Chapter 67 Plum Blossom Appreciation
Half a month ago, the courtyard outside the window was quiet.
In the inner study, Ling Zheng sat in front of the desk, tapping the black jade paperweight with his fingertips.
"... Additional personnel have been dispatched to the southwest outpost, please rest assured, Master." An aide bowed and reported.
Ling Zheng nodded. The next moment, a flurry of hurried footsteps could be heard outside the study, with a panicked tone:
"Master! I have an urgent matter to report!"
Ling Zheng's heart trembled, and he said in a deep voice, "Go in."
The deputy head of the Punishment Hall stumbled and fell to his knees on the brick floor. "Master, I failed in my duties. Imperial Master Huizhu escaped!"
Ling Zheng stood up from the rosewood chair, his brow furrowed. "What a waste! The dungeon is heavily guarded, how did he escape?"
The deputy hall master was shaking like a sieve, his head almost buried in the ground:
"Reporting to the leader, the disciple who delivered lunch at noon today was ambushed by the Imperial Master using poison powder hidden under his fingernails. The poison powder was extremely strange, and anyone who touched it would fall down. All the guards were knocked out. By the time the brothers who were on duty discovered it, the person was gone."
Ling Zheng's eyes were so gloomy that water could drip out of them.
Wenren told Zeng Yan that after the National Master accomplished his mission, he had released Yu Le back to the village... The National Master was seriously injured and had escaped at this moment. His first priority must be to find Yu Le and absorb his vitality.
Ling Zheng's face was stern: "Gather fifty elite soldiers with excellent Qinggong skills and bring tracking Gu. I believe he will go to Qingmu Village, three hundred miles southwest.
"Seal all exits to Aoki Village. If you see any trace of them, sound the signal immediately. No matter if they are dead or alive. Afterwards, all personnel will be punished according to the rules of the Penal Court."
"Yes!" The deputy hall master accepted the order and was about to turn around and leave.
Ling Zheng's anger had not yet subsided. He seemed to remember something and called out to the deputy hall master: "Stop. I will let you know the route. Come forward."
Upon hearing this, the deputy hall master hurried forward.
Ling Zheng grabbed the sheepskin map on the table and quickly ran his fingers over it:
"The shortest way from the main altar to Qingmu Village is to cross Chiffon Ridge. But there are many poisonous miasma on the ridge, and the seriously injured national master may not dare to go there. He is more likely to go around Luoxi Canyon. Here..." He pointed his finger at a dangerous canyon mark on the map.
Just as the deputy hall master was about to take a closer look, he tripped over the edge of the carpet and stumbled forward.
In a panic, he reached out to help, and his palm pressed on a half-person-high treasure chest next to the desk. In addition to a few antiques, there were also several volumes of books stacked on the chest.
“Crash—”
The treasure chest shook violently, and the celadon brush washer, several volumes of books...all fell down with a loud noise and rolled all over the floor.
Ling Zheng's face turned ashen, and he glared at her without saying a word.
The deputy hall master panicked and fell to his knees, kowtowed repeatedly:
"Master, please spare my life! Master, please spare my life! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"
Ling Zheng's tone was calm, but his aura was becoming more dangerous: "Pick it up quickly."
"Yes, yes!" The deputy hall master rolled and crawled to the ground as if he had been pardoned. He hurriedly picked up the things, brushed off the dust, and put them back into the treasure box.
Ling Zheng turned around irritably, no longer looking at him, his eyes fell back on the map, and he continued to think about the interception strategy. However, his mind raced -
A piece of paper slipped out of a heavy book that was picked up and landed on the brocade carpet at Ling Zheng's feet.
Ling Zheng frowned and bent down to pick it up. The paper was yellowed and frayed at the edges. There were only a few lines of beautifully written small characters on it: a prescription.
It was a prescription he had heard someone tell him about, a prescription his senior sister had written for him to treat his eye ailment back in the Wanjun Sect. He had casually slipped it into a book, almost forgetting it.
Ling Zheng's fingers unconsciously rubbed the paper. The unique texture, with fine lines like leaf veins... inexplicably brought a sense of déjà vu.
He turned abruptly, rushed to the desk in a few steps, opened a hidden drawer, and took out a brocade bag from the bottom. His fingers trembled slightly as he untied it and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper.
It was the letter from the dilapidated temple in the Western Regions, written by a "little girl" who never left her signature.
Ling Zheng's heartbeat suddenly quickened. He took a deep breath and spread the two pieces of paper side by side on the desk.
The sky outside the window was bright and beautiful. Upon closer inspection, the thickness, texture, and even the extremely fine leaf veins of the two pieces of paper were exactly the same!
Ling Zheng's pupils suddenly shrank, and he stared at the two pieces of paper as if he wanted to see through them.
He raised his head suddenly, his eyes eager to swallow up the staff beside him: "You, come here!"
Ling Zheng pushed the two pieces of paper in front of his staff, his voice hoarse with urgency: "Look carefully. Have you ever seen this kind of paper before? In the sect or in the martial arts world?"
The staff member was so frightened by Ling Zheng's eyes that his scalp tingled. He hurriedly moved closer and carefully examined the paper. He looked at it for a long time, and then carefully stroked it, and finally hesitated and shook his head:
"Master, I have limited vision. This paper has a unique texture and is not like the rice paper or bamboo paper commonly found on the market. I have never seen this kind of paper in all my years of wandering around in the sect..."
"Never seen it before?" Ling Zheng raised his voice with a hint of unconscious joy, "Really?"
"Indeed, indeed." The staff member became more and more frightened and added hurriedly,
"This paper is so precious, just by looking at it. The patterns are so unique. If you've seen it before, I'm sure you'll remember it. Master, what's wrong with this paper?"
Ling Zheng didn't answer. He waved his hand, signaling the deputy hall master and his staff to withdraw. The two men, as if granted amnesty, bowed and quickly retreated.
Ling Zheng was the only one left in the study. He slowly sat back in his rosewood chair, his eyes darting back and forth between the two pieces of paper, his fingertips rubbing the unique lines over and over again.
Qi Yinhua was sent by Wanjun, and his prescription used this paper, but why is this piece of letter paper from a dilapidated temple in the Western Regions also this paper?
An absurd thought popped up involuntarily.
If that piece of letter paper also came from the Wanjun School...
If the person who secretly saved his life in the dilapidated temple and left him the elixir and the letter was not a stranger...
If, if that person is...
Ling Zheng didn't dare to think anymore. He clenched his fists suddenly, his nails digging deep into his palms, bringing a sharp pain, but it couldn't dispel the chaos that was surging.
If this is true, what does it mean?
This means that Wen Rensu's attitude towards him is not just cold calculation and perverted control.
Does it mean that even though they have hostile stances, Wen Rensu still cares about him silently, and even travels thousands of miles to lend a helping hand without asking for anything in return?
And knowing that he is about to ascend to the position of the leader of the Demon Cult?
The immense impact left Ling Zheng dizzy. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes tangled with a myriad of emotions: confusion, hesitation, and a throbbing sensation that even he himself dared not delve into.
Don't be impulsive. What if it's just your own conjecture?
"Someone come here!" Ling Zheng said urgently.
The study door opened and the confidant stepped forward and bowed.
"Investigate immediately." Ling Zheng pointed at the paper on the table. "Use all your hidden clues to find out where this special patterned paper came from. In particular, we must find out whether it is unique to the Wanjun Sect."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Zheng showed hesitation, pursed his lips, and finally said embarrassedly: "By the way, let's investigate where Wenren Su was around mid-August three years ago."
"Yes, sir!" The guard was completely unaware of his leader's psychological fluctuations.
…
The fact is, Ling Zheng knew that Wen Ren Su was that person.
Ling Zheng's frantically beating heart urged him to go and see him. To boost his courage and make the scene more realistic, he drank quite a bit of wine, which led to the scene of him drunkenly breaking into the palace.
Ling Zheng opened his eyes in a chaotic state of exhaustion and exhilaration. His vision blurred for a moment before coming into focus, and what came into view was the familiar tent roof of the bedroom.
The frantic, out-of-control, and ultimately dominant scenes of last night flooded into his mind like fragments, with a burning temperature and a heart-pounding touch, making his heart tremble slightly and his face feel slightly hot.
Suddenly realizing something, Ling Zheng sat up, and the quilt slipped off, revealing his naked upper body, which was still covered with several red marks and teeth marks. He looked around -
As far as the eye can see, there is no one.
Only a few faint marks on the quilt, as if spread by liquid, revealed the madness of last night.
A wave of panic washed over me.
"I heard someone complain!"
Ling Zheng's eyes swept across every corner of the bedroom, and only his heavy breathing echoed in the palace.
He escaped? How dare he escape after sleeping with her?
The huge sense of betrayal made Ling Zheng's eyes red. He clenched his fists, his joints crackling, and the rage surging in his chest almost burned him to ashes.
“Crash…crash…”
A slight sound of metallic friction came from deep inside the bedroom, in the direction of the bathroom.
Ling Zheng's expression froze. He suddenly turned his head and cast his sharp eyes towards the source of the sound.
The half-closed carved wooden door of the bathroom was gently pushed open, and Wen Rensu walked out.
He was still wearing the plain white shirt with the collar slightly open, revealing his graceful collarbone and a small part of his firm chest, which also bore traces of last night's passion.
His dark hair was loose, a few strands falling on his cheeks. The heavy black iron shackles on his ankles were still firmly fastened, making a harsh noise with every step he took.
He walked to the center of the bedroom, stopped, and met Ling Zheng's eyes burning with anger, and said in an inexplicable tone:
"Master, are you awake? I just went to the bathroom."
His eyes swept over the shackles on his ankles, and a faint mocking arc appeared on the corner of his mouth. "With these black iron chains tied to me, where can I escape?"
Ling Zheng: “…”
He felt as if a basin of ice water was poured over his head, and all his violent feelings turned into an overwhelming sense of embarrassment.
Ling Zheng's cheeks flushed uncontrollably and he suddenly looked away.
He turned and walked to the side, picked up the dark black robe scattered on the ground and put it on, trying to hide his inner embarrassment with his actions.
"Ahem..." Ling Zheng pretended to be cold and hard, clearing his throat. His voice was hoarse from having been using it all night, "Last night, you served me quite well."
He deliberately emphasized the word "serve", as if this could redefine last night's absurdity as a "transaction" between master and servant.
Wen Rensu stood barefoot without responding, and the amusement in his eyes gradually turned into silence.
Ling Zheng tied his belt slightly stiffly, turned around, and deliberately avoided looking at Wen Rensu and instead looked out the window.
In the courtyard, a first snow had quietly fallen last night, coating the dead branches and grass in a pure silvery white. A few plum blossoms quietly blossomed amidst the snow, their tiny red stamens particularly striking.
His mind moved and an idea suddenly popped up in his mind.
"Cough..." He cleared his throat again, which looked very deliberate in Wen Rensu's eyes.
"Since you were quite sensible last night, I will grant you a favor."
He paused, as if weighing his words, and finally turned his gaze to Wen Rensu, but still not daring to look him in the eye, only his gaze fixed on his ankle:
"Today, I will allow you to untie your shackles and accompany me to the plum garden a few miles away to admire the plum blossoms and watch the snow."
When Wen Rensu heard this, his eyebrows slightly raised. His eyes finally showed a trace of movement, but it was not surprise, but scrutiny.
He slowly raised his eyes, "No need."
His voice was as cold as the ice and snow outside the window. "Appreciating plum blossoms and snow? Your Majesty, it's a refined hobby. However, for me, there's no need for such pleasure."
Wen Rensu's tone suddenly became sharp, even dropping the title of "Master": "If you really want to untie me, why not just set me free."
The word "freedom" was like a poisoned needle, piercing Ling Zheng's heart.
His forced composure instantly broke, replaced by a suffocating rage:
"you--"
He was so angry that his chest was heaving violently. He pointed at Wenren and complained, his voice trembling slightly.
"I heard you complain! You really don't know how to appreciate my kindness! You can go if you want, but if you don't, I'll keep you locked up forever!"
He practically shouted these words. He turned around and was about to leave, as if he would be pierced by that cold gaze if he stayed for another second.
Witnessing Ling Zheng's anger and humiliation, Wen Rensu's eyes flickered slightly, and he sighed inwardly, as if he had made some compromise.
The moment Ling Zheng turned around——
A very light but unusually clear chuckle came from behind him.
Ling Zheng stopped suddenly and couldn't help but look back.
Seeing that Wen Rensu was still standing there, the sarcastic arc at the corner of his lips had disappeared, and what followed was a casual smile with a hint of cunning.
He raised his hand, his fingers with distinct joints, and inserted his five fingers into his hair, brushing the black hair away from his face behind his ears. There was an indescribable elegance in his movements.
The pair of eyes that were originally calm now seemed to be rippling with light, with the corners of the eyes slightly raised, revealing a thrilling and seductive evil spirit.
He tilted his head slightly and looked at Ling Zheng, his voice was so magnetic that it made people feel itchy:
"Just kidding." He chuckled. "Since the master has spoken, this reward is earned through my hard work."
There was an ambiguous teasing tone in his voice, "If you don't go, wouldn't you be at a loss?"
The sunlight filtered through the window lattice and fell on his handsome face, making his smile even more alluring.
Ling Zheng was completely frozen in place, as if under a spell. A wave of shame and annoyance at being teased arose in his heart, but deeper than that, a surge of emotions welled up.
He opened his mouth but found himself unable to utter a word. His heart was pounding in his chest.
I am really completely hopeless.
Ling Zheng despised himself, but facing Wen Rensu's change of attitude, his brows were finally smoothed, his eyes lit up, and in his eyes was an obsession that he himself had not even noticed.
Outside the window, the sky cleared up after the snow, and the sunlight shone on the red plum blossoms on the branches, making them look cool yet charming.
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