Su Rong met the astounded gaze of Lan Niang, nodding genuinely. To her, Zhou Gu was indeed very good--undeniably good from the moment she first saw him, and his charm only proved true upon getting to know him better.
She took a sip of wine, sighing, "But he’s of such high status, I don’t know if I can ..."
Her words were barely out when her face suddenly turned cold. She flung the wine jug in her hand behind her. It burst with a pop, releasing an intoxicating aroma of wine around her. Quickly, she turned, taking an unopened jug of wine from the table and flung it just the same.
With a crack, the jug of wine was pierced by the tip of a sword, the shards flying as wine splashed everywhere. Among this chaos, a mysterious figure wielding a sword appeared. The Treasure Sword glittered with an icy light, charging straight at Su Rong. Realizing she couldn’t avoid it, Su Rong pulled out the dagger hidden in her chest and met the incoming sword. There was a loud "clang" as the blade struck the sword.
The figure stepped back, astonishment apparent in his masked eyes. In an instant, he retreated.
All of this took place in a blink of an eye. Lan Niang had already drawn her own Treasure Sword but, before she could act, the attacker was already gone. She sheathed her sword, puzzled. "Wasn’t he here to kill you? Why did he leave right after we crossed paths?"
This was indeed strange indeed! Previous occasions hadn’t gone this way.
Su Rong thought contemplatively, looking down at the dagger in her hand, "Maybe it was because of this?"
The dagger was spectacular, sharp enough to cut through iron as if it were mud, and etched with intricate patterns. Ever since she received the dagger, she had checked it. There were no words, no identifiable marks on it. Only the distinct elaborate pattern was unusual.
"Where did you get this dagger? It looks very expensive." Lan Niang asked doubtfully.
"I saved a life a while ago, this was the reward I asked from them." Seeing Lan Niang’s curiosity, Su Rong handed the dagger to her for a closer look.
Lan Niang took the dagger and examined it carefully. "This pattern is very unique. It must be from a master craftsman. An average artisan wouldn’t be able to carve such a design."
"Hmm." Su Rong had chosen the dagger specifically due to its uniqueness. An ordinary dagger would not have satisfied her.
"Didn’t you ask the person’s identity?"
"I didn’t ask. We were merely strangers meeting by chance. I happened to save him, and in return asked for a dagger. It seemed enough."
"But it seems this dagger has a significant history. It even managed to help you fend off your attacker. Should I ask around about the dagger’s origin?" Lan Niang suggested, "It could also allow us to find out who’s trying to kill you. After all, these past years, the attempts on your life have been so secretive, no trace can be found, they’ve all been committed by suicide attackers."
"It’s not necessary," Su Rong didn’t want to go to such lengths. "Since my mother left, there have been annual attempts on my life. I’ve gotten used to it. Whether we know or not, it doesn’t matter. To the one who’s out to kill me, I’m as insignificant as an ant. Even if we knew who it was, there’s nothing we can do, right now."
Lan Niang did not agree with what she was saying, "That was before. Now, we’ve established some foothold, we are not to be underestimated."
Su Rong refuted her, "After all you guys have gone through from childhood, you’re finally able to settle down here peacefully. I hope you guys can continue to live a smooth life and not risk your lives for me. In our eyes, we might have a certain foundation now. But to the aristocrats and powerful dignitaries, we are trivial and vulnerable. Best to remain prudent!"
Lan Niang sighed, feeling somewhat dejected, "So we will continue to endure?"
She said earnestly: "You have given us a stable life. We no longer have to worry about hunger or the cold. Everyone wants to do something for you, even if it means giving up their lives, we would not hesitate."
She paused and continued, "When I first met you, you were just several years old, yet you were supporting all of us. Now some have married and started families, others, like myself, live a peaceful and prosperous life. Who, even in their wildest dreams, could have imagined such a good life? We would gladly give our lives for you. Without you, we wouldn’t be alive today."
Unable to resist, Su Rong found herself laughing. She reached out and pinched Lan Niang’s cheek, "Alright, stop talking about this. I just can’t bear to see people being homeless, especially in winters where corpses are found in every rundown temple and cave. Who else but me, a lady who can’t sit still at home, would do such a thing. Just think of it as me doing good deeds for my own karma. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made it this far over the years, I would have already gone to the underworld and asked my mother myself."
Lan Niang couldn’t help but laugh as well. She playfully glared at Su Rong, her gloom disappearing instantly, "Regardless, you don’t have to handle everything on your own. We’re all here for you."
"I know." Su Rong retracted her hand, smiling.
"Who knows." Anyway, her mother was already dead, and she could now longer question this.
"I think she mostly knew about it? Why else would she arrange the engagement with the Duke Residence? Perhaps, she wanted to provide you with some form of support."
Su Rong answered, "Zhou Gu asked Old Duke about it, and the Old Duke told him that our family had done him a favor, so he took the initiative to propose the marriage."
She couldn’t understand. Tapping on the counter, she said, "Pour me another jug of wine."
"Drink less, you reek of alcohol. Even if you want to let loose in front of your future husband, you should still take care of yourself." Regardless of her advice, Lan Niang still fetched another jug of wine for Su Rong.
Su Rong took the wine, popped the plug, and took a swig. Wiping the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, she laughed and said, "Don’t worry, I value my life more than anyone else."
Lan Niang frowned, "Since you already had an engagement with the Duke Residence, why hasn’t anyone checked on you all these years? If the Duke Residence showed their care and visited more often, certainly fewer people would dare to assassinate you, right?"
"The old Duke must have his reasons." Su Rong didn’t understand. "Whoever wants to kill me, always does it secretly, and never causes a big stir. Like this time, he only sent one person, followed me here, and took action after I entered the house. He never attacked me on the streets. Probably to avoid being seen and causing problems. It’s clear that my assassin also has his reservations and doesn’t want to stir up trouble. Furthermore, whoever it is, they probably aren’t afraid of the Duke Residence. After all, Zhou Gu is currently in Jiangning, didn’t the assassinator still come?"
"That’s true." Lan Niang nodded. "Everyone knows that Young Master Zhou is in Jiangning. The news has spread throughout Jiangning County. The one who wants to kill you probably knows that too."
"Hmm, if he had really killed me today, wouldn’t he be afraid that Zhou Gu would investigate? Would the Duke Residence let the matter drop? So, I can only say that whoever it is, they aren’t afraid of the Duke Residence." Su Rong analyzed.
Lan Niang readily agreed that Su Rong’s analysis made sense. "Indeed."
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