Winning hearts and minds is the best strategy
But then the two judges' pens attacked simultaneously, their silvery glints and shadows intertwining, while a dazzling golden light shot forth, as freehand and brilliant as a shooting star, yet impossible to ignore.
Surprised, A Qiu suddenly reached out with his left hand, flipped his palm and extended his fingers, and caught the golden light in his hand.
But with just this one stretch and tuck, she had unconsciously used the "Weaver Girl Throws the Shuttle" technique from the Lanling stabbing method. She instantly realized what was happening and was completely dumbfounded.
In fact, unless the Lanling Hall assassins' martial arts are performed in a complete set, it is not always possible to recognize them after just one or two moves, especially with such close-range hidden weapon techniques.
However, Zhao Lingying was the most talented woman in the Southern Dynasties. She was meticulous and knowledgeable, so it was hard to say whether she could see through the clues.
The object she held in her hand was a heavy gold hairpin, carved with cloud and water patterns and inlaid with a bright pearl, vivid and elegant.
Her memory was vague; she only felt as if she had seen this hairpin on Zhao Lingying's hair.
Having exhausted all three moves, whatever judgment Zhao Lingying made, she could only listen attentively.
Zhao Lingying stood with her hands behind her back, watching her with great interest, and smiled, "Your first two moves came from the Young Master's school. What's rare is that they are inherited from him. Although they originated from the orthodox Xuanmen sect, they took a different path, and in terms of form, they are completely different from his. If this sword technique was specially tailored for you by the Young Master, then the Young Master is indeed teaching according to your aptitude. He not only put a lot of thought into it, but also has a very deep understanding and knowledge of you."
She changed the subject, saying, "But there's another possibility: you figured out this sword technique on your own. You saw his sword technique and used it as a model to create your own. If that's the case, then your skill is probably no less than that of Shangguan Yuqi or Pei Yu today."
As A Qiu listened to her reasoned and logical analysis, it was as if he had witnessed her learning swordsmanship from Gu Yi. He was shocked and racked his brains for a response.
But Zhao Lingying didn't give her a chance to argue, and continued, "As for your third move, it was swift and unpredictable, with your elbows and palms concealing deadly intent, and your finger strength capable of penetrating wood and stone. That's why you were able to catch my golden hairpin. This style..."
She drew out her words, and A-Qiu's heart pounded with anxiety, wondering if she would see through his disguise.
After all, Zhao Lingying was a former Flying Phoenix Guardian and had dealt with many assassination attempts, so she should be quite familiar with the martial arts of assassins.
Zhao Lingying smiled at her, but after a moment, she suddenly said, "How about we make a deal?"
A Qiu knew that speaking in front of someone as clever as Zhao Lingying would only lead to more mistakes and expose her. So she simply remained silent, waiting for Zhao Lingying to speak.
She couldn't figure out Zhao Lingying's thoughts, nor did she know how much Zhao Lingying had figured out about her.
Zhao Lingying said leisurely, "You must be a martial arts master. If you have a clean background, you should have heard of your name in the martial arts world."
Upon hearing this, A Qiu's heart skipped a beat. That meant that Zhao Lingying had already determined that she was not from a legitimate background and that her background was problematic.
If it's neither a legitimate sect nor a clandestine one, then it must be a sect that can't operate in the open. And those sects with the resources to cultivate top-tier experts are few and far between in the martial world. The answer is obvious.
But then Zhao Lingying continued, "Now that you've entered the palace and have the Junior Tutor vouch for you, and you haven't committed any misconduct so far, I can let you go."
She changed the subject, saying, "However, it also depends on whether you have the ability."
A Qiu, fully alert, said, "Your Excellency, please grant me your instructions."
Zhao Lingying casually tossed the two judge's pens into the air, each drawing a sharp arc to the left and right. She then caught them in her hands and smiled at A Qiu, saying, "I became famous in the martial arts world with these judge's pens, earning the reputation of 'the masterful pen that creates flowers.' But the way to use these judge's pens was something I created myself when I was seventeen, inspired by a friend." She gazed intently at A Qiu and said, "That's about your age now."
A Qiu couldn't help but feel admiration. Martial arts are mostly passed down through family tradition and masters, but those who, at such a young age, can break free from the constraints of their predecessors, create their own unique style, and achieve great success are extremely rare. But she never imagined that she herself would be like that. Zhao Lingying's later mention of her age was precisely this.
Zhao Lingying calmly focused her gaze on the wisps of silver light flowing from the tip of her pen, and said, "I have already guessed the origin of your martial arts, and I have a general idea. Now it's your turn to guess the source of my martial arts."
A Qiu was surprised to hear this. Zhao Lingying wanted to guess the origin of her martial arts skills because her identity was questionable. But Zhao Lingying's background was clear: she was the daughter of the Zhao family, a prominent clan in Wuzhong, whose members had served as officials for generations. Her father had been the Sima of Wu County, and she herself had entered the palace as a lady-in-waiting from a young age, eventually becoming the Director of the Weaving Department of the Imperial Household Department. During the reign of Emperor Huan of Da Yan, she rose to become a member of the Flying Phoenix Guard, one of the four most important people around Emperor Xie Lang. After the Flying Phoenix Guard retired, she became the First Director of the Imperial Library.
Every step of her promotion is documented and verifiable, so why should A-Qiu guess about her background?
Zhao Lingying seemed to see through her thoughts and smiled, "If you want me to guess martial arts, then I'll just ask you to guess martial arts. Everyone knows my identity, so why do you need to guess?"
She continued, "If you guessed correctly, then let's pretend today's events never happened. I will no longer care whether you help Li Chongyu or not, nor will I mention your background to anyone."
A Qiu was surprised. Did this mean that if she could guess the origin of Zhao Lingying's self-created martial arts, Zhao Lingying would not care even if she was an assassin from Lanling and a gang killer?
What earth-shattering secret does Zhao Lingying's Judge's Pen technique hold that would make her willing to protect a martial arts master of unknown origin who might be lurking in the palace?
A-Qiu blinked her beautiful, clear eyes and said, "What if I can't guess?"
Zhao Lingying looked at her again, but asked in a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Is it that hard to guess?" He then chuckled and said, "At first glance, I thought you were a free spirit who dared to stand up to me and fight for every point, a person of strong character. But it turns out you are also capable of weighing the pros and cons, and are afraid of losing this competition."
A Qiu cautiously said, "If it only involves myself, that's fine. Master will find a way to help me. But if I can't escort the Marquis of Guannei away tonight, I will be going against the trust placed in me by Master and Miss Shangguan."
Zhao Lingying asked in surprise, "Yuqi is also involved in this matter?" He then immediately recalled how Shangguan Yuqi had single-handedly handled everything in the palace, and couldn't help but sigh, "Only she in the Shangguan family still has the spirit of her ancestors."
Looking at her, A Qiu seemed quite concerned about Shangguan Yuqi. Although surprised, he felt more favorably toward her and urged, "Zhao Rong hasn't said yet. What should I do if I guess wrong?"
For some reason, by this moment, most of the hostility she felt towards Zhao Lingying had disappeared.
This is an inexplicable intuition.
Rather than whether Li Chongyu could successfully leave the city and return north, Zhao Lingying seemed more concerned about A Qiu herself.
Zhao Ling stared at her, then said calmly, "What else can I do? I can't stop you from helping Li Chongyu, nor do I intend to be a petty person and betray your identity."
Her next words caught A-Qiu completely off guard: "Either you say so, or whatever you say."
A Qiu was speechless: When did Zhao Lingying, the scheming and sharp-tongued writer known for her "eloquent writing", become so easy to talk to?
Her mind raced, and she said, "If I can't guess it, and if you ever need A-Qiu's help in the future, just say the word, and A-Qiu will do her best. What do you think?"
She was trying to figure out Zhao Lingying's mindset. Since Li Chongyu had already fled far away, and Zhao Lingying had made it clear that she didn't want to cause trouble for Gu Yi for no reason, the only way to repay her for letting him pass was to have Gu Yi remember this favor.
Zhao Lingying finally showed a satisfied expression and muttered, "If a young man wants to stay in the palace for a long time, he shouldn't just focus on Jinlingtai. The Grand Tutor doesn't have many friends, but he has many enemies. Becoming his successor might not be such a good thing."
A Qiu immediately chimed in, "In the future, A Qiu will certainly visit Consort Zhao's Jiaolan Office often to seek her advice. Oh, and I'll remember to bring Miss Shangguan along too." She was so clever that she had already realized that Zhao Lingying's complaint was not directed at her alone, but rather a heartfelt expression.
If we're talking about the "young people" in the entire palace, who else could possibly be worthy of Zhao Lingying's criticism or reprimand? Naturally, it would only be Shangguan Yuqi, the head of the Eastern Palace Flying Phoenix Guard, whom she had just mentioned. No one else would even meet Zhao Lingying's approval.
Zhao Lingying finally broke into a smile and said, "You..." But her expression quickly turned to bewilderment as she said, "I have only ever met one person in this life who is as clever as you, who understands other people's thoughts and knows how to hide his or her talents."
Just as A Qiu was about to ask which one she was, Zhao Lingying calmly replied, "Guess quickly! I'm still waiting for Sister Huaying's reply."
A Qiu then realized that Zhao Lingying's personal interception was indeed at Mu Huaying's behest. A chill ran down his spine. Zhao Lingying's words about the other two passes must not be false.
Since Mu Huaying could command Zhao Lingying, the Imperial Library Director, she could certainly command the Grand Commander Sikong Zhao and others as well. It was hard to imagine just how far the situation in the palace had progressed.
She calmed herself down and carefully recalled Zhao Lingying's moves.
In fact, among the four former Flying Phoenixes, Zhao Lingying is now the one who can see through her true nature the best. This is because the Judge's Pen is a close-combat weapon, similar to the "Assassination of Qin" technique that A Qiu originally used with a dagger. Each move is lightning-fast, short and powerful, and it is a contest of speed. When A Qiu is busy and flustered, it is very easy to force her to reveal her true form.
However, Zhao Lingying's writing style differs from that of ordinary close combat techniques. It has the meaning of lifting, pressing, pausing and turning, as well as a smooth and unrestrained style. Compared with the usual use of the judge's pen, it is more dignified and elegant, with the style of a scholar.
Seeing her deep in thought, Zhao Lingying simply put one hand behind his back, held up a brush in the air with the other, pondered for a moment, and said, "What character should I write?" Then he added, "Just write the character '永' (yong, meaning eternal)."
She picked up her brush, gathered her strength, and began to write in the air. Though she was writing intangible characters, the concise and refined brushstrokes were vividly present. Every subtle detail of the dots, strokes, and hooks was clearly revealed.
When Zhao Lingying picked up the brush to write, A Qiu's expression first changed drastically, and then she was completely stunned.
A long-forgotten image suddenly appeared in her mind.
Although A Qiu entered Lanling Hall at the age of six, she truly became Wan Qiqing's disciple and one of his three great disciples when she was twelve years old, after she had mastered the Divine Weapon Hall's Snowfield Divine Skill.
The first thing she did upon returning to Wanqiqing Songxuetang was to study calligraphy.
During my six years in the snowfield, I was often in a daze, without any thoughts or ideas, focusing only on the sensations in my body and the changes in my meridians. I had forgotten most of the words I had learned before.
Wan Qiqing picked up the purple brush and casually wrote a piece of calligraphy, displaying the characters in black and white before her.
He asked softly, "Do you recognize this character?"
A Qiu looked at it; the bright white Xuan paper, laid out against the light, resembled a dazzling snowfield, making his eyes blurry.
She hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Water?"
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