Chapter 95 095 "Finally stopped pretending?"
The warm candlelight reflected on her face, and Jiang Ling'er's almond-shaped eyes clearly reflected the handsome, slightly frosty face of the young Taoist priest.
Pei Xuan stared blankly at Jiang Ling'er, who was looking at him, and felt that she seemed different from before...
But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different, and could only shake his head with a wry smile.
"nothing."
His gaze fell on the calligraphy scroll in Jiang Ling'er's hand, and he said in a deep voice:
"This is the White Snake Alliance."
Jiang Ling'er: "What is the White Snake Alliance?"
"Long ago, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, swore a blood oath. Six years ago, to ensure the safe departure of the Crown Prince from the capital, the Taoist Xu Fu, under the pretext of seeking elixirs of immortality for the late emperor, disguised the Crown Prince Lian Sheng among eight boys of the same age. Under Xu Fu's arrangement, the eight boys split into four groups. Not trusting anyone else with the Crown Prince, the old镖头 (head镖师, a powerful镖师 in Chinese martial arts) personally escorted him. The other three groups, using the 'Longevity Formula' as a code, secretly invited various martial arts sects to assist them. Everyone wore masks, except for the old镖头, who knew the identities of the others. They all drank white snake blood, swearing never to reveal a single word about the boys' whereabouts."
Pei Xuan stared at Jiang Ling'er, "As you know, the number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in the world, led by the old镖头 (head镖师), is one group, our Lingxiao Sect is another, and the escort is Yang Dalang, while the other two groups are right here—"
The young Taoist priest pointed to a spot on the White Snake Alliance site: "Sun and Moon Fortress" and "Shaolin Temple".
Jiang Ling'er paused, surprised to see "Sun and Moon Fortress" mentioned in the White Snake Alliance. Since Sun and Moon Fortress was also a sect escorting the Crown Prince, she wondered if Ji Yunshu...
Then he remembered that this happened six years ago, and Ji Yunshu had only been recognized and returned to Sun and Moon Fort a few years, so she might not know about it.
Pei Xuan's long fingers traced the small vermilion characters that appeared on the calligraphy scroll, counting them one by one.
"All four of our groups were ambushed by the Demonic Sect. These tiny cinnabar characters, like names written in blood, include many of my junior brothers and sisters, the former Seven Sons of Lingxiao, who have all passed away. I never imagined that even the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) would..."
Jiang Ling'er clenched her hands, which were hidden in her sleeves. Strangely, upon hearing news of the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort), her eyes shone even brighter amidst her silence.
Yuan Zao's expression was also not good. Upon suddenly learning the truth about the old镖头's self-immolation after enduring humiliation, she glanced at Jiang Ling'er and held back her tears.
Meanwhile, Lian Sheng, whose speech had been silenced by acupressure, listened blankly, his face turning deathly pale for some reason.
In an instant, several images flashed through my mind.
【You should stay peacefully at Jiming Temple... The situation at court is unstable right now, and the Emperor has not yet consolidated his power. It would be kind of you, Your Highness, to serve as a novice monk for now. Abbot Jinghai is on good terms with me and will certainly treat you well...】
I'll come see you again next month...
"I would never abandon Your Highness. But... I see Your Highness as someone who will only bring you danger... Your Highness, rest assured, I have entrusted Your Highness to Abbot Jinghai, who will certainly take good care of you."
"I'm giving this string of prayer beads to Your Highness; I must be leaving now."
I can no longer see you.
Your Highness...
It's understandable that Jiang Ling'er and Yuan Zao were heartbroken and lost their composure upon hearing such a secret. But it's strange that this young monk, whose face was bruised and bloodless from being beaten, looked even more heartbroken than Jiang Ling'er and Yuan Zao.
No, this little monk was strange and abnormal from the very beginning.
Pei Xuan glanced at him and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" He paused, then added, "Oh, I forgot you were acupunctured."
Pei Xuan raised his hand to release the pressure point that had silenced him. The young monk remained silent, only clutching the Buddhist prayer beads wrapped around his wrist tightly from an angle where no one could see him.
Pei Xuan frowned and glanced at him, temporarily ignoring the little monk's strange behavior, and turned to stare at Jiang Ling'er:
"Actually, no one except the old镖头 (head镖师, a term referring to a powerful figure or group of people) knows which group the Crown Prince is hiding in. Since the old镖头 is dead, in other words, assuming that the boy he was escorting was not the Crown Prince, then the Crown Prince is very likely hiding in Sun Moon Fortress or Shaolin Temple. Thanks to you, we have finally found a clue."
This trip was definitely worthwhile!
Jiang Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to say something, Yuan Zao suddenly grabbed her arm, his eyes sparkling, unable to contain his joy.
"I knew it... I knew Zhao Xiao had wronged the old镖头! How could the old镖头 be... how could he be the murderer of Uncle Zhao Ji!"
Jiang Ling'er paused for a moment: "Tell me slowly."
Yuan Zao pointed to the signatures of the four major sects on the White Snake Alliance. Although they didn't specify any individuals, only the names of the four major sects, her hands were still trembling with excitement.
"Sister Ling'er, do you remember? Only Uncle Zhao Ji would draw a circle after every stroke of the pen, and we... we even laughed at it! This White Snake Alliance was signed by Uncle Zhao Ji, and Uncle Zhao Ji also participated in the White Snake Alliance, so... so he wasn't killed by the old镖头 (bodyguard), but by the Demonic Sect. Zhao Xiao wronged the old镖头!"
"How do you know about this? What else do you know?" Jiang Ling'er frowned. "Don't rush, explain slowly."
Yuan Zao gripped Jiang Ling'er's hand tightly, her eyes shining brightly: "Sister Ling'er, Zhao Xiao was definitely used by that woman..."
Which woman?
Just as Jiang Ling'er was about to ask, Pei Xuan suddenly said:
"There's someone there."
With a flick of his sleeve, the candlelight on the lampstand went out.
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A short while later, someone stumbled into the hall and sat down on the throne belonging to the chief镖头 (chief镖头 is a term for a bodyguard/escort), panting heavily.
Soon, more people came in, one light and one heavy footstep, clearly a man and a woman following them in.
Jiang Ling'er, Pei Xuan, Yuan Zao, and the little monk hid behind a huge bookshelf, holding their breath. Unfortunately, from their angle, they could only see the lower half of the person approaching through the gaps in the books, and could not see their face.
Soon a woman's voice came, giggling:
"Who scared you like that? You're pathetic."
It was clearly addressed to the person sitting in the position of chief bodyguard.
Through the gap, Jiang Ling'er could only see the person sitting in the seat staring at her palm without saying a word, seemingly lost in thought.
A name is vaguely emerging, and right now only Zhao Xiao would rightfully sit in the position of chief镖头 (chief镖师, a high-ranking镖师, often used in the sense of a ...
However, without seeing the person, Jiang Ling'er was unwilling to draw any conclusions easily.
Soon, another of the three, clearly a servant, bowed to light the candlesticks. Suddenly, a gentle breeze stirred, and the woman's eyes sharpened as she looked directly behind the bookshelf—
"Who is it? Show yourself."
The candlelight was dim, casting a shadowy, silent glow on the bookshelves. The woman, her eyes alluring, chuckled softly and was about to step forward when a woman timidly emerged from behind the bookshelves…
It is Yuan Zao.
The woman seemed to recognize Yuan Zao, and chuckled softly while covering her mouth.
“It’s you.”
As Yuan Zao went out, Jiang Ling'er had a better view and finally saw the woman's face clearly.
The woman was indeed charming, just like her delicate voice, and she was also holding a guqin in her arms.
Actually, after being discovered by the woman, Jiang Ling'er wanted to go out and fight, since she was bound to fight anyway, but Yuan Zao pressed her back down.
After Yuan Zao came out, she started to act crazy again. She seemed to hate this woman very much. The moment she saw the woman, she wanted to hit and bite her, but was stopped by the servant.
The person sitting in the seat finally spoke, his tone cold and full of displeasure:
"How come she wasn't poisoned?"
The servant stopped Yuan Zao while explaining, "Master, Miss Yuan has a dedicated servant to take care of her, so she didn't eat the poison that True Lord Wenshan put in her food."
Jiang Ling'er's eyes sharpened; it was indeed these people who were behind this!
"So this is the second young lady everyone wants to marry? She's truly pitiful. It's such a pity that such a lovely girl has gone mad." The woman giggled as she swayed to the table, her nail-painted hand touching the man's chest. "Don't you think so?"
The man dodged her hand and said coldly:
"It's none of your business."
Jiang Ling'er stared intently through the crack, constantly watching for Yuan Zao's safety. Fortunately, these people didn't seem to intend to harm her, and Jiang Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly a very low voice came to my ear:
"Kongwu".
Jiang Ling'er froze, glancing at Pei Xuan who was standing very close to her:
Do you know this person?
Pei Xuan shook his head: "I don't recognize it. But I recognize the zither in her arms, Hao Zhong." The young Taoist narrowed his beautiful phoenix eyes, "That is Hao Zhong, ranked number one among the ten ancient zithers. I heard it belongs to Feng Yue Dao Qin Mo Kong Wu, one of the seven great assassins of the Demonic Sect."
Jiang Ling'er was taken aback upon hearing this. It was actually someone from the Demonic Sect again! And Kong Wu, one of the Demonic Sect's seven great assassins!
She noticed the crescent moon mark on Kong Wu Baoqin's wrist, which was the same as the crescent moon marks on the wrists of the other disciples. They were all members of the Demonic Sect and were clearly her people.
"Unexpectedly, the martial arts tournament attracted members of the Demonic Sect, who then joined forces with the Jurchen lackeys..."
Pei Xuan suddenly had a very bad premonition. Jiang Ling'er and he exchanged a glance... clearly they were thinking the same thing.
Only a few people knew about the White Snake Alliance, but news of the "Longevity Manual" being a book written in human skin spread like wildfire. In order to collect all four copies of the "Longevity Manual" as quickly as possible—
The simplest and most direct way is to capture him at the martial arts tournament that gathers heroes from all over the world and force him to reveal the truth!
Sure enough, the person sitting in the main seat spoke up the next second:
Is everything ready?
The servant reported, "Master, all the men have been detained at the martial arts arena."
"good."
The man finally rose from his seat and emerged from the darkness. The candlelight flickered on his face, revealing a familiar yet strangely eerie expression:
"Once you get the 'Longevity Manual,' kill them all without letting any of them escape."
It really was... Zhao Xiao!
Jiang Ling'er gritted her teeth, and as Zhao Xiao finished speaking, she looked at the pale-faced Yuan Zao and finally understood what Yuan Zao had been hiding.
Jiang Ling'er was both shocked and furious. It turned out that Zhao Xiao not only colluded with the Demonic Sect, but also with the Jurchens!
He orchestrated everything!
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Meanwhile, at the martial arts arena.
The torches were so bright that they almost made the sky look like daytime.
The group, drugged and bound by tea, stood outside the martial arts arena, glaring angrily at the yellow-robed Taoist priest, the True Lord Wenshan of Danxia Cave.
"I know that some of you are hiding the immortal child entrusted to you by Xu Fu six years ago. Hand over the immortal child, and I'll be frank: hand over the 'Longevity Manual,' and I will not make things difficult for you. After I present the 'Longevity Manual' to the Jin prince, perhaps you will be granted an official position?"
Outside the martial arts arena, Master Zongshan of Danxia Cave was the first to be enraged: "Master Wenshan, you have actually become a lackey of the Jin people and done such a despicable thing! You have let down the ancestors of Danxia Cave!"
"Fine!" True Lord Wenshan laughed in anger, pointing his whisk at True Lord Zongshan and the group of Danxia Cave disciples behind him, "I will uphold righteousness and eliminate even my own people, and I will be the first to strike at the people of Danxia Cave!"
The crowd below the martial arts arena was in a frenzy, with insults hurled at them incessantly. Upon hearing the words "Immortal Child" and "The Longevity Manual," Ji Yunshu and Gao Yang exchanged a quick glance. Ji Yunshu slowly shook her head at Gao Yang, signaling him to calm down and proceed cautiously.
In a corner unseen by Gao Yang, Ji Yunshu recalled the foreign youth being taken away, his handsome face gloomy and dark, his fingertips grinding the golden dart in his palm, lost in thought.
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The Great Hall of the World's Number One Escort Agency.
Upon hearing Zhao Xiao's words about wanting to kill them all, Qin Mo Kong Wu suddenly laughed:
"No, one person must be left behind."
Zhao Xiao frowned: "Who?"
"We absolutely cannot let the Jurchens get there first and find the Crown Prince." Kong Wu plucked the strings of her zither with her fingertips, her eyes filled with seductive charm. "The Longevity Manual and the Crown Prince... I want them both."
Jiang Ling'er and Pei Xuan were stunned upon hearing this. They hadn't expected the Demonic Sect to learn of the Crown Prince's whereabouts first.
Could it be that the Crown Prince Liansheng they've been searching for all this time...?
Right now, in Jinling, at the very place of the world's number one escort agency?!
Jiang Ling'er and her two companions hid behind the bookshelf. To her left was Pei Xuan, and to her right was the young monk.
The young monk seemed not to hear the conversation outside and remained silent until an old monk was brought in. The moment the young monk saw the old monk, his pupils contracted. If Jiang Ling'er hadn't covered his mouth in time, he would have been discovered.
"Keep your voice down!" Jiang Ling'er noticed the little monk's strange behavior, paused for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening and whispered in his ear, "...Do you know him?"
The young monk peeked through the crack at the hunched old monk being held captive, his lips trembling:
"This is Abbot Jinghai of Jiming Temple."
--
Zhao Xiao had no interest in any crown prince, much less in an old monk in a little-known, remote temple. He entrusted everything to the Qin Demon Kong Wu.
Even though Abbot Jinghai was being held captive, he remained calm and composed, saying indifferently:
"You fiend, this humble monk will never help you. Forget about it."
Qin Mo Kongwu laughed and said, "Who would have thought that the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) would hide the Crown Prince in a remote temple in Jinling City, right under his nose, and hide him in various temples over the years... If it weren't for the people in my sect keeping a close eye on the old镖头 over the years, I'm afraid we would never have found him in this lifetime. The old镖头 is really good at planning."
As soon as Kong Wu finished speaking, she leaned closer to Abbot Jinghai, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, and spoke each word with deliberation:
"Bald monk, if you don't speak for a moment, I'll kill someone. You don't care about the little monks in your temple, but what about the people in the martial arts arena? What about the people of the world? Let's see how long you and I can hold out! It doesn't matter if you don't point fingers, I'll just slaughter everyone in this city of Jinling, and that will count as completing my mission, don't you think?"
"You...you vixen!"
Abbot Jinghai suddenly vomited blood and fainted.
Kong Wu coldly ordered, "Drag this bald monk to the martial arts arena. I want him to witness the carnage he has committed!"
The little monk's face turned deathly pale, all color draining away.
In an instant, all sorts of sounds flashed through my mind.
Suddenly a blurry figure hugged him and said:
My son, the palace is a dangerous place, like walking on thin ice. We, father and son, must both live with extreme caution…
[His Majesty has no heir and wishes to eliminate me! My son, you must quickly leave the palace with Xu Fu, and remember to protect yourself!]
Then another face, resembling his, flashed by. The boy was dressed as a Taoist novice, a piece of human skin torn bloodily from his back. His face was ashen, his eyes filled with resentment as he murmured to him:
Why me...? It hurts so much...
Then, the old镖头's dignified and upright face flashed before my eyes again:
"I would never abandon Your Highness. But... I see Your Highness as someone who will only bring you danger... Your Highness, rest assured, I have entrusted Your Highness to Abbot Jinghai, who will certainly take good care of you."
"Your Highness, promise me you must, you absolutely must, live on. You are everyone's hope."
Then the faces of young novice monks appeared, surrounding him and questioning him:
It's all your fault! It's all your fault! You brought this bloodshed upon us!
Look at the bloodstains on your hands; you've killed everyone!
You're a jinx!
Finally, the image changed to Abbot Jinghai's compassionate yet aged face.
[I am ashamed to have failed the old镖头's entrustment... Jiming Temple is no longer safe. Abbot Xuanming of Qixia Ancient Temple is on good terms with me, and I have already written a letter for you. Take it and go quickly.]
Don't come back...
The young monk trembled violently, his hand jerking so jerked that he almost dropped the prayer beads wrapped around his wrist.
Blood trickled down from the corner of his lips.
--
Abbot Jinghai was dragged away.
Suddenly, another servant came to report: "Master, the prisoners in the Discipline Hall have been released by someone. All the escaped monks, except for one young monk whose whereabouts are unknown, have been recaptured, but..."
Zhao Xiao frowned: "Speak."
"But the foreign brat who caused trouble at the martial arts arena and his accomplices have not yet been caught..."
Zhao Xiao immediately flew into a rage: "Useless!"
Zhao Xiao, his face grim, was about to go search when he was stopped by Qin Mo Kong Wu:
"Fool, what's more important than the 'Longevity Manual' when someone is going to die anyway? Right now, we need to force them to reveal the 'Longevity Manual.' Those two can't escape the World's Number One Dart even if they had wings. What's your rush?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiao's expression softened slightly. He changed his mind and was about to go to the martial arts arena with Kong Wu when he was suddenly grabbed by Yuan Zao.
Yuan Zao broke free from the servant's grasp and tightly grabbed his hand: "You...you mustn't go."
Seeing that no one could stop her, Yuan Zao gritted her teeth and bit down hard on his tiger's mouth!
A heavy shadow fell over Zhao Xiao's brow!
The Qin Demon glanced at the two of them with amusement, stopped the servant who was about to step forward, and scolded him with a laugh: "You blind fool! Can't you see that your master is flirting?" As she spoke, she gave Zhao Xiao a flirtatious look, "Don't keep me waiting too long, Zhao Lang."
After saying that, she gracefully left, carrying her zither.
After watching Kong Wu leave, Zhao Xiao's gaze fell upon Yuan Zao, and he sneered:
"Finally stopped pretending?"
Yuan Zao paused, slowly released his mouth, remained silent for a long time, and then said only, "...Don't make any more mistakes."
Zhao Xiao narrowed his eyes: "...So you knew everything?"
Seeing Zhao Xiao's expression, Yuan Zao's face turned pale.
Several months ago, she overheard He Yong and Zhao Xiao talking.
He Yong: "We've finally found the whereabouts of Crown Prince Liansheng... The Demonic Sect members and the Golden Man will be gathering at the martial arts tournament. I won't be there, so you must wait for an opportunity..."
Her heart pounded like a drum. Although she managed to escape in time and wasn't caught, from that moment on, in order to protect herself, her father, and the disciples of Xuanwu Hall, she began to feign madness. Zhao Xiao's several attempts to test her failed, but she always managed to fool him with her act, and the matter was dropped.
Seeing Yuan Zao's expression, Zhao Xiao knew his guess was correct:
"So it really was you who was hiding that day."
Yuan Zao bit her lip. Her carefully constructed defenses had finally reached a breaking point. As if she had made a decision, she tried to snap him out of it, shouting, "Zhao Xiao, listen to me! You've misunderstood the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort). There's something fishy about Uncle Zhao Ji's death! You've been used by that woman! You weren't like this before... you weren't like this before..."
Zhao Xiao's expression was gloomy, his anger not showing. But mentioning his father's death enraged him.
"What was I like before? And what am I like now? My father died from the Thunderclap Palm, the charred palm print piercing his chest... You're telling me it wasn't the 'Thunderclap Palm'? How can I not mind?" As he spoke, Zhao Xiao grabbed Yuan Zao by the throat. "If you're going to pretend, then pretend for the rest of your life. Have you seen what happened to the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort)? Since you miss the old镖头 so much, you and your father should go down and join him..."
Before Zhao Xiao could finish speaking, a thunderous sound suddenly rang out from the ground!
Zhao Xiao had no choice but to let go and exchange a palm strike with the newcomer!
The two of them took several steps back!
Zhao Xiao stared at the charred palm prints on his right palm, one old and one new... He suddenly looked up, his eyes wide with fury as he gazed directly at the tall, slender girl who was protecting Yuan Zao behind her.
"...Finally deigning to show yourself?! Jiang Ling'er!"
Jiang Ling'er scoffed in response, handing Yuan Zao to Pei Xuan and instructing him to protect her well.
Meanwhile, the young monk, still behind the bookshelf, peeked through the cracks at Jiang Ling'er's delicate yet beautiful face, and muttered, mimicking Zhao Xiao:
"Jiang Ling'er..."
Recalling Yuan Zao's repeated calls of "Sister Ling'er," how could he not have thought of it... he should have thought of it...
She was actually the daughter of Old Chief Escort Jiang...
Jiang Ling'er.
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Author's note: I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you enjoy the story!
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