10: Chapter 10 The appearance of boys and girls

The so-called 'male with a feminine face' was likely exactly like this.

Even if she dressed as a man, that peerless beauty could not be entirely hidden by her clothes.

Instead, it added a unique, androgynous charm that was more eye-catching than an ordinary woman and softer than an ordinary man.

It actually made her more likely to attract attention.

"This..." Liu Ruyan looked at Ye Yun's stunned expression, her cheeks flushing even redder as she subconsciously pulled her clothes tighter across her chest.

Standing there at a loss, her voice carried a hint of nervousness.

"Is it still too conspicuous? Should I... let my hair down again?"

Ye Yun snapped back to his senses and sighed inwardly. Indeed, no matter how a beauty dressed, it was difficult to conceal her elegance.

He shook his head, his tone carrying a bit of helplessness but also an irrepressible admiration.

"It's already very good. It's just that you are too outstanding yourself; even dressed as a man, you'll inevitably draw sideways glances. In the future, when we go out, try to keep your head down, speak less, and just avoid conflict with others."

Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, feeling uneasy, but she knew this was the only way for now.

She raised a hand to touch her tied-up hair, feeling the unfamiliar men's clothing on her body. That sense of shyness and unnaturalness grew stronger, making her gaze even more evasive.

Not daring to meet Ye Yun's eyes for long, she could only fix her gaze on the floor beneath her feet.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted from downstairs.

Intermingled with crude shouting and a woman's crying, words like 'City Lord's Mansion' and 'kidnapping a commoner girl' could be heard faintly, breaking the inn's tranquility.

Ye Yun's brow furrowed, and his gaze instantly became sharp.

Having just arrived in Shiyun City and encountering such a thing, it seemed this city was not as peaceful as it appeared on the surface.

"Stay in the room and don't go out. I'm going down to take a look."

Ye Yun instructed Liu Ruyan, getting up to head downstairs.

"Wait!" Liu Ruyan hurriedly grabbed his sleeve, her eyes full of worry, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling.

"It's dangerous outside. We've just arrived here; it's better not to meddle in others' business to avoid bringing trouble upon ourselves."

Her heart was now entirely focused on Ye Yun's safety, fearing he might encounter danger because of his interference.

Her shyness temporarily took a backseat to her concern.

Ye Yun looked back at her with a steady gaze.

"I'm going to assess the situation and won't get involved easily. If someone truly is using their power to bully others, while I don't want to cause trouble for now, I certainly won't sit idly by."

After saying this, Ye Yun gently patted Liu Ruyan's hand to reassure her, then turned and went downstairs, merging into the clamor below.

Liu Ruyan stood in the room, her heart filled with anxiety, her hands tightly clenched together. She could only pray that Ye Yun would not encounter any danger.

In the first-floor lobby of the Yuelai Inn, the originally noisy dining atmosphere was abruptly shattered by the sound of a door being kicked open violently.

Just as Ye Yun walked down the stairs, he saw seven or eight men dressed in black martial attire with curved sabers at their waists, surrounding a woman in silk clothes as they burst inside.

Leading them was a bald man with a face full of scars, his eyes as fierce as a hawk's. The Mystic Power fluctuations around him were as heavy as a mountain, clearly reaching the level of the Martial Master Realm Fifth Level.

He exuded a chilling Evil Qi, showing he was no ordinary wicked servant, but rather more like a personal guard raised by the City Lord's Mansion.

The woman in silk clothes was about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a water-green silk dress embroidered with exquisite lotus patterns, with a mutton-fat white jade pendant hanging from her waist.

Though her arms were held by two men and her hair was slightly disheveled, her clear and beautiful features were hard to hide.

Her willow-leaf brows were tightly furrowed, her almond eyes held tears yet showed stubbornness, her nose was shapely, her lips were pink from being pressed together tightly, and her skin was as white as jade.

Her entire outfit was exquisite and luxurious; one look told she came from an extraordinary background, certainly not the daughter of an ordinary commoner family.

"Let me go! You lawless, wicked servants!"

The woman struggled, her voice tearful yet not losing its pride as she glared death at the leading bald man.

"I am Su Wanqing, the legitimate daughter of the Su Family from the south of the city! My father will surely report this to the City Lord and have you punished!"

The bald man, Wu Kui, sneered with utter contempt.

"The Su Family's legitimate daughter? In Shiyun City, the word of the City Lord's Mansion is law! Our Young Master taking an interest in you is your good fortune! If you're smart, you'll come back with us obediently to be a Young Madam and enjoy endless wealth and honor; otherwise..."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes.

"...don't blame us for getting rough, tying you up, and throwing you onto the Young Master's bed!"

"Bah! Your Young Master Zhao Tianheng is nothing but a wicked dandy! I would rather die than submit to him!"

Su Wanqing trembled with rage, her tears finally rolling down uncontrollably, yet she still stubbornly twisted her body, refusing to yield.

Seeing this, the surrounding diners stopped eating one after another, their expressions varied, but not one dared to step forward to intervene.

Some showed sympathy, shaking their heads and sighing. Others acted as if it were none of their business, lowering their heads to pick at their food.

Still others whispered to each other in extremely low voices, fearing they might be heard by the people from the City Lord's Mansion.

"Isn't that the Young Miss of the Su Family? The Su Family deals in the jade business and has a reputation in Shiyun City. How did she get targeted by Zhao Tianheng?"

"Why else? That dandy Zhao Tianheng can't walk straight when he sees a pretty girl. Before, the daughter of Blacksmith Zhang from the east of the city was snatched away by him, and she was tortured to death in less than half a month!"

"Shh! Keep it down! Wu Kui is the captain of the City Lord's Mansion's personal guards, with the strength of the Martial Master Realm Fifth Level, and the subordinates with him are all experts at the Late Stage of the Martial Artist Realm. We can't afford to provoke them!"

"Miss Su is truly pitiful..."

Ye Yun raised an eyebrow, found an empty seat near the center of the lobby, and sat down, waving over the waiter to order a pot of plain tea.

His fingertips rubbed the rim of the cup as he watched the farce before him with an unreadable expression, his Mystic Power perception quietly spreading out.

Wu Kui's Mystic Power was the most profound, truly at the Martial Master Realm Fifth Level.

The other seven subordinates were all at the Late Stage of the Martial Artist Realm; their Mystic Power was refined, and their movements were disciplined, clearly having undergone formal training.

Using such a powerful lineup just to kidnap a girl showed the arrogance and overbearing nature of the City Lord's Mansion.

As for Su Wanqing, she had no Mystic Power fluctuations at all, clearly never having Cultivated the martial path. Before these people, she was completely powerless to resist.

"Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" Wu Kui was annoyed by Su Wanqing's stubbornness. His face darkened as he shouted sternly,

"Take her away! If she dares to struggle again, break her legs!"

Two subordinates stepped forward at the command, grabbing Su Wanqing to drag her out.

Su Wanqing struggled violently, but her gaze swept quickly across the lobby, finally landing on the calm-looking Ye Yun.

A flash of determination crossed her eyes. Using the momentum of being dragged, her foot suddenly twisted, and her body crashed uncontrollably toward Ye Yun.

With a soft thud, her shoulder hit Ye Yun's arm heavily, and a small silk pouch quietly slid into Ye Yun's palm.

Ye Yun's heart stirred, and his fingers subconsciously tightened around it.

He could clearly feel that inside the pouch was a palm-sized notebook.

At the moment Su Wanqing crashed into him, her lips moved slightly, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Young Master, I beg you to keep this item safe. The Su Family will be eternally grateful!"

Her gaze was filled with urgency and pleading, vanishing in an instant, only to be replaced by her previous despair and anger as she continued to cry out and struggle.