Linfengchun

Chapter 26

Chongxuan shook his head slightly, his tone quite surprised: "Of course not."

"So wouldn't you want to get closer to her all the time, ideally seeing her every moment, even if she doesn't know?"

He frowned slightly: "Is that so?"

"So, wouldn't you feel that no matter what happens, it would be best to be near her, never leaving her, and staying with her for the rest of your life?"

Chongxuan glanced at Qingyin, hesitated for a moment, and then answered, "Yes."

Qingyin stared wide-eyed, trembling dramatically: "Young Master, you...you really...like me? But Qingyin only sees you as an older brother."

Chongxuan's hand trembled, and the teacup landed on his clothes. He quickly stood up and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? When did I say it was you?"

Qingyin breathed a sigh of relief and asked curiously, "But I've been the only one accompanying the young master. Is there anyone else?"

Chongxuan lowered his head, his face slightly flushed: "I was talking about Miss Xu. If it were you, I'd be too busy having a headache to even think about it."

She said with a grin, "But you have a headache too. Oh, where's that lady surnamed Xu? I haven't seen her."

Chongxuan sighed: "She said she had something to do and left early this morning. She also said that she already has someone in her heart. It wouldn't be right for me to keep pestering her like this."

Qingyin fluttered her butterfly-like eyelashes and asked in confusion, "Is that person better than you, Young Master? If they are better than you, it's not too late to give up. Besides, Sister Qin said that Young Master and Sister Xu's destinies are most compatible, which means they are destined to be together."

He lowered his eyes and said softly, "Is that so? One cannot completely believe in matters of fate." He lifted his robe and took off the outer robe that was stained with tea. Qingyin went to the inner room to get a clean one and helped him change.

Chongxuan said calmly, "Let's travel around the Central Plains. We've come all this way, we can't just go back like this."

After dusk, the staircase and painted pavilion

When the Ming Dynasty was first established and the country was at peace, Nanjing Prefecture served as the capital and was historically known as Yingtian. After Emperor Yongle ascended the throne, he moved the capital to Beiping and renamed Yingtian as Nanjing, making it a secondary capital. As a result, the prosperity of Nanjing Prefecture was no less than that of the capital.

When Xu Lianning first arrived in Nanjing, she rented a private residence. After all, inns were crowded, and it was inevitable that she would be recognized. She was just undecided; some matters of the martial world were not her concern, nor could she afford to. Longteng Post Station was quite famous, and it was said that it had many experts among its members. If something went wrong, she might not be able to escape unscathed.

It's already late autumn, and there's a chill in the air as you walk through the streets.

She had been busy these past few days, and when she suddenly heard the locals saying that tomorrow was the Frost's Descent, she realized how fast time had flown by. When she got up early in the morning, she saw several local families going to a nearby temple to fulfill their vows.

If it were Buddha's Birthday, there would probably be even more people offering incense. Xu Lianning recalled that when her senior uncle was still alive, she had accompanied him to Lingyin Temple to fulfill a vow. The scene of the temple filled with incense smoke and teeming with people was quite terrifying.

My master said that most people who believe in fate are those who have experienced setbacks and always feel that they can find a way to cope.

Xu Lianning replied that she felt everything had a cause and effect; she had sown the seeds of her own actions, and most of the others were within expectations.

Looking back now, I find it all quite ridiculous.

"I wonder whose daughter she is, riding out on horseback in public like this. She's quite pretty, though." An old woman with a weathered face approached, shaking her head and muttering to herself. Perhaps she was old and hard of hearing, for her muttering was rather loud.

Xu Lianning glanced at the group of people slowly reining in their horses in the center of the wide street and stopped in her tracks. The elderly man at the head of the group was robust and dressed in fine clothes, with a smile on his face. A long sword in a leather sheath hung by his saddle. He was none other than Liu Junru, the sect leader of Longtengyi. Behind him were several young disciples, all riding white horses. Among them were a few he had seen at Wudang, including Lin Zihan. He was the most outstanding junior disciple of Longtengyi, riding at the back of the pack, occasionally whispering to the woman riding beside him.

Xu Lianning stared in shock at the woman talking to Lin Zihan, her thoughts in turmoil. The woman had a pair of slightly asymmetrical dimples when she smiled, giving her a vaguely innocent appearance. Yet Xu Lianning knew that the weapon she wielded was the Emei dagger, and that her attacks were extremely ruthless. It turned out that Yin Han, who had disappeared in the Tian Shang Sect's underground passage that day, was with Long Tengyi.

Or perhaps, like Ruan Qingxuan, Yin Han was originally a disciple of Longtengyi.

Suddenly, all the lingering mysteries of the past were solved. It was Yin Han who tipped off Lingxuan Palace's secret outposts in Nanjing that had been razed. Therefore, the red-clad child-like Shui Tian Gu found in the secret room that day must have been a skilled agent planted by Longtengyi. In other words, the massacre of the five great families was also inextricably linked to Longtengyi.

She walked quickly to a secluded spot before stopping to slowly reflect.

Later, at Wudang, Sikong Yu told her that when he was about to uncover the truth, Shui Tiangu was suddenly killed by someone who appeared—Yu Shaowen. If Yu Shaowen was also entangled with Longtengyi, how could she possibly hand over the position of Palace Master of Lingxuan to him?

After a moment's thought, she hurried toward the eastern suburbs of Nanjing.

Longteng Post Station was located in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing Prefecture, not far from the official road, making travel very convenient.

Xu Lianning stood outside the side door and knocked. After a while, a hunchbacked old man came out to open the door. When the old man saw her, he seemed to consider her carefully before asking, "What brings you here, young lady? Who do you want to see?"

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "I am a friend of Young Master Lin. Is he at his residence?"

The old man frowned and said, "There are people with the surname Lin all over the street. Explain yourself more clearly."

She hesitated for a moment, a hint of confusion on her face: "This young master Lin is... this tall, right? He has a square face, and his name seems to have the character 'Han' in it, but he never mentioned it to me."

The old man quickly closed the door and whispered, "Judging from your appearance, you come from a good family. You should let go when it's time to let go. Don't get entangled and bring trouble upon yourself."

Xu Lianning guessed that Lin Zihan probably had many romantic entanglements, and the gatekeeper was very skilled at saying these words. She looked sad and said, "I just want to see him one more time. In the future... my father has already arranged a marriage for me, and I ran away from home."

The old man sighed for a while, seemingly feeling sorry for the other person, and said, "You're not the first one. The month before last, a young lady also came looking for me. Today is the day my master is fulfilling his vow, and young master Lin has also gone to the Great Bao'en Temple. He won't be back for the next couple of days."

Xu Lianning understood and said, "I will go to the Great Bao'en Temple to find him now."

"You probably don't go out much, do you? The Great Bao'en Temple was built by imperial decree of Emperor Chengzu. How can someone without status just go in? In Nanjing Prefecture, besides my master, there are only a few other officials and their families who can go there."

Xu Lianning was secretly puzzled; how could Longteng Post Station be involved with the imperial court? She calmly asked, "Then when can I come again to see him?"

Before the old man could speak, the side door suddenly opened, and a person walked out.

The woman was dressed in simple, elegant clothes, tall and slender, with a face so beautiful it was breathtaking. Xu Lianning stared intently at the woman, completely oblivious to what the old man had said next. The woman met her gaze, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling, a slight smile playing on her lips: "If you weren't so exquisitely beautiful, I would have suspected that the man who admired Yi Hongzhuang was simply mesmerized."

Not only is his figure similar, but his gentle, smiling voice is also very similar to Ruan Qingxuan's.

Xu Lianning withdrew her gaze and lowered her head slightly. She heard the woman say, "Uncle Fu, you go in first. I'll give this young lady some advice."

Seeing that her slight movements suggested she possessed superior martial arts skills, Xu Lianning inwardly groaned. Although she had gleaned some information, if she were to alert the enemy, all her previous schemes would be wasted.

The woman looked at her and slowly said, "What's so great about Lin Zihan that you actually like him?"

"Everything boils down to fate. I think it was like this from the very first meeting." She looked at the withered leaves falling from the poplar tree beside her, and her heart ached. "Falling in love is just that—it's all so simple. How can you possibly calculate every single detail?"

The other person took a couple of steps, smiling pleasantly: "Miss, your manners are elegant, and I find ourselves quite compatible. Why don't we walk and talk?"

Xu Lianning had no choice but to walk alongside her, trying her best not to reveal any martial arts skills in her every move: "That's very good."

"As the saying goes, it's better not to meet than to meet, and it's better to have feelings than to have none. You are a person of deep affection, so why suffer for love?" She smiled slightly with her almond-shaped eyes. "If you keep him in your heart and keep him in your thoughts, that's all that matters."

Xu Lianning softened her voice and said, "The light chill and drizzle evoke boundless emotions, yet spring is hard to control. What harm is there in being intoxicated by you? — Did Qin Shaoyou write this line before? Has the young lady forgotten it?"

The other person chuckled: "That's right. I just didn't expect that you, Miss Xu, would also like to recite such sentimental and frivolous phrases. I almost took what you said seriously."

Xu Lianning stopped, already gripping the hilt of her sword, but then heard the other person continue, "I advise you not to draw your sword. It's a bad idea to attack someone of unknown origin and unclear friend or foe." Xu Lianning smiled slightly and released the hilt, "I understand."

The woman looked at her, her gaze settling on the vermilion mark between her brows, and said knowingly, "If you were to unleash the full power of the Blood Demon's Restriction, I would be no match for you. But you won't do that. So, it's better if we talk calmly."

Xu Lianning said calmly, "Then may I ask your name, young lady? So that I can address you properly."

She slightly curved her almond-shaped eyes, revealing a hint of slyness: "Alright, my name is Su Ling. Have you heard of the Drunken River of Oblivion?"

Xu Lianning shook her head.

Su Ling was greatly disappointed: "I thought Qing Xuan had at least told you that."

"You know Senior Sister Qingxuan?" she asked in great surprise.

“Of course, I’ve known her for a long time…” A hint of melancholy appeared on Su Ling’s face. “It’s a pity I didn’t get to see her one last time.” She paused, then smiled slightly. “Today and tomorrow, the guards at Longteng Post Station will be the weakest. But among those who remain, there are some who are not easy to deal with.”

Xu Lianning glanced at her, nodded, and said, "Thank you very much." She turned around and hurried back to the city. She believed that what Su Ling said must be true, but why would someone connected to Longteng Post Station tell her this?

Su Ling waited until the woman's figure disappeared before the smile on her face gradually faded. She turned around and said to the person who had somehow appeared at the side door, "Oh dear, I can't believe you saw me here. What should I do?"

The man's expression was extremely calm, his pale blue sleeves fluttering slightly in the breeze, and his tone was even: "I just happened to come to see Mr. Su."

Su Ling turned around and approached: "Master is still taking a nap. Why don't you go inside and sit and wait?" She walked past the person and added: "Even if you stand here until the sky collapses and the earth cracks, it won't make a difference."

The man lowered his eyes slightly but did not reply. Su Ling murmured to herself, "It's better not to meet than to meet... What's wrong with being intoxicated by you? Ah, it's really wonderful."

Xu Lianning stood close to the wall, holding her breath until the guards passed before taking a step. The guards at Longteng Post Station were far inferior to those who had infiltrated Huaying Tower that night. She quickly made her way to the main courtyard, examining each room one by one. When she reached the fourth room, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from the furnishings, it should be a study.

Fearing someone might see her, she didn't dare light a tinderbox. As she groped around on the desk in the dark, the study door creaked open, a figure darted in, and then closed the door again. Xu Lianning turned and hid behind the bookshelf, waiting. As the person approached, in the dim moonlight, she could see their face clearly and whispered, "Young Master Sikong?"

Sikong Yu was startled, then recognized her voice, and went to the bookshelf to ask in a low voice, "Why are you here too?"

Xu Lianning thought for a moment and decided not to tell him about the letter left by Xiao Qianjue. She then said, "I heard that Liu Junru went to the Great Bao'en Temple to fulfill her vow these past few days, so I took the opportunity to sneak in."

Sikong Yu smiled slightly: "Me too."

The two fell silent and continued their search in the study. Xu Lianning walked to the wall, picked up several paintings and calligraphy works, and examined them, but found nothing unusual. Suddenly, she heard Sikong Yu say, "Miss Xu, come and see."

She walked over and saw him reach for a vase on the table, but the vase didn't budge. He turned it, and a mechanical click was heard. Xu Lianning felt a slight tremor beneath her feet, and before she could step back, she felt herself lose her balance and fall downwards. She didn't panic; she threw the Flame Breath down, tapped the sword with her toes, and immediately slowed her fall, landing gently on solid ground.

She bent down to pick up the Flame Breath Sword, only to hear Sikong Yu's anxious voice above her: "Are you alright?"

Xu Lianning looked up and saw that the exit at the top looked extremely small, and the surrounding walls were slippery stone, so she couldn't go up: "Young Master Sikong, don't come down, this mechanism is probably not right."

Sikong Yu couldn't help but ask, "Then what are you going to do?"

Xu Lianning thought for a moment and said, "Wait for me upstairs for a while. This secret room should have another exit. If I don't return in half an hour, restore the mechanism."

Sikong Yu's voice was full of annoyance: "Fine, just be careful."

Xu Lianning also felt that she had been particularly unlucky lately. First, she got caught up in the Tang Clan's internal affairs, then she was followed by Chongxuan and the others, and when she went to Longteng Post Station to investigate, she encountered Su Ling, whose allegiance was unclear. Now, Sikong Yu had activated the trap, and she was the one who fell down. Perhaps she should find some time to go and offer incense to ward off bad luck.

She walked along the tunnel, marking many forks in the path, and turning back whenever she felt something was wrong. After all this wandering, she became quite disoriented. She didn't know how many times she had turned around, but suddenly the view opened up before her. What appeared to be just an ordinary stone chamber seemed to shimmer with a faint light.

Xu Lianning took two steps forward and saw a pile of treasures in front of her, such as a jade beast and dragon incense burner, a white jade disc with a pig and dragon design, and an eight-lobed silver cup. She remembered seeing similar items at Zhang Weiyi's mansion. After looking at them for a while, she opened the left-hand box and saw gold bars scattered inside, with large ingots of silver underneath.

She thought about it and figured that with so many hidden sentries under Lingxuan Palace, the things they sent every year were probably worth about this much. She closed the box, and after taking a couple more steps inside, she felt her breath catch in her throat: there were rolls of small parchment, categorized and recording the martial arts of various sects. The five great families' records were the most detailed, and even Lingxuan Palace's were included.

She examined the parchment and then looked at the weapons laid out beside it. She was now completely certain that the massacre of the five great families was inextricably linked to Longteng Post Station. Even if they weren't the masterminds, they must have been accomplices. She initially considered destroying them, but then decided against it. If she were to expose them later, these could serve as evidence.

Xu Lianning stood up and walked towards the back door of the stone chamber. As she passed a pile of weapons, she bumped into one of them, and several arrows fell out with a clatter. She bent down, slowly picked up one of the arrows, and couldn't help but frown slightly: "So, it was also made by Longteng Post Station..." The arrowhead and the poison on the arrowhead that she had taken from Zhang Weiyi's leg matched the arrow in her hand perfectly.

A hint of murderous intent flashed across Xu Lianning's face as he murmured, "Destroying the Shen family of Jinling, killing Senior Sister Qingxuan, and Master, even Weiyi... Liu Junru, I will make sure you are utterly disgraced and have nowhere to go. I will not spare any of your relatives or disciples. I will make sure you have only enemies and no family in this world..."

She reached out to push the stone door, which led to the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall. The newest memorial tablet bore the inscription in black ink: "Liu Clan, Yin Family." Xu Lianning couldn't help but smile slightly: "Junior Sister Yin, you've kept this from us for quite a while..."

"Who's inside?" The door to the ancestral hall opened, and a man dressed in black walked in. He had a long scar on his left cheek that ran all the way down to his chin, ruining his originally handsome appearance.

He was slightly taken aback and said, "It's you?"

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "That's the question I should be asking. Shaowen, what are you doing here?"

Yu Shaowen's expression was complicated, and he said softly, "It's a long story, let me tell you..."

"Go on, I'm listening. You can talk all night long." She gently flicked her sleeve, but the cinnabar between her brows gradually deepened. Yu Shaowen took two steps back and leaned against the door: "It's not convenient to talk here. Where are you staying now? I'll come find you tomorrow."

Xu Lianning looked at him with a faint smile: "Am I going to tell you where I'm going to stay, and then wait for you to bring people to kill me?" She suddenly drew her sword, the pale red blade already pressed against his brow, but he did not dodge.

Yu Shaowen remained calm: "It seems you are already aware of the shady dealings that Longteng Post Station is doing. This will not do you any good; Zhang Weiyi is a prime example."

Xu Lianning said calmly, "You're saying he knew all along?"

“I don’t know how he found out about Longteng Post Station. Following the trail, I uncovered a lot of things about him. That’s why I ambushed him on your way to the capital that day.”

"...He never mentioned it."

Yu Shaowen smiled sarcastically: "Of course he won't say. This man's cunning is far beyond what you know."

Xu Lianning was silent for a moment before speaking: "Then let's be clear. I will not give up unless you kill me."

He gave a wry smile and sighed softly, "So even after knowing each other for so long, you still don't know what kind of person I am and can't trust me."