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Kapitel 68

I huddled tightly in Yi Han's arms, feeling the lightness and illusion of descending from the sky. I repeated something to myself over and over again until I murmured, "Xu Lie... goodbye..." Tears welled up silently and disappeared just as silently.

A few days later, the New Year's atmosphere finally dissipated. That day, I heard news that caught my attention: the envoy from Jin Yao, who had been sent to Huo Ling, had returned, accompanied by Huo Ling's envoy. Since Jin Yao had won a decisive victory in this great battle, they should, by all means, propose an alliance. But what concerned me wasn't the news itself, but rather the envoy—it was none other than Chen Sheng, whom I had long forgotten. Thinking of how he had meticulously tricked me into this dangerous place, of the dozens of lives lost by the Night Tribe, of the suffering Yi Han and I had endured in the desert, and of how he would surely come to see me the moment he returned, I smiled silently.

Sure enough, as I was comfortably lying in the pavilion enjoying the scenery and drinking tea brewed by Yi Han, a servant came in and handed me a visiting card. Seeing the two characters "Qing Kong" on the dark red visiting card, I smiled slightly and said indifferently, "Bring him to the study."

When Chen Sheng entered, Yi Han was lighting incense, while I was reclining on a short couch reading a notebook. Speaking of which, I must mention that because I'm blind in modern times, I can't read unless my brother reads to me. So, in the past six months in ancient times, I've gradually become fascinated with reading all sorts of books. Especially since Lin Yu's body has an excellent memory and a large collection of books, Zi Mo and I often enjoy reading together, one on top of the other. However, according to Zi Mo, there aren't many rare or out-of-print copies in their collection, which is a bit of a shame.

As soon as Chen Sheng entered, he bowed respectfully to me and said, "Qingkong greets you, sir." He then turned to face Yi Han and bowed again, saying, "Qingkong thanks Guard Feng for saving my life."

Yi Han gently stirred the incense evenly, then came to my side and skillfully brewed tea, completely ignoring me. I smiled and said, "Qing Kong, no need for formalities." I gestured to the pear wood chair next to the incense burner, "Please sit down."

Chen Sheng sat down as instructed, glancing at me with a somewhat anxious expression. Seeing that I merely smiled faintly, occasionally sipping tea and reading, he could only say with a slightly embarrassed look, "Teacher, when I returned to Puhua Street that day, you and Guard Feng were already gone, and the inn was abandoned. I was extremely anxious, wishing I could go into the desert to find you, but… but, the Emperor's decree ordered me to be sent as an envoy to Huoling, so I had no choice…"

“Clear it.” I interrupted him, smiling as I looked up. “How did you know Yihan and I had entered the desert?”

Chen Sheng's expression changed drastically, his eyes flashed with a divine light, and his tone became somewhat stammering: "I...I deduced this from the various signs I observed at the inn that day."

I noncommittally picked up my teacup and drank it all. After Yihan refilled his cup, I handed it to him and said, "This tea tastes good. You must not have tried it yourself yet." Yihan nodded, took the tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

I smiled and asked, "How does it taste?"

"The spring water tastes a bit weak," Yi Han replied casually, then took the teapot, poured a full cup, and handed it to me. But because the cup was so small, even after drinking it all, I didn't feel like I had drunk too much.

I looked up and saw that Chen Sheng's expression was growing increasingly solemn, with a hidden murderous intent in his eyes. I couldn't help but laugh and said, "Chen Sheng, you don't need to pretend anymore. Mu Sheng, courtesy name Wuyai, is the nephew of Mu Chengying, the prime minister of Fengyin Kingdom. He was once the tutor of Crown Prince Zhuo Qing and a favorite minister of the emperor. Am I right?"

Chen Sheng's eyes widened in shock, his expression one of utter disbelief. He probably never imagined that I could uncover such a confidential matter.

I gently toyed with my teacup, glancing at him sideways: "Tell me, what would happen if I had someone relay this news to the Emperor?"

Chen Sheng's face flushed and paled in turns, and after a long while, he managed to calm himself and smiled, "Teacher wouldn't do that." His voice still trembled slightly as he spoke, but once the words left his mouth, he straightened up, a deep smile appearing on his face that was completely unlike his usual demeanor: "If Teacher wanted to tell the Emperor, he wouldn't have specifically told me these things. Besides, those who understand the situation are already well aware of the discord between Teacher and the Emperor. I think revealing my identity to the Emperor wouldn't do Teacher any good, would it?"

I smiled noncommittally. He looked at me with a slight puzzlement, as if investigating or doubting, and suddenly murmured, "Teacher is completely different from six months ago."

I suppressed my smile and looked at him impatiently: "Mu Sheng, you should know that these reasons alone cannot convince me."

Chen Sheng smiled faintly, his eyes revealing a confident and assured demeanor: "Teacher was able to discover my identity, so you must have considerable influence in Fengyin. But you have never informed the Emperor about these spies. In addition, there are those people who appeared out of nowhere in Puhua Street. If the Emperor suspects my identity, I will have no choice but to betray you in order to protect myself."

Looking into his extremely confident, even proud, eyes, I felt a chilling sense of satisfaction. I smiled and turned to Yi Han, saying, "Go and put out the incense. Young Master Chen has inhaled enough of the Danxin Begonia."

Chen Sheng watched as Yi Han walked expressionlessly to the incense he had just lit. With a flick of his sleeve, the smoke drifted away and gradually disappeared. His face, however, turned pale, his expression clearly saying: How could I forget that he is the Poison King's husband?

I chuckled softly, but the chuckle was chillingly cold: "This medicine won't kill you, but you must never touch the acupoint under your ribs. Also, you must come to my place at this time every month to get the antidote, otherwise, you will suffer unbearable pain."

After a pause, I continued, "You must be wondering why Yihan and I weren't poisoned..." I smiled and picked up the teacup in front of him, waving it around. "That's because the antidote was added to this tea. If you don't believe me, you can try pressing the acupoints yourself."

Chen Sheng's face was deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with resentment as he looked at me. He slowly extended his right hand and pressed it down with trembling hands...

"Ah ...

A fleeting smile crossed Yi Han's eyes: "Madam said that this person caused her to lose sleep and appetite for several days, so she naturally wanted to express her gratitude. Therefore, she slightly modified the ingredients of the medicine."

I coughed twice to cover my laughter, but the crying and screaming continued, it was really too shrill. I covered my ears helplessly and said, "It's so noisy, Yihan, make him stop."

Chen Sheng was still groaning softly, but the look on his face as he lay prostrate on the ground, looking at me, was devoid of resentment, only filled with fear and horror. I took a few steps forward, looked down at him, and smiled faintly, "Chen Sheng, you'd better figure out how to convince me to give you the antidote before the eighth of next month. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to use your suffering to slowly pay for the lives of my men."

"Yihan." I waved my hand and said, "Send him out, and remember not to let anyone see him in this half-dead state, lest they become suspicious of me." Yihan took two steps forward, and without much effort, he lifted Chen Sheng up and disappeared from the room in a flash.

I heard Zi Mo laugh and say, "Galan, you're becoming more and more like that powerful, cold-blooded prime minister." His voice sounded somewhat distant.

I looked up at him and smiled, but a strange emptiness and coldness filled my heart: 'Zimo, isn't this exactly what you wanted?'

========================================

I had a very strange nightmare last night, it seemed like something happened at Naihe Pavilion, but when I woke up in a cold sweat, I couldn't remember anything.

I got up, my mouth dry, and in the pitch black, I easily made my way to the table, poured myself a glass of water, and drank it down without knocking anything over. I paused, shook my head with a wry smile, and was about to go to sleep when I smelled a faint fragrance of lotus in the air. You see, Lin Yu's senses are incredibly sharp, and lotus has always been a sensitive subject for me. Even though it was just a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance, I was absolutely certain that Mu Shuangshuang had arrived.

I donned my soft armor vest, draped a light undergarment over my shoulders, and silently made my way out. It's hard to explain what drove me to not call out to Yihan immediately, but instead to sneak through my own residence like a thief. Following the increasingly strong fragrance, I slowly arrived at the back garden of Chiyu Tower. "Tonight, the moon is dark and the wind is high, perfect for robbery and murder." This thought suddenly popped into my head, and I couldn't help but shake my head and chuckle. Just as I was about to take another step forward, a familiar voice drifted into my ears on the chilly winter wind that made me shiver.

"Although you are highly skilled in martial arts, it is still too bold of you to break into the capital of Jinyao..." Yi Han's voice was always filled with such reproach and worry. I gently clenched my hands at my sides.

Mu Shuangshuang let out a light laugh: "Is Brother Feng worried about me? Hehe, tonight is the New Year's Eve, and everyone is prone to relaxation. Jin Yao's preparations seem tight but are actually loose, so my coming and going is not a problem."

Silently, Yi Han's voice carried a hint of helplessness: "What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to ask for an antidote for my cousin." Mu Shuangshuang smiled, but her voice gradually became serious. "Brother Feng, I just want to ask you, what exactly are you doing? You are clearly Master's most beloved disciple, why are you still..."

Yi Han's voice turned colder as he abruptly interrupted her: "My affairs are none of your business."

"Yes, I shouldn't have interfered with you!" Mu Shuangshuang's voice suddenly rose, tinged with resentment and affection. "Why should I interfere? If you win, I'll have to bow down to you; if you win, I'll either be controlled for life or die. Why should I interfere with you?!"

I was completely confused. Even the slight unease I had felt earlier vanished, leaving only bewilderment and a vague sense of fear. Then, Mu Shuangshuang paused for a moment, as if sighing, and said, "Is he really that good? Or are you just trying to defy your fate?"

"Ling'er," Yi Han said calmly, "you don't need to say anything more. I have my reasons."

After a long silence, Mu Shuangshuang's tone calmed down, but her voice lowered: "If you really think so highly of him, then use your abilities to put him on the throne. Or... what's the point of this limbo, stuck in this limbo?"

“I will never force her, nor will I leave her.” Yi Han’s voice was unusually calm and gentle. “As for the winner and loser, I have never cared about that.”

Mu Shuangshuang pondered for a long time, which made me peek out. Lanterns for lighting the night were still hanging in the mansion. In the dim light, I saw Mu Shuangshuang take a step back, staring blankly at Yi Han, and then she smiled sweetly and said, "Brother Feng, I will never forget the kindness of delivering food and pleading for you on Wuji Mountain. Even if it's for you, Brother Feng, I will fight that person with all my might!"

Yi Han's expression was somewhat complicated. Before he could reply, his eyes suddenly widened. I was just as shocked as I watched as the ethereal woman in the light green gauze dress suddenly threw herself into his arms, her rosy lips pressing tightly against Yi Han's.

"What are you doing?!" Yi Han shoved her away violently, his murderous aura so strong that even I, a hundred miles away, could feel it.

Mu Shuangshuang giggled, "Brother Feng still hates getting close to women, but Ling'er just likes it. By the way, be very careful of the four great assassins of the Yixiu Continent; they all serve the same person. That's all for tonight, Ling'er is leaving now. Brother Feng, take care!"

Vanished silently like wisps of smoke, just as quietly as she had arrived. Mu Shuangshuang was a woman as alluring as a mystery. The four great assassins of the Ishu Continent? I think I've heard Uncle Li mention them before, something like Fei, something like Liu—strange, yet somewhat familiar names. I shook my head, stood up, and walked back.