Chereads / Fair lady, wait a moment / Chapter 10 - Chapter 10 Shameless Rascal

Chapter 10 - Chapter 10 Shameless Rascal

Creak... Creak...

In the secluded courtyard of a remote alley, the sound of old wooden boards creaking continued.

Night Vigil Hall was spouting shameless nonsense that even he found embarrassing.

The cold and elegant female swordsman still bit her lower lip, her teary eyes fixed on Night Vigil Hall, unwilling to let others hear her whimper.

Fortunately, Night Vigil Hall's acting was convincing enough, and the guards outside eventually let down their guard, their murmurs coming through quietly:

"He looks decent, but he talks a lot... What's he implying?"

"Next time, I'll let you see. There's nothing interesting here... Let's go, let's go..."

...

Step, step...

After two light sounds of scaling the wall, the courtyard fell into complete silence.

Inside the closed room,

Night Vigil Hall breathed a sigh of relief, turning his head to look towards the window, listening carefully.

The woman's originally cold complexion had already faded away, her cheeks now flushed with a dewy glow, sweat beads glistening on her forehead, her peach blossom eyes crystal clear.

Her face now had a healthy color, looking even more breathtakingly beautiful, as if she were a celestial maiden who had been ravaged. 

As the woman gazed at the handsome profile so close to her, perhaps due to being too ashamed and angry for too long, she now seemed unable to muster any more anger, though the venom had mostly subsided, she still couldn't muster much strength:

"You... ah~..."

As the officers left, the woman just wanted to question, but she noticed the thief's hand move.

Before, it was a necessary act to deceive, but now it seemed real!

She quickly covered her mouth, eyes flashing with killing intent, staring at the man above:

"You..."

Night Vigil Hall turned his head, inexplicably saying:

"You can't let go? Then I'll redo..."

The woman wasn't a pushover, her waist sword suddenly unsheathed, bringing out a cold glint.

Night Vigil Hall reacted quickly, jumping out, landing in the room, gripping the hilt of his knife:

"What are you trying to do? Stab me in the back after using me?"

The woman pointed her sword at Night Vigil Hall, her eyes indignant:

"Shameless rascal..."

"Miss, who's the rascal here? Aren't you clear?" 

Night Vigil Hall looked at the woman's face, still beautiful even when angry:

"If I didn't help you distract them just now, would you have cursed me as shameless? If you didn't cooperate with me during the charade, could I have touched you?"

The woman's eyes were cold, but she couldn't suppress the confusion and helplessness in her eyes:

"I know you were just acting, but you... you did it for real! Taking advantage of my weakness..."

Night Vigil Hall retorted: "You let me cover for you just now, I took a risk to help you. Once the officers left, you call me shameless? If you hadn't been so stubborn and cooperated with me in the charade, could I have touched you?"

"..."

The woman stared at Night Vigil Hall, but she also understood that what he said was true. After clenching her teeth for a while, she slowly lowered her sword:

"For the sake of your chivalry this time, I... I'll spare you."

Night Vigil Hall was finally satisfied, approaching the bed:

"You promised to teach me martial arts. Teach me."

"?"

The woman lifted her eyes, full of anger:

"You're so frivolous towards me, and I didn't even complain. Yet you still..."

"Frivolous? Do you think I'm happy about it? I haven't even mentioned you taking advantage of me."

Night Vigil Hall picked up a small mirror from the bedside, reflecting their faces:

"Take a look for yourself, who's more attractive? Do you think I'd risk my life for you?"

?

The woman may have never been belittled for her beauty before, but hearing this was obviously ridiculous. However, when she looked at the reflection in the mirror:

She had just suffered, with disheveled hair, tears on her face, and a furious expression, far from her usual stunning appearance. Meanwhile, the thief beside her, with his handsome features and perfect demeanor...

Birdie, who had been hiding under the bed for half a day, came out as a referee. After observing the two for a while, it pointed its wing towards the woman:

"Chirp."

Meaning Sister Melon was more beautiful.

?

Night Vigil Hall found the bird's interference speechless.

The woman understood Birdie's meaning, with a hint of pride in her eyes, but after this diversion, accusing the handsome thief of lusting after her beauty seemed a bit lacking in confidence. She coldly said:

"Forget about this... You're not allowed to mention it again, otherwise even gods won't be able to save you."

Night Vigil Hall saw the lady was no longer unreasonable, threw the mirror aside, and tidied his robe.

The woman turned her gaze away, wrapping herself in a thin quilt, quietly straightening her rumpled clothes...

Watching the woman's face flush red, her eyes sometimes angry, sometimes embarrassed, Night Vigil Hall naturally understood what had happened. He inwardly sighed, "It turned out like this just from a charade..."

Knowing that saying this would lead to endless trouble, Night Vigil Hall remained silent. He fastened his robe and asked:

"Now that it's settled, shouldn't you explain the situation? Who are you? What have you done?"

The woman's mind was a bit chaotic, silently tidying her clothes, and coldly said:

"My name is Luo Ning, and you won't benefit from knowing anything else. I came to the capital this time just to save a friend in the martial world. At noon, I was investigating at the Black Office and accidentally triggered a trap, inhaling poisonous smoke. To avoid being chased by Bai Wuchang, I hid here..."

Night Vigil Hall was a bit surprised to hear this - the Black Office constables usually went out in pairs, and the top six constables, known as the "Six Fiends," were named after ghostly officials, divided into:

Iron-Armed Wuchang, Shadow Wuchang, Diamond Bullhead, Silver-Hooked Horse Face, White-Haired Dizang, and Eight-Armed Ksitigarbha.

For this woman named "Luo Ning" to escape from Bai Wuchang meant her martial skills were indeed remarkable.

After roughly hearing the process, Night Vigil Hall glanced around:

"Where's your maid?"

"She went to distract the pursuers for me and should be back soon. You... you'd better leave immediately..."

"This is my house!"

Night Vigil Hall pointed at the bedding and bedding, which he had bought yesterday, representing all his belongings:

"You didn't even ask to stay here, you brought trouble to my door. I haven't troubled you yet, and you want me to leave? Are you trying to shirk your promise not to teach me martial arts?"

Luo Ning suffered such a big loss and really didn't want to teach anymore.

But a martial artist's promise was worth a thousand pieces of gold, and she didn't want to owe

 this little thief a favor. So, she stood up, her footsteps sliding back, raising her palms:

"I said I'll only teach you one move, and this is the only time. If you remember and learn it, it's your skill. If you can't learn it, it's your bad luck, but don't say I'm untrustworthy."

Night Vigil Hall nodded slightly, focusing on Luo Ning's movements.

Luo Ning raised her palms, moving rhythmically, sometimes embracing the moon, sometimes lifting them flat. Her movements were fluid and graceful, demonstrating for a while before pushing forward and finishing.

"Did you learn it?"

??

Night Vigil Hall looked puzzled. "Are you trying to cheat me? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child? Is this what you call martial arts?"

Luo Ning's face showed anger. "I've already taught you the moves..."

"What did you teach?"

"Chirp."

Birdie also looked puzzled, flapping its wings a few times, indicating - waving flower hand, who doesn't know that?

Luo Ning and Night Vigil Hall looked at each other. Seeing that he didn't seem to be pretending, the anger gradually subsided, and she asked in confusion:

"You haven't learned martial arts before?"

Night Vigil Hall originally wanted to say that he had learned martial arts, but then he thought - his foster father only taught him fake moves... Isn't that the same as not learning?

Night Vigil Hall softened his expression a bit and asked earnestly:

"I really haven't learned real martial arts. Were you really teaching techniques just now?"

Luo Ning looked at Night Vigil Hall strangely for a few moments: "I thought you had good aptitude and internal strength, and I thought you had learned martial arts... How did you reach this level without anyone teaching you?"

"I run thirty miles with weights every day, lift three hundred stone locks, and do five hundred sit-ups..."

Luo Ning raised her finger slightly, indicating no need to say more:

"These things you said must have been guided by someone, giving you a foundation. Genuine martial artists don't train like this."

"Does that mean I'm not a genuine martial artist?"

"Mm."

Luo Ning nodded like Birdie, quite agreeing with this statement.

Night Vigil Hall opened his mouth, not wanting to argue with Lady Luo, and asked:

"How do real martial artists train?"

"The so-called martial arts consist of techniques and internal energy. Both are complementary. Only having techniques without internal energy will always be just 'superficial', while having internal energy without techniques is like having a thousand troops and horses under your command, but only knowing brute force tactics without any strategy."

Night Vigil Hall understood the gist: "I have this feeling. So how should I train techniques?"

"Techniques are the 'method of operation', not the tactics for actual combat. Once you fully comprehend and master them, you will naturally understand how to use these moves in real combat. For example, a simple straight punch: while others can move a city wall with it, you can't even break a wooden board, because the internal energy behind it is different."

"Does that mean I need to practice slowly like this, and then use it in real combat?"

"It seems you've understood."

Luo Ning nodded: "This move is the first style of the 'Fourteen Hands of Adhesion,' emphasizing softness, and can strike the chest and abdomen, shattering the internal organs while leaving the skin unharmed, considered the entry-level. For ordinary people to reach this level, it takes at least three... three..."

Before Lady Luo finished her words, she saw the black-clad young man in front of her, raising his palms and moving them back and forth, performing the same movements she had just demonstrated.

"You have a good memory!"

Luo Ning was slightly surprised, continuing to instruct: "Carefully ponder why there are so many movements, feel the extent, strength, and direction of each movement, earnestly understand the hidden 'method of operation' within... within..."

The words stopped.

Hoo... Hoo...

In the closed room, a faint breeze brushed their faces, lifting the strands of hair on the woman's temples, and her eyes gradually shifted from surprise to shock... Translate into English