Разные пути ведут к одной и той же цели (жениться на человеке равного социального положения)

Глава 3

I pulled off my mask, wiped away my sweat, and looked back at the inn where the fire was growing larger and larger with mixed feelings. I clenched my fists and then let go.

I exhaled, turned around, and immediately let out a low cry.

Someone had appeared behind me without my noticing.

Tall and slender, with a graceful figure like bamboo.

I instinctively tried to back away, but the man's fingers were already pressed against a vein in my neck.

"...Don't move."

Under the moonlight, the sound of the water splashing like jade is like a clear and melodious zither tune spreading across the water, carrying a hint of dampness, and spreading indifference and coolness.

Feeling that I couldn't possibly be that unlucky, I slowly raised my head and, by the moonlight, saw a pair of slightly closed phoenix eyes. The eyes shone with a faint light, as if the entire sky and clouds were reflected in them.

I think this time, my dark complexion will be able to show through my thin skin without any problem.

...

The Milky Way turns at night, drifting back to the stars; the silvery river flows, clouds mimicking the sound of water.

The upturned eaves in the shadows seem to reach out and pluck the moving stars from the darkness.

As for me under the eaves, I was completely stunned.

"You seem surprised? I'm quite surprised. Why did you turn back?"

I'm not going to turn back, I'm going to run away!

"I was ordered to stay behind and check if anyone had escaped from the inn, in case anyone slipped through the net," I said, forcing myself to speak.

He didn't speak again, and a silence fell over the area, making the warm touch on my neck all the more distinct. My heart pounded.

"Why do I feel... your voice sounds familiar?"

The sound was like metal or stone hitting the ground, striking me squarely on the scalp.

I... I deliberately changed my tone during the day, and they could still tell! Ugh, I'm going crazy!

"How could this be... How could my daughter have the honor of meeting you..." My voice was a little weak.

"...You recognize me?" the other person asked calmly.

"I don't recognize you." I only know you're from the Tian Shu Palace.

"I am Qiu Ying, an elder of Tian Shu Palace."

There are elders this young! My memory immediately flashed back to Zhou Bapi's wrinkled face...

"Oh, so it's Elder Qiu Ying. I've long admired your name."

I vaguely heard a soft laugh, but I was puzzled and dared not look up to see what it was.

"But wasn't your Longchuan Gang's actions just now aimed at killing our Tian Shu Palace members?" So it turns out you were trying to kill them again.

It seems like an illusion; why does that wicked man's voice sound so gentle...?

"I was just following orders, and I have my own reasons for not being able to get what I wanted. Please don't hold a grudge against a nobody like me, Elder. I will not let a word of this slip out." The implication was that he would never tell the Longchuan Gang that I was still alive and well, although I knew these words were useless and just a delaying tactic.

"I wasn't worried that you would leak the news."

As expected, she was going to kill me to silence me. Damn it, Second Aunt! My whole body tensed, and as I turned my neck to the side, I suddenly raised my hand—

"Don't move—" As if she had expected it, the other person's finger followed closely and pushed back.

"I won't kill you, I just want you to come with me."

"...Huh?" He knows everything, so why did he keep me here?

At that moment, a gentle breeze swept through, lifting the tall, slender man's wide sleeves, seemingly enveloping the scattered moonlight within.

“First, there is no elder named Qiu Ying in Tian Shu Palace. Second, the people who left just now were not from Longchuan Gang, but from Han Gu Pavilion. Third… Qiu Ying is the Pavilion Master of Han Gu Pavilion. You can’t have forgotten which sect you belong to and who your sect master is, can you?”

Judging from his slightly chuckling voice, I could imagine that he must be wearing that fake smile again.

The clouds are light and the breeze is gentle; the moon is veiled in a light gauze.

Faced with such a beautiful view, I wish I could just die on the spot.

Four cups of white jade wine

Baiyu Yujiu (White Jade Rich Wine) - In the past, when reading the books of the Shiqu Pavilion, one must drink Baiyu Yujiu.

...

"However, your decision to leave was the right one. I've already told Qianlou to wait for those people outside the city." I'm afraid those people have already crossed the Bridge of Helplessness.

Is this meant to comfort me...?

Wait a minute, that name Qianlou sounds familiar… Isn’t he one of the four guardians of Tian Shu Palace?! Someone who can wield a divine sword technique at will and command the guardians of Tian Shu Palace…

Isn't it just that the new Palace Master of Tian Shu Palace, Qing Jiu, who succeeded to the position of Palace Master at the young age of twenty, because of his father's injury or death?

How many sins did I commit in my past life, how many ill-fated lovers did I break up, how many innocent people did I kill, or how many dynasties did I overthrow, that I have the honor of having the hand of the Palace Master of the martial arts giant Tian Shu Palace placed on my life gate in this life! I can die without regrets and smile in the afterlife!

"Well... to be honest, I only managed to escape by chance after waking up in the middle of the night and hearing the noise. I just used some petty tricks to get by. I'm nothing more than a street urchin, completely useless and no threat to you. Someone as important as you doesn't need to waste your time on me. Perhaps..."

"I think you're very clever," my attempt to persuade him was successfully interrupted, "would you be interested in serving the Tian Shu Palace?" I was actually persuaded in return.

No way...you're not kidding me, are you...?

"You jest. My martial arts skills are mediocre. Entering Tian Shu Palace would only be a waste of your food..."

Before I could finish speaking, my right hand was lifted up, and a sharp hand gripped my pulse. "Hmm, your internal energy is indeed weak, but your lightness skill was quite good just now..."

I heard a soft sound behind me. I turned around and saw another figure appear. The person only glanced at me coldly and then ignored me. Instead, he bowed to Qingjiu and said, "Palace Master, everyone has been killed, but I heard from them that one person is missing."

This must be Qianlou, the one exuding murderous aura. With someone like him around, I'm definitely not going to leave now...

"Hmm," Qingjiu replied indifferently, then looked at me, "Killed them?"

They clearly knew that I had taken the place of the missing person.

“…Hmm.” I dared not lie anymore, because he had a way of verifying it, so I had no choice but to answer.

"Hanshan Pavilion is no ordinary small gang. It seems your martial arts skills are not as mediocre as you say."

I was speechless.

“The fire is getting bigger and bigger; someone will be here soon,” Qingjiu said calmly, turning around. “Let’s go.”

Qianlou immediately followed, but I hesitated and didn't move.

Qingjiu stopped, turned around and looked at me with a shallow gaze, "Not leaving?" It was a threat that it was either leave or die.

I had no choice but to abandon all hope and grit my teeth and follow.

Now I finally witnessed what high-level lightness skill was like. The two of them were like swallows flying swiftly over the eaves. I had practiced lightness skill for several years and had been praised by Old Man Yu. I suddenly had the desire to run out and compete with him, but I forcibly suppressed it and only maintained the speed that I had just seen when I was with the people from Hanshan Pavilion.

Before long I was far behind. When the two noticed, Qianlou turned around and glared at me menacingly, but Qingjiu waved his hand and slowed down, letting me catch up. He then sped over the city wall at a slightly faster speed than me and headed out of the city.

Having witnessed what was clearly beneath Qianlou's notice, he finally couldn't help but ask Qingjiu, "Palace Master, who is she...?"

Qing Jiu's voice remained calm, his figure like a low-flying swan, "...a small gain."

I gritted my teeth, wishing someone would ask me, "Who is he?" and I would answer, "A great evil spirit."

...

Under the cover of night, they passed through a small grove of trees in the north of the city, crossed a stream, and found a house at the foot of a small hill. The house was dimly lit, and inside were the alluring woman and baby-faced boy they had seen during the day—presumably Hua Mei and Bai Ya, the protectors of Tian Shu Palace. The remaining protector, Chi Tian, was probably currently overseeing Tian Shu Palace.

They were somewhat surprised to see me, but at Qingjiu's signal, they didn't ask any more questions. Instead, they led me into a room and told me not to wander around.

I knew they were going to talk, and if I tried to run away or eavesdrop, I wouldn't be able to save my life.

I pulled out my most treasured dagger from my pocket, held it, and slept lightly through the night. As I closed my eyes, I even fantasized about waking up and finding myself still in that inn where nothing had happened.

...

Because I sleep very lightly and am used to getting up early to practice martial arts, I woke up at 3 AM. I tossed and turned in bed for a while, but finally couldn't stay still. I got out of bed, washed up in a corner, and then went out.

It was too late last night to look closely, but there was a peach tree in the yard that was blooming exceptionally well.

The clusters of flowers resembled a tree of fireworks, their deep red reflecting off the pale red, transforming into countless drifting, floating points of light in the fading dawn.

I was filled with admiration. I walked over and sat cross-legged under the tree. The tree, as if possessed by nature, plucked its own flower petals and tossed them at me, this idle man.

Peach blossoms fell in disarray, like a red rain.

I heard footsteps behind me, and when I turned around, I saw a slender figure walking slowly towards me through the rain of flowers.

With an air of noble character, he stands tall and elegant, a seven-foot-tall white figure in the wind.

He paused for a moment when he saw me sitting under the tree, my head, shoulders, and clothes covered in flowers, then chuckled, “…You have quite the refined taste, young lady.” He walked over, spread out his white robes, and sat down beside me.

Her long, unbound black hair cascaded loosely, like ink spreading across her white robes. Fallen peach blossoms stained her like vermilion ink marks, creating a scene as if painted. The scene was like a painting, and so were the people.

As if forgetting that I had been kidnapped, I gazed quietly at Qingjiu for a while before turning my eyes to the peach tree in full bloom, and slowly said, "I've heard people say that beauty is the true emperor, and heaven and earth are merely generals on either side. Only when facing absolute beauty alone do you realize that absolute beauty can make one want to die. This is truly true."

"So beautiful it makes one want to die..." Qing Jiu repeated, closing her eyes slightly, and whispered, "The person who said this must have a pure and innocent heart that sees the world clearly, and so does the young lady."

I chuckled and was about to reply when a female voice came from not far away: "Palace Master, prepare everything in advance." It was Hua Mei.

Qingjiu stood up, gently brushed the fallen petals off her shoulder, and smiled as she said to me, "Let's go get something to eat."

...

When I saw that the so-called "little thing" was actually rock sugar stewed bird's nest, I fell silent. Even the emperor's breakfast was nothing more than this. These damn rich people!

When Baiya saw me, he exclaimed, "Oh, so it's a little girl! Haha, finally someone younger than me!"

Even with me included, nobody paid him any attention, and he pouted dejectedly.

After breakfast, I followed the Palace Master and the three guardians very conscientiously.

The sun has awakened, drawing its bow from behind the towering mountains and thick clouds, unleashing a barrage of arrows that rain down upon the earth.

While I was in the corridor, I noticed someone in the tree outside. I was about to turn around to check, but then I thought, if even I noticed, the four people in front of me must have noticed long ago, yet no one made a sound; they must have something planned…

I didn't speak, my expression remained unchanged, but I became cautious, slowly assuming a defensive posture, ready to strike.

Having wandered around for over a year and encountered many dangers, I had developed a subtle intuition. I sensed that the person in the tree was aiming at me and preparing to attack.

I understand now, they want to test my martial arts skills.