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墨書 Inktalez
Ren Pingsheng remained silent, allowing the Gray-Clad Man to press down on his right shoulder as he slowly withdrew the dagger from his left shoulder. Blood flowed down the blade, a shocking red that was hard to look at.
I winced at the sight and cursed under my breath, "Damn it!" They claimed to be father and son, but was this really how they met?
I recalled the earlier conversation between Ren Pingsheng and Ruo Chanjuan; it seemed they had not executed their mission well and were to be subjected to Whipping. Even someone with Ren Pingsheng's physique would have to lie in bed for a month after such punishment. At that time, Ren Pingsheng had acted nonchalant about it, while I had genuinely wished him dead, so I hadn't paid much attention to the idea of Whipping. But now, thinking back, what kind of twisted rules were these?
If Rong Fu was such a bizarre and eccentric man who could still pretend to be as gentle and charitable as Fu Zhifeng, then he truly was mentally unstable.
"Ah, my dear, your wounds haven't healed yet? Why do you continue to put yourself through this instead of returning to your father? Let me guess," Rong Fu said with a tone of feigned concern. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed this was the same person who had just stabbed someone. "Silly child, is your first thought to go find my good disciple? Where is that girl Liuying now?"
What?! I was momentarily stunned; why did everything happening today carry such heavy implications?
Liuying—could he possibly be referring to me?
When did I become his "good disciple"? Even if I knew Fu Zhifeng and he was indeed Rong Fu's disciple, I never intended to become his apprentice; I hadn't even hinted at it!
All the information quickly reassembled in my mind. Thanks to Ren Pingsheng's drug, it numbed my body but not my mind, leaving me capable of thought.
I carefully sifted through all the information since arriving in the Tang Dynasty and found no possibility that I had inadvertently become Rong Fu's disciple. Then I ruled out any unconscious periods. There were only two such instances: the first was when I sleepwalked to dig up graves on Wanzi Mountain—surely Rong Fu didn’t dig me up from a grave? Besides, Ren Pingsheng had been by my side during that time; there was no way I could have become an apprentice then. The other instance was after taking Ruo Chanjuan's Blue Pill; however, at that time… well, never mind, it's too embarrassing to mention.
So there was only one possibility: this must have happened before I arrived in the Tang Dynasty.
Perhaps he was the master of my original self, Ye Liuhui. Wait a minute—master?!
Oh my god, didn't I already know about this?
Ye Liuhui's writings were quite clear; she saved the life of a mysterious figure from the martial world who secretly hid on Wanzi Mountain to recover. The foolish girl took care of him and learned martial arts from him, ultimately mastering a deadly technique known as the Star Absorption Technique. Oh my god, was this calamity whom she saved?
To repay her kindness by teaching her such sinister skills was outrageous! What’s worse is that he hid away half of the crucial manual—this was simply irresponsible!
Thinking about such despicable means, I immediately concluded in my heart that there was no doubt about it; this was exactly how it was!
Otherwise, how could Ren Pingsheng have obtained the second half of the secret manual from Mirror Gate?
I was startled. Could it be that the answer to the question that had puzzled me for so long was like this?
I had never understood why, during the battle at Baiyun Mountain, Fu Zhifeng had spent a long time alone with me. He could have easily killed me without leaving a trace, yet he did not. Why was that?
Could it be that he still valued our brief master-disciple relationship?
Indeed, after all, human hearts are made of flesh. No matter what Rong Fu had encountered during his downfall, Ye Liuhui had cared for and helped him during his most difficult times. Perhaps, even though Ye Liuhui was dead, her spirit still saved my life.
But what did Ren Pingsheng's final words mean? He must have known very well: "That person later on, no matter what kind of relationship you had before, do not believe that he will truly treat you well."
"That person later on" undoubtedly referred to Rong Fu. What should I believe? My own judgment or Ren Pingsheng's words?
However, now was not the time to ponder this question because Rong Fu was asking Ren Pingsheng where Ye Liuhui was. He had already guessed that Ren Pingsheng and I were together. How could he have figured that out?
This man was an old fox from Mirror Gate; even Ren Pingsheng's cunning might not be able to deceive him. As long as Ren Pingsheng spoke or showed any sign of abnormality, the old fox would have the ability to drag me out from under the bed. I believed this wholeheartedly.
Yet I didn’t care about that at this moment. A foolish impulse surged within me; I almost wished he would pull me out. I despised that old man so much that if he dragged me out, even if I couldn’t defeat him, I would still spit in his face.
Perhaps there was a tiny part of me that wanted to share the burden with Ren Pingsheng; what was wrong with me?
However, Ren Pingsheng's words were completely different from what I thought, effectively covering up this issue.
He said coldly, "Isn't my father dead? These people were all wiped out by him ten years ago in Lingnan, right? Wasn't killing them supposed to be my revenge? Could it be that I’ve been deceived?"
Rong Fu sighed and said, "In my lifetime, how could I ever deceive you? Ten years ago, I quelled the mines in Lingnan and killed countless people; you witnessed it with your own eyes, didn't you? You are my most beloved son, and your worth is unmatched by anyone. How could a father ignore the grievances you've endured for seven years?"
Ren Pingsheng sneered, "I've served you loyally for so many years. Can't I even get a single word of truth in return? If those people had been wiped out back then, why would you be here now?"
Rong Fu looked at Ren Pingsheng through his mask, his gaze seemingly smiling.
"Could it be that back then, I made a mistake and left behind remnants? We have already obtained the treasures of Erxian Manor; we are not short on money for now, but weapons still need to be forged. I came here to scout the area and buy some suitable weapons. I had no idea who was mining here. Who would have thought I would run into my son Ping Sheng here? This is a harvest greater than anything else."
His words were icy, and the logic behind them was absurd, clearly meant to deceive. It was as if he was so domineering that he couldn't even be bothered to craft a proper lie; believe it if you want, or don't—it's up to you.
Ren Pingsheng remained silent, his expression as cold as ice.
Rong Fu chuckled softly and said, "Alright, Ping Sheng, stop throwing a tantrum. Haven't you killed them all? Isn't it more satisfying to do it yourself? Come with me to see the weapons we've already forged; I won't blame you for hindering our grand plan. Haven't I treated you well? As for why the Ghost Fire Five Poisons Pill couldn't be secured, we can discuss that when we return. Look at your condition; you're so weak that you need to come back with me for proper recuperation."
Rong Fu emphasized the words "proper recuperation" slowly, each syllable dripping with coldness like a blade piercing the heart. Suddenly, I felt that perhaps it would be better to stay in the mine working; would being near that person bring even more suffering?
What would happen to Ren Pingsheng when he returned to Mirror Gate? His wounds were still unhealed, and after today's fierce battle, he had exhausted his energy and even stabbed Rong Fu. In such a state, if he continued to suffer torment and abuse, wouldn't his situation become dire?
Thinking of Ruo Chanjuan's tragic end made it clear that Mirror Gate was a dark place that cared nothing for loyalty or past contributions. Even Ren Pingsheng would face punishment; the methods of retribution at Mirror Gate were always perverse. The fault of losing the Ghost Fire Five Poisons Pill after years of effort was indeed grave.
I had to admit that I was worried about this person. Over these days, I had gradually gotten to know him. No matter how heinous his crimes were, he treated me surprisingly well. Human hearts are tender; even though I constantly reminded myself to remain steadfast in my stance, ultimately, I found myself unable to do so in front of him.
I did not wish for Ren Pingsheng to endure more pain. I had just learned about the suffering and darkness carried by his young life—perhaps more than any of us could imagine.
What if Rong Fu chose to whip him again or torment him further? With his current condition, could he withstand it? Just look at the deep wound on his shoulder that kept bleeding; blood flowed like a thin stream down his arm and dripped from his fingertips into the dust. His expression was so cold and calm as if the wound caused him no pain at all.
But being injured means feeling pain; no matter how much one can endure, it still hurts—very much. An overwhelming sensation of pain can disrupt physiological functions and even lead to shock or death. This is a normal reaction of the human nervous system—a defense mechanism within the body—how could I not know this?
I found myself feeling a pang of heartache because of this man, who was supposed to be my enemy!
Rong Fu waved his hand, and a group of black-clad, masked figures filed in, surrounding Ren Pingsheng.
Ren Pingsheng said, "I only came to deliver a message of revenge. Do you really think I could escape in this state?"
"How could you escape? Now that you're back, you won't be leaving again. All this time, I've been adhering to our agreement, haven't I? As long as our pact remains, how could you ever leave me?" Rong Fu flicked his sleeve at the black-clad figures and commanded, "What are you waiting for? Can't you see Azure Dragon Envoy is injured? Hurry and tend to Azure Dragon Envoy's wounds!"
Ren Pingsheng scoffed and replied, "I don't wish to stay here for even a moment longer."
Rong Fu chuckled and said, "Indeed, it was my father's carelessness. Quickly escort Azure Dragon Envoy outside to heal and take medicine. We'll finish checking the weapons and then head up; we will be going home soon."
In my heart, I had already cursed Rong Fu's ancestors multiple times. I had seen many fakes before, but never one as shameless as this! Healing wounds? That knife was thrust by him, wasn't it? Even if I couldn't understand his words, it was clear he was making a blatant threat against Ren Pingsheng.
He must have some leverage over him. Moreover, given the disparity in their martial abilities, escaping would be quite difficult. Just as Ren Pingsheng said, freedom would only come if one were "dead."
Ren Pingsheng silently turned around and followed Rong Fu out of the stone chamber. The black-clad figures also followed suit, their footsteps gradually fading away.
Ren Pingsheng did not look back or cast even a single glance in my direction.
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