Chapter 198
That night, towering buildings stood tall, their lights twinkling like stars. Under the bright moon, which resembled a small boat, a beautiful woman in red stood in a building, gazing at the city.
"Several days have passed in the blink of an eye," Nangong Min said, leaning against the railing, twirling a white chess piece between his fingers. "Why is there still no progress on the things I asked you to do?"
The restaurant was bustling with noise and many customers, but the top floor was deserted. Qin Zheng sat at the table, struggling to find a solution in front of the chessboard. She hesitated before placing her black piece and replied, "It's not that I'm being negligent, but after Fu Cen's death, Fu Xiang has been in seclusion in her building. Few people go in or out. The disciples have been keeping watch all night, but the girl has never shown up."
Several crimson lanterns hung under the eaves, their glow casting a halo around Nangong Min, making her red dress appear even more ethereal and misty. Hearing the sound of a piece being placed, Nangong Min turned around, walked to the table, stared at the chessboard for a while, and smiled enigmatically, saying, "If you make this move, you're going to lose."
Qin Zheng wasn't very good at chess to begin with, and besides, although Nangong Min had specifically invited her to play tonight, it was clear that his real intention wasn't to play chess. Qin Zheng said, "Since the Master has given me such pointers, are you going to let me take back my moves?"
“Taking back a move is not the act of a gentleman,” Nangong Min said slowly as he placed the white piece on his fingertip. “Although neither of us are gentlemen, we must still abide by these rules. Even if I cannot agree to your taking back a move, I can spare your life.”
Qin Zheng watched her movements and secretly thought to herself, "That was close!"
She was so focused on how to respond to Nangong Min that she didn't realize the game was already decided. But as Nangong Min had said, he let her off the hook, and a new life immediately appeared on the chessboard.
“Then you need to think carefully before making your move,” Nangong Min smiled. “There aren’t many chances to escape death. Now that I’ve given you one, you have to make the most of it.”
Her words were calm and contained no hidden meaning, yet Qin Zheng sensed a different implication in them.
“But Master, you’ve made it far too obvious that you’re letting me win,” Qin Zheng hesitated, not taking another piece. “The situation is already very clear. One move will decide the outcome. I am no match for you, so how can I let you take this advantage for nothing?”
Nangong Min said, "If I let you win, then you can win, whether it's chess or anything else. If you can win, don't worry about how you win." She paused, then reached out and patted Qin Zheng on the shoulder. "Unless you insist on going down a dead end, then I can't stop you, right?"
Qin Zheng glanced at her, picked up a black piece, and placed it under Nangong Min's indifferent gaze, ending the game.
Dark clouds crept in, slowly swallowing the moonlight, and a chilly wind suddenly rose outside the building, as if it were a sign of rain again.
Nangong Min scrambled the chessboard, walked to the railing, and continued to gaze at the sky. Without turning her head, she said, "Wen Chaoyu could easily break into Yunhua Palace and capture Yin Qiu for me, but you couldn't enter Mingyue Tower to kidnap Afu for me." She chuckled twice. "I know you don't want to be compared to her, but she always does things better. You used to see her as a thorn in your side and ridicule her a lot, but now you can't even do half as well as her. How am I supposed to feel about this?"
After playing chess all night, she finally got to the point. Qin Zheng was restless and could only sigh, "Master, you are mistaken. Wen Chaoyu knows the terrain of Yunhua Palace by heart, and she also had the Seventh Young Master's help back then. My situation is different from hers, so we cannot be compared."
“Then I’m very curious,” Nangong Min said, “I’ve had people keeping an eye on that girl Afu for a long time. She’s Meng Wugui’s right-hand woman, always out there running around for him, and she’s never been one to be in the public eye. So why is it that now that I’m trying to arrest her, she’s suddenly staying in Mingyue Tower and hasn’t left the house? Don’t you think that’s strange?”
Qin Zheng pondered for a moment and replied, "In these extraordinary times, Meng Wugui must be careful. Perhaps she guessed that the sect leader would take some action next, which is why she instructed her two disciples not to show themselves easily."
Upon hearing this, Nangong Min turned his head slightly, his smile unchanged, but his tone turned colder: "I don't want to know if she guessed what I'm going to do. I just want to know when you can bring the person to me."
Qin Zheng then stood up, looking troubled: "I will naturally do my best to fulfill the orders given by the sect leader, but Mingyue Tower is heavily guarded, with Meng Wugui himself in charge. In addition, Fu Xiang is not easy to deal with, not to mention that Afu's lightness skill is superb, and she will not be easy to capture either. Sect leader... could you grant me a few more days?"
"If I give you leniency, who will give me leniency?" Seeing Qin Zheng repeatedly trying to exonerate herself, Nangong Min's face darkened completely. "You just said the situation was already very clear, and I thought you understood what I meant. Turns out you really are a complete fool. Recently, many disciples of Mingyue Tower have been moving closer to Shangyuan City. Can't you see what Meng Wugui is planning? It's true that she controls Mingyue Tower and Jiuxian Hall, but now is not a good time to attack Yunhua Palace. This can only mean that she has someone else's help. If you don't capture Afu, Fu Xiang won't be restrained. What, do you want me to kill people myself? What's the point of keeping you good-for-nothings around then!"
Qin Zheng's heart trembled. Startled by the sudden aura emanating from Nangong Min, her expression changed drastically, and she quickly knelt down.
She had served Nangong Min for many years and was a senior member of the Ziwei Sect. Throughout her years in the sect, although Nangong Min was unfathomable and his likes and dislikes were unpredictable, she had always presented a gentle and polite image, making her approachable. Even if she hid a knife behind her smile, it wouldn't cause excessive fear. However, at this moment, the smile on her face was gone, replaced by a cold, frosty aura that made Qin Zheng almost unable to breathe.
"Master, please calm your anger!" Qin Zheng dared not make any more excuses and hurriedly said, "Your subordinate will definitely bring Afu to you!"
Nangong Min sneered, stepped forward and kicked Qin Zheng, his voice icy: "I don't mind the disciples scheming against each other, but I especially can't stand anyone disregarding my words. I could let Wen Chaoyu go because she had both merit and hard work, and was a grateful and sensible person. But what kind of person are you? Wen Chaoyu is gone, and you think you're the only one above everyone else in the Ziwei Sect? Once Meng Wugui attacks Yunhua Palace and skins that person alive, her next target will definitely be me. If it's just her alone, I'm not so afraid, but if she succeeds this time, not only Man Jiangxue, but the entire Yunhua Palace will surely turn against me. In this vast martial world, how many people want me, Nangong Min, to die without a burial place? If I die, why would any of you live on!"
Qin Zheng was kicked so hard he almost vomited blood, but he could only grit his teeth and say solemnly, "I understand what you have to say, Master. Please don't be angry, Master. I will go and fulfill your instructions right away!"
After she finished speaking, she was about to leave when Nangong Min grabbed Qin Zheng and said, word by word, "Let me remind you one last time: life is like a game of chess, once a move is made, there's no going back. If you make a mistake again this time, I'll make you lose, and you'll lose miserably. Do you understand?"
Qin Zheng looked panicked and swallowed hard, saying, "I...I understand..."
Seeing the fear on her face, Nangong Min smiled with satisfaction and returned to his usual amiable self.
She gently stroked Qin Zheng's face and said kindly, "Very good, then I will wait here for your good news."
·
The spring rain fell intermittently, sometimes lightly, sometimes heavily, leaving the courtyard shimmering with water and scattered with fallen petals. The flowers had not yet fully bloomed, but their branches had already broken. A gust of wind blew, and the fine rain and petals flew everywhere, adding to the desolation.
Duan Ning changed into a light riding outfit, took the riding whip from the maid, and only when he was about to leave did he realize that the moonlight outside was already pale and a strong wind was rising. He couldn't help but say with a gloomy face, "The weather in your Jin Huai City is really awful. It was fine just now, and now it's going to rain again. I haven't seen a single sunny day in the past few days. I'm almost going to get sick from being cooped up like this!"
Before she could finish her grumbling, a light drizzle began to fall in the courtyard. The maid behind her chuckled, "It's like this every spring, Miss Duan, you'll get used to it. Besides, why are you riding a horse so late at night? Why don't you rest in the building? Maybe the sun will come out early tomorrow morning, then it won't be too late to go."
Duan Ning said, "If I didn't find traveling troublesome, I would have gone back to Yaoding City long ago. I ride horses every day at home, and I feel uncomfortable if I don't ride for a day. Your Mingyue Tower is really outrageous. You don't even have a dedicated racecourse. Speaking of which, you are not poor, are you? Building a pasture won't cost much!"
The maid explained, "If the disciples in the building want to ride horses, they go to the outskirts of the city. Which martial arts sect would build a horse ranch in their own backyard? If you're really bored, I'll go and invite a few storytellers to tell you some stories so you can go to sleep. How about that?"
Duan Ning said, "I'm not a baby who needs to be breastfed, why would I listen to bedtime stories?"
She swung her riding whip as she stepped outside, when suddenly a figure darted away from the roof beam in her field of vision. Duan Ning paused, then leaped after the figure, shouting, "Who goes there!"
The man possessed extraordinary lightness skills, darting away like a swallow under the eaves, catching up with Duan Ning despite using all his skills. It wasn't until the maid behind him shouted "Thief!" that the figure hurriedly turned around, lunging and shoving the maid into the room.
"Don't shout! It's me!"
Duan Ning followed her into the room and saw a young woman pinning the maid to the ground, preventing her from making a sound. Duan Ning's expression was priceless. He immediately lashed out with his whip, scolding, "What can a young girl like you do? Why do you have to steal? Take this!"
The girl reacted swiftly, dodging the attack with a somersault and then leaping up as if to escape again. Duan Ning quickly retreated, brandishing her long whip as she slammed the door shut. She leaned against the door, glaring angrily, and said, "You've got some nerve, stealing from Mingyue Tower! Where do you think you're going?" She immediately followed suit, shouting, "Help! Thief! A female thief!"
Seeing this, the girl quickly rushed over and covered Duan Ning's mouth, whispering, "Stop yelling! I'm not a thief!"
"Miss Duan! This is our master's junior sister!" The maid on the ground finally recognized who this "female thief" was and quickly tried to calm her down, "Please calm down, don't actually call them here!"
Since arriving at Mingyue Tower, Duan Ning had seen many people, but she had never seen Fu Xiang with any junior sisters. She pulled Afu's hand away, asking suspiciously, "Who are you? I've never seen you before!"
Afu pressed her hand to her chest, glanced at the door twice, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one was coming. She said, "I've been confined for several days. You haven't seen me, and I haven't seen you yet. Who are you?"
The two exchanged identities and names, and then a group of Mingyue Tower disciples appeared outside, banging on the door and shouting, "Who was shouting about catching a thief? Come out now! Where did the thief run off to?!"
Afu hid behind Duan Ning, and the maidservant looked flustered and stammered, unable to reply. Duan Ning could only reply through the door, "Hey! It's a misunderstanding! I was telling the maids a story, it's a thief in the story, everyone disperse!"
The Mingyue Tower disciples remained silent, and after a few more questions, they returned the way they came, utterly bewildered. Duan Ning said, "Since you're also from Mingyue Tower, what are you doing, acting so suspiciously?"
Afu looked mournful, sat cross-legged on the ground, and looked at Duan Ning, saying, "Master won't let me go out. I'm so bored. I can only come out for some fresh air when it gets dark. I'm afraid of being seen, so I just fly around and play in the corridor. I didn't expect you to see me like that."
"Your lightness skill is really good!" Duan Ning's eyes lit up. "Come on, get up! Let's find a spacious place, and you can teach me!"
Afu said, "That won't do. If Master finds out I sneaked out, I'll get a scolding."
Duan Ning said, "Just scold me if you want, then you can be a little thicker-skinned. Let it go in one ear and out the other!"
Afu thought she was already being disobedient, but she didn't expect Miss Duan to be even more arrogant than her. Afu waved her hand and said, "No, no, Master doesn't let me go out for my own good. I already knew I was disobeying her, so I can't make a scene and let her know."
Hearing her words, Duan Ning didn't want to harm anyone. Seeing that Afu was carrying a small and exquisite bow, he asked curiously, "Your bow looks quite nice. You must be a very skilled archer."
Afu, flattered by the praise, said, "That's right, I never miss! My archery skills are even better than my lightness skill!"
Duan Ning became interested and dragged Afu along, saying, "That would be great! If I can't teach you lightness skills, we can at least have an archery contest!"
"We can't go out, so where can we compete?" Afu refused to leave.
“Let’s go to the back garden!” Duan Ning said. “I’ll have someone set up a few archery targets, and we can play around with them to pass the time. Don’t worry, I’ve been going to the garden a lot at night these past few days. It’s a quiet place, and no one will see us.”
"What if someone happens to pass by?" Afu hesitated but still didn't agree.
"Then run!" Duan Ning said. "With your superb lightness skill, who can catch you? Since I still have a few days before returning to Yaoding City, I can at least keep you company and have some fun!"
Afu was somewhat tempted. She had been eating, drinking, relieving herself, and sleeping in her room for the past few days and was already restless. After Duan Ning's passionate persuasion, Afu could no longer resist and followed Duan Ning to the back garden. The accompanying maids called over two servants to set up archery targets, and everyone kept quiet, even keeping watch outside the garden for the two young ladies.
The bright moon was obscured by dark clouds, and a light rain was falling on earth. Fortunately, the lanterns in the garden were still lit, and the visibility was still relatively clear. Although Duan Ning's martial arts skills were not particularly good, in addition to his love of horseback riding, he also practiced archery. With Afu as his companion, Duan Ning was overjoyed and kept playing with her until the end of Hai Shi (9-11 PM) before refusing to return to his room.
"Let's play again tomorrow night," Afu put away her bow and arrows, glanced at the small building, "It's already so late, I have to go back."
"What are you afraid of?" Duan Ning insisted on keeping her. "At this time, Fu Xiang is still practicing her inner cultivation in the secret passage. She won't come out until midnight. Stay with me a little longer!"
"We really can't play anymore," Afu said, having had her fill of fun after being worried for so long. "I'm not worried, but my master is still here. Why don't you practice by yourself for a while, and I'll come find you again tomorrow night."
Duan Ning glanced at the sky and, seeing that Afu was reluctant to agree, decided not to keep her any longer. He said, "Before you leave, show me your bow. It's quite unique; was it custom-made?"
“This was made for me by the master craftsman of the Nine Immortals Hall at my master’s request,” Afu smiled and handed her bow to Duan Ning. “Every bow I’ve used since I was a child was given to me by my master. You can’t buy them on the market. This is a treasure!”
Duan Ning plucked the bowstring and listened to the deep, powerful voice say, "Then will you sell it to me? Name your price, I'll pay whatever it is."
Seeing her actions, Afu hurriedly said, "You can't fire an arrow without a bowstring, and you can't pull a bowstring without a bowstring. It's a small matter if the bow is broken, but you mustn't get hurt! If the string breaks, the bow slats will bounce back and break your hand!"
Duan Ning had never seriously studied archery, so how would she know the intricacies of it? She didn't care at the moment, and simply pressed, "Are you selling it or not? Our Duan family may not have much else, but we have plenty of silver. I like this bow of yours, will you sell it to me?"
Of course, Afu refused, saying, "If you really want it, I'll have my master have someone make one for you, but this one won't do."
Duan Ning said, "That works too... Hey, where are you going!"
Before she could finish speaking, Afu suddenly leaped into the air and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye. The maids and servants outside rushed over furtively, whispering, "Patrolling disciples are here! Huh...where did they go?"
Duan Ning clapped his hands and exclaimed in the direction Afu had left, "Great lightness skill, excellent archery, and even such great hearing! Good, good, good, I can make another friend!"
Soon, the patrolling disciples entered the garden. Seeing Duan Ning there, they didn't ask any questions, only gave a few instructions, and then left. The maid comforted her, "It's getting late, Miss. You should go back to your room and rest. Once Miss Afu leaves, she certainly won't dare to go out looking for you again. I'll take this bow back to her for you."
Duan Ning said, "No rush, no rush, let me play with it a bit more. You guys wait over there!"
Having obtained the bow, her playfulness only increased, and the maids and servants had no choice but to squat and wait at the gate again. While Duan Ning was playing with the bow alone in the garden, several dark figures appeared on the wall hidden by the flowers, trees, and foliage, peering at her through the gaps in the branches and leaves.
"Is this the protector?" a follower asked in a low voice.
Qin Zheng's expression turned serious, and she shook her head: "No."
The believer asked in bewilderment, "Is that the one that ran away earlier?"
Qin Zheng hummed in agreement.
"Then why don't you let your subordinates do it?" the cultist exclaimed in shock. "Such a good opportunity! Just capture them and we can report back. The leader is waiting for us!"
Qin Zheng stared at Duan Ning's figure, lost in thought, and did not respond.
"What are you worried about? It's been several days, and there have been opportunities, but you've let them escape every time," the cultist said anxiously, sweating profusely. "This time, the leader's patience has run out. If you don't bring them back soon, we'll all be going to meet the King of Hell!"
Qin Zheng gestured for him to calm down, and pointed to the bow in Duan Ning's hand, saying, "It's a dark and windy night. We only recognize the bow, not the person, understand?"
The cultist was taken aback, then suddenly realized and said, "You mean... to take this girl downstairs and make up the numbers?"
Qin Zheng snorted coldly: "Even a house dog can bite back on its owner. She's ruthless, so don't blame me for turning my back on her."
After speaking, she flew down the wall first and walked like a ghost behind Duan Ning. Duan Ning felt a chill on the back of her neck, as if someone had come. She thought it was Afu returning. Just as she was about to turn around, she suddenly felt a pain in her neck, and then her vision went black and she lost consciousness.
Seeing that Qin Zheng had succeeded, the cultists immediately ran over and carried Duan Ning away. Qin Zheng said, "Don't rush. Cover her head. If the leader holds us accountable, just say it was too dark to see her face clearly. Don't worry, I'll take the blame if anything happens."
Although the believers didn't quite agree, they didn't dare to disobey. They quickly took a black cloth, put it over Duan Ning's head, and fled over the wall.
Unexpectedly, just as the group landed, several cold glints suddenly flashed from the small bamboo grove ahead, as if someone had thrown some hidden weapon from the shadows. Like stars falling to earth, they instantly approached with terrifying killing intent.
The cultists froze, drawing their swords to defend themselves. After a series of clanging sounds, the sharp blades grazed the ground and fell to the earth like nails.
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that the cold glint was not a hidden weapon, but rather several small throwing knives tied with red ribbons!
Qin Zheng's expression changed abruptly. She looked up again and saw two familiar figures suddenly appear in the bamboo forest.
The woman wielding the throwing knife wore a dark blue dress that almost blended into the night. Beside her stood a young woman in flowing green robes. The two stood side by side in the woods, one with a half-smile and the other with a cold expression, both casting scrutinizing glances in their direction.
The believers looked surprised and involuntarily took a few steps back.
"Protector Wen...?"
Wen Chaoyu grinned, took Ji Wanshu's hand and walked out of the bamboo forest, greeting Qin Zheng with a smile: "Oh, Protector Qin, how have you been?"
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