See? That's what they call "Little Person." It's only one character different, but it's passable.
But Changming, you're really out of touch. Do you really think you're some kind of everlasting lamp guiding people through the maze? Why did you have to stop him?
“Miss Rong, please.” Changming stepped aside and gestured for her to enter.
"...Did I say I was going to see your so-called sect leader?"
Changming was taken aback again, and his face immediately darkened. "Miss Rong, please watch your words."
Why aren't you doing it yet? I rolled my eyes in annoyance, and before I knew it, I almost couldn't put it back in its place.
Nangong Ling had somehow moved to the terrace, where he was enjoying drinking, watching a play, admiring the moon, and cooling off – a truly pleasant experience.
"The sect leader has repeatedly instructed us to avoid taking action if possible. It seems that persuasion is not working, so please don't blame us for being rude!"
I probably didn't back down but instead had my eyes light up, which startled Changming, who was about to capture me, and he didn't dare to take a second step.
But the villain beside him didn't care whether my eyes were glowing gold or red. He fulfilled his initial wish, and while Changming was struggling, we had already exchanged more than ten blows.
At this point, shops that were afraid of causing trouble or being caught in the aftermath all closed their doors. In the restaurants, many martial arts practitioners who had finished eating but were not craving alcohol came to drink. Those who loved watching the excitement peeked out and crowded into the windows.
I was already panting from dealing with that monkey before, let alone this more cunning villain. I'm afraid I'll run out of energy after just a few more moves.
"Are you Sikong Jian's junior brother, Changming?" The person who was just watching the show suddenly spoke up.
Changming was about to grab me when he stopped and looked up warily at Nangong Ling.
"Does the Palace Master intend to intervene in this matter?"
The man took a sip of his drink, shook his head, and slowly said, "So what if you arrest him?"
In fact, Changming could have easily declined by saying it was a matter of his sect that was inconvenient to disclose or that the sect leader would make his own decision. But perhaps because he was facing Nangong Ling, the master of Wuyue Palace, he was too honest and actually told the truth.
"Of course, it should be returned to our sect."
"What if the item isn't on her?"
Changming remained stunned, seemingly having not considered this possibility.
"How is that possible?"
"Why not?"
Nangong Ling's few words left Changming disoriented, and after thinking about it, he felt something was amiss.
"How does the Palace Master know that the jade is not on her?"
"Because it's in my hands." As he spoke, he took out a piece of jade with a lustrous, snow-white color and dragon patterns from his sleeve. This guy actually carried it with him at all times.
Changming and the men around him changed their expressions, clearly recognizing the genuine article at a glance. The little men on the other side also stopped, and I leaned against the wall, panting.
Nangong Ling glanced at me almost imperceptibly, a smile playing on her lips.
"Our sect owes Wuyue Palace a favor." Changming's implication was that the jade should be returned immediately!
The jade pendant, held between two fingertips, slipped from his hand without hesitation.
I caught my breath and saw Changming take the jade pendant and immediately leave with his men. He was so fast that I didn't even understand what was happening. That was it.
"How much longer are you going to stay there?" A condescending voice drifted over, and I almost choked on my breath.
Chapter 30
I don't know how Nangong Ling can be so energetic. Even though he looks tired, he doesn't appear haggard at all; in fact, he exudes a languid charm. Compared to him, I'm like a crow compared to a phoenix—people with bad complexions would avoid him. This Nangong Ling is neither humane nor kind. I spent the whole night with him, and not only did he not let me go back to sleep, he also dragged me to watch Xiao Jinse and Luo Qiu's battle today.
"Want to sleep?" the person who had been looking at the screen for a while, propping their chin up, suddenly asked.
"Nonsense," I replied, lifting my eyelids slightly.
He chuckled softly, "Didn't you used to love partying in restaurants every night? And if you saw someone setting up a fight on your way home, you'd watch with great interest, and sometimes you'd even go up and fight, right?"
I was devastated. I'm destined to be plagued by petty people, and one of them is even more of a scourge on me.
Later, I got so tired that I just lay down on the table and drifted off to sleep.
Later, I was kicked out of sleep by the Duke of Zhou because of my poor chess skills. When I opened my eyes, I saw something warm and smelled a faint, cool fragrance. I blinked and instantly woke up.
If my senses are not mistaken, the smooth texture of this garment is the kind only found in the finest brocade. The black base, outlined in gold with fallen cherry blossoms, creates a rich, elegant, and exquisitely detailed pattern, exuding a magnificent and opulent aura. And it seems that only one person wears this outfit.
"...What if Luo Qiu wins?" A voice came from beside me, but it was so muffled that I couldn't make out whose voice it was.
"No." The voice above was soft and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing something.
"It's hard to say. He's very difficult to deal with. If you shake him off, he'll attack again immediately. Yan Suqing might not be able to handle him."
"That's true, but... experience is the best teacher, and Luo Qiu still lacks some experience."
"How so?"
A soft chuckle came from above, "Look closely."
...
There was no more conversation, but there were some indistinct noises around, which, upon closer listening, seemed to be coming from outside.
What's going on now? Have Luo Qiu and Xiao Jinse already finished their fight? And did Luo Qiu ultimately win the chance to challenge the alliance leader?
"Have you had enough sleep?" The voice above me sounded again, and a force pulled me up from my waist.
I looked up and saw Yue Linghe's gaze through his shoulder; it was icy cold, like that of a different person.
Given the current situation, who is jealous of whom? Nangong Ling, where do you intend to place me? Don't you know how terrifying a woman's jealousy can be? No, perhaps you do know, which is why you are doing this.
"Nangong Ling, do you think this is fun?" I asked, looking at Yue Linghe's ashen face.
The hand holding me froze, and remained motionless for a long time.
"...What do you want to play?" He asked in a low voice, as if he was suppressing some emotion.
"Is it interesting to watch others fight and compete?" I couldn't help but sneer, and Qiong Ying's expression suddenly changed as she looked at me.
What are you trying to say?
I wanted to say that Nangong Lingcai wasn't worth my effort to take, but when I turned my head and saw the smile on his lips, I sensed an impending storm. His slightly upturned outer corners of his eyes held a tense, suppressed look, and for a moment I couldn't breathe. I opened my mouth but couldn't exhale.
"Hmm?" Receiving no answer, he looked over questioningly.
I was startled when I looked him in the eye, and I couldn't help but feel glad that I hadn't said anything.
His eyes were like ice beads splashed with thick ink, their dark depths exuding a chilling aura that seemed to draw people in.
"I mean..." He turned his eyes away, finally managing to catch his breath, "You really want to be the leader of the martial arts world?"
"Did I say I wanted that position?" My gaze softened slightly, and I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then what do Canghe and Xiao Jinse mean?"
"Well, this is to add some fun, otherwise it'll be so boring."
He held me tightly, seemingly unwilling to let go. I tried to move, but he held me down.
"What do you want to do?" he asked patiently and softly.
"Go back to your room and continue sleeping."
How can someone who looks so thin have such great strength?
"Where are we going back to? We'll leave once Luo Qiu and Yan Suqing have settled their score."
"Go? Go where?"
"The carriage is already waiting outside, and all the bundles have been packed and loaded onto the carriage. We'll set off back to Luoyang as soon as this is over."
"So urgent? Did something happen to your Wuyue Palace?"
Are you concerned about me or gloating?
This person likes to throw questions back at you, making you unconsciously follow his train of thought. So, it's easy for him to steer the conversation away from things he doesn't want to talk about to those unimportant matters.
"...Aren't you tired? Put me down." Fine, don't say it then, I don't care to listen anyway.
"Why?"
Why? Don't you think the way people around you are looking at you is strange?
"I feel very uncomfortable."
"I feel quite comfortable."
"It's hot. Don't you dislike sweating?"
Why did I even bother arguing with him? But I can't beat him anyway...
"Be good, stop making a fuss."
He brought me a bowl of chilled plum juice and patted my back gently like he was comforting a child. His touch was so light that I wanted to cry.
Those strange looks grew increasingly arrogant; the woman's piercing gaze seemed to want to stab me into a skeleton.
Chapter 31
In the end, Yan Suqing still held onto the throne of the martial arts alliance leader. According to Nangong Ling, Luo Qiu was still too inexperienced. Yan Suqing preferred quick battles, and his iron fist, though simple and unadorned, could inflict serious injuries. Luo Qiu, on the other hand, focused too much on the flashy moves when playing his jade flute. When faced with someone who threw solid punches from the start, his rhythm was disrupted, and once his rhythm was disrupted, he was more likely to expose weaknesses. Furthermore, Yan Suqing had far more experience than him. No matter how good Luo Qiu's performance was, he was ultimately defeated by his lack of experience.
"You let your palace protectors take the stage but don't want them to win. What are you thinking? Is it really okay if I don't go to serve your little cousin? Speaking of which, where did that old nanny Wei go?" I'm someone who can't suppress my curiosity.