The two girls could no longer laugh. Jian Qinwan said unhappily, "He has done so many good deeds for the country and the people, and you are slandering him like this?"
"I..." Zhuo Xun lowered her head and mumbled, "I originally just wanted to draw it to scare everyone, and let everyone persuade my grandfather to give up. Who knew this painting would spread wider and wider, and become like this..."
Jian Qinwan was angry and was about to erupt when Liang Xiao's cheerful laughter echoed from the room.
Everyone looked at Liang Xiao with suspicion.
After laughing, Liang Xiao nodded and said, "I'm from the capital and I can testify for you. He really eats children, and he eats young virgins too!"
Upon hearing this, Yue Lian quickly covered her mouth.
Jian Qinwan's pretty face turned red: That night, she, a young virgin, was almost "eaten" by him, though not that kind of "eating"...
Zhuo Xun was surprised and asked, "Is he eating young virgins and children to nourish himself and cure his illness?"
Liang Xiao feigned surprise, "How did you know! Everyone in the capital can testify that he is covered in blood every day, with a ferocious face!"
This time, even Jian Qinwan couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh: "That's right, we can all testify..."
"Mmm, mmm!" Yue Lian just nodded repeatedly, covering her mouth, for fear of bursting into laughter.
"Master, look, they can all testify!" Zhuo Xun happily pulled Li Jinyu with her right hand and pointed at Liang Xiao and the other two with her left.
Li Jinyu narrowed her eyes, staring at the four of them. She looked at Liang Xiao with a dejected and doubtful expression, "You are not children, how can you believe such things?"
Zhuo Xun quickly hugged Li Jinyu's arm and acted spoiled, "Disciple doesn't care, Master, you have to save your disciple! Grandfather is indebted to you, and he definitely wouldn't dare to find you! Disciple will stay with Master for life... Ah!"
Midway through speaking, Zhuo Xun suddenly remembered something. She looked at Liang Xiao, her pretty face blushing, and said, "But disciple doesn't necessarily not get married..."
Li Jinyu immediately found it both funny and exasperating, "You learned painting skills from me, and you use them to draw ghosts?"
"I often paint landscape paintings, believe me, look!"
Zhuo Xun quickly took out her painting and unrolled it on the spot.
"This..."
Li Jinyu exclaimed in admiration, her gaze then fell on the upper right corner.
"A cup of wine in the spring breeze of peach and plum, ten years of lamp in the misty rain of the martial world... What exquisite poetic lines and calligraphy, the fusion of calligraphy and painting, is enough to be passed down through generations! Who inscribed this for you?"
Zhuo Xun said proudly, "Disciple couldn't make up her mind about this painting, it was Big Brother Zhang who inscribed it for disciple. Big Brother Zhang is so amazing!"
Li Jinyu finally looked at Liang Xiao with new respect and sighed, "The calligraphy reflects the person. It seems that Young Master Zhang must be a righteous person."
Jian Qinwan and Yue Lian almost burst out laughing again.
He was currently "scamming" everywhere under the names of two victims, Zhang Yang and Lü Changhe!
Liang Xiao's old face also turned red, "You flatter me, you flatter me..."
"From now on, disciple will follow Master and live in Luzhou permanently, and will never implicate Big Brother Zhang!" Zhuo Xun said dejectedly.
Li Jinyu's heart was suddenly filled with joy, "That's great! Tomorrow morning, the Luzhou Painting Studio is holding an exhibition, and Xiu Yun will also come to show his support. Master will inform Xiu Yun about your arrival in Luzhou first, and then let everyone admire this masterpiece of yours!"
"Will he collude with my grandfather!" Zhuo Xun worried.
Liang Xiao quickly said, "Don't worry, with me here, no one can force you to marry Ghost King Liang Xiao!"
Zhuo Xun was stunned and exclaimed, "Could it be that Big Brother Zhang, you are... the current Emperor?"
Liang Xiao smiled faintly and shook his head, "Does the current Emperor have time to come to Jiangnan? I can't bear to keep hiding it from you anymore, I'll come clean!"
"Actually, I am the second brother of Gu Shaoyan, the Second Secretary of the Grand Court of the Gu family in the capital. Gu Changyan. When Liang Xiao sees me, he's like a mouse seeing a cat, because I specialize in dealing with demons and monsters!"
Another victim! No, this time it's a victim family!
Jian Qinwan and Yue Lian's bodies trembled slightly, and they closed their eyes, trying desperately to hold back their laughter.
"He's actually from the Gu family! Then I can rest assured!" Zhuo Xun was both surprised and delighted.
Li Jinyu stared at Liang Xiao vigilantly, "No wonder you're not afraid of Liang Xiao, it's because you're from a noble family?"
"Sort of. Our Gu family is not in league with the Dugu family or the Gongyang clan, so you don't need to be nervous." Liang Xiao said righteously, without blushing or panting.
In fact, there was no such person as Gu Changyan in the Gu family!
Li Jinyu looked unconvinced, but still bowed deeply to Liang Xiao, "Regardless, you saved this old woman's disciple, so this old woman thanks you..."
Zhuo Xun looked at Liang Xiao with stars in her eyes and asked, "Big Brother Gu, do you... still need people in your family..."
Jian Qinwan and Yue Lian simultaneously looked at Zhuo Xun, sighing in their hearts.
Alas, another girl has fallen!
They could see that for her, Liang Xiao was simply a savior who descended from the heavens, and also a confidant in calligraphy and painting. He was devastatingly attractive to her, and this young girl was clearly preparing to offer herself in marriage!
Seeing Liang Xiao's surprised expression, Zhuo Xun was full of disappointment. She bowed and said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so presumptuous. I will hide this affection in my heart and not disrupt your family, nor implicate your Gu family!"
Liang Xiao smiled and said, "I will help you deal with your family. On my account, your grandfather won't dare to force you."
Zhuo Xun was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears, "Thank you, Big Brother Gu!"
Jian Qinwan and Yue Lian felt sympathetic: Little girl, you will definitely regret this!
Li Jinyu reminded, "Regardless, let's notify Xiu Yun first and have him send more people to protect us!"
Liang Xiao and the other two were arranged by Li Jinyu to stay in three other rooms in the courtyard, while Zhuo Xun stayed in Li Jinyu's room.
In the room, Li Jinyu said softly, "Silly child, are you afraid of implicating your Big Brother Gu?"
Zhuo Xun shook her head, "The two behind him should be his wives and concubines. Disciple does not want to follow in Master's footsteps..."
Li Jinyu was speechless.
In Luzhou, within the Prefect's mansion, the newly appointed Prefect Li Xiuyun was reviewing official documents.
"Young Master, the Fairy of Painting is seeking help!"
A personal guard came to Li Xiuyun's side and whispered in his ear.
"Xiao Xun ran away from home and came here? How reckless! I'm busy with official duties now... Alas! Send ten more personal guards to protect her. The painting exhibition starts tomorrow, and I'll go take a look then!"
At night, Liang Xiao and his companions had dinner together, and Li Jinyu looked gratified.
"Xiu Yun has unhesitatingly sent people to protect my disciple! We'll see him at the art exhibition tomorrow morning!"
Zhuo Xun said proudly, "He and my cousin are sworn brothers!"
Liang Xiao and the other two glanced at Zhuo Xun meaningfully, feeling helpless in their hearts.
You're really implicating your sworn brother like this?
Jian Qinwan and Yue Lian remained silent.
To outsiders, Zhuo Xun was simply a troublemaker of genius caliber, yet Liang Xiao forgave her magnanimously and even prepared to have a good talk with Zhuo Zifang.
Dramatically, Zhuo Xun also fell for "Gu Changyan," whom Liang Xiao was impersonating...
Early the next morning, just after Li Xiuyun finished his breakfast, a guard rushed in with an urgent report: "Young Master! Zhuo Jia's second young master, Zhuo Xiong, is visiting!"
"What must come, will come," Li Xiuyun smiled helplessly and got up to greet him.
In the reception hall, Zhuo Xiong, who bore some resemblance to Zhuo Wentao, the dean of Yanzhou Academy, paced back and forth anxiously, with a few strands of white hair appearing on his head that should not be there at his age.
Only when Li Xiuyun appeared did Zhuo Xiong rush over, grab Li Xiuyun's sleeve, and pour out his woes.
"Xiu Yun! Did Xiao Xun come to your place? As soon as I arrived, I received news from Uncle Sanquan saying that she was taken away by someone impersonating Big Brother Lü Changhe! Hurry and take me to find her. We must find her back. Her identity is special. I can die, my grandfather can die, anyone in our family can die! But Xiao Xun absolutely cannot have any mishap!"