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I wasn't foolish; I quickly understood what he was concerned about and immediately grasped the terrifying nature of Ren Pingsheng.
Today's events were a clear indication from Ren Pingsheng that every move I made was under his control. Every step I took was a predetermined outcome, and the escape route I chose depended entirely on how the hunter drove me away.
He must have disguised himself as Nie Qiuyuan to deceive Hong into calling for me. It was only natural for him to bid farewell to Second Mother, so I had no reason to doubt it. Then, he left a letter in the Back Garden Hall mentioning a way to save Luo Dachun, and naturally, I couldn't let this lead slip away. What infuriated me the most was that he anticipated I would tell Nie Qiuyuan about this and recklessly expose his plan, which is why he sent me alone—he wanted to provoke me into dragging Nie Qiuyuan into the trap of those three poisoned Bone Piercing Nails!
The truth was, everything had gone according to his design.
Not only did he accurately predict everything, but he also guessed that I would likely continue practicing that technique in case I needed to save Luo Dachun's life. To be honest, I had considered this, but I never intended to risk my own life. I always felt that there would be a way out when the time came; perhaps there really was a solution that could satisfy both sides?
Now it seemed that Nie Qiuyuan had read Ye Liuhui's handwritten notes and was quite certain I would act this way, which is why he said what he did. Ren Pingsheng's act of preparing medicine for me held more significance than anything else he had done.
"If you have any thoughts, I won't stop you, but you must promise," Nie Qiuyuan said seriously, pointing at my nose with his left hand. "Never go alone. No matter how crazy your ideas are, I will stand by you through thick and thin."
I nodded, my heart inevitably fluttering. My journey in the Tang Dynasty felt increasingly like a real part of my life. Ever since learning about Ye Liuhui, how could I not cherish this life?
"I promise! But your hand..." His arm looked truly frightening; would there be any danger? Moreover, this poison was his own—what was going on?
Perhaps seeing my nervous and confused expression, Nie Qiuyuan relaxed a bit, smiled gently, and reached out to touch my hair.
"It's fine; this tells me that the poison I used on him can be resolved in just a moment. He managed to decipher it and create an antidote himself. The poison on these three hidden weapons is the same as what I applied to Ren Pingsheng yesterday."
"Ah! You mean this kind of poison causes excruciating pain!" My heart tightened. Yet, Qiu's expression showed no signs of suffering.
"That's right; it's been resolved, but it truly hurts terribly—like having one's bones scraped." Nie Qiuyuan said lightly. From his expression, it seemed as if all the pain receptors were located in someone else’s body; it had nothing to do with him at all, making his words feel somewhat absurd.
But I believed his certainty was genuine, leaving me at a loss for what to do or what actions to take next. Suddenly, Nie Qiuyuan extended his left arm toward me.
"Come here." His smile suddenly turned a bit sly.
"Ah?" I couldn't grasp his intention.
"I've hurt myself for you, and now I'm in pain. Shouldn't I get some pain relief?"
I was stunned for three seconds, and my face suddenly flushed.
Ah, this moment, amidst the blooming spring flowers. This Crabapple Tree is not just the place where I met Ye Liuhui; it holds significance for me as well, doesn't it?
The events of yesterday replayed vividly in my mind, and just recalling them was enough to make me blush. What were my true feelings? If I couldn't be certain, why not indulge in this moment's temptation?
I slowly stepped forward, opened my arms, and wrapped them around his waist, surrendering myself into his embrace. He smiled joyfully, using his uninjured left arm to pull me closer, warmly encircling me.
I had always been curious about the pleasant scent of soap that lingered on him. At this moment, there was no soap around! Just like before, every time I nestled in his arms, my heart raced so fast. Ever since arriving in the Tang Dynasty, the one I admired and longed to pursue was him, wasn't it?
We quietly savored the warmth for a while when Nie Qiuyuan spoke up, "Go say goodbye to Second Mother; we're heading back to Yichuan."
"What about your injury?"
He smiled without answering.
It was then that I truly witnessed Nie Qiuyuan's extraordinary acting skills. Throughout our ascent, he had kept his arm around my shoulders, but as soon as someone appeared, he let go and maintained a distance of about a meter between us, appearing polite and proper without any hint of impropriety. When we met Second Mother, he spoke with such careful precision—mentioning that there was an urgent matter in Guilin that required him to descend first and that the situation in Yichuan had improved so he personally came to escort me.
I understood his intentions; after all, matters with Luo Dachun were still unresolved. Given my hesitations about my feelings for him, he must have been considering my reputation as well. Moreover, this was ancient times; even if we were officially courting, showing affection was absolutely forbidden.
It seemed Qiu left a very stable and reliable impression on others, which made Second Mother trust his words completely. She repeatedly reminded me of many things and even arranged for a carriage to take us down the mountain.
As soon as I got into the carriage and the curtain was drawn, I felt a strong pull that made me lean to one side. When I steadied myself and looked, I realized I was once again leaning against Qiu's embrace.
"When will your injury heal? I'll let you go then."
"Um, does it still hurt?"
"It hurts."
"Let me take a look?"
"Don't look, it might scare you."
"Then when will you be better?"
"Soon, I'll be fine very soon."
However, from Wanzi Mountain to Yichuan County, he still hadn't recovered. In modern times, girls often chat about how there are no true gentlemen in this world. A so-called gentleman is just a patient wolf in sheep's clothing. It seems there's some truth to that.
Upon arriving at Yichuan County, Nie Qiuyuan temporarily returned to his former self—silent, reserved, and polite towards me. I used to like his cool demeanor, but now I suddenly felt like laughing.
What a Best Actor! I silently praised him in my heart.
But the time for admiration was fleeting because as soon as we entered the main hall of Yichuan County, I spotted a figure that made my blood boil and my anger flare.
I swiftly drew the short sword from my waist, stepped forward quickly, and shouted, "Liar!" With a thrust of my sword, I aimed for his back.
I naturally didn't have confidence in hitting him. But the moment he sensed something was wrong and turned around to see the short sword rushing toward him, he gasped in surprise and trembled, falling backward onto the ground.
Just then, a water-blue shadow flashed lightly and seized my wrist. Luo Dachun's warm voice rang out, "Liuying, what's going on? Why did you sneak out alone? You just got back; what are you up to now?"
Luo Dachun's face appeared before me, his hand warm as it gently pressed against the pulse point on my right hand. Somehow, seeing him made my heart feel as if it had been stabbed, a sudden pain coursing through me.
I would silently guard this person forever. For you.
I quietly conveyed this to Ye Liuhui in my heart.
The person I had attacked was already on the ground, looking at me in surprise.
It was only then that I came to my senses.
What are you staring at? What are you pretending for? Isn't that Guilin? Isn't Guilin just Ren Pingsheng? After deceiving me, he actually ran back to Yichuan County?
Luo Dachun glanced at me and then at the fallen Guilin, his expression turning understanding. He released my wrist and helped Guilin up, saying, "Liuying, could it be that your outing is related to that person?"
Seeing my surprise, Luo Dachun explained, "It was my oversight. The Lord Gui we saw at the county office before was actually an imposter. This one here is the real Lord Gui. He is decisive but lacks martial skills, so on his way to Yichuan County, he was schemed against. His identity documents and confidential reports were all stolen by the villains. Yet that villain disguised himself as Lord Gui and came to Yichuan, even delivering the confidential reports to us. We don't know what their true intentions are. Just now, Lord Gui confirmed that all the reports are genuine."
The hateful words of Ren Pingsheng echoed in my ears: "Perhaps I just wanted to see what that interesting girl was up to."
Ugh, how detestable! Can his words even be trusted?
"Now he knows about the Jade Balance Bureau's existence and has learned about its personnel and leaders. He has thoroughly examined the county office in Yichuan and has figured out the terrain of Wanzi Mountain. What do you think of his harvest this time?" Nie Qiuyuan's cold voice sounded from behind.
"Back already?" Seeing Nie Qiuyuan enter shortly after, Luo Dachun waved his hand in greeting. "Did you find out who that person is?"
"Ren Pingsheng," Nie Qiuyuan replied.
The room fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, Luo Dachun gestured for everyone to sit down and formally introduced, "This is the Provincial Clerk Guilin from the Jade Balance Bureau. He has come here on the secret orders of Lord Bai. Lord Gui, these two are the County Constable and my sister Liuying, both from the Jade Balance Bureau."
Although Guilin had just been startled, he quickly regained his composure and cupped his hands in greeting.
Guilin was likely quite handsome, with sharp features that seemed chiseled. His face bore little trace of a smile, and he spoke very little—his words were concise and to the point, as if he valued each one. In fact, this demeanor suited his appearance well; however, the impression that Guilin left on me was far from that.
It was his cold demeanor paired with an incongruous smile and utterly unreliable words.
Ah! How frustrating! That detestable Ren Pingsheng!
The rank of the Provincial Clerk is equivalent to a seventh-grade official, similar to Nie Qiuyuan and the others. However, since the Jade Balance Bureau is an underground organization, when dealing with its affairs, all personnel dress in plain clothes regardless of their official rank, so we did not adhere to the usual formalities.
Once my thoughts settled, Luo Dachun's expression grew serious. He surveyed us all before saying, "It seems we need to carefully consider what Lord Bai has brought us."
We took out the confidential report that Bai Qianfan had entrusted to Guilin and began reading it carefully in chronological order. Luo Dachun had already read it; Guilin was mainly there to verify its contents, while Nie Qiuyuan and I had not seen it before, so we paid extra attention.
The report contained six cases that left me feeling quite astonished. After finishing it, I experienced a sensation I had never felt before.
I was completely baffled! I couldn't understand it at all!
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