Chapter 66 [VIP]
Li Miaosuo: "Since it is Lord Lu's order, I am naturally willing to help. Changdi, Feixin, you two go and receive the official silver." The two girls left at Li Miaosuo's command.
Lu Xuejin led Tengluo onto the carriage and asked, "How far is it from here to the sect, Miss?"
“It’s not far. My place is just outside Dingzhou City.” Li Miaosuo smiled at him.
“I felt it was a pity that Lord Lu did not agree yesterday, but fortunately he changed his mind today,” Li Miaosuo said. “So you and your brother are going to part ways now?”
“I sent him into the city first, and I will meet him up after I have visited the girl. I have told him to wait for me in the city,” Lu Xuejin said.
Li Miaosuo smiled and looked at the two of them, saying, "My sect is located on Shuangse Mountain. There is a sacred mountain outside Dingzhou City, with different peaks on both sides. Originally, I went to Leiyin Temple to borrow some scriptures, but the monks there recognized me, and I thought I would never come back."
"Thanks to Lord Lu's benevolent heart, I was able to escape. I ate the ants and vines in the well for half a month, and only now have I regained some of my sense of taste."
Lu Xuejin listened quietly, recalling the time he had seen the four girls yesterday. The official silver must have been moved away by then. The woman before him smiled, seemingly already seeing through his thoughts.
“The young lady is resilient; she will surely see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
As Tengluo listened beside Lu Xuejin, the woman opposite her spoke lightly of eating insects and vines. Imagining the poisonous snake she had seen back then, Tengluo's face wrinkled, and she felt slightly nauseous.
Li Miaosuo smiled and said, "It must be the will of Heaven."
Their carriage traveled towards the Two-Colored Mountain, where they could see in the distance the two distinctly colored peaks, which, under the sun, resembled a giant swaying tree split in two. The fallen tree had formed the two halves of the mountain, and the verdant vegetation emitted a mysterious glow. Between those peaks, an arched cave had been built, which was the entrance to the Saha sect.
The mountain road leads directly to the entrance, where a colossal statue stands. The statue depicts a woman dressed in a hooded robe and lotus-patterned skirt, her face adorned with silver ornaments, her expression compassionate and merciful. She holds a lamp in one hand, her brows lowered and her back bent. The statue stands firm in the wind, its resilience and grandeur only amplified by the erosion of sand and dust.
Lu Xuejin and Tengluo alighted from the carriage. Tengluo had never seen so many statues of deities before, completely different from the Northern style. Besides the enormous statues, the walls were covered with carved female faces, the knife work delicate and lifelike. She seemed to see many devout women of the church wearing silver ornaments.
Gentle, serene, peaceful, elegant, angry, with lowered eyes, with narrowed gaze, curious, suspicious, and infatuated—the statues, each with a different expression, nestled among the cracks in the stone, like spirits growing from the rock itself. Hooded robes and long skirts became their uniform attire, making it impossible to discern their identities; they appeared as a group of identical women.
The devout woman was cast into a statue of a goddess. Surrounding the central goddess statue, the sun shone on it, and the lamps reflected light, illuminating the entire cave and making its interior bright and clear.
“I have always stayed in the South and have never been to the North. I have heard of Lord Lu’s reputation in the South, but after meeting Lord Lu in person, I understand why everyone says that Lord Lu is exceptionally talented,” Li Miaosuo said to Lu Xuejin.
"Lord Lu previously discussed with me the difference between civilization and barbarism. There is a clear dividing line between them. The reason why barbarians fear civilized people is that civilized people, after experiencing prosperity, treat barbarians with a barbaric attitude. I admire civilization, and I also admire Lord Lu." Li Miaosuo smiled, her bodhisattva-like face revealing an unfathomable smile.
Behind her, many figures emerged from beneath the statue, with believers dressed in identical attire, transforming into rows of ghostly figures beneath the statue.
"When Lord Lu rescued me, I was worried that he would harm me. But after arriving here, I understand completely. Lord Lu is truly a gentleman, letting me go and sending the Ninth Prince away. However, I cannot release Lord Lu just because he saved me, after all... I only obey the Prince of Wei."
As soon as the words "Ninth Prince" were uttered, Lu Xuejin immediately understood, but his reaction was a little too slow. The woman in front of him smiled and a dagger from her sleeve flipped out and pierced straight through his abdomen.
With a "thud," blood instantly seeped through Lu Xuejin's robes. He saw the woman in front of him take out a token. It was a black token with a crescent moon and the character "Lu" on it; it was the token of the Shadow Guard.
Li Miaosuo: "Lord Lu is too intelligent. I am always worried that I am no match for you... It would be better if you were a little weaker."
The sharp dagger pierced through his intestines, followed by excruciating pain. His internal organs felt like they were about to be severed, making it almost impossible for Lu Xuejin to utter a sound. Silence fell around him, and his fingertips trembled involuntarily.
A large amount of blood spilled from his palm. Tengluo screamed beside him, calling out "Young Master!" He quickly pressed Tengluo down. He gripped Tengluo's wrist tightly, barely managing to remain calm. Li Miaosuo's face blurred before his eyes, and the group of believers became distorted.
Hot blood flowed from his abdomen. He clutched his wound; this woman's target was His Highness, not him. She was only keeping him here out of fear of his interference. The official silver had been robbed… Now she needed to inform His Highness not to set foot in this woman's territory.
Seeing her young master's face turn pale, and without even seeing when the dagger appeared, she realized how dare this vixen have injured him. She was about to remove the hairpin from her hair when the young man beside her pressed her down, and she quickly supported him. She covered Lu Xuejin's wound, where blood was flowing profusely, and she cried out in distress.
“Young master, these Shadow Guards were sent by His Majesty. Does His Majesty intend to kill us?” she said deliberately. “His Majesty not only wants Your Highness’s life, but also ours. He’s a bastard.”
Li Miaosuo ordered, "Guards, take them away. Send men to chase after the Ninth Prince and bring back his head at all costs."
After giving her instructions, Li Miaosuo saw that the little girl was about to cry, and gently comforted her, "Don't worry, once the Ninth Prince arrives and I have completed my task, I will let you and your young master leave."
“What are these injuries to a grown man like him? Do you know that once I was captured by soldiers and stabbed in the stomach, my intestines almost spilled out? Don’t cry. Once you step into enemy territory, you should be prepared not to leave unscathed. If all you do is cry, you’ll only end up being eaten.”
Li Miaosuo leaned closer to Tengluo, looking at her with her kind eyes. Her eyes reflected Tengluo's crying face, and although she smiled, there was no smile in her eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot. She gently patted Tengluo's face, but Tengluo glared at her angrily, and she withdrew her hand.
“If it weren’t for Lord Lu, how could the Ninth Prince have escaped the capital? If we want to deal with the Ninth Prince, we naturally have to go through Lord Lu. Lord Lu, I am not an official in the capital. If His Majesty blames me for this, he should come to the Southern Border.” Li Miaosuo said with a smile.
The bright red blood evoked the unbearable pain of a pierced abdomen.
The pain was excruciating. Sharp. Disembowelment. Broken bones. Disembowelment. Disembowelment. The pain almost made him hallucinate, as if he were already lying beneath Li Miaosuo's dagger. His breathing became incredibly weak, and the tinnitus became incredibly clear.
Lu Xuejin noticed the blood gushing out with each breath, which distracted him. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, landing on his clothes. He looked at the woman before him; she was incredibly shrewd, sensing his intentions the moment he changed his mind. That gentle, smiling, benevolent face transformed into a sharp blade piercing his heart.
“Miss Li, my injury is a minor matter, but the government silver is of great importance. Since you care about the people of Liancheng, you should know how important that government silver is to them... Why do you still want to exchange it for government silver?” he asked in a low voice.
“Of course I care about the people of Liancheng. The gold mine of Leiyin Temple has been confiscated by you, Lord Lu. I’m afraid you don’t know the reason. It would be too complicated to explain. The gold mine is also my property. Since you gave it away, I will naturally make up for it from other sources.”
Li Miaosuo: "If the people join my sect, I will distribute government silver to them. This will ensure that everyone has enough to eat and wear and is free from the suffering of drought."
He could hear his own heartbeat. Beneath the enormous statue, he sensed a dark figure slip into Li Miaosuo's body. All that had been discussed with him earlier was merely a facade to deceive him. This person knew what he wanted to hear, using sincerity to win his heartfelt admiration. Therefore, he should admire her; this woman was incredibly intelligent, ruthless in achieving her goals. Knowing he was injured, His Highness would surely come.
For some reason, he felt a strange sense of loss beneath the statue, as if his senses were clouded by an illusion. The lamp held in the goddess's hand had become a mirage; the light people saw in the darkness was false, used to bewitch their hearts.
He and Tengluo were taken to a cell. The cell was well-furnished, but the iron bars made it easy for outsiders to see their every move. He leaned against the wall and could see Tengluo's face, which was holding back tears. Tengluo stayed by his side and said to him, "Young master, let me take a look at your wound. What if the bleeding continues? That witch is so cruel."
Tengluo: "We shouldn't have saved her. She took advantage of your kindness, young master. She's a bad person."
As she spoke, Tengluo, worried about disturbing others, wiped away her tears with her sleeve. Seeing this, Lu Xuejin lifted his robe, revealing his pierced abdomen. The dagger had penetrated deeply, and the exposed flesh was faintly visible. He looked at the wound, covered it with his hand to prevent further bleeding, and weakly comforted the girl beside him.
"It's alright. It might heal by tomorrow. Don't worry, we'll just wait for His Highness's good news," he said.
"Don't cry, Tengluo." Lu Xuejin wanted to wipe Tengluo's tears, but found that she could barely lift her hand now.
Tengluo was about to cry again. Looking at the injuries, if the young master wasn't treated today, he might bleed to death. She looked at the women guarding them through the iron bars. She recognized these women from the inn; they were one of the demoness's daughters. It seemed to be the second daughter, named Mu'e.
She approached the person leaning against the railing and called out, "Hey. Are you Mu'e? Sister Mu'e, could you please get some medicine for my young master? Even if you're going to arrest him, if his injuries are serious, the Emperor might question you. All you need are needles, thread, and candles. Is that alright?"
She called out for a long time, but the guarding woman remained unresponsive, like a piece of wood. She called out beside her for an hour, until her voice was hoarse, but the woman stood there motionless, without even changing her posture.
As night fell, she stayed by Lu Xuejin's side, watching the young master faint, his clothes soaked with blood. She forced herself to calm down; it seemed this woman would have to stay here all night. She looked at the young man's pale face, tears welling up in her eyes with immense heartache, and walked to the cell door, pulling out her hairpin.
Right in front of Mu'e, she easily pried open the lock with a hairpin. With a "snap," the woman appeared beside her like a ghost, her long sword pointed at her. If she dared to step out of the cell, the sword would undoubtedly slit her throat. She also pointed her sharp hairpin at Mu'e's throat.
“If you don’t give me medicine, my young master might die here today. Go ahead and do it, let’s see if your sword is faster or my hairpin pierces your throat first. You are a vixen with no humanity, if I kill you, it will be as if I am doing justice for heaven,” Tengluo said in a choked voice.
"Mu'e?" The two women were on the verge of exchanging blows when Li Miaosuo stepped in. Hearing Tengluo's voice, she couldn't help but laugh. When she came up from the well, this girl looked so innocent; Tengluo had even changed her into the lotus-patterned dress for her. She did have a rather favorable impression of Tengluo, noticing the resemblance between her and her youngest daughter.
"Mother." Upon hearing Li Miaosuo's voice, Mu'e immediately sheathed her sword.
"What's going on? Is someone going to die?" Li Miaosuo asked.
Taking advantage of the opening, as she didn't need to bow to the demoness, she seized the opportunity the moment Mu'e sheathed her sword. The hairpin in her hand pressed against Mu'e's neck, piercing Mu'e's skin and drawing blood.
"Witch. If you don't give my young master medicine, you'll see your daughter's corpse soon," Tengluo threatened.
"See? I told you long ago, we can't let our guard down at any time." Li Miaosuo laughed, but her gaze turned cold as she looked at Mu E. "Now this little brat has found an opportunity."
Li Miaosuo then said to Tengluo, "I came here to deliver medicine to Lord Lu. Don't worry, I would never let Lord Lu die here. It's just that I was delayed for a while. Someone, sew up Lord Lu's wound."
“We would never dare to touch officials in the capital. Look at you, how anxious you are. Young lady, you must not act impulsively. Put down the hairpin. How can something beautiful be used to hurt people?”
Upon hearing this, Tengluo said, "You don't need to do anything. Just bring the medicine, and I will take care of the young master myself. You are not allowed to approach him."
Li Miaosuo had someone bring in medicine for the wounds. The medicine was placed next to the tea table, along with candles and a flame. The needles were silver. Tengluo remained vigilant; she first tasted some of the medicine, and finding no unusual flavor, she released it. The woman she had threatened with the hairpin showed no reaction, remaining as still as a corpse. She showed neither fear nor any emotion, seemingly lost in her own mistake, utterly silent.
Lu Xuejin, who had fallen to the ground, heard a noise in his blur. His expression darkened, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that the vine was blocking his way. The girl's thin body was fragile, yet incredibly resilient.
A note from the author:
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