Ich verkaufe meine Kleidung und kaufe etwas Wein, den ich mit dir trinken kann

Kapitel 41

"And then there's the requirement that I check on you every day to see what you're doing, where you've been, and who you've met... I have to tell him everything. He says you're young and naive, and he's afraid you'll make bad friends." Xiaofeng said urgently, "Apart from that, there really is nothing else."

"Oh! So I've had a 'Kerber' by my side all along!" I looked at her coldly. "Then why were you so afraid of her when you saw her today? If you didn't do anything wrong?!"

"Because the Shen family's deaths were too bizarre." Xiao Feng looked at me with a determined expression. "Besides, after being with you for so long, Brother Qingyang doesn't seem to have any intention of going to the capital for the imperial examinations. So I've started to suspect that her motives aren't pure. Although she saved me, I'm very grateful. But I can't bring myself to harm you!"

Looking at the faint blush on her face, I gradually understood. "So you don't want me to go out. You're afraid of running into Miss Li and not being able to explain it to me?"

"Yes, she wanted me to report your whereabouts every day. But after I entered the manor, I haven't contacted her even once." Xiao Feng hunched her shoulders and gave a bitter smile. "Brother Qingyang, you'll never be good to me again, right?"

"Silly girl," I gazed at her for a long time, finally deciding to believe her. So I sighed softly, took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and said, "I'm still your Qingyang brother. We're still the same as before."

"Really?" Xiao Feng was overjoyed, then shook her head in denial. "Impossible. Since you know I come from a brothel, how can you treat me the same as before? Don't you despise me?"

"Women in brothels are also born of parents. Why should I look down on you?" I shook my head calmly. "Don't think so much. Forget all the unhappy things from the past."

"Hey, Brother Qingyang, why are there drawings and so many words written on your handkerchief?" Xiaofeng looked at the handkerchief curiously. "Youhuang Residence? Isn't that where we live? Brother Qingyang, why did you draw a map of the manor and carry it with you?"

"Ah, I took the wrong one." My face flushed, and I quickly snatched it back and put it in my arms, then handed her the other one. "Well, this estate is too big. Sometimes I get lost. Drawing it will make it easier to walk around the garden."

"Brother Qingyang, will you get lost?" Xiaofeng suddenly realized, then looked at me with envy. "I was wondering why they dug holes all over the village the other day and put up so many directional stone tablets at the intersections. So that's why... Brother Qingyang, Master Jiang treats you so well! Just like a real brother!"

"He's never been good to me! He doesn't even tell me where he's going!" I rolled my eyes at her and said indifferently, "Go to sleep, it's getting late. You've had enough of this today."

The moonlight outside the window was like water, the air still and clear. Yet, I was heavy with worries, unable to sleep—it seemed Xiao Feng truly knew nothing; she was merely a pawn in someone else's game. But why would Li Yanluo, a courtesan, approach me? This remained an unsolved mystery.

Thinking about Xiaofeng's words, I became even more troubled and confused. Huaiyuan, what are your true feelings for me? If you are heartless, why are you so caring, even considering such a small matter as setting up road signs? If you are intentional, why have you left me here for more than ten days without a word, disappearing like a crane in the wind, without any trace?

"Longing is a word without proof, why waste tears on flowery stationery? Qing'er, are you talking about me?" Huaiyuan's voice suddenly rang in my ears like a ghost.

I was startled and turned around. The tall, travel-worn man with smiling, starry eyes gazing at me with deep affection was none other than Huaiyuan, who had disappeared for days! This book is first published on Xiaoxiang Novel Original Network. Please retain this information when reprinting!

[Volume 3: War and Chaos, Chapter 2: How Much Sorrow Is There?]

"You've come?" I stared at the person I had been longing for day and night, almost thinking I was dreaming. After a long while, I finally came to my senses, feeling a mix of joy and sorrow in my heart. I couldn't help but turn my head away to avoid his gaze—coming and going as he pleased, he was still as arrogant and conceited as ever.

"I fear my longing is endless, but my shallow heart is unaware?" Huaiyuan smiled and pointed to the banana leaf in front of me, teasingly saying, "The 'shallow heart' you're referring to, are you talking about me? If so, wouldn't I be so wronged? I've traveled day and night for someone, my heart yearning to return!"

"What did you say? I don't understand?" Following his gaze, I looked down and saw: "Longing is a word without proof, so don't waste your tears on flowery stationery"; "I fear my longing is endless, but the shallow lover doesn't know"; "It's a pity that the cold flowers are only temporarily fragrant, just like the shallow lover"... Ugh! When was this written? I was immediately filled with shame and anger, and I reached out and tore off the banana leaf, immediately destroying the evidence.

Huaiyuan smiled and didn't stop me. He gently held my shoulder, staring intently at me—as if trying to etch my face into his heart. Then he suddenly grinned, his expression extremely pleased. "If I had known that being away for more than ten days would make you so lovesick, I would have definitely taken you with me."

"You know you've been gone for over ten days?" I pulled my hands away from his, giving him a reproachful glare. "You didn't even say a word, just vanished without a trace. You... well, you're right, I'm nobody to you, why should you explain yourself to me?" I finished, head bowed, looking utterly miserable—please, stop nitpicking those words! I'm so ashamed!

"Haha!" Huaiyuan laughed heartily, reaching out to lift my chin. "Stop pretending, this isn't like you, Qing'er. You've always been decisive and responsible, why are you acting all coy like this?!"

Oh dear, he saw through my trick, but that also eased my embarrassment—that's fine, as long as the goal is achieved. The process doesn't need to be so important. I simply looked him straight in the eye and asked the question that had been nagging at me, "Where have you been all these days?!"

"I went to the headquarters of Weiyuan Escort Agency, checked Ye Gucheng's grave, and examined his body," Huaiyuan answered me frankly without hiding anything.

"Did you find anything?" I asked immediately with concern. "Would the Ye family allow you to exhume the body for an autopsy?"—This was in the Song Dynasty, where they held the dead in high regard, believing that burial was the best way to ensure peace. Besides, they had always considered Huaiyuan the murderer, so why would they allow him to disturb the deceased?

"When did it become anyone else's business to do what I, Jiang Mohui, do?!" Huaiyuan laughed wildly, but his arrogance had its reasons—he was truly a spoiled brat!

"Yes, you're amazing. Can you stop beating around the bush? Master Jiang?! Just get to the conclusion." I rolled my eyes at him, helpless—this guy is really more than just narcissistic!

"Third Master Ye didn't die from a knife; he was killed by a palm strike that severed his heart meridian. The murderer finished him off after he died." Huaiyuan sneered. "I think I already know who killed Ye Gucheng."

"Who? Who would be so cruel as to stab someone to death?" I thought of the days I spent with Brother Ye, and I was filled with rage. I clenched my fists, wishing I could beat the murderer to a pulp.

"Master Ye's five internal organs were damaged, and his heart meridian was severed, leaving only faint purple palm marks on his body. This is the Seven Kill Palm technique of the Qingcheng School, specifically the 'Striking an Ox Through a Mountain' technique. Legend has it that if one masters this skill to the tenth level, one can strike an ox through tofu, killing it instantly without breaking the tofu. When used to kill, there is absolutely no flaw visible on the outside, and the deceased appears extremely peaceful. Some even have a smile on their face, hence the nickname 'A Smile While Picking a Flower'." Huaiyuan spoke of martial arts schools with great familiarity.

"There are slight marks on the body, which means it hasn't reached the tenth level, right? But it's not far off, is it? I've heard that to reach the pinnacle of a certain skill, besides opportunity, one also needs aptitude. There must be very few masters like that." I deduced based on my experience and common sense from watching TV. "So what we need to do now is to select a group of masters from the Qingcheng Sect and investigate their whereabouts over those few days. That should be enough to find the murderer! I just don't know how many people in the Qingcheng Sect know this kind of skill. If there are too many, it will take a lot of time to investigate."

“You’re not entirely right.” Huaiyuan gave me an approving smile. “Because practicing this skill requires extremely deep internal energy cultivation. It’s also quite troublesome to learn. Therefore, there are not just few people in the Qingcheng Sect who have learned this skill, there are very few at all, and only one person has reached the seventh level.”

"Who?" I asked immediately.

“Mr. Ye,” Huaiyuan slowly uttered a name.

I froze, then cried out, "Impossible! Brother Ye is his brother! How could he?"—Could someone really do anything for money? I broke out in a cold sweat, a chill running down my spine.

"Master Ye and Third Master Ye were not born of the same mother. They are twenty years apart in age, and in recent years, for the sake of the escort agency's business and their reputation in the martial arts world, they have long been at odds with each other." Huaiyuan sneered, "In the world of chivalry, there are many who seek fame and fortune. It is not surprising that Master Ye did this."

"Actually, if I had been more careful last time and checked Ye San's body, I wouldn't have gone through so many detours." Huaiyuan smiled sneer. "And how could I allow that old bastard to shout at me?"

I remained silent—at that moment, upon hearing the "Decree of Heartlessness," he must have assumed I was dead. In his panic and confusion, how could he possibly think of anything else? Even if he had, how could he have remained calm and carefully examined me? Clearly, in his heart, my life or death was more important than his own reputation!

"Silly girl, are you overthinking again?" Huaiyuan gently patted my head. "As long as you're safe and sound, that's enough for me!"

"Huaiyuan!" I was so moved that my eyes welled up with tears, and I couldn't help but throw myself into his arms—he, of course, generously opened his arms and gladly accepted my embrace.

I suddenly remembered a very important question and hurriedly pushed him away. "Wait a minute, since Master Ye killed Third Brother Ye, he should have obtained the treasure map. He could easily go and retrieve the treasure by himself. Why make the whole world know?"

Huaiyuan was clearly unhappy with my "lack of focus." He pulled me back into his arms, gently encircling me, and rested his chin on my shoulder. "I think there were two murderers that day. The masked man you saw that day was probably Ye Da's accomplice. Perhaps because Ye San escaped, they split into two groups. Ye Da caught up with Ye San by the river and, taking advantage of his unpreparedness, was able to kill him and steal the map in one fell swoop. However, Ye San was quite clever and hid the map very well beforehand. Although they killed everyone, they couldn't find the map. They had no choice but to come up with this idea of taking advantage of the chaos."

"Do treasure maps really exist? Or is it just a fabricated story?" I'm still skeptical about treasure maps—it seems Qin Shi Huang only left behind the Terracotta Army for posterity, but I haven't heard of any other treasures being passed down!

"I don't know if there's any treasure, but I do have a picture," Huaiyuan said confidently.

"If you were Brother Ye, where would you hide the map?" I struggled slightly but couldn't break free from his arm, so I simply relaxed and leaned my weight on him—hmm, it felt really comfortable.

"What do you think?" Huaiyuan asked instead of answering—testing me, huh?

I thought for a moment, "Something so important, of course he wouldn't keep it on his own. Do you think he might be using a feigned mission to secretly transport the treasure map to the capital while secretly sending someone else to smuggle it away?!"

Huaiyuan shook his head. "If that's the case, Ye Da will definitely know."

"Oh, right, this method might fool others, but it won't fool your own people." I tilted my head and thought for a long time, then covered my mouth with my hand and yawned, finally declaring that I was giving up. "Forget it, I'm not the kind of person who can play mind games. Why don't you tell me what you think?"