Past events are like smoke
The alleyway is lined with towering stone walls, concealing grand mansions. Each house has a simple and unadorned blue stone lion at its entrance, making it clear that this place is a gathering place for the residences of nobles and high-ranking officials.
Not far away, under a green locust tree, a black mule cart was parked. The driver, wearing a straw hat at an angle, was not particularly burly, but seemed to be waiting for someone.
With Wan Qiqing's sharp shout, the space between the three immediately fell silent, completely under his control.
A-Qiu was still bewildered, her gaze blank and indifferent as she looked at her master, completely unaware of why he had appeared there or what his purpose was.
Sikong Zhao's expression turned serious, and he stopped in his tracks. While silently gathering his strength, he focused his voice and sent it into her ear: "I'll make my move in a moment. You just go to the mule cart across the street and don't worry about this place!"
A Qiu finally came to her senses and looked at Sikong Zhao in disbelief.
On her very first night in the palace, she had fought Sikong Zhao on the roof of Xianyang Hall. Sikong Zhao was skilled with heavy weapons; in close combat, he couldn't even defeat her, the head of the Divine Weapon Hall. Now, Sikong Zhao was neither carrying a weapon nor wearing armor, yet he actually wanted to fight her master, Wan Qiqing, the renowned master of Lanling Hall?
But the situation left her no time to think. Sikong Zhao had already lifted her up, and with a powerful blow to her waist, she was being thrown towards the mule cart.
The white-clad, god-like Wan Qiqing had already leaped into the air and landed on Sikong Zhao's head. Upon seeing this, he roared angrily, "You're courting death!" At the same time, he pressed down with both palms in a claw shape, intending to directly crush Sikong Zhao's skull.
Sikong Zhao fell backward, barely avoiding Wan Qiqing's grab that could have crushed his skull, but he couldn't avoid Wan Qiqing's next move, a series of exquisite and lightning-fast attacks with his flowing sleeves.
In the blink of an eye, she had been struck three times, and her robe was torn in several places, with wounds visible deep in her flesh.
At that moment, A Qiu was confused and lost, unsure of whom to trust. When Sikong Zhao told her to get on the mule cart, she did. But when she saw Sikong Zhao, unarmed, being beaten by her master and barely holding on, relying solely on his superhuman strength and resilience to endure the blows, she couldn't help but be shocked and cried out, "Master!"
Upon hearing her shout, Wan Qiqing instinctively withdrew his hand and coldly said, "Apart from traitors, anyone who doesn't want to die, get out of here!"
Given Wan Qiqing's personality, this was already an immense act of forbearance.
Taking advantage of the moment, Sikong Zhao let out a sharp whistle. The whistle was filled with a heroic and resolute determination to die with the enemy.
As soon as the whistle sounded, the driver on the mule cart suddenly moved, and a sword light as bright as day shot towards them like lightning. Sikong Zhao also leaped up with all his might. The two of them worked together to entangle Wan Qiqing and get A Qiu away from this place no matter what.
Sikong Zhao roared, "Aren't you leaving yet!"
A-Qiu stood there, her mind clouded, and instantly realized her predicament. If she simply left, her master, in his fury, would surely kill Sikong Zhao and the coachman to vent his anger. But if she didn't leave, wouldn't it be a waste that Sikong Zhao had endured so much hardship for her, buying her a chance to escape?
Back then, at the Martial Saint Shrine, Wan Qiqing severed their master-disciple relationship with two palm strikes, and from then on regarded her as a traitor. At that time, she was mostly in the palace, a place where heavy troops were gathered, and Wan Qiqing could not do anything to her. Now that she has been abandoned by Jianzhang, if Wan Qiqing comes to find her again, it will certainly be a dangerous situation.
Fortunately, her master, Wan Qiqing, solved this problem for her.
Wan Qiqing blocked the sword of the newcomer with a single palm strike, and said in surprise, "What kind of useless gentleman's sword is this? You have practiced the Shangguan family's sword technique into a mess." With another palm strike, he sent Sikong Zhao flying away, and said coldly, "Your martial arts are mediocre, but you are thick-skinned and can take a lot of beatings. You must be that Sikong Zhao with the silver saddle and white horse."
The coachman, whose face was hidden by a bamboo hat, missed his attack and then retreated without saying a word, displaying a demeanor quite similar to that of Shangguan Yuqi, the gentlemanly swordsman.
Sikong Zhao coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face ashen, and said, "On the battlefield, there's no need for fancy tricks; whoever survives to the end is the victor. Master Lanling, Miss Aqiu..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wan Qiqing kicked her, and Sikong Zhao cried out in pain, unable to utter another word.
A Qiu felt a lightness around her waist and realized that Wan Qiqing was carrying her through the streets and alleys.
The man dressed as a coachman, seeing that Wan Qiqing was already far away, immediately took off his straw hat, revealing himself to be a beautiful middle-aged woman in red.
She immediately bent down to help Sikong Zhao up, patted her back a few times, causing her to vomit several mouthfuls of blood, and then continuously injected her with her inner energy.
Sikong Zhao paused to catch his breath, then heard the woman in red ask, "The Lanling Hall Master has taken the person away. What should we do now?"
Sikong Zhao shook his head with a wry smile, then took a deep breath and said, "We can't distract the young master with this matter now... We can only report back that Miss Aqiu has her own place to go and we don't need to worry about her."
The woman in red said solemnly, "But this is no small matter. Yuqi is very concerned about her life or death."
Sikong Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "Then you should tell Chief Shangguan the truth and see if she has a solution. As for the Junior Tutor, my opinion remains that we should not mention him."
The woman in red sighed and nodded, saying, "That's fine then."
Having lived in Lanling Hall for nearly ten years, A Qiu finally saw another side of it for the first time.
The air was thick with the smell of smoke and burning coals, and screams could be heard every now and then. Everywhere were chilling metal traps, and gleaming torture instruments hung on the walls, still bearing traces of human flesh and blood.
Dressed in pristine white robes, Wan Qiqing's imposing figure, resembling that of an immortal, stands out starkly against the dark and bloody backdrop.
Ah Qiu was thrown heavily to the ground, landing squarely on a pair of shackles with a jarring clang.
The shackles were not locked, and she bumped right into their serrated blades, a sharp pain instantly shooting through her waist.
She groaned in pain, cold sweat streaming down her forehead.
Pain. Fear. Confusion. Despair with no way forward.
A host of unfamiliar sensations came rushing in, swirling together and leaving her feeling as if the world was nothing but a chaotic and bewildering mess.
This isn't her, this isn't her!
A-Qiu's thoughts raced wildly, but only one sentence kept coming to mind.
How could this be her? She is Jing Ke, the most outstanding disciple of Lanling Hall, someone who can remain calm and composed in any situation, assessing the situation and devising a strategy. Even in defeat, she remains composed and elegant, perfectly calm and collected.
She was never afraid of anyone, not even her master, Wan Qiqing.
She once calmly fought her master on Jinling Terrace, doing as she pleased without being at a disadvantage. This was because it was the cultivation of a top assassin; even if she were to be killed in the next moment, she would not be moved in the slightest.
But now... it's no longer possible. Even a single glance from Wan Qiqing makes her lower her eyes in shame, deliberately avoiding his gaze.
She dared not face the gaze of her master, who was also her enemy, at this moment.
If Wan Qiqing had become her enemy several months ago, from the moment she decided to stand with Gu Yi, then he must be the most terrifying enemy.
Having grown up by his side since childhood, he could understand her heart simply by observing the changes in her eyes.
What pains her most is that she is no longer the "Jing Ke" she once was!
Wan Qiqing's voice was extremely slow, yet every word was filled with sorrow.
"You became my disciple at the age of six, and thereafter you lived in the snowy plains behind the Divine Weapon Hall to practice your skills. First, you comprehended the innate profound skill on your own, and then you created the 'Spirit Ape Thrust Technique'. All your cultivation was gained from your own enlightenment in the world. I thought you were a rare genius who could know without learning, so I placed high hopes on you. From then on, I never restricted you with the school's techniques, but let you go your own way, hoping that you would surpass your teacher and set a precedent for a new generation."
She listened in a daze, tears streaming down her face, her mind feeling as if it were about to explode.
A subtle, whispered argument arose in my mind:
I became your disciple when I was six years old. Where was I before I was six?
On the icy, snowy plains, I narrowly escaped death… You probably forgot, it's not that you taught me nothing, but rather that no matter how you tried, I couldn't learn. In a fit of anger, you threw me into the snowfield, leaving me to fend for myself. Unexpectedly, when the human body reaches its limit, it automatically generates innate true energy. Thus, I not only survived but also regained a pure, superior set of martial arts skills. However, this method cannot be replicated, nor can it be forced, because you can't just throw another disciple to see if he dies, or whether he can cultivate innate extraordinary skills in a near-death state.
"At the age of fourteen, you inherited the 'Assassination of Qin,' becoming the youngest Divine Weapon Hall Master in history. Your bloodline is naturally compatible with the 'Assassination of Qin,' making you the only Divine Weapon Hall Master in nearly a century to initiate the 'Assassination of Qin' through a blood oath. This indicates that your destiny includes the opportunity and great fortune to turn the tide of the world and change the ruling power. I place even higher hopes on you, hoping that you will not only be a weapon of assassination but also the master of the times and the world. Therefore, I have sent you to the palace, hoping that you will become a dragon."
The long-buried truth, teetering on the edge, flashed before her eyes. They were all fleeting fragments of memory.
Gu Yi.
In the abandoned palace of Liyang, Gu Yi bent down and picked her up.
Gu Yi led her to meditate and cultivate her inner strength by the ancient hot spring pool.
Those were all memories from before the age of six.
Master, the genius you thought I had was simply because I had learned Taoist profound techniques from Gu Yi before entering Lanling. The alchemical techniques from Guigu Valley are of the same origin as the alchemical techniques used to forge the "Assassination of Qin" back then. Therefore, by chance, my true energy was able to stimulate the military energy of the assassination of Qin, which made you think that I had auspicious signs from heaven.
"But how have you repaid me?"
After the White Silk Dance, Wan Qiqing fought Gu Yi. At that time, she chose to stay by Gu Yi's side instead of leaving with him. Wan Qiqing mocked her for being "outgoing."
Inside the Martial Saint Shrine, in order to fulfill Gu Yi's request, she protected Li Chongyu and confronted Wan Qiqing head-on, putting him in an awkward position. In the end, she forced him to strike her twice with heavy blows, severing their master-disciple relationship.
When they met again on the Jinling Terrace, she was already Gu Yi's successor, and they had finally become rivals.
Every single one of these things is an act of disloyalty on my part.
But Master, you knew about my relationship with Gu Yi, yet you deliberately sent me to his side. You exploited his feelings for me, allowing him to tolerate me as I rose step by step to a high position within Jianzhang. Was your intention truly so righteous and beyond reproach?
You watch, and you know perfectly well, that I'm sinking deeper and deeper into Gu Yi's arms, yet you never try to stop me. What you're after isn't just Gu Yi's power and position, but also your sacrifice of my feelings to control and influence him, isn't it?
Wan Qiqing's icy voice seemed to be answering what she was thinking.
"Yes. I know all of this. I just didn't expect you to be defeated like this."
She gradually came to her senses from her tangled thoughts.
Where exactly did things go wrong? Where did things deviate from Master's predictions?
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