Лучжоу Луна

Глава 46

Nan Jingqi looked directly at Leng Shuangcheng, his eyes filled with tenderness: "Shuangcheng must have suffered a lot for me... I admire and love your personality very much. Even if we don't have an inseparable bond now, if we spend more time together in the future, we might gradually become close friends... I want to ask Shuangcheng, after you see Xiaotong, would you be willing to retire with me? I don't insist on being a devoted couple. I just want to be with you every day, seeking out mountains and flowing water, and being soulmates who revel in nature."

A smile played on his brows, a gentle breeze blew at the corners of his lips, and his eyes shone brightly, his pupils clear and sparkling. This was Nan Jingqi, sitting steadily on the bed. Faced with such a cheerful and polite young man, and listening to his elegant and refined speech, Leng Shuangcheng found it truly difficult to refuse such a handsome and elegant man as Nan Jingqi.

Seeing Leng Shuangcheng's hesitant expression, Nan Jingqi smiled and said, "Shuangcheng, there's no need to be anxious. Tell me whenever you've made up your mind. I'm not that unaware of the situation. Escaping this calamity is the most important thing right now."

Leng Shuangcheng lowered her eyelids and sighed softly: "I really can't look at Nan Jingqi. As soon as I see his smile, I forget everything."

The two silently examined the secluded chamber nestled in the cliff face. After a moment, Leng Shuangcheng spoke first: "It seems to be the place where Madam Ziying had a secret rendezvous."

Nan Jingqi nodded, and Leng Shuangcheng continued, "I overheard some conversations just now and know that Tang Wu seems to be quite infatuated with Ziying. Perhaps Ziying couldn't stand Tang Wu's control and created a secret water house here."

Nan Jingqi looked down at the floor, where the glazed tile floor reflected the ripples of the Bian River, shimmering with silver light. The snow-white walls were also decorated with layers of undulating waves. Apart from the large bed that occupied half of the room, there was nothing else in the room.

Nan Jingqi murmured, "Ziying, that woman, certainly knows how to enjoy herself..."

Leng Shuangcheng's heart stirred. She carefully examined the alluring crystal bed and slowly said, "A person with such thoughts must be afraid of being caught red-handed... Imagine if someone suddenly came in while she was enjoying herself, she couldn't possibly not hide the boy on the bed..." As she spoke, she walked around the bed, looked at the headboard, and had a sudden inspiration. She twisted the bedpost, and with a "click," a large hole was revealed under the bed.

Leng Shuangcheng looked up at Nan Jingqi and couldn't help but smile, "It's all thanks to those two's stubbornness. They thought that by poisoning us and sealing our acupoints, they would be safe. They left us here without a second thought..."

Nan Jingqi listened to her cheerfully referring to "we" repeatedly, and smiled without saying a word.

17. Turning to Chapter

Leng Shuangcheng and Nan Jingqi descended the steps. The light inside was like moonlight, faintly reflecting shimmering shadows. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a small underwater passage. At first glance, it looked as if they were walking on the seabed, surrounded by transparent water droplets. After walking along the crystal tunnel for quite some time, they suddenly came upon a flawless jade wall at its end.

Nan Jingqi glanced at Leng Shuangcheng and hesitated before saying, "It can't be a sheer cliff..."

Leng Shuangcheng had seen these tricks quite often. She carefully observed the water ripples reflected on the jade wall, raised her hand and gently touched a slightly brighter ripple. The originally intact wall opened up in response.

As soon as the crystal door opened, they saw Tong Tu, but judging from his appearance, he seemed to have forgotten all about home—his small, wiry body was lazily nestled in a brocade quilt that swayed like clouds and waves, muttering, "Comfortable, comfortable..."

Nan Jingqi walked over, his face grim, and lifted him up: "Little boy, this is a brothel. It seems you're having quite a bit of fun here."

Upon hearing voices, Tong Tu struggled to get up, but upon seeing his young master's ambiguous smile, he was stunned and speechless. Nan Jingqi looked around the warm room, pondering how to find a way out.

"Young Master, how did you find your way here..." Tong Tu stammered, shrinking his neck. Nan Jingqi glanced at him and said, "Do you think I came too early?"

"No, no, that's absolutely not what I meant..." Tong Tu shook his head in fright. Seeing that he was still being held by the young master and feeling a little uncomfortable, he shook his head again and said, "Although I'm eating and drinking well here, I've always wanted to go back to the young master's side..."

Tong Tu, being just a child, was startled by his young master and unconsciously blurted out all his thoughts. Leng Shuangcheng, having witnessed everything that had happened in the room, suddenly spoke up after remaining silent: "Young master, it seems Ziying is intentionally spoiling him with lavish treatment, fostering his lazy and indolent habits, so that she can control him as a puppet when they return to Dongying..."

Nan Jingqi gently put Tong Tu down, looked back at the glittering gold decorations around him, and smiled bitterly. Just now in that tunnel, Leng Shuangcheng had discovered the whereabouts of Tong Tu, the only thing he was worried about, and told him everything she knew, including admitting that she was currently a guard under Qiu Yeyijian because of a favor she had received, which was why she knew the secrets of the Tantric sect.

Leng Shuangcheng was unwilling to elaborate on her entanglement with the evil spirits, and the magnanimous Nan Jingqi was unaware that the matter was more complex than that.

Tong Tu opened his large, dark eyes wide, glancing down at Nan Jingqi, then at the stranger he didn't recognize—Leng Shuangcheng. Leng Shuangcheng remembered the boy's troublesome and difficult nature; he had been watching him coldly with his hair disheveled. Perhaps sensing the chill emanating from Leng Shuangcheng, Tong Tu, though his speech was mumbled, explained everything clearly.

Just as they suspected, Ziying's goal was to manipulate the child. And according to him, this was also a closed cell, the only difference being that at a fixed time each day, a pretty older sister would come to serve him meals.

As Leng Shuangcheng listened to his rambling, she heard Tong Tu say, "But all the older sisters combined aren't as pretty as the one upstairs." A thought struck her, and she pressed, "Upstairs? Where is upstairs? Isn't this a private room? Isn't that sister's eyes very beautiful?"

Tong Tu nodded blankly: "How did you know... that sister's eyes were like they were filled with water, and even before I touched her, the bright tears were about to drip down..."

Leng Shuangcheng sighed, "It's Zhuang Chuchu. It seems Ruan Ruan really is here."

Nan Jingqi glanced at her silent profile and continued to press for the crucial point: "Xiaotong, tell me where upstairs is? I won't punish you."

Tong Tu stammered, "I don't know what happened. Last night, in the middle of the night, the ceiling above my head suddenly opened up like a mirror, and there were many white figures inside, all as beautiful as fairy goddesses..."

Based on Tong Tu's detailed description, Leng Shuangcheng recreated this scene for Nan Jingqi.

Ruan Ruan leaned back in a soft chair, Cheng Xiang taking meticulous care of her. Also in the room was a stunningly beautiful woman, Zhuang Chuchu. All three of them had been given poison—the kind of pill that Zi Ying had described, one that would prevent them from using their internal energy.

The three of them were resting in silence until Tang Qi entered through the door.

Tang Qi glanced at the three of them, then suddenly walked towards Ruan Ruan. Cheng Xiang seemed to understand something, stood up and blocked Ruan Ruan's path: "Tang Qi!" she shouted sharply, spreading her arms wide: "Ruan Ruan is weak and powerless, she didn't do anything, what else do you want to do to her!"

Ruan Ruan huddled in the chair, trembling with fear. Zhuang Chuchu stared in horror at the two people facing off in the room, her eyes filled with rage.

Tang Qi sneered: "Didn't you already know I was crazy? You know what happened at the celebration and you saw Chu Yi's secret last night. Don't you understand my temper?"

Cheng Xiang looked somewhat regretful and sighed, saying, "Tang Qi, I pity you for your heartbreak and admire your courage, so I've helped you several times. Whenever you cried yourself to sleep, I would tell you stories to soothe you..."

Tang Qi swayed slowly. When she glanced at Ruan Ruan's dress, she said viciously, "I will always remember your great kindness, which is why I asked my brother to leave you here and stop making things difficult for you. But—" she drawled out the last word, making the three people in the room shudder, "What Leng Shuangcheng loves, I must destroy! She caused me unbearable pain, and I will never let her get away with it!"

(Nan Jingqi looked at Leng Shuangcheng, whose face was hidden in the shadow of her wispy hair, silent and trembling.)

“They’re all a bunch of crazy people.” Cheng Xiang slowly exhaled, her hands still protecting Ruan Ruan: “Once love is involved, no one will be free and at ease. Calm down and listen to me. I’ll tell you about two kinds of lives you can’t imagine.”

"The first is the cold and handsome young master of the Bixie Sect. He is arrogant and rude in public, but lives a life torn apart in private. Chef An from the Ye family invited me for drinks at Qingfeng Tower and revealed two secrets to me: First, Qiu Yeyijian took Leng Shuangcheng's sword 'Moonlight,' apparently because he couldn't keep her and wanted to keep her sword as a companion. Second, Qiu Yeyijian voluntarily ingested 'Forget-Me-Not Powder,' a slow-acting poison that not only causes unbearable pain when it takes effect, but also causes memories to fade over time—for some reason, he seems unable to bear some kind of torment, preferring to destroy his own will and force himself to forget something..."

"The second is Leng Shuangcheng, who has undergone a tremendous transformation. No one knows where she came from, but when she appeared, it was as if she came to suffer and be injured. Lonely Triumph once told me that Leng Shuangcheng was lifeless on Wufang Island, sitting blankly on the beach all day. When she arrived at our Sihai, she seemed dull and calm. Who would have thought that she was determined to risk her life to steal the sword? She had the heart to die for righteousness from the very beginning. Although she is a woman, and although she likes to pretend to be stupid and weak, I really like this kind of person. Like you, I pity her loneliness, so I took care of Miss Ruan, whom she desperately tried to save at the celebration."

(Nan Jingqi seemed particularly shocked. Under Tong Tu's questioning gaze, he first looked at Leng Shuangcheng, who was trembling with her head down, in disbelief, and then couldn't help but reach out his hand to stroke the deeply sad face of the woman in front of him.)

Leng Shuangcheng opened her eyes wide, refusing to let the scalding tears fall. She thought of Tian Xiao, of Gu Du Kaixuan, of Bai Li, and finally, with a trembling voice, she thought of Qiu Ye Yijian. All the past events surged forth like a tide, and the emotions she had deliberately ignored vividly rose in her memory: So she was a stubborn person! So he was a madman! She hadn't believed a word Qiu Ye Yijian had said before, only coldly venting her anger on him. Now, recalling those details, they suddenly all appeared before her eyes—releasing everyone, enduring the political infighting, willingly taking the poison to atone for the harm done to her… She closed her eyes tightly. In her heart, she never wanted to bring pain to others; in her heart, she had never tried to understand Qiu Ye Yijian; in her heart, the initial shock left her unable to calm down for a long time; in her heart, she had become so forgiving that she would never resent anyone again. But asking her to immediately change her feelings for Qiu Yeyijian from shock to longing was something the sentimental and affectionate Leng Shuangcheng couldn't do in a short time.

The Bian River rippled gently, the folds of water falling on Leng Shuangcheng's eyelids. She silently recalled two lines: "Such a meticulous young man, drawn into the world of martial arts too early, has lost his humanity..." Mr. Dongge's intentions suddenly became clear. It was to send her to the side of such a cold-hearted person, to let her experience different people, different emotions. "Who do you want to be with for the Lantern Festival?" These were the words Qiu Yeyijian had said to her when she was lost in thought on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month. It turned out he was slowly changing, learning to think of her.

Ruan Ruan seemed quite shocked after hearing this. She slowly sat up straight and mustered up her courage to say, "She's not my brother... but she loves me just like a brother..."

Zhuang Chuchu remained silent, a cloud of uncertainty passing across her stunningly beautiful face.

Tang Qi remained silent, her pale, thin face suppressing a deep longing and sorrow. Seeing that she had calmed down, Cheng Xiang silently lowered her hand. Tang Qi endured for a long time before finally letting out a scream, tears streaming down her face: "I hate that I was born into the Tang Clan! Because...because...my father raped his mother...my uncles exposed it...I knew that the rumored cold-blooded and ruthless young master of the Evil-Slaying Sect would come for revenge sooner or later...That night, the sky was full of stars, and I was angry because my father hadn't prepared a birthday banquet for me...I stood alone in the back garden, venting my anger on the flowers and plants...He suddenly appeared in front of me, cold and handsome...like a demon emerging from the shadows...I didn't know who he was, and I stared at him blankly. He glanced at me and said, 'Why are you crying?' And I instantly fell in love with him...When I woke up, I found that everyone who participated in the attack that day was dead, but he didn't kill me...I know I shouldn't have been so foolish...but I couldn't suppress my feelings..."

Cheng Xiang sighed again and stepped forward to wipe away Tang Qi's tears. Tang Qi suddenly realized what was happening, quickly slapped Cheng Xiang's wrist away, turned around, cried out in anguish, and stormed out the door.

"Sigh..." Zhuang Chuchu sighed softly, "Who could have foreseen the complexities of people's hearts? How laughable that I, driven mad by jealousy, actually persecuted innocent people..."

After she finished speaking, she suddenly stood up and walked to Ruan Ruan, curtsied, and said, "Zhuang Chuchu is sorry for Miss Ruan, causing you to be imprisoned."

She raised her head, her eyes no longer clouded and gloomy, but displaying a dignified and gentle beauty. Ruan Ruan stared at her in astonishment at her flawless face, her expression like that of a lost and innocent fawn.

Zhuang Chuchu said loudly, "To tell you the truth, on New Year's Eve, I was consumed by jealousy and hatred, and I tried to kill you by shooting you with a poisoned needle. During the music performance that day, I saw my brother, the young master, staring at you intently, and I was worried about him. When I saw him staring at you (actually looking at Chu Xuan) during the celebration, my hatred intensified. So when I was kidnapped yesterday, I grabbed you along with me."

Zhuang Chuchu bowed solemnly again and continued clearly, "If I can get out safely, I will definitely beg my father to treat your leg ailment. Heaven is my witness, I, Zhuang Chuchu, will never break my promise."

Cheng Xiang and Ruan Ruan looked at Zhuang Chuchu's serious face and sighed in silence...

"And then?" Nan Jingqi asked, breaking the silence in the room as the night deepened.

Tong Tu shook his head and said loudly, "No, it's gone. When I was getting dizzy from looking at it, everything on the ceiling disappeared."

Nan Jingqi looked up at the sky with suspicion. Leng Shuangcheng had her back to them, her mind a jumble of thoughts. All the mysteries had been solved, but her heart was still churning like a waterwheel.

Nan Jingqi looked at her and laughed heartily, "Shuangcheng, I can roughly guess what you're thinking, because I'm also quite confused right now. Since I entered the Central Plains, apart from Young Master Yuwen, everyone I've encountered has been a complex person from the Central Plains. Although I don't fully understand the intricacies between you, I believe what Young Master Yuwen said to me: 'The benevolent are without worry, the brave are without fear, and on this battlefield of heaven and earth, no one can stop them.' Shuangcheng, let's keep going, the brave will surely win."

Leng Shuangcheng was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. She felt that Nan Jingqi's words had a very familiar quality. After thinking hard for a moment, she suddenly remembered that he had said these words to someone before, namely General Wei Chong.

But I believe that a great man, as benevolent as he is, is without worry, and as brave as he is without fear, is unstoppable on this battlefield!

She was taken aback, finally snapping out of her chaotic thoughts, and casually asked, "Who is this Young Master Yuwen you mentioned?"

"Our Jingxiang Kingdom's number one swordsman, Yuwen Xiaobai."

18. Love and Hate are Threaded Together (Part 1)

"Yuwen Xiaobai," Leng Shuangcheng silently memorized the name. Since Nan Jingqi had mentioned it twice, he must have some extraordinary abilities. But why did his insights align so perfectly with hers? This was another question that troubled Leng Shuangcheng.

The water was clear and serene, scattering a shimmering white light across the ground. Leng Shuangcheng stared at the ripples, gradually clearing his thoughts:

Cheng Xiang did not mention Lonely Triumph, and no one knew where he went.

—What is Ziying's purpose in putting me and Nan Jingqi together?

She suddenly remembered a saying: "Even the arrogant Qiuye Yijian has taken a liking to you." Generally speaking, even if Ziying is promiscuous, she doesn't pay much attention to romantic relationships. Judging from her words, she seemed somewhat indignant. Could it be that she has taken a liking to Qiuye?

Leng Shuangcheng felt a chill run down her spine, her whole body radiating cold air. She grimaced and rubbed her arms, then continued to deduce: Ziying is Chu Xuan's biological mother, at least forty years old this year, but she has the art of preserving her youth, looking like a stunning beauty in her early twenties. Even if she likes Qiuye, it's unlikely given her age. So there's only one possibility: she's trying to blackmail him. But how?

Leng Shuangcheng had a splitting headache, but then she heard Nan Jingqi's loud laughter: "Shuangcheng, I think this house is a bit strange. Our Jingxiang is located below the Five Elements, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, and whenever the moonlight shines on the water, it always reflects two layers of reflections..."

Leng Shuangcheng was somewhat moved, looking at Nan Jingqi with a mixture of understanding and confusion. "Little Tong is probably mistaken. The scene in this room is not a mirror above his head, but a reflection."

Upon hearing his words, Leng Shuangcheng was suddenly shocked. She looked at Nan Jingqi in disbelief and exclaimed, "That's right! The place Xiaotong saw wasn't directly above us. It should be on the high left side of this secret room, connected to the crystal passage and the water house from before, forming a '品' shape... So there must be a mystery in the room we just came from. What is it for?"

Nan Jingqi laughed loudly: "Anyway, we can't get out... Why not just go back and pretend to be dead?" Without waiting for Leng Shuangcheng's embarrassed response, he turned around, stroked Tong Tu's sleeping acupoint, and then pulled her sleeve and stepped out.

Leng Shuangcheng quickly realized Ziying's purpose. When she and Nan Jingqi were discussing things in that room, they heard a rustling sound. They exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, they tacitly jumped onto the bed and lay down.

Qiu Ye Yijian walked through the crystal curtain with the indifference of someone stepping into their own courtyard, and appeared in front of Zi Ying.

Ziying could only admire Qiuye's handsome appearance from afar, never having the chance to actually see him. The only time she got closer was during the festival, but due to the limited space, she could only vaguely see a black, engraved silhouette from behind.

That dignified and noble figure was deeply etched in Zi Ying's eyes.

She witnessed Tang Qi's obsessive and mad love every day, and she was fully aware of Chu Chu's absent-mindedness. She even knew all the rumors and gossip circulating outside:

—Some say that when Prince Qiuye was twelve years old, he had his coming-of-age ceremony. The people of Yangzhou flocked to see the prince's face, and after the ceremony, they unanimously praised him as a celestial being. From then on, every year on the prince's birthday, Yangzhou would set off fireworks day and night to celebrate.

—Some say that the current emperor, in order to appease the prince, intends to marry his most beloved young princess. After the princess secretly saw the prince's face, she lost her appetite upon returning to the palace, waiting day and night for the betrothal letter to arrive.

But these are all just rumors and fragments. Tonight, the vivid and lively Qiu Ye Yijian appeared in the Purple Bamboo Pavilion of the Red Sleeve Tower.

He walked along the long, dimly lit, winding bridge and corridor, his face cold and expressionless. Moonlight, like a clear, boundless expanse of blue, filtered through the thin clouds, casting a hazy, luminous glow upon his refined, deep features. He calmly crossed the stream, traversed the winding corridors, and ascended the ornately decorated steps, step by step entering the pavilion.

Tang Wu examined it closely and noticed that each of his footprints was exactly one foot and seven inches apart, as if measured with a ruler. He was secretly alarmed. Qiu Yeyi, with a steady hand and a radiant aura, draped in a silver moon veil, walked up to the two of them.

"Release her." He stared at Ziying and coldly uttered the two words.

When Ziying first saw Qiuye, she seemed to be captivated by his stunningly beautiful face. But when she looked up and saw his gaze, she couldn't help but feel a chill: No wonder Leng Shuangcheng was unmoved by Tang Wu's sinister and sharp eyes yesterday. It turned out that compared to Qiuye, Tang Wu's gaze was nothing but a child's fragileness.

Ziying paused for a moment, but quickly recovered: "Your Highness is joking. I have never been to a banquet before, so I cannot meet people so easily."

Two cups of wine were placed on the four corner tables. The wine was crystal clear and had a fragrant and refreshing taste. If it were in any ordinary tavern, it would definitely be a fine wine with a price to be paid. But its appearance at this time and place meant something that everyone present knew very well.

Two cups of wine, one poisoned, the other medicinal. Drinking them would render one powerless and helpless, and more importantly, there were two men watching with predatory eyes, one for beauty, the other for revenge—if Tang Wu's "Great Search Hand" were used on the body, the pain would be unimaginable.

Qiu Yeyijian stared coldly at the two cups of wine, the soft, beautiful light from the luminous pearl outlining his silent profile. Tang Wu kept a close eye on Qiu Yeyijian's hands, wary of a sudden attack.

Ziying's eyes sparkled as she chuckled and clapped her hands.

The floor of the flower-filled hall suddenly cracked open, revealing a dazzling white crystal pavilion. Inside were three beauties: Cheng Xiang in fiery red, Ruan Ruan in delicate white, and Chu Chu in alluring pale purple. The three of them lay with their eyes closed on three brocade couches, fast asleep.