Chapter 75

Ye Rui returned after successfully suppressing the bandits. Though she had been injured, caught in the rain, and chilled to the bone, her inner strength ran deep; after one night, she had already recovered completely.

Only a few people knew that Xie Tinglan had stayed up all night caring for her. Even after Ye Rui fell asleep, she never left. Only when Ye Rui got up the next morning did Xie Tinglan return to her own quarters to rest.

All because of a single line: talk is cheap.

The first thing Ye Rui did that morning was head to the prison to question the bandits they had captured alive. After a round of interrogation, their statements were largely the same as the leader’s. Through more questioning, Ye Rui also learned that the man she had dragged along the whole way was named Qin Mang, and that he had been the one protecting them all the way.

But where the testimonies differed was this: Qin Mang had not only robbed grain from the authorities, he had also fought bandits. He had once been an upright man.

It was only after his master was killed for opposing the sect that Qin Mang left with his brothers. Yet they were hunted all the way, and only later did he learn that his lover had also died because of that internal conflict within the sect.

All along the road, they had drifted from place to place, rejected everywhere they went. Only then did Qin Mang’s temperament warp, and only then did he start doing these things.

They had been locked up separately, and Ye Rui had questioned them separately as well, so they had no chance to coordinate their statements. Most likely, this was the truth.

Ye Rui could not help but sigh. This world really was like this: you saw the ugly face of evil, but not the wounds wrapped inside it.

In the end, Ye Rui went to see Qin Mang. He was chained to the wall; the wound on his calf had already been bandaged, but his body was still filthy, and he looked utterly wretched and exhausted.

Tired should be me, okay?!

“I didn’t expect... you really made it out...”

Deep in the Black Devil Forest, it was easiest to get lost. The tall trees stood close together, and they all looked much the same. Even if you marked your path, you would never make it out before nightfall if you kept going back and forth.

Yet Ye Rui not only found the way out with precision, she also happened to leave the Black Devil Forest just as the howling of wolves rose behind her.

Could a person really be that lucky? Maybe the unlucky one was only himself.

“Why haven’t you killed me yet?”

Qin Mang had assumed he would surely die. He had killed villagers and stolen supplies that kept his brothers alive; life for life, he had nothing to say.

“Let my brothers go. I planned all of this. They were forced by me.”

Except for the one time Ye Rui first arrived, Qin Mang had not lifted his head again. He simply hung there helplessly, head lowered, waiting for an irreversible judgment.

The prison was really just a cramped little room built in a hurry; inside were only some straw bedding and shackles set into the wall. These rooms had always been empty and unused. Ye Rui even remembered that Liu Ting had once taken the straw out from here to feed the horses.

Ye Rui did not know what Hu Tu’s intention was in giving her this side quest. Why did Qin Mang have to live? After hearing his story, Ye Rui felt that the death penalty was still unavoidable.

After all, those villagers were innocent too. What Qin Mang had done was a crime.

Just then, Xie Tinglan arrived and said she wanted to see Qin Mang. Ye Rui had wanted to refuse, but then she thought: since she herself could not find a reason why Qin Mang should live, maybe Xie Tinglan could.

So Ye Rui let Xie Tinglan in, staying by her side herself, while Gong Yinzhi and Yin Yue guarded the outside of the prison.

The prison was not soundproof. Ye Rui could still hear the training sounds drifting from afar, and, unsurprisingly yet unexpectedly, she also heard Pang Niu’s booming voice shout, “It’s almost time to eat!” Only then did Ye Rui realize it was already nearly noon.

Today, Xie Tinglan was dressed in a bright black robe embroidered with gold bamboo and trimmed in silver. Even with only the lightest makeup, she could not hide the overwhelming pressure of someone born to stand above others. When she came in, she smiled at Ye Rui with a slight curl of her lips; then, once she sat down in the rosewood armchair Ye Rui had specially brought over and flicked her wide sleeve, the aura of the Great Wolf Xie spread out from her in full.

Her black-and-white hair was tied into a high ponytail. It was the first time Ye Rui had seen someone wear a high ponytail with such distinctive allure. Like a spring wind, it carried warmth and floral charm, yet still held a trace of chill.

Xie Tinglan’s hair was very long; even after it was tied up, a lock still fell over her shoulder and rested an inch in front of her chest, as though she had hidden an inch of tenderness right over her heart.

“Qin Mang, you should know a lot about the Chaoyang Sect, right?”

Xie Tinglan placed both hands on the armrests and crossed her legs. Her gaze was as sharp as a cold wind, forcing Qin Mang to raise his head and see just what kind of person was speaking to him.

At one glance, Qin Mang’s pupils contracted violently, and he looked away in fear.

Xie Tinglan gave a cold laugh, not rushing him to speak. “Looks like you know who I am.”

Ye Rui turned to look at the threatening curve of Xie Tinglan’s mouth. Her identity was enough to terrify Qin Mang; Ye Rui just did not know what she wanted to learn from him.

“You were being hunted because you knew things you shouldn’t have, weren’t you?”

Xie Tinglan was the one who had torn the Chaoyang Sect apart, but there were still many things about the sect that she did not know. If she learned what the Chaoyang Sect had done for the emperor, she would be able to understand even more clearly how many unknown bones were hidden beneath that golden dragon robe.

“What do you want to know?”

Qin Mang lifted his head. His eyes were red as he looked at Xie Tinglan, all fear from before gone, as if he had already made up his mind about something.

Xie Tinglan liked that look. It was the resolve of a beast driven to the edge, preparing to fight back with all its strength.

“Anything you know, you can say. Maybe this information will let your brothers live.”

When Xie Tinglan smiled, she tilted her head slightly, like a proud wolf standing on the ice fields, looking down mercilessly and coldly at its prey.

Ye Rui could not help but shiver. In that moment, Xie Tinglan was not unfamiliar to her. Sometimes, when she was reviewing official documents in the study, she would also wear that kind of expression.

It was the cold arrogance that belonged to her alone.

“They were doing the emperor’s work, killing a lot of people; especially merchants and some local officials.”

Qin Mang coughed twice, then cast a timid glance at Xie Tinglan. Aside from the woman with the surname Helian he had briefly seen in Jiangnan, this was the second woman who made him feel chilled to the bone with just one look.

The current Grand Chancellor, the wolf people said devoured others without spitting out bones—why did he know her?

Because he had once gone to Jiangnan. At the time, the Chaoyang Sect had sent him and several brothers to assassinate her, claiming it was to rid the people of a scourge. In the end, his brothers were cut to pieces by her subordinates, and amid the nauseating scene of blood and flesh flying everywhere, that woman had looked at him without changing expression.

That one glance was like pity for an ant, cruel pity.

Later, Qin Mang fled and did not dare linger another moment. With just that one look, he knew Xie Tinglan was a tree, while he was only a mayfly—utterly insignificant.

That glance stayed with him until now. It was the ghost claw lurking in hell; once it locked onto and seized you, there would be no way to live.

For the next month, that gaze appeared in Qin Mang’s nightmares; in the flash of swords and blades, it was always that instant of contempt.

“They also wanted to gather martial arts forces. The Wangshu Sect was blocking them, but many sects were in collusion with them. There were at least a hundred small sects, with a total of twenty thousand men.”

Xie Tinglan’s eyes darkened, but she said nothing, only letting him continue.

“After our internal split, those small sects thought the tree was about to fall and the monkeys would scatter, so many of them left. But there were still more than ten thousand people.”

Qin Mang remembered overhearing the sect leader speak of these things, and the sickness twisting in his stomach at the time. Listening to them frame the sect leader who would not obey, to seize wives and children, to abduct parents, Qin Mang had wanted nothing more than to draw his sword and confront them.

In the end, though, he did not. He could not beat those people, and he had no evidence to expose them before everyone. In the end, he could only gather evidence everywhere, hoping that one day he could rid the martial world of this scourge.

He had never imagined that the sect that raised and taught him would be like this. By the time he finally failed to finish what he wanted to do, he was discovered. Qin Mang could only leave the Chaoyang Sect with several like-minded brothers, and begin a life of being hunted and reviled all the way.

“Before I left, I only then learned that those more than ten thousand people had already been entering the Capital City in batches, little by little.”

Xie Tinglan merely raised a brow after hearing this, like a small ripple lightly touching an undercurrent-ridden sea, making the turbulence even worse.

“And what do they intend to do?”

Xie Tinglan naturally understood the use of those more than ten thousand people; however, the emperor’s enemies were not only her. Besides, she herself was still on the same boat as him for now. It could not be that those ten thousand blades were all aimed at her.

“To repeat the old trick; using the same method they used to harm the Eldest Princess, they want to kill those with ambitions for the throne.”

As soon as he said that, Ye Rui sucked in a sharp breath. Xie Tinglan, on the other hand, remained much calmer. She only let out a cold laugh, as though she had just heard some absurd joke.

“Looks like that one isn’t completely drunk on wine and women all day.”

After speaking, Xie Tinglan tilted her head, seeming to silently ask Qin Mang whether he had anything else to say. Qin Mang shook his head, then sagged weakly, coughing a few times.

“Spare my brothers.”

Xie Tinglan stood up without replying. As she walked past Ye Rui, her sleeve brushed Ye Rui’s arm, then naturally caught her wrist. “Ye Rui, let’s go.”

Go, just go; why was she getting handsy too? This person really would open a dye shop the moment she was given a little color, huh!

Ye Rui tried to pull her hand free, but could not, so she lowered her voice and said, “What kind of propriety is this?”

After all, she was also a little general now; in front of the sisters, she was considered rather prestigious. She couldn’t... lose face by holding hands in public, could she!

“Didn’t you tell me to practice more?” Xie Tinglan put on an aggrieved look, but the curve of her lips clearly held a trace of amusement, as if she wanted to see how Ye Rui would get out of this.

“Even so, it depends on the place.”

The faint rustle of their conversation drifted into Qin Mang’s ears, but he had no mind to guess what relationship they had. Even when the words reached him, they seemed to scatter again at once; he could not hold on to a single sentence.

Still, it did remind him of one thing.

“You... what song were you singing?”

As soon as those words were spoken, Ye Rui reacted violently. She yanked her hand free at once and turned to glare at Qin Mang. “What do you mean, what song?!”

That startled Xie Tinglan as well. Seeing Ye Rui’s ears turn red, she immediately found the whole thing much more interesting than she had expected.

“What... Two Tigers...”

Qin Mang could not remember clearly. He only remembered the tune was very simple, like a children’s song; yet in that roaring voice, it sounded painfully out of place, giving him a splitting headache.

“Shut up! You heard wrong!”

With that, Ye Rui hurried out of the prison, but no matter what she did, she could not suppress the heat in her face. How had Qin Mang heard that? She, a dignified general, singing a children’s song at the top of her lungs—how had he heard it? Hadn’t he fainted?

Hu Tu: [A good thing never goes public; a bad thing travels a thousand li!]

Ye Rui: [You shut up too!]

Hu Tu: [...]

Hu Tu began fake-crying again. No one knew where he had learned that from, but it was useless against Ye Rui; she only found it ridiculous. At this rate of System upgrading, Hu Tu might actually be able to become a stand-up comedian.

“What is this about?”

Xie Tinglan did not quite understand why Ye Rui’s reaction had been so huge, but the truth had to be very amusing.

“It’s nothing, really. I’m going to check on how Pang Niu and the others are doing with their training. If I’m not there, I won’t know whether those girls are slacking off!”

After saying that, Ye Rui strode off. Sunlight fell on the rim of her ear, where a few loose strands were still pinned back, yet even that could not hide the blood-red blush there.

Xie Tinglan very much wanted to know what the Two Tigers business was about, but she still had more important things to do right now.

After Gong Yinzhi and Yin Yue returned to Xie Tinglan’s side, Xie Tinglan said, “Let’s go; we’ll make another trip to the prefecture office.”

**

Inside Golden Phoenix Palace, the artificial hill and flowing water murmured softly. Cold sunlight fell into the pool, giving the koi a brighter gleam.

Helian Shaohua was practicing calligraphy in the study. She had one sleeve rolled up, while the wolf-hair brush in her other hand wrote line after line of elegant characters, burying many invisible thoughts in the ink.

When Shen Zhuiying returned from outside, Helian Shaohua put down her brush. Her brows lifted slightly, shaping a trace of a smile. “Well? Did Tinglan send word back?”

“Yes.”

Shen Zhuiying personally handed the letter to Helian Shaohua. But Helian Shaohua was not in a hurry to read it. Her gaze instead fell on Shen Zhuiying’s hand. There was a shallow cut on the pad of her right index finger, and she had not seen it before Shen Zhuiying left.

Helian Shaohua took Shen Zhuiying’s hand and drew her slender fingers up before her. Her eyes rested on the sword calluses that always brushed her skin when they touched.

As though something had stirred her desire, Helian Shaohua’s breathing faltered for a beat before she asked, “How did you get hurt?”

Setting aside her wandering thoughts, Helian Shaohua asked about the cut on Shen Zhuiying’s finger. Shen Zhuiying’s heartbeat quickened. She even worried that her pulse would quietly carry itself from her wrist into Helian Shaohua’s hand.

It was an uncontrollable tenderness, growing ever more wanton in the depths of the palace.

“After going out, I wanted to draw my sword and wipe it down, and I accidentally...”

Helian Shaohua seemed to catch the key point. She tightened her grip on Shen Zhuiying’s hand as the other tried to withdraw, and said, “What made you lose focus?”

Shen Zhuiying was a swordswoman, an exceptionally good one. She would never injure herself while wiping her blade unless she had been distracted in the middle of it.

Dressed as a palace maid, with no rouge or powder on her face, Shen Zhuiying still had a cool, detached air. Yet at this moment, a faint flush rose across her cheeks; her eyes flickered, unable to meet Helian Shaohua’s beautiful gaze.

Lose focus... In this world, aside from you, Helian Shaohua, what else could make me lose focus?

Shen Zhuiying said nothing, but Helian Shaohua seemed to have already seen the answer from her darting eyes.

“Could it be... because of last night?”

Her trailing tone lifted slightly, like a brushstroke hooking at Shen Zhuiying’s heart, throwing her mind into instant disorder and scattering reason everywhere.

“Your Majesty, I... I’m always a little absentminded.”

Shen Zhuiying told the truth. These days she had been exactly like this: when she saw Helian Shaohua, she missed her; when she did not see her, she missed her even more. Even though they came and went together every day, she still felt that longing for Helian Shaohua left her whole heart aching and swollen.

Yesterday it rained. Helian Shaohua said she was cold and made Shen Zhuiying sleep with her. It was an extremely testing thing for her self-control; yet Helian Shaohua seemed not to have any intention of restraining herself at all. The moment Shen Zhuiying lay down, she kissed her, as though she had been holding back for a very long time and only wanted to demand wildly.

At times Helian Shaohua kissed deeply; at times she bit lightly. Her scorching lips and tongue tore open the gap in desire, trying to drag even the normally steady one down into the abyss.

Then fall. Why resist?

That was what Shen Zhuiying had thought then, especially when she heard Helian Shaohua say, “I really like your taste.” Shen Zhuiying felt as though her entire body was burning. Helian Shaohua’s fingers wandered over her, fanning the flames, as if they too were hungering for something.

“Lost in thought again?”

Helian Shaohua’s expression darkened slightly. Then she bit down on Shen Zhuiying’s injured index finger. It did not hurt; the touch was too light to be punishment, more like a reward. A warm, wet tongue curled over it, and Shen Zhuiying instantly held her breath. This feeling... this feeling...

“Your Majesty!”

Her heartbeat pounding wildly, Shen Zhuiying quickly pulled her hand back. With the movement came a gust of air; her fingertips turned cool, yet there was still that unmistakable lingering heat and dampness.

Helian Shaohua rarely smiled so openly. Once that cold, dignified face was touched with laughter, she looked even more enchanting. Her eyes curved at the corners, and fine little lines appeared at the ends of her smile; even those tiny creases were full of irresistible allure.

Shen Zhuiying felt she was truly beyond saving. Even a single white hair on Helian Shaohua’s head, even a single wrinkle, she loved them to the marrow of her bones.

“Zhuiying, being this shy won’t do.”

Only then did Helian Shaohua pick up the letter from the edge of the desk. With slender white fingers, she unfolded it and said, “How will you... sleep with this palace in the future?”

Her smile froze the moment her eyes fell on the letter. Then it gradually faded, and her beautiful eyes took on a sharp, icy light.

Shen Zhuiying’s fingers were still tingling numb. She looked up, about to answer something, when she saw Helian Shaohua’s expression change. The words she had just been about to speak were swallowed back down, and her heart tightened.

Could something have happened on Prime Minister Xie’s side?

Very quickly, Helian Shaohua folded the letter, took the lid off the incense burner with two fingers, and tossed the paper inside.

“Looks like that person isn’t just some waste who knows how to drown himself in wine and women.”

When Shen Zhuiying heard that, her expression also grew serious. She lowered her voice and asked, “Your Majesty, what happened?”

“More than ten thousand rats have slipped into the Capital City.”

Helian Shaohua paused, then looked up at Shen Zhuiying. “Zhuiying, do you have a way to find all these rats?”

Shen Zhuiying still did not fully understand the situation, but whatever Helian Shaohua ordered her to do, she would accomplish it.

“If Your Majesty wants this subordinate to find them, then this subordinate will certainly find a way. I only wonder how Your Majesty intends to deal with them?”

“Kill half and release half. I still need them to spread rumors.”

Helian Shaohua turned and took Shen Zhuiying’s hand, then sat down. “Zhuiying, stay and keep this palace company while I write some characters.”

“In the future, I’m afraid there won’t be such leisurely moments.”

-----------------------

Author’s note: [doge][doge]

Actually, I’ve been curious for a long time—how did that “Qiu Xi” next to everyone’s pen name come about?