Although Huang Donglai looked like a scholar and was somewhat short, making him seem at first glance an unlikely martial artist, in reality, he was versed in martial arts, versed specifically in the superior Kung Fu that the Huang Sect did not transmit outside its circle.
At least among his contemporaries in the Martial Arts world, Huang Donglai could be considered a "master gatekeeper", and only because of this, his father dared to let him handle affairs alone.
"Heh heh... so that's how it is." Just as the masked assailant spat blood and fell to the ground, his comrades thrown into disarray, a voice came from inside the carriage, "I appreciate you lending a hand, brother from the Huang Sect, but... allow me to take care of things from here on out."
As the words faded, a gust of wind followed.
In the blink of an eye, a figure suddenly leapt out of the carriage. With just a sweep of his large sleeves, two masked men close to him collapsed to the ground.
Huang Donglai's eyes were sharp, but he could barely discern that the man had used Finger Skill—a lethal Finger Skill that aimed at the throat to instantly claim a life.
Of course, even noticing this was impressive since the one who made his move was none other than the youngest Sect Leader Level expert in today's Martial Arts world, the Young Sect Master of the Justice Sect from Luoyang, Shen Youran.
Shen Youran was just over thirty this year, dignified and imposing in appearance, and dressed in exceptionally lavish attire.
Not only was he handsome in appearance, but his Kung Fu was even more remarkable.
Just now, within the cramped confines of the carriage, Shen Youran had effortlessly intercepted all the arrows aimed at him with just his Finger Skill. It wasn't just that he wasn't injured—his clothes weren't even scratched, a testament to the excellence of his martial techniques.
Indeed, within a short period, Shen Youran had dealt with all the masked men surrounding the carriage; on the other hand, the leader of the masked men entangled with Shen Youran's coachman chose to disengage and flee upon seeing Shen Youran appear.
The coachman, sensing that something was amiss, did not foolishly give chase and instead quickly walked over to seek Shen Youran's instructions.
"No need to chase." Shen Youran knew what he wanted to ask and spoke directly, "I already know who sent that person. I have my own plan for this matter, so we needn't discuss it further." As he spoke, he gave the coachman a meaningful glance.
The coachman, intuitively understanding that the discussion was inconvenient due to Huang Donglai's presence, simply acknowledged with a nod and turned to lead the horse away.
"Heh heh..." It was then that Shen Youran approached Huang Donglai and, with a smile, said, "Thank you for your help just now, young hero."
"No worries, it was just 'self-defense,'" said Huang Donglai, who, despite being in this era for more than a decade, still occasionally used phrases that did not exist in this universe or, to be precise, this time period. Of course, Sun Yixie was the same in this regard.
Shen Youran once again scrutinized Huang Donglai, who was returning his salutation, and inquired, "Judging by your age, you mustn't be over eighteen and, having employed the Huang Sect techniques, if Shen isn't mistaken... are you the Young Sect Master of the Huang family, Huang Donglai?"
"That's me." Huang Donglai was somewhat surprised to hear his name recognized, and he immediately responded, "But may I ask who you are, elder?"
"Oh? You don't recognize me?" Shen Youran was also somewhat surprised.
"My apologies, elder. I am new to the jianghu and may have heard of your esteemed name, but I am unfamiliar with your appearance. I would be grateful for your guidance." Huang Donglai, if he wished to speak so elegantly, was capable of doing so; this was one area where he was stronger than Sun Yixie—at least he had seriously studied for a few years in this world and was not illiterate.
Cutting to the chase, Shen Youran revealed his identity to Huang Donglai and briefly explained his purpose for coming to Hangzhou—it turned out he, too, was on his way to visit the Sun Mansion.
Upon discovering their destinations were one and the same—and considering they were both righteous individuals of the Martial Arts world—they decided to journey together.
To avoid causing unnecessary trouble upon entering the city, they removed the horses from the carriage, tasked the coachman with leading them, and left the carriage, full of arrow holes, with the tea pavilion owner. As for whether the owner later chopped it up for firewood or had other uses for it, that was none of their concern.
The distance to Hangzhou City from here was not far, and Shen Youran, Huang Donglai, and the coachman, all being skilled martial artists, would not take long to walk there.
That evening, they successfully made it into the city before the gates closed. To avoid being impolite, they did not immediately visit the Sun Mansion but found an inn to stay at first.
The next morning, Shen Youran's coachman took a letter, written by the master the previous night, and delivered it to the Sun Mansion, informing them that Sect Leader Shen Youran and Young Master Huang Donglai would visit Old Master Sun in the afternoon.
Upon receiving the letter, Master Sun didn't think much of it. He regarded Huang Donglai as a friend's son, almost like family; and although he had only heard of Shen Youran and did not know him, since Shen was accompanying Huang Donglai, he presumed Shen was a friend from the same circle.
Thus, Master Sun commanded his servants to prepare a banquet to welcome their guests and also summoned his son, Sun Yixie, to greet them.
In the afternoon, Shen Youran sent his coachman to purchase a new carriage while he and Huang Donglai went to the Sun Mansion together.
As the two men entered the grand gates of the Sun Mansion, Master Sun, along with his son, came out from the front hall to greet them. Unexpectedly... while they were still seven or eight meters apart (the front courtyard of a large family is spacious), Huang Donglai and Sun Yixie caught each other's eyes and both exclaimed in shock.
"Ah!" almost simultaneously, their mouths agape, eyes wide, they each raised a hand, pointing at the other, "You..."