Chapter 2, Spring Banquet (2)
With a clear conscience, she merely went to ask someone for directions. ... It truly is not a matter of curiosity or meddling in others' affairs, nor is it a case of being exceptionally skilled and daring.
She composed herself and continued in a soft voice, pretending to be weak: "I came to serve at the residence of Prince Tanhua with several sisters, but unfortunately, I lost my way. Could I trouble you two young gentlemen to help me with directions?"
Just now, when their palms met, Murong Qi had already sensed that the other party's internal energy was weak and that they possessed no martial skills. If the person who had been standing in the courtyard just now had been him, he would have certainly been pierced like a hedgehog. If someone were to come seeking revenge again, he would definitely be unable to withstand it alone
He truly found that courtyard, and as he listened to the sound of the琴, Murong Qi felt a sense of hesitation once again
Murong Qi has always been very eager to learn in the realm of martial arts. Upon witnessing Beigong Tanhua execute this move, he could not help but stop in his tracks, tearing off the outer robe from his head to deflect the teacup. His long hair, scattered in the moonlight, formed a dark arc as he moved. By the time the outer robe wrapped around the teacup fell to the ground, he was already ten steps away.
The eyes had barely scanned half a circle when a long sigh sounded beside me: "That was close, that was close, I’m so glad I was clever."
"Woman?" The young nobleman furrowed his brow, the two words lightly rolling from his throat
The man in white playing the zither lifted his head to glance at her, then lowered it again to continue studying the strings beneath his fingers
The elongated figure leaped up, and the teacup in hand was flicked out, striking directly at the vital point on Murong Qi's back
After careful consideration, she finally let down her hair, took off her boots, pulled out a piece of cloth from her bosom and pressed it against her face, and then wrapped herself in her outer garment before gently knocking on the courtyard door. To her surprise, the door was not locked at all and opened silently with a light push
Oh, could this possibly be the "Flower Splitting Technique" of Shiya?
Before the man in white could respond, the female assassin's knife struck again with ferocity. Murong Qi had no choice but to grab his collar, dodging around the wooden pavilion. Even before they had settled on a price, he had already saved him countless times, feeling greatly at a disadvantage. He expressed his dissatisfaction, saying: "Young Master, the enemies you have provoked are so difficult to deal with; I must raise the price!"
In the midst of her wandering thoughts, she had already passed under several eaves and was about to search for the entrance to the residence when suddenly a sound of strings resonated in her ears, followed by a strange melody. At first, it was as calm as water, but gradually it became more urgent, as if waves were surging, reminiscent of the sweet chirping of orioles. She felt an involuntary warmth spread through her body, and her mind became increasingly hazy, until a high note burst forth like a torn silk, jolting her back to reality.
The sound of incessant thuds came from behind. Turning to look, I found that the spot where I had just stood was now densely surrounded by a circle of short arrows, all with the rare red fletching, which was the insignia of the Seventeenth Battalion of the Imperial Guard.
She and Xiao Jiu had an agreement that when they pretended to be each other, they absolutely could not do anything to tarnish the other's image. However, she was not quite sure whether it would be considered embarrassing for the dashing Prince Xin, disheveled and asking for directions, at such a banquet.
It turns out that when Beigong Tanhua was leaving, the phrase "This young lady is left for you" meant that she was being treated as a temporary bodyguard.
Murong Qi tightened his outer garment and walked inside. He saw that a small gravel path behind the door led directly to a stone platform, which was partially adjacent to the water. On the wooden pavilion atop the platform sat two individuals.
His movements momentarily paused as he slowly turned around, only to see a woman dressed in a long white linen gown embracing a wooden pillar at the railing behind him. Her jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her slightly leaning figure was graceful and delicate. Particularly striking were her jade-like feet, which were exposed outside the hem of her robe, with their rounded and petite fingertips dusted with a bit of soil, enhancing their fair and charming appearance
What remarkable lightness of foot, what a perfunctory disguise. Beigong Tanhua smiled knowingly and ambiguously said to the man playing the guqin, who had shown no reaction from beginning to end: "Fengyuan, I will leave this young lady to you. Since Wei Nange has even invited the guards from the Seventeenth Battalion, I must go and meet them."
He couldn't help but squint his eyes and looked up, only to see a blank and dull round face that was completely contrary to the lively voice.
The well-dressed young noble clearly did not expect the visitor to appear in such a manner—barefoot, with an outer robe completely covering the head and face, leaving only a pair of eyes and a few strands of long hair visible. As an assassin, this was rather unconventional.
He couldn't help but furrow his brows—since the 17th regiment of the Imperial Guard had already found this place, the woman who had inexplicably barged in could not possibly be one of Wei Nange's people; otherwise, how could one of their own turn against their own?
As Murong Qi pulled aside the clothes, he could only hear the footsteps of no fewer than dozens of people fading away outside the small courtyard, and before him, apart from a masked man, there was only a zither left.
Recalling the earlier situation as if she had been possessed, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. After a moment's thought, she jumped down from the eaves and followed the sound of the zither.
She couldn't help but stare in astonishment; although this hidden weapon was simple, its force was considerable. An ordinary person would have already coughed up three liters of blood. Was it really necessary to be so ruthless just for asking for directions?
This king ? at home ?
... ...
Given the circumstances, she had no choice but to continue feigning ignorance: "I truly was just asking for directions. Since you two gentlemen are unaware, I shall take my leave now"
Just as he was about to slip away, Beigong Tanhua let out a cold snort and said, "Since you are here, how can you leave so easily"
When she was in the courtyard, he had come to offer a toast, but it was merely a fleeting glance, and no one introduced him, so naturally, she could not remember him clearly
Murong Qiqi looked at her with great interest and murmured, "Double-handed blade, this is the style of the Northern Barbarians' assassins." After saying this, he squatted down and poked the back of the white-clad person, whispering, "Hey, young master, your plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain isn't working, do you want me to help you?"
"If Tan Hua is not here, can you protect me?"
Bei Gong Tan Hua, seeing that his strike had missed, was about to step forward personally when a barely perceptible buzzing sound suddenly resonated in the surrounding air. He frowned slightly and quickly retreated, finding himself in the pavilion the next moment
Having said that, he swiftly removed his splendid outer garment and threw it towards Murong Qi, then leaped over the wall in his agile attire
Murong Qi finally realized, no wonder he felt a sense of familiarity; it turned out to be the host of today's birthday banquet, Prince Tanhua, the envoy of Shiya
Is it? Murong Qi was taken aback, if he had known earlier, he would have asked for a bit more
The other person is a musician, with long black hair entirely tied up with a white satin ribbon, cascading down onto a pure white garment. Their hands press the strings, and surprisingly, they wear a half silver mask on their face. Beneath the mask, two thin lips with sharp contours are revealed, their color extremely pale.
Before the words were finished, a shadow flew out from the door. Murong Qi instinctively sidestepped to avoid it, using the tip of his foot to kick a stone on the ground with force, knocking the shadow down. With the moonlight illuminating the scene, he saw that it was a withered branch.
The gentle and affectionate voice is truly captivating to listen to
As the conversation was only half-finished, the red-clad female assassin had already lunged forward with her twin daggers, the glint of the blades striking towards the chest of the man in white. Murong Qi hurriedly grabbed the back of his garment and yanked him backward, pulling him down from the stool with force, the blade grazing past the tip of his prominent nose, missing by mere millimeters
The young master was taken aback for a moment, then revealed a somewhat insincere smile, twirling the teacup with his fingers, and said lightly: "I had no idea that our household had invited a young lady from the Flower Pavilion with such exceptional martial arts skills."
The man in white lay half on the ground, yet did not appear to be in a state of disarray; he merely sighed, seemingly very sorrowful: "Is my life only worth 200 taels? How cheap it is..."
As soon as she jumped down from the fence, someone grasped her wrist. She looked at the five bony fingers protruding from the white sleeve, somewhat dazed: "Young Master, it has been proven that I am not your adversary. Why are you still holding onto me?"
But before she could propose the terms of exchange, a person suddenly appeared in the originally empty courtyard
Who exactly is she
However, if he is willing to pay—she cast a glance at the valuable guqin in the man's hand—she could accept paid labor. Before coming to Liaoyang, that scoundrel Murong Jiu had swindled all her silver and jewelry, leaving her no choice but to rely on borrowing money to get by under Ji Che's roof, which was extremely humiliating
She pinched her throat and said: "I lost my way late at night, may I ask..."
A woman in a red outfit and a mask stood gracefully under the moonlight, each hand gripping a curved dagger. Her eyes, glinting with a cold light, scanned the two individuals in the pavilion before finally locking onto the masked figure in white, clearly indicating that he was her target
two hundred taels
Wait a moment, are you suggesting that Ji Che and Xiao Jiu also frequently participate in such "entertainment programs"
It is quite surprising to find this place; this time, the person sent by Wei Nange is indeed somewhat interesting
The one who just spoke was a young nobleman dressed in brocade, somewhat familiar, holding a white porcelain teacup, and was looking at her sharply
Observing the familiar demeanor of those young gentlemen and ladies, it seems that this entertainment program is likely a customary arrangement. However, it is quite unfortunate for her, the impostor, as she now feels hot all over, with a dry mouth and parched throat, longing to plunge headfirst into a pond.
On this dim and obscure moonlit night, these two young gentlemen, dressed in splendid attire, sit gracefully in the desolate courtyard, playing the zither and sipping tea, evoking a myriad of thoughts and imaginations
As the unfamiliar male voice echoed from the courtyard, the enchanting sound of the piano also ceased
Unfortunately, she is not a fool and would not serve as a shield for someone she does not know
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Murong Qi extended his hand and calculated: "To save you once is fifty taels, to help you drive her away..."
"Alright." A laugh as light as a feather was almost inaudible amidst the sound of the wind from the blades. In the next moment, Murong Qi felt a void beneath her feet, and her waist was tightly embraced by someone. Just as she was about to strike with her elbow, she caught sight of the glistening eyes of the person in white. With a moment's hesitation, she was pulled down together with him.
Ji Che never mentioned that attending a banquet could carry such risks
The man in white turned around, a glimmer of curiosity passing through the eyes behind the silver mask, while the corners of his lips curved slightly: "How can I help?"
Only then did she have the opportunity to finish the remaining words
If not leaving now, then when? She casually cupped her hands and said: "Please feel free, young master"
Although Murong Qi's experiences in wandering the martial world were primarily based on hearsay, she was not foolish. With a little thought, she realized that those fragrant beeswax and exquisite wines must contain some illicit substances to enhance the mood. However, since they were not overly potent and the dosage was small, she had surprisingly overlooked this fact
How disgusting! No wonder my mother says that men are all no good