Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 153 Quick Thinking (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote)

Luo Meier wore her hair in a high ponytail, and her long, powerful legs bounced with every step, making her hair sway lightly with each step, like a pony lightly trotting.

She wore a narrow-sleeved outfit underneath a light blue robe, looking every bit the dashing and energetic young man.

Although the young maid leading the way was walking ahead of her, she couldn't help but feel restless and impatient along the way.

The clear eyes of that "Young Master Luo" made her heart beat in disarray, and even now her breathing is still a little rapid.

As she approached the study door, Luo Meier suddenly stopped, her breath catching in her throat.

A towering figure stood in front of the study door; it was Leopard Head Cheng Dakuan.

Leopard Head had broad shoulders and a thick back. Even wrapped in heavy winter clothes, the outline of his bulging muscles could be seen under the fabric, making him look like a ferocious beast poised to devour its prey.

Luo Meier's eyelashes drooped slightly, casting a light shadow under her eyes, which perfectly concealed the cold glint that flashed in her eyes.

This man must be the personal bodyguard of that scoundrel Yang Can. Judging from his physique and imposing presence, he must be a strong and powerful individual.

When I cut off that long-tongued man's tongue and prepare to leave, he will be my first obstacle, so I must be careful!

The maid stood at the doorway, first announcing her arrival into the room. After receiving a reply, she quickly glanced at Luo Meier.
The young man stood gracefully under the eaves, sunlight falling on him, even the tips of his ears glowing with a beautiful pink.

The young maidservant hurriedly lowered her head, her voice softening slightly: "Young Master Luo, please come in."

This young man is really handsome!
Luo Meier nodded in agreement and deliberately straightened her back as she stepped into the room.

The belt around her waist accentuated her sleek and graceful waistline, and her gait was so steady that she didn't seem like a young man in his early twenties at all.

The stove in the study was burning brightly, and the aroma of books mixed with the scent of ink and pine soot wafted through the air. Someone had already risen from behind the desk to greet them.

Yang Can, dressed in a brocade robe, with a handsome face and a perfectly measured smile, said as he cupped his hands in greeting: "Young Master Luo, I apologize for not welcoming you properly, as you have come from afar."

Luo Meier stared intently, and her heart skipped a beat.

She had assumed that the person who spread such rumors must be a weasel-faced villain, but to her surprise, he was such a handsome man.

The fact that such a handsome appearance could hide such a filthy heart made her even angrier.

Luo Meier gave a cold snort in her heart.

"You're too kind, Deacon Yang." Luo Meier returned the greeting with a bow, her ears twitching slightly as she heard the door behind her closing silently.

"Sir, please take a seat."

Yang Cansu led her to the guest seat, then sat back down behind his desk, tapping the table with his fingertips. He asked, seemingly casually, "I heard that you came to Longshang to find an enemy?"

“Exactly!” Luo Meier didn’t stand on ceremony and plopped down in the chair.

"But I wonder what the name of your enemy is, young master?"

Yang Can's gaze suddenly sharpened, fixing on her face like a hawk locking onto its prey.

He vaguely felt that the "young man" was suspicious, but at the moment he didn't really think it was him.

His lie back then was merely a stopgap measure to dispel Yu Xinglong's doubts.

He never imagined that in an era when the imperial court's control was still so lax, those aristocratic families that had been passed down for hundreds of years already had a procedure for conducting "background checks".

He never expected that his casual, vague remark would actually be taken literally by someone, who would travel all the way to Longshang to follow him.

Luo Meier suddenly smiled, her lips curving into a sweet, soft arc, and the corners of her eyes slightly upturned.

If this smile were on a woman's face, it would be incredibly charming and captivating.

But when it landed on the face of a "young man," it looked rather strange.

A sense of unease suddenly arose in Yang Can's heart, and his hand quietly reached for a corner of the desk.

“That person,” Luo Meier drawled, her voice trailing off, “is called Yang Can.”

"Hmm?" Yang Can raised an eyebrow, suddenly stood up, and the chair leg slid back half a foot.

The instant he moved, Luo Meier flicked her robe with her left hand and reached for her boot with lightning speed with her right.
With a "whoosh," the short sword, over a foot long, burst from its sheath, flashing with cold light, and pierced straight at Yang Can's face.

"You little rascal, shut your tongue!" Luo Meier shouted, her feet touching the ground as she leaped into the air.

With the sword in front and the man behind, like an arrow released from a bow, this is called... "Man and sword as one!"

With a whoosh, a large, dark net descended from the sky at that very moment.

Luo Meier lunged forward, barely reaching the desk before the large net had already enveloped her.

The large net completely enveloped her, slamming her heavily onto the floor in front of the desk.

This is a hunting net, an essential item for landowners living in the mountains, as it was set up around the manor to prevent wild animals from breaking in.

This thing is usually made of thick vines soaked in tung oil as the frame and hemp rope as the mesh. It is exceptionally tough, and even an adult wild boar cannot break free from it.

The large net suddenly pressed Luo Meier to the ground, and when she tried to get up, she had nowhere to put her weight on.

Once caught in the thick net, it's truly difficult to escape without the help of others.

At the very least, Yang Can wouldn't give her the chance to gradually lift the net and then crawl to the edge to get out.

Yang Can regained his senses, smiled and walked around from behind the desk, stepping steadily onto the net with just one foot.

The mesh of the net was gripping Luo Meier's wrist, and the cold glint of the short sword was mostly obscured by the vines, posing no threat whatsoever.

With a loud bang, the study door was kicked open.

Leopard Head, with his hand on the long sword at his waist, blocked the doorway, his figure almost level with the door frame, completely sealing off the escape route.

Hearing strange noises from inside the room, he rushed in and saw "Young Master Luo" trapped on the ground in a net, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew better than anyone how powerful the hunting net was, so he followed Yang Can's gesture and quietly retreated, then closed the door again.

Yang Can slowly squatted down, poked the mesh with her fingertip, and looked into the pretty face inside, which was both surprised and angry. Her eyes were full of inquiry: "The person you're looking for, is it me?"

At this moment, he was filled with relief, yet also deeply impressed by the wonder of the world. This net was originally set up for Zhao Chusheng.

He suspected that Zhao Chusheng was the Qin Mo Juzi mentioned by the two Qi Mo disciples, but he was unsure of the man's purpose.

Therefore, he was unsure whether Qin Mojuzi would turn against him after he revealed Zhao Chusheng's identity.

That's why he had Leopard Head set up a very simple yet very effective mechanism on the roof, but little did he know that it would end up benefiting this "Young Master Luo".

Luo Meier looked up at him, her eyes filled with hatred that was almost overflowing, and her teeth were grinding together.

She never imagined that this seemingly weak scholar would be so cunning, having set such a trap so early on.

Did he already know his identity?
With the tide turning against them, Luo Meier decided to stop pretending and gritted her teeth, saying hatefully, "That's right, I came here to kill you."

Yang Can frowned and said, "What grudge do you have that's worth you traveling all the way to Longshang to find me?"

What grudge or grievance could there be?

Luo Meier trembled with anger, her voice becoming shrill: "Did you spread rumors that you and the Luo family girl from Jiangnan were in love and had secretly pledged your lives to each other?"

"Did you say that her family obstructed your plans to cover up the scandal, causing the deaths of your entire family, which is why you fled to Longshang?"

So...it really is because of this? Yang Can's doubts were finally answered.

Looking at the girl in front of him with her almond-shaped eyes wide open, who still exuded sweetness even in anger, Yang Can finally confirmed her identity and purpose.

Strange, I just wanted to find a proper background for myself, how did this news get to the Central Plains?

That's a long way!

Yang Can was completely baffled.

Even if he knew that these centuries-old families had gradually tightened their personnel systems and started to establish background checks, he still couldn't understand it.

A background check shouldn't go this far, how did it become so widely known?
Yu Xinglong and Yu Rui each sent two spies, and the two groups of spies caused such a huge blunder in Wuzhou, which was really unbelievable.

Unless you have a god-like perspective and have witnessed the whole process, you really can't understand it.

However, knowing who the other party is and why they came is enough.

Yang Can asked, "Who are you?"

"I..." Luo Meier was about to answer when a sudden thought struck her.

I came here to punish this petty thief, but due to my carelessness, I ended up falling into his hands instead.

That's fine, at worst I'll just die.

But what if I reveal that I am a woman, and this thief tries something bad to me?
I'd rather die than lose my purity and be defiled by this scoundrel!
After a moment of mental turmoil, Luo Meier suddenly had a flash of inspiration and gritted her teeth, saying, "Me? My name is... Chu Buping. I was hired by the Luo family to avenge Miss Luo Meier!"

So this Luo family girl is named Luo Meier... It's a rather nice name, Yang Can thought, stroking his chin.

He had only heard about the Luo family in Jiangnan from the horse herders, but he didn't know if the Luo family had any daughters.

However, such a large family cannot be without girls; even if the main branch has none, the collateral branches certainly will.

So even if he didn't know, saying this wouldn't give him away.

However, he had only just learned that this woman from the Luo family was named Luo Meier.

Yang Can thought for a moment, then walked back behind his desk and picked up his teacup.

When he told that lie, he never expected anyone to come knocking on his door.

What to do now is a bit tricky.

First and foremost, the lord must never know the truth, otherwise, he's finished!
But should I kill her?

Not to mention that the Luo family in Jiangnan is no small family, killing a Luo family woman would be disastrous and would surely cause endless trouble.

Even if the Luo family woman had no "backup," Yang Can would find it difficult to bring himself to do it; he couldn't bring himself to do something so inhumane.

But what should he do in that case?

Luo Meier was somewhat bewildered by his actions.

Does he intend to kill me or not?

Why did you go back for tea? What's the meaning of this?

Could it be that he knows the power of my Luo family and dares not kill me?
Upon thinking of this, Luo Meier immediately became excited and sneered, "You have ruined the reputation of the Luo family's little sister. Everyone in the Luo family knows about this!"

Even if you kill me now, it won't do you any good; the Luo family will still send people!"

Yang Can ignored him, still thinking: How can this knot be untied? It's really difficult...

Seeing that he remained silent, only holding his teacup in a daze, Luo Meier became even more certain that her guess was correct, and immediately became smug.

"If you know what's good for you, release me and then publicly clarify the rumors. Perhaps the Luo family will show leniency!"

Yang Can was still thinking, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do? This lie must be true to the lord.

But I can't kill this girl, neither morally nor logically. What should I do? How can I get her to calm down?
There is no other way, so I can only...

Yang Can took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze had become a "fan-shaped distribution" of three parts self-mockery, three parts sorrow, and four parts burning anger.

He made a decision that went against the wishes of his ancestors, which was...

To cover up one lie, they tell an even bigger one.

Yang Can spoke up...

P.S.: Everyone, please guess what lie Yang Can is planning to tell~, the moon is almost 5 o'clock, please give me a monthly vote.

(End of this chapter)