From then on, the second daughter of the Fang family went from being too beautiful to be noticed, to not needing to be noticed at all.
As this continued day after day, year after year, her brilliance was completely overshadowed by her older sister, Fang Ruowei.
Years later, Tang Ye, the young master of the Tang Clan in Sichuan and the renowned Poison King, suddenly broke off his engagement. After it was confirmed that he didn't want Fang Ruoxi, the second daughter of the Fang family, with whom he was betrothed since childhood, the news swept through the martial arts world like a hurricane. Fang Ruoxi was subjected to a lot of gossip and rumors, making her the subject of everyone's gossip again. At this time, the way Master Fang readily kicked her out of the house made everyone believe that she must be someone who was not favored.
As time went by, the gossip about Fang Ruoxi being abandoned by her fiancé had become tiresome after being discussed countless times. However, unexpectedly, at this time, both the Li and Fang families announced that their eldest son and daughter would soon be getting married. Before everyone could fully digest this news, they heard that Fang Ruoxi, the second daughter of the Fang family, was now in Luoyang and had become Tang Ye's maid. From that moment on, the name Fang Ruoxi once again became the focus of attention because of the marriage between the Fang and Li families.
The claim that Tang Ye's maid was Fang Ruoxi is a matter of debate, with some believing it and others disbelieving, creating a cacophony of speculation. The key issue, however, is that while Fang Ruoxi was expelled from the family by Master Fang, she was never reportedly removed from the family register. The fact that she remained a member of the Fang family suggests that Master Fang's words were merely a momentary outburst. Now that the two unmarried daughters of the Fang family have reached marriageable age, the question of where the second daughter will ultimately marry after the eldest daughter's marriage has become a point of great interest. Some have boldly speculated that Fang Ruoxi's current position is delicate; with the Fang and Li families about to become in-laws, sharing both honor and misfortune, Fang Ruoxi is arguably the only undisclosed and crucial figure in the Fang and Li families, and her marriage may very well represent the intentions of both families.
If her elder sister is about to get married in Luoyang, it would be natural for her younger sister to be there as well. Therefore, it's quite possible that Tang Ye's maidservant really is Fang Ruoxi.
Some say that since Tang Ye only treats her as a maid, he probably won't value her too much, and there might be other opportunities. Others say that regardless of whether the maidservant thing is true or not, if Fang Ruoxi is indeed by Tang Ye's side, it means there must be some connection between Tang Ye and Fang Ruoxi, and this connection might be feelings between them. Still others say that if Tang Ye really makes Fang Ruoxi his maidservant, it might be to retaliate against Fang Ruoxi's elopement and humiliate the Fang family. But even so, Tang Ye would keep Fang Ruoxi by his side, whether as a maidservant or something else. Given Tang Ye's character, this matter is not so simple. These various speculations ultimately remain unresolved. To know the answer, one will probably have to come to Luoyang in person. No matter how deep the waters Fang Ruoxi represents are, there will certainly be many who come.
The joyous occasion of the Li and Fang families was undoubtedly one of the most important events in the country, but this auspicious day happened to fall just ten days before the national examination held only once every three years. These ten days, while not long, were not short either, and for the young men preparing for the examinations, they were quite tight. Normally, the young men taking the exams wouldn't attend their wedding, but unexpectedly, in recent days, an unusually large number of young men from all directions had flocked to Luoyang to offer their congratulations. The sudden gathering of these talented young men in Luoyang made the city seem more like the capital city preparing for the autumn imperial examinations.
The girls in Luoyang have noticed a significant increase in handsome young men from other places these past few days, and even the brothels in Luoyang are doing better than before.
The Qinglin Inn, in particular, was empty a while ago but is now fully booked.
Tang Ye, who lived in the West Courtyard, rarely went out, and outsiders dared not approach her easily. Even the innkeeper, who had collected a lot of money from the inn, was at his wits' end, unable to understand how a different maid could come out every day when only one maid was staying in the West Courtyard. When did they all go in...?
**********
No wonder her sister didn't recognize her that day, no wonder... After leaving Xingbo Restaurant, Hua Wuduo walked down the street, lost in thought.
Now that she is at someone else's mercy, what will she do if her family is implicated? Although she doesn't know what Tang Ye really wants, or whether he truly knows her identity, many questions are mixed together and she is confused. Hua Wuduo couldn't figure it out, so she stamped her foot and thought to herself: I don't want to think about it anymore. Once I'm cured of the poison, I will do everything I can to escape.
Looking up, just as she was about to see where she was, she saw a young man in brocade robes not far from her on the bustling street. His hair was tied up with a golden crown, and he shone brightly in the sunlight, exuding an air of nobility that drew everyone's attention. Hua Wuduo naturally noticed him as well. When she saw the man clearly, she not only rubbed her eyes but also stared at him in disbelief. The man seemed to notice her as well, and his gaze pierced through the crowd as he looked over.
On the bustling street, their eyes met, and the throngs of people could not stop them from meeting.
Doubt, a gaze, and surprise. The young man in brocade finally smiled knowingly. His smile was like a begonia in bloom, cold and stunning. His originally indifferent and aloof gaze rippled when he saw the woman, filled with surprise, anticipation, and many other indescribable emotions.
Hua Wuduo was overjoyed and murmured a single word: "Cultivate".
*********
Under the bright sunshine and occasional white clouds, two young people stood amidst the mountains and flowing water.
The young man on the left is dressed in fine clothes, with a straight back and a golden crown binding his hair. His resolute expression carries a hint of arrogance, but the moment his gaze falls upon the girl beside him, tenderness instantly spreads across his lips and brows.
The girl's hair was styled in flowing buns. Sometimes she would laugh loudly, and sometimes she would gesticulate wildly, pointing at the mountains and rivers. When she laughed, she would also shake her head triumphantly. Every time the boy saw her laugh, the corners of his eyes and eyebrows would curve down a little more.
As the girl spoke with great enthusiasm, the boy gently leaned closer and stood beside her.
These mountains, these rivers, these people—if they could be immortalized, they would be eternal.
********
In the distance, several attendants who had come with Young Master Liu Xiu and his page Liu Shun followed far behind, watching the two people in front.
Although Liu Shun was curious about who the woman was, seeing his young master so happy, he could only keep his questions to himself. He thought she must be an old friend of his young master, but her back view seemed somewhat familiar, yet he couldn't quite place her. The woman's appearance was ordinary, and he truly had no recollection of her. His young master hadn't been this happy in a long time, especially after meeting the Empress before his departure, which made him even more depressed. He returned home and spent the entire night drunk, his anguish and struggle unlike anything he had ever seen. Upon waking, he suddenly announced his intention to come to Luoyang, and they hurriedly set off. Traveling at a rapid pace, they finally arrived in Luoyang two days before the wedding of the eldest son of the Li family and the eldest daughter of the Fang family. The wedding gifts had been delivered to the Li residence several days prior, and they had only entered Luoyang this morning. Unexpectedly, their young master encountered an old friend on the way. The young master had been looking gloomy the whole way, as if he had a lot on his mind, and his brows had never been furrowed. Now, even though they were far apart, Liu Shun, who had been by the young master's side for many years, could sense this expression. Who exactly was this woman? Liu Shun watched from afar, becoming increasingly puzzled.
He gesticulated wildly and talked incessantly, as if he hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time. When he learned that Liu Xiu was not the only one who had come to Luoyang, but also Wu Yi and Wu Qi, he became even more excited. However, he was a little disappointed that his classmates from other academies were unable to come because they were being held back by Master Ji to prepare for the triennial civil and military examinations.
She suddenly appeared in Luoyang. Although Liu Xiu had questions in his heart, he did not want to ask them at this moment. When he met her again, his heart was filled with indescribable feelings. He only wanted to watch her carefully and not miss her every move. He only wanted to hear her say anything.
Everyone in the capital said that Young Master Liu Xiu's aversion to women must mean he was attracted to men, but this was pure slander from Young Master Yi and his ilk. In truth, he simply disliked associating with women; he found their perfume nauseating, their self-righteous flirting repulsive, and the venomous heart hidden behind their flowery smiles even more detestable. But the woman before him was an exception. When she was a man, they were classmates, sharing a magnanimous spirit and admirable chivalry in their fight against external enemies. When she was a woman, every smile and gesture of hers was genuine and delightful to him; simply looking at her was a pleasure. She carried no perfume, only a natural fragrance. She never flaunted her charms, only occasionally displaying a quirky charm; behind her smile lay a dazzling brilliance that blinded him. He loved watching her, no matter what she did. But these feelings could only remain hidden in his heart; his identity destined him to be powerless, and this thought filled him with a sense of melancholy.
More than half a year has passed since she left the academy. She has been traveling alone in the world. As a young woman in this chaotic world, she has encountered many difficulties despite her ability to disguise herself. However, Hua Wuduo is cheerful by nature and has never taken it to heart. But now, seeing Gongzi Xiu has unknowingly stirred up so many sad and aggrieved feelings. Thinking of how she is now poisoned and controlled by Tang Ye, trapped in prison, she has unspeakable suffering and cannot reveal it freely. Looking at the familiar, kind, understanding, and worried eyes in front of her, she couldn't help but have tears in her eyes and her voice choked up as she spoke.
Seeing this, Gongzi Xiu was at a loss for words to comfort her, only managing to utter two words: "Don't cry." Unexpectedly, these words caused Hua Wuduo to burst into tears. In his panic, Gongzi Xiu instinctively pulled her into his arms to try and soothe her. Surprisingly, this worked wonders; the crying stopped immediately. The abrupt cessation of the sobbing puzzled Gongzi Xiu, who looked down to find himself facing a pair of wide, astonished eyes. He was momentarily embarrassed, unsure whether to let go or not. But then, as if understanding something, he was about to speak when he saw that the woman in his arms had already changed her expression. She had closed her wide-open mouth, narrowed her previously round eyes, and was now looking at him with a very, very malicious gaze. Just as he was wondering what was going on, he heard her say, with a hint of malice, a touch of smugness, a hint of doubt, and above all, certainty: "You like me."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Xiu was taken aback, unsure how to respond. He released Hua Wuduo, turned slightly away awkwardly to look into the distance, and frowned as if thinking of something. After a long pause, he seemed to have made up his mind and was about to explain when, at this extremely awkward moment, he suddenly heard the person beside him chuckle and say, "Can you answer my question?"
Young Master Xiu said, "Ask away."
Hua Wuduo paced back and forth a few steps with his hands behind his back, then suddenly asked, "Suppose you want to die, and there is a river and a well in front of you. You originally wanted to jump into the river, but I insisted that you jump into the well instead. Would you jump into the river or the well?"
"Hmm? What kind of question is this?" Looking at Hua Wuduo's expectant eyes, Gongzi Xiu was somewhat bewildered. Should he jump into the river? Or jump into the well?
Li She's feelings
Originally, he didn't want to choose either, but under Hua Wuduo's repeated urging that he had to choose one, Gongzi Xiu had no choice but to say, "I choose to jump into the river." The river was wider than the well, and there was a greater chance of survival. Gongzi Xiu, who didn't want to die, psychologically chose to jump into the river.
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuzhong sighed deeply. He thought to himself, "My sister once said: If a man truly falls in love with you, even if you tell him to jump into a well, he would never dare to jump into a river. I was wrong after all."
Looking at Hua Wuduo's melancholy face, Gongzi Xiu was completely lost in the fog.
***************
Eagles circled low in the distant mountains, and a four-cornered pavilion stood atop the mountain.
Li She leaned against the pavilion and looked down. Although he couldn't see clearly in the distance, he could vaguely recognize Liu Xiu. When he could make out the girl next to Liu Xiu, he looked thoughtfully into the distance.
Last night was truly a spectacular one. Xu Qingcheng was captured and taken to Black Wind Mountain Stronghold. It was Song Zixing who tried to rescue her from the tiger's den, but it was Tang Ye who actually killed all the bandits. It's just a pity that he didn't get to go in person.
Li She sneered, glancing at the girl below the mountain. He thought to himself, "Tang Ye's maid... I've always found it strange why Song Zixing is so concerned about Tang Ye's maid." From the numerous secret reports from various places, he painstakingly pieced together the clues and made bold conjectures, arriving at an answer that shocked even himself. If it were true…
Tang Ye broke off the engagement, and Fang Ruoxi, the second daughter of the Fang family, was kicked out of the Fang family.
A month or so later, a chivalrous woman named Hua Wuduo appeared in the martial arts world. She was incredibly skilled at using silver needles.
Under the watchful eyes of the capital, she took to the stage to fight, her silver needles moving with uncanny speed and skill. Even the legendary Zhao Fuqing was defeated by her, and she became the bodyguard of Wu Yi, the second young master of Daming Prefecture. Later, she studied with Wu Yi at the Nanshu Academy, where she befriended Wu Yi, Wu Yi's son, and others. Notably, she once again saved Wu Yi's life by Daming Lake, an event that became known throughout the capital.
Three months later, Song Zixing secretly searched for bandits in Jiangnan who wore rings and knew how to disguise themselves.
A month later, in Jiangling, a long silk dance captivated the young masters, including himself. Because of that dance, Wu Duoduo's name spread throughout the land; that night, everyone who witnessed her dance could never forget it. However, after that, it was said that Wu Duoduo fell seriously ill and was bedridden for a long time. Even after recovering, she was too weak to dance again. But, from the moment Song Zixing met her in Jiangling, it was as if it were their first meeting; everyone could see that there was animosity between them. At the time, he still couldn't understand why Song Zixing and Wu Duoduo had a grudge.
Jiangling… that was also the first time he met her. From the moment she brazenly ate that pear in the main hall under the gazes of so many, he was captivated by her unique charm. Thinking of this, Li She smiled bitterly.
Half a month ago, rumors circulated that Fang Ruoxi, the second daughter of the Fang family, had become Tang Ye's maid. He learned from his sister-in-law that she loved wine, so he tested her with some fine wine. The result was ambiguous and unsatisfactory, but he still vividly remembered the satisfied look on her face as she took the wine away. His sister-in-law had sent him a letter by carrier pigeon asking, "Is it true or false?" Unable to be entirely certain, he replied, perhaps intentionally, "I don't know."
The banquet on the outskirts of Luoyang that night, Song Zixing's attitude, and the inexplicable familiarity he felt, aroused his suspicion.
That night, she almost lost her life to save Tang Ye. What exactly is her relationship with Tang Ye?
He knew perfectly well that the three tigers of Luoyang were incapable of achieving anything significant, but killing Tang Ye that night was not entirely impossible.
A few days later, the eldest sister-in-law arrived in Luoyang and overheard her conversation with her elder brother. After learning that Tang Ye's maid was seriously injured, she insisted on going to confirm whether the maid was really Fang Ruoxi, despite all objections. Helpless, she went with him. However, after returning from Tang Ye's place, she did not mention the matter of the fake sister at all. Originally, it was thought that it was because Tang Ye mentioned Wuyin, but now it seems that the eldest sister-in-law's worries may have... other reasons.
The waiter at Qinglin Inn noticed that Tang Ye's maid had been replaced these past few days. He already knew that this person was skilled in disguise and was an imposter, so Fang Ruoxi didn't think much of it. But last night, Song Zixing carried her to Black Wind Mountain Stronghold and even referred to her as "my wife" in front of everyone. Given Song Zixing's character, this woman's background must be extraordinary.
Until recently, intelligence revealed that the weapon was called the Ten-Finger Golden Ring. The ring was linked to the wrist by a chain, and the silver needles were activated by the bracelet on the wrist and the ring on the finger. Although it is unknown where it was forged, this weapon is unique in the world.
He had never paid attention to Tang Ye's maid's jewelry before; those things were originally insignificant to him. But now, thinking about it carefully, Wu Duoduo from Jiangling seemed to be wearing the same jewelry. That night, during the long silk dance, although he was drunk, he clearly remembered all the details of Wu Duoduo. It was ordinary for a woman to wear such jewelry, but the fact that it appeared on both Wu Duoduo's and Tang Ye's maid's hands at the same time was quite related.
Connecting these events one by one reveals a mix of truth and falsehood, reality and illusion.
A gentle breeze caressed his face, and Li She uttered three words: "Fang Ruoxi." As he uttered these three words, he was also greatly surprised.
If she really is Fang Ruoxi. This Fang Ruoxi is truly beyond my expectations.
Her identity...
Li She frowned.
Today, Uncle Fang (Fang Zhengyang, Fang Ruowei's father, whom Li She calls Uncle Fang) will arrive in Luoyang, and perhaps her identity will soon be revealed. Thinking of her subtle relationships with Liu Xiu, Wu Yi, Wu Qi, Song Zixing, Tang Ye, and others, a thought suddenly occurred to me: Why does Uncle Fang allow his second daughter to be so indulgent?
The Fang and Li families will eventually make a choice, but the time is not yet ripe. Since that's the case, let her fate unfold as it may. However, will Uncle Fang's painstaking efforts ultimately yield the desired results?
How can anyone control the power of emotions? Even one's own emotions may not be able to control them.
The image of that beautiful woman in his midnight dreams, the tremor in his heart from the long ribbon she danced—thinking of this, Li She's eyes darkened as he looked down at the woman at the foot of the mountain. If it really was her… it would never happen again.
A sleepy-eyed young man beside him spoke up, "Third Brother, you dragged me up the mountain early this morning, and we've already climbed it. Now you're just sitting here watching couples being lovey-dovey, thinking about getting married. I'll talk to Auntie later. Not to mention far away, in Luoyang alone, you can choose any beauty you want. Let's go down the mountain early. I need to go back and take a nap. I'm so sleepy..." After saying that, he covered his mouth with one hand and yawned again.
Li She concealed his previous thoughts and smiled, "Don't talk nonsense, Kan, I have something to discuss with you."
"Third brother, just say it directly," Li Kan, the fourth son of the Li family, said nonchalantly.
Li She's eyes flickered as he said, "Wu Yin is also currently in Luoyang."
Upon hearing this, Li Kan's face lit up, and he was no longer sleepy. He said, "Third Brother, you were the one who resolved the matter between Sister-in-law and Wuyin back then. I am quite familiar with Tang Ye. He is a heartless and ruthless man. In Sichuan, no one is not afraid of the Tang Clan. Tang Ye is the most outstanding among them. I'm afraid that people in the martial arts world would be wary of Tang Ye's name. He has almost no weaknesses. He acts arbitrarily and is unpredictable, making him extremely difficult to deal with. I have always wondered how you managed to make him poison Wuyin with the Forget-Me-Not Poison."
Li She thought to himself: "No weaknesses? Indeed, since that incident, Tang Ye may truly have no weaknesses left to exploit. Only that incident could force him to back down slightly and administer the Forget-Worry Poison to Wu Yin." Thinking this, he didn't answer his fourth brother's question, only saying, "Tang Ye is a gentleman; he keeps his word. Forget-Worry—forgetting past troubles and only remembering the good things to come. In my opinion, this medicine shouldn't be called poison. Sometimes, forgetting isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Li Kan didn't press further, only saying, "I admire Tang Ye very much. He was able to concoct such a strange medicine that can make you forget the person who caused you the most pain and completely erase a person's memory. I wonder why he concocted such a medicine?"
Speaking of this, Li She naturally thought of the fact that Wu Yin, the number one assassin in the world, had forgotten his sister-in-law. Being poisoned with the Forget-Me-Not Poison would cause one to forget the people and things that caused the most pain in their heart. He only knew a little about the entanglement between his sister-in-law and Wu Yin, but not much more. However, this medicine…
Li Kan couldn't help but sigh, breaking the silence by asking, "What does Third Brother mean about Sister-in-law's matter?"
Li She said, "These past few days, there have been many people coming and going from the Li family, and my elder brother and I have been too busy to get away. You should spend more time with your sister-in-law."
Li Kan smiled and immediately understood his third brother's meaning. He blinked and said, "I wouldn't dare. I'm afraid my eldest brother would get jealous and beat me up."
Li She laughed and said, "You just need to come up with some different ways to make your sister-in-law laugh. Your brother will be very happy to see you trying so hard to please her."
Li Kan laughed heartily, reclining on a deck chair in the pavilion, gazing at the white clouds and blue sky, and asked, "When shall we descend the mountain?"
Li She turned to look down the mountain. The woman was gone; only Gongzi Xiu was staring blankly into the distance. He said, "Now." Seeing Li Kan sit up, he added, "I've invited many friends to a banquet tonight. You should come too. There are a few wonderful people among them; I'll introduce you to them."
Li Kan laughed heartily, "I'm not interested in eccentric people, but if you have good wine and food, I'd be happy to go."
Upon hearing this, Li She smiled and said, "Your temperament is somewhat similar to that of someone." Thinking of that person, his eyes darkened again.
Li Kan asked, "Who?"
Li She smiled faintly and remained silent, then went down the mountain first.
***************
After parting ways with Gongzi Xiu, it was already past noon when they returned to the west courtyard of Qinglin Inn.
Before even reaching the west courtyard, Hua Wuduo sensed that there were other people inside besides Tang Ye, and that people were talking faintly in the courtyard, though it was not very clear.
The gate to the west courtyard was tightly closed, and there was no one around.
Hua Wuduo didn't want to eavesdrop on others, but remembering what Song Zixing had said in the restaurant that morning, he hesitated. After a brief struggle, he threw all pretense of morality to the back of his mind. He thought to himself: What's wrong with eavesdropping? As long as I don't get caught. So he deliberately kept quiet and quietly approached the door.
"You know I've liked you since I was little. All these years, you've been indifferent to me, and I've gotten used to it. I thought you didn't care about anyone, but you were somehow different towards me. But I never imagined I was wrong, terribly wrong." It was Xu Qingcheng's sorrowful voice. Hua Wuduo heard it and understood somewhat—love and hate intertwined, oh, love and hate intertwined.
Tang Ye did not reply.
"But I just can't believe it, I can't believe you could be so cruel to me. We grew up together, I know how much you've suffered to get to where you are today, and the unbearable pain you feel every month when the poison flares up," Xu Qingcheng said, word by word.
The excruciating pain during the monthly poisoning flare-ups? Hua Wuduo suddenly recalled Tang Ye's unusual behavior more than ten days ago, the night when the Second Tiger and Third Tiger from Luoyang came to ask for the antidote for the First Tiger. Excruciating pain? In her eyes, it didn't seem to have reached that level yet. While thinking this, she continued to listen attentively, hoping that Xu Qingcheng would tell her more about Tang Ye, preferably something like excruciating pain that felt like dying.
"Although you are heartless towards me, I know that you still care about me. You were the one who killed those bandits last night, weren't you?" Xu Qingcheng said softly.
Was it Tang Ye? No way, he couldn't have killed so many people so quickly by himself, and he didn't use poison. But just as he thought of this, Hua Wuduo suddenly remembered Wu Yin, Fang Yuan, and… assassins, and some kind of assassin organization. Wu Yin was undoubtedly an assassin, and Wu Yin respected Tang Ye as his young master. Could it really be Tang Ye? He was secretly alarmed at this thought. Then he heard Xu Qingcheng say again, "Tell me, was it you who sent people to save me last night? Tell me, Tang Ye. I just want to know the answer, and then leave you forever, never to bother you again. Tell me." Xu Qingcheng pleaded humbly.