Апрель

Глава 101

Li Si covered her mouth with her fan, laughing charmingly, "Leave everything to me, hehehe..."

Xiao Xiao sensed something was wrong. Why was she, the so-called "Three-String Heroine," still at a certain point, forced to be "manipulated" by others?

...

...This is a dividing line expressing my sympathy for the cannon fodder = =+...

Three miles west of the city, there was an abandoned garden. A large family used to live there, but a few years ago, a lightning strike caused the main house to catch fire. Because it was late at night, all of the more than ten family members perished.

The people in the city all avoid this place because of its sinister aura, and they rarely go near it on ordinary days.

When Wen Su woke up, he found himself lying in a side room of this abandoned garden. Not far from the bed stood Wen Jing.

Wen Su stood up, caught his breath, and said, "Island Lord..."

"When were you poisoned?" Wen Jing asked, frowning as he looked at him.

Wen Su was silent for a moment before speaking: "That day, my disciple drifted to the South China Sea and was stranded on a deserted island. In order to escape, he took the poison from the South China Sea..."

“'Seven Kills'?” Wen Jing was still displeased.

"yes."

Wen Jing walked to Wen Su's side and said, "'Seven Kills' is never used to kill, but to torture. Tell your master, did you make a deal with the South Sea?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Su knelt down and said, "Island Master, please forgive me. I promised to hand over the half of the Xuan Yue Heart Sutra held by the East Sea, which allowed me to escape. But please rest assured, Island Master, I will never reveal a single word of the Heart Sutra's contents..."

How long have you been suffering from the poison?

"Three days."

"Three days... The 'Seven Killings' poison shows no abnormalities for the first seven days. However, after these seven days, the poison takes effect for one hour each day. After another seven days, it will be two hours each day... When it takes effect for twelve hours in a row, death will be imminent. I have fought against the South Sea for many years, and no one has ever survived forty-nine days. You should know better than your master the pain of that living hell..." Wen Jing's tone was extremely cold. "And yet, you still have the confidence to tell your master that you won't hand over the Heart Sutra?"

Wen Su nodded calmly, "Yes."

"You grew up by my side since you were a child, and no one in the world understands you better than me. On that day in the South China Sea, you were perfectly capable of breaking out on your own. If I'm not mistaken, it was for that little girl that you humbled yourself like that. What deep affection and friendship! It truly moves me!"

“Island Master, your disciple has no such intention. She is the only person in the world who knows the secret of the Nine Emperors’ Divine Artifacts. Protecting her is your disciple’s mission.”

"Alright, since it's a mission, why did you shoo away everyone else today, and why did you return empty-handed?"

Wen Su replied, "This disciple did not expect the poison to take effect..."

“Wen Su…” Wen Jing sighed, “I am neither deaf nor blind. I will not hold your past actions against you, out of consideration for our teacher-student relationship.”

Wen Su slowly raised his head, looked at Wen Jing, and said in a humble and sincere tone, "Disciple would never do anything to betray the island lord, but..."

"Just?" Wen Jing's eyes narrowed slightly, gleaming with a cold light.

"However, I fear that with only three months left to live, I will not be able to help the Island Master complete his great undertaking..."

"You..." Wen Jing exclaimed in astonishment, "You, are you determined to die?"

Wen Su remained silent, not speaking.

Wen Jing looked at him for a long time, then sighed, "Fine. Do as you please..."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left.

Wen Su slowly stood up, his face showing no trace of sorrow or joy.

Wen Jing stepped outside and into the courtyard, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, a truly terrifying sight.

At that moment, several men in black suddenly appeared and knelt on one knee in front of him. One of them stepped forward and whispered a few words in his ear.

Wen Jing's voice was gloomy and his tone was cold, "Keep searching! Keep searching until you find her... I don't care what methods you use, as long as she can speak."

The men in black obeyed and dispersed.

Wen Jing waved his hand, and several other men in black appeared out of thin air, kneeling down to receive his orders.

"From now on, Wen Su shall report to me everything he does."

The group accepted the order and disappeared into the night.

Wen Jing stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the moonlight.

"Han Qing..." Wen Jing muttered to himself, filled with hatred.

...

Flawless

The following evening, Ye Zhang prepared a simple meal and drinks at his residence to welcome Lian Zhao.

Ye Zhang raised his wine glass and said with a smile, "Nephew, your military strategy in the East China Sea campaign was truly eye-opening."

"Uncle, you flatter me," Lian Zhao said with a smile, bowing his head.

"The last time I saw you, you were not yet ten years old. Time really flies... By the way, my dear nephew, you have already had your coming-of-age ceremony, have you received your courtesy name yet?" Ye Zhang asked.

Lian Zhao respectfully replied, "Zizhen."

"The character 'Zhao' is an encouragement, and the character 'Zhen' is an admonition; your father has high expectations for you," Ye Zhang said with a smile. "Speaking of which, it's been quite a while since I've seen your father. I heard he was ordered to guard the border of Western Xia. I don't know when we'll see each other again." Ye Zhang asked.

Lian Zhao replied, "My father often mentions Uncle Shi, saying that he must find an opportunity to spar with Uncle Shi again."

"Haha, it's time to find an opportunity."

After exchanging pleasantries and toasting each other a few times, Lian Zhao put down his glass and said, "There is something I don't understand. Could you please enlighten me, Uncle?"

"Please speak."

Lian Zhao considered for a moment and then asked, "Does Uncle know the 'Ghost Master'?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhang paused slightly in his wine glass, but his expression remained smiling. "I used to serve under Marshal Yue and had several encounters with the 'Ghost Master,' but as for a close relationship, I'm afraid it's..."

Lian Zhao nodded and said, "I heard about what happened last night from the people in the manor. Uncle vaguely mentioned the 'Ghost Master' and the 'Liquan Divine Spear'... The 'Ghost Master' is related to several murder cases in the court. Does Uncle know anything about it?"

Ye Zhang put down his cup and said, "What happened last night was my oversight; I didn't explain it to my nephew. Does my nephew know that Wen Su, the Double-Blade Master of the Eastern Sea, is very similar to the 'Ghost Master'?"

Lian Zhao frowned. "What do you mean by 'extremely similar'?"

“Not only his appearance, but even his speech and actions are 90% similar,” Ye Zhang said. “The old subordinates of Marshal Yue are all loyal and righteous brothers. I had my suspicions about the ‘Ghost Master’ killing. After seeing the wanted poster, I set up this play to lure Wen Su into the trap. As expected, he was the murderer of the court official.”

Lian Zhao listened and remained silent.

"No one could have imagined that there could be two people in the world so similar. The depth of Donghai's scheming is chilling..." Ye Zhang continued, "I originally planned to capture that thief and then report the truth to the court. Unexpectedly, he colluded with the Japanese and managed to escape. It probably won't be so easy to catch him again next time..."

"Uncle, rest assured, leave the pursuit to Lian Zhao." Lian Zhao smiled and asked, "I heard from the manor that Wen Su's purpose in coming here is for the 'Li Quan Divine Spear.' This divine spear was once Marshal Yue's weapon, and I have long wanted to see it. I wonder if there will be such an opportunity today?"

Ye Zhang laughed, "Hahaha, my dear nephew, you've been fooled too! I don't have any 'Liquan Divine Spear'! It was all a lie to that thief! Marshal Yue's weapon is still missing, it's truly a pity..."

Lian Zhao looked up and smiled, "Indeed."

Ye Zhang picked up the wine pot, poured wine for Lian Zhao, and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, I also have something I'd like to ask my nephew."

"I wouldn't dare," Lian Zhao said, gently shielding the wine pot from the flame.

Ye Zhang poured himself a glass and asked, "What exactly is your relationship with that 'Three-String Heroine'?"

Lian Zhao was slightly surprised and couldn't answer.

Ye Zhang smiled, raised his glass, and said, "Could it be that you've been pursuing her all this time because of your personal feelings for her?"

“Absolutely not,” Lian Zhao replied quickly.

"Oh, so what exactly did that female knight do?"

Lian Zhao couldn't answer Ye Zhang's question, so he could only silently drink the glass of wine.

"It seems my nephew doesn't want to answer... Hehehe, as people get older, they develop curiosity, which is a really bad habit." Ye Zhang shook his head.

Lian Zhao smiled slightly, "Uncle has been an official for many years, so he naturally sees things in officialdom more clearly than I do."

Ye Zhang nodded, "After suffering many losses, one learns to be wise."

A sudden, abrupt silence fell between them, like a barrier separating them, from which no further step could be taken.

...

After the banquet ended, Ye Zhang returned to his room. He pondered for a long time before realizing that Lian Zhao's words clearly had a hidden meaning, making him wary.

He slowly walked to the bedside and slammed his hand on the corner of the bed. The bed frame flipped over, revealing a long spear. Forged from fine steel, the spear was entirely silver-white, exuding a formidable aura. Though hidden beneath the bed frame, its sharpness remained undiminished, its brilliance dazzling.

“Liquan…” Ye Zhang reached out and gently stroked the spear, then sighed.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Ye Zhang immediately activated the mechanism and hid his spear. He got up and opened the door, only to find the butler holding a letter, looking at him with a worried expression.

Ye Zhang inquired and learned that the letter was delivered by a girl from "Liuyun Pavilion." "Liuyun Pavilion" was the largest brothel in the city, a place of pleasure, which the prefect naturally avoided. It was no wonder the steward was puzzled that a girl had come to deliver a letter today.

Ye Zhang, unaware of the intricacies of the matter, dismissed the steward and opened the letter to read it.

After a moment, his expression changed slightly, but a smile gradually appeared in his eyes. He put down the letter, thought for a moment, left it on the table, and weighed it down with a teacup. Then, he went out.

Ye Zhang gave a few brief instructions and then left the manor. It was a summer night, and many pedestrians were still strolling and enjoying the cool air. After walking for a while, he stopped in front of the largest music academy in the city.

"Liuyun Pavilion" was originally a brothel, and as a high-ranking official of the imperial court, he was known for his integrity and would never frequent it. But tonight, he seemed to be in the mood and stepped inside with a smile.

When the girls in the neighborhood saw him, they didn't say anything and led him straight to a flower hall.

Upon entering, he saw that an eight-immortal table had been set up in the flower hall, laden with fine wine and delicacies. Beside the table sat a simply dressed young woman, smiling at him.

Upon seeing her, Ye Zhang smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Lady Zuo invited me to this place of pleasure. May I ask what brings you here?"

Xiao Xiao stood up and said, "Lord Ye, please don't be so polite, have a seat!"

As soon as Ye Zhang sat down, a beautifully dressed woman came forward to pour him wine.

Xiao Xiao smiled and said, "Lord Ye, I invited you here today because I want to ask you for a favor."

"Please speak, heroine," Ye Zhang said.

"Lord Ye should remember that I once saved your daughter." Xiao Xiao said, maintaining her composure as she recited her lines.

"Of course," Ye Zhang nodded.

"Then, Lord Ye, what do you think about exchanging this favor for a city exit warrant?" Xiao Xiao asked.

Ye Zhang laughed and said, "You're joking, heroine. You've done nothing wrong, so why are you in such a hurry to leave the city? Although the city is under lockdown, it will open soon. Why don't you stay at my humble abode for a few days? Let me express my gratitude, and you can leave after the city opens."

Xiao Xiao knew this wouldn't be so easy, and she looked at Ye Zhang, feeling nervous. She'd thought Li Si had some brilliant idea, but it turned out she just wanted to get to Ye Zhang to make a deal. Even though she was now a renowned heroine, known throughout the city, who could guarantee Ye Zhang would give her face? Sigh… well, she'd just have to play along with Li Si's script…

She sighed and shook her head, saying, "Lord Ye, let's not beat around the bush. Donghai broke into the yamen last night and kidnapped your daughter. His purpose was to obtain the 'Liquan Divine Spear' that once belonged to Marshal Yue..."