Chapter 153: The Opening Ceremony
The constant struggle between powerful figures and fierce rivals has always been a defining characteristic of Bianjing (Kaifeng). Whether within the imperial court or among the common people, for the past thirty years, there has never been a moment of peace in Bianjing. Politicians fought with burning lust for power, while chivalrous figures yearned for their own ambitions.
During this time, some people came covered in black ink, and as time went on, their ink became darker and darker. Others, however, came to this quagmire from the very beginning, knowing exactly what they wanted and willing to pay any price for it.
Lei Sun was the latter. In the very beginning, when he was captivated by his ambition, he paid the price of all his morality and conscience in exchange for enough ruthlessness and iron-fistedness.
Those who are soft-hearted and hesitant will not achieve anything, so he did not hesitate when he dealt with Guan Zhaodi. At the same time, he was quite magnanimous and good at recognizing and employing people, a trait evident in Di Feijing's position. In the end, all of this meant he was willing to do anything; as long as it strengthened the Six and a Half Hall and satisfied his ambition, there was nothing he wouldn't do. As he grew older, he became increasingly composed, shedding the impetuousness of his youth, and was only one step away from the pinnacle of power in the martial world.
However, the world is ever-changing, and this half-step is not as easy to cross as people think. Even he, who seems to be able to control everything, has already seen the inevitable cliff and crack in front of him.
Standing here, a fall would mean certain death, so he only wanted to win. The stronger the storm, the colder his heart became. He stood by the window with his hands behind his back, deep in thought, without saying a word.
Behind him, a young man with his head down sipped tea, his lips pursed in silence, his movements unhurried and deliberate, showing no sign of urgency. Lei Sun did not rush him, waiting until he finished his tea before turning around and speaking.
“Second brother,” Lei Sun said, needing Di Feijing most at this time, “when you came back today, you went to see Lei Gun, didn’t you?”
He didn't finish his sentence, trusting that Di Feijing would understand. As he expected, Di Feijing put down his teacup and said slowly, "I did run into him, and he was in a very sorry state. His right arm is probably useless from now on, and his legs will need a long time to recover."
For a martial artist wielding a pair of meteor hammers, losing an arm is an unbearable price to pay. Since he relied on brute force to defeat his opponents, he was destined to be unable to wield even half of his original hammer skills with one hand, and he was also destined to lack more flexible fighting styles. How could he adapt to the future, and how could he continue to swagger around? Moreover, his leg was also injured. Compared to his right arm, it was at least able to recover with rest, but losing his right arm would inevitably diminish his power, and he would have made many enemies. How would he cope while recovering?
Lei Sun didn't care about Lei Gun, but he did care about the Fifth Master of the Six and a Half Hall. Now that Lei Gun had become like this on his own turf, it was no different from slapping Lei Sun in the face. How could he possibly accept that?
But his temperament was no longer that of an ordinary person. When he said the following words, the following humiliation, he still maintained his composure: "Then you should also listen to what Lei Gun said. He was 'asked' to pass on my message—Bai Feifei, the deputy master of Jinfeng Xiyu Tower, sends his regards to me."
Lei Sun laughed, the dark light in his eyes sending chills down one's spine, yet also carrying a profound meaning: "I've said it before, it's not good for young people to be too arrogant."
Di Fei didn't raise his eyes, staring at the patterns on the ground, his dark, jade-like eyes half-closed. He didn't agree with Lei Sun's words, because he didn't need to, and Lei Sun didn't need him to agree either: "Lei Gun was defeated by this person in less than ten moves. Before she and Lei Gun even started fighting, she killed three disciples of the Six and a Half Hall. When she first broke into the hall, Lei Gun was completely unaware. From this, it can be seen that this person's martial arts skills alone are already a great threat."
Lei Sun's expression became even calmer. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Who do you think her martial arts skills can be compared to in Bianjing?"
Di Feijing fell into deep thought.
He needed a rather long time, as if it were a difficult problem. It didn't matter; Lei Sun would wait patiently, and Di Feijing would surely give him an answer.
Sure enough, after several dozen breaths, Di Fei spoke up in surprise, with certainty: "Judging from the surprise attack on Lei Gun alone, he is comparable to Lei Dongtian."
This is not good news, it's quite bad. In terms of intelligence, Su Mengzhen has Xie Huailing; in terms of martial arts, he has Bai Feifei. Both of them are so young, they are bound to achieve great things in the future. Xie Huailing is not even twenty years old yet he is so shrewd and resourceful, he can be called a genius; Bai Feifei's martial arts skills are already comparable to Lei Dongtian's today, so what about the future? Just how high will their talents be in the future?
Lei Sun is old. Yes, he is still vigorous and capable in his old age, but he also understands the importance of youth and its infinite possibilities.
He used to know about Su Mengzhen's illness and thought he could wear her down, but from this day forward, he knew it was no longer possible. Even if Su Mengzhen died tomorrow, Bai Feifei would inherit the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion, and Xie Huailing would still be around. He couldn't afford to waste any more time.
Just as Su Mengzhen chose to let Bai Feifei appear at this moment, the act of tearing off the mask pushed the turbulent situation into a vortex. Lei Sun also needed such a wave. At this time, the court was beset by internal troubles, and he had to compete with Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou. The winner takes all. This was the moment.
"Second brother," Lei Sun said again, "I want to hear your thoughts."
Every word he uttered was like a dark cloud looming over the city, an arrow already on a bowstring.
No tranquility can last long in Bianjing. The stalemate must eventually end, and only one can ever truly reign supreme.
.
Xie Huailing often thinks he is a genius, and half the time he thinks he is a genius among geniuses.
She occupied the chair in Su Mengzhen's study, the only comfortable chair—since Bai Feifei volunteered to take over the task of supervising her meals, she hadn't been here for a long time, and the chair that was taking up space had been taken away by Su Mengzhen's people. So, yes, she had taken Su Mengzhen's chair—she boasted to Su Mengzhen, saying, "Luckily I had the foresight to tell her not to actually tear someone's head off, otherwise the progress of the war would have been accelerated to the maximum."
The woman's face was practically screaming "praise me," but Su Mengzhen ignored her and tapped the table to tell her to get up.
Xie Huailing, however, refused, stating matter-of-factly, "What's wrong, Master? You told me to wait for you here. I found a comfortable place to wait for you, is there anything wrong with that?"
Anyone else would have thrown her out long ago, but Su Mengzhen has gradually lost her temper and can still speak to her politely, saying coldly, "Get up."
"Furthermore," Su Mengzhen added, "you are not allowed to have Bai Feifei write documents for you, do things for you, or take attendance for you. You are not allowed to do any of these things again."
This attendance record was originally set up specifically for Xie Huailing, to ensure that she would remember she had a job even when she was slacking off the most. As long as she showed up in front of Su Mengzhen every day, Su Mengzhen would turn a blind eye. Unexpectedly, after Bai Feifei arrived, she even became lazy about attendance. Even though they lived only a wall apart and it was just a few steps away, she was unwilling to do it and insisted on leaving it to Bai Feifei.
Who knows what Su Mengzhen felt when she heard Bai Feifei say that she had taken the day off for Xie Huailing.
As if she had lost her bones, Xie Huailing slid onto Su Mengzhen's desk: "How about this, I'll knock on the wall in the bedroom every night from now on, since you can hear me anyway, consider it my attendance check."
Sometimes language is too profound and complex. How did these words come together to form a proposal? Su Mengzhen responded with a cold face.
Xie Huailing continued, saying, "Hey, this was a mutually agreeable thing between Feifei and me. She never scolded me. Think about it, since Feifei came along, I haven't copied your writing anymore, I haven't dumped my unfinished work on you, and I haven't used your writing to fill in the gaps, right? Feifei's handwriting is better than mine, so now there's finally someone else besides you who can understand my writing. Isn't that a wonderful thing!"
She showed no remorse whatsoever, and was even provoking others. She continued, "And I really don't want to write, I don't want to write a single word. You know, I'm disorganized and undisciplined, so just let me fester. Besides, I'm practically a patient; not everyone can be like you."
It would be better if we didn't bring up the past. But once we did, all sorts of memories flooded back: how I used to copy his work directly, only copying half of it; how, after being exposed, I shamelessly handed over his work again without changing the signature; how, taking advantage of my upcoming trip, I only started out of almost a month's worth of work and left the rest to him...
If Su Mengzhen wasn't destined for great things, he would have simply reminded her, "Your illness will get better."
All accounts must be settled.
Xie Huailing feigned shock, covering his ears as if bones were sprouting from them. He quickly moved away from his position and said, "Master, I can't stand this! What a strange language! Is this the official language of the Song Dynasty?"
She regained her calm expression, as if suddenly realizing something, and said, "Or is it that you feel isolated because Feifei and I are too close? Indeed, I don't have many friends, and it was my oversight. I haven't been paying much attention to you lately. That's easy to say. No younger sister would dislike a helpful older brother. You, no, cousin, can help me with the chores. I'll take you with me to the girls' gathering next time Feifei and I have a chat."
Su Mengzhen: "..."
He had an urgent need to be alone for a while, and a sudden urge to facepalm arose. At this critical moment, those two words were the best to use: "Get out."
He said it, then realized something was wrong. He had called this person over to say something, so he changed his mind and asked her to come back.
But she had already reached the door. Xie Huailing's speed in slipping away was not to be underestimated. He opened the door and walked out, still saying, "Or is it that you're actually jealous, cousin? It's okay, just admit it openly. What's wrong with a man admitting to being jealous? I won't ignore you. I'll come to play with you again next time."
Then she quickly closed the door, turned around to leave, and just like that, she bumped into the person who was the reason Su Mengzhen had called her here today.
ruthless:"……"
Xie Huailing: "..."
Why is it always so awkward when we meet?
Fortunately, her thick skin wasn't something this could break, because she had long since abandoned any pretense of decency. Ignoring what Wuqing was thinking after hearing her words, she nodded to Wuqing and prepared to leave. Su Mengzhen could handle this matter herself; she didn't need Wuqing's help.
But the brief moment spent nodding was enough for Su Mengzhen to open the door, drag her back, and because he also came out, the art of awkwardness reached its peak.
"This Constable Sheng must regret coming today," Xie Huailing thought to himself.
Oh well, seeing someone else's embarrassment is the same as seeing her own; if the sky falls, the first bucket of mud will be thrown on Su Mengzhen. She didn't seem to mind making things worse.
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I admit that the work that influenced me the most was White Album (not really).
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