Chapter 79 079 "Ah, I forgot. You don't like my wine..."
--
"Lotus...mark?"
Jiang Ling'er murmured, completely bewildered.
Perhaps it was Zhang Liangxiang's silver-haired appearance that reminded her of the old镖头 (bodyguard), or perhaps it was the pent-up frustration and resentment that had been suppressed for so long that finally found an outlet. After a brief loss of control, Jiang Ling'er quickly turned away, hastily wiped away her tears, and composed herself.
Zhang Liangxiang, the sect leader Wuyazi, and Pei Xuan all lowered their eyes or turned their heads away to avoid eye contact, only turning their gazes back to Jiang Ling'er after she had composed herself.
Zhang Liangxiang finally asked the question he had always wanted to ask:
"The Crown Prince was born with a lotus flower mark between his eyebrows, hence His Majesty named him 'Liansheng' (Lotus Birth). Have you... have you ever heard the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) mention anything about the Crown Prince? His whereabouts?"
Jiang Ling'er turned around, sniffed, and if you ignored the redness around her eyes, she looked no different from usual. Except her voice was still a little hoarse.
"I have no idea."
She genuinely didn't know anything about lotus-born, leaf-born, bird-born...
They say the same thing to everyone who comes.
As he finished speaking, Zhang Liangxiang's and the sect leader Wuyazi's brilliant eyes dimmed simultaneously. But Zhang Liangxiang remained undeterred, his eyes fixed on her, and continued:
“Nephew, six years ago, eight boys were divided into four groups under Xu Fu's arrangement. The Crown Prince was not comfortable entrusting them to anyone else, so the old镖头 (head镖师, a term for a bodyguard/escort) personally escorted them. During this time, they were ambushed by the Demonic Cult, and the details of what happened are unknown... The Crown Prince also disappeared after that. Only the old镖头 knows his whereabouts. Think about it carefully, is it really... really that you know nothing about it?”
Jiang Ling'er's brows relaxed for a moment, then tightened again.
Zhang Liangxiang did not believe her.
Throughout the journey, whether it was the "Longevity Manual" or some utterly nonsensical claim about Crown Prince Lian Sheng, she had explained far too much. Jiang Ling'er's brows furrowed, showing signs of impatience. Seeing Zhang Liangxiang's earnest gaze, and knowing he was a respected and beloved minister, she couldn't bring herself to speak harshly. Out of the corner of her eye, she inadvertently caught sight of the young Taoist priest who had remained silent and taciturn, his eyes lowered, standing guard beside her since she entered the hall…
Pei Xuan seemed like a completely different person.
Silence, coldness, and alienation.
It seems like he's indifferent to everything.
As if sensing her gaze, the young Taoist priest's eyebrows twitched, and he lazily lifted his eyelids, giving her a very slight smile. It was as if he were saying—
See? What did I say?
He has such a slutty look on his face.
Jiang Ling'er suddenly understood this guy's intention.
I now understand the inexplicable conversation that happened in the hot spring earlier.
As long as she remains the daughter of Jiang Leilong, the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort), she will face relentless questioning. Not to mention the members of the demonic cult who are after her, not to mention her husband Ji Yunshu, not to mention He Yong, her mentor and friend who watched her grow up, not to mention… the little poisoner. Even the respected minister Zhang Liangxiang, even the righteous leader like the sect leader Wuyazi.
As long as she is "Jiang Ling'er", no one will believe her.
As long as she is "Jiang Ling'er", she will never have a moment of peace.
Jiang Ling'er took a deep breath, steadied her gaze, and repeated the same words:
"I have no idea."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Liangxiang paused, let out a long sigh, and slumped his shoulders, appearing as if he had aged several years in an instant. The sect leader, Master Wuyazi, also patted his old friend's shoulder reassuringly, then inquired about Jiang Ling'er's experiences along the way.
After all... everyone knew that on the day of the old镖头's blood-stained birthday banquet, the Jiang father and daughter died on the spot and "deserved to die."
And now Jiang Ling'er has reappeared here completely unharmed, which is truly strange.
Jiang Ling'er opened her mouth to answer, but as soon as she spoke, she inevitably mentioned the little poison, and her face, which had just regained its color, turned pale again.
She didn't care what others said about her, or if they said she was still using the title of the young master's wife of Sun Moon Fortress to mingle with crooked sects—that was the truth. But in front of Zhang Liangxiang, a minister of state, Wuyazi, the leader of the righteous path, and her old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) friends… she didn't want to bring shame upon her father and the old镖头.
She cannot lie about this.
"I..." Jiang Ling'er's face was pale, and the first word she uttered felt like ice crystals filling her chest. A heavy, metallic smell rose in her breath, and she took a deep breath to suppress it, her voice even hoarseer, "It's Xiao..."
Suddenly, a familiar, lazy voice interrupted her:
"Is this like interrogating a criminal?"
Jiang Ling'er paused, then an arm was hooked around her shoulder. She glanced to the side and could only see the unparalleled profile of the person beside her, as beautiful as jade.
Pei Xuanfeng's eyes were cold as she casually glanced at Zhang Liangxiang and the sect leader, Wuyazi:
"My lords, can't you see that the young lady is still seriously injured and hasn't fully recovered?"
Jiang Ling'er's eyes flickered. She wanted to say something, but when Pei Xuan turned his head and glanced at her, she shut her mouth.
Zhang Liangxiang and Wuyazi were both taken aback upon hearing this. Seeing Jiang Ling'er's almost bloodless face, the sect leader, Wuyazi, was the first to shake his head with a smile:
"I'm getting senile, I'm getting senile! It's my fault for not being hospitable enough, my dear nephew, please don't take offense!"
The sect leader, Master Wuyazi, immediately summoned his young disciple and instructed him to treat Jiang Ling'er well. Zhang Liangxiang also nodded apologetically to her.
"It was my impatience. There is plenty of time in the future. You should stay at Lingxiao Sect and take good care of your injuries."
Jiang Ling'er silently agreed to everything, while Pei Xuan, seemingly boneless, leaned almost half his weight on her. She endured it for a moment, but finally couldn't help but lower her voice, speaking in a threatening tone:
"Hello……"
Pei Xuan released her hand just as she couldn't help but elbow him, giving her a knowing smile before cutting her off:
You're welcome.
Jiang Ling'er choked a little, frowning as she watched Pei Xuan walk out with his hands behind his head, looking nonchalant.
"Never serious."
But that wasn't what she said.
Jiang Ling'er looked at the sect leader, Wu Yazi, upon hearing the sound. Wu Yazi watched Pei Xuan's figure disappear around the corner, shook his head, withdrew his gaze, and then fell on Jiang Ling'er, saying gently:
“Nephew, it is inconvenient to reveal your identity. Why don’t you stay at my Lingxiao Sect?”
declarative sentence.
Jiang Ling'er was slightly taken aback, and her ten fingers, hidden in her sleeve, curled up slightly.
“Yes, the martial world is full of risks. If others find out that you are still alive, even if you don’t know the Longevity Manual or the whereabouts of the Crown Prince, how could they let you go so easily? How could I face the spirit of the old镖头 in the afterlife?”
Zhang Liangxiang stared at her silently, his imposing presence, typical of a high-ranking official, spreading out like a tidal wave.
Under the intense gaze of the two elders, Jiang Ling'er couldn't help but swallow, swallowing back the words she was about to say, and nodded very slightly.
Zhang Liangxiang then relaxed and comforted him, saying, "Good child. You are Brother Jiang's only surviving descendant. I will risk my life to protect you."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling'er simply turned her head away, smiled, and remained silent.
-------------------------------------
"Trying to trap me? No way!"
That night.
In the still of the night, Jiang Ling'er, who should have been fast asleep, was packing her bags while grumbling and cursing.
Zhang Liangxiang and Wu Yazi didn't believe Jiang Ling'er, and naturally, Jiang Ling'er didn't believe them either.
Even though, in their words, the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) was a close friend with whom they had entrusted their lives.
Their sweet talk about protecting her was nothing more than a plan to confine her to Dagushan Mountain, making her a caged bird or a fish in a pond.
Even if it's true, as they say, that it's for her safety, for Jiang Ling'er it's just moving from one coffin to another; she's still a lonely ghost, never to see the light of day... How boring.
This is so boring!
The sect leader, Master Wuyazi, was extremely generous, sending his disciples to deliver handfuls of spiritual herbs, which Jiang Ling'er accepted without missing a single one. The pills of the Lingxiao Sect were renowned for their value; even if one didn't consume them, they could be sold for a large sum of money.
She was completely unaware that she was being incredibly stingy, even considering whether to steal the Lingxiao Sect's tea. She had tasted it and found it delicious; these old Taoist priests were always enjoying themselves... Suddenly, the window frame clicked shut.
Then the window frame was opened by a large, slender hand:
"come out."
A handsome, fair-skinned young Taoist priest peeked in through the window. Showing no discomfort at the prospect of sneaking into a woman's quarters at night, he paused, his phoenix eyes sweeping over Jiang Ling'er before he smiled.
"What, are you going to empty out our Lingxiao Sect?"
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
There was still some awkwardness, but there was no need to be in front of this guy. Jiang Ling'er quickly figured it out and, in front of Pei Xuan, openly and generously emptied the house of everything that looked valuable before following him onto the roof.
-------------------------------------
On a deep winter night, the Cangshan Mountains were covered in snow, and the stars were lonely.
It's very cold.
Jiang Ling'er hugged her arms and shivered, staring at the lonely moon in the sky, speechless for a moment.
"What are you thinking about?"
Suddenly, a wine jug appeared before her. Just as Jiang Ling'er was about to reach for it, the person beside her seemed to remember something and said softly:
"Oh, I forgot. You don't like my wine."
The wine jug that was in front of her suddenly turned around and returned to its owner. The owner of the wine jug smiled at her with his phoenix eyes curving, and for a moment it seemed as if a fox tail could be seen swaying.
"You can't be too careful, I understand."
After saying that, he took a swig and left Jiang Ling'er's hand frozen in place, speechless.
I've never seen such a vengeful person in my life!
Jiang Ling'er could tolerate Zhang Liangxiang and the sect leader Wuyazi, but now that it's just the two of them, Jiang Ling'er has no way to tolerate it!
She dodged the wine from Pei Xuan's hand, gulped it down, and as the wine warmed her up, she let out a soft burp, as if releasing all the pent-up frustration of the day, finally feeling much better.
Pei Xuan looked at his empty palms and chuckled lightly, not minding at all. He crossed his hands behind his head and lay back. Jiang Ling'er sat casually beside him, holding a wine pot in her slender hand. She was easily flushed when she drank, and after a sip of strong liquor, her face was already red.
His eyes seemed to be veiled with a layer of mist as he gazed at the lonely moon on the horizon, remaining silent for a long time.
Pei Xuan looked at her silently for a while, then smiled and said, "Regret it now? There's no turning back."
Jiang Ling'er scratched her hair impatiently: "I know."
Pei Xuan seemed to be drunk as well. His gaze passed over the woman's flushed cheeks and also fell on the lonely moon in the sky. The silver moon was hazy, and in a daze, he seemed to see ashen bodies and white bones scattered all over the ground...
He was truly drunk, and he gave a slight, mocking smirk.
"What do you know? You had no idea this would happen..."
Jiang Ling'er glared at him, and the young Taoist choked and obediently shut his mouth.
What she hated most in her life was nonsense like "Jiang Ling'er, you don't understand anything!"
Jiang Ling'er gulped down another mouthful of wine, the lonely moon appearing as a double image before her eyes. She wasn't reminiscing about the past, nor was she regretting anything; she was simply curious...
She was curious about the one named "Liansheng," even though Zhang Liangxiang and Wuyazi called him "Crown Prince" and "the future of the Song Dynasty" repeatedly, she didn't acknowledge him.
What she was curious about was what kind of person was worth her father protecting with his life.
Does he deserve it?
Of course, there was no need to tell this scoundrel Taoist priest any of this.
Jiang Ling'er glanced disdainfully at the drunken, dejected Taoist priest, still unable to believe that the person in front of her was the carefree little immortal Taoist priest whom Yang Dalang had described as unparalleled in history, whose sword could chill fourteen provinces.
It's a pity that Yang Dalang went blind at such a young age.
Jiang Ling'er shook her head inwardly, then tilted her head back and gulped down another mouthful of wine. Suddenly, she mumbled in a daze:
"The plum blossoms are in bloom."
He then stood up rather unsteadily and rudely shoved the wine pot back into the young Taoist's arms.
Pei Xuan paused, raised his eyes, and was suddenly met with a long, slender finger, dangling in front of him like an annoying mosquito. Seeing that Pei Xuan was about to fall off the roof, a vein throbbed on his forehead, and he instantly shook off his previous dejection and grabbed the mischievous fingertip!
He managed to pull the drunkard into his arms, preventing him from falling off the eaves.
The wine jug in his arms clattered loudly, and he thought, "Oh no."
I never expected this girl to have such a low alcohol tolerance and even worse drinking manners; she dared to force herself to drink even though she couldn't handle it.
Jiang Ling'er was puzzled. The lonely moon in the sky seemed to be in pairs, and the rogue Taoist priest in front of her was also swaying and his image doubled into two people...
Ugh, this is even more annoying.
"You filthy scoundrel, if you dare to sneak into my boudoir again..." Jiang Ling'er shook her head violently, but instead of driving away the annoying Taoist priest, two more appeared! Four irritating Taoist priests grabbed her hands, restraining her, which only fueled her anger. She gritted her teeth, stood on tiptoe, and headbutted Pei Xuan on the forehead, roaring, "Be careful, or I'll tell your sect leader to arrest you!"
With a muffled groan, and as the world spun around, Pei Xuan grabbed the drunkard by the waist and with a forceful movement, he threw him onto the snow, and Jiang Ling'er fell on top of him!
The falling snow, along with Jiang Ling'er's roar and Pei Xuan's muffled groan, completely buried the snow.
After a long while, the snow piled up as high as a hill finally trembled, and snowflakes fell down, first revealing a long, raven-feather-like head covered in snow, and then a small head buried in front of him.
Pei Xuan still had one arm around Jiang Ling'er's waist. If it weren't for his compassionate embrace, this drunkard would be the one lying on the ground, smashed into a pulp!
With his other hand, he rubbed his already swollen forehead in pain, his face grim as he stared at the little head in front of him, his tone chilling—even a clay figure would have lost its temper.
"Hello……"
Jiang Ling'er's face was flushed from drinking. She tilted her head to the side, rested it on the young Taoist's chest, and fell asleep.
If you listen carefully, you can even hear the very faint breathing of someone fast asleep.
Pei Xuan: "..."
The young Taoist priest froze, staring at the drunkard who was resting on his chest for a long while. Jiang Ling'er seemed to be having a sweet dream, a faint smile on her lips, murmuring something. She looked much better than she had been looking mournful for days.
Suddenly, he felt a warmth on his chest, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a silver thread trailing from the corner of Jiang Ling'er's bright red lips...
My eyelids twitched as if they had been burned, and I looked away, my heart pounding.
The young Taoist scratched his head, his phoenix eyes, unusually clear and filled with a misty, bewildered look, as he gazed at the full moon and gave a bitter laugh.
What kind of nonsense is this?
-----------------------
Author's Note: There will be another update today! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2024-03-27 23:01:43 and 2024-04-04 20:02:18!
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Zhongli Syndrome, Wind Awaits Burial (1 each);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com