Chapter 286 - 278: Arrogant Guard Li
Chapter 286: Chapter 278: Arrogant Guard Li
At Si hour, a magnificent carriage slowly drove out from the city gate, escorted by dozens of men in combat attire. They all wore cold, harsh expressions, with long sabers or swords hanging from their waists.
Spotting Jin Xiao’an riding on horseback beside the carriage, Bai Zhi quickly hopped down from her own cart and trotted to the front of the convoy.
"Who’s blocking the road? Get out of the way," a guard at the front of the procession barked at Bai Zhi.
Bai Zhi smiled. "Excuse me, sir, I’m a friend of Young Master Meng. I—"
The burly man immediately cut her off with a cold snort. "A hussy like you dares call yourself a friend of our Young Master? Get lost!" The man instantly drew the long whip from his belt and lashed it toward Bai Zhi.
’Bai Zhi couldn’t believe it. She had barely said a word, and this man was about to strike her with a whip without even asking for clarification.’
Just as she moved to dodge, a hand suddenly shot out and firmly caught the whip as it flew toward her.
Hu Feng fixed the man on the horse with an icy glare. With a powerful jerk of his hand, he yanked the guard right off his mount, sending him sprawling like a dog at Bai Zhi’s feet.
Seeing this, the rest of the guards drew their sabers.
Jin Xiao’an, riding at the rear, saw the convoy suddenly halt. Hearing the sound of sabers being drawn, he hurried to the front to investigate.
When he saw the dozen or so guards from the Meng Family in the Capital City pointing their sabers at the unarmed Hu Feng and Bai Zhi, his face fell. He roared, "What are you doing? They’re friends of the Young Master!"
Upon hearing this, the guards hastily sheathed their swords, but the anger on their faces did not subside.
They were First-class Guards of the Meng Mansion in the Capital City. Though only guards, they were far more respected than the average servant in the household. On their daily outings, they cut an imposing figure, and they were used to swaggering through the Capital City with impunity. In a rundown place like Qingyuan Town, they held the common folk in even lower regard. This girl and the tall young man looked like nothing more than common peasants. ’How could they possibly be worthy of being the Young Master’s friends?’ Back in the Capital City, they could beat ten or so people like this to death without breaking any laws.
And yet, people like these had just caused their leader such a great humiliation. How could his anger possibly dissipate so easily?
The man on the ground scrambled to his feet, spat out a mouthful of sand, and shot Hu Feng a vicious glare. He then turned to Jin Xiao’an. "Jin guard, are these two really friends of the Young Master?"
Before Jin Xiao’an could answer, Meng Nan’s voice came from the carriage. "Why have we stopped? What’s going on?"
Jin Xiao’an quickly turned his horse and rode back to the carriage, saying a few words at the small window.
A moment later, Meng Nan appeared at the carriage door. Seeing the tall and short figures at the front of the convoy, his face instantly lit up with joy. He quickly leaped down and rushed to Bai Zhi’s side. "Why are you here? I thought we agreed you wouldn’t come to see me off."
The way Meng Nan rushed over, the unconcealable joy on his face, the gentleness in his every word—it was all completely different from the Young Master the guards had seen that morning. It was as if he had become another person.
Hu Feng snorted coldly. "Quite the spectacle, Young Master Meng. We only came to see you off, and we have to risk our lives to do it."
Meng Nan didn’t understand the meaning behind his words. But then, recalling the sound of drawn sabers he had heard from the carriage, his brow furrowed. "What happened?"
His question was, of course, directed at Guard Li, who stood beside him with a face covered in dirt.