Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Upon hearing this, the Ugly Blind Girl felt a lightness in her body, not expecting Lu Chen to ask such a question. She smiled calmly and said, "Yes, but it's not entirely so. My purpose for entering the Five Element Sect is a bit inconvenient to tell you. Master Lianxin is my master."
Lu Chen was surprised to learn that Master Lianxin was actually the Ugly Blind Girl's master. He nodded in response; since she did not reveal her purpose for entering the Five Element Sect, it was clear that there were unspoken reasons behind it, and he decided not to press further.
"You can go now; I won't kill you," Lu Chen said after a moment of silence.
The Ugly Blind Girl gave a faint smile, stood up from the ground, found her long sword, and walked away without looking back.
She surely knew who was behind the plot against Lu Chen, but there was a reason Lu Chen did not pursue the matter. What had just transpired was essentially a transaction; the Ugly Blind Girl used her identity and background to exchange for Lu Chen's mercy.
A killer would never disclose their information to their intended victim, yet the Ugly Blind Girl did so because she felt indebted to Lu Chen and needed to offer something of value in return. Thus, she left with such composure and without hesitation.
While she did not reveal her purpose for entering the Five Element Sect, she did mention that Master Lianxin, who had once attempted to assassinate a Cabinet Minister, was her master. By disclosing her background and even bringing up her master, what more could Lu Chen insist upon?
At present, the Ugly Blind Girl did not possess anything of high value except for the mastermind behind her actions. However, if she betrayed that mastermind, it would mean taking on greater culpability and possibly facing retaliation from that hidden force.
The reason Lu Chen chose not to inquire further lay here; it would bring danger upon the Ugly Blind Girl. Moreover, even if Lu Chen knew who was behind it all, what could he do against such a powerful force? He could only wait for an opportunity to settle accounts later.
Once the Ugly Blind Girl had left, it took Lu Chen quite some time before he walked over to retrieve the Moon King's Blade that was stuck in the ground and stored it in Jun Bell before slowly making his way down the mountain.
As the New Year approached, everywhere was adorned with decorations and bustling with activity. Especially at the foot of the Five Element Sect, every shop was setting off firecrackers that crackled incessantly.
Bright red lanterns hung from eaves, with candles lit inside them casting a warm red glow through the lantern paper that could be seen from afar, symbolizing prosperity in the coming year.
The Cave in the empty mountain had also been decorated by Old Mu; it was spotless inside and out, very clean and refreshing. Couplets were pasted at the entrance, and offerings were arranged in the hall, filling the entire Five Element Sect with festive cheer.
The New Year was a significant festival for all servants; not only in Central Plains but also in Yushan Kingdom, Giant Barbarian Island, southern Wabong, western Luzhan, Gaochang, and other nations regarded it as the most important festival of the year.
After sending off the Ugly Blind Girl, Lu Chen returned alone to his Cave. Just as he settled down, he heard footsteps approaching from outside. Could it be that the Ugly Blind Girl had returned?
Lu Chen shook his head; he thought it unlikely. He did not engage in anything else but sat alone under the oil lamp with a scroll in hand, focusing intently on reading—whatever came next would be dealt with as it came.
"Is Brother Lu Chen here?" A male voice soon called out from outside the Cave.
Lu Chen found the voice familiar. He put down his scroll and stepped outside to see that it was Jiang Jie, who could be considered a friend of his.
Earlier, Lu Chen had informed Jiang Jie of the address of the Empty Mountain. It was not surprising to Lu Chen that Jiang Jie was able to find this place.
"Brother Jiang, it's you. What brings you here?" Lu Chen asked, cupping his hands in greeting upon seeing Jiang Jie.
"Brother Lu Chen, it really is you! I thought I had come to the wrong place!" Jiang Jie replied, taking a few steps forward. "Brother Lu Chen, I, along with Brothers Lu Renjia and Jiang Youdang, have booked a banquet outside the mountain. Since it's the New Year, we would like to invite you to join us for some food and drinks to celebrate together."
Jiang Jie clearly stated his purpose for coming: he wanted to invite Lu Chen out for a meal.
Jiang Jie continued, "The three of us don't have many friends here. Originally, we planned to invite you and Sister Yushan Orchid to join us, but I just went to look for Sister Yushan Orchid and she wasn't in the Cave. I don't know where she went, so I came to find you instead. Fortunately, you're still here. Let's go together." Jiang Jie was very enthusiastic.
It turned out that Jiang Jie and the other two had booked a banquet at a restaurant outside the Five Element Sect to celebrate the New Year and wanted to invite Lu Chen and Princess Zhulan to join them.
Lu Chen shook his head and said, "No, I won't be going. I've been fasting for quite some time now, and suddenly indulging in meat and alcohol wouldn't be good for me." Lu Chen declined Jiang Jie's invitation.
"Huh? Brother Lu Chen, why is that? We’ve arranged this banquet without asking you to pay anything. Why be so polite? Come on, let's go together," Jiang Jie insisted as he reached out to pull Lu Chen's arm.
Lu Chen repeatedly declined and stopped Jiang Jie, saying, "Brother Jiang, please don't pull me. We really don't want to go; I have already made plans with someone."
Lu Chen genuinely did not want to go; his excuse about fasting was just that—an excuse. He simply wanted to avoid the invitation.
"What? Brother Lu Chen has already made plans? In that case, let's forget it," Jiang Jie said upon hearing this. He believed him; logically speaking, if Lu Chen had made plans with someone else, it would indeed be inconvenient for him to join them for drinks. In such a situation, he felt it would be inappropriate to insist further.
"That's right; I do have an appointment. I'm afraid if I go out with you all and that person comes looking for me later, it wouldn't be good," Lu Chen fabricated an excuse that sounded plausible.
Jiang Jie shook his head upon hearing this and felt it made sense. He then showed a look of regret and said, "What a pity that Brother Lu Chen can't make it. I'll convey your message to Lu Renjia and Jiang Youdang then. I'll take my leave now."
With that, Jiang Jie turned around hurriedly and headed down the mountain path.
"Take care on your way back, Brother Jiang," Lu Chen called after the hurriedly departing Jiang Jie before turning back towards the Cave.
As Lu Chen took a few steps, he suddenly stopped, his ears twitching as he turned to stare at a nearby clump of bushes.
The bushes rustled a few times, and a figure of a girl jumped out. Lu Chen was genuinely surprised; it was none other than Princess Zhulan.
Princess Zhulan had come alone; he hadn't seen Tu Youdong for quite some time.
"Princess, what brings you here?" Lu Chen asked, slightly taken aback but quickly understanding.
No wonder Jiang Jie couldn't find Princess Zhulan in her cave; she had already come out and had been circling around to reach Lu Chen's cave.
"Lu Chen, I need to talk to you," Princess Zhulan said with a playful smile as she walked directly in front of him.
After spending so much time together, she had become familiar with Lu Chen, no longer feeling the awkwardness from before.
"Let's go inside; it's cold outside," Lu Chen gestured for her to enter the cave.
He had invited someone to avoid Jiang Jie's invitation, not expecting that someone would actually come. This night was indeed extraordinary, with three groups of people arriving in such a short time.
"This is your cave?" Lu Chen led Princess Zhulan into the stone chamber. She kept looking up and around, seemingly very interested in Lu Chen's dwelling.
Especially when she saw how clean and tidy the stone chamber was, she mistakenly thought that Lu Chen had organized it himself, which made her feel a sense of admiration as she nodded repeatedly.
Lu Chen invited Princess Zhulan to sit at the table and said, "You came late at night; it must not just be to visit my room, right?"
He asked her this question, knowing that two people of different genders meeting at such a late hour must have important matters to discuss.
Princess Zhulan nodded and replied, "That's right. I'm here about the Former Dynasty Treasury."
Her sudden mention of the Former Dynasty Treasury surprised Lu Chen; if it was related to that, then the matter was serious.
"You must have received news about it too? Sun Zizhao has more information than I do," Princess Zhulan inquired.
Lu Chen nodded and said, "Yes, I received some news a few months ago."
It has indeed been a long time since Sun Zizhao last sent a message. His letter only contained some hints without revealing specifics, urging Lu Chen to pay more attention.
Princess Zhulan smiled mysteriously and said, "Hmph, this time I have obtained the latest and most detailed information, which is far more advanced than what Sun Zizhao has."
"What information? Just spill it; there's no need to act mysterious. How did you manage to get it?" Lu Chen was once again shocked that Princess Zhulan could acquire more comprehensive information than Sun Zizhao.
Princess Zhulan shot Lu Chen a glare, pouting her lips and said, "Hmph, I won't tell you how I got it, but for the sake of profit, I'll share the news about that batch of Treasure."
"You..." Lu Chen was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by Princess Zhulan's teasing.
"I know exactly who ended up with that batch of Treasure and where it is now," Princess Zhulan continued.
Lu Chen chose to remain silent, sitting quietly at the table with his eyes fixed on Princess Zhulan. Familiarity breeds such playful teasing; if they were strangers, she probably wouldn't have toyed with him like this.
"The Steppe People betrayed their allies and entered the imperial capital first; they indeed plundered the Former Dynasty Treasury. Afterward, these people safely returned to the grasslands, but fearing retaliation from the Xiongnu, they took the Treasure deep into the desert to escape, traveling for seven or eight months. Later, they got lost in the desert, running low on food and water. The carriers of the Treasure died one after another, which is why this batch of Treasure never made it into civilian hands, and no one knows its whereabouts anymore."
The Steppe People and the Xiongnu were originally allies, but they stabbed the Xiongnu in the back by directly plundering the Han Dynasty's Treasury. They knew that after the Xiongnu established their state, they would need money and would eventually seek revenge on them, so they took the Treasure and fled far away to escape.
Comment 0 Comment Count