Chapter 8: General Cen, the mantis stalks the cicada. Are you rushing to make an enemy of me? ...
There was a hazy light and shadow in front of my eyes, and the conversation was inaudible as if through a thin veil.
Lou Wanqiao felt his eyelids were heavy, and it took him a lot of effort to open his eyes completely.
Before him lay an unfamiliar scene, a cold, damp smell permeating the air, with a faint hint of blood. Rusty iron railings were etched with mottled marks, and in the distance, there was the slow sound of dripping water, one drop after another.
She had some tinnitus and closed her eyes unbearably. Just as she was about to move, she heard a sharp sound of metal friction.
He tilted his head and saw an iron chain tied to his wrist.
The last person I saw before I lost consciousness was Cen Luye.
Before I could think about it, someone was walking towards me from not far away.
"Hey, isn't this the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple?" a familiar voice said with a malicious smile. "How did you fall into such a state of destitution?"
Lou Wanqiao looked up lazily, and sure enough, it was Prince Duan.
Li Lie.
Lou Wanqiao stared at him for a while, then suddenly looked away.
Li Lie was in no hurry. He slowly walked up to her and leaned down. The face was magnified, occupying her field of vision.
"Master Lou, you're not willing to accept this, are you?" He spoke to himself, not intending to hear the answer. "Things change over time. Who could have thought—"
"So you and General Cen are in the same group." Lou Wanqiao said softly.
Li Lie paused.
"Did you send him after me, or is it just a coincidence?" Lou Wanqiao pondered. "Let me guess... maybe you two were colluding before that incident? He's quite well-informed."
Li Lie snorted coldly, "Lou Wanqiao, no matter how clever you are now, it's useless. After all these years, you've finally fallen into my hands."
"Well, are you going to kill me?"
Her tone was very calm, even her eyes were calm. Li Lie stared at her, pursed his lips and said, "You sound like you really want to die?"
"Your Highness, we're old acquaintances. There's no need to beat around the bush." Lou Wanqiao shifted his waist, adjusting his posture with some effort. The chains on his hands made a sound. "You want to get rid of me. We both know that."
Li Lie laughed. "That's right. But as you said, Lord Lou, you didn't kill me even after you caught me. I've decided to repay you..."
He suddenly moved closer, placed his palm on Lou Wanqiao's neck, and placed his fingers on the arteries, feeling the blood flowing and the pulse beating.
He whispered rhythmically, but not too quickly. Then, leaning close to her ear, his voice softened: "Of course, I will also pry your mouth open, until every last ounce of your worth is gone..."
The fingertips exerted force and the side of Lou Wanqiao's neck was strangled. He felt difficulty breathing and raised his head slightly.
As the scene before him began to blur, Li Lie loosened his grip. He straightened his back and looked down at her. Lou Wanqiao coughed uncontrollably twice and steadied his breath.
She glanced at the wound on Li Lie's wrist. Although it was covered with medicine, she could still see some uncovered areas where blood had coagulated and a hideous, winding scar had formed.
"This is just the beginning, Lord Lou." Li Lie's tone was full of joy. He turned around and said, "I will gladly accept the power you have cultivated."
As Li Lie left, the cell door was locked.
Lou Wanqiao closed his eyes and thought in his mind.
Cen Luye and Li Lie were in the same group, and she was recognized from the beginning. What about Wen Xuechi? Was it a coincidence, or a new trap?
She had indeed relaxed her guard at first because of Wen Xuechi and Cen Luye's acquaintance, and they had no connection, but in the current situation, with interests involved, it was difficult to distinguish between friends and enemies.
Lou Wanqiao recalled the scene when he first met Wen Xuechi.
He was dressed in a moon-white short coat, carrying a long sword and a wine flask, looking like a real knight-errant. If he were an enemy, he wouldn't have to attack him in the first place.
Cen Luye was clearly trying to lure the tiger away from the mountain. Because Wen Xuechi was nearby, it was difficult to attack, so he asked him to fetch the horse. Then, the effects of the drug in the prefectural mansion took effect, allowing them to succeed.
A moment later, the chains were removed with a clang. She exhaled softly, loosened her stiff joints, and began to observe her surroundings carefully.
It's a very ordinary cell, but I don't know where it is now. But it doesn't matter...
Through the bars, she saw a man imprisoned in the next cell. He was leaning against a corner, his clothes stained with blood, his head lowered so his face couldn't be seen clearly.
Lou Wanqiao just glanced away and looked away, finding a corner to sit down and close his eyes to rest.
If I'm not mistaken, someone else will come.
Sure enough, about half an hour later, someone stopped in front of the door.
Without opening her eyes, she listened quietly as the door opened, and then a man walked in and stood before her. A shadow shrouded her eyes, almost covering her entire body. She only looked up when the man squatted down.
The former great general, now a fugitive.
Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, Lou Wanqiao was the first to break the silence: "General Cen, are you rushing to make an enemy of me?"
Cen Luye said, "I'm sorry."
?
Lou Wanqiao was simply amazed and exclaimed, "General, you're embarrassing me! When you schemed against me, you never even thought of apologizing."
Cen Luye stopped talking.
She curled her lips, feeling it was really boring: "So, you are here...?"
"The prince won't kill you." Cen Luye seemed to have made up his mind. "If your life is in danger, at least I will protect you."
Lou Wanqiao was stunned for a moment, then uttered a barely audible laugh, "Okay."
It seemed as if he had come just to say this. After receiving the response, he stood up and prepared to leave. Lou Wanqiao stopped him again and asked, "Why are you with Prince Duan? He is not very reliable. Why not form an alliance with me?"
Cen Luye didn't answer, just pushed the door and left.
Tsk, you are quite trustworthy.
So they are not the same kind of people.
Lou Wanqiao thought this and leaned back, closing his eyes. He'd been wearing himself out these past few days, and his wounds hadn't healed yet. Even moving hurt. Even though the environment wasn't very good right now, he still needed to rest well.
……Feel sorry?
This person is still too honest.
Time slipped slowly, and in the dim prison, without sunlight, there was no way to tell the exact time. It was as if my senses were obscured by something. Spending too long in this enclosed, damp environment was prone to negative thoughts, and I became increasingly dull.
Finally, from a long distance, a faint noisy sound could be heard.
She opened her eyes, and her eyes looked very clear in the darkness.
Without hesitation, she stood up and approached the door. She stretched out her hand to hook the lock and passed the silk thread through the keyhole. After a few seconds, the door lock fell to the ground.
Just as she was about to leave, she heard a noise coming from the next door. The person in the cell seemed to be suddenly awakened, stood up, and stumbled over, waving his hands through the bars.
"Take me away."
His voice was hoarse and his long, dirty hair covered half of his face, so his features were still unclear.
Lou Wanqiao ignored him and was about to leave when he suddenly thought of something. He turned around and came back, using the same trick to open his lock.
A pungent smell wafted from the far corner, accompanied by smoke. Someone could faintly hear someone yelling, "Fire!" Lou Wanqiao turned around, lit another fire, and threw it into the room he'd been staying in before leaving.
As for that person, he is amazing if he can keep up.
…
"Your Highness! It's bad, the prison is flooded!"
When the panicked servant came running in to report, Li Lie dropped the teacup in his hand onto the table. He stood up abruptly and strode out: "Someone come here!!"
When he arrived outside the cell, a group of people had already gathered to put out the fire. Smoke billowed, and flames were still burning. Li Lie looked at the scene before him, cursed angrily, and then rushed into the cell.
"Your Majesty!"
A group of people behind him were shouting, but he didn't care. His strong martial arts skills had allowed him to protect himself, and with many people fighting the fire earlier, the fire was no longer as big as before.
The luxurious robe embroidered with gold thread was burnt, but he walked faster and faster until he turned the corner and looked at the prison cell not far away.
The flames spread all over the sky, burning everything to ashes.
"Lou Wanqiao!"
His voice was drowned out by the crackling of the fire, and the soldiers who came to put out the fire hurried over.
"My Lord, this place is dangerous!"
Li Lie glanced at the cell unwillingly and slowly backed away.
“…Even if the body turns to ashes, we must find it.”
…
The wind is blowing.
Lou Wanqiao changed the medicine and changed into clean clothes before walking out of the room and letting the guard outside in: "Well done."
"Sir," said the two men, both tall and dressed in black, as one of them handed over a cloth bag. "It's all done."
"You want to plot against me...at least five hundred years earlier." Lou Wanqiao sat on the chair, crossed his legs lazily, and turned the cloth bag in his hand in a circle at his fingertips, and the things inside were thrown out.
It's a military token.
Haha, it’s still hard to say who will take over whose power. I’m afraid that some people will end up with nothing.
She took out another one from her pocket and placed both military tokens in her palm for cushioning.
Alas, otherwise how can we say that General Cen is a real person.
She seldom lets herself do business at a loss.
"Sir, what should we do next?" the man in black asked in a low voice.
Lou Wanqiao put the military token back into the bag and said, "Keep an eye on Prince Duan and the capital's movements. For the rest, proceed according to the plan. You will guard for one night and leave tomorrow."
"yes!"
Lou Wanqiao had a good night's rest and felt much more energetic. Even his wounds didn't hurt as much anymore.
She couldn't help laughing when she thought of the scene where Prince Duan discovered the truth. It wasn't that she was unkind, it was just that he insisted on giving her a chance.
She walked to the window, looked at the bright sky, and squinted her eyes.
This place is quite far away from Yan Ge City. We didn't stay here yesterday because we were afraid that Prince Duan would become suspicious and seal off the city to arrest us. We don't know how Wen Xuechi is doing now.
He is very skilled in martial arts, and Li Lie and Cen Luye have no reason to attack him, so he should be able to survive in peace.
It’s a pity that we lost a good helper.
However, it would not be a big deal if she walked alone, as no one could discover her whereabouts at the moment.
Ha, I guess Prince Duan would never have thought that she would go back.
If we couldn't find the enemy during yesterday's city closure, we would probably be at risk of a head-on encounter on the way to the surrounding cities today. But - what if we go back?
She didn't plan to stay for too long to rest, so she bought two doses of medicine, drank them, and then rode her horse on the road, heading towards the capital.
Since someone didn't want her to go back, she should do the opposite. Coincidentally, she suddenly remembered that she had some unfinished business.
It's time to give those people a surprise.
About a day later, she stood at the gate of Changsheng Temple outside the capital.
Outside the door, a Taoist boy was sweeping the snow and stood there, bowing and saying, "Donor."
She nodded, walked through the door, and then walked out of the hall. Lou Wanqiao looked at the Taoist priest kneeling in front of the statue of the Three Pure Ones and said softly, "Yuesheng."
The Taoist priest paused, slowly stood up, and turned around to look.
There was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
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