The Foolish Agent

Chapter 42

"What exactly is this thunder?" Xuanyuan pressed.

Qingfeng glanced at Xuanyuan and asked, "You don't really believe that was winter thunder, do you?"

"I don't believe it, but does this have anything to do with Xiao Jie? How did she do it?" Xuan Yuan asked anxiously.

Qingfeng shrugged and replied:

"You'll have to ask her. She's always been a bit of a rascal, and she's always been good at weird and wonderful things, you know that."

Xuanyuan had to admit Qingfeng was right. He recalled their first meeting at the medicine hut. She had used sharp words to render him, the emperor, utterly worthless. Their second meeting, she had again berated him mercilessly. Yet, every time he was so angry he wanted to strangle her, she always managed to find a reason in her arguments, leaving him no choice but to concede. He couldn't truly retaliate against her. But that was all because she was him!

Xuanyuan dared not imagine what would have happened if he had known from the beginning that she was a woman. Would he have slapped her away from the palace before she even had a chance to curse him, before she even looked at him with disdain? If that had happened, where would he have learned so many unparalleled strategies and tactics? If he hadn't settled matters of the court, how could he have spared the time to travel the world? Suddenly, Xuanyuan felt that her disguise as a man wasn't entirely unacceptable.

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Three days later, at dawn, just as the rooster crowed for the first time, Xuanyuan entered Leng Jie's room as usual. He found her still lying silently on the bed, her eyes closed. He asked the maidservant standing guard beside her:

"Did the Third Sect Master still not wake up last night?"

"No, I've been watching over you the whole time, without even blinking."

The person who replied was Shi Fang, Shi Yu's personal maid. Having grown up in the Shi family since childhood, Shi Yu trusted her implicitly. Seeing that Leng Jie was injured, Shi Yu realized that Longmen had no women to serve her. Given the current special circumstances, he wasn't comfortable hiring a maid on short notice, so he thought of Shi Fang. However, he didn't reveal to her that he had shrunk. He personally wrote her a letter, instructing her to accompany the messenger to care for an important person and to take good care of him.

From then on, she was responsible for taking care of Leng Jie. In reality, she only stayed here to watch over her at night. The person on the bed was wrapped tightly in a white sheet, lying there like a mummy, not moving an inch. She didn't need to feed her, nor did she need to take care of her bodily functions. Cleaning and changing dressings were handled by Qingfeng; there was no need for her to interfere. If it weren't for Xuanyuan and Shiyu insisting that she not stay here at night, Qingfeng wouldn't have let her even do that.

No sooner had Xuanyuan arrived than Qingfeng and Xiaoshiyu followed him in. Then a group of people from the Dragon Gate stood outside the door. Due to Qingfeng's orders that the patient needed to be quiet, they dared not step into the ward.

As usual, Qingfeng stepped forward to take Leng Jie's pulse, and everyone watched his expression nervously. When he frowned, their hearts leaped. When he relaxed, their hearts returned to normal. When his brow remained unchanged, they were filled with doubt. In short, everyone was worried that their valiant and invincible Third Sect Master had simply fallen asleep and never woken up again! Although only a handful of people here had ever seen the Third Sect Master, everyone was filled with admiration upon hearing that she had first cleverly broken through the Prince's mansion in a single day, and then forcefully shattered the undefeated sword formation of the Four Protectors of the Green Robe Sect, which had dominated the martial world for decades!

Xuanyuan finally couldn't help but ask the question that was on everyone's mind:

"Qingfeng, are you sure she's really just asleep? It's been three days already, and you released her pressure points long ago. Why isn't she waking up? Could it be that she can't feel the pain from all her wounds while she's asleep?"

"She had been traveling for several days and then spent the night at the Prince's mansion. Her frail body was already nearing its limit. That final, desperate effort was an extraordinary display of her strong will. That's why she collapsed and fell into a deep sleep. She's slowly recovering in her sleep now. If she knew how many people had worried about her while she was in a deep sleep, perhaps she would have wanted to wake up sooner, given her personality? But, did you all disturb her sleep? Look how soundly she's sleeping!"

Qingfeng was genuinely touched by how much everyone cared about his beloved junior sister. So, unusually, he didn't blame others for questioning his diagnosis and even tried his best to explain.

Everyone wanted her to wake up quickly, even just to open her eyes briefly, so they could confirm that Qingfeng was right—that she was just exhausted and asleep, not seriously injured and unconscious. But, as Qingfeng had said, they couldn't bear to. So, they quietly left, returning to their respective posts.

At noon, Qingfeng had just left for lunch. Leng Jie blinked a few times. A moment later, she opened her hazy eyes. She suddenly found herself lying in a completely unfamiliar room again. Her first thought was, had she transmigrated again?

Then, the scene of breaking the sword formation at the Green Robe Sect flashed into her mind. Looking at the simple wooden cabinet beside the bed, she saw a neatly folded pink silk dress. Her second thought was that she had been switched bodies again. She began to wonder if she possessed an immortal soul? Last time she was shot to death, this time she was hacked to death by a hail of swords. She never expected her deaths to be more gruesome than the last. She was very curious—whose body had she transmigrated into this time?

She tried to turn over in bed, but couldn't move at all. "Ouch!" A searing pain instantly shot through her body, so intense it felt like her brain was convulsing. A groan escaped her lips involuntarily. "God, are you kidding me? Last time you gave me a body like an idiot's, though not strong enough, at least it was a complete body! This time you're not going to give me a body missing limbs, are you?"

When Qingfeng arrived at the dining room, he saw Shi Fang helping to set the table. He quickly instructed her to go and look after the Third Master, and to relieve her after he finished eating. Shi Fang rushed over, and just as she reached the door, she heard a woman's voice coming from inside the room. She hurried in and saw the person on the bed enduring pain, convulsing and murmuring something. She quickly asked:

"Third Sect Master, you're awake! Are you in a lot of pain? I'll go call Young Master Qingfeng!"

Watching the figure rush in, utter a few words, and then abruptly turn and run away, Leng Jie finally understood that she was still inside the body of the idiot. So the pain she felt earlier was from a sword wound, not something as serious as a severed arm or leg. With this realization, Leng Jie felt the pain lessen considerably.

A loud shout came from outside the door: "The Third Sect Master is awake!" followed by cheers. Qingfeng and Xuanyuan appeared in her sight almost simultaneously. Seeing the surprised expressions on their faces, she couldn't help but ask:

Did I sleep for a long time?

"How do you feel soon?" Qingfeng asked with concern.

"After a long time, you finally woke up!" Xuanyuan replied eagerly.

Two answers came out at the same time, but they meant completely opposite things. Leng Jie looked at them in confusion, wondering if it was a long time or a short time.

A small head peeked out from behind Xuanyuan and Qingfeng. A clear, childlike voice asked:

"You slept for three whole days. Do you think that's a long time?"

“Oh! Only three days! That’s not a long time. I once slept for five days and five nights straight,” Leng Jie replied earnestly.

Everyone collapsed to the ground!

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The moment Leng Jie saw Xiao Shiyu, she suddenly forgot her pain. She remembered there was something important she hadn't done yet.

"Where is that Wu San Wu Si?"

Everyone was astonished! The first people the Third Sect Master asked about upon waking up were Wu San and Wu Si. Was he in a hurry to settle scores with them?

Wu the Elder, Wu Yun, knowing his younger brother had almost ruined everything, hurriedly said:

"Please don't get angry. Take care of yourself and go in. They are being punished."

Xuanyuan also advised, "They neglected their duties, and there are sect rules to punish them. You should focus on recovering from your injuries!"

"Yes, Third Sect Master, please rest assured and recover from your injuries..."

She had only asked where they were, so why did it elicit such a long nagging? Leng Jie looked at Qing Feng in astonishment, seeking his help.

Upon receiving Leng Jie's pleading look, Qingfeng immediately addressed the crowd who were still chattering and trying to dissuade him:

"Alright, now that you've seen her wake up safely, don't disturb her rest here. Wuyun, go and call your third and fourth sons over."

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Leng Jie glanced gratefully at Qingfeng. She politely addressed the group, "I don't know what Wu Laosan and the others have done wrong. I just want to get my belongings back! I hope they haven't lost the baggage I entrusted to them!"

"Is this the bundle?" Before Leng Jie could finish speaking, Xiao Shiyu had already handed her the bundle.

"Yes, yes, that's it. I did tell them that if anything happened to me, they should give the bag to you. They've already given it to you! It seems they didn't disobey my instructions!"

Leng Jie had already discerned from the tone of the crowd that Wu San and Wu Si's dereliction of duty was definitely related to their decision to lead men to the Qingyi Sect for reinforcements. Therefore, she deliberately ignored that matter and only mentioned the package.

Everyone saw through her intentions and stopped mentioning the matter. The room fell silent. All eyes were once again on Leng Jie.

Lying in bed, too afraid to move, Leng Jie felt extremely uncomfortable under the gazes of many passionate and piercing eyes. Two blushes involuntarily rose on her pale cheeks.

Leng Jie was completely unaware of how dazzling and captivating her unintentionally revealed girlish demeanor was!

In reality, she was wrapped up like a dumpling, completely devoid of any charm, beauty, or elegance. However, it was the rare blush on her cheeks that revealed a softer side to the many young men who had previously admired her for her bravery and wisdom. And so, a ripple naturally stirred in their hearts.

The three outstanding men who knew her better and more comprehensively were completely captivated by her allure, yet remained oblivious to their own feelings.

"Thank you for your concern, I'm fine now. Please leave!" Leng Jie weakly issued a dismissal, shattering the tranquil atmosphere of the room. "Oh, right, Senior Brother, please stay a moment, I have something important to tell you."

Xuanyuan and Xiaoshiyu reluctantly followed the others out of the room.

"Senior brother, I've thought of a way to break the curse. But I need your help, and I can't tell Xuanyuan and the others about it." Leng Jie quickly got to the point as soon as she saw everyone together.

Is this the important thing she wanted to tell him, leaving him all alone? Qingfeng couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He was completely impressed by her abilities and didn't find it incredible at all that she could come up with a way to break the curse. It seemed like it was only natural. Qingfeng calmly agreed:

"Tell me how you want me to help, and I will do my best."

Leng Jie was taken aback by Qingfeng's attitude. Shouldn't he be surprised? Why did he have this expression? Without thinking too much about it, he continued:

"Xuanyuan was injured too, wasn't he? When you change his bandages, try to get me some of his blood."

"Ah!" Qingfeng was no longer so calm. He stared at her and asked, "You want his blood?"

"Don't worry, it won't kill him. Just a little bit. Take a piece of joss paper and let the blood soak through it. Then use the same method to get my blood."

Qingfeng's eyes widened even more.

Why do I need your blood?

"Because to break the curse, you need dragon and phoenix blood. Then burn both kinds of blood along with the spirit tablet of the person who was cursed. That way, the curse will be lifted naturally." Leng Jie carefully explained the method of breaking the curse to Qing Feng. Because she was currently unable to move, Qing Feng had to do everything for her.

"Phoenix Blood?" Qingfeng trembled violently as if struck by lightning! An indescribable sorrow welled up from the depths of his heart. How could he forget that she was the Empress, destined for greatness!

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Leng Jie felt she had already explained things very clearly!

"No problem, but what about that memorial tablet?" Qingfeng suddenly understood why she had gone to the Prince of Ying's mansion alone, and then asked, "You went to the mansion for the memorial tablet!"

"Yes, dealing with smart people is so much easier." Leng Jie nodded in agreement. Then she shifted her gaze to the bundle beside the bed and said:

"It's in that bundle, but we absolutely mustn't let Xiao Shiyu know about this. If he finds out we're going to burn his ancestors' memorial tablets, he'll eat us alive!"

"We're saving him!" Qingfeng said coldly.

"It's best not to let him know. Don't you people value that thing a lot? Otherwise, it might cause other trouble. Anyway, I've already had an exact replica made for him and put it back in the ancestral hall. Unless someone specifically looks for it, they won't notice the problem."

"Why are you helping him so much? Do you want him to recover to his original state as soon as possible?" Qingfeng couldn't help but ask what was on his mind.

“Of course, don’t you want to? The problems between the Dark Division and the Green Robe Cult are becoming increasingly complicated, and he is the only clue.”

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Sharing the Long Night

As night deepened and all was quiet, the howling north wind outside rattled the roof tiles. Inside, the candlelight flickered and swayed with the north wind that swept in through the window.

After sleeping for three days, Leng Jie was tormented by pain and could no longer fall asleep.

To distract herself from the pain, Leng Jie constantly sought out conversations. During the day, she talked to Qingfeng, Xuanyuan, and Shiyu, reminiscing about their childhood anecdotes and current events in the martial arts world. At night, she could only talk to Shi Fang, the only other woman in the room. However, unlike the others, Shi Fang didn't actively try to distract her. She would only answer Leng Jie's questions. Before long, Leng Jie had run out of things to say.

The moment her thoughts stopped, the pain took over. Leng Jie gritted her teeth and endured the pain, turning her attention to Shi Fang, who was engrossed in embroidery by the bedside. She thought that a girl like Shi Fang, who had grown up as a maid in a wealthy family, should be as considerate as Qing'er, right? Thinking of Qing'er, she realized how much she missed the adorable Qing'er who would risk her life for her foolish master. She wondered if Qing'er was doing well in the General's Mansion. Was she well-fed and clothed? Was someone teaching her to read and practice martial arts? Was she being bullied? Perhaps she should sneak a peek at her next time she returned to the capital.

However, Leng Jie really didn't like Shi Fang's personality. Shi Yu had brought her here, which meant she must have a high opinion of her abilities. But why did Shi Fang always seem so indifferent and cold? Was this her true nature? She always felt that Shi Fang seemed to harbor some resentment towards her! Could it be because they were both women, and there was a sense of unease between women?

Or perhaps it was because she hadn't found a topic that would interest Shi Fang? Come to think of it, she was completely devoid of all the traditional virtues expected of women in ancient times—the three obediences and four virtues, calligraphy, needlework, being delicate and resigned to fate, and being pitiful. Suddenly, Leng Jie thought of a topic; she thought Shi Fang would definitely be interested this time.

"Shi Fang, what kind of person is your prince?"

Sure enough, Shi Fang's eyes lit up and her cheeks flushed. But only for a moment, she regained her composure and looked up to ask in return:

"The Third Gatekeeper should know my Prince, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have ventured into the Prince of Ying's mansion alone for him. Nor would he have specially written a letter to have me serve you."

What a strong sour smell! Leng Jie involuntarily got goosebumps. She had thought this woman would be happy to talk about her master. But unexpectedly, she had become her imagined enemy. Now, there was no need to think about anything. Leng Jie felt she had nothing to say to this petty, jealous woman. She closed her eyes and said:

"I'm going to sleep now, you should go back to your room and sleep too!"

"Third Master, please sleep soundly! It is my duty to keep watch for you at night," Shi Fang replied without looking up, her head bowed as she embroidered.

Leng Jie now felt a throbbing pain even in her uninjured head, and impatiently commanded:

"I'm not dead, why should I keep watch? If you want to embroider, go back to your own room."

Shi Fang stopped her embroidery, stood up and said, "I live next door. If the Third Master needs anything from me, just give the order loudly."

"Okay, remember to close the door behind you when you leave," Leng Jie replied with her eyes closed.

Leng Jie opened her eyes only after hearing the door close. Gazing at the darkness outside the window, she imagined herself back in the 21st century. She imagined herself amidst bustling skyscrapers, surrounded by cars and people. She imagined the thrilling scenes of a mission she was undertaking… But why did it still hurt so much?!

It is said that when people are sick or injured, they become psychologically vulnerable. She had never missed her family, her comrades-in-arms, her colleagues, and everything in the 21st century as much as she did now, including the man who had hurt her so deeply... As she thought about it, tears welled up in her eyes without her realizing it, and like the Yellow River bursting its banks, they overflowed uncontrollably.

Then came a pain that spread from the outside in, like flesh being torn apart, a pain so intense it tormented her to the point that she wanted to bite her tongue and commit suicide in order to find relief.

Xuanyuan tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He knew from his past sword wounds that the pain was unbearable for most. And the wound was at its most painful in the dead of night. Xuanyuan seemed to see Leng Jie gritting her teeth and enduring the pain. Thinking back to how she had forced herself to laugh and talk with them during the day despite the pain, something seemed to be fermenting in his heart, a sour feeling slowly growing.