Yu Pianfei stopped pressing further and instructed the steward to arrange a refined and quiet courtyard for Hua Rongjian.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Chu Dingjiang received a letter from the Yu family delivered to Daofu Restaurant. On the day of departure, he arranged for the convoy to set off first. As evening approached, he went to the alley entrance mentioned in the letter to wait.
After waiting for a while without Zhu Pianxian appearing, Chu Dingjiang casually knocked out the guards at the Jade Residence’s west gate, tied them up in a bundle, and tossed them into a cave in the rock garden, clearing the way for Zhu Pianxian.
As he turned, he spotted a young man drinking by the door of the warm pavilion in the distance.
Just as Chu Dingjiang was about to leave, the man suddenly shouted, "Hey, you! Come here!"
Chu Dingjiang paused slightly, using his mental strength to confirm no one else was nearby before heading toward him.
"Who are you?" Hua Rongjian scrutinized Chu Dingjiang through drunken eyes, noting his burly frame and face almost entirely obscured by a thick beard. Though dressed in plain clothes, his bearing didn’t seem like that of a servant.
Chu Dingjiang felt a momentary daze. The face before him was identical to his own during the Warring States period—now at the prime of his life, full of youthful vigor. Chu Dingjiang often had the unsettling thought that by secretly killing the mother of this illegitimate child and turning him into Hua Rongjian, it was as if he had forcibly corrected fate’s deviation—as if… he had erased the redundant version of himself from this world.
Somehow, it felt like fate was toying with him, and he had merely outsmarted himself. The thought was infuriating.
Chu Dingjiang stared at Hua Rongjian for a long moment before reaching out to lightly touch the familiar face. Hua Rongjian stumbled back in shock, crashing into a pillar with a loud thud. "Listen here, I’d rather die than be humiliated!"
"You asked who I am," Chu Dingjiang withdrew his hand and said slowly, "I am you."
"Ha!" Hua Rongjian touched his own face. "Nonsense! I’m a man of striking looks—stop daydreaming. Hahaha!"
Chu Dingjiang flicked a pine nut, striking Hua Rongjian’s pressure point and knocking him unconscious.
The laughter cut off abruptly.
Chu Dingjiang moved swiftly, catching the falling wine jug before it hit the ground. He watched impassively as Hua Rongjian collapsed face-first onto the floor, then gently placed the jug on the railing before turning to leave.
When he reached the alley entrance, he saw a village woman in coarse clothes and a blue-flowered headscarf peering around nervously.
Chu Dingjiang leaped lightly into the depths of the alley and coughed.
The woman turned, spotted him, and scurried over. "Great Hero Chu, let’s go."
"Don’t you think this disguise is rather inappropriate, Madam Zhu?" Chu Dingjiang asked expressionlessly.
Only noblewomen covered their faces—village women usually didn’t. Moreover, Zhu Pianxian’s drab gray clothes clashed with the bright, brand-new blue-flowered headscarf. Anyone would take a second look at such an outfit on the street!
"This?" Zhu Pianxian tugged off the scarf and shook it out. "I was thinking… with my looks, I might attract unwanted attention from ruffians, and that would delay our trip."
Zhu Pianxian wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but her delicate skin alone was enough to tempt local thugs, so the explanation wasn’t entirely unreasonable. But could Chu Dingjiang really be fooled so easily?
She just wanted to stall for time!Chu Dingjiang gave her a cold glance. "I'm here because I knew you'd come. When I predict something, it never goes wrong. So, Madam Zhu, it'd be best if you behave yourself on the way. Save me the trouble, don’t you think?"
Zhu Pianxian shivered, lowering her head to fiddle with the hem of her clothes. She muttered, "What I said wasn’t wrong. Even if Hero Chu looks down on me, there must be times when even the most steadfast are led astray by beauty. To those ruffians, someone like me is a peerless beauty."
"No beauty could ever lead me astray," Chu Dingjiang said indifferently. "Let’s go."
Zhu Pianxian pursed her lips, thinking to herself: So devoid of desire—he must be impotent!
Zhu Pianxian’s Internal Energy was formidable, and when she exerted herself fully in light-footed movement, she didn’t lag behind Chu Dingjiang—only her endurance was lacking.
By the time they caught up with the convoy two hours later, Zhu Pianxian was panting heavily.
Chu Dingjiang pointed to one of the carriages.
Zhu Pianxian climbed in eagerly.
Inside, Lou Mingyue and An Jiu, who had been resting, opened their eyes and looked at her in unison.
Lou Mingyue was dressed in plain white robes, her dark hair pinned with two simple white silk flowers. Her finely arched brows extended toward her temples, and her stunningly beautiful face carried an air of heroic vigor. An Jiu, on the other hand, wore a dark purple satin jacket and skirt, her hair coiled high like clouds, her eyes as dark as lacquer—like an immortal from a painting.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, the scene shifted from spring blossoms to the fires of hell!
The murderous aura emanating from the two women made Zhu Pianxian’s eyelids twitch. Frozen for a few breaths, she forced a grin and shrank into a corner of the carriage.
An Jiu had been wearing a Human Skin Mask that day, so Zhu Pianxian didn’t recognize her now. But when An Jiu saw her, her eyes lit up.
— This woman who could cry on command was quite amusing.
The carriage started moving again, and the interior was so silent it felt like a cold wind was blowing.
After an hour, Zhu Pianxian couldn’t stand the silence anymore. She cleared her throat and said, "You two ladies are…"
"…" Lou Mingyue kept her eyes closed, not even lifting a lid.
"…" An Jiu glanced at her curiously but didn’t respond either.
Still, An Jiu’s reaction encouraged Zhu Pianxian. Undeterred, she pressed on, "You two must be Hero Chu’s sisters, right? At first glance, you look so much like siblings—"
Actually, not at all!
"—both so extraordinary in bearing." Zhu Pianxian bowed slightly toward An Jiu. "This humble one is married into the Zhu family, and my maiden name is Pianxian. Hero Chu invited me to accompany him to Bianjing."
"He invited you?" An Jiu said.
An Jiu’s neck injury hadn’t fully healed, so she couldn’t speak loudly. Her soft tone suited her current appearance perfectly.
Zhu Pianxian, delighted to get a response, quickly said, "Yes! He said he wanted to find a companion for his friend—a young boy. You must know him, right?"
An Jiu’s expression turned peculiar.
"Oh dear, hehehe!" Zhu Pianxian hastily covered her mouth with a laugh. "Not that kind of companion! Just someone to talk to."
An Jiu reached behind her and pulled out a bundle, rummaging through it before extracting a Human Skin Mask, which she unfolded in front of Zhu Pianxian.
"You… you…" Zhu Pianxian’s voice trembled, her lips turning pale. "Did you kill him?"
As someone who traded in information, Zhu Pianxian knew there were people in the martial world who specialized in killing and flaying faces to make Human Skin Masks—far more lifelike than artificial ones. The mask in An Jiu’s hand was one of Lu Danzhi’s masterpieces, so finely crafted it could rival a real face.
Seeing Zhu Pianxian’s horrified expression, An Jiu suddenly felt the urge to tease her again. She studied Zhu Pianxian’s face carefully and said, "Your face… is very nice.""Hahaha, my lady is truly amusing." Zhu Pianxian, her eyes brimming with tears, struggled to open the carriage door.
Mid-journey, there was a sudden thud, and the entire convoy halted briefly.
Chu Dingjiang rode closer, glanced at the disheveled Zhu Pianxian, and rapped his knuckles against the carriage wall. "Stop fooling around."
An Jiu pushed open the window and leaned out, grinning at him.
Her pitch-black, profound eyes seemed to catch stars, instantly brightening. Her already stunning features were illuminated with radiant charm, eclipsing everything around her in an instant.
A living, breathing vision of allure—nothing less.
Chu Dingjiang froze.
Noticing his dazed expression, Zhu Pianxian clambered up, rubbing her waist and grumbling, "Who was it that declared so righteously: 'No beauty could ever distract this Chu'?"
Snapping back to reality, Chu Dingjiang said sternly, "Get back in the carriage."
"Can I ride in the one behind?" Zhu Pianxian asked.
Chu Dingjiang glanced at the other carriage and smirked. "You sure?"
Zhu Pianxian nodded eagerly. Sitting with those two women had first crushed her confidence as a woman, and second, that "fairy from a painting" seemed like a beast in human skin.
"Go ahead." Chu Dingjiang relented.
That carriage held only Mo Sigui, who had been in a foul mood lately. Apart from the driver, anyone who came within ten feet was met with poison, no questions asked.
The reason for his bad temper? Mainly because Chu Dingjiang's beating had been too brutal—the bruises on his face hadn’t faded even after applying ointment!
Not! One! Bit!
This was a blatant insult and mockery of Mo Sigui’s medical skills!
Zhu Pianxian took a few steps before recalling Chu Dingjiang’s expression and An Jiu’s earlier prank. This childishness felt oddly familiar.
Ah! That young man—back when they were about to attack Misty Villa, he’d deliberately suggested bringing her along, scaring her to tears!
Realization struck, and Zhu Pianxian spun around, darting back into An Jiu’s carriage. She frowned, scrutinizing her.
"Zhu Scamcash." An Jiu was in high spirits.
"You’re…" Zhu Pianxian leaned in, reaching to tug at her face. (To be continued…)
PS: Wishing everyone a happy double festival!!!!!!!!!! All kinds of joy!!!!
OpenNovel