"Shui Wu'er," Shui Wu'er replied calmly.
Rong Qiurui was taken aback: "Is that your real name?"
Shui Wu'er laughed: "Even if Yin Bitong put his toenail fungus on my forehead, I would still give the same answer."
"Water...uh, may I call you Water Girl?"
It's impressive that Rong Qiurui could still tell she was a woman. Shui Wu'er touched her face: "Call me whatever you want."
Rong Qiurui said, "Miss Shui, my brother is not a bad person. Our parents died early, and he raised me since I was a child. He... he has done many things for me, many things you can't even imagine. He... he is the best brother in the world."
Shui Wu'er remained silent for a long while before saying in a hoarse voice, "Why are you telling me all this?"
Rong Qiurui ignored her: "Miss Shui, have you ever loved someone? Loved them to the point of despair, loved them so much that you would rather kill yourself than let them be with you?"
Shui Wu'er shook her head, then suddenly thought of something and laughed: "I have seen people who love so much that they have to kill others to fulfill their own desires."
Rong Qiurui thought she was talking about Rong Jufeng, and said sadly, "He had no choice. Miss Shui, I made up my mind a long time ago that no matter what he did, I would forgive him."
Shui Wu'er pondered for a while.
“Miss Rong,” she opened the door and smiled. “This is your family’s business, not mine. You don’t need to say so much to me. You should leave as soon as possible. Oh, and take your maid with you.”
Rong Qiurui's expression changed.
The little maid holding the brocade box burst into laughter: "How could Yin Bitong like a woman as dirty, ugly, and boring as you? It's such a blow to my self-esteem."
Shui Wu'er asked curiously, "And who are you?"
The little girl arrogantly jumped onto the table: "I am the second assassin of 'Traceless,' Soul Reaper."
Chapter Three: The Swing Inside the Wall, the Path Outside (Part Four)
Legend has it that the second assassin of the "Traceless" faction, Soul Reaper, is a genius of disguise. She can change her appearance and shape through makeup and bone shrinking, which means she can become anyone in the world.
When a person can transform into anyone in the world at will, she often forgets who she is. If even she forgets who she is, it's even less likely that others will know who she is.
Shui Wu'er was very experienced in dealing with masters of disguise. Her childhood best friend, Shi Mansi, was a master of disguise even more alluring than Gouhun. Unlike Gouhun, Shi Mansi's disguises were innate; she never used external forces to change her appearance, yet she could still transform into hundreds of different people. She dressed as a courtesan, a vegetable vendor, a peddler, and even took the imperial examinations. If Shi Mansi wanted to, no one could be 100% certain of recognizing her, not even Shui Wu'er, who had grown up with her.
Except for one person, Cen Lu. Cen Lu was a very unlucky person, forced to sign a sixteen-year indenture at the age of twelve. Shui Wu'er always harbored resentment because, even though she was the one who plotted to make Cen Lu sign the indenture, why did Cen Lu suddenly become the one cleaning up Shi Mansi's messes?
She really is unlikable, isn't she?
The master of disguise, Soul-Hook, clearly didn't have any good feelings towards her either.
Shui Wu'er sat in a magnificent carriage, intently picking at the dirt under her fingernails, then crushing the dirt and patting it onto the white bear fur rug inside the carriage.
Gouhun, still dressed as a young girl, looked utterly incredulous: "Now I believe you're a real beggar. I used to think that even if you weren't as good as 'Misty Dream,' you'd at least be as good as Red Hands."
Shui Wu'er glanced at her: "Little girl, stop using such vulgar language, it's really unpleasant to hear."
Gouhun's expression hardened: "How did you know I'm a little girl?"
"Hey, you're dressed like a little girl, aren't you?" Whatever the disguised person looks like, that's what he is. This was the first rule she learned from Shi Mansi.
Words fail me.
"You woman, you really don't know what fear is!"
Shui Wu'er laughed inwardly. In her current state, what was there to be afraid of? What was there for her to fear?
"Why does Yin Bitong like you?" Gouhun pondered, hugging his knees in distress.
Shui Wu'er's hand trembled, and she looked up with a stiff smile.
"Who exactly told you that Yin Bitong likes me?" She had always believed that there was no smoke without fire, but at this moment she was beginning to waver.
"If a madwoman like Yin Bitong didn't like you, why would she cut off her own heart's blood for you? Why would she keep such a dirty and smelly woman like you by her side?"
Shui Wu'er wiped her forehead and analyzed in a rather unserious manner: "First, Yin Bitong cut his heart's blood to make a medicinal ingredient for Rong Qiurui. Second, he keeps such a dirty and smelly woman like me by his side only because I happen to be there. And third, Yin Bitong is a madman! If I really understood his thoughts, wouldn't I become a madman too?"
For a fleeting moment, a look of confusion appeared in the captivatingly bright eyes of the spirit.
“You’re a madman,” she concluded.
Shui Wu'er slumped backward against the carriage wall. Who was the madman? Were all the "Traceless" people so irrational?
"Your legendary master is probably the biggest madman in the world."
The Soul-Hooking Demon glared at her angrily: "Those who insult their master shall die!"
Shui Wu'er shrank back: "A place that could raise two freaks like you has such boring rules. I overestimated your master."
It's strange, really. It's hard to understand why someone like Yin Bitong would willingly become someone else's slave.
Gouhun seemed to see through her thoughts and said coldly, "Yin Bitong's position in the organization is different from ours. Even the master cannot interfere with what he wants to do." Gouhun seemed extremely dissatisfied with this: "One day, I will defeat Yin Bitong and become the true number one in the world!" The little girl clenched her fists, her blood boiling.
Is Yin Bitong really the best martial artist in the world? Who said that?
Alas, ever since the man who wrote "The Record of Male Beauties in the Martial World" abandoned his pen for the sword, rankings in the martial world have become increasingly unreliable.
The carriage bumped along for several miles before slowly coming to a stop.
Gouhun smiled slightly at Shui Wu'er, her name befitting her: "If I lift the carriage curtain, there are three possible outcomes. One is that Yin Bitong is already standing outside, combing her hair and watching us; another is that Yin Bitong is standing outside, pointing her finger at me; and the third is that Yin Bitong is sitting on horseback, drinking wine. Can you guess which outcome it will be?"
Shui Wu'er looked at Gouhun as if he were an idiot: "Is there a difference between these three outcomes?"
"Of course there are. First, it means Yin Bitong is in a good mood; second, it means Yin Bitong is so happy she wants to kill someone; third, it means Yin Bitong is currently very weak."
Shui Wu'er quickly reviewed Gouhun's words in her mind, confirming that her reasoning was completely unrelated to her premise.
"If you knew Yin Bitong was definitely outside the carriage right now, what was the point of pulling me all this way?"
Gouhun rolled his eyes at her: "I'm happy to."
Shui Wu'er was now certain that this person, like Yin Bitong, was a complete madman. Before Gouhun could speak again, she decisively lifted the curtain.
The view outside the curtain brought a smile to her face. "Have you considered the possibility of a fourth outcome?"
Yin Bitong is not here.
Shui Wu'er and Gou Hun jumped off the carriage, but still couldn't find any trace of Yin Bi Tong.
This is an ordinary cliff, unremarkable in any way. Like all cliffs, it appears unfathomably deep, but at its bottom is likely a man-made pool, specifically designed to rescue great heroes and young people aspiring to become great heroes.
Shui Wu'er knew she was neither a great hero nor a young person about to become one, so she figured it was best not to jump. After all, the chances of someone repairing the pool for her were as slim as the chances of Gouhun becoming sworn sisters with her on the spot. Well, if Gouhun was indeed a female bird.
So Shui Wu'er found a quiet spot to sit down. Since Gouhun had so much confidence in Yin Bitong, then even if Yin Bitong wasn't here now, she should arrive here soon.
But what she still couldn't understand was why this beautiful story of her, Gouhun, and Yin Bitong had to take place on this cliff. Was Gouhun's purpose in kidnapping her truly to lure Yin Bitong into a trap, then eliminate her and seize power? Did Yin Bitong really come here to rescue this beautiful woman with such a heightened sense of smell?
Shui Wu'er hasn't used her brain much in three years, and she's decided that it's best not to use it too little now.
Yin Bitong is indeed an unconventional person. Just when you think that appearing like a monster is normal for him, he is panting and climbing up the mountain path step by step.
The light green robe looked rather superfluous against the backdrop of the lush green mountains. If Yin Bitong were to strip naked amidst such scenery, she would look absolutely stunning.
At this moment, Yin Bitong, dressed in a green robe, was panting and patting her chest while poking at Gouhun with her finger, cursing, "Uncle Yin, you brat, if you ever pick such a high place again, I'll kill you!"
Upon hearing this, Shui Wu'er bit her finger and smiled at Gouhun. Heh, she actually called him Yin Zhangzhang. It sounds like something out of a lewd joke.
Yin Zhangzhang's fragile young heart was shattered by Shui Wu'er's smile.
Yin Zhangzhang revealed her weapon, a small golden lock in her palm.
"Yin Bitong, I will definitely kill you today!"
Yin Bitong accepted the challenge with a cold smile.
Shui Wu'er sat on the sidelines watching the battle with great interest. She felt that if her life in the past three years had been even remotely interesting, she had to thank these two people today.
Half an hour passed, and Shui Wu'er was utterly astonished.
Yin Bitong actually lost.
Shui Wu'er racked her brains but couldn't believe that Yin Bitong would lose. This simply didn't fit any of the logic she had in the martial arts world. A cunning and shrewd old fox and a hot-blooded brat—the former shouldn't be the one to lose, no matter what.
With blood at the corner of her mouth, Yin Bitong smiled and said, "Uncle Yin, you've improved again."
Yin Zhangzhang roared triumphantly, "What's so great about making progress? Yin Bitong, today I will make you die under my golden lock!" She held the golden lock in her hand, rubbed it against her cheek, and then slapped Yin Bitong off the cliff.
Shui Wu'er suddenly screamed and pounced over, grabbing Yin Bitong's wrist according to the Jianghu logic she remembered.
Below the cliff, a thick fog enveloped Yin Bitong, whose green robe fluttered in the wind, her lips stained with blood, her face as white as snow, as if she were about to take flight.
“Yin, Bi, Tong!” Shui Wu’er gritted her teeth and spat out these three words.
Yin Bitong gave her a bleak smile: "Shui Wu'er, you've surprised me again. I always thought you wouldn't save people, but you always do."
Shui Wu'er wanted to yell at him, but then she realized it wasn't the right time. She grabbed his wrists with both hands and shouted, "Yin Bitong!"
Yin Bitong responded to her very gently, "Yes."
Shui Wu'er was about to cry: "Yin Bitong, if this continues, we're really doomed!"
Yin Bitong stared intently at her: "Shui Wu'er, you can't ask for favors. You can't ask for anything, have you forgotten? Do you want me to live? That thought will kill you." The pity in his eyes wasn't for himself, but for her.
Shui Wu'er felt as if her heart was bleeding.
Blood was dripping from her eyes.
"I...won't...die!" She'll just be half-dead.
Behind her, Yin Zhangzhang laughed smugly: "She actually pulled you back at the last moment, so it wasn't for nothing that you expended most of your vital energy to save her. Yin Bitong, your loss today was worthwhile!"
Shui Wu'er was startled.
Yin Bitong shouldn't have lost, but she did. And the reason for her loss was her. Yin Bitong had exhausted her own power to save her? And she was completely unaware?
Yin Bitong sighed softly, "Wu'er, let go. Let me go alone. Otherwise, we will both die."
Shui Wu'er shook her head desperately. Blood dripped from her lips, flowing down her clothes and arms, onto Yin Bitong's body, staining his green robe a somber black.
How can anyone else die? Besides Shui Wu'er, who has the right to die? Who does?
"Wu'er, listen to me, let go." Yin Bitong coaxed her, gently opening her hands, with only Shui Wu'er's arm connecting the two. However, Shui Wu'er could feel her consciousness and power slowly being withdrawn from her body at the same time.
"I can't... just watch you die!" Shui Wu'er roared, clinging to the last shred of clarity in her mind.
That angry shout startled the birds flying in the mountain stream and stunned Elder Yin, who was clutching the golden lock tightly.
In that instant, she saw a trace of emotion finally appear on Yin Bitong's exquisite face.
Then, her consciousness completely vanished.