Male and female thieves
1147 Words
In the room, the middle-aged woman cleaned her face and changed into the attire of Mingwang Manor’s servants. She sat at the table, staring at the handkerchief given to her by Xiyao, lost in thought.
This woman’s name was Shen Ci, and the man with her was named Gu Xiong. They were famously known as the "Twin Thieves" in the martial world. Rumors said that there was nothing in the world that the Twin Thieves couldn’t steal—only things they had no interest in.
The Twin Thieves had a son named Gu Xiao. Gu Xiao was afflicted with a rare illness that required him to consume snow spirit mushrooms daily to prolong his life. Snow spirit mushrooms were extremely rare and valuable, cultivated only by the witch living in the Bamboo Forest.
To secure these precious mushrooms for their son, the Twin Thieves were tasked by the witch to steal treasures from various martial sects. This time, the witch had instructed them to steal the Mingwang Cauldron and Mingwang Sword from Mingwang Manor.
As the door creaked open, Gu Xiong entered the room and closed it behind him. Shen Ci, clutching the handkerchief, rose to ask, “How did it go? Did you find them?”
Gu Xiong, with a confident smirk, replied, “There’s nothing in this world I can’t find.”
“So, you got them?” Shen Ci asked eagerly. Gu Xiong’s expression grew troubled as he shook his head, “The mechanisms in the secret chamber prevented me from taking them.”
“What are we going to do?” Shen Ci was worried. Gu Xiong’s smile returned.
“Don’t worry. With me around, there’s no mechanism I can’t crack. Just give me a little time, and I will open the secret chamber and get the Mingwang Sword and Cauldron.”
“But the witch gave us little time. If we don’t return with the Mingwang Sword and Cauldron before sunset tonight, Xiao’er might…”
Shen Ci choked up, unable to continue. Gu Xiong embraced her, gently patting her back to comfort her. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to Xiao’er.”
As night fell, the room where the Twin Thieves were working was lit by candles. On the table lay sheets of paper filled with detailed diagrams of the mechanisms. Gu Xiong, with a serious and focused expression, appeared particularly captivating. Shen Ci poured a cup of tea and set it beside him. Suddenly, Gu Xiong sprang up, excited, “I’ve figured it out! I know how to crack the mechanism!”
Shen Ci smiled, “No time to lose, let’s get started!”
Gu Xiong nodded and began to set fire to the diagrams on the table…
That night was particularly sultry. Xiyao tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She decided to get up and open the door.
A refreshing breeze greeted her, making her feel incredibly comfortable.
“Meow…”
Following the sound of meowing, Xiyao spotted a cute little cat.
“What a cute little cat.”
Xiyao lifted her short legs over the high threshold and walked toward the cat. The cat quickly scampered away, and Xiyao ran after it without hesitation.
Gu Xiong and Shen Ci arrived at the secret chamber containing the Mingwang Cauldron and Mingwang Sword. They carefully disabled the mechanisms one by one. When all the mechanisms were disabled, the treasures appeared before them.
The Mingwang Sword was blood-red, its faint glow resembling flowing blood. The Mingwang Cauldron was a reddish-brown cauldron, about the size of a censer, with a lid full of tiny holes. Although nothing was visible through the holes, the mysterious appearance gave off a sinister and eerie vibe.
These two treasures radiated an inexplicable, magnetic allure, deeply captivating Gu Xiong and Shen Ci.
Shen Ci reached for the Mingwang Cauldron. The moment her hand touched it, the hidden mechanism beneath it was triggered.
Countless sharp arrows shot toward them. Gu Xiong, with quick reflexes, pulled Shen Ci and ran. They managed to grab only the Mingwang Cauldron, not the Mingwang Sword.
The sound of the triggered mechanism alerted the manor’s guards. Gu Xiong and Shen Ci desperately fled, pursued by the guards.
With flashing swords and spilled blood, they fought their way out, leaving fallen guards behind.
The cute cat jumped into a carriage, and Xiyao clumsily climbed in after it. The cat, with no escape, was tightly held by Xiyao, meowing in resignation. Xiyao stroked the cat’s soft fur, and it gradually stopped resisting.
The breeze flowing into the carriage brought drowsiness, and Xiyao slowly closed her eyes, falling asleep.
Gu Xiong and Shen Ci reached the stable and saw the carriage. Without hesitation, they drove it away.
The runaway carriage sped out of the border town and into the dark forest leading to the Bamboo Forest. The sounds of hooves, rustling leaves, and the distant meowing of the cat, along with Xiyao’s breathing, filled the air.
When Shen Ci heard the cat meowing, she lifted the carriage curtain and saw Xiyao, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Xiyao!”
Gu Xiong halted the carriage, also surprised to see Xiyao.
“How did she end up here?”
Sleeping Xiyao looked so adorable that one wanted to hug, hold, and kiss her. Shen Ci gazed at Xiyao with affection, a tender smile on her face.
Gu Xiong, however, showed a fierce glint in his eyes as he pulled out a dagger. Shen Ci, alarmed, asked, “What are you going to do?”
Gu Xiong looked at Xiyao and said, “Naturally, we have to kill her!”
“No! Absolutely not!”
Shen Ci’s resolute gaze made Gu Xiong reconsider his decision. He sheathed the dagger and said, “So what now? Should we take this little girl to the Bamboo Forest?”
Shen Ci shook her head, her eyes still on Xiyao.
“I want to send her back.”
“Are you crazy? Send her back! We’ve stolen the Mingwang Cauldron. The people of Mingwang Manor won’t let us go. Going back now is like walking into a trap!”
“We only need to send her back to the border town, not into Mingwang Manor. She is the young lady of Mingwang Manor, and everyone in the border town knows her. If we send her back to the town, someone will naturally return her home.”
Gu Xiong considered this for a moment and agreed, “Alright! We’ll send her home.”
Shen Ci smiled with relief, and Gu Xiong added, “But we’ll do that after we’ve delivered the Mingwang Cauldron to the witch.”
Thinking of Gu Xiao’s condition, Shen Ci agreed.
The carriage continued through the night, but now, Xiyao was not alone in the carriage; she was accompanied by two individuals who intended to protect her.
- Writer
