I Just Won't Play by the Book - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: It Is Much Easier to Save Someone Than to Kill Someone
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Seeing that Fang Qiuyao actually still had the strength to stand up, the male host and the fierce woman were both very surprised. Ten minutes had passed, and the fact that the girl still hadn’t passed out already made them feel very strange. They had not expected her to still have the strength to stand up.
“Miss Fang, what’s wrong?” the old woman asked with feigned concern upon seeing Fang Qiuyao’s painful expression.
But Fang Qiuyao, who had already realized the danger, ignored her and instead quickly pulled out her Sword of White Rainbow and struck at the door.
“Bang.”
The wooden door shattered with a bang and Fang Qiuyao rushed out.
The three people in the house were all stunned, not expecting this silly girl to become smart all of a sudden. However, they were not worried at all. Since she had entered the courtyard, there was no way for her to run out of it again.
As expected, Fang Qiuyao had just rushed out of the hut when she saw more than ten strong men looking at her, laughing menacingly. They held various blunt weapons and nets in their hands, obviously intending to capture her alive.
“Get out of my way, all of you!” Fang Qiuyao shouted loudly.
The Sword of White Rainbow in her hands forcefully stabbed towards the burly man at the very front.
“Argh!”
The burly man in the lead let out a painful scream, covering the stab wound on his chest and backing away.
“Motherf*cker, she has been breathing in the smoke for so long. Why does this girl still have so much strength?” he asked.
Next to him, a bearded man heard him and laughed, saying, “Hahaha. Old Third, I think it’s just that you are too weak. Get out of the way, let me subdue this chick.”
After saying that, he swung a copper hammer towards Fang Qiuyao, smashing it down.
“Clang!”
The Sword of White Rainbow was as fast as lightning, sending the copper hammer flying with a single move. At the same time, Fang Qiuyao flicked her wrist, and the White Rainbow Sword stabbed towards the bearded man’s neck at a strange angle.
Fortunately for him, a young man behind the bearded man was quick to see and moved, hastily pulling the bearded man backward. Only then did he narrowly avoid Fang Qiuyao’s killing move. However, it still left a bloody trail on his neck.
“This sword is quite sharp, eh…”
The bearded man touched the blood seeping out of the wound on his neck and could not help but feel his heart beating from the residual fear.
“Ha… ha…”
Seeing that her move, known as “Surprising Glimpse,” had not killed the bearded man, Fang Qiuyao, whose breathing was already uneven, hurriedly used the Rhymed Formula of Returning Hearts technique to adjust it.
Like most of the disciples born to warrior families in the Sect of Returning Hearts, Fang Qiuyao had already practiced her family’s martial art technique Sword of the Plain Heart until she had mastered it before she even joined the sect. Furthermore, she had practiced breathing techniques for several years under her father’s guidance from a young age, so she had a good physical foundation.
This, coupled with the fact that the Rhymed Formula of Returning Hearts had the effect of expelling poison and protecting the heart, allowed her to still have the strength to use her sword in this state.
“A bunch of trash! I told you all to practice well in peacetime, but all you guys know how to do is go out to drink and wh*re. And now you can’t even handle a little girl. Get out of my way!”
Just as all the burly men hesitated, a scholar-like young man had come out of a hut to the north and roared, “Boss Gu, these losers under me have made a fool of themselves before you.” He then made a gesture of invitation to someone within the room.
As the scholar spoke with a flattering voice, a knife-wielding warrior with a face full of pockmarks walked out and laughed loudly. “That doll of a girl does indeed have some skills. It’s normal that these mediocre people under you can’t beat her.”
“Yes, yes, yes. It is fortunate that Boss Gu has come to my place for liquor today, otherwise, I would really have had to watch the cooked duck fly away. May I trouble you to restrain that little girl, so that these losers under me can see what it means to be a powerful warrior?” the man asked.
“Okay, okay. Then I will help you, as a repayment for the drinks,” Boss Gu responded.
“Boss Gu, the liquor is my treat. Naturally, I will repay you in other ways to thank you for helping out.”
“Haha, Brother Zhang, you are a good man. Then, just watch.”
After saying that, Boss Gu walked towards Fang Qiuyao as if he was taking a leisurely stroll.
At that moment, Fang Qiuyao had already started to feel as if she was in a trance, but her strong desire to survive made her know that she had to keep going.
“As long as I kill him… I still have a chance to run away.”
Recognizing this, Fang Qiuyao no longer hesitated and stabbed towards Boss Gu with all the strength she had left.
“White Rainbow and Purple Lightning!” she called.
This was the fastest of all of Fang Qiuyao’s sword moves. As a circle of white light emerged around the sword, the Sword of White Rainbow stabbed towards Boss Gu’s neck like a bolt of lightning.
Faced with such an aggressive sword move, Boss Gu did not panic and easily dodged it with a mere side-step. At the same time, he smoothly drew out the purple copper knife at his waist and struck Fang Qiuyao in the stomach with the hilt.
“Ooh!”
Fang Qiuyao cried out in pain, covering her stomach, and partially knelt on the ground. Her body was already on the verge of not being able to make it, and now the jab had made her feel like her internal organs were twisting together.
At the same time, Jiang Beiran, who had been watching from the roof, had three options pop up in front of him.
[Option One: Go down and kill all the villains surrounding Fang Qiuyao. Completion reward: Ear-Penetrating Double Booms (Black Grade Middle Tier)]
[Option Two: Shout loudly to attract the night watchmen. Completion reward: Spear of Iron and Steel (Yellow Grade Middle Tier)]
[Option Three: Save Fang Qiuyao without hurting any villains. Completion reward: Random basic attribute point +1]
‘Although it is true that option three is always the best, I keep feeling like it sounds like an option with high difficulty,’ Jiang Beiran thought to himself.
After complaining in his heart, Jiang Beiran fished out two small black balls from his storage ring.
Below, Fang Qiuyao, who was already in a desperate situation, regretted her actions a lot. She couldn’t figure out why things had turned out this way. She had obviously just wanted to help that old woman, but why would she end up in this situation?
The villains, who had the opposite emotion from her, laughed loudly and sucked up to Boss Gu.
“Boss Gu is indeed powerful! He has subdued this little b*tch with a single move, what amazing skills! You can’t find another man comparable to him in the whole Luoxia Town!”
“Not only in Luoxia Town! Even in the whole Luonan Province! With his skills, Boss Gu could walk around with no fear doing whatever he pleases.”
“Alas, if I can ever have even 10% of Boss Gu’s skills I would be satisfied.”
…
Listening to the various compliments, Boss Gu laughed heartily, clearly buying into it.
Only after the minions had finished their a**-kissing did the scholar-like young man came over to Boss Gu, put his hands together in a salute, and say, “Boss Gu is really a master of martial arts. I admire you greatly.”
“Alright, alright. All I did was deal with a little girl, nothing worth praising,” Boss Gu replied.
Seeing that Boss Gu was already satisfied, the scholar stopped flattering him. He turned around and kicked Fang Qiuyao in the shoulder.
“F*cking b*tch! How dare you hurt my brothers. Today I’ll make sure you know your place.”
“Hahahahaha!” The villains who watched this happen let out a loud laugh.
At the moment, Fang Qiuyao, who had been kicked to the ground, was already completely stunned from the fear and, although she desperately wanted to back away, her body was unable to exert any strength at all.
‘Save me… Someone save me…’ she thought.
Seeing the scholar walking towards her again with a vicious look, Fang Qiuyao desperately cried out in her heart.
“Bang!”
Just as the scholar was about to raise his foot to kick Fang Qiuyao again, a cloud of black smoke exploded.
“What’s going on!?” the scholar shouted in shock.
Although it was a dark night, the scholar could still see the things in front of him in the moonlight. However, as the black smoke filled the area, not only did he become unable to see anything, but he couldn’t even hear his own voice.
Next to him, Boss Gu frowned. He was about to pull out his purple copper knife and swipe away the black smoke but felt a great might forcefully pressing it back into his hilt. He had only managed to pull it out halfway.
“So powerful!”
The frightened Boss Gu backed away. Although this exchange was not considered hand-to-hand combat, he already knew that he was in no way a match for the visitor.
“May I know which senior is paying us a visit? I am Gu Louqing, the Order Master of the Yellow Gang. If I have offended you, I would like to ask for your forgiveness,” he said.
Although Gu Louqing could not hear his own voice, he knew that the skilled warrior could certainly hear it. So, in order to save his life, he immediately announced his background, hoping to somewhat intimidate the other party.
Silence——
There was no reply, but Gu Louqing did not dare to make a move. He just stood there like a fool.
It wasn’t until the black smoke gradually dissipated that Gu Louqing’s vision finally recovered somewhat. At the same time, he also heard Zhang Jijin’s voice in his ears.
“Boss Gu, are you alright!?”
Gu Louqing, who felt that he had survived a disaster, collected himself and replied, “I’m fine. How about you guys?”
Zhang Jijin immediately looked around the circle and found that, although the group of minions was full of panic, nothing much had happened to them. He said in relief, “My brothers are all fine.”
“Boss! That little b*tch is gone!” the bearded man who had been stabbed by Fang Qiuyao shouted at that time.
Gu Louqing heard him and quickly said, “Shut your mouth. Can’t you even see it now? You have touched someone you shouldn’t have touched.”
The bearded man covered his mouth quickly after hearing his words and looked around in a panic.
After a while, seeing that nothing had happened, Gu Louqing breathed a sigh of relief and said, “It seems that the skilled warrior is still willing to give our Yellow Gang some face and let us off the hook.”
Only then did the crowd come to their senses and thank Gu Louqing, saying, “Fortunately, you are here today, Boss Gu, otherwise we would all be finished.”
Even Gu Louqing had to admit that the other person was a skilled warrior, so these villains definitely knew what kind of powerful being they had just met.
Waving his hand at the crowd, Gu Louqing breathed out deeply and said, “In the future, when you kidnap people, open your eyes. Don’t just scam anyone, or sooner or later you will run into bad luck.”
“Boss Gu is right; we will definitely learn from this lesson. We will definitely learn from this lesson.”
At that moment, the old woman who had tricked Fang Qiuyao was even more frightened, and she couldn’t even stand up straight. This time, to give Boss Gu and the Yellow Gang face, the other party had not killed them. But what about tomorrow…? One must keep in mind that she was the one most involved in the matter. If the skilled warrior really came to the doorstep to confront them, which of the people present would dare to protect her?
“It would take my life!”
Not bothering to care about the old woman who was on the verge of p*ssing her pants, Gu Louqing looked at Zhang Jijin and said, “Don’t go out for the next two days. Stay at home. I’ll go back to the gang to investigate and see which sect has sent their skilled warriors to Luoxia Town.”
Gu Louqing was cautious by nature. Although the skilled warrior had spared them today, the seed of conflict had been planted. Who could guarantee that person would not find trouble with them afterward? So, he must prepare accordingly, and even find an opportunity to make the first move!
“Yes, yes, yes. We will all listen to you. We will not wander around. This time we are all relying upon you, Boss Gu.” Zhang Jijin, who was already feeling lost, nodded his head repeatedly.
“Alright, you should go back.” With a wave of his hand towards Zhang Jijin, Gu Louqing turned and left the compound.
…
On the other side, the rescued Fang Qiuyao was still in a state of disbelief.
‘I was saved? Saved by the wimpy… Brother Jiang no less!?’ she thought to herself.
Lost in her various thoughts, Fang Qiuyao, who was curled up in Jiang Beiran’s arms, lifted her eyes and looked at Jiang Beiran’s face under the scorched cloth, a little dazed for a moment.
“Brother, I…”
“Shh. Don’t speak. You have been drugged by the smoke and the toxicity has spread throughout your body. Why don’t you sleep for a while first? I will treat your injury when we reach a safe place,” Jiang Beiran said.
Hearing Jiang Beiran’s gentle voice, Fang Qiuyao, who had been in a tense state, instantly felt a sense of security. At the same time, she thought in her heart, ‘Alas, if I had listened to Brother earlier, surely I wouldn’t have to endure such suffering.’
“Brother… I’m sorry,” she said.
After saying these words, Fang Qiuyao, who had completely relaxed, fell into a deep sleep.
…
“No… No… No!”
Inside the inn, in Mortal Grade room number three, Fang Qiuyao, whose face was full of sweat, violently sat up in the bed. She looked at her surroundings in a state of shock.
Beside her, Liu Zijin quickly came up, hugged Fang Qiuyao, and said, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Sister is here, don’t be afraid.”
“Sister Zijin!” Fang Qiuyao cried out as she hugged Liu Zijin.
At this moment, she was finally sure that she had not been dreaming last night, and that the Brother really had saved her.
“It’s alright now, it’s alright now.” Liu Zijin stroked Fang Qiuyao’s back and softly comforted her.
After venting for a while, Fang Qiuyao took the handkerchief handed over by Liu Zijin to dry her tears.
“Wait a moment, I’ll go call Brother Jiang over.” Seeing that Fang Qiuyao had calmed down, Liu Zijin went to the next room and knocked on the door.
With a creak, Jiang Beiran opened the door and asked, “Is she awake?”
“Yes. She just woke up.” Liu Zijin nodded.
“Good. I’ll go take a look.” Jiang Beiran closed the door after he said that and followed Liu Zijin back to their room.
Seeing Jiang Beiran come in, Fang Qiuyao, who was on the bed, hurriedly tried to stand up, but she still felt no strength in her body.
“Just lie down. Don’t move around,” Jiang Beiran said.
Fang Qiuyao nodded after hearing this and laid down again.
“Give me your hand,” Jiang Beiran said as he sat in front of the bed and extended his hand.
When Fang Qiuyao stretched her hand out from the blanket, Jiang Beiran pressed on her wrist and started to take her pulse.
While Jiang Beiran carefully felt Fang Qiuyao’s pulse, Fang Qiuyao peeked out from under the blanket at Jiang Beiran.
‘Strange… Why didn’t I find Brother so… good looking before?’ she thought.
At this moment, in Fang Qiuyao’s eyes, Jiang Beiran’s face was like jade. His sideburns were sharp as if they were trimmed with a knife, his eyebrows were like ink paintings, and his eyes were like two pills of black mercury within white mercury, like cold stars hanging above that knife-carved nose bridge.
“Hmm, it seems to be just ordinary poison. Indeed, there seem to be no effects other than it having caused you to pass out.” Putting down Fang Qiuyao’s hand, Jiang Beiran took out three Heart-clearing Pills from the storage ring and handed them to her, saying, “Take one every two hours, and you will fully recover after eating all three.”
“Thank you, Brother.” After receiving the Heart-clearing Pills, Fang Qiuyao clenched her other fist and said to Jiang Beiran, “Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have turned a deaf ear to your words, and… also, I shouldn’t have talked about you that way.”
When Fang Qiuyao finished speaking, three options appeared in front of Jiang Beiran’s eyes at the same time.
[Option One: “It’s okay, it’s all in the past. I didn’t take it to heart.” Completion reward: Ten Absolute Divine Flashes (Earth Grade Low Tier)]
[Option Two: “It’s good to know that you’re wrong now. Now you know that I am wise, right?” Completion reward: Records of the Six Ren (Black Grade High Tier)]
[Option Three: “No need to admit your mistake to me. Why do you think I appeared in time? It’s because I’ve been following you for quite a while already.. The reason I didn’t stop you was because I wanted to make you suffer.” Completion reward: Random basic skill point +1]