Chapter 83: Knowledge Obtained from Paper
Gong Jiu doesn't like painting. He likes swords, pain, and seeking thrills. Painting is just a skill he has learned, and he doesn't like it at all.
But when Xie Huailing asked, all he would say was, "I like it."
And so everything that followed fell into place. Everything on the desk was pushed to the floor, leaving only the brush, ink, and an inkstone. Letters were an exception; Xie Huailing carefully tossed the letter he was going to send to his superior onto the couch. Now the desk was completely cleared, ready for painting, but there was no paper.
This is not a strange place. If there is no paper for painting, then naturally there must be something else to replace it. Since skin is as white as jade, why can't it be used as paper?
The candlelight flickered, and the young man fell with a push—truly, the world had turned upside down. A beautiful woman with ethereal grace pressed herself against him. She peeled his chest from beneath her inner garment, and her ink-stained pen left winding, meandering ink marks. From that moment on, she robbed him of his right to leave blank spaces, blooming one ink plum blossom after another. The noble ink plum blossoms disordered him, and her cold, piercing figure sculpted him.
Gong Jiu was slightly out of breath, not paying attention to what she was drawing. He stared into her eyes, hoping to see some other emotion. He always felt that deep down, there was at least a burning desire, strong or weak, and he was easily manipulated. And her? He didn't care whether she loved him or not; he just wondered when she would kiss him.
Gong Jiu heard the sound of the night wind, many sounds, fading away and returning, and he was at the very center of the sound. The brushstrokes on his body continued, flowing like dragons and snakes. She must be a first-rate painter. Would this be the only opportunity he could give her to create a work of art? He remembered her face, remembered her subtle expressions. If things had been different, would he have met her at another time?
What could he possibly offer her? He gave her intoxicating madness, an ever-growing gaze, everything he possessed, and the constant, suffocating hatred of someone who kept staring at her. He knew he might be in love; the emotions born of twisted desire had climbed out of the murky whirlpool and were becoming pure. If he truly loved her, he would probably give himself to her.
Gong Jiu didn't consider anything important; she only cared about herself, and she never lost anything. Fullness leads to deficiency; extremes cause self-destruction.
The only thing he couldn't say for sure was whether he was anticipating or hoping for that day, to kneel before her forever, to be possessed by her even if he couldn't have her, and even to die for her someday—it didn't seem so bad.
Gong Jiu couldn't explain it.
Xie Huailing didn't paint for long. Apart from calligraphy, she was extremely proficient in many things, so painting a picture of winter plum blossoms wouldn't have been difficult for her. She stopped painting, regretting that she didn't have any red pigment and should have gotten some cinnabar earlier.
The brushstrokes were masterful; several plum blossoms, blooming alone and vibrant, graced the young man's upper body. The strokes, like ridges and valleys forming the soil, were both profound and subtle. After admiring the work with her brush in hand, Xie Huailing was nearing completion. The final touch of the night was when she wiped the ink stains from her fingers onto the young man's abdomen—the final stroke.
.
Shaman is not Yang Wuxie. No matter how much Xie Huailing hopes, Shaman can never become Yang Wuxie.
She wasn't from an intelligence background, nor had she ever worked in the field. Even though she was the youngest and most capable manager at the Golden Breeze and Drizzle Pavilion, investigating things still took time. Fortunately, there was still some time before Grand Tutor Li returned, so Xie Huailing could wait.
Day after day, she subtly probed Ye Shuzhen's words, inquired about Ye Erniang, and chatted with Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou. The news arrived along with Su Mengzhen's letter.
The first letter I read was from Su Mengzhen. He gave a completely useless instruction right at the beginning, indicating that the matter was very important and that he was afraid there might be unexpected problems with the cooperation, so he entrusted Xie Huailing with full responsibility—of course, if she didn't come, could he fly over? The most valuable thing was that he also wrote that the matter was urgent and he was not in Bianjing, so he didn't need to ask Xie Huailing what she did, and he completely trusted Xie Huailing's actions.
Compared to others, Su Mengzhen was far superior, at least much better than some bosses whose most logical statement was, "Why did you delete what I asked you to delete last week?" Xie Huailing was quite satisfied.
Next came the materials that Su Mengzhen had sent her from Bailou. He thought they were all useful to her and hadn't edited them. Xie Huailing read all the way to the end before she saw his instructions about her recent situation and his personal comments.
Compared to the densely packed handwriting above, this was slightly shorter in length. Su Mengzhen responded to her request for overtime pay, telling her to collect it herself after returning to Bianjing. He pretended not to see her subtle digs at him, remaining as bored as ever, and even congratulated her on making two new friends. Finally, regarding the passages where she wrote down whatever came to mind from her dream, Su Mengzhen frankly admitted he didn't quite understand her meaning and suggested they discuss it in detail when they got back, and he could also share his observations about the Beggars' Sect.
It's written like something out of a travel frog game. I should have sent him another postcard.
Xie Huailing pursed her lips and was about to stuff the letter into a corner when she turned it over and discovered there were words on the back.
"If anything changes, I will be there for you. There is no need to worry."
He wrote twelve characters, which were also the twelve most powerful characters he had ever written. Su Mengzhen always wanted to stand in front of everyone and shoulder all the responsibilities in a grand and spectacular way. Xie Huailing looked at it and, seeing his sincerity, gave up the plan to keep it hidden away and put the letter in the box.
She picked up the stack of papers that Shaman had handed her; the girl had brought over everything she could find. Xie Huailing had given her two parts: one about Li Qi, and the other about Tianfeng Shisilang's eldest son. It seemed that she had also investigated other things. While she was amazed, Xie Huailing couldn't help but admire Shaman's strict self-discipline and upright work attitude.
First, let's look at the part about Tianfeng Shisilang's son. This is easier to find out. Master Tianfeng only had a handful of disciples, all of whom were well-known in the martial arts world. Comparing their ages reveals that this child, who has half-Japanese blood, is now Master Tianfeng's most outstanding disciple, with the Dharma name Wuhua. It is said that he is proficient in martial arts, poetry, literature, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and possesses excellent character, transcending worldly concerns. Therefore, he is known in the martial arts world as the Seven Wonderful Monk. All of this is clearly written down.
Along with him, Master Tianhu, the head of Shaolin Temple, was also mentioned. When choosing a successor for Shaolin, he did not choose Wuhua, the most outstanding disciple of his generation, but instead chose Wuxiang, who was inferior to him in every way, which was regrettable. Of course, Xie Huailing could not help but think about it deeply.
Nangong Ling knew about her true identity, so how could Wuhua not know? He was highly regarded in the martial arts world, making him far more valuable. Furthermore, he was the elder brother. Normally, in matters concerning siblings, the eldest would be the first to be approached; the possibility of him bypassing Wuhua and approaching Nangong Ling first was virtually nonexistent.
So he should know. Then where is Wuhua? Was he involved in this matter? And what role did he play in the affair between Nangong Ling and the Prince of Nan's mansion? Or, to ask the most crucial question: is Wuhua currently in Jinan?
Xie Huailing wasn't in a hurry to think about this problem. She had been sending people to keep an eye on Nangong Ling. As long as she looked at the people who had been in contact with Nangong Ling these days, she would be able to find the answer to the question.
Next, we come to Li Qi's section. Shaman has devoted most of her energy to this matter, and the information Su Mengzhen sent is also about Li Qi. Combining the two provides the most comprehensive information.
The story begins more than twenty years ago. In those days, there was a sword sect in the martial arts world called the Huashan Sword Sect, and a powerful family known as the Huangshan Family. The two were irreconcilable enemies, their feud spanning generations, eventually culminating in a fierce battle that engulfed all their descendants. Because the Huashan Sword Sect possessed the Seven Swords of Huashan, the Huangshan Family was no match and was completely wiped out. Only one young woman surnamed Li managed to escape; her name was Li Qi.
No one knew where Li Qi went. Only a merchant said that he had seen her on a ship bound for Japan. Until more than ten years ago, she suddenly returned to the Central Plains. By then, she had mastered superb martial arts and used extremely ruthless methods to kill the Seven Swords of Mount Hua to avenge herself. After that, she mysteriously disappeared and her whereabouts were unknown.
There are many Li Qis in the martial arts world, but only this one is the one Xie Huailing is looking for. Not only does her age match, but her life story also matches the description given by Master Guisun. Abandoning her husband and children was her way of returning to her homeland to seek revenge, and her martial arts skills were learned in Japan. She is indeed the biological mother of Wuhua and Nangong Ling, there is no doubt about it.
As for her whereabouts, Xie Huailing believed she wouldn't go into hiding. If she wanted a peaceful life after avenging herself, why would she abandon her husband and children? Wouldn't Tianfeng Shisi Lang be willing to avenge her? Probably not. It's more likely that Li Qi has other things she wants to do. Coincidentally, Su Mengzhen thought the same thing.
The information he provided contained news about female martial arts heroes and female demons who had emerged in the past ten years or so. Its value could be proven by the phrase "directly from Yang Wuxie." It was that easy for people to fall in love with Chief Steward Yang. He had already conducted a round of investigations for Xie Huailing, and in the end, she only received a few precise pieces of information.
With no other clues to draw, Xie Huailing could only guess. She looked at the papers again and again, recalling what Gong Jiu had said last night.
He asserted that the Southern Prince's Mansion could not possibly be the one to tell Nangong Ling about his origins; the Southern Prince's Mansion did not possess such power in the martial arts world. Apart from something they did back then—who knows what—to recruit Ye Gucheng to be the Southern Prince's son's tutor, the Southern Prince's Mansion had almost no other achievements in the martial arts world. They had spent all their energy on other things, which is why they were now plotting against the Beggars' Sect.
Furthermore, Gong Jiu did not believe that the Southern King or his heir were capable of devising such a shrewd plan. In his view, his uncle and nephew were not clever people.
Therefore, the person most likely to reveal his true identity is Li Qi.
Master Gui said she was the most ruthless. Since she had already abandoned her husband and children, why did she wait so many years to tell Nangong Ling about his background?
Xie Huailing needed to sort things out. Her mind grew calmer. People leave traces whenever they do something. She looked through the biographies of these people, her finger stopping at a name.
Stone Guanyin.
She was a notorious female demon of the desert, residing in a stone forest cave deep within the desert, and had not appeared in the Central Plains for many years. Records described her as possessing unparalleled beauty and unimaginable martial arts skills, earning her the title of a remarkable woman who embodied the three "mosts": most beautiful, most skilled in martial arts, and most insidious. However, she rarely appeared in public, and few knew much about her personality and origins.
The Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion had a brief relationship with the Western Demonic Sect, which was also located in the desert. According to the Western Demonic Sect, Shi Guanyin seemed to have become the strangest woman in the world. She only had female disciples, loved to admire herself in the mirror, considered herself the most beautiful woman in the world, and even planted a field of poisonous flowers deep in the desert. She also bought several recipes for damaging people's appearance from the Western Demonic Sect.
The time of Li Qi's disappearance coincides most closely with the time when Shi Guanyin became famous. However, the difference between Li Qi, who is determined to avenge his family, and the ruthless female demon seems too great.
Xie Huailing clicked on the line about "damaging people's appearances" and then jumped to the next page. This page contained the records that Yang Wuxie had tried his best to find, the last few times Shi Guanyin was active in the Guanzhong region before she completely settled in the desert.
The last time was fifteen years ago in the autumn. She went to Henan Prefecture, disappeared for a few days, and left in a hurry without staying any longer. She never came back to the interior of the pass again.
Xie Huailing's fingers stopped.
She remembered the map of the Song Dynasty; Bianjing was near Henan Prefecture, and fifteen years ago, there was…
In a very brief moment, Xie Huailing changed his expression and called Shaman in from outside.
Shaman, not knowing what was going on, was about to ask me when Xie Huailing asked, "When did Ye Shuzhen meet Ren Ci fifteen years ago?"
Shaman paused for a moment, then replied, "Late autumn fifteen years ago."
"Does she know Shi Guanyin? You often talk to her about female knights-errant, but have you ever talked about Shi Guanyin?"
Shaman was even more confused, her head full of bewilderment. She thought carefully and said, "Is it the Stone Guanyin in the Stone Forest Cave? I did talk about it with Madam Ren before, but it was just a brief mention and she said she didn't like talking about her."
She wanted to ask more questions, but then she saw Xie Huailing suddenly smirk.
The ever-changing winds and clouds in her eyes dispelled the vast emptiness that no one else could see, as if the clouds had parted and the fog had cleared, and everything became clear.
"I see..." Xie Huailing murmured, the initiative was back in her hands, just waiting for the right opportunity. "I understand now."
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Everyone seems very interested in the rankings. Here's the thing: this ranking only represents Ms. Xie's personal aesthetic sense, and the order is as follows:
Ruthless, Di Fei was shocked, and Hua Manlou was amazed.
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