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墨書 Inktalez
The expression of pure joy on Ren Pingsheng's face completely exceeded my imagination.
"Ah Ying, you have no idea, my favorite thing is sunshine. I heard this is the brightest spot for sunlight down below, so no matter how troublesome it is, I wanted to come here and take a look. It's a pity it's winter; if it were summer, it would definitely be better. So let's come back in the summer, okay?"
Such childish words nearly made my jaw drop, leaving me speechless for a long time. However, I couldn't help but disdainfully think about how limited the information was in ancient times, believing that the deserts in the northwest were the best places for sunshine in the world. If only he had the fortune to visit Sanya and see the sunlight and beaches there, he would probably kneel down and cry at that moment.
Yet Ren Pingsheng basked in the sunlight, a pleasant smile gracing his lips as he slightly squinted his eyes, seemingly lost in a state of blissful oblivion. I secretly marveled; I had always thought that villains feared the light, but it turned out that even they enjoyed the sun, just like Teacher Zhang.
I recalled Zhang Yangwen's tribal sun totem on his right shoulder and remembered him smiling as he said, "Some things in this world are truly like the sun."
The sun always felt so warm. It seemed that the yearning for beautiful things did not differ based on whether a person belonged to light or darkness. Reflecting on this made me feel somewhat sentimental.
Suddenly, I felt a tickle on my shoulder and discovered it was Ren Pingsheng poking me gently with a branch from a desert poplar, grinning widely.
"Ah Ying has light too; it's not like the kind from summer nights with Liuying. It's big and bright, making people feel warm."
"Stop talking nonsense!" I grabbed the poplar branch and tried to snap it but failed to break it.
Ren Pingsheng burst into laughter.
"This kind of tree in the desert lives for a thousand years without dying, falls for a thousand years without rotting, and remains uncorrupted for another thousand years. It's smelly and hard, can hold a lot but loves to put on a brave front—stubborn and unrepentant—just like you..."
Ren Pingsheng loved to laugh; he had been like this since the first time I met him.
His laughter was as warm as sunlight, almost capable of deceiving everyone. But I knew very well that my senses had sounded alarms, warning me of the coldness and bloodthirstiness emanating from deep within him; even the pleasant scent of sandalwood he carried could not mask it.
His laughter was all fake—terrifyingly fake—and it was laughable that I had been deceived by him when we first met. Even the best actors have their shades of light and darkness; when their skills are used as tools for harm, they become truly detestable.
At that moment, Ren Pingsheng, wrapped in a silver-gray fox fur coat, laughed indulgently. Every inch of his skin and every strand of hair radiated joy, with not a hint of coldness seeping from him. I suddenly felt that his laughter was genuine, devoid of any pretense; he was truly happy.
"Have you lost your mind?" I bluntly shot down his enthusiasm.
"Because I'm free, truly free."
"Did you owe Rong Fu eight hundred taels?"
The mention of Rong Fu brought a fleeting complexity to his expression.
"Father is scarier than you think." He sobered up, waving his hand as if to signal that he wanted to change the subject.
I felt perplexed. We had traveled thousands of miles from Chang'an to the Desert, taking our time and spending a full month on the journey. Yet here he was, doing nothing but standing in the sun.
Had he fallen off a cliff and damaged his brain?
Along the way, I tried various methods—soft, hard, direct, and indirect—to inquire about Nie Qiuyuan, but he only deflected with a curt "Xuanwu is dead," refusing to elaborate further. His attitude only reinforced my belief that he was lying.
I could only tell myself that Ren Pingsheng equaled a liar, and his words were nonsense; therefore, Qiu must still be alive. It was precisely because Ren Pingsheng claimed he was dead that I was even more certain he was alive.
I couldn't dwell on what Ren Pingsheng had said because his comments about Qiu and the Ghost Fire Five Poisons Curse were indeed compelling. My Qiu was just that kind of person.
I couldn't accept that conclusion; thus, I couldn't think about it.
I felt as if we were wandering aimlessly, heading east today and west tomorrow, meandering wherever we pleased. When I went to bed last night, I had no idea where we would go today. I had planned to climb the mountain but decided to follow the river instead after savoring a delicious river fish meal. Time flowed slowly, and before I knew it, we transitioned from a snowy winter into a spring filled with lush willows.
I couldn't understand what Ren Pingsheng was really trying to do, but as long as he kept walking, I had no objections. It was when he stopped that I would feel displeased. Because wandering around like this allowed me to check out various places with good information and see all kinds of notices. A person as dazzling as Qiu would surely leave traces wherever he went.
Whenever I tried to gather news about Nie Qiuyuan, Ren Pingsheng never stopped me. After all, he had nothing better to do, lazily following behind me without speaking or interrupting. I often wondered if he secretly reveled in my disappointments each time I returned empty-handed.
However, just wandering aimlessly, observing the vibrant world of ancient times and basking in the spring breeze, opened my heart. I saw a new world slowly rebuilding from the ruins, much like how Ren Pingsheng's health improved with the warming climate, while the faces of the common people radiated a calm joy.
In recent days, Ren Pingsheng surprisingly changed from his usual sinister and ruthless demeanor to a quiet and gentle one. Although he controlled the situation, he allowed me to pursue my desires under his watchful eye without any obstruction. Even when I planned to disguise myself as Night Phantom to steal jewels, he didn't stop me; instead, he donned a dark outfit and became my accomplice with great interest.
If this person were not an enemy but an ally, then he was truly an exceptional one. This was my conclusion after we stole jewels together once.
I didn't understand what Ren Pingsheng intended to do; I only knew that wherever we went, after taking it all in, he would often shake his head lightly and sigh, "The world is vast..."
"The world is vast," what usually follows? "The world is vast; could it be royal land?" Or "The world is vast; there is no place for me to stand"?
We visited many unfamiliar places, experienced local customs, tasted delicious dishes, and encountered various new things while time passed peacefully. Until one morning, Ren Pingsheng coughed up blood and staggered slightly. To my surprise, instead of taking advantage of his weakness, I instinctively reached out to support him. He looked at me in astonishment, a smile gradually appearing on his face, which suddenly filled me with fear.
Had I gradually adapted to this state? Had I become somewhat negligent in guarding against him? Had I strayed from my correct judgment of him?
He was a heinous criminal! He was an enemy—a butcher with blood on his hands—who would never deserve forgiveness! If this continued, I would slowly come to regard him as someone familiar, like a friend. My hatred for him would diminish, and I would forget my vow to kill him. What should I do?
Looking at the map, we had arrived near Hangzhou. The season had already turned to early summer; our clothes had become lighter yet still bore no signs of autumn.
The water towns of Jiangnan had reached their most vibrant season; various shades of green appeared washed clean and were so vivid they were beyond comparison. It filled my heart with hope just to behold it. We still hadn't entered the city but continued along the outskirts between mountains and waters, weaving through various rural counties.
After walking for a long time, we unintentionally passed by a very beautiful village. This place nestled against the mountains and rivers had several streams crisscrossing through the county town. Looking at the endless fields and the homes of the people, it seemed like a land rich in fish and rice. At that moment, ponds brimmed with pink and white lotus flowers; beneath the lotus leaves, fish swam playfully, creating ripples upon ripples on the surface.
A signature dish from the Village Restaurant is known as "Lotus Fish," made from fresh fish caught in the lotus ponds.
The village seems to cultivate rice, and at this time of year, the fields stretch out in endless green. In the wilds near the village, there are vast peach orchards that must look beautiful in spring. In front of the houses in the Village, Osmanthus trees are planted, lush and green, promising a fragrant autumn.
It was lunchtime, and wisps of smoke rose from every household, with the aroma of food making mouths water.
Ren Pingsheng studied the map carefully, a smile gradually spreading across his face.
"This place is great; let’s settle here."
"What exactly do you want to do?"
Ren Pingsheng chuckled, "Ah Ying, we’re not leaving. You are my captive now, so I want to keep you here with me. We can work at sunrise and rest at sunset, catch fish and farm, weave cloth, living freely."
It seemed there was no room for my opinion in this matter.
"Ah Ying, I’ve always wanted a place like this—warm, sunny, prosperous, comfortable—far from the shadows of Mirror Gate and distant from Official Authorities. But this place shouldn’t be lonely; there should be many interesting spots nearby to stave off boredom if we ever tire of it. You’re someone who can’t stand loneliness, right?"
"You plan to lock me up and still worry about whether I can handle loneliness?" I retorted angrily. "Why don’t you just go become a monk? You can live your life while dragging me along as your burden—what a lunatic!"
Ren Pingsheng laughed, "After tasting the dishes you cooked that day, I couldn’t forget them for a long time. If I went out to farm without you cooking at home, how would that work?"
My face suddenly flushed because he brought up that time when I cooked for him. But back then, he had disguised himself as my idol Nie Qiuyuan to trick me; I had cooked for Qiu but he took advantage of it. Moreover, during that incident... I had even done something more inappropriate—I had kissed him forcefully and almost faced an assault.
That part was completely unmentionable; it was too embarrassing to recall. Who would have thought he would remember it so vividly?
I was taken aback. Could it be that Ren Pingsheng had chosen me, intending to force me to be his lifelong companion after he retreated into the mountains?
That couldn't be possible! What a joke!
However, throughout our journey, he had never acted frivolously towards me, nor had he ever forced me to do anything. Even when he insisted that I sleep in the same room for his convenience, he always let me have the bed, drawing the curtains properly and never taking advantage of me. So, I had overlooked this issue, thinking that all his closeness was merely for surveillance. But could it be that a man is such a patient creature, willing to engage in unprofitable dealings?
Especially someone as cunning as Ren Pingsheng!
I reminded myself to stay alert and think of a way to escape this situation. Surely there would be a solution if I just tried. If I settled here, how would I ever search for my Qiu?
As I walked forward, I noticed we had wandered into the outskirts of the village, where an inexplicable crowd had gathered in a large circle.
There was nothing around that could attract such a gathering, which felt very strange and sent an ominous feeling rising within me.
Could it be that my peculiar constitution was acting up again...
The originally cheerful smile on Ren Pingsheng's face gradually froze. His expression darkened more and more until it nearly turned into anger.
As we got closer, peering through the gaps in the crowd, we finally saw what they were surrounding amidst their loud shouts. It was two large bags filled with bloody chunks of flesh!
No, it was bodies!
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