Je vends des vêtements et j'achète du vin à boire avec toi

Chapitre 33

Long San nodded, and Feng Ning hugged his arm, saying, "Long San, don't leave me behind."

Long San sighed, "Today, someone clearly tried to steal my horse and abandon me."

"Well, I was angry back then." Feng Ning sniffed, shifted her body to find a more comfortable position, and nestled against Long San's arm. "I've thought it over. If even you in the Long family treat me badly, I'll really leave. I'm perfectly healthy, young, and strong; I'll definitely make it. I'll travel around and maybe make some good friends, like you. Having friends all over the world is a good thing. When that happens, I can gather my men, and I won't be afraid of not finding the real deal. Maybe even you'll have to bow to me and call me 'Heroine Feng.'" As she spoke, she became smug, as if she already had a huge following and immense prestige.

Long San laughed and said, "Yes, yes, Miss Feng. That ambition sounds quite lofty. So why didn't you leave?"

"Since you've already apologized, I'm afraid I'll make you sad if I don't give you a chance." She spoke in a condescending tone, but buried her face in the blanket, which made Long San laugh heartily.

After laughing, neither of them spoke again, and the room fell silent. In truth, they both knew that achieving success and fame was not so easy. Especially since she was a young woman, if she were to live alone, she would undoubtedly suffer countless scornful looks, schemes, and hardships.

"Don't be afraid, Feng Ning, don't be afraid." These were the last words Feng Ning heard before drifting off to sleep in the warm and safe atmosphere of the room.

She couldn't sleep well that night. The burly man with the square face and triangular eyes was fighting with her again on the riverbank. She heard him say to her in a hoarse voice, "It's all your fault for meddling in other people's business."

She felt herself falling again, knowing she was beneath the river. She struggled desperately and screamed. Someone called her name and pulled her tight, preventing her from falling in, and she fell asleep again.

In a daze, fragments of memories kept flashing through her mind. Feng Ning couldn't see where she was. A voice told her, "The road ahead is uncertain, but there will be a destination. If you treat others with sincerity, you will surely be rewarded. You must be wary of others, but you must not have the heart to harm them. This is the code of the martial world."

Feng Ning couldn't hear what was being said after her. Surrounded by mist, she was terrified. She desperately tried to walk forward, hoping to see who was speaking to her, but she kept walking and walking without seeing a single person. Unable to see the path, she tried to run faster, but suddenly plummeted off a cliff. The mist cleared, and the scene before her transformed into the Liang River outside the capital. She stumbled and fell, eventually plunging into the river.

Feng Ning screamed and sat up abruptly.

Outside the window, it was already daylight.

Feng Ning didn't tell Long San about her dream; she herself couldn't understand what it meant. Nervous and anxious, she followed Long San to Jiangling, her mind racing with thoughts of what her meeting with the suspect would be like. (Fighting, fighting)

Long San left her at the inn and went out. He returned after a while and told her that the person was still staying at the place where they were staying, and that she could rest assured.

Where is our place to stay?

"Places you can't go to?"

"Where is it inconvenient for me to go?"

Long San didn't answer. He handed several packages to Feng Ning and instructed her, "I'll go and find out what's going on first. You rest here for a bit, have some snacks, play with some gadgets, and we'll discuss it when I get back."

Feng Ning stared at the desserts and toys in front of her, and looked up as if to protest, but Long San tapped her nose and said, "Be good."

Feng Ning shut her mouth, puffing out her cheeks in protest. Long San walked out, turned back to look at her expression and chuckled, then added, "No mischief, no running away, no tantrums."

Feng Ning remained silent, pouting with a mournful expression as she watched Long San leave. In this situation, how could she possibly have the appetite for food or entertainment? She paced back and forth in the room, wondering what to do.

The man was in the city, so close to her, and she had so many questions for him. Why did he want to kill her? Was he also after the Long family's treasure? Was he in league with those men in black?

Feng Ning pondered this, then suddenly noticed the sword Long San had been carrying all the way, hanging by the bedside. She recalled his attire when he left: long robes and a jade crown, the appearance of a refined young gentleman. Not carrying a sword meant he didn't want anyone to be wary of him, and dressing as a handsome young man was naturally for the convenience of entering certain places, certain... places she couldn't conveniently go.

Feng Ning narrowed her eyes, understanding dawning on her. She looked at the sword and an idea came to her.

Feng Ning, being observant, had already noticed the wing-like totem mark at the foot of the inn's door, the same one they had found at the previous day. Long San had said he had a base, and Feng Ning boldly guessed that the totem was the mark. She went to the innkeeper and, after a few words, managed to extract information, suggesting that this place indeed showed great respect to Long San. She said that the Third Master had something for her to do, and asked the innkeeper to find a suitable servant's outfit and a beautiful sword case.

Then she dressed up, transformed into a sword-bearing page, and went out carrying Long San's sword. She planned that if she was caught by others, she would say that she was delivering the sword to her master, and if she was caught by Long San, she would say that she had forgotten to take the sword and that she had specially brought it to him.

There were many brothels in Jiangling, but Feng Ning remembered Long San saying that someone would keep that big man there for him, which meant that even if it was a brothel, it was a place where Long San had informants. So Feng Ning didn't recklessly wander around; she carefully searched each brothel, sword in hand. Her large hat covered her black hair and concealed her face; from a distance, she really looked like a little servant.

Finally, Feng Ning found a clue: a brothel called Huaxianglou. The red lanterns were dazzling, and the aroma of wine mixed with the scent of cosmetics almost made Feng Ning sneeze.

She circled around and spotted a small, inconspicuous totem resembling a leaf or wings on the second-floor window frame at the back of the building. Feng Ning hesitated for a moment, then, seeing no one around, leaped onto the roof. She found an empty room, climbed in through the window, and exited through the door. Holding her sword, head bowed, she stood respectfully in the corner like a servant waiting for his master to finish his pleasure.

Feng Ning, with her eyes and ears open, was pondering whether to find Long San or the big man first when she glanced up and saw a beautifully dressed woman leading Long San out of a room. The woman leaned against Long San with a coquettish smile, talking as they walked. They both burst into laughter, seemingly intoxicated, and their steps became unsteady.

Feng Ning felt a sudden surge of anger. Before she could even process what she was feeling, she heard a loud crash from the door of a nearby room. A woman knocked over her tea tray and screamed into the room.

Feng Ning didn't have time to think about Long San. Her heart tightened, and she rushed over. There was a naked dead body lying on the floor of the room. Its pale and ashen face was facing the door, and there were several wounds on its body. Blood had already flowed all over the floor.

Square face, wide mouth, big nose; his eyes were closed, but Feng Ning already knew that if they were open, the corners of his eyes would be downturned. Feng Ning felt a chill run down her spine; this was the burly man who wanted to kill her.

"It's all your fault for meddling in other people's business." She still remembered what he said to her in her dream.

She found him, but he had turned into a corpse.

25

25. The Third Madam of the Dragon Clan seemed to be moved by love...

Feng Ning tossed aside the sword she was holding and rushed forward to check the man's pulse; he was indeed dead. Although this matched her visual assessment, Feng Ning still shuddered.

The woman's scream attracted a crowd of onlookers, many of whom craned their necks and formed a dense circle around the area. Suddenly, Long San darted forward and swept Feng Ning into his arms. Before Feng Ning could react, she tried to struggle, but Long San pressed her head deeper into his embrace, causing his hat to tilt and completely cover her face.

Long San shouted, "Oh dear, there's a dead body! It's terrifying! My servant has fainted. Please make way, Miss Xian'er, could you please clear a space?"

Feng Ning couldn't see, but she could hear a cacophony of voices around her, and Long San's arms were holding her with unusually tightness. Feng Ning realized that if the person who killed the big man hadn't gone far, and if he and the big man shared the same goal, then her appearance just now was like walking into a trap.

Feng Ning couldn't help but tremble. What on earth had happened? Why were so many people trying to kill her? And why were those who tried to kill her also facing certain death?

Long San carried her into a room. Feng Ning heard the door close, and then she was placed on a chair. She raised her hand to straighten the large hat, revealing her small face.

Looking up, I saw Long San's serious yet angry face.

"What did I tell you before I left?"

"No mischief, no sneaking off, no throwing tantrums," Feng Ning answered sternly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman who had been hugging and cuddling with Long San covering her mouth and snickering by the door. She couldn't help but turn and glare at her.

What are you laughing at? They're a couple talking business; what business is it of hers, an outsider?