"The imperial city has been unrivaled in the world for many years. Doesn't Miss Rong think this is too domineering?"
"Passing the Ten Kings of Hell proves that one's martial arts are extraordinary, enough to be above ten thousand people. What's wrong with him taking over the imperial city and ruling the martial arts world?"
"That's inappropriate. It's too arbitrary. How can anyone see its fairness? If the city lord has evil intentions, wouldn't he be plunging millions of people into misery?"
"What good intentions could Master Wu possibly have in coming here to say all this to me?"
This world is inherently a dog-eat-dog world. How many wise and virtuous people are there? If you are a true gentleman, I will naturally respect you. But if you are a true villain or a hypocrite, then why should I be polite?
He was taken aback by my retort, but then laughed again. "Naturally, I hope to avoid trouble and maintain peace in the world. If Miss Rong doesn't think this is well-intentioned, I have nothing more to say."
If you have nothing to say, then don't say anything and don't disturb my rest.
One sentence was thrown at him, and his expression froze. "Hmph, you want me to do what you say? No way!"
"Aqing, see the guest out."
I tied my hair up, put on a trench coat, and decided to go for a walk outside. After shooing away the speechless Wu Fei, A Qing grabbed another coat and followed me.
There are several lilies of the valley by the pond in the outer courtyard of the Seven Star Tower. Their petals are pure white, their red berries are dazzling, and they exude a rich fragrance.
"It's truly remarkable that someone can grow such beautiful lily of the valley with such vibrant flowers and fruits during this season."
"Hmm, and there are lychees too. Miss likes them, right? How about I pick some fresh ones for you this afternoon?"
"No need for that. It's best to let things take their natural course. They're best eaten in the season they're in. Lychees should always be chilled. They're sweet and refreshing in the summer. Right now, we can only enjoy them occasionally, so they're probably not at their best."
"Miss, you are mistaken. Since I can make it bloom and bear fruit in autumn and winter, there will certainly be no problem with its taste."
The person stood beneath a crabapple tree, ethereal and otherworldly, pure and untouched by worldly dust.
"This is the extraordinary man in the city, Young Master He."
I rolled my eyes. "The son of... Minister He?"
He smiled slightly, as warm as spring, and said, "Not bad."
"Could you plant a lantana for me?"
A smile played on his lips, and his gentle eyes flickered. "What would Miss need a poisonous plant for?"
"I have my own uses. Can you plant me or not?"
He didn't reply, but simply shook his head slightly.
"Very well, if you are unwilling, I will not force you."
I turned to leave, but the voice behind me suddenly changed.
"Heh, I had no idea when Rong Lian learned to be accommodating?"
The tone and manner of the voice were so familiar that I suddenly turned around and took a closer look before realizing who this Mr. He under the crabapple tree really was.
We share the same surname, He. How could I not recognize the person in front of me as the Medicine King after removing his human skin mask? Having grown accustomed to his disguised old face, and having not seen his face behind the mask for many years, my memory of it had become blurred. Moreover, he always seemed to have no connection whatsoever with the capital. No one would have imagined that He Xiuqi was the son of He Gongqing.
"What are you surprised about? I was also urgently summoned back by my father." He slowly walked over. "I'm also wondering why my father, who clearly knew that Nangong Ling was an extremely ambitious person, still let a wolf into the house. Wasn't he afraid of getting himself into trouble?"
"Oh, so you know how to shrink your bones?" I looked him over carefully from head to toe and asked.
My seemingly random sentence left him stunned for a moment before he reacted.
"What?"
"So you're actually half a head shorter than me. No matter how good you are at dispensing medicine, you can't grow that much taller in just two months."
As I was speaking, I gestured with my hand, and He Xiuqi rolled his eyes at me, as if to say, "You're being silly."
Everyone has their own thoughts and plans, and I really don't want to bother thinking about who can be trusted and who can't. That person is very powerful now, and he certainly won't let himself suffer any losses. All I need to do is take good care of myself and protect myself; that's the biggest worry I can share with him.
Chapter 65
It's not surprising that there are assassins at this time. What's annoying is that they always disturb my sleep, and in the end, they all end up in the dungeon. When I'm bored, they even become my scapegoats. So Qionghua still looks at me with a hopeless look and mutters that being an assassin these days is not easy.
After what seemed like the umpteenth wave of assassins arrived, a man walked in through the Changsheng Gate in a proper manner.
When Aqing ran back to tell me, I was eating Poria cocos paste, and I almost choked to death.
Because Aqing had forcibly wrapped me in too many layers of clothing, I tripped and fell hard before I even reached Xianglong Pavilion, which made me feel a surge of anger rush to my head.
Qionghua, who was standing in front of the pavilion, pulling Ayue along as they studied the Bauhinia flower, saw me rushing over aggressively. She glanced at me a couple more times, then smiled smugly and continued to pull the good-natured Ayue along to examine his Bauhinia flower.
The Xianglong Pavilion hadn't been covered with felt yet, and a thin layer of cool air rushed up my feet as soon as I stepped inside. Before I could even see what was inside, I instinctively took a step back, only to fall into a familiar embrace. Long, slender hands wrapped around my waist, and soft, dark hair brushed against my face. As his breath enveloped me, a kiss was placed on my ear.
"You run faster than me," he chuckled softly, his voice tinged with weariness.
Well, he probably only came over after receiving the news.
Yue Linghe bit her lip, turned her head away, and her eyes were red.
I thought of my past self. I felt uncomfortable seeing that scene at Shuiyun Pavilion, let alone seeing Yunzhi holding me so intimately now. Suddenly, I felt a pang of pity for her. But matters of the heart are always selfish, and Ronglian isn't exactly a magnanimous person. I've made up my mind that Yunzhi can only be mine, now, before, and in the future.
"What's that on your face? Why does it look so gloomy?" As I was quietly making a decision, Nangong Ling turned to face me.
"Huh?" Before I could react, his hand was already touching my cheek.
"Aqing, what's wrong?" he asked, his brows furrowed.
"It's all Ah Qing's fault. She picked out too complicated clothes for Miss, which caused her to trip."
Nangong Ling wiped the dust off my face and brushed it off my clothes. He nodded in satisfaction after he finished tidying me up.
"It's not your fault, she must have run too fast." He gave Aqing a reassuring smile, then looked at me and flicked my forehead lightly. "Stumbling and staggering, how could you be so clumsy?"
You're the idiot. There are so many women in the world with good tempers and personalities, yet you only want Rong Lian.
"Come in, it's cold outside." He led me inside. "Aqing, go and add some more firewood, get some pastries, and warm a pot of flower tea."
After Aqing went downstairs, he carried me to the bed and took out a soft blanket to warm my feet. Only after settling me in did he look directly at Yue Linghe, who was watching from the side, almost unable to bear it any longer.
"Has something happened at home?"
"My aunt said that your brother has abandoned his family for a vixen."
“Witch…” he repeated, then glanced at me with amusement, “If I remember correctly, this marriage was arranged only after she strongly persuaded me. Back then, she wanted to see me make a fool of myself, but now she can’t stand to see me suffer, okay?”
How could your brother speak so ill of your aunt?
"It's not bad, I didn't see it that way either, which is why I entrusted my mother to her. In the end, it was because of her little niece's influence that she did something to treat the guests poorly."
The hand on my waist tightened. Had I gone too far? I was just stating the facts.
"Tell me the truth, who brought you in?"
"Brother Tianxiang..."
"Anything else?"
"Brother Ghost."
Nangong Ling pondered for a moment, "They're all in cahoots."
"If people from Qianxiang Tower come, it won't be too late for Xuanmo Sect either. Next will be Feng Moru. Yunzhi, do you believe that Old Man Yan will come too?"
Whenever I mention Feng Moru, Nangong Ling's eyes light up, often with a hint of lingering killing intent; it's almost become a habit.
"Well, it's time to make a move. From today onwards, you'd better stay by my side and not stray too far."
Sigh, it's so boring not being able to go to the outer city.
"Your brother..." A faint voice drifted over, weak and powerless.
Nangong Ling looked at her and sighed, "With your senior brother here, there's nothing to be afraid of."
Instantly, her large eyes reddened again, and her pale face was so pitiful that it was hard to bear to look at her.
"Years ago, I told you why I kept you by my side, and you said you knew it then. To my surprise, you were so bold, knowingly crossing my bottom line. Back then, only three people knew that I had given Lian'er Guanghan Powder. Qionghua and Shaoyou killed them but dared not disobey my orders. Only you saw Lian'er's fearlessness, so I might not pursue the matter with you..." He hesitated for a moment but continued, "But you are not Rong Lian after all."
Although everyone has always known the truth, saying it out loud is like a needle pricking the skin; it hurts when it goes in and it hurts when it comes out.
When she reached her limit and could no longer bear it, Yue Linghe trembled and ran out the door in a disheveled state, almost bumping into Aqing who was carrying tea and snacks.
The sky outside is a bit overcast, and it hasn't cleared up in the last couple of days. It should snow soon.
Chapter 71
He paused for a moment, then laughed, a strange smile curving his eyes.
"Since that's the case, I don't care whether you like it or not."
A flash of cold light, and before I could even feel the glare, the sound of the lock ring clashing against the sword rang out, a clanging and clashing that disturbed the peace.
"Don't try to persuade Miss Shao to be careful," he said, standing in front of me with his hands behind his back. He even resembled Nangong Ling in that manner.
I pursed my lips, finding it amusing. What was there to be careful about? Feng Moru couldn't possibly hurt me. Even if I pointed a sword at him and threatened to kill him, he wouldn't budge an inch.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I knew you couldn't handle her by yourself." The deep voice, carried by the cold wind, added to the gloomy atmosphere.
The voice was immediately recognizable as that of the Grand Master Jun of the Heavenly Annihilation Sect. He sat on a tiger-skin soft chair, still accompanied by two servants. However, this trio now included another person: He Xiuqi's son, He Mengyan.
I looked behind him, and all I saw was the chill of the night.
"Stop looking. If Nangong Ling is going to leave now, he'll probably be in deep trouble." He touched the white warm gloves on his hands, his eyes lowered and somewhat unfocused.
I have absolute confidence in Feng Moru, knowing he won't hurt me. But it's hard to say if it's Jun Guan; his personality is the kind that makes you want to hit him.