Once an old friend
He considered himself a master of music, capable of mastering almost all the lost musical instruments of previous generations overnight. But he had never seen a dancer like A Qiu, who could dance freely and perfectly timed a piece of music she had never heard before. Even the leading dancers of previous generations, such as Lady Sun and Xue Hongbi, could learn a completely new piece of music and dance so easily.
Although Shangguan Yuqi, Fan Liancheng, and Pei Yu had all seen A Qiu perform "White Silk" before the Emperor, there were many dancers at the time, and A Qiu was not the focus of the entire dance. Therefore, they only had an impression of her, but never really felt A Qiu's musical talent as a dancer and her amazing control over her body.
Even though they themselves were martial artists with extremely strong physical talents, they couldn't help but marvel at their skill.
Shangguan Yuqi had some connection with Aqiu, and at this moment she simply smiled, revealing her unexpected appreciation for this new acquaintance.
She only knew that A Qiu was a royal musician and had served as a protector of the emperor. If she had a special fondness for A Qiu all along, it was not because she knew A Qiu’s character and talent well, but rather it seemed to be natural.
Although Fan Liancheng wore a mask, the admiration in her bright eyes was still visible. Coming from a military background, she was unfamiliar with complex and exquisite musical and dance techniques. But having transitioned from martial arts to dance, she knew that anyone capable of such masterful agility must be a first-rate expert.
The usually arrogant Pei Yu clapped his hands three times without hesitation and exclaimed, "It's absolutely beautiful!"
This was her generous way of repaying A Qiu for his praise of her somersaults on the drum. No matter how different their backgrounds were, there was still something in the world called mutual appreciation. Especially since Pei Yu was not a spoiled rich kid, but a genuine heroine of the military camp who could tame animals and was skilled in archery and horsemanship.
But her final cheer almost made A-Qiu lose her balance on the drum.
Pei Yu's unexpected voice reminded her of her mission.
Before and after Li Chongyu arrived in the capital, she assassinated her father, Pei Yuanli.
Xiao Chang'an, who had been watching her silently, leaped onto the drum at the opportune moment. Just as A Qiu lost her balance, he grabbed her by the waist and, like a swallow flying through the forest, brought her to the ground.
He arrived at the perfect moment. A Qiu even had time to change into a "willow swaying in the wind" posture in mid-air before gracefully landing and slipping away from him without leaving a trace.
In this way, no one noticed that A-Qiu had just lost control of his frightened state.
But A-Qiu felt a chill in his heart.
Xiao Chang'an's ability to time his rescue so perfectly demonstrates both his exceptional skill and his keen observation of her. A Qiu, however, having worked as an assassin for many years, was unwilling to have her every detail scrutinized by others.
An Daoling calmly stepped out from behind the bell frame and smiled, saying, "A great nation is vast and mighty, and its drums beat with dignity. Even the feet of a dancer can produce a dignified drumbeat. With talents like you in the next generation, how can the nation not prosper?"
He glanced at Xiao Chang'an again and said meaningfully, "I hope you can unite as one and help each other."
These words could not possibly have been said to A Qiu, but A Qiu was terrified upon hearing them.
Although everyone was competing in the same hall and genuinely admired each other, she would need to plan how to assassinate Pei Yu's father in the next moment.
Even when we want to unite as one, sometimes we are powerless to do so.
Li Chongyu's arrival in Beijing was imminent, and rehearsals for "Yan Shining" continued from dawn till dusk without any rest.
In addition to the music of bells and drums, two zithers and sheng pipes were added as decorative sounds, and the number of dancers was also increased to provide background music. This was the result of the collective wisdom and repeated adjustments made by the people of the Music Bureau.
A Qiu finished her training at dusk and returned to Jinlingtai.
A sliver of the setting sun, like blood, fell heavily upon the palaces near and far.
A-Qiu suddenly stopped at the foot of Jinling Terrace.
Lately, she's been going home very late every night, thus avoiding any chance encounters with Gu Yi. On two occasions, when the night was still deep and Gu Yi's bedroom light was still on, she pretended not to see it and quietly went back to her own bedroom.
In the early morning, Gu Yi usually got up earlier than her. Sometimes he would stop outside her door, and she would pretend to be asleep, acting as if she didn't hear him.
Today is the day we agreed to meet with Gongye Fusu to retrieve the medicine.
However, she decided that before getting the medicine, she should take care of something more important.
She turned to leave when Lie Changkong's voice came from behind her: "Please take me with you."
Lie Changkong nimbly leaped down in front of her, now dressed in black and masked attire. The "Ce Lin" at his waist and the "Bai Zhan" on his back were gone, replaced by a thick-backed sword over three feet long.
Judging by his appearance alone, one would only think that he was tall and capable, and that he was a master at first glance, but no one would recognize that he was the chief charioteer of Master Gu Yi.
Ah Qiu recognized him only from his sparkling eyes.
But the moment he recognized him, A Qiu suddenly stopped.
Lie Changkong, however, did not take it to heart. He glanced around warily and asked, "Is there anything that surprises you, Miss?" He then whispered, "The assassination of Pei Yuanli must not expose our identities. Haven't you changed your clothes, Miss?"
At this moment, A-Qiu was still wearing the swallowtail-shaped long robe she wore during the day when she practiced her skills, and everyone knew that she was a geisha.
A Qiu glanced at him, unsure whether to tell him. After a moment, she decided to trust him and said with a wry smile, "Xingfeng Hall has a base outside the palace. I'll go there to change."
Without hesitation, Lie Changkong took off his cloak and threw it to her, saying, "Miss, use this to cover your dance costume for now. We will leave the palace with the Junior Tutor's order. Once we reach the place you mentioned, you can go in and change."
A Qiu was slightly taken aback, feeling that Lie Changkong's thoughtless actions seemed a bit too intimate. But Lie Changkong was Gu Yi's man, and she couldn't refuse outright, and since she really needed it, she did as he said and put on the cloak.
Lie Changkong seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. As he led her forward, he said, "Miss, do you know that all the charioteers of the Junior Master in the world, regardless of whether they are from the North or South, are loyal to only the Junior Master?"
A-Qiu replied, "I've heard a little about it."
Lie Changkong said, "Rather than saying that the Junior Master Charioteers are loyal to Junior Master Gu, it would be more accurate to say that we are loyal to the enlightened political ideal of a unified world and a harmonious society. In our eyes, the Junior Master is the representative of that ideal, symbolizing the possibility of its realization."
He sighed and said, “Whether among the Han or the Hu, there are always humble and sincere people who genuinely hope for peaceful coexistence and a society without oppression and exploitation. People with such beliefs will become the Junior Tutors. In ordinary times, they will farm or trade, but when needed, they will take up arms and serve the Junior Tutors.”
He turned around, glanced at A Qiu, and said calmly, "And you, young lady, are the successor of the young master."
Being the successor of the Junior Master means inheriting Gu Yi's political ideals and ambitions. If Gu Yi were to pass away one day, she would also take over the power of the Junior Master's Charioteer.
So from the very beginning, Lie Changkong did not regard her as an outsider, but rather as half a master.
Ah Qiu understood, but the burden in her heart became even heavier. She couldn't help but say, "Chief Lie should know that besides being the successor of the Junior Master, I am also the Divine Weapon Master of Lanling Hall."
Lie Changkong paused slightly, but finally said, "The young master must have his reasons for choosing you. You should trust his judgment, and you should also trust yourself."
If we say that the people of Lanling Hall are a collection of the world's most outstanding talents, romantic figures, and distinctive personalities, then since dealing with Gu Yi and Lie Changkong, A Qiu feels that Gu Yi himself and his junior master are unapproachable, but in reality they are humble and peaceful, taking care of people in every way without them even realizing it.
For example, at this moment, after leaving the main gate of the palace, Lie Changkong did not inquire where she was going, but directly arranged a place to meet her later, and then took his leave.
When A Qiu changed into an ordinary black outfit and covered her face with a bamboo hat, she arrived at the agreed meeting place nearby. Lie Changkong, who had been waiting there, saw her and was suddenly stunned.
A Qiu smiled wryly, "Chief Lie has remembered too?"
Although most of Lie Changkong's face was covered by a mask, his complex emotions could be read in his eyes. He replied, "Yes."
He remembered that he and A-Qiu had met before.
At that time, Qingzhou was plagued by war and refugees, and the governor deceived his superiors and subordinates by falsely reporting the disaster. He was ordered by Gu Yi to go to the governor's mansion to investigate. That night, he was treated with kind words and was advised to go to the guest room to sleep, but he never got to see the governor.
He knew that she was intentionally avoiding meeting him, but he could do nothing about it.
But in the middle of the night, he heard an unusual noise.
When he pushed open the door, disregarding the distinction between insiders and guests, he saw a masked man in white carrying the governor's head as he walked out.
His instinctive reaction was to draw his sword and engage in combat. The white-clad, masked man's eyes flashed with divine light. He held a severed head in his left hand and a dagger in his right, which gleamed like lightning. Under the relentless barrage of attacks, he was overwhelmed and had no chance to retaliate, not even having the opportunity to draw his "Ce Lin" sword.
As the "Heavenly Power Master," Lie Changkong was already a formidable opponent in the martial arts world. However, this battle was the most perilous of his life, fraught with danger and near-death experiences.
Fortunately, the opponent seemed to have only come to take the governor's head and did not want to harm others. After a few moves, Lie Changkong realized that he was no match for the opponent and found an opening to escape, and the opponent did not pursue him.
But afterwards, he recalled with a cold sweat: white-clad figures moving in the night, blades flashing like rainbows—in the martial world, there was no one like them but the assassins of the Lanling Hall. Judging by their skills, they were at least at the level of a hall master.
The three hall masters of Lanling Hall, the first hall master, "Jade-faced Marquis Liu", is said to be a refined gentleman with elegant manners, eloquent tongue and a bright and gentle demeanor, which is obviously inconsistent with the cold and ruthless style of people who can kill with a single blow in his impression.
Mo Yimingyue, the leader of Xingfeng Hall, known as "Long Night Flying Eagle," is fierce and capable, and a powerful figure in the Water and Land Gang. However, Lie Changkong still has a feeling that it is not him.
That means there can only be one person: the Master of the Divine Weapon Hall, the number one on the Immortal Exile List, "Jing Ke".
Upon reviewing the situation again, Lie Changkong immediately realized why he had ruled out Jade-Faced Marquis and Long Night Flying Eagle from his mind back then.
The white-clad assassin's attacks were lightning-fast, each strike aimed at a vital point. But with just a glance, Lie Changkong sensed that the person was not much taller than himself, and possessed a delicate and graceful appearance. He guessed that she was most likely a woman.
But what he didn't expect was that he was the only eyewitness to survive the assassination attempt on the King of Qin in recent years.
Previously, no living person knew that the head of the Divine Weapon Hall of Lanling Hall, the one who held the order to assassinate Qin, was a young girl.
When Lie Changkong, under Gu Yi's instructions, went with A Qiu to challenge the Thirteen Shadows of the Divine Weapon, he was still unable to completely equate the girl in front of him with the assassin he had glimpsed in the past.
After all, that was just speculation back then, and the assassin's true face was never seen through the veil.
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