Chapter 378: Chapter 377 – Twists and turns!

The whole audience was so silent that even the drop of a needle could be heard.

No one could imagine that the situation would develop to this extent.

A delicate and fragile girl, after taking out a dagger, showed such a determined and fierce manner.

Everyone could tell that, the dagger that she drew was a real dagger, and if she made people stab her it will be a real stab——

She had gone all out.

You don’t let me have an easy time, then I won’t let you live easily.

You insult me for being from a lowly background, and I will make your reputation hit rock bottom.

After tonight, most likely that the reputation that Cui Yu had established with great difficulty will collapse with a loud bang——Someone who bullies a woman is shameless, but someone being bullied by a woman is incompetent. A shameless and incompetent man, what face does he have to recite poems and show off his sophistication in front of the crowd?

This was Li Shinian’s daring and bold side; a large part of Li Muyang’s character was influenced by Li Shinian.

It could be said that Li Shinian was half a teacher in Li Muyang’s life.

At that time, everyone around praised Li Shinian as beautiful, smart, and talented. Even Li Muyang thought so.

So, he couldn’t help it., the black charcoal Li Muyang learned his little sister’s manner of speaking and behaviour——Otherwise, how would a pig-like guy have such a poisonous tongue?

The daughter of a servant had pushed a young master of the Cui family to this kind of distress. This is not what anyone had ever thought of before.

Cui Yu’s complexion was pale, his eyes red, the residue of alcohol in his body had long become sweat and released out from the countless pores.

“You dare——” Cui Yu pointed at Li Shinian’s face, grunting, “you dare——”

“I dare.” Li Shinian looked Cui Yu right in the eye, her lips curved in a disdainful smile. “You dare not.”

“Lowly slave.”

At the time of speaking, Cui Yu suddenly aimed his fist at Li Shinian’s head.

The fist turned purple, emititng the roar of thunder.

This punch evidently contained strong qi, and if struck, Li Shinian’s head most likely will be smashed into flesh.

Cui Yu, repeatedly infuriated by Li Shinian, had the desire to commit murder.

He was a young master of the Cui family. Even if he killed a servant’s daughter, no one would be willing to stand up for Li Shinian to get back justice, right?

Now he was going to make the lowly woman pay the price for the tragic death of his brother.

Swoosh——

Cui Xiaoxin stepped forward, using her body to shield Li Shinian.

Cui Yu was horrified; he did not expect Cui Xiaoxin to do such a stupid thing, using her priceless body to protect a servant’s daughter.

The fist was already thrust out and it was too late to take it back.

His pupil swelled, there was an inability to breathe and to think.

If his punch killed Cui Xiaoxin, the Cui family——will absolutely not allow this, even he may not have the face to live in this world anymore?

Cui Xiaoxin was the little princess of the family, the woman that every man of the Cui family would do their utmost to protect.

Pa——

Cui Yu’s fist hit upon another fist, sending a loud boom resounding across. A glow of white and purple qi directly clashed, which sent Cui Yu reeling backward and onto the grass.

Raising his head, he saw Song Tao standing at Cui Xiaoxin’s side with a cold look on his face.

Song Tao stared at Cui Yu, hissing, “Enough.”

The whole audience was silent.

In just a few seconds of time, the situation had gone through many twists and turns.

First it was Cui Yu suddenly administering a blow to kill Li Shinian, then Cui Xiaoxin unhesitantly used her body to defend Li Shinian and then Song Tao counterattacked in the nick of time——

Many twists and turns!

“Sister Xiaoxin——” Li Shinian looked with astonishment at Cui Xiaoxin.

She believed in the friendship between her and Cui Xiaoxin. She believed that Cui Xiaoxin treats her with all sincerity, but she did not think that, at such a life-or-death moment, Cui Xiaoxin would unhesitantly risk her life to save her——

Cui Xiaoxin looked at Li Shinian with her gentle eyes, saying softly, “I just did what I should do.”

When she was in Jiangnan, an assassin suddenly attacked her. A dark skinned youngster bravely fought back, and all of a sudden his palm was pierced by a dagger——

At the Thousand Buddha temple, in the hot springs, an assassin turned into dark crow, and a knight bravely came forward again and a trident pierced his palm once again, causing blood gushing out——

The first time, the boy was Li Muyang.

The second time, Cui Xiaoxin suspected that it was Li Muyang.

Li Shinian was Li Muyang’s sister. Li Muyang can do all those for her, so she was willing to do these for Li Shinian.

“Sister Xiaoxin——” Li Shinian’s eyes reddened, firmly grasping Cui Xiaoxin’s hand.

At a time when everyone was belittling her, everyone was attacking and insulting her, there was a friend stood up to support her and protect her——It was not sending charcoal in snowy weather, it was sending a life when she was almost dying.

Cui Xiaoxin grasped Li Shinian’s hand back, saying in a firm voice, “I took you here, and I will take you back.”

Song Tao coldly swept his eyes across, “Let’s drop this matter, how about it?”

“We will listen to Third young master——”

“Yes, this is a gathering of distinguished scholars, why fight here?”

“Drink, drink wine, come brother Fenglin, let’s have another drink——”

Cui Yu blankly looked around, realising that no one was willing to look him in the eye. Everyone was doing their own thing, talking cheerfully and joking around with their companions. He was originally an influential figure of this party, but he had reduced to become a trash that everyone ignored——

Cui Yu felt his heart tingling with pain, his face was cloudy and uncertain.

Sitting lifelessly for a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hahaha——”

Cui Yu got up from the ground, his long hair scattered about, his clothes dishevelled, waving about his wide sleeves as he strode away, disappearing into the whirlwinds of snow.

“For fame, my head is now all white, old pines and bamboos age with my name, obstacles hinder my homeward journey, I express my worry through the qin with too few audience. Who listens to broken strings? Who listens to broken strings? Ha ha——Who listens to broken strings?”

The crowd watched Cui Yu disappear into the distance, Song Tao turned and looked at Cui Xiaoxin, saying with a smile, “Xiaoxin, you also understand your seventh older brother’s temper. He likes to drink, but he talks nonsense after drinking too much——When he sober up, he will forget everything. You don’t have to take it personally.”

Cui Xiaoxin nodded, “Third elder brother thank you for helping out. Just that this has happened, Shinian must not be in a good mood, I’m also not in the mood to draw or recite poems——Why don’t I take Shinian back him. So she does not make the others feel awkward.”

There was a complaint evident in Cui Xiaoxin’s tone.

You have invited the guest to come over, but ignored her till now, what is the point in staying? Since your friends do not like her, then we might as well leave.

Song Tao gave a wry smile, “Xiaoxin, you should understand, I really have good intentions. I just didn’t think this would happen——If you just walk away, what would the other people think? If this matter goes out, they will say I, Song Tao, favour the rich and disdain the poor, judge people by their status——Then, what about my face? Our Song family will become a target of public criticism.”

Cui Xiaoxin inwardly sighed; Song Tao had thrown out the Song family’s reputation, if she insisted to leave at this moment, that is equally to not giving face to the Song family.

Anyway, just now it was him that saved her from his brother’s hand.

Cui Xiaoxin turned to Li Shinian, who also understood Cui Xiaoxin’s difficulty. She smiled and said, “Sister Xiaxoin, since we have come, we should stay a little longer? I have admired the Still water dew gathering for a long time, I also want to personally see the talents of the young masters and older sisters present.”

Cui Xiaoxin nodded and turned to Song Tao. “Then we will stay a little longer.”

“Please come in.” Song Tao laughed. “Whoever comes into the Still water dew building becomes a part of our scholar gathering.”

At the invitation of Song Tao, Cui Xiaoxin and Li Shinian together entered the Still water dew building.

The small building was divided into three floors, some people were drinking, some playing chess, some walking along the corridor to find inspiration to produce a masterpiece, and there were people painting on a wide table.

A girl in yellow came over, greeted Cui Xiaoxin, and then her sight shifted to Li Shinian, asking with a smile: “We all know Xiaxoin is an expert in literature, painting and poetry, but I do not know what Miss Shinian is good at? They all say that Jiangnan produce many talents, I wonder if Miss Shinian can let us see the talent of Jiangnan women.”

Li Shinian shook her head, an apologetic look on her face. “Sister, sorry, I do not have any talent.”

The woman in yellow did not believe her. “Little sister Shinian is too modest. I’ve heard that you are the Fourth bright moon of Tiandu, you are both talented and beautiful——how can you have no talent? Are you deliberately hiding your talent, worry that it will make us sisters feel ashamed?”

“It must be so. Which one of the other three bright moons of the imperial capital is not an outstanding talent?”

“Little sister Shinian, you don’t have to be polite with us——let us learn from you——”

“Yes, I heard that a painting that your brother Li Muyang casually drew attracted a wisp of spring breeze and spring flowers to bloom.”

Li Shinian knew that, no matter what these people say or how pleasant their words were to the ear, they were secretly hoping to see her make a fool of herself.

If she did not show them something today then they will not let her go, and the daughter of a servant will be looked down upon even more.

Tomorrow there will be such a joke spread through Tiandu: The daughter of a servant became an idiot in the Still water dew gathering and could not show any talent.

Li Shinian took out a folded paper from her sleeves, looked at the woman in yellow and said, “There is a cart driver in my family who draws pretty well. If older sister do not mind, why don’t we admire this together?”