Chapter Six: A Heart as Hard as Iron

She suddenly crouched down, her hands clasped together, her head resting in the crook of her arm, sobbing uncontrollably

The wolf suddenly turned around, its eyes shining like torches, truly piercing the masked woman's gaze, as if wanting to penetrate her very soul: "What about you?"

The footsteps of the celestial wolf came to a halt, and the killing intent surrounding him gradually dissipated. He fixed his gaze intently on the woman before him, who had always eluded his understanding. In her pair of beautiful eyes, which usually brimmed with charm, there now lingered a hint of sorrow.

"Women, just women!" The Sirius cursed silently in the depths of his heart. Normally, when faced with an unwelcome visitor, he would hide in a corner of the shop. However, a strange feeling that arose from within kept his feet nailed to the spot. He turned around, donned a black mask, and simply sat down on the stairs

A trace of disdainful cold laughter appeared at the corner of Tianlang's mouth: "Do you think I would still fall for your tricks, women?"

A hint of coldness seeped through the voice of the wolf: "I have done enough for him over the years. Just yesterday, I helped him with the last thing. I had made it clear to him beforehand that yesterday was the last time we would meet. From now on, we shall part ways and go our separate paths."

He picked up the remaining three meat buns from the table in the corner and tucked them into his coat. Tianlang walked towards the stairs; he hadn't slept for two days. The recent drinking was also meant to relieve fatigue. He planned to take a nap and then get up to attend to important matters, after which he would find a place where no one could find him. Yes, just like that

The voice of the wolf remained calm as water, revealing no inner turmoil: "I have long stated that this woman has no further connection with me. If you wish to act against her, feel free; it is simply of no concern to me."

The masked woman trembled all over and suddenly burst into tears: "I, I cannot live without you either"

Tianlang shook his head and said, "Having seen many performances, one naturally will not be easily deceived. Fengwu, go back and tell him that Tianlang will do whatever he wants. If he has anything to say, let him stand in front of me and speak, as long as he has the courage to do so"

After a while, the woman in the mask stopped sobbing. She stood up and brushed her bangs off her forehead. Aside from her eyes, which were red from crying and fatigue, there were no other signs indicating anything unusual about her.

Tianlang sighed and turned around: "You may leave, I do not wish to see you again, just as I do not wish to see that person again"

The fat man looked at the tears glistening in the eyes of the Sirius, yet he said not a word. He stood up and walked out without looking back. As the light in the hall first dimmed and then brightened again, the figure of the fat man had unknowingly disappeared into the dust outside.

The masked woman said resentfully: "You truly have a heart of stone now."

The masked woman shook her head, gracefully took two steps forward, standing at a distance within reach of the celestial wolf's tentacles, her voice as melodious as the first chirp of a oriole: "I know he indeed did something to wrong you, causing you sorrow, but you must also understand that it was he who saved you back then; without his words, you would have long been dead"

The woman's face flushed slightly, but due to the mask's concealment, it went unnoticed by Tianlang. She replied coldly: "Because she is also one of our targets. If necessary, we will take action to eliminate her. In fact, over the years, she has disrupted our plans several times. If it weren't for your involvement, we would have acted long ago."

The corner of the woman's mouth curled up, revealing a charming dimple: "I found you again. You really do have a wolf's nose. It seems that this kind of fragrant powder cannot be used next time."

As he stepped onto the third flight of stairs, Tianlang's expression suddenly changed slightly. From a hundred paces away, amidst the wind and sand, the sound of a horse's neigh could be heard, as if a melodious female voice was calling out "Giddy up"

The masked woman did not retreat a single step, facing the overwhelming killing intent of the Sirius with a gradually fading smile on her face. In a calm tone, she replied softly, "Do not forget what I do; as long as I wish, I can know anything in this world."

A strange glimmer flashed in the eyes of the masked woman, and the dimples at the corners of her mouth reappeared: "Really? If you have truly let her go, then how could you have saved her in that person's residence back then?"

The masked woman shook her head, tears unexpectedly welling up in her eyes: "No, it’s not like that. You know his current situation; he cannot be without you, and I..."

Tianlang finished the last sip of wine from the jar beside him, his face slightly flushed. Today, he had consumed over 30 jin of July fire, an occurrence that had not happened in a long time, and it surprisingly made his head feel a bit heavy. He stood up, flicked his fingers, and a surge of fiery energy shot out, striking the oil lamp hanging on the wall five zhang away, instantly brightening the room.

The sound of hooves grew closer, and the woman's breathing became increasingly clear to the ears of the Tianlang. The approaching person possessed exceptional martial arts skills, on par with the others, as could be discerned from the rhythm of her breathing.

The pupil of the wolf's eye suddenly constricted, and he said in a deep voice, "How did you come to know about this matter?" As he spoke, he took a step forward, and his eyes slightly glimmered with a hint of blood red.

A petite figure emerged from the shadows, clad in tight-fitting black attire, which accentuated her graceful silhouette. A faint, delicate fragrance wafted into the nose of the celestial wolf, emanating from the end of the high, skyward ponytail of this woman in black.

A silver butterfly-shaped mask adorned the face of the woman, contrasting with the attire of Tianlang and the others in front of her. One of her cherry-red lips was exposed, revealing skin that appeared delicate and flawless, unmistakably showcasing her oval face. Above her nose, the upper half of her face was concealed beneath the silver mask, with only her two bright and clear beautiful eyes shimmering like rippling water behind the mask, radiating brilliance.

The celestial wolf coldly snorted, "This time it has nothing to do with the scent on you; it was your heartbeat that betrayed you. Why did your heart skip a beat when the fat man mentioned her? With your breath-holding and turtle breathing technique, this is a mistake that can only occur when one's mind is disturbed. How could this happen?"

The masked woman stomped her foot in anger, her figure slipping out of the window like a wisp of smoke, her posture exquisitely graceful. After her pair of jade-like feet, clad in black ankle boots, left the window, the wooden shutters slammed shut.

Tianlang turned his head to glance at the corner on the other side and said in a deep voice, "Having hidden for so long, it is time to come out, isn't it?" As he spoke, the door that had been wide open suddenly slammed shut.

Tianlang wore a faint cold smile on his face, showing no compassion for the weeping beauty before him, who resembled a pear blossom drenched in rain. Instead of offering her a hand, he took two steps back, sat down on the bench, and watched with great interest as the masked woman crouched on the ground, crying in anguish