of Qin Mu's scheming nature.
This man is terrifying.
She took a deep breath, lowered her head, and spoke in a hoarse voice, conveying a deep-seated weariness and resignation.
"My lord... I concede defeat. I... cannot play any longer."
Yun Suxin didn't want to play anymore either.
Their questions struck a nerve with her, making her unwilling to answer them at all.
But she dared not lie. She knew that she could not hide the truth from Qin Mu if she lied, and rather than have her lie exposed and Qin Mu use it against her to punish her, she would rather tell the truth honestly.
Therefore, she always chose to tell the truth, which was the exact opposite of Xu Fenghua.
She felt that she had been asked about almost everything in her life, from her childhood in the mountain village to her joining the Taiyin Holy Sect, to how she fled after the Taiyin Holy Sect was destroyed, and to how she gradually rebuilt the Moon Goddess Sect.
Each question was like a shovel, digging into her heart, revealing the secrets she had kept hidden for decades, laying them bare under the candlelight, and exposing them to everyone.
Yun Suxin felt that she had never been so embarrassed or naked before.
She has no secrets left.
She also discovered the game's terrifying aspects.
It's not punishment, not torture, but a dull knife slowly boiling a frog. You think you're just answering questions, but when you come to your senses, you've been completely stripped bare.
But she dared not say that she did not want to play anymore, because after all, she was not a concubine, but a prisoner.
She has no right to call a halt, no right to say no, and even the right to beg for mercy requires others to grant her that right.
She could only lower her head and wait, like a caged beast waiting for its master's judgment.
Qin Mu's gaze swept over Xu Fenghua and Yun Suxin, then looked at the other women.
Jiang Zhaoyue lowered her head, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, lost in thought.
Yunluan remained expressionless, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword, like a lifeless statue.
Han Xin'er knelt on the edge of the felt, her hands folded on her knees, her head bowed, her face as red as if it were about to bleed.
Qin Mu smiled, a smile that was hard to decipher.
"Okay. Then we won't play anymore."
He paused, his gaze falling on the pitch-black night outside the door.
"Let's rest. We still have a long journey ahead tomorrow."
The weight that had been hanging over Yun Suxin and Xu Fenghua's hearts for so long was finally lifted.
Jiang Zhaoyue, Yun Luan, Han Xin'er, and the others, on the other hand, seemed to want more.
But since Qin Mu didn't want to play anymore, they naturally wouldn't either.
Qin Mu's rest was certainly not just a simple rest.
The women, of course, couldn't simply rest.
Qin Mu was in high spirits tonight; he had never been to a place like this before.
then……
The sound of rain was like someone constantly splashing water from the sky.
The wind blew in through the dilapidated windowpanes, causing the candlelight to flicker and casting the shadows of the crowd onto the mottled wall, sometimes long, sometimes short, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
The rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier, pattering and dripping. The rainwater dripped from the eaves, forming a curtain of water that isolated the dilapidated temple from the outside world.
The wind howled, shaking the temple gate, the window frames, and the long-dead branches, making a mournful sound, like someone crying or laughing.
The night was deep, the rain was heavy, and the wind was strong.
There are... a lot of people.
........
The rain stopped before dawn the next day.
The morning light peeked through the gaps in the clouds, spreading a pale golden glow across the ground.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth after the rain, mixed with the fragrance of grass, trees and wildflowers.
Qin Mu opened his eyes and sat up.
Jiang Zhaoyue lifted her head from his embrace, rubbed her eyes, her long hair was disheveled, her eyes were hazy, her cheeks were pink, and she was extremely cute with a charming and innocent look.
Qin Mu stood up, stretched, walked to the temple entrance, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at the clouds on the horizon that were dyed red by the morning glow.
A smile played on his lips, and a faint, indescribable light flickered in his eyes.
"Let's go. Let's keep going."
Although Qin Mu didn't have any extraordinary adventures or encounters like those in martial arts novels yesterday, he was still quite satisfied.
After all, last night's experience was very interesting and exciting.
He stepped across the threshold, the morning light bathing him in a pale golden glow.
The women followed him out in single file and mounted their horses.
Han Xin'er still couldn't ride a horse, and was held in Qin Mu's arms just like yesterday.
She sat on the horse with a stiff posture, her back straight, her whole body taut like a fully drawn bow.
She was in very poor condition, especially when she got up from the temple in the morning. She walked unsteadily, her steps were unsteady, and her brows furrowed slightly with each step.
Once on horseback, she gasped, her face paling slightly, her lips pressed tightly together as if she were enduring something.
Qin Mu lowered his head, looking at the pale, slightly trembling face in his arms, and spoke very softly.
"Sit sideways. Don't worry, I'm holding you."
Han Xin'er's eyelashes trembled suddenly, and the blush spread from her cheeks to her ears, making her look exceptionally beautiful in the morning light.
She bit her lip, looked up, glanced quickly at Qin Mu, then lowered her head and nodded gently.
She carefully turned to the side, placing both legs on the same side of the saddle, and sat sideways in Qin Mu's lap.
Qin Mu reached out, put his arm around her waist, and held her firmly in his arms.
Han Xin'er leaned against his chest, her face buried in his chest, not daring to look up, her ears burning red.
Qin Mu held her with one arm and the reins with the other, gently squeezing the horse's belly.
The horse neighed loudly, raised its four hooves, and galloped northward along the mountain path.
A morning breeze blew by, lifting his moon-white robes and also lifting Han Xin'er's scattered hair.
The women followed behind him, one horse after another, their hooves kicking up fine dust as they trod on the yellow earth.
Jiang Zhaoyue looked at Han Xin'er in Qin Mu's arms, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She didn't say anything, but just pulled on the reins and followed.
Yunluan placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, her gaze sweeping across the mountains and forests on both sides, her face expressionless.
Xu Fenghua sat on horseback, her gaze fixed on the moon-white figure ahead. A complex feeling welled up in her heart, and she quickly lowered her head, no longer looking.
Yun Suxin lagged behind, head down, lost in thought.
Soon, the path ended, and we returned to the main road.
The official road was wide and flat, with rolling fields and golden waves of wheat on both sides, rustling in the morning breeze.
They encountered a caravan.
The caravan was large, with more than a dozen wagons, each loaded with goods and tightly bound with tarpaulins and hemp ropes.
The carriage was surrounded by thirty or forty guards, all dressed in uniform blue short jackets, with long swords at their waists, and riding chestnut horses.
At the head of the procession was a flag, blue with gold lettering and the character "Chen" embroidered on it, fluttering in the morning breeze.
The guards were all highly skilled, with sharp eyes like eagles. They were clearly well-trained martial artists, unlike ordinary caravan guards, but rather the private soldiers of a powerful family.
Yunluan rode closer to Qin Mu, lowered her voice, and focused her gaze on the banner.
"Young master, judging from their flags, they should be a merchant caravan from the Chen family of Jiangnan. The Chen family runs a silk and tea business in Daqin, and is extremely wealthy. They also have dealings with the Daqin royal family."
Qin Mu nodded thoughtfully, his gaze sweeping over the flag, without saying anything more.
The caravan members also spotted Qin Mu and his group.
The guards instinctively placed their hands on their sword hilts, their eyes warily scanning the group.
One man and five women, five horses, dressed in fine clothes, with an extraordinary bearing.
The middle-aged guard in the lead frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on Qin Mu's face for a moment before sweeping over the women behind him, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
Neither of them spoke.
It's normal to encounter fellow travelers on the official road; you just brush past them and no one bothers with anything else.
Qin Mu ignored them and prepared to ride over quickly.
His gaze suddenly froze.
About a hundred feet ahead on the official road, there are several extremely thin hemp ropes running across the entire road, covered by dust and barely visible unless you look closely.
On the hillsides on both sides of the road, the branches and leaves of the bushes swayed slightly, but the movement did not seem to be caused by the wind.
In the distant woods, a few almost invisible glints of cold light flickered—the kind of light that only appears when sunlight reflects off a blade.
Qin Mu's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he abruptly pulled on the reins.
The horse neighed loudly, raised its front hooves high, and came to a steady stop in the middle of the official road.
Jiang Zhaoyue quickly reined in the horses, followed Qin Mu's gaze, and her expression changed slightly.
Yunluan's hand was already on the hilt of her sword, her gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across the hillsides and forests on both sides.
Xu Fenghua was puzzled, but she stopped as well, her brows furrowing slightly.
Yun Suxin, who was at the very back, also stopped, raised her head, and looked ahead.
The middle-aged guard in the caravan was startled when he saw Qin Mu suddenly stop.
He suddenly raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and gently pressed it behind him.
All the guards pulled on the reins at the same time, and the carriage came to a stop.
The guards gripped their sword hilts tightly, their eyes fixed on Qin Mu and his group.
"What happened?"
A voice came from inside the carriage, soft and gentle, like a spring breeze. It was a very pleasant voice, with the softness and gentleness unique to women from Jiangnan.
Before the middle-aged guard could answer—
Suddenly, hundreds of warriors wielding steel knives emerged from the hillsides, bushes, and woods surrounding the official road.
They were dressed in variegated clothes, some with their faces covered, others with their faces exposed, their eyes filled with murderous intent and greed.
The blade gleamed with a cold, white light in the morning glow.
Ahead on the official road, the hemp rope buried under the dust was suddenly pulled up, becoming a tripwire.
Dozens of martial artists also emerged from behind the official road, blocking the retreat route.
The caravan's guards' expressions changed drastically, and they quickly surrounded the carriage, protecting it in the middle.
With swords drawn and knives held across their chests, no one retreated in the face of an enemy several times their number.
The middle-aged guard drew his long sword and stood in front of the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the surging warriors, his voice as cold as the winter wind.
"Who are you? Do you know whose caravan this is?"
No one answered.
The leader, a one-eyed giant, stood on the hillside, carrying a large, ghost-headed sword. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"Robbery. The man was killed, the woman was spared, and the goods were taken."
As soon as he finished speaking, the martial artists on the hillside let out a strange cry and rushed down the official road.
The blade flashed, and blood splattered.