A Shocking Dream

Chapter 156

"You two are fighting so loudly late at night! I didn't mean to show up, but it's keeping me awake." Lin Wunian, like a ghost, quietly leaped onto the roof and spoke to break the tense situation. She was dressed in a white dress as white as snow, her face obscured by a bamboo hat that danced lightly in the wind, her face veiled in shadow. Only her clear, cold voice echoed through the night sky.

On the rooftop, the man in black knitted his brows, abruptly retracting his sharp sword move, intending to capture the woman in white alive. He turned sideways, his gaze fixed warily on the uninvited guest. The cold gleam of his sword flashed like a meteor in the dark night, the tip of the sword pointing at Lin Wunian. He shouted coldly, "You are so sneaky and secretive! Are you in cahoots with this villain, trying to ruin our mansion?"

The woman in white took the opportunity to stumble back a few steps, leaning against the rooftop to breathe heavily. Her longsword, bloodstained, held its tip drooping to the ground. Her eyes, filled with suspicion and anticipation, gazed at Lin Wunian, as if trying to guess the purpose of this mysterious helper. Her clothes were tattered, blood from her wounds staining her plain dress red. Her face was in utter disgrace, yet she held on, refusing to collapse. Hatred and resentment burned in her eyes.

Lin Wunian ignored him, pacing forward at a leisurely pace. His bamboo hat swayed slightly with his movements, and each step made the tiles clatter softly, like drumbeats on the tense nerves of the crowd. "I'm just an ordinary passerby staying near this mansion. I was hoping to find some peace and quiet, but you two have disturbed my sweet dreams." He raised his head slightly, and his gaze from beneath his bamboo hat swept over the two men. Although he couldn't see their faces, the cold aura emanating from him was like a frosty wind on a cold night, chilling the air around them by a few degrees.

The black-clad man snorted coldly, clearly disbelieving the argument. He swung his sword, its blade blossoming like a white lotus, and stabbed it at Lin Wunian's throat with a swift, thunderous attack. Lin Wunian spun lightly, like a willow catkin in the wind, dodging the fatal blow. A flute suddenly appeared in her hand, and with a snap, she precisely parried the second attack. The flute and sword collided, sending sparks flying and illuminating her face hidden beneath her bamboo hat.

Lin Wunian had no intention of making an enemy, especially not wanting to fight with the man in black, but the situation forced him to hold the bamboo flute horizontally and face the man's increasingly ferocious sword moves.

At first, the man in black, relying on the sharp force of his sword, pressed hard, seemingly determined to defeat the uninvited guest with a swift victory. But Lin Wunian's movements were nimble, like a cat darting through the night. The bamboo flute in her hands felt like a living creature, deflecting and parrying his attacks. After a few quick moves, she seized the opportunity when the man's sword was too powerful and his lower body was unstable. She ducked down, and like a dragon emerging from the sea, the bamboo flute struck the man's knee.

The man staggered in pain, and Lin Wunian took advantage of the situation by spinning, sweeping the tip of her flute across his sword-wielding wrist. With a clang, the sword fell to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, she tapped the tiles lightly and lunged forward, her flute swishing, forcing the man back repeatedly. He stumbled, finally slumping against the roof ridge, barely stabilizing himself. His face was filled with shock, anger, and resentment, and he gasped for air.

Only then did the woman in white recover. She had thought herself doomed, but a mysterious master suddenly appeared and turned the tide. She stood up straight, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and gazed at Lin Wunian with eyes filled with wonder. His movements were as swift as the wind, as steady as a rock, and each move was extraordinary. "Your skills are excellent, benefactor! I have never seen such a sharp and decisive fighting style. If it weren't for your kindness today, I would have died here, with no hope of revenge." Her words were filled with admiration and the trembling of having survived a disaster.

Lin Wunian put away his flute and stood, slightly sideways. His expression could not be seen under his bamboo hat, but he uttered a faint voice: "Don't thank me yet. We can't stay here for long. Reinforcements from the Marquis' Mansion will surely arrive continuously." After that, he raised his eyes and looked around. Sure enough, the shouting of the servants below was getting closer, and the torches were gathering like a surging sea of ​​fire, surrounding the roof more and more tightly.

The woman in white hurriedly gripped her sword, her fighting spirit rekindled, hatred and gratitude intertwined in her eyes, and she bowed gracefully: "Your words are absolutely right, my benefactor. Thank you for saving my life today. I am deeply grateful." After she finished speaking, without waiting for Lin Wunian's response, she lightly tapped the rubble with her lotus feet, and flew up with the force. Her white figure was like a wisp of smoke, and instantly disappeared into the thick darkness. Only the sound of a few tiles clattering remained to prove that she had been there.

The man in black watched helplessly as the woman in white vanished into the darkness, his eyes wide with anger, veins throbbing on his forehead, his clenched fists rattling. He was like a caged beast watching its prey escape, filled with rage yet helpless. "Hmph, you want to run? Not so easy!" he growled, making a move to give chase, but he took a step before suddenly stopping.

Lin Wunian, holding a bamboo flute, took a step sideways to block his way. His eyes under the bamboo hat were as cold as frost, and his voice was chilling: "Now that things have come to this, what do you still want? Do you want to fight me to the death?" The aura around him was stern, like an invisible barrier, making the man in black hesitate to act rashly.

The man in black glared at Lin Wunian hatefully, and uttered through his teeth: "You are a nosy person, ruining the good deeds of my Marquis' Mansion. Do you know what the consequences will be? If you let the villain go today, there will be endless troubles in the future." Although he was in a fierce state, he glanced at the flute in Lin Wunian's hand out of the corner of his eye, and finally did not dare to act rashly.

Lin Wunian sneered and said calmly: "You keep saying that she is a thief, but do you have any real evidence? Relying on groundless suspicion and blindly attacking is the real disregard for justice. Besides, I just want to have a good sleep, but you disturbed me, so I took action to stop you." After speaking, the flute in his hand shook intentionally or unintentionally, hitting the tiles, making a crisp sound, as if shaking the mountain to scare the tiger.

By this time, servants had swarmed onto the rooftop below, surrounding the two men. Torches blazed brightly, illuminating everyone's faces. The man in black weighed the options, realizing it was impossible to pursue the woman in white. If he were to fight this mysterious master, losing would be a loss of face and a charge of dereliction of duty. So, suppressing his rage, he waved his hand at the servants, "All of you, retreat!"

The servants exchanged bewilderment, yet none dared disobey, slowly retreating a few steps. The man in black then turned to Lin Wunian and gritted his teeth, "This matter today will not end here. You'd better pray I don't run into you again, hmph!" With that, he swept away, his figure quickly vanishing into the darkness. Lin Wunian was left alone on the rooftop, gazing at the night sky, knowing full well that he had been embroiled in a vortex of trouble, and fearing a future filled with uncertainty.

The moonlight was cold, casting a shadow on the rooftop where Lin Wunian stood, outlining her lonely and steep figure. Just as she was about to turn and find her way out, a series of light but hurried footsteps came from the shadows. A woman in white appeared before her like a ghost, shattering the momentary silence.