Chapter 57: Jealousy of a Friend
The snow-covered courtyard reflected a cold light. The girl, tightly bound like a dumpling by Bai Feifei, lay on the icy ground. Despite her thousandfold hatred, she could only struggle and writhe, cursing venomously in vain. Xie Huailing pulled his cloak tighter, walked to her side, and looked down at her. His emotionless gaze sent chills down the girl's spine even further than Bai Feifei's.
"Speak," Xie Huailing said lazily. She was always good at making everything sound like a casual conversation. She said, "Tell me everything you told Long Xiaoyun. Once you've finished, I'll let you go. If you don't, we can talk about it later."
She then added, "I don't have many strengths, but I'm a person of my word."
Bai Feifei couldn't hold back her laughter at these words and looked away. The girl spat, her beautiful face contorted with resentment: "Pah, dream on! Why should I tell you? Go ahead and kill me if you dare!"
"Such a request?" Xie Huailing naturally wanted to grant her wish, then turned to look at Bai Feifei and gestured for her to proceed.
Bai Feifei stood to the side with her arms crossed, scoffed upon hearing this, and then her fingertips condensed internal energy, exuding a murderous intent.
The girl then realized that arguing with Xie Huailing wouldn't get her anywhere, and her face flushed red. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she said, "You... what are you going to do? I'm warning you, if I die, you'll be buried with me! My father isn't someone to be trifled with, and neither is Ninth Brother..."
Xie Huailing clicked his tongue and commented on her threat, "Not bad, very spirited, but you're still a bit lacking when it comes to threatening me. Didn't you want to die yourself? Look, you're in such a hurry again."
The girl wanted nothing more than to spit in the man's face.
Despite her outburst, Xie Huailing didn't even flinch. She crouched down, her gaze fixed on the glazed pavilion not far away. In the shadow of the pavilion pillars, the young man was still curled up on the ground. She withdrew her gaze and returned it to the palace master's face, spouting nonsense as she said, "Let me give you a demonstration. If you don't cooperate, the poison that Ninth Brother you called for probably won't have an antidote. He doesn't look too good right now."
The girl trembled, turned her head to look at the pavilion, and saw the young man's miserable state. She could no longer control her expression and was filled with rage. She shouted, "You wretch! How dare you harm my Ninth Brother! You are despicable and shameless!" After saying that, she twisted her body frantically, trying to pounce on Xie Huailing, but she was tightly bound by the rope and her efforts were in vain. Her eyes were filled with hatred and seemed to be spitting fire.
Bai Feifei frowned impatiently, flicking a small pebble from her fingertip, which accurately struck the numb tendon near the girl's acupoint for speech, causing her to shudder in pain. Her cursing stopped abruptly, leaving only rapid breathing and an even more venomous look in her eyes.
The young man had been given powdered medicine, not poison, but Xie Huailing made it up without hesitation. Now that he had actually fooled the girl, he became even more nonchalant: "The world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be. Even a habitual criminal who kills indiscriminately can call me despicable and shameless, and call me vile."
The girl glared at Xie Huailing, then glanced at the young man in the pavilion, her chest heaving violently. In the end, her hatred and resentment turned into a resigned compromise. She humiliatingly yielded: "...What do you want to ask? Hurry up, and if I answer you, you must give me Ninth Brother's antidote."
Xie Huailing nodded in satisfaction: "Name?"
"Palace Master," the girl gritted her teeth and uttered the two words.
"Um?"
A rare look of genuine surprise flashed across Xie Huailing's eyes as she asked repeatedly, "Palace Master? Which palace? The princess who is related to the royal family, or which character? When your parents named you, did they hope you would establish your own sect and become an empress, or at least have a prestigious name so you could gain an advantage wherever you go?"
She shook her head and clicked her tongue: "That's really a great idea. I thought no one would use a name like that, given how vast and rich the land is."
The palace master was so angry that his face turned pale, and his lips trembled but he couldn't say a word in rebuttal. He was clearly choked by the blunt and sarcastic remark.
Xie Huailing had no interest in continuing to comment on the names and went straight to the point: "Who is that man in black you told Long Xiaoyun about? Why did you choose to use him to persuade Long Xiaoyun?"
The palace master replied sarcastically, "How would I know which guy that is? I'm not from Bianjing. As for why they used him, humph, they were all sneaking around whispering amongst themselves. They're not blind or deaf, who can't see or hear what they were saying?"
"Be honest and tell me everything." Seeing that her attitude remained the same, Bai Feifei coldly rebuked her, which made the palace master shrink back in fright.
The Palace Mistress was truly terrified of Bai Feifei's methods. As long as Bai Feifei remained here, she would have no way to escape. Reluctantly, she became more obedient and confessed everything: "...It was about ten days ago. It was raining heavily, and there were few people in the teahouse. A man named Long Xiaoyun was sitting there drinking tea for more than a quarter of an hour. After everyone else had left, a man in black came. He had a scar on his face and looked to be in his thirties or forties. I can't remember anything else."
"The man in black came in and didn't look anywhere else before sitting down in the empty seat next to Long Xiaoyun. I was wiping the table behind the counter at the time, and I was not far away, so I heard them talking for a few minutes..." The Palace Master pursed his lips, "They didn't talk about anything earth-shattering, and I still don't understand why Long Xiaoyun was so guilty."
Xie Huailing pressed further, "What did you hear?"
The palace master replied, "I overheard some random bits and pieces. They were talking about Li Xunhuan, the Little Li Scholar, a fairly famous name. But they weren't saying anything nice. The one in black was saying something like, 'Li Xunhuan is indeed a world-renowned hero, but you, Hero Long, are also a rare hero. Why belittle yourself?' Ha, Long Xiaoyun really is a fool. He's really gotten a bit carried away by their flattery."
"Then the man in black seemed to ask Li Xunhuan what he'd been busy with lately and where he often went. Long Xiaoyun stammered out some place name, or something like that. I didn't find it interesting at the time, and just then the kitchen called me, so I went in. I don't know what they said after that."
Having said that, Xie Huailing's answer was crystal clear.
Just as I expected.
Long Xiaoyun, whom Li Xunhuan regarded as a sworn brother, was the very person who pushed Li Xunhuan into the trap. Under the overwhelming brilliance of his friend, his meager friendship had long been devoured by the venomous insect of jealousy. With just a few cheap words of flattery and a facade of a "hero," the treacherous man in black easily pried open the door to resentment and bitterness in Li Xunhuan's heart.
"Did Long Xiaoyun drink that day?" Xie Huailing asked the last crucial question.
Without a second thought, the palace master replied, "I only drank tea and didn't touch any wine."
At this point, there was no more suspense.
All the puzzle pieces fit perfectly into their positions, and the last doubts vanished, replaced by a sense of irony about the impermanence of life and the fickleness of human nature. Xie Huailing looked at Bai Feifei, who understood immediately. With a flick of her sleeve, Bai Feifei delivered a swift chop to the back of the Palace Master's neck. The Palace Master groaned, her head lolled to the side, and she fainted.
Bai Feifei kicked the palace master on the ground away and said, "Now you know, the news leaked out from that idiot Suancaiyu's mouth."
Xie Huailing's gaze swept across the courtyard, seemingly piercing through layers of buildings, and landed on Li Xunhuan's sickbed, still trusting Long Xiaoyun. She sighed softly, a sigh devoid of pity, only filled with simple感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and reflection).
“I’ve figured it out. It’s not just a leak. Jealousy, ah, men’s jealousy is truly terrifying.” She turned her gaze to Bai Feifei. “Look, Long Xiaoyun didn’t drink at all that day. He was perfectly sober when he was talking to the man in black. The reason the conversation was able to continue was because deep down, he was actually hoping for the appearance of such a person—someone who could belittle Li Xunhuan and see him, Long Xiaoyun.”
Even knowing this person's origins were illegitimate, knowing Li Xunhuan's impeccable character in the martial world, and knowing he himself was inferior to Li Xunhuan in every way, anyone who said such things was definitely not a good person. This distorted sense of identification was like rain after a long drought for him; he desperately needed it. Based on this, when the man in black inquired about Li Xunhuan's whereabouts…
Bai Feifei coldly picked up on her words, saying, "He might not be unaware of the other party's intentions. Someone so cunning and eager for fame wouldn't be so oblivious, yet he still spoke up. So in Li Xunhuan's case, there was no friend's brother who was mistakenly harmed, only a willing accomplice."
Xie Huailing nodded approvingly: "Very clever."
Bai Feifei immediately turned her face away, replying in a stiff tone, "I don't need your praise."
Xie Huailing shrugged indifferently: "It won't hurt me to praise you. I've never praised Su Mengzhen like that before."
Bai Feifei: "..."
She took a deep breath and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "Then I really thank you."
Xie Huailing's shamelessness had clearly reached a new level: "No need to thank me, I should be praising you."
"This isn't thanking you at all. Have some shame!"
Xie Huailing stretched, his bones cracking slightly, completely ignoring Bai Feifei's anger and what she was saying: "Alright, now that things are cleared up, we should go back and meet up. Time is of the essence; we still have things to do today."
Bai Feifei couldn't bear it any longer, hating herself for agreeing to the deal: "Who is delaying this?"
The two stopped looking at the unconscious palace master on the ground, and turned to walk out of the house while arguing.
As they approached the pavilion, a figure slowly straightened up from the shadow of the pavilion pillar.
He was a young man, and the pain on his face had mostly subsided, though his complexion remained pale, cold sweat still clung to his forehead, and his body was so weak he was swaying. However, his eyes, like two dark, burning will-o'-the-wisps, were fixed intently on Xie Huailing, as if she were the only person left in the world.
“My name is Gong Jiu,” he said.
Xie Huailing didn't stop walking, and didn't even look at him: "I'm not interested in what your name is."
Gong Jiu was not discouraged. Instead, she staggered forward and asked urgently, her gaze even more intense and persistent: "What is your name?"
Xie Huailing had already passed him by: "I'm not interested in this either."
Her and Bai Feifei's figures quickly disappeared outside the gate of the house, leaving only the howling wind and snow.
Gong Jiu stood motionless, staring intently in the direction she had left. His gaze was dark and viscous, his obsession and fanaticism reaching a boiling point, chasing the now-empty path, lingering for a long time, creating an eerie and chilling disconnect between his handsome and refined face.
After walking quite a distance, Bai Feifei frowned and asked Xie Huailing in a low voice, "What's wrong with him this time?"
Xie Huailing pulled the hood of her cloak tighter. She thought for a moment and gave what she considered the most fitting description: "I really don't know, who knows what a lunatic is thinking?"
Bai Feifei glanced at her sideways, a subtle expression appearing on her stunningly beautiful, aloof face. She paused for two seconds before asking in surprise, "Aren't you one? Why are there different levels of mental illness?"
The wind and snow intensified, and Xie Huailing, too lazy to argue with her, went along with her words and reaffirmed her principles: "I am a crazy person with aspirations."
"...If someone can say something like that, they have absolutely no ambition!"
.
The carriage stopped at the back door of an inconspicuous cloth shop. Above the shop hung a simple sign that read "Yunjinfang," indicating that this was a hidden outpost of Jinfeng Xiyu Lou in Bianjing. Indigo, navy blue, and moon-white fabrics hung from high wooden racks, piled up haphazardly. The distinctive scent of fabrics wafted through the dimly lit room. Further inside, a few oil lamps hung from the pillars, their dim light barely illuminating the small space.
Bai Feifei crossed her arms and leaned against the shadows of the wall outside the door, refusing to go inside.
Xie Huailing removed her veil and pushed open the heavy wooden door to the inner room.
The interior was much darker than the exterior, like daytime and nighttime, with only a small oil lamp lit on a large beechwood table. A young man sat beside the table, facing the door.
Upon hearing the door open, he practically sprang to his feet. His movements were swift, and it was no surprise that this man was Leng Xue.
The dim light outlined Leng Xue's features. He was tall, yet unusually thin and upright, like a sword taut to its limit—perhaps all swordsmen are like this, a good swordsman is more like a sword than his weapon—his thick black hair was unruly, a few strands falling over his full forehead, his expression was sharp in every way, and his bright green eyes always revealed the alertness of a wild beast. This appearance, which lived up to his name, was further embellished with a rare youthful air, making him extremely handsome and also extremely rare.
He didn't speak, he just stood there. Xie Huailing didn't speak either; she was waiting for him to speak.
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Some random thoughts about Gong Jiu
Gong Jiu should be one of the few characters who can be purely enhanced when placed in the context of a hero's world view.
In the world of Wenzhou's novel, which emphasizes the imperial court, his status as the heir apparent is elevated to an epic level. Add to that his ability to secretly amass a private army, an unnamed island, and a little old man behind the court's back, and the fact that his parents are never mentioned in the original work—if he can even maintain a private army, his parents probably wouldn't have any influence over him even if they were alive; the Taiping Prince's Mansion is essentially his personal fiefdom—overall, this makes him a very significant figure in Wenzhou's novel.
Of course, despite this background, Gong Jiu is no decent person. He won't let Ms. Xie go. The male ghost charges forward...
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