She forcefully pulled one of the men toward her, then swiftly moved aside, causing the man to stumble into the arms of another. Both of them fell to the ground.
Glancing at the three men sprawled on the ground, she raised her hand and removed the hair tie that had been restraining her long hair.
Her smooth locks tumbled freely as she let down her hair. She smoothed the strands near her ear and, with an impatient look in her exquisite eyes, said, "That's all? Go back, practice for three to five to seven years, and then come challenge me."
With that, she bypassed the three men, her steps light as she continued toward the direction of the villa.
However, the first man who had attacked her got up again, after easing his pain. Before he could regain his balance, a wooden stick descended from above and struck his forehead with precision.
With a resounding 'thud', the man once again collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, the wooden stick that she had snatched away earlier landed beside him.
…
After about a ten-minute walk, Lu Haiqiao arrived at the entrance of the villa.
The intricately carved iron gate was wide open at this moment as if it had known she would come.
Amid a serene bamboo grove, there was a cobblestone path that led to a garden at the end. On an impressive artificial mountain, two narrow streams converged and flowed smoothly down the rocks.
The desolate surroundings were merely a facade; the interior of the gate was still exquisitely decorated.
Lu Haiqiao glanced at the well-lit villa and then ascended the steps, standing in front of the facial recognition device at the entrance.
The door opened with a 'beep'.
The moment the door opened, she keenly sensed that an object was flying toward her.
Lu Haiqiao raised her hand and firmly caught the object with lightning speed.
She opened her palm to take a look.
A fountain pen.
Visconti's MACHINA series.
And it was custom-made too.
"How do you like it?"
Upon hearing the voice, Lu Haiqiao's gaze shifted from the pen with twenty-four diamonds embedded in its cap to the man standing in front of her.
Lu Yunge, 28 years old, is the eldest son of Lu Wanxin's brother, Lu Jianyuan. He was Lu Haiqiao's eldest cousin.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" she asked.
"Will you come to the airport to pick me up if I tell you in advance?" Lu Yunge replied with a mischievous grin, his arms folded in front of him.
Lu Haiqiao glanced at him and walked directly to the sofa. After sitting down, she curtly replied, "No."
Lu Yunge: "…"
Then why bother asking!
While Lu Yunge went to fetch some water, Lu Haiqiao's eyes roamed around the ground floor of the villa.
She flipped over and knelt on the sofa, her arms propped up on the backrest. "Ol' Lu, what about Ahxue? Why didn't he come back with you?"
Ahxue, whose full name was Lu Xuege, was 26 years old, Lu Yunge's younger brother, and her second cousin.
"Hold on," Lu Yunge straightened up, "before I answer your question, can I ask you one?"
Lu Haiqiao blinked her beautiful eyes and replied earnestly, "No."
Lu Yunge: "…"
After a three-second stare down, he relented, "Second Brother has been locked in the Buddha Hall by Grandpa for over a week."
Lu Haiqiao nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder she couldn't find him.
Although Grandpa's Buddha Hall primarily served as a place for worship, it also served as a place to enforce family rules.
Any member of the Lu family who broke the rules would be sent to the Buddha Hall for self-reflection.
The length of the punishment varied depending on the severity of the transgression.
More than a week…
Did Lu Xuege tear the roof off or something?
And why such a heavy punishment?