Chapter 994 Liu Aliang, are you jealous?

Inside the pavilion, Chen Jiaxin stopped sitting down and turned her head to look at Ouyang Rong.

She said coldly:

"You can say it again, and see if I beat you up or not."

Ouyang Rong: ...

He suddenly realized that the two of them were really close, that even such words could come out of Chen Jiaxin's mouth.

It sounds like a threat or warning, but Miss Chen wouldn't say something like that unless she subconsciously considers someone one of her own.

Given her arrogant and cunning nature, she would have acted immediately, just like when she whipped her subordinate's maid on the beach of the initial island... Although if she really dared to make a move and crossed the line, she definitely wouldn't be able to defeat Ouyang Rong, who was about to reveal his cultivation level.

"snort."

Seeing that Ouyang Rong "didn't dare to speak," Chen Jiaxin raised her chin, snorted coldly, and sat down to begin her meal.

At the table, a tall, slender woman, familiar with serving food, was dressed as usual in her sword-fighting uniform, her hair tied in a neat ponytail, her temples damp with sweat, or as some books would say, "drenched in fragrant sweat and panting softly."

"What are you looking at? If you're not going to eat, then don't stand here!"

Chen Jiaxin suddenly said in a cold voice, glancing sideways at the somewhat dazed and confused young man.

Ouyang Rong nodded, sat down at the stone table, and began to eat.

This has been a long-standing practice; every time Ouyang Rong comes to the pavilion for a private meeting, he brings Chen Jiaxin a box of hot food.

Ouyang Rong would also eat some, and Chen Jiaxin tacitly accepted this reward for her male subordinate.

However, Ouyang Rong did not stay for dinner yesterday because Wu Cui was present. He could not reveal that he was very familiar with Chen Jiaxin, so as to avoid arousing Wu Cui's suspicion.

The two met today but didn't immediately get down to business. They ate their meals in silence, each eating their own food. Ouyang Rong was maintaining his image as a dull and honest person, while Chen Jiaxin probably had the upbringing of not speaking while eating or sleeping.

Even if there's something extremely important, we should talk about it after we finish eating.

His family's Confucian values ​​are somewhat similar to those of his junior sister and mentor.

Ouyang Rong was quite happy with this, enjoying the peace and quiet.

After a moment, a cold, female voice suddenly rang out from across the table:

"You never mentioned this thought of yours. You're lying to me and hiding your true feelings."

Ouyang Rong, who was eating, first showed a stunned expression on his face, which was then covered by a look of confusion.

He looked up in confusion and saw that Chen Jiaxin across from him had already put down her chopsticks and was staring at him coldly, as if she had seen through his thoughts completely.

"What are you saying, Miss? What are you thinking?"

Ouyang Rong asked, puzzled, his tone blank.

At the same time, under the table, he had already grasped the bamboo tube in one hand. If he wanted, Ouyang Rong could crush the bamboo tube in an instant, grasp the Peach Blossom Spring Map, and summon the projection of the Ding Sword.

Chen Jiaxin was unaware of the critical and life-threatening situation inside the pavilion. Instead, she looked at him with disdain and said dismissively:

"What else could it be? You know the answer in your heart..."

Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head, his tone insistent:

"I don't understand what you're saying, Miss. I have no ill intentions..."

Chen Jiaxin interrupted directly, pointing out the crux of the matter:

"Stop pretending. I can smell the stench of that sentence from a mile away."

Ouyang Rong looked puzzled, his mind racing as he considered whether he had given himself away by something he said earlier.

"What taste? Miss, what phrase are you referring to..."

Chen Jiaxin turned her head away, somewhat disdainfully saying:

"What does it taste like? It's sour, Liu Aliang. You're so unpleasant. What did you say to me before?"

Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment, truly stunned, his palm frozen on the bamboo tube.

Before he could react, the sword-clad young woman turned around, staring at him with obvious displeasure, and said:

"Liu Aliang, didn't you say you didn't like cultivation? Didn't you say you were already content and just wanted to earn more money and be a good cook?"

"Heh, then why are you envious and jealous of Wu Cui? Besides, wasn't it you who strongly recommended Wu Cui for help? What, you're only now realizing it and feeling sour? You're being too petty, I really don't like that..."

Ouyang Rong: ...

Chen Jiaxin frowned and complained.

Ouyang Rong was speechless, unsure of what to say.

Under the table, out of Chen Jiaxin's sight, his hand had already been lowered from the bamboo tube and quietly put away.

Chen Jiaxin saw the seemingly stiff young man, who had straightened his back, lower his head again, his back slightly bent, and continue to eat his rice, speaking indistinctly:

"Miss, you misunderstand. I wasn't jealous..."

Chen Jiaxin pouted:

"What, you can't help but say those kinds of things as soon as we meet? Aren't you just envious of Wu Cui for getting such serious guidance from me?"

"Uh...no."

Ouyang Rongchao and Chen Jiaxin shook their heads somewhat sincerely.

Seeing this, Chen Jiaxin wavered and couldn't help but ask:

"Then why did you ask that question?"

Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"If I were to speak out, would you please not be angry, Miss?"

Chen Jiaxin felt somewhat confused and asked in return:

"Angry? Why should I be angry? What's there to be angry about with you? You're just being presumptuous."

Seeing this, Ouyang Rong felt somewhat relieved.

Then, he shrugged and said truthfully:

"The main reason I asked that question upon meeting her was because it was hard to believe. I felt... given Miss's personality, how could she be so gentle and patient in teaching a complete stranger? It's not like something Miss would do. I had already prepared what to say to Wu Cui the next day to prevent her from ruining things, but who would have thought..."

Chen Jiaxin: ...?

Ouyang Rong, observing Chen Jiaxin's expression, interrupted mid-sentence before she could erupt in anger:

"However, Miss, you really opened my eyes last night. With such patience, Miss, how can you not accomplish great things in the future?"

He resorted to tactical flattery.

Chen Jiaxin stared at him for a while, then asked, word by word:

"What important matter?"

Ouyang Rong nodded and said:

"Of course, it's about entering the palace, removing the plaque, becoming a legendary female ruler, and becoming a divine figure like the Great Goddess."

Chen Jiaxin's expression softened a bit, and she let out a soft hum.

She was silent for a while, and Ouyang Rong didn't speak either. After a moment, Chen Jiaxin picked up a piece of food and slowly said:

"I'll say it again: you still have expectations for Qi Refining, so you can speak frankly. There's no need to hide it. I'm not an unreasonable person, but I'm not afraid of my subordinates having ambitions. However, I hate it when my own people deceive and conceal things from me. I'm sure you understand that. So, it's not too late for you to be honest now."

Her tone was arrogant.

Ouyang Rong shook his head again: "I'm not very ambitious, but I'm fine as I am now. Thank you for your understanding and concern, Miss."

Chen Jiaxin glanced at him again, nodded slowly, and didn't mention the matter again.

"I'll believe you for now, but don't say anything that could be misunderstood in the future. I don't have the energy to distinguish between jokes and not. I'm already very tired from daily cultivation and the miscellaneous tasks in the Jade Hall. Let's speak frankly and keep it simple."

"Yes, Miss."

After a pause, Ouyang Rong said with a serious expression:

"Thank you for your hard work in dealing with Wu Cui's matter, Miss."

Chen Jiaxin snorted coldly:

"This is a one-time exception. If I have to handle everything myself, what's the point of keeping you people around? Are you just freeloaders?"

Ouyang Rong glanced at her without showing any emotion.

After a moment of silence, Chen Jiaxin said slowly:

"This Wu Cui does have some perseverance. Although she is a bit persistent, she can withstand my pressure and relentlessly pursue knowledge of the sword manual. Her determination is quite good. If it were anyone else, they would have been scared and backed down long ago in the face of my pressure. She actually dared to overstep her bounds and ask more questions. Ha."

"Although she is a bit slow, doesn't that only further prove her heart for the Dao? Master once said that refining Qi is against the Dao of Heaven, and the way of the sword is even more contrary to the Dao of Heaven. But is there anything in this world that is completely in accordance with the Dao of Heaven? No."

She shook her head, her tone unusually wistful, as if the matter of Wu Cui had inspired her to reflect:

"Even if you are just an ordinary person living a simple life in the mountains, farming and making a living, you are still going against the way of heaven. Humanity itself is a rebellion against the way of heaven. Whether you live a good life as an ordinary person or become a teacher, imparting knowledge and resolving doubts, you are still going against the way of heaven... because the way of heaven is that all living beings should perform their duties. If they remain ignorant, how can they change their fate by their own efforts? Tigers should eat sheep, sheep should eat grass, and grass should wither and flourish..."

“I was reading in my small building recently, and I came across a Taoist scripture that contained this viewpoint, which made me think.”

Chen Jiaxin turned her head and looked directly at Ouyang Rong:

"But if this is fate, should living beings submit? Who says going against the will of Heaven is a bad thing? The will of Heaven is meant to be defied. Sheep don't want to be eaten by tigers, grass doesn't want to be eaten by sheep, and prosperity doesn't want to turn into withering..."

"This young lady is determined to defy the will of Heaven. Liu Qing is exceptionally talented, far surpassing others and leaving them far behind. All the senior sisters of the female monarch like her. Ha, this young lady is not convinced and insists on turning things around. It is useless to sit and wait for death to defy the will of Heaven. So this young lady came to you and all of you. We must do something."

After a pause, Chen Jiaxin lowered her eyelids and said coldly:

"Sorry, I just spoke from the heart and said a bit too much. Anyway, although Wu Cui is annoying, I admire her. Everyone who defies fate and goes against the tide deserves my respect."

"What harm is there in me teaching her a lesson? Sometimes, helping others is also helping yourself. I am not selfless, but I am not selfish either."

Ouyang Rong saw the young woman in swordsmanship slightly raise her chin, her expression somewhat arrogant and resolute.

Sometimes, he still admired Chen Jiaxin quite a bit. As arrogant and cunning as she was, and her methods were a bit wild and bold, she was surprisingly righteous when she upheld certain principles and beliefs.

This left Ouyang Rong confused about which one was the real her, or rather, both faces belonged to her, contradictory yet harmonious, because humans are inherently contradictory beings...

After listening to Chen Jiaxin's words, Ouyang Rong finally understood why Wu Cui received such unusual and exceptional treatment.

It turns out that he also played a role in things going wrong, which is why Wu Cui was considered lucky.

Ouyang Rong didn't forget to slip in a bit of flattery:

"Miss is very righteous."

Chen Jiaxin gazed at the spring water outside the pavilion, her chopsticks hovering in mid-air as she stood lost in thought for a moment. Then she put down her chopsticks and said:

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's get down to business. How's the situation at the water prison? Has Master made any other moves?"

Ouyang Rong nodded and recounted the events of the past two nights in detail.

This includes details of Yun Xiangyi's sensitive and vigilant behavior that night.

Chen Jiaxin narrowed her eyes and slowly nodded.

“The five goddesses always personally guarded the wooden door inside, never leaving it during meals. Moreover, the five goddesses would only go in to deliver vegetarian meals after I had left, making it difficult for anyone to find an opportunity.”

After summarizing, Ouyang Rong stated frankly:

“Miss, we need to think of another way. I’m afraid I can’t speak up, or the Five Goddesses will become suspicious.”

A silence fell between them.

The food on the table had gotten a little cold, but no one touched it.

The night breeze caused the curtains by the pavilion to flutter high.

The wind was quite strong, and at one moment, Ouyang Rong faintly heard Chen Jiaxin's voice:

"Master sent out a message today."

"What?"

Ouyang Rong wondered if he had misheard and asked instinctively.

Chen Jiaxin looked at him and repeated:

"Master has finally issued an imperial edict to leave the water dungeon."

Ouyang Rong frowned and asked:

"What imperial edict?"

Chen Jiaxin shook her head, her tone somewhat intriguing:

"The content is irrelevant to what we are doing, and the important thing is not the content, but the signal that the act of transmitting the decree itself represents."

“The signal it represents…” Ouyang Rong had a flash of inspiration and asked, “Miss, are you saying that the Five Goddesses’ oral message means… she has ended her seclusion? If the oral message can be sent out, then her people can also leave the water prison?”

Before this water prison seclusion, although Yun Xiangyi had been guarding the water prison for a long time, she did not stay in the water prison every moment, but only for most of the day. According to information previously revealed by Chen Jiaxin, Yun Xiangyi would occasionally appear in Qingliang Valley, and sometimes she would leave Qingliang Valley, seemingly to meet with other female rulers in the Queen's Palace...

As for the water dungeon, there seem to be some other protective measures in place.

Chen Jiaxin did not nod in response, but her tense face and the way she stared at Ouyang Rong said it all.

Ouyang Rong understood instantly, and then, with a thoughtful expression, said:

"So that means the Five Goddesses are currently in a state where they can leave the water prison, but there's no need for them to leave? Could I wait for an opportunity when the Five Goddesses aren't in the water prison, and then go in to deliver the vegetarian meal in their place?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiaxin sighed, "Liu Aliang, you're very smart; you learn it in no time."

Ouyang Rong casually offered a compliment: "It's all thanks to Miss's excellent guidance; the information she provided was accurate and crucial."

Chen Jiaxin remained noncommittal and continued:

"Unless absolutely necessary, Master will not leave the water prison, even though he has already finished his seclusion."

"However, Master only issued a verbal order to restart the connection between the water dungeon and the Jade Hall outside. According to past practice, if there are no unexpected events, Master will continue to guard the water dungeon for a period of time, especially now that Sixth Uncle is not in Sword Swamp..."

(End of this chapter)