Huancheng Deep

Kapitel 3

Seeing me trembling, the girl looked at the boy with a hint of reproach, then touched my face comfortingly, saying, "Baby, don't be afraid, I'll teach Linlie a lesson later." Turning her head, she grabbed the boy's arm and said, "You brat, didn't you see you scared me to tears?" The boy remained silent, just listening blankly to the girl's words, like a soulless puppet.

Lin Lie, such a cold name. He was the first person to instill fear in me. His calm, silver eyes were sometimes visible, sometimes hidden. Their depth sent shivers down my spine; his cunning rivaled that of a powerful minister. I could also faintly smell the stench of blood.

"Grandpa, you still haven't told me where you got this doll. Did you kidnap her again? But this doll is even prettier than Linlie, with rosy cheeks and dark eyes, so pretty!" The little girl's restless hands were already darting across my face. Kidnapped again? This old man really is a human trafficker.

"Hahaha, what do you mean 'taken away'? I took this from you openly and honestly." He then put on a very proud look, as if to say, "Take it! What do you take me for?" This old man was simply unbearable. "Old man, don't talk nonsense," I said calmly. The little girl seemed to have discovered something amazing. She pinched my cheek excitedly and said, "Baby, what's your name? My name is Bingning. How can you talk so fast? My grandpa said I wasn't speaking fluently until I was three, and even Linlie didn't speak until he was one."

"Hahaha, little kid, did you hear that? This is your senior sister, and that cold, wooden guy is your senior brother. Bingning! This kid is called Yuzhou, isn't that nice?" The old man introduced them to me with a laugh.

"Ah, this doll is a boy! He's even more handsome than Lin Lie, how could he be a boy?" Bing Ning said unwillingly. How could this be? All the boys in this world are so handsome. How could she go on living?

The old man stroked Bingning's head and said happily, "Bingning, how about he be your husband from now on?" What? What is this old man up to? Husband? He must be doing this on purpose.

Bingning blinked, looking at the old man with a puzzled expression, but immediately understood. She skipped and hopped around him, laughing loudly, "Great! Great! I have a husband! I have a husband!" As she ran, she gave me a kiss. That's how I gave my first kiss to Bingning.

Seeing Bingning's excited expression, the old man asked again, "Since Zhou'er can't reveal that she's a girl for certain reasons, would you still be willing to marry her?" Bingning was stunned again, then looked at my face and suddenly realized, "No wonder! She clearly looks like a woman, but she has a boy's name! But I like you so much! I want to marry her." Bingning said very solemnly, a promise made by a five-year-old child.

I saw a fleeting sadness on the old man's face, but he immediately smiled proudly: "Zhou'er, you have a wife now. You don't need to worry about anything anymore. Just fulfill your mission."

"Mission," I blurted out abruptly. Could it be that my time travel wasn't accidental, but rather...?

Lin Lie was also surprised by the news, but when he saw the old man hand me a dragon-shaped jade pendant, Lin Lie lowered his arrogant head and said in a humble but not arrogant manner, "Lin Lie greets young master."

“Linlie, this is your master for life, the holy son recognized by Long Yu. You must be loyal to your master. Your heart should only have loyalty, loyalty, and more loyalty.” The old man said solemnly, completely devoid of his former playfulness.

A chilling coldness was etched onto his youthful, untamed face. A resolute word escaped his lips: "Yes." This was a vow made by a young boy. Heavy and tragic, it was written silently.

"Husband, husband, I'll call you husband from now on." A pure, happy face radiated from her sweet voice. I suppose I don't need to say anything; you've already started calling me that, haven't you? The pink-clad girl's joyful laughter filled the entire Heavenly Lake. A carefree laugh.

"Shut up!" I yelled at Bingning for the thousandth and first time. Ever since that incident, she's been calling me "husband" nonstop—while eating, while sleeping, even while using the toilet. I couldn't take it anymore. "Husband, what did I do wrong?" Bingning would ask me this way after I yelled, like a wronged wife. And every time, I'd just say, "No, I was wrong."

"Then you should call me 'wife,' husband, say it again." Bingning kindly reminded me for the thousandth and first time. "Wife, I was wrong," I replied helplessly, lying in the cradle. Bingning reached out her soft little hand and stroked my face, her lips curving upward: "That's a good girl."

One afternoon, thirteen years later.

A girl in pink clung to a boy in black like a koala. The boy held a book in his hands. Upon closer inspection, the girl was innocent-looking, with rosy cheeks and eyes like crescent moons, delicate and charming. The boy in black, on the other hand, exuded a kingly aura of dominance and authority, his deep, star-like eyes revealing a hint of helplessness. This boy's stunning beauty surpassed even that of the girl. His breathtakingly beautiful features were accentuated even by simple clothes; amidst the beautiful mountains and rivers, nothing could compare to this boy in black.

"Bingning, you've been hanging here all morning." I held a book in one hand and tried to keep my voice as low as possible.

"Yes, that's right! I think there's still a possibility I can hang myself." Her voice was sweet and genuine. But she could keep going while I was almost at my limit.

"If you don't mind, you can go get a massage from the master." You, an eighteen-year-old girl, are hanging on a skinny thirteen-year-old boy like me, how can you be so shameless!

"No!" Bingning shook her head like a rattle-drum, acting as childishly as a three-year-old. Finally, she rested her head on my shoulder. "Have you memorized the Book of Songs?" Haha, this was Bingning's weakness! Bingning stiffened. She rubbed her head against my face and said coquettishly, "Can I not memorize it?"

"What do you think?" I asked Bingning in return. You know, this brat isn't afraid of snakes, insects, rats, ants, tigers, or lions, but she's afraid of memorizing things. To borrow her words, her head is for growing hair.

"My lord," she called out in a coquettish voice, swaying back and forth. Good heavens, my neck is about to break.

"Bing Ning, page 46, chapter 75, entry 26." Cold and unapproachable, his expression conveyed a sense of aloofness. A flowing white robe adorned him, his handsome face and arrogant chin possessing an almost perfect curve. His chilling silver eyes stared at Bing Ning without warmth, his black hair billowing in the air, exuding a cold aura. After 13 years, the arrogant youth, Lin Lie, had transformed into a handsome man. A murderous aura enveloped the 18-year-old, wielding the weapon that terrified the entire world—the Fiend. The sharp sword energy caused even the singing larks to cease their song.

There was another creature that Bing Ning feared most: Lin Lie. Her lively personality clashed with Lin Lie's coldness. As a child, Bing Ning dared to ride on Lin Lie's head, but as time passed, Lin Lie's malevolent aura grew stronger, and Bing Ning gradually began to fear him.

Bingning reluctantly got off me, her lips still pouting: "Page 47, Chapter 75, Item 26, I understand, but could you copy less?" "One," Lin Lie began counting down, his lips pursed, but Bingning kept saying "yes." Just before three, Bingning dashed off, making a face at Lin Lie as she left.

"The first strategy is to deceive the heavens and cross the sea; the second strategy is to besiege Wei to rescue Zhao; the third strategy is to use a borrowed knife to kill someone; the fourth strategy is to wait at ease for the enemy to tire themselves out; the fifth strategy is to feign an attack in the east and strike in the west..." I slowly recited the Thirty-Six Stratagems. In my previous life, I loved reading books about history, and Yu Zhou's body has an exceptionally strong memory, capable of memorizing one or two books as thick as the Records of the Grand Historian in a single day.

"Young Master, the Thirteen Riders of Absolute Chariot." Lin Lie always spoke less and never more.

"Use it as little as possible," I said, touching the bamboo flute tucked into my waistband. I wouldn't use it against those thirteen terrifying riders unless absolutely necessary.

I walked to my seat and sat down. My neck was really stiff. I coughed a few times, covering my mouth with my hand. "Continue."

“Zhaixing, Lanyue, and Zhuri have already infiltrated our assassins into the five kingdoms, all of whom have entered the court under different identities,” Lin Lie answered my question. Zhaixing, Lanyue, and Zhuri were orphans adopted by the old man, and they were employed by me to repay his kindness.

"Very well, tell them I hope for more than this." Don't blame me for being greedy; it's just that things are never truly safe from attack. Only by obtaining firsthand information can I defeat the enemy, regardless of whether the method is despicable or shameless. The true outcome is that the victor is king and the loser is a bandit, and that's the result I'm pursuing. Excessive mercy is cruelty to the world.

"Yes, Master has something to attend to." After saying that, Lin Lie left quietly.

"You want to see me? It's not like I'm going to be your guinea pig again, is it?" I put down my book and walked around the stream. Reaching the thatched hut, I thought, "It's not that we're mistreating him; it's just that he doesn't want a nice house, he insists on living in this leaky thatched hut, calling it enjoying the hardships of ordinary people. But in our eyes, he's just insane."

But I could vaguely smell a conspiracy, not from my sense of smell, but from my experience.

[Childhood Memories: Fun at Tianchi 2]

"Master, I'm here." I pushed open the dilapidated straw door. There was a loud 'bang,' as the door crumbled the moment I opened it. Then, inexplicably, I was caught by the foot, and there lay a man with frizzy, white hair on the ground, his body completely exposed. A withered old hand gripped my foot: "Roar—, Zhou'er! My door died so tragically! How could you bear to do this, you unfilial son! Door!" I kicked my master's hand away, stepped over his body, and sat down in the chair: "Speak, what do you need from me?"

I knew it. Acting first and informing later is usually his specialty. To prevent me from having any regrets, he first framed me, then used a self-inflicted injury ruse, and finally revealed his true colors.

"My disciple, when did you become so clever?" Hmph, I had no choice but to become clever; you've fooled me more than ten times. Even a fool would realize it by now!

"I broke your Azure Dragon Inkstone." Such a small thing, and you've already gotten yourself into this mess. Wait, there must be something else: "Go on." As I watched him continue, my heart began to pound with unease.

"Heh heh heh, you know I love to drink." I knew, I knew it from the first day I met you—you reeked of alcohol. It's hard for me to hide it. "The important thing," I said through gritted teeth.

"I drank your Hundred Flowers Wine." This time he readily agreed. Hundred Flowers Wine. "What? You drank the Hundred Flowers Wine?! You…" I was so angry I almost jumped up. Although this Hundred Flowers Wine wasn't anything precious, it played an important role in delaying the effects of poisoning. I had originally planned to use it to alleviate the crisis I encountered when I returned to Gengyue. Besides, the Hundred Flowers Wine was something Bingning and I had spent ten years brewing.

"Zhou'er, don't be angry yet. I'll show you something," the master said obsequiously as he quickly scrambled up from the ground.

What is this? He always gives me rats or poisonous snakes. Could it be a scorpion this time? The master took a box from the tattered trunk and said, "Zhou'er, open it and take a look." He grinned foolishly, revealing a few yellowed teeth. Good heavens! I need to get his teeth fixed.

I opened the box, only to find there was more cloth, and more boxes inside. After repeating this several times, I lost my patience and was almost going crazy. Sweat dripped down my face.

"Are you ever going to stop? What's going on here?" I pointed at the box and cloth on the ground, holding the box in my hand. Master carefully picked up the box and cloth, scolding, "Why are you littering? Even if it didn't hit anyone, it's still wrong of you to damage the flowers and plants. Disciple, don't ever call me your master again." Yes, I will never call you my master. Now I finally understand who inherited Bing Ning's nagging habit. You could talk Tang Sanzang to death, even a matchmaker is more taciturn than you.

"So that means it was my fault." I would never smash the flowers and plants, I'd smash you to death first. I looked at my master with a threatening gaze, while touching my bamboo flute.

The craftsman swallowed hard, carefully picked up the cloth and box, and said ingratiatingly, "It's their good fortune if you kill someone, it's their luck if you hit flowers and plants, and it's a blessing for the whole world to be hit by your jade hands." His boasting was getting increasingly outrageous. He was Wei Zhongxian's son and Li Lianying's grandson. (Then aren't you also their descendant? The author smirks.)