Chapter 8, Moonlight

Zhou Zishu thought, finally he no longer had to worry about someone causing trouble for his ancestors underground—doing good deeds and accumulating virtue is indeed very exhausting

To reach such a level of nonsense is indeed astonishing

He sensed a subtle, kindred essence from this person, and thus knew that this individual must also be someone who rises early for personal gain, following him... or perhaps following Zhang Chengling to Taihu, undoubtedly with some ulterior motive. After pondering for a while without any clear direction, he secretly mocked himself, thinking that this tendency to dig deep into matters was indeed an old habit.

Three days later, Zhou Zishu arrived at Taihu with the young master Zhang Chengling, who had lost a considerable amount of weight in just a few days

Gu Xiang was very clever; as soon as she sensed something was amiss, she immediately covered her ears, trying her best not to hear the sounds from outside. She sat upright, adjusted her breathing, and focused on maintaining her inner peace, taking quite a while to suppress that feeling of nausea.

Fortunately, this place is not far from Zhaojiabao by Taihu Lake; otherwise, he would truly be dishonoring his mission. Throughout his life, he has not done many good deeds, and if he were to think of accumulating virtue for the first time and then give up halfway, it would likely be inauspicious.

Then he turned around and shouted to the servant inside: "Quickly go and call the master, Young Master Cheng Ling has arrived! Young Master Cheng Ling is still alive!"

Zhou Zishu lowered his head to glance at the hand that was almost pressed against his chest, yet his expression remained composed as he smiled and said: "Thank you, Brother Wen, for your restraint..."

Zhou Zishu raised his leg and sat on the windowsill, following his gaze. The night was a full moon, the moonlight like water, the ground like frost, exceptionally bright and clear.

The sound of the zither was extremely delicate, like spider silk entwining, seemingly emanating from all directions, carrying an indescribable sense of eerie solemnity and menace

Like a ghost devoid of joy or sorrow

Suddenly, he heard the sound of something slicing through the wind, akin to the strings of a violin that had become too dry to produce a clear tone, only managing to emit a muffled "puff puff" sound. It was also reminiscent of someone flicking a few tiny pebbles into the boundless void.

Zhou Zishu was worried about his young age and illness, neglecting his own need to regulate his breathing, he placed his palm on the boy's back and instructed in a deep voice: "Focus."

Zhou Zishu felt that he was pressed against the window, his movements severely restricted, which put him at a disadvantage. He lowered his head to evade a strike from him and leaped down. However, for him, the night was already difficult, not to mention that he had been restless for most of it. A sharp pain from a nail in his chest began to throb, causing him to hesitate in his actions

Then, the sound of the piano suddenly erupted again, surging forth like a flood beast. The pianist suddenly struck with a fierce blow, and almost simultaneously, a sharp cry came from the adjacent room. Upon closer listening, it resembled the sound of a flute, but an ordinary flute would not produce such a sound, which was extremely piercing, sharp enough to seem as if it were about to tear something apart

The strings of the pianist's instrument snapped in an instant

He then reached out and opened the door, while Gu Xiang watched in fear and trepidation as this "good person" walked out.

Wen Kexing leaned against the window, closed his eyes, listened attentively, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth

This night seems particularly long

The sound of the zither indeed came to a halt

Zhou Zishu expressed unconditional agreement

His long shadow trailed behind him, motionless, appearing expressionless at first glance, yet subtly hinting at a smile, resembling a cold and eerie statue. Under the night sky, the sense of danger emanating from him was unabashedly revealed

However, as soon as the words fell silent, Wen Kexing's hand suddenly touched his face. Not only did he touch, but he also slowly stroked with his fingers, as if trying to discern whether that thing was made of human skin or pigskin.

Then it quickly retracted, pulling up the window—as if in a hurry to monopolize this fart

"It is a form of sarcasm." Wen Kexing pondered for a while and arrived at this conclusion

Zhou Zishu calmly said: "I am not talented; it is indeed my own growth."

Then, using internal energy, he helped him walk for a week. Seeing that his complexion had improved slightly, he finally withdrew his hand, but he himself was already drenched in sweat

Gu Xiang nodded, thought for a moment, and then said: "Why compete with those who are stronger than oneself? Isn't it better to bully those who are weaker?"

Over there, Gu Xiang was also unaware of lowering her voice, muttering to herself: "A stye, it must be a stye..."

Wen Kexing leaned in very close, his expression extremely serious—he always appeared very serious. The moonlight became ambiguous, making it seem quite inappropriate.

Indeed, he has expressed his true feelings

Wen Kexing raised an eyebrow and suddenly said, "Alright."

Zhou Zishu finally let out a slight sigh of relief, slowly relaxing his body, leaning against the wall, clenching his teeth tightly, not making a sound.

Zhou Zishu coughed lightly, took a large step back, steadied himself, and asked with a mix of laughter and tears: "Hero Wen, can you tell what this face of mine is made of?"

Then, all was silent.

The timing was calculated with precision, as the sharp sound of the flute clashed with the malicious tones of the instrument.

Fortunately, the pain came in waves. After a while, it eased somewhat, and only then did he tidy himself up and return to the room

Wen Kexing turned to look at her, his figure silhouetted against the moonlight, appearing as if adorned with a layer of silver. The expression on his face became increasingly indistinct. After a moment, he said: "You can choose not to bully anyone, just like me, and be a good person"

Zhou Zishu was pondering which of the three and a half this person who called himself Wen Kexing was, while also unable to suppress his thoughts about the motives behind his constant following. The more he thought about it, the more elusive it became.

Gu Xiang finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead: "Master, have you said that Qin... what was it, has he died or not?"

In legend, "Meiqu Qin Song" is a eunuch who loves to dress as a woman, adorning himself in red and green to signify to the world that he is a poison. Due to his skill in killing without shedding blood, he truly engaged in the business of murder, consistently adhering to the principle that whoever provides more money is the one he serves.

Wen Kexing did not turn his head, yet he was already far away. However, his voice floated lightly, as if a thread carried by the wind, accurately reaching Gu Xiang's ears.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the window, pointed at his own sallow complexion, and with a very dull and wooden expression, looked at Wen Kexing and asked: "Beauty?"

Gu Xiang tilted her head and asked, "When will it backfire?"

Gu Xiang readily said: "I am farting"

Zhou Zishu had not yet had the chance to step back when he saw Gu Xiang over there, who seemed to have heard the commotion. She poked her head out of the window, took a quick glance, then covered her eyes and withdrew her head, exclaiming, "Oh no, this is inappropriate!"

Wen Kexing, who had originally been lying in bed asleep, had gotten up at some point without anyone noticing. He stood quietly by the window, with the moonlight filtering through the window panes casting a glow on his face, which seemed to soften slightly. However, his eyes remained fixed, unblinking, on a certain spot in the darkness.

Before long, Zhao Jing, the heroic figure from Taihu, personally came out to welcome them. Zhang Chengling fell to his knees with a "thud," indicating that the tragic news of the Zhang family had already spread throughout the land. A group of people wept together, and then they grandly ushered the two of them inside

Upon knocking on Zhao Jing's door, before he could explain his purpose, the old steward's eyes fixed directly on Zhang Chengling, exclaiming: "You are... you are Chengling? You are Chengling, aren't you?!"

Only outside the window, someone clapped and praised: "On this night, hearing the song of the willow, who does not feel nostalgia for their hometown?—Such stars, such a moon, Brother Zhou plays the zither while caressing the flute, such elegant affairs can only be performed by a beauty.

Zhou Zishu thought to himself, without noticing that this person was already standing outside the window. Such a person, who could appear and disappear at will, was someone he had to be wary of even at the height of his power. In the martial world, as far as he knew, there were a total of three and a half individuals, each of whom was not to be offended.

As soon as he uttered the word "good," he swiftly launched an attack towards Zhou Zishu's face like a flash of lightning. Zhou Zishu was already on guard; he leaned back, bending at the waist, and lifted one leg to kick towards Wen Kexing's wrist

Wen Kexing ran his slender fingers across the window frame and chuckled softly: "To think they have invited Mei Qu Qinsong... This is no small feat, and I wonder who they are dealing with"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiangfu also felt a surge of internal energy, but she quickly sensed the situation and forced herself to calm down.

He said, "Ah Xiang, are you speaking human language?"

Wen Kexing stood there for a while, shaking his head and muttering to himself: "Those who excel in swords and blades are destined to die by them; the ancients truly do not deceive me."

Wen Kexing patiently explained: "When others are stronger than you"

Wen Kexing said softly: "Even if he does not die, his meridians will be completely severed, and he will be a useless person from now on. I think it would be more comfortable for him to die instead."

Wen Kexing seemed to feel a bit disheartened, shot a glance at Zhou Zishu, and then got up to leave—not returning to his room, but heading outside. Gu Xiang then poked her head out again, her eyes twinkling, and said with a smile: "This is great, my master probably cannot accept reality and has gone to the brothel to find his beauty. Now that he has left, everyone can wash up and go to bed earlier."

If we speak of the various matters in the martial world, both north and south, perhaps no one is more aware than the former leader of the Skylight. As soon as the sound of the zither arose, he immediately recognized who was outside.

In just a moment, Wen Kexing's palm had already pressed against his chest, a fierce wind surged, yet the move came to an abrupt halt

Wen Kexing was choked, and after glancing around his face, which was not exactly hideous but certainly not worth a second look, he turned to gaze at the moon

This will fade into silence, and Zhou Zishu knows that he is as good as dead. If he were at his peak, there would be no need to go to such extremes against someone like this. However, he has now lost fifty percent of his strength, is left with only half a life, and has little control over himself, which has made him considerably more ruthless.

Zhou Zishu's own situation was not very good either. The flute he had was made out of boredom during his travels, hastily carved, and probably due to his lack of skill, the notes he produced were always off-key, producing a wild and discordant sound. He had stopped playing it, but unexpectedly, it was actually needed tonight. The flute only produced one sound before it cracked open with a large split. Fortunately, he had lured that person into using all their strength, which allowed him to strike lucky and hit the target; otherwise, he truly would not have known how to conclude the situation.

In the blink of an eye, the two engaged in a back-and-forth exchange of over ten moves, leaving spectators dazzled and unable to keep up.

Wen Kexing stared at his own fingers and said, "Strange... strange, they actually feel like they resemble you."

Zhang Chengling looked as if he had just been pulled out of the water; his skills were too shallow. Even though Zhou Zishu had promptly blocked his ears, he still suffered internal injuries and had already vomited once, his face resembling a sheet of gold paper

Barely audible, yet subtly interrupting the endlessly lingering sound of the zither, like a small stone thrown into water, the gentle ripples instantly spread out, expanding into places unseen and ungraspable.

If a third person were present, they would surely think that one of the two men is insane—of course, excluding Gu Xiang

He suddenly reached out to push open the window, lowering his voice as if afraid of startling something: "Ah Xiang, the matters of this world are always so intriguing. To desire something, there has never been a principle of not paying a price. Using a seven-stringed zither to kill invisibly is certainly exhilarating and interesting, but one must also be wary of others striking back."

Upon lowering his head, he noticed that Wen Kexing was observing him with great interest, and thus he smiled and said: "If Brother Wen is truly curious, why not peel back my skin and see how many layers of flesh and bones are inside?"