Chapter 7, The Diverse Forms of the Nanshan Formation (Part 1)

Li You leaned back in his chair with a bitter smile: "Women indeed age easily when they are angry. With one outburst, I have gained several more sisters. If this continues, I fear I will have to call her an old woman."

Seeing the appearance of the two, Nangong Xue gently coughed and said, "What do you mean by this?"

A voice suddenly sounded from outside the hatch: "Is Dongting Lake beautiful? You will know tomorrow. Brother Nangong, you must remember that when discussing scenery next time, it is best to first find a cow."

Nangong Xue had grown accustomed to his jokes and helplessly said: "Brother Li, do you still think I am not unfortunate enough?"

Nangong Xue finally smiled wryly: "Brother He ... ..."

He Bi immediately said: "Especially taking off women's shoes"

Li You looked at He Bi and said: "As for the scenery, that can be set aside; if it comes to playing the qin, I would much rather play in front of a cow than seek him out."

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Nangong Xue hurriedly said: "Miss Yang, why must you be angry? Brother Li has always loved to joke."

Nangong Xue smiled and said, "No one has ever extracted any secrets from 'Half Jin Killer' Hei Silang."

Yang Nianqing smiled and said, "It's like playing the lute to a cow."

Without waiting for Nangong Xue to respond, Li You said: "Have you ever seen someone with matters to attend to sitting and discussing the scenery"

"I can only blame myself for befriending the wrong people," Li You said, "If you are bothered by him for a whole day, you will understand that dealing with idle matters is indeed much better than doing nothing at all"

Li Youdao: "It seems that using a coffin as a chair is not very comfortable to sit on"

Having experienced his sharp tongue, Yang Nianqing was not angry and retorted, "Likewise."

He was covered in wounds at the time, with one hand nearly rendered useless, and he was indeed on the brink of death. However, on the night of the third day, he somehow managed to knock out all the guards and escaped. From that point on, no one ever attempted to capture him again

Li You frowned, placed Yang Nianqing onto the coffin lid, and then sat down on a chair by himself, casually pouring a cup of tea and sipping it leisurely

What is there to appreciate in a body of water

Nangong Xue gazed outside and softly said: "The gentle autumn breeze, the waves of Dongting Lake, and the leaves falling from the trees. I visited once in March this year, and I imagine that Dongting Lake must present a different scenery now."

He Bi still had a calm demeanor, not blushing, panting, or having a racing heart: "I just feel that if a person is lazy for too long, if they do not find something to do, they might just turn into a pig, and no one would want to be friends with a pig"

Li Youguan smiled and said, "I misspoke"

Nangong Xue coughed twice

Yang Nianqing could not be bothered to pay him any mind, only puzzled: "Since the murderer sought out Hei Silang to delay us, why in the end did he not take action?"

Yang Nianqing cannot be foolish enough to truly believe this is a compliment, it is ironic: "Flower-picking dandy, aren't you also skilled in using hidden weapons? When the moment comes, you can only flee, living off a false reputation"

He reached out to reclaim the teacup: "There are many women with looks like yours, and you are also wild and unruly. Even if my taste were to be poor, I would never stoop to such a level."

This time, it was not only Yang Nianqing, but also Nangong Xue who smiled and shook her head. When he saw the foot that was not wearing a shoe, he discreetly averted his gaze

Did those people not kill him for revenge

He Bi continued to look at him, but her eyes had already taken on a look of sympathy.

Yang Nianqing simply hugged her knees and sat on the coffin: "I may not be good at anything else, but I excel at taking off shoes"

Yang Nianqing said: "I like to use coffins as chairs"

Yang Nianqing said: "Is he really that trustworthy?"

... ...

Yang Nianqing suddenly recalled: "You just chatted with Hei Silang for quite a while, why didn't you think to capture him and ask? The murderer has been in contact with him, he must know some clues!"

Yang Nianqing pondered: "Is it possible that he is not afraid of us finding Mr. Chrysanthemum? Then there would be no need to spend money hiring a killer."

Nangong Xue shook her head: "Water also has its differences; the light makeup of West Lake, the surging rapids of the Yangtze River, and the waters of Dongting Lake are particularly beautiful only in autumn"

Li Youdao: "Perhaps he has as much money as Brother Nangong."

Yang Nianqing exclaimed, "No wonder he didn't wear a mask; it turns out he isn't afraid of being recognized at all. Others torment him so much, yet he only knocks them out. To be able to do this as a killer is truly rare!"

"Unnecessary explanations," Li You said helplessly, looking at Yang Nianqing, "Did you not notice? Old He just wants to see you blush, do you really think he misunderstood?"

The cabin fell into silence in an instant

"It's all about the same water," He Bidao said, "If there's a dead person around, it would look even worse."

Jokes aside, the four of them did not dare to delay on serious matters. Early the next morning, they continued on their journey, and by dusk, the boat entered Dongting Lake

Li You looked at the coffin beneath her: "Miss Yang, are you not planning to come down?"

Li Youdao: "You are truly too clever"

"That may not be the case," Nangong Xue shook her head and said, "The 'Half a Jin Killer' Hei Silang never engages in unprofitable business. If no one pays, he naturally would not be willing to take action to kill."

Faced with such teasing, Yang Nianqing strode up to him, propping herself against the armrests of his chair, leaned down towards him, and forced a smile: "I just don't understand, some people always feel good about themselves. In reality, being fair-skinned with eyelashes longer than a woman's, this kind of effeminate pretty boy is only liked by ignorant young girls. I truly cannot commend such a person."

"It turns out that not only is he the first idler, but also the first lazy person," Yang Nianqing said, "Since he is lazy, how could he come to investigate the case"

In the blink of an eye, there was one more person in the cabin, to be precise, it was one person holding another person

He Bi raised an eyebrow and reached out to snatch Li You's teacup: "How is it?"

He Bi, however, remained unperturbed as he scrutinized the two individuals and remarked, "It is indeed a curious matter that one can lose their shoes after just a short walk"

Yang Nianqing already had a good impression of him, and upon hearing this, she straightened up and said: "I was just joking, was everything alright on your side just now?"

He suddenly said: "He is not only famous for nothing, but also incredibly lazy"

Li You blinked and said, "We are old friends, just old friends from childhood to adulthood"

As soon as the words fell, a creaking sound was heard from the coffin beneath her, as if there was some movement, which startled her into a scream, and she immediately jumped down to the ground faster than a rabbit

Seeing the two of them teasing each other, Yang Nianqing couldn't help but laugh: "You two are ... ... "

Night has fallen, and the dock outside the city remains bustling with activity, with ships coming and going in a continuous stream. An ordinary passenger ship, as unremarkable as can be, is docked at the shore, with a string of lanterns hanging high on the mast, gently swaying in the cold night breeze

Nangong Xue thought for a moment and said: "Five years ago, someone hired him to kill 'Golden Wing Twin Knives' Liang Jinpeng. Liang Jinpeng's wife and brothers worked together to capture him, demanding that he reveal the identity of his employer. However, after torturing him for three days and two nights, he still did not utter a single word."

In the center of the cabin stood a coffin, surrounded by flickering shadows of lights, creating an atmosphere that was particularly desolate and eerie

Two people are sitting on the chair

The other three individuals were equally perplexed

Yang Nianqing, aware of her gaffe, felt a slight embarrassment, so she recounted the entire sequence of events. In the end, she said: "You need not misunderstand; taking off a shoe is not the same as taking off clothes"