Chapter 248: The Prince's Strange Memory Drifting 3
Xie Lian’s eyes suddenly widened.
He looked incredulous. Sanlang asked, "What's wrong?"
Xie Lian was speechless. The shame, anger, and sadness of being deceived and tricked rushed to his head, mixed with the heat of his blood. He slammed his palm on the table and said word by word through gritted teeth, "...So, it was, you!"
The tabletop couldn't withstand his blow, shattering instantly. Luckily, no one else was on the second floor of the tavern besides them, otherwise they would have been frightened and fled in panic. Xie Lian, unarmed, struck out with another palm strike. Sanlang remained seated in his chair, his head tilted slightly.
The palm strike pierced the wall behind him, sending rubble tumbling down. He remained motionless, folding his arms, raising his eyelids slightly, and saying, "Master, what do you mean by this?"
Xie Lian's face burned intensely, and it was unclear how red it had become. The joints of his other hand crackled as he angrily said, "You... stop pretending. You know exactly what you did to me."
Sanlang raised his eyes again and said, "Unfortunately, I really don't know what I did to make you so angry, Taoist priest? Could you please explain it to me?"
“…”
This man, with an innocent look on his face, actually let him speak for himself. How could he possibly say that? Talking about that kind of thing in broad daylight?! Xie Lian had never seen such a person before. He was so angry that his whole body was shaking from shoulder to toe. His face was getting redder and redder as he cursed incoherently, "Shut up! You... I'm going to beat you to death, you shameless... vulgar... despicable... you..."
Sanlang sighed and said, "Master, I never thought that my sincerity would be met with such a response from you. How shameless, despicable, and vile am I?"
Xie Lian finally managed to regain some composure and said, “Don’t try to deceive me again! The red string on your hand proves it. You are the one… the one…”
"Oh?" Sanlang raised his hand calmly and said, "What are you talking about? Is there something wrong with this red thread?"
Xie Lian felt as if he had been pricked by a sting when he saw the red line. He said, “I saw it. At that time, you… had this red line on your hand…”
Sanlang asked, "When?"
“…”
For a moment, Xie Lian really wanted to beat him to death.
It's awful to ask questions when you already know the answer!
But for some reason, no matter how angry he was, he couldn't move his hands. And it wasn't because he was restrained by the talent, it was because his own body wouldn't let him move!
At this moment, several people came running up the stairs, shouting, "What are you two doing? How can you just smash things up like that?"
Xie Lian turned around and said, “It’s dangerous here! You guys go first…” Unexpectedly, when he saw this, he was stunned again.
Those people all had a red string tied on their hands!
Xie Lian blurted out, “What’s with the red lines on your hands?”
One person said, "A red line? A red line is just a red line. What's so strange about it? It's not what's going on… it's not what's going on."
Xie Lian was confused. Could it be that tying red string on one's wrist was a common fashion trend here?
He turned around, and Sanlang seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "Master, your guess is correct. Tying a red string around the finger is the custom here. If you don't believe me, please look at the crowd below."
Xie Lian looked down at the restaurant. Sure enough, among the endless stream of people, many had red strings tied on their hands, some even with multiples. He asked, "What kind of custom is this?"
Sanlang smiled slightly and said, "Well, it's related to Hua Cheng."
"ah?"
"Because he and his beloved tied a red string together. So many people followed suit, hoping for marriage or expressing their love."
Xie Lian was stunned by what he heard. He said, “So… that Hua Cheng is actually quite a remarkable figure? So many people are keen to emulate him…”
Sanlang said, "It's amazing, it depends on who you're comparing yourself to. By the way, Taoist Priest, I think I dropped something on the ground. Can you let me pick it up and take a look?"
Xie Lian finally realized that he had been maintaining this attacking stance. It had been another misunderstanding. His anger completely subsided, and he quickly withdrew his hand, saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Sanlang. I really… I’m so sorry. I got impatient and misunderstood you again…”
Sanlang remained calm. He bent down to pick something up and said, "No problem. Taoist priest, is this something you dropped?"
He pulled out a gold leaf from the mess on the ground, likely something that had slipped from Xie Lian's sleeve when he attacked. Xie Lian was about to speak when San Lang held the leaf up to his eyes, squinted, and said, "Hey, this leaf looks vaguely familiar."
After saying this, he slowly took out something from his waist. It was also a gold leaf.
The two gold leaves are exactly the same!
Xie Lian blurted out, “So this is yours?”
Sanlang said, "Well, I did lose something, so I went back to look for it..."
Hearing this, Xie Lian was afraid he might misunderstand, so he hurriedly said, "Sanlang, let me explain."
Sanlang said, "Don't be nervous. I will naturally listen to your explanation, Taoist Priest."
Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief and said, “It’s like this. I just picked up this gold leaf on the road. I originally wanted to wait for the owner to come back and give it back, but I waited for over an hour and no one came looking. And I really…”
At this point, he felt a little ashamed, lowered his head, and whispered, "So... I took it upon myself to borrow a little. I wanted to go buy something to eat, that steamed bun... I was planning to return it many times over later, but no matter what, I ended up taking it without asking. Sorry."
Sanlang smiled and said, "Master, why are you so lame? Isn't this just human nature? Not to mention that I originally intended to invite you to drink, and didn't I end up eating that steamed bun? Don't take it to heart, it's such a small matter. Don't you think it's wonderful? It's a coincidence that the person who found my lost item is you, Master. This is truly a case of destiny meeting each other thousands of miles apart."
Xie Lian felt relieved at his understanding and said, “But, Sanlang, you have to be careful too. It fell so clearly on the road, and you didn’t even notice it. Don’t be so careless next time.”
At this time, the waiters who were cowering on the side said, "My two guests, are you calm now? If you are calm, let's settle the bill for the broken table!"
Xie Lian: “…”
In the past, he would have no problem paying any amount, but now, he couldn't even afford a steamed bun. Sanlang said, "It's okay. I'll take it all."
It was clearly he who had struck San Lang first, yet San Lang had offered to compensate him for the things he had broken. Xie Lian was so moved by his gentleness and thoughtfulness that he was speechless. His Adam's apple moved as he said, "You..."
The waiters, not knowing what was going on, cheerfully came over to help them move to a more luxurious table even after the shop had been vandalized. The two sat down again, and Xie Lian couldn't help but feel both guilty and grateful, feeling that no words could express it. Sanlang asked again with concern, "Master, from what you just said, it seems like there's something hidden. What's going on? Master, who did this to you?"
“…”
How could Xie Lian bring himself to say something like that? His face, which had just calmed down, flushed red again. He stammered, “…It’s nothing, nothing.”
Sanlang said, "If you don't mind, could you tell me a few things? I might be able to help you a little."
Although he had good intentions, Xie Lian was chased by him and had no way to escape. He was restless and said helplessly, "...It's really nothing. Sanlang, can you please stop asking..."
It's hard to say.
Since that was the case, Sanlang didn't force it and said, "Okay. Where were we just talking about? You want to see Huacheng, right?"
Xie Lian collected his thoughts and said seriously, "Yes. Does Sanlang know of a solution?"
Sanlang said, "Of course I know. However, Huacheng won't be around these days."
"Why?"
Sanlang used his chopsticks to arrange the vegetables on his plate into a large smiling face and said, "It's said that his loved one has been a little unwell these past few days, so he wants to keep her company. Otherwise, he's busy."
Xie Lian thought to himself, as expected, this Hua Cheng is a man of sentimental character, deeply devoted to love. He admired him even more and said, "I see. So, when can I finally meet him?"
"At most five days, at least three days. My suggestion, Taoist Priest, is not to be anxious. Before that, it's better to rest peacefully."
Just as Xie Lian was thinking about his lack of a place to stay, he heard Sanlang say, "If you, Taoist priest, don't have a place to stay, why don't you stay at my place for a while? My house is big, and there aren't many people living there anyway."
Xie Lian couldn't hold it in any longer and whispered, "Sanlang, you're so... so kind."
It was the first time he'd used such straightforward words to praise someone, and he felt a little embarrassed, but he couldn't think of anything more fitting. Hearing this, Sanlang seemed deeply moved, smiling broadly as he said, "It's no wonder we hit it off right away, Taoist Priest. Oh, and I have one more question, I forgot to ask, how old are you this year?"
Xie Lian said, “Seventeen.”
Sanlang said, "Ah, seventeen, that's younger than me."
Indeed, he looked about twenty years old. Sanlang said casually, "Then the Taoist priest should call me brother."
Xie Lian was a member of the royal family, the incomparably noble Crown Prince. He shouldn't have called others brothers; few could handle that. But this Sanlang really struck Xie Lian as a good person, and since he'd never addressed anyone as his brother, he found it quite novel and smiled, "So it's Brother Sanlang."
“…”
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but after he called out "Brother", the smile on Saburo's face suddenly became a little weird.
It was hard to describe. Sanlang's left eye seemed to suddenly catch fire, so intensely hot that Xie Lian felt his skin burning. He blinked and asked, "What's wrong?"
The terrifying heat faded in an instant, and Sanlang immediately returned to normal, smiling, "Nothing, just too happy. There's no one younger than me in my family, and I've never heard anyone call me that."
Xie Lian said, “If Sanlang doesn’t mind, then… I’ll call you that.”
Sanlang's eyes twinkled with laughter, but he still tried to refuse: "Oh, of course I definitely wouldn't mind. It depends on whether the Taoist priest minds or not."
Xie Lian said, “I don’t mind, of course I don’t mind. Brother Sanlang, shall we go back to your house now?”
·
Sanlang's residence was an extremely spacious and magnificent mansion. When Xie Lian entered, he felt that it was no less magnificent than some of the palaces in the Xianle Palace, which further convinced him that Sanlang was no ordinary man.
At night, lying alone in bed, Xie Lian tossed and turned.
He always felt like something was missing beside him, and he couldn't feel stable no matter how much he tossed and turned. Adding to his vague discomfort, lying on his back made his waist ache; turning over to lie on his stomach, he felt as if something was pressing on his back.
He drifted off into a daze, dreaming of many chaotic dreams. He tried to move, but was held down firmly. The voice whispered in his ear again, sometimes a man, sometimes a boy; sometimes calling him brother, brother, sometimes calling him Your Highness, telling him not to be afraid, Your Highness.
Extremely gentle, extremely evil, but also extremely precious.
He suddenly woke up, his clothes drenched in sweat. Xie Lian panted, clenched his fists, and angrily and helplessly hammered the bed, fingers threading through his damp hair. He thought to himself, "...When will I ever forget this? When I catch this shameless bastard, I'll definitely..."
At this moment, he noticed a set of clothes had been placed beside his pillow. Although it was also white, the style was what he liked. Xie Lian felt as if he had been pardoned and hurried to the back of the house to take a quick shower.
After taking off his clothes and soaking in the water, he suddenly found that he was wearing a thin silver chain around his neck.
At the end of the chain hung a crystal-clear ring. He had been wearing it for who knows how long, but he hadn't noticed it at all. He was even curious: "Do I have a pendant like this?"
This ring was so beautiful that he was almost mesmerized by it, but he did not lose his vigilance. Suddenly, he noticed a flash of silver light and shouted, "Who!"
He struck the water with one blow, sending splashes of water flying like steel balls, making the wall crackle. But what he knocked out wasn't a person, but... a knife?!
Xie Lian clutched the hard knife, bewildered. Suddenly, a silver thread on the handle parted, as if an eye had opened, its pupils swirling around. Xie Lian was even more startled.
What is this strange thing?!
The scimitar's blade was long and slender, as if it had life, and it lunged passionately towards him. Xie Lian was caught off guard by it, and he cried out in fear, shivering all over.
But perhaps because he didn't sense any murderous intent, he instinctively felt the scimitar wasn't dangerous. Besides struggling to push it away, he didn't want to do anything more brutal, like slap it into the air. At that moment, a red figure flashed by, snatched the scimitar away, and said grimly, "So you're here..."
Looking closely, Sanlang was already standing by the bathtub, holding the knife in his hand. Although he was still smiling, veins on his forehead were faintly bulging. He slapped the man's face very rudely and said, "Didn't I tell you not to come over now?"
Xie Lian asked, “Sanlang, is this knife your…magic weapon?”
Sanlang turned to him, the veins on his forehead instantly disappeared, and he was calm and composed again. He said, "You are just a useless thing, brother... brother, I am sorry to have embarrassed you."
Xie Lian, however, was filled with awe, his eyes sparkling. He grasped the hem of his red robe and said, “No, no, no, Brother Sanlang, you are truly amazing! You can actually create a magical weapon with its own spiritual consciousness!”
The knife had just been struck by Sanlang's palm, and it frowned in frustration. But when it heard Xie Lian's praise, its eyes rolled around in triumph, and it tried to sneak towards him. Sanlang ruthlessly struck it again.
This time, it refused to give in. With a thud, it fell to the ground, rolling back and forth like a child who had been hit by an adult and was crying loudly. Xie Lian could almost hear its wailing next to his ear. It felt a little distressing, so he quickly stood up and said, "Wait, Sanlang! Forget it, don't hit it. I think it was just being naughty and trying to show some good will. There's no need to be so harsh on it."
But as soon as he emerged from the water, he remembered that he was naked underwater. His face flushed inexplicably and he sank back down in embarrassment. However, Sanlang had already turned around very naturally and walked out.
Xie Lian hurried out of the water and changed into new clothes. The material of his underwear felt incredibly fine, finally no longer rubbing against his skin. He felt even more grateful. He left the house and arrived at the elegant reception hall. Sanlang was already waiting at the table of honor.
Somehow he had disciplined the knife, and now it sat obediently on Sanlang's waist. When it wasn't moving, it looked incredibly cold and stern, completely different from the way it had been rolling around on the ground just now. Seeing Xie Lian approach, Sanlang smiled and asked, "Are you up? Did you sleep well last night?"
Xie Lian answered truthfully, “I didn’t know why I kept dreaming the first half of the night… but I slept well the second half.”
Sanlang said, "I'm probably too tired."
The two chatted a few words and exchanged a few small discussions, and the day was almost over. They would probably continue to get along like this until Hua Cheng was free.
However, at night, Xie Lian lay alone in bed and had that restless dream again.
He was tossing and turning in his dream and couldn't bear it any longer. He woke up suddenly, sweating profusely. Angry and helpless, he had to get up and go out, wanting to walk a few laps to calm down, but suddenly he heard a sound coming from the other side of the room in the distance.
That was Sanlang's master's room. The room was well soundproofed, so the sound was very faint, but Xie Lian's five senses were sharp enough to detect it. He held his breath and concentrated, silently approaching the room.
Looking inside through the crack in the door, he saw Sanlang sitting on a seat in the middle of the room, holding a purple hair brush in his hand, seemingly writing. His expression was completely different from the cold and solemn one when he faced him. There was also a man in black clothes and a ghost face next to him, bending over and reporting in a low voice.
Somehow, the ghost-faced figure's presence was so subtle that one might have missed it if not paying attention. Just as Xie Lian was about to listen closely, the figure had already finished his report. He only caught fragments of something like, "That monster has been causing trouble for a long time," "I think they received a request for help and went to deal with it, and something unexpected happened," and "This is the direction they just discovered."
He was slowly combing his hair when he heard Sanlang say, "I have to accompany him now and can't get away. Bring that monster to me before tomorrow night."
The ghost-faced man whispered, "Yes. Do you want to spare its life?"
Sanlang put down his pen, glanced at what he had written, and seemed unsatisfied. He crumpled it up and threw it away. Then he said slowly, "Leave a few more bites for it to spit out, and then slowly crush its dog head."
The look and tone he used when he said this were chilling. Yet, Xie Lian surprisingly showed no signs of resentment or alarm. The ghost-faced figure responded by attempting to leave, but Xie Lian immediately dodged and hid.
Back in his room, Xie Lian couldn't sleep any more. He paced back and forth a few times, wondering, "Who the hell is Sanlang? What kind of monster is he talking about?"
It sounded as if something important had been swallowed by a monster that had been causing trouble for a long time. Sanlang was quite angry, but because he had to accompany him, he could not spare the time to smash the monster's head.
Thinking of this, Xie Lian felt deeply embarrassed. This Sanlang had truly treated him with the utmost sincerity.
Suddenly, an idea struck him: Why was he just sitting there like this? Since he couldn't see Huacheng for the time being, and he'd always wanted to do something for his good brother, Sanlang, why not help him capture that monster?
Xie Lian made up his mind and left a letter immediately, saying, "Don't worry, Brother Sanlang, I'll be back soon." Then he jumped up and quietly left this magnificent house.
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