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墨書 Inktalez
Ren Pingsheng lightly drifted to a nearby rock, brushed off the dust with his sleeve, and sat down nonchalantly as if no one were around.
"However, Xuanwu, I still have a kind-hearted piece of advice for you," Ren Pingsheng said leisurely. "We have many people on our side. With your current skills, you can't even defeat my father alone, let alone protect Zhuque from him. Moreover, Zhuque isn't on your side; he will definitely stab you in the back. So, your best course of action is to eliminate him completely. Not just eliminate him, but ensure that he leaves no trace behind. That is the safest method. What about you?"
Upon seeing Ren Pingsheng in person, my previously complicated emotions turned into a silent curse: "Damn you!"
This was too ruthless!
It turned out he had lured Zhuque here to set a trap for us, with the real intention of harming Zhuque. Although I found his words extremely malicious, I had to admit that his plan was indeed the most secure. However, this meant not only was Zhuque in grave danger, but it also clearly represented a blatant revenge against Nie Qiuyuan.
"So, after luring us away from Zhuque, Rong Fu can only open the door using my blood, right?" Nie Qiuyuan's cold voice carried an undercurrent of anger.
I finally understood that Ren Pingsheng's true objective had been foretold by Qiu before we set off. For Ren Pingsheng, the ideal outcome was to kill both Nie Qiuyuan and Rong Fu in this deadly confrontation. It seemed his plan was progressing step by step.
Ren Pingsheng laughed heartily. "Xuanwu, it's really not a big deal. After all, you all are going to face off anyway; what does it matter if there are one or two more reasons?"
He wanted to sit back and watch the tiger fight—first observing Qiu battle Zhuque and then watching Rong Fu capture Nie Qiuyuan.
Watching Ren Pingsheng sitting there as if detached from the situation, propping his chin on his hand and watching them with great interest—even though he now looked thin and frail compared to his previous handsome self—I couldn't help but feel he looked pitifully vulnerable. Yet I still found him incredibly irritating.
How foolish I had been to consider him one of my own for even a moment!
Nie Qiuyuan remained remarkably composed amidst this barrage of new information. He didn't seem flustered at all; his gaze appeared to automatically disregard Ren Pingsheng's presence and turned solely towards Zhuque. "Are you aware of what he just said?"
Zhuque's voice was crisp and youthful, yet his expression remained emotionless as he coldly replied, "I know; so what?"
"Then do you know how my Nie Clan was annihilated?"
"Knowing, so what?"
Listening to their conversation, I couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder. A normal person, upon discovering that their family had suffered annihilation and that the murderer who wiped them out had been by their side for years, would surely be somewhat shattered.
Yet, Zhuque spoke and acted as if it were someone else's affair.
"Turn back," Nie Qiuyuan said succinctly. Despite his words, I sensed he held no hope for Zhuque's "turning back."
Zhuque calmly replied, "On one side are those who gave you life, and on the other are those who raised you for over a decade. Which side weighs heavier?"
Nie Qiuyuan responded, "That was precisely done for today. Can't you see? After all these years, you know what kind of person Rong Fu is. If it comes to it, he wouldn't hesitate to take your life."
Zhuque's expression darkened slightly, yet she still said, "Even so, it's my choice."
Their words stirred a restlessness within me. This stubborn fool! Compared to Zhuque, Ren Pingsheng seemed almost like a normal person.
Nie Qiuyuan ceased speaking to Zhuque and slowly drew his long sword. He turned to Luo Dachun beside him and said, "Sikong, let’s work together to capture Zhuque alive."
Luo Dachun unsheathed his thin short knife, its blade emanating a chill. He glanced at Ren Pingsheng, who was sitting not far away with a smile, then shot me a look.
I understood the implication; it was a warning to keep an eye on Ren Pingsheng and prevent him from seizing the opportunity to escape.
Ren Pingsheng chuckled lightly, "Don't worry; just fight. I have no intention of capturing Ah Ying right now."
He smiled at me as well.
I understood now; this was probably for my sake. He still had me in his grasp, and if he handed me over to Rong Fu, I would likely be done for. But should I be grateful to him at this moment?
Zhuque slowly drew two long, slender whips from his waist. I had seen this unique weapon of his once at Qingliang Temple, and when wielded, it was quite powerful.
The two whips suddenly danced, enveloping Zhuque's figure in a swirl of light and shadow.
"Neither of you can defeat me alone, let alone together. However, I won't just sit back and wait for my demise; don't underestimate me."
Before he finished speaking, Zhuque's figure flickered, and the Long Whip in his hand lashed out—not towards Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun, but directly at me.
I had been on high alert, but most of my focus was on Ren Pingsheng. I was worried he might take advantage of the chaos to capture me and put Qiu and the others in a difficult position. I never expected that Zhuque's target would also be me.
From Zhuque's movements, it seemed he didn't intend to kill me but rather wanted to capture me alive. It appeared that Zhuque considered me a weakness for Nie Qiuyuan and the others.
Due to my intense concentration, I couldn't evade Zhuque's attack. However, I didn't feel anxious because I trusted that Nie Qiuyuan would protect me.
Sure enough, Zhuque was fast, but Qiu was even faster. In a flash of black shadow, Nie Qiuyuan reached Zhuque's side. With a deft flick of his sword, he skillfully entangled Zhuque's Long Whip and redirected it away.
At the same time, a bluish-white figure appeared before me, standing between Zhuque and myself.
I initially thought it was Luo Dachun, but the color of the clothing was different. As I focused more closely, I realized the man standing in front of me was Ren Pingsheng.
"Zhuque, that's not how you fight," Ren Pingsheng said lazily from the front. "Don't harbor such delusions; if you want to hit a woman, you'll have to get past me first."
Zhuque let out a cold snort. He twisted his body and leaped away from Ren Pingsheng, engaging in battle with Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun instead.
Ren Pingsheng stood quietly before me, his slender figure facing away, silent and unguarded. He simply observed the movements of the Vermilion Bird.
"Are you not afraid that I might stab you in the back?" I asked, my voice tinged with annoyance.
"Ah Ying, you wouldn't," he replied without turning around, his tone calm.
I hesitated for a moment before finally speaking to him. "Ren Pingsheng, do you know that we originally planned to rescue you from Rong Fu? As long as we work together, we could surely restore your freedom. Haven't we been living well? Why do you insist on being our enemy?"
"Who are 'you'?"
"Of course it's me and Qiu. Qiu has also agreed to do his best to help you, despite the grievances between you."
This time, Ren Pingsheng turned to face me, a hint of a smile on his face as he gazed at me.
"So, Ah Ying, what does that mean for me?"
"Don't you want freedom?"
"And then what? Watch 'you' live carefree and grow old together?"
I stared at him in disbelief. Although I knew he had always treated me well, I was already married; why was he so fixated on me? In this world, nothing was better than freedom. Had his obsession with me truly surpassed his pursuit of freedom?
What was the point? My heart had already chosen someone; it would never change. I understood that only by unraveling Ren Pingsheng's fixation could I fundamentally ease the hostility between us.
"My heart can never belong to you," I said firmly, gazing into his eyes. "In life, I am Nie Qiuyuan's; in death, I will be Nie Qiuyuan's ghost. Through thick and thin, until death do us part."
A faint sound came from the direction of the battle not far away, as Nie Qiuyuan's sleeve was swept by Zhuque's Long Whip, tearing a small opening.
Was it because my words distracted him? It seemed he was always paying attention to me even while fighting.
Once it was safe, he might even excitedly tackle me down because of what I said.
Ren Pingsheng's expression was quite grim, but he did not turn against me or give up as I had hoped. He simply said expressionlessly, "I've changed my mind. I won't force you anymore. If I get another chance with you, there's no need for you to remember the past. We can start anew."
I was taken aback. Was he planning to erase my memories after calculating Nie Qiuyuan and Rong Fu? Did he want me to lose all my memories and then gradually fall in love with him when I saw him first?
To be fair, if such a man truly cared, it wouldn't be impossible to love him without the burdens of the past. In fact, it was not just possible; it was highly likely.
Given Ren Pingsheng's expertise with poisons, erasing my memories would only take a moment.
How could this be?!
"Even if you erase my memories, I will find them again myself. I'm not someone who lives in confusion. If I know that Nie Qiuyuan is dead, I won't live on alone. So you might as well give up on that idea!"
I believed my tone and posture were filled with defiance. Ren Pingsheng looked at me somewhat dejectedly, and after a moment of silence, he said, "I will never let you die while you're by my side. As for the road ahead, we will walk it together." (To be continued...)
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