Chapter 136, Chapter 136: Doubts...
Chapter 136 Doubt
How could Prince Taiping not know the hatred his son harbored for him? But he thought that if it weren't for him, his wife wouldn't have chosen to commit suicide, and his son wouldn't have lost his mother; therefore, it was right for him to hate him. That must have been what he truly believed.
The Prince of Taiping was filled with emotion, unaware that his thoughts were vastly different from those of Gong Jiu. If these two had simply sat down and had a heart-to-heart talk over the years, sincerely sharing their innermost thoughts, the stalemate between father and son wouldn't have lasted so long.
However, getting along with others is never easy, let alone when there are misunderstandings between Prince Taiping and Gong Jiu. It's normal that they can't talk things out and can't resolve the issue.
This time, Prince Taiping's return to the capital to report on his duties was at the emperor's request. She sent him a letter. The letter not only mentioned the report but also mentioned Gong Jiu. The emperor said that something had happened to Gong Jiu in the capital and that he needed to return.
After handing over the affairs at the border, Prince Taiping led his men back day and night. Now only thirty li from the capital, he was eager to return in one go. Although he was anxious to get back to the capital, Prince Taiping was worried about his horses and decided to stop and rest for the night at an inn.
Those who fight on the battlefield cherish their horses, and the Prince of Taiping cherishes them even more. Otherwise, he would already be on his way back to the capital.
Sigh, I wonder how Xiao Jiu is doing. The Prince of Taiping thought to himself.
In the stillness of the night, everyone in the inn was asleep, and all the lights were off, except for the two lanterns hanging above the entrance.
A dark figure suddenly appeared outside the post station, and in the blink of an eye, it had entered. The figure was so fast that the lanterns on the door swayed slightly as it passed by, as if a gust of wind had stirred them.
The shadowy figure entered the post station from the outside and arrived at the room where the Prince of Taiping was resting. The figure quietly opened the window and leaped inside. A knife was in the figure's hand, and the next moment, the knife was aimed at the altar on the bed and slashed down.
If this knife were to strike, the person lying in bed would either die or be crippled.
"Clang—!" The knife fell onto the bed, but instead of the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh, there was the sound of it hitting another sharp blade.
The shadowy figure immediately sensed something was wrong and was about to run when the blanket on the bed flew towards its face. The figure turned around and slashed the blanket with its knife, then turned to run without further ado. However, instead of turning and running, the figure ran through the hole it had cut with its knife.
This behavior was undoubtedly unexpected; without any surprises, the shadowy figure could have escaped. However, an unexpected event had occurred. The shadowy figure passed through the opening, flipped and leaped to escape in the opposite direction, but was pulled back.
"If you are not the King of Taiping, then who are you?" the shadowy figure asked.
Gongzi Yu twirled the short sword in his hand and said with a smile, "The one who will kill you." With that, he stepped forward.
He could have gone without a weapon, but Ah Hao insisted that he bring one, so he took this short sword. It wasn't because Gongzi Yu was good with short swords, nor was it because the short sword was anything special; it was simply because Gongzi Yu found the short sword light and easy to carry, so he wouldn't get tired.
He could be without a weapon, or he could use any weapon. For Gongzi Yu, there was no such thing as a weapon being suitable or unsuitable; it was only a matter of whether he wanted to use it or not. Now, he wielded this short sword with extraordinary skill, as if it were his very own weapon.
Gongzi Yu wielded the short sword skillfully, while the shadowy figure found it very difficult to use, as the sword was not originally his weapon; he had only brought it with the intention of killing the Prince of Taiping. The shadowy figure was steadily losing ground against Gongzi Yu, and taking advantage of a moment of distraction, he seized an opening, swung at Gongzi Yu, and immediately fled.
Nevertheless, the shadowy figure paid a price, with a wound running across its shoulder, left by Gongzi Yu's short sword.
Gongzi Yu, standing inside the room, did not chase after them. He waved the short sword in his hand and smiled. Then he walked out slowly, thinking that by the time he arrived, the matter should be resolved.
The shadowy figure fled, its speed increasing under the moonlight. But soon, it sensed something was wrong and abruptly stopped. "Who?"
A figure suddenly appeared in the moonlight, and the shadowy figure's heart skipped a beat. Because the shadowy figure hadn't seen how the person appeared; it was as if she had always been standing there. But the shadowy figure knew very well that she hadn't been there at all.
“It’s the one blocking your way.” Ling Hao drew his Blade of Snow, the tip of the sword pointed at the other man. “If you surrender, I may spare your life.”
"Heh." The dark figure sneered, then threw away the knife in his hand and met Ling Hao's sword with both hands.
Although her opponent no longer wanted his weapon, Ling Hao had no intention of showing mercy. She hurled the snow-shards in her hand at him, each strike aimed at a vital point.
Even without weapons, the shadowy figure's palm techniques were still incredibly powerful. The techniques appeared agile and graceful, yet each move was insidious and vicious; if one were hit, they would suffer greatly, and losing their life would be a foregone conclusion.
"The Ruyi Orchid Hand?" Young Master Yu, who had already caught up, exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the palm technique.
"Beef soup." Although Linghao couldn't help but use her orchid-like hand gestures, she knew who was using them.
The shadowy figure—that is, Beef Soup—felt a chill, but her attacks did not stop.
Ling Hao knew that persuading this person to surrender was impossible. Since that was the case, then let her try. Winning people over with virtue was what she liked and was best at—oh, this virtue was one brimming with martial virtue.
Gongzi Yu's gaze remained fixed on Ling Hao. She wielded her sword under the moonlight, each movement exquisitely beautiful, captivating his attention. Or perhaps, in his eyes, she was beautiful at all times, always able to draw his gaze.
As for the woman who fought with Ling Hao, Gongzi Yu didn't care about her at all. She was destined to be Ling Hao's defeated opponent, so there was no need to pay attention to her existence.
"Bang—!" Ling Hao pierced Niu Tou Tang's other shoulder with his sword, and taking advantage of her momentary lapse in concentration due to the pain, he kicked her in the groin. This not only sent Niu Tou Tang flying, but also rendered her unable to move, making it impossible for her to get up and fight back.
Even as her back hit the ground, even as the pain coursed through her body, Beef Soup still couldn't believe she'd lost so easily. How could this be? She was clearly very good; how could this happen?
Ling Hao walked up to Niu Tou Tang, looked down at her, and asked, "Did Wu Ming send you to kill the Prince of Taiping?"
She actually knew Wu Ming? Beef Soup looked at Ling Hao with a puzzled and shocked expression, as if she were looking at some monster. Ninth Brother's men had clearly stated before that Ling Hao had no idea of the existence of Nameless Island. If that was the case, how could she know about Wu Ming?
Has someone leaked something? Beef Soup was completely baffled.
"Alright, let me ask." Gongzi Yu took out a small porcelain bottle from his body. "This is something that the Imperial Medical Academy has just developed. It is said to make people tell the truth involuntarily. However, it has not been used before, so we don't know what the consequences will be. Now, it's perfect that someone can try it out."
Ling Hao was surprised, "Such a useful thing? Isn't that the Truth Potion?"
"Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it the Truth Pill?" Gongzi Yu said with a smile. He was always different in front of her than he was in front of others. "However, this pill is said to have side effects; it will make people lose all the hair on their body, including their face and head."
The hair on her face must be her eyebrows. Ling Hao subconsciously touched her eyebrows, "I don't want to be without eyebrows," then touched her hair, "and I don't want to be without hair either."
Before, she would complain about how troublesome it was to blow-dry her hair after washing it, but now, she could cheat with her inner power and easily dry it. Since that was the case, her hair's only weakness was gone, and she loved it very much.
Besides, she had made up her mind to become a martial arts master like her old master, someone whom the entire martial arts world would admire and aspire to be. If she lost all her hair, then her claim to be a martial arts master would be unconvincing.
Beef Soup wasn't afraid of being tormented, tortured, or even poisoned. As long as she wasn't dead, things would always turn around. Of course, once she was free, those two scoundrels would definitely pay the price!
She had planned everything perfectly, but she hadn't expected Gongzi Yu to have such a new trick up his sleeve. What would be the point of her living if she lost all her hair? Although Beef Soup often didn't care much about appearances, she cherished them dearly.
All your hair has fallen out? That won't do!
"I'll talk, I'll talk, I'll talk right away." Beef Soup was afraid that if she was even a little late, she would become a bald woman. "Master did not ask me to kill the Taiping King. This is something I wanted to do myself."
"Why?" Ling Hao asked, puzzled.
"I must save Ninth Brother." As he said this, Beef Soup's face was full of infatuation, as if he could already see that person. "Master already knows that Ninth Brother is cooperating with the imperial court, and he arrived in the capital a long time ago. He has gone into hiding, and I don't know where he has gone. He is just waiting for Prince Taiping and Ninth Brother to fall into the trap. I must save him, I must keep Ninth Brother alive."
“I know that if Prince Taiping dies, then Ninth Brother won’t have to betray Master, and he won’t have to die.” Clearly, Beef Soup believed that Gong Jiu couldn’t defeat Wu Ming; she was saving him, for Gong Jiu’s sake. In her eyes, no one was more important than Gong Jiu.
Linghao and Gongzi Yu, however, were more concerned about something else she mentioned: Wu Ming was hiding in the capital? This was bad; things were getting complicated.
"What exactly is going on?" Prince Taiping appeared before them. "What happened to Xiao Jiu? Is he in danger? Is he alright? And how did he get involved with this strange-looking woman?"
Now, the King of Taiping's mind was filled with all sorts of questions.
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Author's note: Goodnight, my little darlings.
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