Chapter 121: Shan Zuo Situ
The Heavenly Cloud Five-Flower Cotton truly deserves its reputation as the best hidden weapon in the world, and it is also the most potent poison. Xie Huailing was startled the moment he saw it.
What was handed to her consisted of two parts. The first was the concealed weapon itself, shaped like a wide bracelet, entirely made of gold, so shiny it could reflect one's image. Its craftsmanship was so exquisite it resembled that of an imperial concubine, needless to say. At first glance, one could not discern any outline of the concealed weapon. The second was a bottle of poison, neatly placed in a box containing rouge. It was a clear, light red, like a young girl's rouge, resembling a peach blossom on a branch in March, fragrant and beautiful.
When these two are placed together, no one can tell that this is the legendary "Heavenly Cloud Five-Flower Cotton". Xie Huailing was also impressed by this and gained a deeper understanding of Wang Yunmeng's methods in the past.
"Now that you have obtained the 'Heavenly Cloud Five-Flower Cotton,' from now on, few in the martial world will be your match." Wang Lianhua pushed another book in front of Xie Huailing and said, "This is the 'Bewitching Mind and Dream-Inducing Technique.' Once you practice it, with a willing heart, there is no one in the world you cannot control, no one who will not obediently follow your orders. There are corpse-drivers in the Xiangxi region, and under the 'Bewitching Mind and Dream-Inducing Technique,' there are also people-drivers."
Nine years ago, Chai Yuguan chose the "Heavenly Cloud Five-Flower Cotton" as his method of feigning death, and his body only had wounds from the "Heavenly Cloud Five-Flower Cotton". At that time, his martial arts skills were still above those of the leaders of Wudang and Shaolin, but not as good as those of Wang Yunmeng and Fang Juxia. However, people at the time were convinced that he died from the "Heavenly Cloud Five-Flower Cotton". The power of this hidden weapon is beyond question. Even in today's martial arts world, how many people can withstand a single hit?
Xie Huailing didn't stand on ceremony and put it all into her sleeve. As for the "Bewitching and Dream-Inducing Technique," she quickly flipped through two pages, then looked up and asked Wang Lianhua, "How long does it take to master this technique?"
Wang Lianhua replied, "As for training, it naturally depends on talent. Apart from my mother, who took five years to master it, none of her maids have succeeded. However, with the help of medicine, an ordinary swordsman can get a rough understanding in two or three months. Of course, it will only ever be a rough understanding."
Xie Huailing glanced down briefly, then flew away in a flash, asking again, "Could the method you mentioned, which involves adding medicine, be faster?"
Her words were so straightforward that Wang Lianhua couldn't help but laugh heartily and ask her in return, "You want to give it to Master Su?"
Having already sketched out a complex and profound relationship in front of Wang Yunmeng, it might as well make it real now. Xie Huailing glared at him and said, "Reluctant? Do you like hearing that?"
Wang Lianhua shook her head, then took out another porcelain bottle and said meaningfully, "Sometimes the love of you women can be quite frightening. But in the future, you should still remember me more. After you drink all the medicine in this bottle and add a little bit of a medicinal guide, and then roughly circulate your qi according to the cultivation method, you can get a puppet that will obey your commands. However, the person who takes the medicine will be no different from a corpse."
Xie Huailing accepted the porcelain vase; it was indeed what she needed. Two days prior, she had received a letter from Zhao Mengyun, who confided in her about her current predicament, and the thing that could most quickly end the Nanwang Mansion's predicament was in her hands.
As for the cruel outcome Wang Lianhua mentioned… neither she nor Zhao Mengyun were morally upright enough to understand the meaning of guilt. From the very beginning of Zhao Mengyun's bleak life, the Prince of Nan should have foreseen his fate. He would have been willing to use his and his son's remaining years, along with his power and wealth, to compensate for his daughter's suffering.
Don't want to? If you don't want to, just shake your head. After taking the medicine, you won't shake your head at all, so you'll definitely be willing.
When she didn't speak, Wang Lianhua moved closer to her side again. This man always liked to get close, and even though he was seething with hatred inside, he always acted as if he really wanted to have something happen with her—it wasn't impossible that he really did—anyway, he said, "Alright, the things have been changed, and I've taken the antidote. Huailing, let's get going. The person we need to find today will still take some effort."
He emphasized her name, and Xie Huailing, upon hearing it, reached out again and pressed her hand against his face.
"Your moaning is awful," she said, casually kneading the pretty face.
.
The best way to investigate Chai Yuguan is to start with his trusted subordinates. Bai Choufei's side, Jin Wuwang, out of personal vendetta, reported two places he frequented, but Xie Huailing did not intend to include them in the plan.
There's no other reason than that Bai Choufei is capable of betrayal and is quite cunning. Such a person wouldn't rashly appear while Jin Wuwang is still alive. However, Xie Huailing wouldn't completely give up on those locations and still said he would have Shaman go and take another look.
Furthermore, the most suitable approach would be to start with Situ Bian, who succeeded to the positions of "Wonderful Gentleman" and "Colorful Envoy." His family background was renowned; the name Situ of Shanzuo was known throughout the martial arts world. Rumor had it that he was extremely skilled in disguise, with a long and distinguished family tradition. His family's "Smoke and Rain Broken Heart Silk" technique was once second only to "Heavenly Cloud Five-Flower Cotton," but over the years, it had long been overshadowed by the ever-emerging new generation.
He was the "Envoy of Lust," whose job was to constantly collect beautiful young women for Chai Yuguan. Therefore, his whereabouts were actually the easiest to track. As long as one paid attention to the serial disappearances of young women, one could guess his general movements. What's more, the person who came to investigate his whereabouts today was Xie Huailing.
In a corner of the town, where the flying bricks and tiles paused, several lanterns still hung. Half-peeled calligraphy characters were pasted on the lanterns, serving as unchanging signs throughout the year. The "signboard," along with the small building, remained unchanged through the years. The building was no longer pristine, and thus, it was covered in dust. Yet, year after year came another; even after aging, new branches would sprout, and the faces that entered the door were forever changing.
Wang Lianhua ordered two jugs of wine and pointed to a seat on the second floor near the railing. He placed his bamboo hat on the table, revealing a beautiful face with somewhat feminine features, attracting the attention of the tables on either side, making him particularly eye-catching. He had originally intended to use a more unconventional face to scare Xie Huailing again, but Xie Huailing insisted that he wouldn't leave the house if he dared to use it, so he changed it to this one.
After sitting down, they would naturally order something else. Wang Lianhua looked at Xie Huailing, who was still staring at something, her eyes, visible behind her veil, appearing somewhat dull. He asked, "What would you like to eat?"
"I'm not eating." Xie Huailing's appetite was like her superb calligraphy skills—simply put, it was almost nonexistent. "Just order whatever you like."
Wang Lianhua thought that she had lost her appetite because of what he had done before she left, and he secretly found it amusing. He thought he had gotten away with it and said, "You really are a pampered young lady from a wealthy family. You really have a discerning eye. You can come and watch next time I change my face. I will keep changing it until you are satisfied."
He wouldn't be so kind. Even if he were, it would most likely be an act, or just for his own momentary pleasure, to show off to her. Xie Huailing knew him all too well, but she insisted, "You talk a big game, but if you can't see through Shan Zuo Situ's disguise today, you'll be utterly humiliated."
Wang Lianhua's skin wasn't so easily damaged by these few words. As long as she didn't touch a sore spot, it was no different from scolding: "You're so eager to find fault with me, but if I do make a mistake, won't you be in a difficult position too?"
"What's the problem?" Xie Huailing said. "Is it that you can't complain to your mother? How old are you, Young Master Wang? It's not right for your fiancée to complain to your own mother."
Wang Lianhua's expression remained unchanged as she smiled and said, "I'll just consider it a good relationship between you two; it's my good fortune."
He ordered two bowls of noodles and two small plates of pastries, then began to look around. This small inn was carefully selected by Xie Huailing. Thanks to Shaman's busy work, all the missing girls in the city within a month had been thoroughly investigated. This was also one of the reasons why Wang Yunmeng chose Jinfeng Xiyu Tower. Under such a tight net, it would not be difficult to uncover Shan Zuo Situ's criminal activities.
This inn was the only place where the victims of the missing girls had any connection. They had all been here before they disappeared, either for a meal or to stay overnight; in short, they had all appeared here. As for Shan Zuo Situ's disguise, an eyewitness said that when the girls disappeared, they often saw an unfamiliar old woman in blue in this area. In any case, this person was always connected to Shan Zuo Situ.
Xie Huailing and Wang Lianhua had come specifically to see this old woman in blue. Neither of them intended to alert the enemy. Bai Choufei would report Jin Wuwang and Shen Lang to Chai Yuguan, and if the Situ of Shanzuo were to encounter trouble now, it would inevitably raise Chai Yuguan's suspicions. Their plan was to ascertain the Situ of Shanzuo's whereabouts and then act opportunistically to obtain some unusual information. This was also why Xie Huailing had come; when it came to matters requiring strategic thinking, she was always more suitable than anyone else.
After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, an elderly woman in a blue dress, walking with difficulty, came up to the second floor with the help of two children. She kindly patted the two children's heads and fed them candy.
Judging by her appearance alone, this old woman was probably in her sixties or seventies. Her head was full of silver hair, and her face was lined with deep wrinkles. She walked slowly and her decrepit appearance was all that was needed. Of the people who saw her, probably not one out of a hundred would be wary of her.
Upon seeing her, Wang Lianhua stared intently, scrutinizing her inch by inch without making a sound. But simply looking wouldn't reveal any alterations to her face, let alone the exceptional skill of the Left Minister of the Mountain. After a few breaths, he averted his gaze and his eyes fell upon Xie Huailing.
Seemingly getting more and more excited, he suddenly said, "If we just look at it, even if the notorious thief Chu Liuxiang were here today, he probably wouldn't be able to tell whether this old man is disguised or where he is. But since he's going to abduct beautiful young girls, why don't we set a trap and lure him in? What do you think?"
Xie Huailing chuckled and said, "That's a good trick, but if I were the bait, I'd have to take back everything I suffer from Young Master Wang. Let's find another way. For example, if we could get close to her and take a closer look, maybe we could figure something out?"
“If it works, it’s a good method, but will she let us get close?” Wang Lianhua asked, raising an eyebrow.
Xie Huailing simply said, "Of course I have a way. Since Young Master Wang doesn't mind, I'll just do it. Please help me up, Young Master Wang, so we can go downstairs."
Wang Lianhua really wanted to know what she was up to, so he took her hand and the two of them went to the stairs together.
She clung tightly to his arm, appearing utterly frail and delicate, moving like a willow swaying in the breeze, secretly shedding tears. His eyelids twitched, wondering what Xie Huailing was up to. Just as he was about to ask her, he passed by the old woman in blue, unable to bring himself to ask. At that moment, the old woman snapped, pinching herself and letting out a few sobs. She was truly like a pear blossom in spring rain, her veil unable to conceal the myriad charms of her tearful, downcast face.
Then, the pear blossom fell to the ground as he held it, and its bright eyes turned into a fountain of tears, with a thousand tear stains and ten thousand traces of sorrow. Anyone who saw it would feel pity for it.
All eyes turned to him, and whispers filled the air. Some of the hot-tempered men even slammed their fists on the table and stood up, glaring angrily at Wang Lianhua, treating him as someone who bullied women, having bullied such a beauty to the point of shedding tears in a small inn.
Accusations continued to pour in, and this small area became the focus of attention. Naturally, the old woman in blue could not leave their side.
Such a brilliant plan is beyond words; a thousand words are simply meaningless in the face of it.
Wang Lianhua: "..."
Wang Lianhua smiled.
Wang Lianhua laughed in exasperation.
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Random thoughts:
I mustered up the courage to think about it. The original poster's reaction must have been a turbulent mix of emotions. They would probably be stunned after receiving the letter, then reread it to see if Ms. Xie's handwriting had gotten worse, creating ambiguity (...). But once they realized it was true, they could only remain silent in the face of the crying face drawn by Ms. Xie.
The original poster could tell it was fake. Firstly, he didn't think Ms. Xie would care about these things before her grand plan was completed. Secondly, Ms. Xie had talked to him about this before, so he knew it was fake. He felt helpless and silent, and a mixture of pity and bitterness overwhelmed him.
He disliked Ms. Xie dragging him into the process, and for multiple reasons, he was very bothered by this. But since Ms. Xie had already done it, he could only send her a hastily made-up birth date and time, and then portray Wang Lianhua as being in cahoots with Gong Jiu (...).
In short, his feelings were quite complicated. He genuinely felt sorry for Ms. Xie and cared about many things that Ms. Xie herself didn't care about. However, no matter what, now was not the time.
As for Master Di's side... it's amazing, truly amazing.
First, according to the timeline, Ms. Xie left Bianjing, while he stayed in Bianjing and hadn't seen anyone for more than a month, spending all his time with his cat. Then he received the news that Shi Guanyin was jealous of Ms. Xie and wanted to disfigure her (Shi Guanyin: Feed me peanuts).
If you say he's not in a hurry, he definitely is, but there's nothing he can do about it, no matter how complicated his feelings are. In the end, all he can do is find someone to explain things clearly, that this matter has nothing to do with Six and a Half Hall, and that Six and a Half Hall is also concerned about Miss Xie's safety (in reality, everyone knows who is concerned).
Then he heard the news that Ms. Xie was injured. Whether he believed it or not, Master Di was naturally worried, and Ms. Xie had indeed not returned to Bianjing. Under these circumstances, an undercover agent from Jinfeng Xiyu Tower came to tell him that Su Mengzhen was busy preparing Ms. Xie's dowry and had written down Ms. Xie's birth date and time.
This news caused Lei Sun's brain to explode with suspicion, wondering who Su Mengzhen was planning to marry his sister to and what benefits she would gain in return. He even dragged Di Feijing into a secret meeting. With this triple bombardment, if Master Di had access to cloud storage, he'd definitely be a prolific all-nighter listening to music.
That's exciting! If it's true, then there's no hope left. It's precisely because he understands that Su Mengzhen is trying to distance himself from Ms. Xie that he's even more certain that this news isn't meant to provoke him. He'll make two judgments: one is that this news is a conspiracy, a tactic (this is closer to the truth), and the other is that Xie Huailing is really getting married.
As long as there is a second possibility, no matter how small, it will be enough for him to spend days and nights on the internet. He will definitely go back and expand on what he has been thinking, and he will not let himself off the hook.
In such a situation, he might hold the increasingly overweight old cat, wanting to say something, but then he remembers that it's just a kitten, and the person he really wants to say it to isn't here, and will never come here.
Then, the inner monologues of Master Di are enough to make White Album film several more seasons.
Feeling better now, I'll confess, my love for romantic scenes is...
By the way, it's certain that Master Di will have a lot of negative feelings towards Wang Lianhua. If these two meet... it will be even more exciting. Wang Lianhua will provoke everything. This guy is incredibly aggressive (but that involves spoilers, so I won't say more).
Then there's the Ninth Prince's reaction, which probably no one wants to ask about, but I'll mention it anyway—he didn't react at all.
Honestly, even if Ms. Xie was already married when he met her, the rest of the story wouldn't have changed (...). If I had to say something, it would be that he would probably make some outrageous remarks based on his own unique set of values during their next meeting, which would make Ms. Xie think that I was being too old-fashioned. Anyway, that's how it is.
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