Chapter 12 The Bet
Thump thump thump, thump thump, thump.
The knocking sounded at sunset. Inside the room, only Lin Chengye was lying lazily on the bed, with a plate of pastries brought by the waiter beside him. Although they weren't as good as the Li Rui Zhai from Jiang Jin Jie, they were enough to satisfy his cravings.
"Don't rush, don't rush, it's coming."
She got up hesitantly and went to open the door, only wearing a white undershirt.
"Hurry up, come out, take your medicine, and go to sleep!"
Huang Qindong suddenly kicked the door.
"Oh, you didn't have the waiter deliver it? You didn't poison me, did you?"
Lin Chengye opened the door sleepily, but Huang Qindong showed no intention of coming in, handing her the bowl of bitter-smelling medicine with disdain.
"Do you think I wanted this? The Alliance Leader instructed me before he left that I must watch you drink it."
Huang Qindong scoffed, watching Lin Chengye pinch his nose and gulp down the medicine in one go, his face contorted in agony. He couldn't help but mock him.
"You think this is bitter?"
"Hmm, why don't you try it? It really is bitter."
Lin Chengye waved his hand, shoved the bowl back into Huang Qindong's hands, slammed the door shut, and said while yawning.
"I'm going to sleep. I'm exhausted after being on the road for several days."
"You heartless bastard, you didn't even say thank you, and you're so vengeful, all I did was lock you out..."
Huang Qindong's angry curses came from outside the door, and the sound of his footsteps coming down the stairs was as dense as a cane pounding the ground, causing the wooden stairs outside the door to creak. But the sound quickly grew fainter and fainter, and then farther and farther away.
Lin Chengye blew out the candle, turned over into bed, and put the pill from the sachet to her lips. Her heart swelled in her chest, making her throat hurt.
After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she suddenly felt her eyelids getting heavy, and the pill almost slipped through her fingers. Lin Chengye quickly held his breath and stuffed the pill into his mouth.
I don't know what it's made of, but the pill melts like water as soon as it touches my tongue, yet it has a slightly fishy and sweet taste.
After a short while, the feeling of heaviness disappeared, and I felt even more awake than before, free from the day's fatigue.
As expected, they drugged her, and the effect was quite strong. Lin Chengye closed his eyes, feeling a little uneasy, but also curious about what kind of drug it was.
Huang Qindong was very meticulous, so it was inconvenient for her to carry this item with her beforehand. It wasn't until she entered the city that the person had the opportunity to deliver it to her.
The footsteps ceased, and Huang Qindong never returned.
In the silent darkness, Lin Chengye felt increasingly anxious. Although she was now in the shadows, she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't fight to the death.
Suddenly, a faint sound of silk tearing was heard, and soon an unpleasant, pungent smoke blew into the room.
Lin Chengye cursed inwardly, "As expected, this old fox has more than one trick up his sleeve." She held her breath and secretly opened her eyes, seeing two dark figures outside the corridor, one standing guard and the other squatting down, lighting a cigarette for her.
But the next moment, another shadow flashed by, and the two unsuspecting figures swayed and fell to the ground. The other person caught them and gently placed them on the ground without making a sound. A crumpled piece of paper flicked in through the small opening of the sleeping gas and landed directly on Lin Chengye's forehead.
The shadow flickered and vanished like smoke in an instant.
"I have already rushed to the Love Red Mansion."
This means that Deadpool is no longer watching her, and the man has already obeyed her orders and rushed to the next location.
Lin Chengye crushed the paper, put on a narrow-sleeved black coat for easy movement, and after observing for a moment, jumped out of the second-floor window and plunged into the haystack that Chai Hu Nan had prepared in advance, which was as tall as a person.
Pooh.
Lin Chengye spat out the weeds in his mouth and crawled out of the haystack somewhat disheveled. He wasn't seriously injured, but there were still small bloodstains on the back of his hands and face.
In the distance, the Red Mansion still resembles a dream, with bright red lanterns hanging under the eaves, like lovers with unspoken, lowered eyes, captivating the heart. Behind the windows, the figures of young men and women, whether prey or hunter, dance, their clothes thin and their gauze garments half-undone.
The alluring candlelight was particularly dazzling, as if it would become a fuse and ignite the entire Love Dream Mansion at any moment.
There must be something before any action begins; stop Huang Qindong before that happens!
According to the plan, we'll go to the main gate of the Xie residence first...
"...Big, sir."
A whispering voice, barely audible, suddenly exploded in his ears. For a moment, Lin Chengye felt as if someone was choking him, making it impossible for him to breathe.
But many things were etched into her heart when she was young, things left to her by the Lin family.
In an instant, Lin Chengye drew the short blade he had left behind at his waist for self-defense, and the force he unleashed in that critical moment was enough to slam that small, thin body against the outer wall of the inn. The blade was pressed against his throat.
She doesn't know martial arts and is dressed like a maid.
"...Who are you? Who sent you?"
His vision began to blur, and his hand gripping the blade started to tremble. Lin Chengye forced out a few words through clenched teeth, clenching his other hand so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh; the pain brought a sliver of clarity.
"My lord... I... I know where Lord Huang is! You... you're not involved in this scheme, are you? You can stop Lord Huang, can't you?"
The woman's voice suddenly became shrill. She took a step forward and grabbed Lin Chengye's arms tightly, completely unaware that the blade pressed against her neck was about to cut into her flesh. Lin Chengye hurriedly deflected the blade, but it still grazed the girl's cheek, leaving a deep bloody gash.
"What?"
"Please..."
With a thud, the girl knelt straight down on the ground, tears streaming down her face like a winding river, mingling with blood as they fell onto Lin Chengye's shoes.
"I...I am Qi Si, the personal maid of Master Xie in the Xie family, and also...I am also an inside agent planted by Lord Huang in the Xie family!"
"Get up and explain yourself. I really did come to stop her, and you should know we don't have much time left."
It seems she wasn't the only gambler who went all in on this, but luckily, Chess Master was also lucky.
Lin Chengye wanted to help Qi Si up, but the woman shook her head and insisted on kneeling. She sighed softly, squatted down, and looked at Qi Si's tearful eyes.
"There's still the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Lord Huang won't make a move before the poison takes effect. I'll tell you everything I know."
After hearing her say those words, Qi Si forced a smile and wiped the liquid on his face that he couldn't tell was either tears or snot.
Yicheng is an extravagant city.
Because of the existence of the Hua Rong Lou (Flower-Faced Pavilion), the yamen (government office) here is practically a formality, more like a tool to maintain appearances. Yicheng's reputation for frivolous and dissolute lifestyles attracts many young masters and ladies from wealthy families to indulge in pleasure here. It appears prosperous and extravagant, but all the gold and silver treasures end up in the pockets of the Hua Rong Lou and the county magistrate.
The county magistrate colluded with the Hua Rong Lou (a brothel), indulging in pleasure all day long. The previous magistrate of Yicheng died in the Qing Hong Lou. When he was found, he was naked and lying on the ground beneath a beautiful woman who looked like a demon, with a dazed expression, bulging eyes, and a thin, bony body with sunken cheeks.
The sorceress was a disciple of the Flower Beauty Pavilion, and her gender was indistinguishable. When she was discovered, she calmly got off the former prefect and called to the constables who broke in to continue their pleasure. The dead magistrate's body was kicked off the bed like a dead dog.
Indeed, like uncivilized wild beasts, that kind of thing was disgusting to look at. Qi Si, his face covered in mud, spat twice, spitting out the weeds he had chewed when he fell, and skillfully ran through the back alley of the Love Red Mansion, skillfully stealing the money pouches from the clothes scattered on the ground by a pair of lustful beasts.
"Ah! You brat! My money..."
Suddenly, a man's exasperated shout rang out behind her, quite shrill. Qi Si frowned and picked at her ear with her little finger.
Oh, they actually found out. Without looking back, Qi Si took off running, something that happened five, six, seven, or eight times a day. She was small and thin, able to crawl out through the dog hole in the wall, so those guys couldn't catch her.
"Hmm, everyone's got dinner sorted for tonight." As the man's shouts faded into the distance, Qi Si lowered his head and chuckled, then hummed a tuneless, unsteady tune.
The further away from the Red Mansion, the more desolate the streets became. Qi Si ran barefoot. She was going to the easternmost part of Yicheng, where there was a dilapidated temple.
It is also her home.
That year was a year of severe drought, and the people were crying out that they had no rice to eat, but even the county magistrate was stingy in setting up porridge distribution sheds.
Qi Si didn't understand any of this. She just felt that there were far fewer people in Yicheng this year. The old lady who used to sell steamed buns hadn't opened her shop for a long time. And now, even if she stole money, she couldn't buy food. She could only take the money to the Xie residence to beg, giving them two taels of silver in exchange for three steamed buns.
Today was no different. Qi Si shouted in front of the door for a long time before a frivolous-looking man opened the door, threw three steamed buns at her, and took the entire purse from her hand.
The city was already crumbling; its foundation was broken and could not be repaired. Ordinary people who did not engage in that trade could hardly make a living unless they became part of that castle in the air or went far away. If they were lucky, they might find a glimmer of hope, but nine out of ten would starve to death on the road to exile.
"I'm back!"
Chess Master happily pushed open the door of the dilapidated temple. A girl, hearing her voice, struggled to get up from her straw blanket, responded weakly, and then coughed violently, bright red blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. The girl's hair was like withered straw, her face as pale as a white wall, her eyes cloudy, and she was as thin as a skeleton, making her look quite terrifying.
"You eat."
But Qi Si was completely unaware. She broke the steamed bun into small pieces, put them in her mouth, chewed them, spat them out, and then put them into the girl's mouth. Even so, the girl couldn't swallow anything. She only ate a third of the steamed bun before shaking her head and saying she couldn't eat anymore.
"Liu Liu and Cheng'er are asleep. Should we bury them on the back hill today or tomorrow?"
The girl finally stopped coughing and pointed to the two tiny figures beside her, covered by a haystack. They, like her, had been sick for two months, but this morning they couldn't be woken up no matter what.
No wonder I didn't hear them coughing this morning.
With crumbs of steamed bun still stuffed in his mouth, Qi Si mumbled an "oh," his eyebrows drooping, looking somewhat sad.
This dilapidated temple used to be very lively. She had been here since she could remember. A slightly older child taught her to steal and asked her to teach him. Qi Si agreed in a daze. She learned very quickly and soon brought back money and food to fill her stomach. Even her master praised her with a smile and stuffed the last half of a steamed bun into her mouth.
But this year is different. Everyone is starving, and many children have contracted a strange illness, coughing up blood all day long. Every day, some people fall asleep and never wake up again, but if left unattended, they will emit a foul smell. The master said that at this time, they should be buried in the back mountain, and next year the mountain will be covered with azaleas.
"Then I'll go tomorrow. You should get some rest. Winter is coming soon, and it will be very cold."
The girl sitting in the haystack looked at her deeply. Qi Si felt that look was both short and long; she couldn't understand where the sorrow and pity in it came from. The girl murmured to herself, "Yes, it's so cold this year."
The next day, Chess dragged three bundles of hay to the back mountain.
The girl from yesterday hasn't woken up this morning either; she's all alone in the dilapidated temple now.
The haystack was light, and Qi Si dragged it without much effort. As usual, she dug a deep pit with her bare hands, from dawn until the sun was setting, until her fingertips bled and her nails were worn down by the gravel.
She placed the three bodies side by side inside, but hesitated to fill the hole with soil.
Chess Master sat blankly by the pit, gazing into the distance, the afterglow of the sun surging like a sea of blood reflected in her eyes.
It turns out that before feeling pain and sadness, your eyes will sting and your throat will feel dry.
Finally, tears streamed down her face. Qi Si opened her mouth, and a few intermittent, strange cries escaped her hoarse throat before turning into low sobs, like the intermittent rain of previous years, never ceasing.
"Waaah, waaah, waaah..."
Suddenly, the sound of chaotic footsteps arose from the back hill where the dead were buried. The footsteps grew louder as they approached, and there was more than one person, but they were all solid and steady, clearly skilled in martial arts.
"Oh my goodness, there's a little thing here too!"
The woman's voice, accompanied by the rich floral fragrance emanating from her, approached from afar.
At that time, I didn't realize how clear and bright those words were. But many years later, I can still recall the tone of each word, like a spring breeze suddenly breaking through a lake that has been frozen for ten years, and with a snap, it warms all the remaining years.
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