Chapter 135 Did I finally discover whether you're a monk or a constable? ...
Amidst the trembling roar, the dull thud of a locking mechanism snapping shut sounded close to her ear, sending a chill down her spine and instantly snapping Qi Tang back to reality.
The leg muscles tensed up instantly; there wasn't enough time!
The ground beneath my feet suddenly gave way, my vision abruptly narrowed, and a sudden feeling of weightlessness accompanied my heart pounding violently.
The damp, rotten smell was forced into my nostrils by the airflow, and just as my vision was suddenly turned upside down, a swift figure suddenly attacked from above.
Its eerie green pupils shrank to a point in the howling wind, and like a wolf pouncing on its prey, it leaped into the closing crevice.
The sand and gravel fell with a rustling sound, and the scalding arms locked the supple waist like iron hoops.
Before Qi Tang could even cry out, Leng Xue's other hand had already gripped her shoulder and back tightly. Heavy breathing pressed down on her as she was held firmly in his chest.
In a dizzying moment, a loud 'bang' resounded!
Cold-blooded man slammed his back against the stone wall, sending rocks and gravel cascading down like a flood, causing a large section to collapse. His body reacted faster than his will, twisting his waist and abdomen, his broken ribs piercing his lungs. He uttered no sound, and their positions were instantly reversed.
Their hot breaths mingled for a moment.
Two trembling eyes suddenly plunged into each other's lake.
In the violently churning water, the collapsing sand and stones suddenly overlapped with the countless stars in the sky for a moment, then abruptly froze, suspended in mid-air.
His amber eyes, so close to mine, were filled with a soft, neem-colored light, like a beautiful, bizarre dream on a summer night.
The floating sand and stones enveloped the two of them, and the bloody breaths sprayed against their lips, causing Qi Tang's eyelashes to tremble violently.
The suspended fine sand rose and fell silently and violently all around, like a heart opening and closing.
A low, restless growl brushed almost imperceptibly past my ear, like a wild beast that had survived a catastrophe, venting its lingering fear and terror in the darkness.
Through the thick layers of clothing, Qi Tang could clearly feel the other person's muscles contracting all over their body.
The smell of rust wafted nearby, and her fingertips went numb. As if drawn by something, she subconsciously raised her hand and gently placed her palm on his chest.
The inside suddenly shrank.
Then, as if startled, it violently struck its ribs.
"...Let go."
A hoarse, stiff voice interrupted the thunderous heartbeat.
"...You've touched my wound."
Wound?
Qi Tang reflexively lowered her head and was shocked to find that the fingertips of her other hand had dug into his arm.
Even the most hardened and cold-blooded person would fear pain? No one had time to think about it.
Qi Tang abruptly withdrew her hand, then clenched it tightly in bewilderment, completely unaware of the tremor in the other person's voice.
A deafening rumble shook the air, and the suspended rocks and gravel crashed against the stone walls on both sides as if hit by a giant wave, stirring up dust three feet high.
The shackles above his head dissipated, and Leng Xue immediately pushed himself up with his arms, turning his back as if fleeing in panic, revealing only his taut shoulder blades.
Arrhythmic breathing rose and fell in the dark passage.
Qi Tang stood rooted to the spot, staring at the silent, rock-like figure, speechless for a moment, only able to hear the pounding sound of rocks crashing into her chest, and an indescribable surge of emotion.
This surge can both inspire courage and make people timid and hesitant.
The two overflowing emotions were twisted into a rope, each holding one end, until something rolled out.
Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and all the chaotic and noisy sounds fell silent.
She wiped the sweat from her brow, struggled to look away, and after a long while, finally managed to find her voice: "Are you alright?" Leng Lingqi.
Leng Xue remained silent for a moment, then patiently said, "It's nothing."
In reality, his throat was filled with blood, his internal organs were displaced, and several of his ribs were broken, but none of that mattered to him.
Qi Tang knew he always relied on pain to survive, and upon hearing this, she didn't know how much she believed him. Biting her lower lip, she silently controlled her spiritual power, slowly enveloping his wounds.
The warm current flowed into his lungs, silently nourishing his broken wounds, but the sweat on Leng Xue's forehead was even more intense, as if he was trying his best to endure something and dared not be distracted for even a moment.
In a short while, his knuckles turned white and he was covered in cold sweat.
Qi Tang gave him no chance to escape: "Why did you jump down to save me?"
This question is simple and direct, and in fact, it doesn't need an answer at all.
The other party remained unmoved, sitting stiffly like a puppet, not turning around, his voice still cold and unapproachable, like a stubborn and self-defending sword: "Saving the suspect's life is within my duty."
What a dutiful and incorruptible constable!
Qi Tang pressed on: "Even if it costs you your life? Even if it's someone else?"
Cold-blooded gasped, "According to my rules."
"Before I fall, even the King of Hell has to line up."
This person is truly cold and hard; all his softness is wrapped beneath steel, refusing to reveal even a trace of it.
Qi Tang smiled and changed the subject, saying in a meaningful tone, "I was wrong. All appearances are illusory[1], even the fierce Vajra has a compassionate heart."
The secret passage was triggered because she chose the wrong incense burner.
Choosing to enshrine a statue of the Compassionate Bodhisattva is already an act of attachment. And this is not the only mistake she's made.
Cold-blooded ears twitched slightly; the wolf's intuition and keen senses had already detected a subtle atmosphere in these words that made his heart pound.
The strings that had been trembling wildly in my mind tightened instantly.
"So...you've been watching me the whole time? Yes and no?"
A breath carrying the fragrance of flowers and fruits suddenly landed on the back of his neck, like molten iron being poured down. His cold-blooded pupils contracted sharply, and he spun around to avoid it.
"Otherwise, how would you have had time to jump down and save me?"
Qi Tang turned her head, her voice light and cheerful, staring intently into those cold, piercing blue eyes.
Leng Xue's throat tightened, his breath caught in his throat, and after a moment of pause, he croaked, "—The Buddha statue's sign moved."
He shut his mouth as soon as he finished speaking.
A sword without a sheath, a man without words—he shouldn't have explained in the first place.
Qi Tang paused for a moment upon hearing this, her voice lowering as if she had realized something, murmuring, "So that's how it is..." The Buddha statue in the hall had become the eyes of that demon, so cunning indeed.
The voice seemed to possess some kind of magic, pulling at Leng Xue's emotions and causing them to sink, becoming heavy and suffocating in his heart, leaving him speechless and inexplicably restless.
Just as a sharp, vexation-filled extreme emotion was rising, a crisp sound of silver being struck suddenly rang out in the silent, dark passageway.
A slightly sweet question reached my ears, "And what about this?"
Leng Xue suddenly raised her head and saw a hairpin held in her fair, white hand. The hairpin was made of plain silver, with small clusters of neem-colored crabapple blossoms on its branches, and long, soft tassels at the tips.
One can almost imagine how the hairpin would sway and wobble with every step when worn in a woman's hair.
His fingers, which had been instinctively reaching into his chest to search, clenched into a fist and made a cracking sound.
Cold-blooded, he looked away, only to feel the gaze directed at him like a red-hot iron branding his face, burning and sizzling. The raw, rotten skin fell off without needing to be peeled off, exposing flesh and bone connected to the heart.
He suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment, yet strangely, he also felt a masochistic sense of satisfaction.
Cold-blooded's throat was so dry it felt rusty, and he could only try his best to steady his voice, which was so hoarse it sounded like sandpaper: "...evidence."
As soon as he finished speaking, Leng Xue controlled his breathing, standing stiffly like a scarecrow with drafts everywhere, his blood vessels throbbing, and his ears filled with a noisy roar.
A sense of loss of control pierced his spine and into his mind. He couldn't move and could only stare blankly as the person in front of him approached step by step.
Like a block of ice, devoid of feeling.
Until a soft palm grips the wrist, tightening all the veins.
"lie."
Beneath their fingertips, all the intense throbbing had nowhere to hide; the contractions of flesh and blood could not be concealed. The violently pounding pulses caused their joined arms to tremble.
Leng Xue let out a low breath, looking like a fish that had been forced to ashore.
Qi Tang's clear amber eyes curved into a smile, determined not to let it go: "So even constables can lie. Why didn't you tell me you liked me?"
She paused, pouted, and then suddenly accused me as if she had just remembered something: "You pretended to be fierce to me, but you hid my hair ornament."
In just two short sentences, his cold-blooded blood surged, and his cheeks burned intensely, almost scorching the wooden mask.
The warm current in his lungs turned into surging waves, relentlessly crashing against his bones. He bit his lip, steadied himself, and refused to utter another word. Enduring the pain, he stood up, his hands trembling as he probed the stone wall.
The thick, accumulated ice shattered in a sorry state; the beast's heartbeat was utterly unskilled and unable to express itself, leaving only the mask covering its face as the last line of defense against the desolation within.
If someone were to uncover it, they would clearly see how his pain, secret love, and the smell of blood fiercely resisted each other.
Qi Tang clenched her fingers, the lingering pulse still echoing on her fingertips—the most genuine answer in the world.
The long-standing hesitation, indecision, and anxieties all dissipated completely in the lingering warmth.
The sudden enlightenment brought a tingling, numbing sensation mixed with a sour feeling, which made my heart swell, yet also gave rise to an unprecedented sense of peace and exhilaration.
The endless dark passage was pitch black, with sand and stones mixed with the smell of decay silently permeating the air. She raised her head and her gaze unexpectedly met the wolf boy's dark red earlobes.
Unaware that its owner had already revealed a flaw, it stumbled forward.
Qi Tang's eyes flushed slightly. She patted her stupid head and thought to herself: All those storybooks I read were for nothing!
Despite her inner resentment, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips. She silently muttered: Leng Lingqi, this time I'm truly determined to cling to you.
Who told you to always say the opposite of what you mean? Did you think you could get away with it by not admitting it?
Qi Tang smiled, her pupils darting around, and quickly caught up with him.
Without a word, I placed my hand on the hard back of the cat, and it scratched lightly twice as if sharpening its claws, as if complaining about its owner's neglect: "Where are you going? Don't leave me behind."
Her eyes were as bright as when they first met, and she finally called out to him, drawing out her words, "Ah Leng..."
With a 'thud,' my fingers unconsciously pried off a stone from the wall, which tumbled to the ground.
Cold Blood felt his blood boil, and his usually precise, machine-like body suddenly became uncontrollable. His handsome face beneath the mask burned crimson, as if it had been scalded.
He wanted her to shut up, but his usually sharp and ruthless mouth couldn't utter a single word.
The scorching breaths seemed to tangibly hit the cold stone wall, and even the swordsman's hand holding the sword trembled.
Cold-blooded, having no other choice, resorted to his old tricks, feigning a cold demeanor as if intently searching for clues. His slender fingertips traced the protruding stone wall, but the force was too great, completely losing its rhythm, and fragments of stone fell to the ground.
Undeterred, Qi Tang quickly stepped forward, blocking Leng Xue's path, her eyes fixed on him without blinking.
Like a deer.
The next moment, he tentatively grasped her slender fingers.
The rough fingertips dug into the lines of his palm, and his cold-blooded arm stiffened, as if it had been plunged into a pot of boiling oil and was about to spring back immediately.
But the other party insisted on forcing him to break his vow. In the instant of tightening his grip, his index finger gently hooked his dust-covered palm.
Her tone was reproachful: "Are you a monk or a constable?"
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The author's note: [1] This comes from the Diamond Sutra.
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