I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel-Chapter 273 - 269: Battle at Baihua Forest

"Ah!" Another flying kick landed. Among the three opponents, two were slightly weaker. As soon as Jiang Ming’an stepped in, he engaged these two. One was as thin as a shadow, long and slender. Just a slight extension of his hand could reach your chest. Jiang Ming’an narrowly avoided being hit several times and gradually figured out this person’s moves.

He specialized in attacking people’s weak spots. Once he got close, he either twisted your neck, gouged out your eyes, or aimed for the most vulnerable spot on a man. His style was perverse and his actions despicable, demanding constant vigilance.

The other opponent was shorter but bulky—no, it should be called stout. His strength was astonishing. Jiang Ming’an blocked his punches several times, leaving his arm momentarily numb and powerless. He suspected that if he hadn’t withdrawn quickly, his entire arm might have been crippled.

The person Xie Yunhai was dealing with was someone Jiang Ming’an recognized.

"Liu Chu, you ungrateful bastard. My father was your master, teaching you hand in hand so you could have a job at the mechanical factory. And what did you do? You hired an arsonist to burn him alive.

I want to ask you, is treating you well a mistake? You clung to him relentlessly, even chasing him in the middle of the night to try to drown him in a pond. You won’t stop until he’s dead. Tell me why?"

Distracted by Jiang Ming’an’s words, Liu Chu briefly lost focus and was kicked by Xie Yunhai in the most vulnerable spot on a man.

Unlike Jiang Ming’an, Liu Chu’s moves were not military style. Having left home at fourteen, he fought everywhere, gradually becoming a kingpin.

His fighting style was chaotic but deadly with every move. A slight distraction could let him find an opening, like just now.

But Liu Chu was still Liu Chu. Though his lower body throbbed with pain, making him want to roll on the ground to relieve it, his rational mind remained vigilant in facing Xie Yunhai. However, his face turned increasingly pale, and cold sweat streamed down.

No matter how Jiang Ming’an tried to coax him, Liu Chu kept his mouth shut. The two who came with him were also silent, making the situation quite dull.

Gradually, Jiang Ming’an started to tire. The slender shadow seized the opportunity, ready to snatch Jiang Ming’an’s eyeball like a snake striking from its hole.

Xie Yunhai seemed to sense it.

"Brother!" he yelled in a desperate cry, but it was too late to prevent the tragedy that seemed inevitable.

However, in the next moment, the one screaming was someone else.

Jiang Mingyue felt grateful she arrived in time; otherwise, her brother might have lost an eye here.

"Ah!" The opponent’s reach was long, wasn’t it? Then she’d break his arm, ensuring he couldn’t hurt anyone.

Jiang Ming’an dared not lose focus, so he couldn’t say much to his sister. With a single glance, they tacitly teamed up in battle.

The tall, skinny opponent, due to his injured hand, had his mental defenses lowered. He turned to flee.

How could that be? If her brother managed to hold back two, there was no way after she joined they could escape.

With a "thud," before the tall, skinny one realized it, his knees buckled, and he made a close acquaintance with nature’s fragrant earth.

Jiang Mingyue swiftly flipped him over, mounted him, and unleashed a flurry of punches.

Thin? She’d punch him until he resembled a pig’s head, and he wouldn’t be thin anymore.

After a wild flurry, her hands ached, so she deftly pulled out his belt, tied him up, and then whipped out a rope to bind him to a tree.

Liu Chu sensed trouble, used a sly move, causing Xie Yunhai to fall. Liu Chu turned to flee but was immediately blocked by a slender figure.

Upon seeing this person, Liu Chu’s eyes clouded over, mixed with a fleeting fear.

Jiang Mingyue thought she must have been seeing things.

"Liu Chu, you won’t escape today." Jiang Mingyue struck without spiritual power, but her skills weren’t inferior to before, except her strength was slightly weaker than in her past life.

Still, Jiang Mingyue underestimated Liu Chu. Just as she was about to capture him with one hand, a silver flash occurred. Instinctively, she retreated. Due to this shift, Liu Chu escaped. Once Jiang Mingyue and Xie Yunhai reacted, they pursued Liu Chu in a frantic chase, but he cunningly reached Qian River and jumped in. By then, he was long gone.

Jiang Ming’an subdued the stout man and tied him with the skinny one. He was guessing the battle’s outcome on the other side when he saw his sister and Xie Yunhai return, dejected.

No need to ask; he’d escaped again.

Upon meeting with Jiang Ming’an, Jiang Mingyue finally understood what transpired.

Already frustrated, she took out her annoyance on the two captives.

The thin and the fat ones suffered immensely, nearly begging for mercy.

"We really don’t know who he is."

"He paid us, and we did the job."

No matter the interrogation, their answers consistently stated this.

The two had smuggled from Hong Kong, initially coming to find relatives at their elders’ requests, only to find all had perished in the war. They didn’t want to return to Hong Kong due to people they’d angered there. Forced to make a living here, regular jobs required background checks, which they couldn’t pass. Their fake identities didn’t hold up. Desperate, they took a job through a drinking buddy, not expecting such a massive blunder on their first task.

Jiang Ming’an, Jiang Mingyue, and Xie Yunhai exchanged knowing glances.

In their experience, these two weren’t lying.

Jiang Mingyue tried using her spiritual power and this time discovered she could see their conscious minds. They were telling the truth, but she was puzzled why her spiritual power had been ineffective on the three earlier.

Could Liu Chu suppress her? Even if he had a superpower, he wouldn’t need to hire thugs.

That possibility could be ruled out.

Early the next morning, the people at the Southern Institute had a "surprise" as soon as they opened the door.

Two men were bound like dumplings at the entrance, with a letter placed on their bodies.

Given the special circumstances, the matter was quickly reported to Gan Fengzhe.

Gan Fengzhe opened the letter to find it was a report, listing the two as foreign "spies" with false identities.

This matter quickly reached the higher-ups, and the two were transferred to Yun Dian.

The day before Yan Jinzhi left, Jiang Ming’an and a few others sat together for a meal.

No matter how unwilling Jiang Ming’an was, his sister had already made up her mind about the person, and as the elder brother, he couldn’t do much but protect her with all his heart.

"Bro, once I leave, there might be times when I can’t be around. Please help look after Yueyue more."

Jiang Ming’an felt stifled: "Shut up, she is my life. Do you need to plead with me? Just take care of yourself and don’t die over there. If you don’t return in a year, I’ll find someone else for Ming Yue. There are plenty of good men out there; she doesn’t need to hang onto one tree." If possible, he didn’t want Yueyue to be tied to the same man for life. Things were so unfavorable in the past; maybe it’s better if they don’t meet in this life. Unfortunately, he realized too late. Alas! Perhaps it’s fate.

Outside the rabbit pen, Jiang Ming’an and Yan Jinzhi stood very close. Xie Yunhai happened to see this while taking a breath of fresh air, and furrowed his brow.

What could require them to be so close? Though displeased, he didn’t interrupt, but it felt like ants were crawling inside his heart.

In contrast, the other party involved remained much calmer.

Nothing else occupied her mind, except thoughts of food.

She was now pretty sure that the mushrooms were just an accident. The acre of pine forest would only rotate between matsutake, truffles, morels, and milkcap mushrooms.

After harvesting the black truffles, milkcap mushrooms grew next, which she used to make chicken oil. Mixed with rice, it tasted phenomenal, but this thing couldn’t be taken out. People from the three households in Qingshan Village were too familiar with wild mushrooms on the mountain.

There were many stones on the mountain in Qingshan Village, and along the stone edges grew north wind mushrooms, which looked like mini milky mushrooms but definitely didn’t taste as good. Trying to pass them off wouldn’t work; they were easy to distinguish. Another reason was that milkcap mushrooms were rare and not easy to find. Now that Yan Jinzhi was leaving, she lost the scapegoat, so she couldn’t take the mushrooms out from now on.

She regretted a bit, thinking she should have let her older cousin be the scapegoat; then maybe the flow could have lasted.

However, now all she could think about was the aroma of the milkcap mushrooms, whether mixed with rice, added over noodles, or stuffed in buns, the taste was sublime, different from the fresh aroma of black truffle sauce, yet equally enticing.

She was lost in thought, when a figure kept hovering before her, and Jiang Ming Yue couldn’t bear it anymore.

"Brother Xie, could you sit down?"

Xie Yunhai hesitated for a moment, but eventually sat down, looking at the moon’s face, with a hint of envy and jealousy.

"Aren’t you worried?" He then gestured outside to the two people.

Jiang Ming Yue glanced over and thought Xie Yunhai was being ridiculous.

If there really was anything, it would have happened in the past lifetime already.

"Brother Xie, what about trust between people? Do you think my brother is that kind of person?"

Xie Yunhai smiled awkwardly: "No, I was just worried."

"Then you seem to be bored. Why not talk about your brother..."

Xie Yunhai’s thoughts successfully got sidetracked by her.

"Wrong, former brother, now we’re strangers."

Following the Baihua Forest incident, because Liu Chu was on the run, Jiang Ming’an went to the Southern Institute to report the situation, and they sent someone specifically to investigate Liu Chu.

But the information gathered was limited, and Liu Chu’s past information was all fabricated, like siblings, countryside—all made up. His origin remained a mystery.

After the gathering, Jiang Ming Yue seized the moment her brother entered the room, and swiftly left with Yan Jinzhi.

Yan Jinzhi held onto her hand, with eyes warm enough to sink into at any moment.

"Not saying goodbye to your brother?"

"If I say goodbye, we won’t be able to leave together. He’s very petty."

Yan Jinzhi agreed deeply: "Indeed, petty."

"Do you have plans for tonight? Or rather, you’re leaving with your team, should it be a farewell at Wuyun Mountain?"

"Yes, but it’s fine to miss one person, Qiao Mingtang is taking care of it."

Jiang Ming Yue felt somewhat sympathetic towards Qiao Mingtang.

"Is he leaving with you this time?"

"Yes!"

"That’s good, you’ll have someone to talk to."

"But I only want to talk to you."

Jiang Ming Yue: "..." Is he about to leave? That was a direct pitch!

At night, the two nestled in space, leaning on each other. The departure was imminent, yet they did nothing but this simple closeness was worth a thousand words.

"Once I’m over there, I’ll first buy a courtyard and see if I can get you over."

"I remember you said you’d be conducting closed experiments once you got there. You probably won’t have time to come out?"

Yan Jinzhi suddenly remembered: indeed, that was the case.

Seems like even if she went, she wouldn’t be able to see him.

"Focus on your experiments. I wish for the success of your experiments soon." Come back early.

"When I return, we’ll get married, alright?"