Der Gipfel der Kampfkunstwelt

Kapitel 17

Long Yan couldn't suppress his surprise so easily. Whenever A Di looked at Que Yue, he would block him, waving in front of A Di to remind him to focus on answering the question. Finally, A Di pushed Long Yan aside and went to Que Yue's side. "Are you alright?"

"Um."

"That's good..." He was still smiling gently, but when he looked up at Yi Moran, the smile had disappeared.

Yi Moran glanced back indifferently; they had both already discerned something between them.

Long Yan looked at the three people—Yi Moran was evasive, Que Yue remained silent, and A Di was vague. So much had happened, yet these three were all playing cat and mouse with him. And yet, he was only here because of Old Man Rong. Old Man Rong was behind the murder, and he was also a suspect in the mysterious fire at the dance troupe. He had only come after Old Man Rong, while these three were just "innocent civilians." Even if they wanted to hide something, what could he do? Since they weren't suspects, could he even interrogate them?

I'm so frustrated... Why am I the only one being excluded? I have absolutely no idea what they're doing!

Before long, it was dark. Using the excuse that the owner of the clothing store and the brocade weaver needed some quiet time to rest, Adi sent Longyan back, but she herself did not leave.

"Zhijin, you go back to your room first. I have something to discuss with the owner of the clothing store."

Adi pressed her shoulder and spoke to her, his eyes still fixed on Yi Moran. Queyue glanced at Adi, then at Yi Moran; clearly, Yi Moran also vaguely knew what he wanted to talk to her about. She didn't ask any questions, nodded, and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Master Yi, it may be a bit presumptuous of me to say this so suddenly, but... I hope you understand that Zhijin has feelings for you."

Yi Moran was slightly taken aback. He thought that Adi was going to talk to him about Rong Lao'er and Xue Xiuluo. Hearing this sentence suddenly, he was a little confused about what he meant.

He could indeed discern some of Zhijin's feelings, but...

"I wonder what Young Master Di wants to say?"

“Master Yi, I don’t want to pry into your background. If Zhijin is interested in you, I will naturally support her and hope she can live a good life—but that’s only for now. You and I both know what the matter between Master Rong and Xue Xiuluo means. I can’t let Zhijin get involved in danger. If you can’t distance yourself from all of this, then please don’t get close to Zhijin.”

Yi Moran paused slightly, then smiled faintly, "Just because... there's danger around me? Does that mean Young Master Di would have let Zhijin approach me if it weren't for that? I thought Young Master Di had feelings for Zhijin..."

"My feelings for Zhijin aren't what the shopkeeper thinks. I do care about Zhijin, but I only hope she gets what she deserves—happiness or peace, I will protect her until she no longer needs me. Until then, I won't let anyone hurt her, including you." Zhijin has suffered too much, not just physically. Although he didn't know her past, how could he not sense from their daily interactions that the seemingly indifferent Zhijin, who seemed uncaring about anything, was actually just a habit naturally formed to adapt to survival? Having been indifferent for so long, her heart, her true thoughts and nature, she probably couldn't even find them herself anymore. Whenever he thought of Zhijin like this, his heart softened with pity and heartache.

Yi Moran seemed unconvinced by his words, scrutinizing him with a hint of inquiry—perhaps, Adi's feelings for Queyue were not [what he thought], but rather not what he himself thought—he had not even realized his own feelings for Queyue.

Yi Moran suddenly realized that Zhijin was Queyue. Did Adi know this? Or... did Queyue not want him to know? The appearance of Xue Xiuluo this time also made Yi Moran vaguely aware of Adi's identity, though not entirely accurate. Queyue obviously didn't know this. The two of them, accompanying each other, had never known each other's identities, nor had they ever inquired about them.

A hint of envy flickered in Yi Moran's eyes.

Perhaps, what he's looking for is someone like that by his side...

Chapters 35-37

“I understand what Young Master Di means.” Yi Moran composed himself and put on a gentle yet distant smile. “Miss Zhijin is indeed a good woman. I dare not say that I am not moved by her at all, but… as Young Master Di guessed, it is indeed impossible for me to be with Miss Zhijin. I will be careful in the future.”

Adi frowned slightly. Since he had come to say these things to Yi Moran, he had naturally already considered two possible answers. Although it was not unexpected... could Zhijin be harmed? He didn't want her to be unhappy at all, and just thinking about her possibly being unhappy made his heart ache.

"Thank you for your frankness, Master Yi. In that case, I shall take my leave."

Yi Moran nodded slightly, a faint smile on her face. Only after Adi left the room did she sigh inwardly—

Ah Di, how lucky you are to have met the Crescent Moon. Don't let your lack of understanding of your own feelings cause you to miss out... To have experienced it, and then miss it, would be such a pity.

If possible, Adi would probably take the brocade with him and go far away, so as not to get entangled in the affairs here again and not to be found by the Dark Pavilion.

However, he knew that Zhijin wouldn't leave until the poison in Yi Moran's body was completely cured.

His brocade weaving may seem cold, but he is actually kind-hearted, unlike himself. He can be kind, sincere, and tolerant—he can do these things genuinely, not as a pretense. However, when he is preoccupied with his own problems, he has no heart to care for others. Perhaps this is human nature; he is simply weary of the world of martial arts and bloodshed, and only wants a peaceful life.

He grew up in the Dark Pavilion, trained step by step to become a hardened assassin. Besides killing, he was instilled with a vast amount of knowledge, almost like being force-fed to become omnipotent. But after he left, only his medical skills remained useful. His medical skills were a product of the Dark Pavilion's training, but also his own natural talent. When he first left, he hadn't even considered using his medical skills to make a living; he only wanted to abandon his past, discarding his flute for a pipe, selling his horse, and using the money to buy ordinary country clothes and an old ox. Then, he met Zhijin. On a whim, wanting to save her, he used his abandoned medical skills once again.

Only after using it did he realize that severing ties with the past doesn't necessarily mean abandoning everything. Concealing his profound medical skills, he could use his knowledge to work as an ordinary pharmacist, earning a meager income, but enough to cover his daily expenses. Although he wasn't short of money, the large amount of silver notes he had taken with him when leaving the Dark Pavilion left him with no desire to use them, so he spent them all on the medicinal herbs needed for the brocade weaving.

He paused briefly before the door of the Crescent Moon room, gazing at the candlelight inside, but ultimately decided not to go in.

That night, Adi inexplicably couldn't fall asleep.

The lights in Queyue's room were turned off early. She never had any hobbies, and when she had nothing to do, she preferred to go to bed early and get up early, which was a very good habit.

Next door, Yi Moran hadn't lit a lamp, nor had he touched a bed all night. He sat in a chair, the only light coming through the dim moonlight filtering through the window paper, barely enough to make out the outlines of the furnishings. He remained still, like those furnishings, slowly recalling his conversation with Adi earlier that day.

He wasn't mistaken; Ah Di and he were the same kind of people.

Ah Di simply obtained what he lacked, or rather… Ah Di just encountered it first. His answer to Ah Di's words today was already very clear; it was a natural judgment, knowing immediately what he should do. What should be done isn't necessarily what one wants to do. But he wondered… if there was still room for regret?

No, if he wanted to go back on his word, why would he need to say "room for maneuver"?

As the sun rose, he had already made his decision. Whether he regretted it or not, he had to deal with Old Man Rong first; otherwise, he would never have a moment of peace.

Early in the morning, as Qin Lou got up one after another, Liu Zhi, who was supposed to be missing, appeared at his door on time as usual, carrying a basin of water.

"Master, it's time to freshen up... Oh, why are you sitting here? Haven't you been sleeping?"

Yi Moran looked on with amusement as the gossipy Liu Zhi, who still looked disheveled as if he had just been in a fight, yet remained nonchalant, putting down the washbasin to help him wash up. Yi Moran reached out and plucked a blade of grass from his head, saying, "You wash up by yourself first."

Liu Zhi then exclaimed "Ah!" and realized her disheveled appearance.

Yi Moran watched him wash his face with a gentle smile, not in a hurry. Since it was the gossipy Liu Zhi standing here instead of the cold-faced Liu Zhi, things were still under control.

After Liu Zhi washed her face and combed her hair again, he asked, "How is it?"

“Liu Zhi is useless. He failed to stop that old man Rong and caused him to disturb the master. Please punish him, master.”

"This is not your fault. Although I taught you martial arts, you are still no match for Old Man Rong. Tell me what happened next, and why did you only come back at this time?"

"Yes. After Old Man Rong escaped injured from the Master's place, I followed him and captured him. He's currently hiding outside. Does the Master wish to see him?"

Yi Moran nodded—how could he let someone who knew his identity leave so easily? Liu Zhi was raised by him and was most to his liking, so naturally she knew what to do. With Elder Rong injured, it was the easiest time to strike; how could Liu Zhi let him go?

Where did you lock him up?

"He's been locked in a dark room and drugged; there shouldn't be any problems."

Yi Moran gave him an approving smile, "You're gradually becoming capable of handling things on your own."

"No way! I'm just doing what the curator says. If you ask me to figure it out myself, I don't know what to do."

Yi Moran disagreed. Liu Zhi was indeed acting according to his wishes, but he had never given any explicit instructions. All the actions were arranged and planned by Liu Zhi himself. Wasn't that considered being able to handle things independently?

He didn't continue on that topic, instead asking, "How's the situation these past two days?" Qin Lou had resumed business as usual, but he had been focusing on detoxification in the backyard and hadn't checked on things these past two days. Liu Zhi looked troubled and said, "It's alright... but... I don't know who it is, but they've been causing trouble at the establishment these past two days, scaring away quite a few customers."

"Oh?" That's unusual. Although there were some rude guests who caused trouble in the past, such situations have been almost completely eliminated under his management. It's quite surprising to hear this. "What happened?"

"They're unfamiliar faces, probably from out of town. They came to the establishment complaining about everything, insisting on seeing the owner and the top courtesan, and even started touching each other inappropriately."

Yi Moran sneered. What did that person think this was? A brothel?

"I think that without Master Rong as our target, Constable Long must be quite bored. Let's ask him to stay a couple more days and listen to some music up front."

Liu Zhi understood, and smiled slyly, "Yes."

—The owner is truly remarkable; there's such an important figure right in front of us, why not take advantage of him?

Chapter Thirty-Six

Long Yan was invited to the brothel to listen to music, but he gave a bunch of excuses, saying he was a constable with official duties and couldn't linger there too long. Yi Moran chuckled, seeing through his obvious ignorance of these [soft, sentimental tunes]. He asked Queyue to come along, but Long Yan immediately changed his story, saying there wasn't much going on at the yamen lately, and fearing that Master Rong might return, he'd better stay. So he followed Queyue to the front hall.

This person's thoughts are so clear that you can see right through them.

“Young Master Di, why don’t you come along too?” Yi Moran turned to look at A Di, who stood beside Que Yue, making no attempt to hide his gentle and affectionate manner.

His attitude slightly puzzled Adi. Just yesterday, he had clearly stated that he understood Adi's warning, yet today he stood beside Queyue with a completely opposite attitude. What was this person thinking?

He naturally had to go along; he couldn't leave Queyue alone.

The front hall and the back courtyard are completely different scenes. The music and singing are endless, and there is elegance in the dust. It is indeed a good place for literati to gather.

Yi Moran found a private room upstairs, separated by a thin gauze beaded curtain, from which she could see the musicians and dancers performing on the stage downstairs.

Yi Moran sat with them for a while, then quickly excused herself, saying she was too tired, and left.

"Master Yi, would you like me to take a look at this..."

"No need. Young Master Di knows my situation better than anyone. I just need a rest." He declined with a slight smile and turned to leave. This arrangement wasn't just to use Long Yan to resolve the troubles at the front hall. As long as Que Yue came along, A Di wouldn't leave her alone. In this way, he would have enough space and time to deal with Old Man Rong's matter.

Entering the dark room from the dense bamboo grove in the courtyard, Old Man Rong was bound and drugged, with no chance of escape.

Yi Moran stood before him, still maintaining a faint smile. He had already revealed his coldness once, and didn't want to make the same mistake a second time. Yi Moran was a person as gentle as a cloud, not cold and cruel, wasn't he?

“Master Rong, it is not my wish for us to meet like this today. I also do not wish that we would become acquainted only to end up facing each other so cruelly. Master Rong, please tell me who is behind this.”

Even under these circumstances, Rong Lao'er could still laugh heartily, looking at the person in front of him with a hint of sarcasm. "Brother Yi—even though I call you that, do you still think you're really Yi Moran? Or should I call you by another identity? Back then, you faked your death and left, but I still found out. No one can escape. Once you enter the Dark Pavilion, it's for life. Unless you die, you can't get away with it!"

Yi Moran frowned slightly. "Are you really from the Dark Pavilion?" Indeed, he had vaguely guessed it when he heard that Blood Asura had appeared and blocked Adi's way here, but... "No, you've been investigating me for so many years, you're definitely not a newcomer. If you were from the Dark Pavilion, I would have seen you before!"

"That's right, I'm not a member of the Dark Pavilion, but a spy who reports directly to the master in order to monitor the Dark Pavilion!"

Yi Moran frowned slightly, seemingly troubled just by hearing about "that person".

It's been ten years... and I still can't escape it.

"Since that's the case, I can't keep you here any longer, Liu Zhi—"

"yes."

Liu Zhi was about to step forward to make a move when Old Man Rong chuckled and said, "Truly, the younger generation surpasses the older. As expected of the person you trained, I, an old man, have actually been defeated by a mere brat..."

Yi Moran didn't say much and turned to leave, but when she reached the door of the dark room, she suddenly stopped and looked at Adi who appeared outside the door with slight surprise—how did he get here? When did he get here? How much did he hear?

In the brief moment of eye contact, Yi Moran's mind raced, including the idea of silencing him. But Adi seemed oblivious to his thoughts, simply sighing and saying, "It's best not to kill him for now. Since he's been investigating you for so long, they probably already know about his actions. If he just disappears like that, wouldn't that confirm their suspicions about you?"

Yi Moran paused, not expecting that instead of questioning him, he sincerely offered his opinion.

He then lowered his guard, after all, they were the same kind of people, and there was no need for them to hurt each other.

He stepped aside to let Adi in. When the old man saw Adi, he laughed and said, "I've been busy with missions and have been away from home for years. I didn't even recognize Blood Asura. I'm so blind." If it weren't for the current Blood Asura, even he wouldn't have known that this kind and gentle man was actually the cold-blooded and ruthless killer Blood Asura.

Yi Moran glanced at Adi and murmured, "Blood Asura?" There seemed to be a hint of amusement in her voice.

Adi ignored him and asked Rong Lao'er, "Did you send Blood Asura to hold me back?"

The old man chuckled, "How could that be? Blood Asura obeys the Pavilion Master, while I obey the Master directly. I can't command him, and he won't come looking for me..."

Adi frowned slightly; what he meant was...

“That’s right, our tasks are unrelated, meaning we are both acting on the Lord’s orders—the Lord doesn’t have that much patience left; you’ll have to figure things out and go back on your own.”

Yi Moran was slightly taken aback when she first heard this, and was puzzled as to why that person would be so lenient towards Adi. Then she remembered the identity of the [former Blood Asura] and understood.

Old Man Rong didn't continue on this topic; he figured Adi already knew the answer. He glanced at the two men before him and laughed again. "The Dark Pavilion has been established for nearly a century, and no one can leave without death—yet the two people in history who have ever escaped from the Dark Pavilion are right in front of me. Isn't that interesting?" Only someone like Old Man Rong could laugh at a time like this. Interesting? More like a coincidence so perfect it left one speechless.

Adi glanced at Yi Moran. Indeed, when Xue Xiuluo appeared, he had already guessed that Yi Moran was related to the Dark Pavilion. It wasn't until he overheard their conversation outside the door that he was completely certain.