Did Miss become a nun today?

Xie Yun Chu listened for a while, but heard nothing.

It's already sunset, and neither the worshippers nor the nuns in the temple would go out at this time, so there shouldn't be anyone around.

"Let's hurry up and leave; it's not safe here at night."

She had only taken two steps when Xie Yun Chu suddenly stopped. "I think I heard that too."

It was already dark, and the light was dim, making it difficult to see clearly in the woods, but faint sounds like a woman crying could be heard.

Hui Niang immediately grabbed her arm, "At this time, it can't be a ghost, can it?"

Xie Yun Chu chuckled, "This is a sacred Buddhist sanctuary, where would a ghost come from?"

"Even if they did, with Buddha presiding over them, the little devils wouldn't dare to come."

"And the woman's crying..."

Xie Yun Chu frowned, looked in the direction from which the sound came, and led Hui Niang in the direction of the sound.

"Yun Chu, let's go back quickly, it's kind of scary."

The further they went, the clearer the sound became. Hui Niang was so frightened that her legs trembled.

Xie Yun Chu finally heard clearly when she saw the figure appearing and disappearing in the woods.

"You, you stay away! Don't come any closer!"

"Do you know who I am? My dad won't let you get away with this!"

A disgusting male voice rang out, "Little lady, I've been watching you for a long time. You must be lonely all by yourself, hehehe..."

The voice grew closer, accompanied by the rustling sound of fabric rubbing together.

The woman's cries, which had been sharp and threatening just moments before, turned into almost desperate sobs, mixed with intermittent pleas for mercy.

Xie Yun Chu listened for a few moments in the twilight, then without further hesitation, bent down and picked up a thick branch from the roadside, holding it in his hand. He lowered his voice and said to Hui Niang, "Go back and call someone, I'll go take a look."

"Are you crazy?" Hui Niang grabbed her sleeve tightly, her voice trembling. "That was a man, and you were all alone..."

Xie Yun Chu pondered for a moment, then asked, "Can the two of us defeat that person?"

Hui Niang didn't know either. Judging from the man's tall and strong build, the two of them might not be sure.

"So hurry up and call for help." Xie Yun Chu pulled her hand away. "Don't worry, I won't confront him head-on. I'll just stall for time. Go quickly."

Hui Niang gritted her teeth and glanced at her, then looked in the direction from which the crying came, stomped her foot, turned around and ran back, quickly disappearing into the twilight.

After sending the person away, Xie Yun Chu took a deep breath, gripped the branch in her hand tightly, and walked towards the sound.

After passing a few clumps of low trees, a young woman dressed in silk and satin was pinned against a tree trunk by a middle-aged man, her clothes already torn open on one side.

The man covered her mouth with one hand, and with the other hand he was about to undo his belt. The words he was saying were so disgusting that they made one want to vomit.

"Young lady, it's no use calling out. Who would be here in these mountains at this hour?"

Xie Yun Chu didn't go over; instead, she picked up a few small stones and threw them in another direction.

"Who?"

The man stopped what he was doing, turned around, and glanced warily in that direction.

In the twilight, the shadows of the trees overlapped, making it impossible to see anything clearly. He stared at the swaying bushes for a while, muttered something, and turned away to continue.

Xie Yun Chu threw another pebble, this time farther, which hit the trunk of an old tree and bounced twice before landing.

The man stopped completely, releasing his hand from the woman's mouth. He straightened up, frowning, and took two steps into the depths of the woods: "Who? Who's there?"

In the few breaths it took him to turn around, Xie Yun Chu darted out from behind the bushes and rushed to the woman's side.

The girl was huddled under the tree trunk, shivering. Her clothes were half-open, her hair was disheveled, and her face was obscured.

Seeing the person who suddenly appeared, I was so surprised that I almost screamed.

Xie Yun Chu covered her mouth with one hand and quickly pulled her torn clothes back together with the other, whispering, "Don't make a sound, let's go."

The girl's eyes widened, tears still streaming down her face, and she nodded dazedly.

Xie Yun Chu helped her stand up, and the two of them crouched down, pressed against the shadows of the trees, and slowly moved in another direction.

The man, having failed to find anyone on the other side of the woods, returned cursing and swearing.

When they returned to the original spot, they found the area under the tree trunk was hollow; the person had run away.

He was taken aback at first, then chuckled and caught up in a few steps to block his way.

"Little nun, this is none of your business. If you know what's good for you, get out of here."

As he spoke, he reached out to pull the woman again, but Xie Yun Chu took a step back and placed the tree branch in front of him.

"Don't come any closer!"

"You, a nun, dare to meddle in my business?"

The instant Xie Yun Chu reached out, she gripped the dry branch tightly and lashed it hard at the man's wrist.

The force wasn't great, but the dry branch had thorns that scratched the skin and immediately left a bloody mark.

The man hissed in pain, about to erupt in anger, when Xie Yun Chu said, "This is Qingyun Nunnery, where distinguished guests frequently come and go. I've already sent someone to fetch them. Are you truly not afraid?"

She didn't want to use the secret guards lightly. The people in Qingyun Nunnery didn't know that there were secret guards watching outside all day long. If they knew, they would probably be afraid.

The man remained completely calm, and even became more arrogant.

She said coldly, "If that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless."

She raised her hand and waved, and several men in black appeared from the shadows.

"It doesn't have to be fatal; just prevent him from doing evil again."

She pulled the person out of the woods, and behind them, all they could hear was the rustling of grass and trees. The person had fallen into the hands of the guards and was either dead or crippled.

They ran into Hui Niang as they came out, and she made up a lie before taking the people back.

The woman was so frightened that she trembled all over. Hui Niang poured her some water and gathered her hair up, and only then could Xie Yun Chu see her face clearly.

"Lu Zhaoran? It's you?"

Lu Zhaoran, still shaken, held the water glass and looked down at her.

"Do you know him?" Hui Niang asked.

She nodded. "I've met her a few times. She's the daughter of the Grand Tutor."

Upon hearing her identity, Hui Niang wisely refrained from asking further questions. "It's getting late. I'll go see if there's anything left to eat in the kitchen."

After the person left, Xie Yun Chu sat down. "What are you doing here?"

"My father sent me here," Lu Zhaoran said weakly.

"Aren't you with anyone? Why are you all alone?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoran felt even more aggrieved, tears streaming down her face until she finally burst into loud sobs, "My dad... my dad... he doesn't want me anymore..."

Half a month ago, Lu Zhaoran angered Grand Tutor Lu by pleading for her mother, and was sent to Qingyun Nunnery to reflect on her mistakes.

She choked back tears, "My father doesn't care about me anymore, he doesn't give me any money... he doesn't even give me a maid, he tells me to fend for myself..."

"I...I really have no other choice..."

Where in all these years has Lu Zhaoran suffered such humiliation in the Grand Tutor's mansion? She cried so hard she could barely breathe, and Xie Yun Chu didn't know how to comfort her.

They were both stunned when they heard a "gurgling" sound amidst the crying.

Lu Zhaoran was a little embarrassed. "I...I haven't eaten all day."