In the ensuing duel, the moment she drew her sword, her mind went blank. The next instant, Gu An was already struck by the tip of her blade, blood splattering and staining their spring robes red. He smiled and said to her, "You must live, live my share too. You must live..."
From then on, whenever Mo Xi saw red flowers in spring, she would think of the day his warm blood splattered on her face. Under the sunlight, it felt even warmer, but her heart grew colder and more numb.
Later, whenever she dreamt of this scene in the middle of the night, Mo Xi felt that this was what people often referred to as "smiling in the afterlife." Gu An had given her a life, leaving her to live a life of constant danger, day after day, year after year.
A veteran swordsman with over thirty years of experience at the Jinling branch once told her: "When you feel your sword can no longer be sharpened, never go on a mission, because it means your heart is weary. A weary heart, no matter how skilled in martial arts, will one day die by someone else's blade. Because victory will always belong to those who crave it."
She wanted to use the same sword at the time.
That night, Mo Xi tried to fall asleep again, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she saw the same cold, scrutinizing eyes that had been watching her from the carriage during the day. As a result, she suffered from insomnia for the entire night, a rare occurrence for her.
The next day, Mo Xi went to the branch office early in the morning to report back. Strangely, the branch office not only made no mention of the reward three days later, but also generously gave her a silver note containing twenty thousand taels of silver. Mo Xi didn't show it on her face, but her suspicions grew stronger. However, she knew that since the organization had arranged for them to act independently during the mission, they would never reveal any other information afterward, including the casualties of other team members. Therefore, she didn't ask a single question from beginning to end.
There are some things you can't know, but you can't let the other person know what you want to know.
The author has something to say: All the weapon designs in this book gave me a lot to think about.
What should we call a sea eagle? Little Darling, Little Silly, Clumsy...?
The cat is getting old and forgot a clue, so I've added it back.
Cherry Blossom Pavilion
( ) Two days later. Outside Jinling City, at Shili Slope.
Since the mission order did not specify a time, Mo Xi could only try her luck early in the morning.
"Shilipo" is actually called "Yinghuaxie". It is not a desolate place, but a resort. It is also the most famous gathering place for the powerful and wealthy in Jinling City. It got its name "Shilipo" because it is ten miles away from Jinling City and built on a high place.
As its name suggests, "Cherry Blossom Pavilion" is a place where one can admire the blossoms reflected in the water. Climbing the steps, one is surrounded by an endless expanse of cherry blossom trees, including many rare varieties such as the white 'Kasumi' cherry; the 'Kanhi' cherry with its petals hanging upside down like golden bells; and the most vibrant red 'Kōyama' cherry, and so on. Whenever a gentle breeze rises, the delicate petals flutter and scatter in the air, then swirl and fall into the streams on either side, drifting away with the flowing water.
Mo Xi gazed at the falling cherry blossoms and listened to the babbling brook. She remembered Gu An telling her that he would bring her here to play when he had money in the future. But today, she was alone.
Suddenly, Mo Xi sensed someone approaching, so she concealed her aura and stepped aside.
It was truly effortless. Judging from the man's movements, Mo Xi recognized him as one of the people who had participated in the battle that day, and quietly followed him.
Sure enough, the person walked into an octagonal pavilion, showed the mission order to a middle-aged man who was already waiting there, and was then led into a nearby waterside pavilion.
Mo Xi held her breath and waited patiently for the guide, who was probably not a staff member of the villa, to leave before silently leaping onto the roof of the waterside pavilion. She chose a spot hidden by tree branches and gently lifted a roof tile to peek inside.
Eight people were already scattered around the room, some sitting, some lying down. Three of them were disguised, meaning that almost all the survivors from that day, except for herself, were present. The room was lavishly decorated. There were dancers singing and dancing, an endless supply of fine wine, and young women keeping company. It was a scene of peace and prosperity, with music playing softly and delicious food readily available—it truly resembled a victory celebration. A full cup of tea's time passed, and everything remained orderly and harmonious amidst the chaos. Mo Xi couldn't help but wonder: Was she overthinking things and becoming too much of a conspiracy theorist? Was this place actually the same as in her previous life, where, to avoid interfering with the male employees' pleasure-seeking, such group activities were simply blocked for female employees?
But since she was already there, out of professional caution, she decided to see what was going on. So she waited on the rooftop for a full hour, watching the people revel in their debauchery, her neck stiff from waiting. Finally, all eight of them gradually showed signs of being drunk, sprawling on the ground, and the girls who had been entertaining them tactfully withdrew. Mo Xi was about to slip down to investigate when she suddenly sensed someone approaching. Turning her gaze, she saw the guide reappear on the steps in the distance. To avoid alerting them, she could only remain still.
After a while, the man approached, slowly stepping into the room. Without any further action, he simply extended two fingers to check the breaths of each of the eight men, then nodded in satisfaction and leisurely strolled out, his steps as unhurried as when he entered. Mo Xi witnessed this scene, a cold smile creeping across her face. The organization had sacrificed top-tier experts this time; this deal must have been substantial, worth such heavy losses. At the same time, a mixture of doubt and fear slowly rose within her: why was she the only one left alive?
Next, Mo Xi remained crouched low, clinging to the roof like a gecko, quietly observing the movements below. Soon, two more burly men, unremarkable in appearance and dressed as gardeners, arrived. They carried the eight corpses out of the room one by one, placing them on an equally inconspicuous cart, and quickly covered them with white sheets.
Even though the newcomer's martial arts skills were only at a basic level, Mo Xi still dared not be arrogant. After all, this was someone else's territory, and it was her first time here; she didn't know their strength. After a while, she quietly flew down from the rooftop and followed at a distance.
There's nothing new under the sun, so naturally, the next step was to cover up the crime. Those people were buried deep in the cherry blossom grove, becoming fertilizer for the flowers.
Mo Xi had seen what she shouldn't have seen but wanted to see, and wanted to leave as soon as possible. She secretly wondered: why did the organization leave her behind?
Unexpectedly, as she walked out of the woods, a gentle, spring-like voice suddenly rang out in the distance, interrupting her thoughts.
What are you doing here?
Mo Xi turned around and saw Mu Fengting. She smiled slightly and said, "I haven't seen you for several days since we came to Jinling together. I didn't expect to run into you here. What a coincidence."
Mu Fengting laughed and said, "Since you wouldn't take me in, and I was too impatient to go to an inn in the city, I borrowed a room here because it was quiet. I was just thinking of inviting you to come and have some fun yesterday."
Mo Xi also laughed, "My home is bare, I have no face to entertain guests. I didn't expect you to come uninvited today." In his heart, however, he sighed: This fellow is living a very carefree and unrestrained life. The scenery here is beautiful, indeed a hundred times better than the inn. Fortunately, today's business is over, otherwise, if we run into this meddlesome person, if we don't take him, he will definitely come along; if we do take him, and this person makes headlines, it will be a huge problem.
Mu Fengting, unaware of her thoughts, said warmly, "My place to stay is just ahead, let's go."
Mo Xi nodded and readily agreed.
At the end of the steps is a covered walkway leading to a dozen or so small wooden buildings situated along the water. This entire complex is collectively known as "Cherry Blossom Pavilion." Its layout is somewhat similar to modern seaside resort villas.
The two walked through one of the long corridors, at the end of which stood a rectangular wooden building with a plaque bearing the words "Colorful Pavilion." The entire building stood on a platform surrounded by railings, half hidden in a sea of flowers and half floating on the clear water. Its waterside side was open, with slightly curved goose-neck armchairs between the pillars; the other three sides featured floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, creating a sense of openness and spaciousness. The roof was a hipped gable style, without a main ridge, the ridge forming an arched surface; the eaves were level and delicate; and the openwork hanging ornaments beneath the eaves were exquisite. All the doors, windows, and railings were made of polished wood, simple, natural, and elegant.
The word "缤纷" (bīnfēn) is naturally taken from "落英缤纷" (luòyīngbīnfēn). These two words alone fully convey the vibrant spirit of spring.
The small spot rented at Mufeng Pavilion was excellent, floating serenely on the clear water, directly facing the entire cherry blossom grove, offering a very open view. Opening the French doors led to a platform on the water, and the two simply sat on the goose-neck railing separated from the water by a railing. Cherry blossoms drifted down in the breeze not far away, creating a truly vibrant spring scene.
Mu Fengting personally brewed a pot of Tieguanyin tea. A gentle spring breeze blew, and the air was filled with the fragrance of orchids.
You said you would stay in Nanjing for a while.
"Yes. The scenery here is superb; I plan to stay for a while longer."
Mo Xi was not surprised that he was a wanderer.
As Mu Fengting poured her tea, he asked, "May I ask how you make a living, young lady? Do you have any family in Jinling?"
"I have been an orphan since I was a child. To my shame, I have only been able to make a living by relying on my family's inheritance."
Seeing that she didn't want to say more, Mu Fengting immediately changed the subject, saying, "What brings you here today?"
"I've wanted to come for a long time, but I'm always short of money. It's just that I'm a little better off lately, so I thought I'd come and relax for a day." He thought to himself: This isn't just empty talk, after all, I still have the 20,000 taels of silver notes the organization gave me that day in my pocket.
"A girl with such talent can make a fortune no matter what she does."
Mo Xi shook his head and said, "In this life, all I want is to have enough to eat and to live a peaceful life."
Mu Fengting remained silent for a moment before saying, "Where else would you like to go? I'll risk my life to accompany you today."
Mo Xi smiled and said, "Why didn't I meet you sooner? I've already explored this whole place by myself."