Le Jianghu de Feng Qingcheng et Mo Xibei

Chapitre 54

As if to verify Leng Jie's words, Duanmu Xingchen's voice rang out from outside the window at just the right moment.

"Xingyue, what's wrong with Xiaojie?"

Leng Jie pulled Xingyue's hands away and said, "See? I wasn't wrong. Your brother misunderstood." Then she turned to the window and said, "Brother Duanmu, we were just joking. Wait a moment, I'll get dressed and call you in."

"Wow! Sister Leng, you're really something else, taking a bath while still dressed!" Xingyue exclaimed again as she opened her eyes.

Leng Jie rolled her eyes at her, then unceremoniously took off her wet clothes and dried them with a towel. She then walked to the bedside and put on the clothes the princess had prepared for her. All her actions were swift and fluid. Finally, she asked Duanmu Xingyue, who was still staring blankly at her, "How is it? Does it look good?"

Xingyue nodded blankly, then shook her head. Finally, in her drunken state, she asked the question that surprised her:

"Sister, what was that ribbon you tied just now? Why aren't you wearing a bellyband but instead have a piece of cloth tied around your chest?"

Leng Jie hadn't expected that the girl, who hadn't dared to look at her before, would now be observing so closely. After thinking for a moment, Leng Jie asked:

"Xingyue, have you started your period?"

Two bright red blushes suddenly rose on Xingyue's delicate face, and she shyly lowered her hands and pursed her lips.

Leng Jie continued knowingly, "So how did you deal with the mud?" Seeing that Xingyue remained silent, she deliberately prompted, "Did you use coarse cloth and incense ash?"

Xingyue nodded.

Leng Jie handed Xingyue a few pieces of satin and cotton sanitary napkins that she had made, saying:

“This is something I improved on using the twill you threw down from the cliff. I guarantee it’s much better than that coarse cloth. Since I have limited needle and thread, I only made this much. You can try it first. If it works well, you can make it yourself from now on. That’s a woman’s best friend for decades, we can’t afford to waste it.”

"Pfft!" Xingyue giggled at Leng Jie's words. "Hehe, sister, you're so good with words. My nanny always told me that that thing is the dirtiest and most evil thing on a woman's body. So you have to use incense ash to get rid of its evil spirit. But hearing you say that, sister, I think it's even more interesting. Wouldn't it be better to treat it as a friend?"

"Poor little girl! Luckily, the poisoning wasn't too severe." Leng Jie couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Suddenly, she had a strong urge to save her and impulsively blurted out:

"Xingyue, don't believe those words. From now on, follow your sister, and I'll teach you how to be a real woman."

She regretted it as soon as she said it. She wasn't a savior; why was she asking for trouble? But words spoken were words that couldn't be taken back. Xingyue had already excitedly nodded in agreement.

Leng Jie carefully put away the woman's clothes on the bed before opening the window. She didn't see Duanmu Xingchen as she expected. After a while, she saw him emerge from behind the artificial hill in the middle of the garden. It turned out he hadn't been eavesdropping. Leng Jie's impression of Duanmu Xingchen improved further.

“I guessed you might not want others to see that we came to see you, so you came in like this. Did we scare you?” Duanmu Xingchen explained as soon as he entered the room.

Leng Jie made way for him, offering him her seat and pouring him two cups of tea. She said with a smile, "You didn't scare me, but you frightened Xingyue."

"Brother, hurry up and say what you need to say! That girl is coming back soon," Xingyue urged.

"The Shangguan father and son have just died. It's said to be suicide, what do you think?" Leng Jie went straight to the point.

The brother and sister were visibly taken aback. Xingyue said bitterly, "Letting them die like this is too easy for them. I really want to chop them up and feed them to the dogs!"

“They couldn’t have committed suicide. When they were taken away, their eyes were filled with anger and resentment. There wasn’t a trace of unease or shame at being exposed. So I don’t think this is that simple,” Duanmu Xingchen calmly analyzed.

"Yes, I think the same way. I suspect there's an even bigger hand pulling the strings behind this. When you get back, have someone keep a close eye on the Shangguan family. Don't let anyone get away. But when you're on a mission, don't clash with Longmen or Shiyu's people. If you spot anyone they're following, retreat." Leng Jie instructed seriously.

“I understand. Are you still going to walk alone?” Duanmu Xingchen asked.

"Well, it's hard to say right now. You can just use carrier pigeons to send me messages as we agreed. That way, I can receive messages no matter where I am, and I won't have to worry about them being intercepted."

"Alright! I'll bring your belongings over tonight. We'll head back now. Take care of yourself. I think the Emperor and the others aren't blaming you now that they know you're a woman, so don't think about escaping the world by jumping off a cliff anymore."

"Yes, this was an accident. But I really want to thank you for all the things you sent. They were a huge help." Leng Jie thanked her sincerely.

“Sister Leng, why are you thanking us? Compared to what you’ve done for our family, what are we? My father even told me to tell you that you are the only person he has ever truly respected in his life,” Duanmu Xingyue said excitedly.

“Your father got it backwards; he’s the one I respect.” Leng Jie said earnestly, “Alright, Shi Xiu will be back soon. You should go now, and be careful when you go out.”

"Then we'll be going now. It's alright. Don't forget we've controlled this palace for half a month. Entering this palace is like entering an empty place for us," Duanmu Xingchen said exaggeratedly.

Chapter 89 Who is disrespecting whom?

The princess warmly hosted Leng Jie and her companions for a sumptuous dinner. After the banquet, Shi Yu and the others went to the study to discuss serious matters. As expected, Leng Jie was again pulled aside by the princess. In the end, Leng Jie could only decline the princess's invitation to chat, citing exhaustion. Knowing she had been trapped at the bottom of the cliff for several days, the princess understandingly allowed her to leave. She then wanted Shi Xiu to accompany her back to her room. Having already found the way, Leng Jie refused without hesitation.

"Ah! Finally, I can get a good night's sleep!" As soon as she entered the room, Leng Jie, fully clothed, lay down on the soft sofa and stretched lazily. Then she closed her eyes and began to consider the current situation.

If there really is someone else behind the Shangguan family, and that person is the one who truly knows about the Dark Division, then we must subdue the Dark Division before he does, otherwise the situation may escalate beyond control.

Leng Jie reasoned that since she had been fortunate enough to obtain something belonging to the emperor and unexpectedly learned its secrets, and since she couldn't simply return it, she had no choice but to take responsibility. After all, wasn't that what she had been planning anyway?

Now that she'd made up her mind, she needed to figure out how to escape. So many secret agents in Jinghe and various places were waiting for her to break the curse for them. This matter had reached a point of no return. But she didn't want to use the sneak-out method again. As the saying goes, one can do something once, twice, but not a third time. She'd used the same method twice, each time more dangerous than the last, and each time she'd been caught. She figured that with their strength, no matter how she changed her appearance, she would never escape their notice.

Besides, she had been thinking of escaping this world ever since she came into it, and she had been doing so for months. She was tired of this life of hiding and dodging. She thought she must be able to come up with a way that would satisfy both sides.

The idea was easy to come up with, but a foolproof plan was hard to find! Just as Leng Jie was racking her brains, there was a knock at the door. Knowing they would come looking for her when they returned, she hadn't even locked the door. She casually replied, "Come in!"

It was Qingfeng who entered. He had slipped away before Xuanyuan and Shiyu discussed matters of the Dark Guard, claiming it was inconvenient to eavesdrop. Upon entering, he saw Leng Jie lying lazily on the bed, fully clothed with her eyes closed and hands behind her head. Dressed in women's clothing, her shapely figure was unmistakably revealed. Qingfeng's cheeks involuntarily flushed, and he swallowed hard. "Ahem!" He then coughed lightly to acknowledge his presence.

"Huh! Why are you the only one here? Where are the other two?" Leng Jie slowly opened her eyes and, seeing that Qingfeng was the only one there, blurted out the question.

Qingfeng paused for a moment, seemingly surprised that she asked about the other two as soon as they met. She quickly composed herself and replied, "They had something to discuss, so I came back first. Why don't you cover yourself with a blanket when you sleep? You'll catch a cold!"

"I wasn't sleeping! I was just lying in bed." Leng Jie sat up and laughed, "How did things go?"

"Isn't lying in bed for sleeping?" Qingfeng asked疑惑地问道, "What do you mean, 'how'?"

Ugh! Leng Jie noticed that Qingfeng seemed to have become dull-witted after not interacting with him for the past few days. She simply stood up and led Qingfeng to the tea table next to the screen. She gestured for him to sit down, then sat down opposite him before speaking, "I wanted to ask about the cause of death of Shangguan father and son. How's the investigation going?"

Qingfeng suddenly realized! So that's what she was waiting for them for! He had thought she really didn't care about that kind of thing!

"They didn't commit suicide; they were poisoned," Qingfeng replied calmly. Seeing that Leng Jie didn't react much, he continued, "Shi Yu will be in charge of investigating this matter. Shall we set off tomorrow?"

"Set off? Where to?" Leng Jie, who was pondering who the mastermind behind the butler might be, suddenly heard the word "set off." Confused, she asked.

Qingfeng's expression suddenly changed, and he questioned her in an unfriendly tone: "Where are you going? Of course, to Wuyou Valley! Have you really been living in the Prince Ying's mansion all this time? Can't you see that the old princess already considers you her daughter-in-law?"

"Uh!" Leng Jie was taken aback! It wasn't that she was slow-witted. Rather, she was too rational and didn't want to bother considering the issue. In her view, Shi Yu's desire to marry her was merely wishful thinking on his part. And such matters were completely beyond her control, so she simply ignored them. However, the idea of visiting her master in Wuyou Valley was truly forgotten.

After Qingfeng's reminder, Leng Jie suddenly felt a sense of clarity, as if all her troubles had been resolved and she had gained a new understanding.

"Alright, let's set off tomorrow to go back to Wuyou Valley to see our lovely master!" Leng Jie said excitedly. After a pause, she seemed to remember something and suddenly asked, "Senior brother, what happened when you told Xuanyuan and the others that I ran away from my marriage? Do you know that it was because of that sentence that we fell into the valley? Luckily, both of our blood has anti-poison properties. Otherwise, all four of us would have been poisoned to death by the poisonous gas in that cold pool."

Qingfeng, who was overjoyed that Leng Jie had happily agreed to go with him, blushed deeply with embarrassment. After stammering for a while, he finally recounted the story he had made up about his fiancé and how they had searched for Leng Jie after she disappeared.

"Haha...haha...Qingfeng. You're so talented. But next time you'd better rehearse your lines with me beforehand, otherwise you'll easily get caught. Haha..."

Leng Jie couldn't help but laugh after hearing this, and she burst into laughter.

Qingfeng casually poured a cup of cold tea and handed it to him, advising, "Alright, stop laughing. Be careful not to laugh yourself sick."

Leng Jie stopped laughing, patting her chest. She took the tea Qingfeng offered and drank it all in one gulp. Then, she said seriously, "Have you told Xuanyuan and the others about our return to Wuyou Valley tomorrow?"

"Not yet, I want to discuss it with you first before telling them." Qingfeng looked intently at Leng Jie and said, "Since you've agreed, I'll tell them in a bit."

Leng Jie nodded and replied, "Okay!"

"We need to travel tomorrow, so you should get some rest too! I'll go prepare some things for the journey." With that, Qingfeng got up and walked out.

Leng Jie also got up to see him out. At the door, Qingfeng raised his hand to stop him, saying, "It's cold outside, so don't come out. I live in the second room on the right. If you need anything, just call out and I'll come right away. Remember to lock the door. Don't be like you were just now, letting people into the room without even asking who it is. You didn't even open your eyes when they were right next to you. What if it's a bad guy?"

If someone is a bad person, of course they'll only face death! But it certainly won't be her who dies. Do they think she's a child?! Leng Jie couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, I understand. Uncle Qingfeng! You may leave now!"

"Grandpa?" Qingfeng was taken aback. Then he shook his head and smiled, "Then I'm leaving."

Leng Jie closed the door behind her. She had a feeling that someone else would come later.

Sure enough, she had just sat down on the bed when the knocking started again. The rhythmic knocking told her it was Xuanyuan. He got up and sat back down on the wooden chair at the coffee table. He replied cheerfully, "Come in! The door's unlocked."

As expected, it was Xuanyuan who gently pushed open the door and entered. Leng Jie smiled, stood up, pointed to the spot where Qingfeng had just been sitting, and politely greeted, "Please sit down!"

Xuanyuan gracefully took his seat. Pointing to the teacup on the table, he asked with a smile, "Was Xiaojie waiting for me?"

“Yes, I was waiting for you,” Leng Jie replied with a smile, “but the tea wasn’t poured for you.”

Hearing the first half of the sentence, Xuanyuan was quite pleased. But when he heard the second half, he was stunned. There were clearly two cups of tea on the table, and it was just the two of them in the room. If it wasn't for him, then who was it for?

Leng Jie pushed the cup aside and took out another clean teacup. She poured a cup for Xuan Yuan, noticing he was still staring at the cup she had pushed aside. She smiled and explained, "That's the cup my senior brother drank from earlier. If you don't mind sharing a cup with him, I have no objection."

"Oh! So Qingfeng was here just now. Did he say anything to you?" Xuanyuan asked casually.

“He said my master wants me to go back. We’re planning to set off for Wuyou Valley tomorrow,” Leng Jie replied, then asked, “Shouldn’t you be heading back to the capital soon? It’s a pity that Wuyou Valley and the capital are not on the same route.”

Xuanyuan stared blankly into Leng Jie's eyes for a long time before asking sadly, "You mean, you're not coming back to the capital with us?"

Leng Jie met his gaze and nodded firmly, replying, "Yes, we can't go back to the capital with you."

Xuanyuan immediately lowered his head and remained silent.

Seeing Xuanyuan's expression instantly turn as if struck by lightning, a pang of unbearable sorrow welled up within her. She involuntarily took out the Dragon Gate token from her waist and said, "However, I will maintain contact with the Dragon Gate. Am I still the Third Gate Master of the Dragon Gate?"

He looked up abruptly and saw the Dragon Gate Token he had personally carved for her. She was still, at least, a member of the Dragon Gate, wasn't she? Being a member of the Dragon Gate meant she was his, wasn't it? Xuan Yuan's heart, which had been ice-cold, seemed to warm a little again. He quickly nodded and replied affirmatively, "Of course, you will always be the Third Master of the Dragon Gate. Wherever you go, the people of the Dragon Gate must obey your orders. So, no matter how powerful that man is, you don't need to be afraid. Even if I can't be by your side, the disciples of the Dragon Gate will always protect you."

So he was worried that she would be forced into marriage when she went back! Leng Jie was both amused and exasperated, wondering what his expression would be when he found out that the man was himself.

"Don't worry, no one in this world has been born yet who can force me to do something!" Leng Jie said with a smile. "After I go back to see my master, I will go and fulfill my wish to travel all over Jinghe. Wherever I go, I will do my best to help if Longmen needs anything."

Although Xuanyuan hadn't thought much about it when he was hanging on the cliff, after asking Shi Yu and learning that they hadn't left out the other rope, he guessed that the hemp rope, which could only support one person's weight, was something she had prepared herself. Thinking back to how she had fallen first but then grabbed him from behind, if he still didn't know her intentions, someone else would probably have been sitting on his throne long ago.

From this incident, Xuanyuan knew that forcibly keeping her wouldn't work. In fact, it might even backfire. After thinking for a moment, he simply and generously said, "Since you've made up your mind, I will inform the people in all the branches of the Dragon Gate and have them fully cooperate with you."

As he spoke, he took out a gold plaque inscribed with "As if the Emperor were personally present" from his person and handed it to her, saying, "Take this with you too. The Dragon Gate can only handle matters within the martial arts world. If the government comes looking for trouble, I'm afraid we won't be able to help you in time."

"Not the same one as last time, right?" Leng Jie paused for a moment before asking. She didn't want to hold his military tally in her hand again; that thing was too sharp.

Xuanyuan shook his head and laughed, "No, this only represents my identity. However, apart from not being able to be used as a military tally, officials at all levels can see the tally as if they were seeing the Emperor. Therefore, you can think of it as an imperial sword that allows you to execute first and report later."

"So, I've suddenly become your imperial envoy?" Leng Jie stared at Xuan Yuan with a forced smile and said, "Your Majesty is indeed Your Majesty. You really make the most of me! I was just having a relaxing trip, and you turned me into an official on behalf of the Emperor to inspect the people's conditions. But this just suits my personality of always standing up for the weak and meddling in other people's business. I'll reluctantly accept it."

Without any hesitation, he put the gold medal into his sleeve.

She got all the benefits and the easy words. Xuanyuan could only shake his head and smile wryly. What could he do? He just loved her quirky and clever personality!

"The old princess likes you very much, you know that! Have you told her you're leaving tomorrow?" Xuanyuan asked with concern. "I'm worried she won't let you go."

Leng Jie shrugged, spread her hands helplessly, and said, "There's nothing I can do! I'm too charming. I almost overshadow your brilliance as the lovable sect leader. So, in order to show that your personal charm won't be greatly diminished, you have to keep your distance from me."

I'd rather you block out all that glory, just so I could keep you by my side. Xuanyuan thought to himself.

Just after seeing Xuanyuan off, Shiyu arrived. Leng Jie joked, "One of you just left, and you're here again. Did you guys deliberately time your arrivals to avoid each other?"

"Yes, I've been away for a long time," Shi Yu replied coolly, without any hesitation.

This straightforward answer surprised Leng Jie for a moment. She also asked him to sit down, "Is there something you want to say to me alone?"

"My mother likes you very much!" It was still a cool voice.

“Everyone knows that. I’m not stupid, of course I know too,” Leng Jie replied bluntly. Then she added, “By the way, could you please tell your mother that I like her too? I’d be happy to be her goddaughter. When I have time to come to Jianzhou in the future, I will definitely come to see her again.”

With a sudden movement, Shi Yu stood up. Looking down at Leng Jie, he coldly questioned, "What do you mean by that? Are you leaving?"