Орден Красного Лотоса - Глава 85
The swordsman was dressed in ordinary night clothes, his face covered with a black cloth; only his eyes were visible. They exuded cruelty, excitement, and malevolence, yet also carried a hint of loneliness—a sense of déjà vu.
Yang Nianqing was very familiar with this kind of gaze; once upon a time, there was someone who had also looked at her like that.
Kuroshiro.
He certainly wasn't Kuroshiro; Kuroshiro wouldn't kill in a mask. Yet the man before him was a genuine assassin; only a life spent licking blood from the edge of a knife could give someone such eyes.
Nangong Xue did not move, nor did her sword.
Time seemed to stand still.
The gleaming sword light reflected on his handsome, calm face, like the cool autumn water, revealing a touch of cruel beauty.
"Someone bought her life." A hoarse, deep voice said.
He smiled slightly: "Kill me first."
silence.
Even assassins have their rules. Killing is never a good thing. Without any benefit, killing one more person is not only not worthwhile, but you also have to be constantly on guard against more people seeking revenge, especially someone like Nangong Xue.
The man in black stared at him strangely for a moment, then suddenly withdrew his sword and sneered, "You think you can protect her?"
Nangong Xue did not answer, his expression remaining calm and composed. However, the hand holding Yang Nianqing's hand had grown cold—yes, he had no martial arts skills, so how could he protect her?
Yang Nianqing didn't say anything like clichéd lines like telling him to leave her alone and go, because she knew he definitely wouldn't agree, so why bother with such sentimental nonsense? Besides, at a life-or-death moment, someone risked their life for you like this, and no matter the outcome, that was enough.
"I just want to kill her."
"Kill me first."
The man in black remained silent for a long while, then the sword in his hand flashed again, beautiful yet ruthless.
He remained completely still.
Want to go together?
Strangely, Yang Nianqing, who was terrified just now, has lost all fear. She simply leans on his arm and quietly watches the sword strike, even though she knows the person in front of her cannot block it.
Sometimes people aren't really afraid of death, but rather of loneliness.
Do you feel braver when someone is by your side?
Even the most meticulous protection has its gaps.
Sure enough, the man in black only feinted with his sword, easily finding the opening. Immediately, the sword, like a venomous snake, stabbed towards Yang Nianqing behind him.
These people, from the moment they embark on the path of assassins, are destined for loneliness. They have no friends, no family, and cannot even show their true faces. All they can do is keep taking on missions and keep killing until one day they are killed by someone else. Thus, killing becomes their only, yet pitiful, pleasure.
A look of frenzied excitement ignited in his cruel eyes. Seeing that the sword was about to strike and another perfect assassination was about to be completed, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pleasure.
However, before that feeling of pleasure could fully unfold, it turned into countless fears and doubts—he never expected that, besides the sword in his hand, another sword would inexplicably appear.
The pupils gradually dilated.
Half a day.
The person slowly collapsed, and blood gushed out.
Nangong Xue remained standing there motionless, quietly watching the corpse on the ground, a soft, silver-snake-like sword trembling in her hand.
A drop of blood slid down the gleaming sword tip.
Yang Nianqing felt cold all over.
A few strands of long hair trembled in the wind at his temples. A faint sadness and melancholy resurfaced in his noble phoenix eyes, and pain and contradiction almost completely overwhelmed his handsome face.
The sword trembled gently, just like Yang Nianqing's trembling heart.
With a "clink," the sword fell to the ground.
This man, so gentle and kind, would never have been associated with the word "bloodshed," but now, just to save her, he finally killed someone.
“Brother Nangong…” She wanted to comfort him, but found that nothing she said would be appropriate.
Finally, those eyes slowly turned to her.
The moment all the complicated gazes fell upon her face, they suddenly became clear and pure. Nangong Xue smiled slightly and put her arms around her: "It's alright, we'll leave here tomorrow morning, don't be afraid."
Yang Nianqing held back her tears and nodded.
"So you can wield a sword too." The voice was calm, yet chilling.
Facing the strange looks from Qiu Bailu and He Bi, Yang Nianqing remained calm. Let them think what they want; having someone like her who treats her this way is enough.
He Bi glanced at her, then walked over and squatted down beside the corpse.
The black veil covering his face was lifted, revealing an unfamiliar face with an excessive look of suspicion. He never imagined that Nangong Xue, the number one young master and the number one philanthropist in the martial arts world, would actually kill someone.
After a while.
He Bi slowly stood up and looked at Nangong Xue: "I didn't expect your swordsmanship to be so good."
Nangong Xue remained silent.
Qiu Bailu said calmly, "I've known him for nearly ten years, and I didn't even know."
Nangong Xue finally nodded.
“I have had abnormal meridians since childhood and cannot cultivate internal energy. My father went to great lengths to create this sword technique so that I could learn it for self-defense,” he said, bending down to pick up the soft sword and holding it between his fingers. “This sword technique has an advantage: the user does not need any internal energy and can drive the sword with just wrist strength.”
He looked at Yang Nianqing and smiled, "I've never used it."
He still used it now to save her.
Yang Nianqing remained silent.
He Bi remained expressionless, staring at them for a long time before looking at the corpse of the black-clad assassin. He said coldly, "Go back to your room and rest. Even if he's not dead, he might not survive if he goes back."
The murderer will definitely kill them to cover it up.
Qiu Bailu scoffed, "You can still find out a lot of things even if the person isn't dead."
Faced with his excessive mockery, Nangong Xue did not argue, but just looked at them and said: "It is enough for you to investigate this case. Now, I want to take Xiao Nian away and I don't want to investigate anymore."
The two were stunned.
He Bi's eyes flashed: "Should we wait for Old Li to come back?"
"No need. We'll set off tomorrow morning. Please ask Brother He to convey our message to Brother Li."
Although the night was exceptionally long, it eventually passed, and morning arrived again.
A servant just reported that the carriage was already waiting outside the gate.
Is she leaving? Why does her heart feel so empty? Yang Nianqing looked around, unsure of what she was longing for. This was Nangong Xue's villa; now that the two of them were gone, only He Bi and the others remained.
Thinking of Nangong Xue's smiling face just now.
"Once we get back to the villa, we won't have to worry about anything anymore."
This gentle person always has such an elegant and mellow temperament. Having him around makes you feel completely at ease. No matter what the situation, he can stand by you through thick and thin, right?
A warmth filled my heart.
She used to be a huge fan of him! Yang Nianqing took a deep breath, put on a smile, and was about to step out the door.
"Are you really leaving?"
It's strange, these two are indeed friends, they're both the same, sneaking into other people's rooms without saying hello. The difference is, one wants to be a thief, while the other is a master detective.
Yang Nianqing found it amusing and laughed: "Of course."
silence.
He Bi looked at her, slightly hesitant: "Old Li should be able to come back today."
“Since he doesn’t want to see me, you should speak for him,” Yang Nianqing immediately interrupted him. “I didn’t expect things to turn out like that, I’m really sorry. But with the two of you here, we will definitely be able to find out the real culprit.”
After saying that, she was about to walk out the door when Nangong Xue walked in.
"Is everything ready?" For the first time, a pure joy appeared on his handsome face. Nangong Xue took her hand. "The car is outside. It's time to set off."
Yang Nianqing nodded.
Having probably never seen Nangong Xue like this before, He Bi was taken aback, and a look of hesitation appeared on his usually indifferent handsome face.
Upon seeing him, Nangong Xue was indeed stunned.
After a while.
He smiled and said, "So Brother He is here too."
He Bi remained silent.
Nangong Xue glanced at Yang Nianqing, her phoenix eyes dimming slightly: "Brother He, do you have something to say?"
He Bi looked at him and said, "He is my friend."
Nangong Xue remained silent.
He Bi suddenly said coldly, "You are also my friend."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Blessings from friends are always a joy.
As they were leaving, even the usually stern Qiu Bailu patted Nangong Xue on the shoulder, revealing a rare smile: "Be careful on the road, and have a good journey."
New green leaves have covered the branches, creating a misty scene. A few small birds fly happily by, and the scenery of early spring is indeed bright and beautiful.
The carriage moved slowly forward, and a vibrant spring scene was framed by the window, making the interior of the carriage bright and clear. Yang Nianqing's mood gradually improved, and she decided to leave the unhappy things behind.
She thought for a moment, then started telling jokes.
Nangong Xue simply watched her quietly, his eyes filled with pure joy. No matter how funny her jokes were, he always smiled gently yet brightly.
Do you regret it?
Yang Nianqing was speaking animatedly when she suddenly heard this sentence and was taken aback.
He looked at her: "Do you regret it?"
She slowly lowered her head.
He sighed softly, "If we regret it, we can..."
“I’m not going back,” Yang Nianqing immediately shook her head and laughed. “I don’t want to go back. I keep running into dead people. It’s really unlucky. I’d rather go to Nangong Villa and cause you trouble.”