Chapter 31

He was the real murderer who had killed his son!

Yet King Mao had poured all his violent fury onto Lu Family Manor. That was worth pondering!

In the end, King Mao and the other three, including Divine Detective Eagle, had pursued Old Man Mu, while Ning Chang'an found it even stranger.

As he sped along cautiously, he kept recalling and pondering, discovering countless fishy details.

Cao Jing's strange smile from atop the tower surfaced in his mind once more.

He could almost conclude that Lu Family Manor and Cao Jing had some sort of conspiracy, while Cao Jing and Guo Qingshui were birds of a feather, long since colluding in wickedness. Those jianghu scoundrels who had piled insult upon injury for Ning Chang'an in the arena had surely been instigated by Cao Jing and the others; there was no longer any doubt. Together with the incident at Crimson Blood Fortress, Asura Blade, Ghost Shadow, Ghost Face, and the encounter at Qingfeng Ferry Crossing, this string of events had only one purpose: to make him die.

In that instant, he thought of his uncle Ning Maodao in Longyuan Province.

Ning Maodao was about to die, and the things his parents had left him, as well as clues to their tragic deaths all those years ago, were held in Ning Maodao's mouth. A powerful sense of unease surged up within him.

At that moment, his heart was restless. He could already feel a vast conspiracy, like an inescapable pall of gloom, completely enveloping him. Subconsciously, he touched the exquisite little key in the pouch pressed close to his chest. It was still there, and the warm jade pendant was undamaged as well. His thoughts gradually settled.

Ning Chang'an resolutely changed direction and decided to visit Spring Breeze Tower again to see Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan had once said that the mysterious Young Master Tang's purpose in coming here was also him. He believed Liu Ruyan still had things she had not told him, and he had to get to the bottom of them before immediately rushing to Longyuan Province to investigate. Whether it was for Erhu or to obtain his parents' keepsakes and clues about their deaths, he had to go—and without delay.

The night was deep and quiet, stars glittering.

The starry sky was unfathomable!

Spring Breeze Tower stood silently amid the dim night. The building loomed dark and forbidding as a solitary figure skimmed through the darkness like a ghostly shadow, soundless and traceless.

Someone sat atop the roof, comfortably perched on the ridge and quietly gazing up at the night sky. Her gorgeous gown spread around her like a multicolored flower blooming in silence, exquisitely beautiful and serene.

"You like starry nights too?"

Ning Chang'an's voice rang out, carrying a trace of surprise.

"I just suddenly missed them. Look at those stars—shimmering so brilliantly, so beautiful, yet forever beyond reach, just like beautiful dreams!"

Liu Ruyan's soft voice sounded, tinged with sorrow.

"You're not a negative person, but you've really changed a great deal lately. All of a sudden, I feel like you're somewhat unfamiliar to me," Ning Chang'an said, his throat dry. Yu Fu had accompanied him countless times in quietly watching the night sky, even falling deeply asleep against his shoulder. She had never used stars as a metaphor for dreams. She had said she herself was a star, the brightest one to fall from the heavens. At the time, Ning Chang'an had held her in his arms and laughed smugly. "Picking a star isn't all that hard, is it?"

Thus, whenever he saw the stars, he thought of Yu Fu, of her emotions that could be like a clear spring one moment and a raging torrent the next.

Yu Fu's cold pride was something no woman could imagine.

Yu Fu's tenderness was something no man could imagine.

The starry sky was Ning Chang'an and Yu Fu's little secret.

Once, Liu Ruyan had said with boundless melancholy that she wanted so badly to become one of the stars in the sky, even the dimmest one.

At the time, Ning Chang'an had drunk a great deal and was already half drunk, half awake.

Hearing that careless remark, his heart had begun to pound wildly.

But he did not know why Liu Ruyan wanted to become one of the countless stars in the heavens.

Yet now, Liu Ruyan's dream seemed to have shattered completely. A pang struck Ning Chang'an's heart, and an indescribable desolation and sorrow welled up within him.

She knew that people always had too many dreams buried beneath too much helplessness, but he had always felt that he could refuse to accept it, could resist, could even fight without caring for his life.

Back then, unable to bear the day-after-day "painful" life on Dragon Green Mountain and yearning for the splendid world beyond, he had resolutely leaped off Dragon Green Mountain and escaped even after Yang Qingling had beaten him half to death. It had been nothing more than the defiance in his heart.

That was the kind of person he was: stubborn and proud, refusing to admit defeat, with an intensely fierce desire to win.

He could not endure weakness and helplessness, compromise and humiliation.

Liu Ruyan shifted over, signaling Ning Chang'an to sit beside her, then sighed softly. "Have I really changed?" It sounded more like she was asking herself.

Ning Chang'an said nothing, looking neither at the stars nor at Liu Ruyan's peerless flower-like face.

Liu Ruyan suddenly said, "I've heard that the imperial palace in the Forbidden City is dark and imposing, enough to lock a person's heart away forever!"

Ning Chang'an said, "You don't belong there."

Liu Ruyan turned to look at Ning Chang'an, her gaze exactly like the one she had used to look at the stars. Ning Chang'an froze. That look made his heart tremble.

Liu Ruyan seemed to know what he was thinking and said lightly, "Everything you want is here." She took a letter from her wide red sleeve. It had already been sealed with crimson wax. Ning Chang'an accepted it, lightly closing his hand around it. "Ruyan, wait for me. If I don't return, don't go with anyone!"

Liu Ruyan's body trembled. A strange radiance rose over her face, and she smiled softly, glowing with beauty. "Chang'an, go quickly and come back quickly! I... I'll wait for you!"

A glimmer of moisture appeared at the corner of her eye.

She had waited far too long for that gentle "Ruyan."

Ning Chang'an gently wiped away the tear at the corner of Liu Ruyan's eye. "I like seeing you smile. Whenever you smile, I want to hold you in the palm of my hand!"

Liu Ruyan smiled dazzlingly; even the stars lost their color, enough to topple cities and kingdoms!

Ning Chang'an abruptly rose to his feet and saw Old Man Mu below, leading a jujube-red horse that had been waiting for a long time. Old Man Mu's back was bent even more severely now, as though a ten-thousand-jin boulder were pressing down on it at every moment. He slowly adjusted the horse's mane and saddle.

Ning Chang'an leaped down from the roof, drifting silently to the ground like a falling leaf, then swung himself onto the horse's back.

Hoofbeats rang out as the docile jujube-red horse raced like the wind.

Old Man Mu's voice came from behind him. "Safe travels!" His voice was as before, still buzzing like a fly, irritating the moment one heard it.

Yet Ning Chang'an smiled, his face full of gratitude.

Old Man Mu's mad disruption at Green Willow Manor had bought him far too many opportunities. Without Old Man Mu, Ning Chang'an might have left a dozen more jianghu villains' corpses in the arena, but he would never have been able to walk out of Green Willow Manor. Ning Chang'an was certain that Old Man Mu had sensed the assassin's presence. He thought that the people who had pursued Old Man Mu in the end might not have numbered only four. Perhaps there had been five—King Mao, Divine Detective Eagle, and the mysterious assassin.

Once Ning Chang'an's figure vanished into the distance, Old Man Mu began coughing blood. As Old Man Mu began coughing blood, someone suddenly appeared beside Liu Ruyan—a woman Ning Chang'an was determined to kill.

"What a tenacious man. A man who was almost impossible to kill!" Liu Ruyan watched Ning Chang'an's receding figure from the roof ridge as that cold, seductive voice sighed beside her.

"Whore!"

Liu Ruyan's expression turned cold and furious, frost flashing in her eyes. No one had likely ever seen Liu Ruyan, a woman like a goddess, curse someone aloud before. It seemed she was truly beside herself with rage.

"Su Yueru is the whore... Oh, no, Su Yueru is a brothel madam, the mother of a whole flock of whores. I, Guo Qingshui, have never sold myself, so calling me a whore would be rather inappropriate!"

Her mellifluous, cloying voice sounded unhurriedly.

"Guo Qingshui, you truly have some nerve. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?! What are you doing here? Hmph. You may not sell yourself, but you love climbing into men's beds even more than whores do. You only know how to throw yourself at men, strip naked, and let them ride you hard."

Liu Ruyan spared no venom, openly displaying her disgust and fury as she humiliated her.

Guo Qingshui's seductive body swayed and twisted like a water snake as she circled Liu Ruyan. Rather than becoming angry, she smiled. "Do you know? No matter how sturdy a tree may be, it cannot withstand the winding embrace of a vine. Men are trees, women are vines. Ning Chang'an is a fine tree, and the vine wrapped around him is the most beautiful, most delicate flowering vine in the world. Hehe, women will ultimately be his burden. On this trip to Longyuan Province, Ning Chang'an is as good as dead. But don't worry. I'll do my best to make sure he dies by my own hand."

The moment Liu Ruyan heard the three words "Ning Chang'an" leave Guo Qingshui's lips, she froze. Turning to Guo Qingshui's naturally fox-charming face, she gave her a strange look. "It seems you made that man very comfortable. He told you quite a few secrets!"

That man was naturally Young Master Tang.

Guo Qingshui smiled sweetly. "I can make any man feel comfortable... Hehe, but he's one of the few men who can make me feel very comfortable too. Everything I want, I will obtain by relying on myself. Perhaps Ning Chang'an can make me feel very comfortable too—who knows? Ah, I'm already looking forward to it! I really can hardly wait. Letting a sworn enemy die beneath my skirt must be quite interesting, don't you think?"

A layer of chill spread across Liu Ruyan's face like white frost as she said coldly, "Bitch!" A slender little sword appeared in her hand, held in a reverse grip and concealed within her sleeve.

Guo Qingshui immediately sensed the dense killing intent.

Liu Ruyan was absolutely no ornament, much less a canary in a gilded cage. Her martial arts were exceptional. Her secret red-sleeve sword technique, used to kill at close range, was like a bloody dance wrought into art.

The smile on Guo Qingshui's face became even more seductive as she sighed softly. "The person downstairs seems to be at death's door! Hehe, don't forget what I'm skilled at!"

Guo Qingshui was skilled in poison, and naturally even more skilled in using her body and beauty.

Liu Ruyan's gaze shifted slightly as she asked in a low voice, "What exactly is your purpose in coming here?"

Guo Qingshui said, "To deliver a message! Young Master Tang's message."

Liu Ruyan said, "What message?"

Guo Qingshui said, "Give up! Give up on Ning Chang'an. He said that if he happens to be in a good mood, he may give Ning Chang'an a chance to cling to life. Ning Chang'an had escaped death time and again in Changshan Province, and Young Master Tang was already very unhappy about it. Besides, he discovered the ambiguity between you and Ning Chang'an. Ning Chang'an is almost certainly doomed. So long as you cooperate and Ning Chang'an knows what is good for him, he personally said he could consider sparing his life. Do you know? You make me so jealous I could die. When Young Master Tang fucked me hard, he called your name with his mouth... He really was like a beast in bed..."