Chapter 70 Miss Thief 7 Talking
Wu Yue chased all the way to the bamboo forest outside the city. The sunlight was mottled and the wind blew the green bamboo leaves swirling in the air and falling.
She moved her ears and heard a very slight and sharp wind coming from behind.
The moment Wu Yue turned around, the person who was walking on the bamboo leaves was very fast and appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye.
The two blades clashed, their eyes met. As the energy and internal force of their bodies clashed, even the wind seemed to still, and fallen leaves froze in mid-air.
The person in front of Wu Yue has heroic eyebrows and eyes. Looking closely, he seems to be a bit like Qin Ji. They both have eyebrows that cover their eyes and similar eye shapes, but one has a deeper and more aggressive look, while the other has a softer outline and a not very high brow bone, which makes him look bright and heroic.
At this moment, a bamboo leaf that was circling and slowly falling was stuck between the double blades. With just a light stroke, it was split into two halves by the sharp blades.
The two men separated, and leaves were blown up from the ground, making it impossible to see their faces. The next moment, they attacked and fought again.
Even though the fight looked fierce, there was no life-and-death struggle using any killer moves, it was just the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.
They fought from day till night, until both were out of breath and could no longer lift their swords. They smiled at each other, squatted by the river, scooped up water to wash their sweaty faces, and then fell on the green grass together, gazing at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky and the twinkling stars.
The evening breeze dried the water droplets on her face, leaving her skin feeling cool and comfortable. Wu Yue tilted her head to glance at Hong Li, who was lying beside her. Hong Li raised her hand and stretched it out, wanting to touch the vast starry sky.
How could she possibly touch nature? She smiled, then put her hands behind her head, sighing with melancholy, "The sky is so far away from us. Is it true that we are so insignificant to the sky? So insignificant that each of us is just a speck of dust. Emperor, minister, and common people are all the same."
"...Hongli, are you complaining without any reason?" Wu Yue didn't have the ability to feel sentimental when seeing any scenery.
She has a clear mind and doesn't like to think about worries that make her feel depressed. Living in the present is the best way to live.
"You haven't changed." Hong Li laughed, "Senior Sister."
She sat up, sitting cross-legged, with her elbows supporting her knees and her palm resting on one cheek. She looked at Wu Yue, who was so tired that she wanted to sleep and was yawning, with a smile on her face.
It seemed that as long as she stayed by Wu Yue's side, every day with her was very relaxing. Hong Li could also relieve the pressure in her heart and steal some worry-free moments.
Her eyes were full of meaning. Wu Yue raised her eyes and looked at her suspiciously. This clear look made Hong Li feel guilty. She scratched her cheek with her fingers.
This subconscious reaction that hadn't changed since childhood must be a problem. Wu Yue stood up and looked at her, also wary, "You rarely call me Senior Sister. Tell me, have you done something bad behind my back and want me to take the blame?"
Calling them "senior sister" and "junior sister" was just the order of entering the sect, not based on age. In fact, Hong Li was two years older than her.
When Hong Li was first brought back by her master, she was a little kid who spoke very little and had a lot on her mind. She was also very arrogant and never called her senior sister.
In Hongli's eyes, only the older one can be called senior sister, and since she is older than Wu Yue, she naturally has to keep her mouth shut and only calls her that in front of her master.
Wu Yue didn't care about this, it was just a name.
Later, after spending a long time together in the mountains and becoming familiar with each other, Hongli developed a dependence and trust in her, and also revealed his bully nature. He often went down the mountain to play and got into trouble, but was afraid of being punished by his master, so he would obediently call her senior sister.
Therefore, Wu Yue has developed a very familiar routine. Whenever Hong Li calls her "Senior Sister", she either has something on her mind or has gotten into big trouble outside.
"Yes, yes... There is something I'm hiding from senior sister." Hong Li didn't dare to look at Wu Yue's mood. She was panicked and guilty to the extreme. She touched her nose in a panic.
However, she slowly lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.
The atmosphere of guilt in the silence was created by her, and Wu Yue also knew her mood at the moment.
Wu Yue sighed softly, raised her hand and touched Hongli's head. Her touch was gentle and tolerant, just like before. Hongli's eyes instantly became moist, and tears fell from the corners of her eyes.
It seemed like she was shedding tears silently, but it also seemed as if she was making a big noise invisibly. The teardrop absorbed the essence of the moonlight and sparkled like a small pearl.
If there is a problem, you have to talk about it. If you keep it in your heart for too long, it will only rot slowly until the relationship between the two people continues to stink. You are reluctant to throw it away, but you can't pick it up again.
Wu Yue asked her, "Why do you do this, Hongli?"
As a senior sister, she has always been very tolerant of her junior sisters, and will almost always grant their requests as long as they are not committing crimes.
Go to the study of Regent Qin Ji and steal a piece of beautiful jade, which is what Hong Li asked her for.
The excuse Hong Li gave to Wu Yue was that she had made a big promise to the people in the underworld and did not want to lose face. She also made a bet that if she did not get it, she would have to pay ten thousand taels of gold.
In the plot line that Wu Yue learned, her task was to steal a piece of jade from the study of the Regent Qin Ji, so as to realize her reputation as the best thief in the world.
Now that the plot is in disarray, it is equivalent to unlocking a more comprehensive past and automatically repairing everything.
"Senior Sister, I..." Hong Li raised his head and looked at Wu Yue, his voice getting lower and lower until it fell silent.
She bit her lower lip, tears rolling down her cheeks, her expression excited yet restrained, her fists clenched tightly, veins popping out on the back of her hands.
Wu Yue remained unmoved and continued, "After I left the palace, I encountered assassins from the Seven Killing Hall. They knew exactly when I would show up, exactly which way I would leave, and they targeted my Qinggong skills. Hong Li, I almost died that night."
Hongli was so stimulated that she was almost insane. She held her head and grabbed her disheveled hair, looking a little crazy.
"Senior Sister, don't say it, please, don't say it!" She was breathing heavily, her eyes were red, and her voice was hoarse.
She didn't dare to listen to another word. Her heart was pierced by countless swords of guilt, and it hurt so much.
While Hong Li was on the verge of emotional collapse, Wu Yue remained calm. She took out the purple jade she had wrapped in fine silk from her bosom and held it in front of Hong Li. "Hong Li, this is the jade pendant you asked for. I still remember it and have always worn it. I'll find a chance to bring it back to you."
The purple jade was beautiful under the moonlight, but in Hong Li's eyes, Wu Yue was not jade, but evidence of her wrongdoing. Hong Li shook her head with tears in her eyes, kicking her legs and backing away, fear in her eyes.
She covered her noisy head, trying to ease the discomfort, "No, no... Senior Sister, it's not like that..."
Wu Yue saw that she was in great pain, but she did not show any pity. She continued to push the purple jade closer to Hong Li, lowering her voice. She seemed to be angry at Hong Li for being unreasonable. Wu Yue said in a reprimanding tone, "So what? Don't you like this piece of jade?"
In the moment when Hong Li was tense and stunned, Wu Yue softened her tone and said dotingly, "Junior sister, please don't make a fuss. I've asked around, and this piece of purple jade is extremely rare and priceless. And it's also worn by Qin Ji. If we use this as a publicity stunt, it will definitely increase the price, and many distinguished guests will rush to grab it. After paying off the gambling debt, there will definitely be a lot left."
"I don't want it!" Hong Li's tormented heart finally collapsed. With a snap, she waved her hand and accidentally hit the back of Wu Yue's hand, and the purple jade flew away and fell to the ground.
Seeing the back of Wu Yue's hand turn red, she knew she had done something wrong again. Hong Li buried her head and whispered in a low voice, "Sister, I'm sorry... I didn't mean it... I have my reasons, I can't help it..."
Wu Yue just glanced at her indifferently without saying a word. He stood up silently, walked over to pick up the purple jade that had fallen in the grass not far away, and waved away the broken leaves on it.
Her silence made Hongli very uneasy.
"I'm sorry." Hong Li chased after him, but seeing that Wu Yue still didn't turn back, Hong Li anxiously said it several times.
They walked one in front and one behind, and the moonlight lengthened their shadows.
Just like when she was a child in the mountains, Hongli was immersed in hatred and sadness when she was young. It was Wu Yue who led her out, and she followed behind like a little tail.
It sounds funny, right? She is two years older than her senior sister, but she is still cowardly and fragile, and her character is not as good as that of her younger sister.
Seeing that Wu Yue finally stopped and was willing to pay attention to her, Hong Li felt a nervous joy in her heart.
Wu Yue turned around, lowering her eyes under the moonlight. Her face was serious and distant, with a coldness that made people only dare to look at her from afar and not approach her for fear of profaning her.
"Hongli, you hurt me. And now you're trying to get me to forgive you, to just brush it off and get back to the way we were before?"
Wu Yue's blunt words made Hong Li feel ashamed.
"I never intended to hurt you, not from the beginning to the end." Hong Li took a deep breath. She looked into Wu Yue's eyes and had the courage to pour out the secret in her heart. "I admit that I took advantage of our friendship and my senior sister's indulgence of me to use you. It was me who asked you to go to the Regent's Palace to steal the jade pendant. However, my original intention was just to ask you to go. I absolutely had no intention of hurting you. I swear in the name of the Qin family!"
She raised three fingers towards Mingyue, her eyes excited and sincere. "I am from the royal Qin family, the youngest daughter of the late emperor's fifth prince, Prince Ke. This is absolutely not an exaggeration!"
"I did use you to go to the palace for a purpose. But my intention was not to harm your life. I... I just believed the slander."
"Someone told me that the Great Zhou would eventually fall, and the key lies with King Qin Ji of Yan, my uncle. And the person who can solve the problem lies with my senior sister. I asked how to solve it, but this old Taoist has passed away for trying to understand destiny, and he only left behind a last wish for you to go to the palace."
"I know that the palace is difficult to enter, and if you are caught, something bad will happen. But as a member of the royal family, my selfishness is at work, so I'll take advantage of your kindness to me and let you go."
"I've checked. That day was the palace banquet for the general's return. Prince Yan was not at the palace. I know that with Senior Sister's abilities, even if she was discovered, she would be able to get out."
"But I didn't expect that what I said to you would be heard by others, and that the people from the Seven Killing Hall would ambush and kill you. When I heard the rumor that you were killed and your body was hanging on the wall, I almost went crazy. I came to Kyoto overnight just to find out what happened. Fortunately, you are not in trouble."
This matter had been weighing on her heart for a long time, and it was a secret that she dared not touch. After Hong Li spoke it out, the depression and pressure hidden between her brows dissipated visibly, and her spirit became relaxed.
Hong Li had never thought that Wu Yue would be assassinated outside. She thought that if Wu Yue was really caught, she would show up, reveal her identity, and use her own life to exchange for Wu Yue's release from the house.
But unexpectedly, the accident happened earlier than planned. She also didn't expect that someone from the Seven Killing Hall would target Wu Yue.
Wu Yue “···”
Wu Yue was confused when she heard her say so much at first, but she also knew very well what Hong Li was saying.
Wu Yue's expression also changed from surprise to astonishment.
The shock was too great, she couldn't believe it, her voice rising to a shrill tone, "You mean, Qin Ji is your uncle, your biological uncle?!"
"Yes." Hong Li nodded. She didn't need to lie. "It's just that my father was killed by Qin Ji. I am the only one left of King Ke's descendants."
"So, there's a paternal vengeance between him and me. However, to me, the Great Zhou's kingdom and people are far more important than that. Everything the old Taoist said is right. I don't want to gamble, so I decided to let you take the risk."
Hong Li took a deep breath and looked at Wu Yue with an apologetic look. "It's normal for Senior Sister to hate me, and it's also right for her not to forgive me. But you will always be my Senior Sister."
Before making this decision, she didn't sleep for several days and nights, and didn't dare go back to see Wu Yue, for fear that she would waver.
But after much deliberation, Hongli chose the Great Zhou and took advantage of her senior sister.
If she was the one going, she would have no complaints.
Wu Yue was silent, Wu Yue was puzzled, Wu Yue was shocked.
The male and female protagonists are actually uncle and nephew!
And what does this have to do with her? Why is she the one who can solve the problem? She is just cannon fodder and has no background problems.
Wu Yue held her forehead with her hands in pain, and walked back and forth twice with her hands on her hips.
She tilted her head to look at the anxious Hong Li again, "The Taoist priest you mentioned just now, who told you I could solve this matter, are you sure it wasn't a young man pretending to be a Taoist priest?"
Wu Yue remembered that after they left the city gate last night, Hao Yingjun, who had turned back halfway, suddenly asked her to tell his fortune.
Coupled with Hao Yingjun's behavior, she always felt that there was a connection between the two. At this time, Hao Yingjun also appeared in Kyoto with a very suspicious purpose.
Hong Li thought carefully, unwavering. "He was just an old Taoist priest. After he finished speaking, he spat out blood and died right in front of me. I can't remember it wrongly." At the time, she had also thought the Taoist priest was just making up stories. However, the Taoist priest's death for peeping into the destiny of heaven dealt a deep blow to Hong Li, and she finally believed it.
The continuous defeats in the past few years had severely damaged the vitality of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and it was on the verge of national destruction several times.
It has only been ten years since the country began to enjoy stability. If another major war breaks out at this time, the Great Zhou, which has not yet recovered, will not be able to withstand it and will be destroyed sooner or later.
At present, Qin Ji is indeed the pillar of power that can suppress the turmoil. If something happens to him, all the monsters will come out.
Public is public, private is private. When faced with national affairs, she will temporarily put aside personal hatred.
Even though she lost her father and mother at the age of six, and followed her master to the mountains to learn martial arts, living a life in hiding and not continuing her identity as the Princess of the Great Zhou, she was a member of the Qin family and still had the blood of the Great Zhou royal family in her bones.
"So..." Wu Yue was still a little skeptical, "You have nothing to do with the Seven Killing Hall?"
"No." Hong Li shook her head, disdainfully saying, "I will eventually eradicate this kind of force that only knows how to kill and rob. However, according to my investigation, Master Bao is behind the Seven Killings Hall. He must be one of his minions."
Even though she disliked Qin Ji, she disliked Grand Tutor Bao even more. After all, Qin Ji was a prince of the Great Zhou imperial family, and Grand Tutor Bao, a mere minister, dared to covet the throne and attempt rebellion. Hong Li hated him too. Every time she went down the mountain, causing trouble was just a cover-up; she would secretly investigate.
Wu Yue is a person of the underworld and does not understand the disputes in the court, and she has no other identity to pay attention to.
Her cannon fodder background is that she is the daughter of an ordinary family. When she returned home to worship her ancestors, she encountered bandits and her whole family was killed. She survived by chance and was taken back by her master.
Besides Hong Li, the only person who knew that she was going to the palace was Hao Yingjun, whom she met when she came to Kyoto.
The mastermind behind this group of people who ambushed and tried to kill her was most likely the pretending to be stupid Hao Yingjun.
No wonder he said that he didn't make a penny after hanging around in Kyoto for a few days. Well, he didn't make any money. He used all the money to hire killers to do work for him!
Wu Yue was so angry that her lungs were about to explode.
No matter how free and easy-going she was, she couldn't watch someone being assassinated and then smile and say forgiveness.
Although her previous plot mission was to die, she failed to do so, so that was a matter of fact.
But, if it was really Hao Yingjun who did it, why did he do it? There was no life-and-death feud between them, right?
Wu Yue planned to go back to the palace to question Hao Yingjun. She looked at Hong Li and asked, "What are you going to do next?"
"I don't know either." Hong Li shook her head, her face full of confusion, as if she was standing in the fog and couldn't see the road ahead. "My goal has always been to avenge my parents, but now Qin Ji's life is related to the Great Zhou, and I don't know what to do."
Wu Yue thought for a moment and said, "I think there might be a misunderstanding here. It wasn't Qin Ji who killed your father."
Hong Li clenched her fists. "How could it not be him? Qin Ji killed his father, murdered all his siblings, and controlled the young emperor. This is known to everyone in the world!"
Of course, she knew that the victors would be the kings and the losers would be the bandits. However, her father had never fought for the throne and had always been content. He had never offended Qin Ji. Even if he was worried, he could have imprisoned them in the palace, but he had brutally killed them all.
It's normal for a deep blood feud to make someone immerse themselves in hatred, and Wu Yue didn't think Hong Li's reaction was wrong. She was just an outsider, so she remained calm. "Six years old, old enough to remember things. Did you witness your father being killed by Qin Ji?"
"..." Hong Li hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "I didn't see it. But my father and the others are dead. I saw Qin Ji walking around with a sword, and the sword was dripping with blood. I was unconscious and don't remember much of what happened afterwards. When I woke up, it was the old servant of the palace who helped me escape. We were hunted for a long time. After the old servant died, I became homeless and had to live a miserable life. I could only become a beggar and started hiding. After my master took me back, I finally felt at peace."
Wu Yue speculated, "Perhaps, that night, Qin Ji didn't come to kill your father, but to save him. It was another group of people who killed you, just using his name."
If anyone else said this, Hong Li would have turned cold and thought it was ridiculous. But when it was Wu Yue, she calmed down and began to think about whether there was really a problem.
"...When you say that, I'm also confused." Hong Li suddenly realized that she had believed that her enemy was Qin Ji all these years and had never thought about verifying it.
However, Hong Li said sourly, "Senior Sister, why do you say that? You've only known each other for two days, do you trust him so much?"
"It's not that I trust him, but it's based on what I've seen him do," Wu Yue explained. "He may have committed many tyrannical acts, but since you often go down the mountain, you must have seen that the people's lives are getting better year by year, and the Great Zhou is thriving. This is all thanks to him."
"When judging a person, don't just listen to what others say about him. You have to see what he actually does. Moreover, Qin Ji and Grand Tutor Bao are political enemies in the court. Grand Tutor Bao is using the banner of the Royalist Party to purge the emperor's side, but is his real purpose really to protect the emperor? Isn't it because he wants a puppet emperor?"
Wu Yue didn't spend a few days in Kyoto in vain, and he found out a lot of things.
The image you hear from others is superficial. Only by interacting with someone yourself can you know what their specific personality is like.
Wu Yue offered a suggestion, "It's useless to just guess. You can come back to the palace with me and ask him face to face. Ask him directly if he killed your father."
"Senior Sister, if he is really the murderer, the appearance of a descendant like me would only give him the opportunity to wipe out the entire family." Hong Li hesitated. "Besides, even if it is really him, he won't admit it."
Wu Yue shook her head. "If he really killed you, he would definitely admit it. Because you are nothing right now, and he doesn't take you seriously. If you admit it, you will be unhappy with him, and you can't do anything about it. Instead, he will make you suffer. This is his style. He may not say anything when he does good things, but he will definitely be open about bad things."
"Senior sister has a really high opinion of him." Hong Li felt unhappy, as she always felt that her senior sister was going to be snatched away.
"Of course, your worries are not without reason. I can't guarantee your safety if I let you take risks. It's really unreliable." Wu Yue shrugged. "So, I'm just suggesting it. It's up to you to decide whether to go or not."
Having said this, she turned and left. Hongli was concerned about something else and shouted at her back.
"Senior Sister, do you forgive me?"
"It's not about forgiveness. I've just taken a small revenge. If you give me your little stash of money, maybe I'll consider it."
Wu Yue waved behind her back.
The evening breeze blew dark clouds that covered the bright moon, and her figure disappeared into the darkness.
Wu Yue knew Hong Li's dependence on her. Compared to other tortures, mental revenge was the most painful.
After all, the friendship they had built over the years was not fake. She knew Hong Li very well and had guessed that Hong Li might be involved in this matter, but Wu Yue also absolutely believed that Hong Li would not hurt her.
Because of this incident, I wouldn't really hate her to the point of breaking off the friendship. But I'm definitely angry. Just now, Wu Yue was deliberately forcing Hong Li to face her guilt and collapse.
"No problem, all for you!"
Hongli laughed, and the mist in her eyes, which had not yet dissipated, flashed with tiny lights. She still chased after Wu Yue's back.
Senior Sister wouldn't hurt her, Hong Li was convinced. Since she suggested this, it meant she was sure Qin Ji wouldn't do it.
"Senior sister, wait for me!"
Her tone was a little more cheerful than before. She was just a girl, so why should she be worried all day long?
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