Someone answered, "Yes." Then the sound of weapons being drawn was heard.
Suddenly, a figure appeared on the wall and shouted, "Wait!"
"Who goes there!" The guards drew their swords and surrounded Chen Dongyao.
Chen Dongyao looked at the person on the wall. Although the oxygen was weak, it was still a bit dazzling. She stood on the wall with her clothes fluttering. Chen Dongyao suddenly felt blood rush to his forehead and his heart beat faster.
Hua Wuduo's gaze swept across the entire area, finally settling on Xu Qing, who was bound to a wooden stake in the courtyard. Seeing Xu Qing unconscious and covered in whip marks, and remembering how he had desperately sought death so as not to be a burden to her, Hua Wuduo felt a pang of sorrow. Although Xu Qing respected her as his master, she had always treated him as a friend.
Hua Wuduo shouted, "I've been here for a while, don't hurt him!"
Chen Dongyao smiled, a hint of tenderness creeping into his excitement. Considering Hua Wu's condition wasn't that serious, it was truly bizarre.
Chapter Thirty-Five: Luring the Enemy Deep
It was a strange night. Hua Wuduo never dreamed that one day he would sit with a flower thief and have a heart-to-heart talk under the moon.
While Chen Yaodong claimed to be having a heart-to-heart talk, Hua Wuduo was forced into it. She feared Chen Yaodong would harm Xu Qing, but was even more worried about her own situation, torn between staying and leaving. Finally, she calmed herself and, relying on her skill and courage, decided to stay temporarily, planning her next move carefully. She had expected Chen Yaodong to bring up inappropriate matters to embarrass her, but to her surprise, Chen Yaodong was strangely unpredictable.
Chen Dongyao was called a womanizer, yet he didn't seduce her. For someone labeled a womanizer, this seemed illogical and defied common sense. Chen Dongyao even treated her to fine wine and food, being extremely gentle and attentive. But no matter how gentle he was, Hua Wuduo still saw him as a wolf in sheep's clothing, naturally remaining wary. She didn't drink a single drop of the food and wine he prepared, and she even extinguished the incense he had lit to repel mosquitoes. Chen Dongyao understood her concerns and didn't insist.
Chen Dongyao has been drinking since ancient times. This wine is a 30-year-old Daughter's Red wine, which is very fragrant but also has a high alcohol content. Chen Dongyao seemed to be very happy tonight, drinking one cup after another until he finally got drunk and started talking.
Hua Wuduo was deeply alarmed by what Chen Dongyao said.
That was something Chen Dongyao experienced when he was just twenty. He said he originally thought he had a good older brother and a pure and kind fiancée to spend his life with. He felt his life was perfect. But he never expected that his fiancée, the Miss Guo, had only been hypocritical towards him all along, approaching him only to use him. She hurt him in secret time and time again, and he narrowly escaped death several times, thinking they were just accidents. But when he learned that she had betrayed him, he was left with only sadness and disappointment. When he saw her tears and pleas, he forgave her. In the end, he couldn't bear to hurt her, always thinking she had her reasons. But when he caught her in bed with his own brother, he finally understood that the precious treasure he had treated with sincerity was such a despicable harlot. It turned out that everything was orchestrated by his own brother, who wanted to harm him. In a fit of rage, he killed Miss Guo with his own hands, but he couldn't bring himself to harm his own brother. He left in anger. Because Miss Guo died suddenly at the Chen family's house, his parents, upon learning of this, were so enraged that they both became bedridden. His elder brother, however, went even further, attempting to kill him when he stormed out of the house, but ultimately succeeded in killing him. Soon after, his parents, unable to bear the blow of this year-long infighting over the farmland, passed away one after another. He was left all alone in the world, and from then on, he no longer trusted anyone and looked down upon those who considered themselves ladies of high society.
He knew the world's baseless speculations that he had harmed his father and killed his brother, but he didn't care.
Chen Yaodong said, "I don't care about what people think. I don't need their respect. I only need them to fear me."
Chen Yaodong said, "I love watching those self-proclaimed noble and pure young ladies turn into withered flowers and fallen willows."
Chen Yaodong said, "I have never said this to anyone. What I need is not your pity."
Hua Wuduo said, "I can't give you anything you need, but unfortunately, I'm forced to listen even though I don't want to. And I don't pity you at all."
He raised an eyebrow and suddenly said, "Guards, give him a hundred lashes." Chen Dongyao pointed at Xu Qing.
"Wait!" Hua Wuduo said, "I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep if you see my face. Are you really going to look?"
His eyes, glazed with drunkenness, seemed to say to her, "Look!"
Without hesitation, she slowly removed her mask. Seeing Chen Dongyao staring intently, Hua Wuduo felt disgusted and looked away, saying with contempt, "No matter how good this face is, in my eyes it's nothing more than a mask that can't be removed. Only shallow people like physical beauty and don't care about inner qualities."
Chen Yaodong paused, his gaze lingering on his infatuated expression. He silently downed the wine in his king's cup in one gulp, saying, "You're right, I truly like you, the more I get to know you, the more I like you." He chuckled, "To be honest, your beauty is indeed very attractive, but I've discovered that my liking for you isn't solely due to your looks. It's largely because of your resourcefulness and courage. And also because you came to see me tonight for him." He glanced at the unconscious, bound Xu Qing, and continued, "When Wei Qian said you were loyal and righteous, I didn't believe it, but today I do. Most women I've met are different." He refilled his cup, saying, "How about we share a drink?"
Hua Wuduo said, "I never drink with strangers."
Chen Dongyao said, "You're afraid of me."
Hua Wuduo said, "I'm not afraid of you, but I'm on guard against you."
Chen Dongyao said, "I like you very much, and I won't hurt you."
Hua Wuduo said, "All you do is threaten me."
Chen Dongyao said, "Okay, I won't threaten you with him."
Hua Wuduo said, "I hate it most when people eat and drink in front of me, even though I can't eat any of it. The last person to do that was Song Zixing, so I've decided to hate him for the rest of my life."
Chen Dongyao said, "Being hated by you for a lifetime is not a bad thing. At least it means you will always remember him."
Hua Wuduo said, "Do you know what my main purpose is in coming to Fujian?"
Chen Dongyao said, "They couldn't have come for me."
Hua Wuduo said, "You're wrong. One of the reasons I came to Fujian was to cripple you."
Chen Dongyao chuckled, as if he were seeing an egg saying to a stone, "I'm going to smash you." He asked with great interest, "How will you cripple me?"
Hua Wuduo said, "If you don't resist, I'll demonstrate it to you."
Chen Dongyao laughed heartily and said, "I haven't been this happy in a long time, but the happier I am, the less I want you to leave."
Hua Wuduo glanced at him sideways and said, "Try and see if you can keep me here."
Chen Dongyao said, "Okay."
Chen Dongyao spoke of the waybills with ease, yet their sale was extremely swift. Unfortunately, Hua Wuduo was no pushover either, even though he hadn't eaten…
That night, they fought fiercely, exchanging countless blows. They fought from moonrise until dawn, battling all night without a clear victor. In the heat of the battle, Hua Wuduo had forgotten the purpose of her trip, while Chen Dongyao, clearly holding back and not wanting to hurt her, was constantly restrained and inevitably suffered some injuries due to his inability to dodge in time.
Chen Dongyao's deliberate act inadvertently struck at Hua Wuduo's weakness. Hua Wuduo is the kind of person who, if you're very strong, she'll just run away and give up; if you're weak, she'll bully you; and if you're evenly matched with her, she'll refuse to admit defeat and insist on a fight to the death. And coincidentally, Chen Dongyao was evenly matched with her this time.
The two fought and fought. Hua Wuduo grew increasingly agitated and angry, her stubborn nature driving her to fight relentlessly until one of them was defeated. Chen Dongyao, however, became increasingly cautious, gentle, and devoid of his usual demonic aura. He finally noticed Hua Wuduo had removed her silver needles and said, "Let's stop!"
Chen Dongyao, still somewhat reluctant to let go, asked, "What's wrong?"
Hua Wuduo said, "Fighting with you is too tiring. I need to rest and eat something."
Chen Dongyao asked, "Are you willing to eat the food from my residence?"
Hua Wuduo said, "Of course I won't eat it."
Early in the morning, as the city's mist had just dissipated, Chen Dongyao followed Hua Wuduo to the street. They came across a small stall where freshly baked buns were fragrant and large. Hua Wuduo ate three in one go and drank a bowl of soy milk before feeling satisfied. Chen Dongyao ate five, his expression also quite pleased.
Chen Dongyao said, "It's not bad, we can come again."
Hua Wuduo gave Chen Dongyao a strange look.
As she got up to leave, a beggar suddenly darted towards Hua Wuduo, but she dodged him. Hua Wuduo hadn't planned on attending the meeting, but then Chen Dongyao suddenly struck, severing the beggar's neck with a single stroke. The speed was so fast that no blood even spurted from the beggar's unbroken neck. This act terrified everyone on the street. Hua Wuduo, surprised, heard Chen Dongyao laugh and say to her, "He's a thief, he's been watching you for ages. I'll make him stupid for you!" With that, he took the jade pendant from the beggar's hand and handed it to Hua Wuduo. This jade pendant wasn't hers, but belonged to the dancer named Xiaoyi. To avoid being recognized, Hua Wuduo had naturally taken all of Xiaoyi's belongings after knocking her unconscious.
Hua Wuduo took the jade pendant in a daze. She had never met someone who could kill so easily, so effortlessly, as if offering a treasure, and so capable of pleasing her. She lowered her head and fastened the pendant to her waist, only to discover a slip of paper hidden there. Without a sound, Hua Wuduo slipped the paper into her palm. As she walked, taking advantage of Chen Dongyao's inattention, she glanced at it. It read: "Lead him to the east." It was Song Zixing's handwriting. Hua Wuduo's heart tightened. She clenched her fist, and the paper crumbled into pieces in her hand. The person who had just died…
Hua Wuduo turned and walked east. Chen Dongyao followed closely behind and asked, "Where are you planning to go?"
Hua Wuduo said, "None of your business!"
The more she said this, the more Chen Dongyao wanted to follow her.
He had just killed someone in full view of everyone, yet now he was walking down the street as if nothing had happened. Hua Wuduo continued walking eastward, saying as he went, "Those who make a living all have their own difficulties. It was just a jade pendant; why did you have to kill him?"
Chen Dongyao disagreed, saying, "You're too kind, which is a huge flaw."
Hua Wuduo said mercilessly, "Your humanity has been completely extinguished."
Chen Dongyao said, "Therefore I have nothing to fear."
Hua Wuduo said, "Is it also flawless?"
Chen Dongyao wholeheartedly agreed.
Hua Wuduo said, "You're not even human."
Chen Dongyao said, "Many people say these things about me behind my back, but you're the only one who said it to my face. Strangely enough, I wasn't angry at all; instead, I felt quite gratified. It shows you understand me."
Hua Wuduo said irritably, "You must have been kicked in the head by a donkey."
Chen Dongyao burst into laughter in the street.
Hua Wuduo thought that the man in the lower right corner was a bit crazy, and said without any politeness, "Your head has not only been kicked by a donkey, but also caught in a door."
Chen Dongyao laughed even louder.
Hua Wuduo angrily flicked her sleeve and walked even faster, and Chen Dongyao also quickened his pace to keep up beside her.
Chen Dongyao said, "You are the strangest woman I have ever met, and I am very interested in you."
Hua Wuduo said, "I'm also very interested in you."
"Oh?" Chen Dongyao said.
"I'm very interested in crippling you," Hua Wuduo said hatefully.
Chen Dongyao choked on his laughter and coughed for a long time before saying, "Do you know? The person I hate the most is Song Zixing. Because I hate noble young men with respectable family backgrounds, high moral character, and self-righteousness, and Song Zixing is the best among them. He is the one I want to get rid of the most."
Of all the things Chen Dongyao said, only this one sentence made sense to Hua Wuduo, so he couldn't help but nod.
This slight nod made Chen Dongyao laugh out loud again. Chen Dongyao said, "Liu Xiu abandoned you for Qi Xin. He is the number one fool in the world."
When Liu Xiu was mentioned, Hua Wuduo fell silent.
But Chen Dongyao said smugly, "Liu Xiu is lucky. He has Qi Xin on his left and you on his right. If I weren't more handsome than him, I would be jealous of him."
The gloom that Hua Wuduo had felt instantly vanished, and he turned around to look at him as if he were a ghost.
Their gazes were immediately fixed on Chen Dongyao, who then said, "What kind of look is that? Although our website can't compare to Tang Ye's effeminate manner, Wu Qi, Wu Yi, Liu Xiu, Song Zixing, and the like, which one can compare to this handsome king?"
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo staggered for a moment, then lowered her head and hurried eastward, her pace quickening until she finally resorted to using her lightness skill. Chen Dongyao, thinking she was about to run away, followed closely behind her without letting up for a second, and kindly reminded her, "Xu Qing is still in my hands."
Hua Wuduo slowed his pace and walked straight into a grove of trees.
The trees here were neatly arranged, and the weeds were not tall, indicating that someone had been taking care of it for a long time. Hua Wuduo rushed in. Chen Dongyao raised his voice and asked, "Where are you going?"
Hua Wuduo didn't even turn his head, and shouted loudly, "I'm going to find a secluded place to cripple you."
Chen Dongyao laughed and followed closely behind. Kuaiji was under his jurisdiction, and his uncle was the local governor, so he was naturally fearless. Moreover, the most common mistake made by highly skilled martial artists is overconfidence; Hua Wuduo was like that, and so was Chen Dongyao. A dozen or so guards followed behind Chen Dongyao, protecting him at a distance. He and his men were encircled on his territory, and Hua Wuduo, though alone, was still under his control. A trace of tenderness remained in his heart; he didn't want to force Hua Wuduo or harm her, which was why he had been following her.
But when he saw the hundreds of masked men in black rushing up and surrounding him, he was slightly taken aback. How could so many people have infiltrated Kuaiji without his noticing? In his anger, Chen Fonian Gengyao noticed an extra person beside Hua Wuduo—it was Song Zixing. He was greatly puzzled. As far as he knew, Song Zixing was attacking a city in Dongyang County yesterday; how could he be in Kuaiji today?
Song Zixing didn't give Chen Dongyao a chance to speak. With a wave of his hand, hundreds of men in black attacked Chen Dongyao.
These hundreds of men in black were all agile and skilled, clearly not ordinary people, but they were still slightly inferior to Chen Dongyao, though they outnumbered him nonetheless.
Chen Dongyao and his dozens of men had been wiped out outside the forest, leaving only Chen Dongyao.
Hua Wuduo stood at a distance, watching with a puzzled expression, and asked, "Why did you suddenly come?"
Song Zixing said, "I've been following you all along."
Hua Wuduo was greatly puzzled upon hearing this, "That's not right, I heard that you led troops to attack Dongyang County yesterday..."
Song Zixing laughed and said, "I can create clones."
Hua Wuduo suddenly remembered something and snorted, "So the mask I lost is in your hands."
Song Zixing said, "You have no use for it, so you might as well give it to me."
Hua Wuduo was about to say something when he suddenly saw him twitch the soft sword at his waist and stab at Chen Dongyao.
Although Hua Wuduo disliked Chen Dongyao, he didn't want to make a move and just watched quietly from the sidelines.
Upon seeing Song Zixing, Chen Dongyao brandished his knife and said in a gloomy tone, "So it was you who set up this ambush."