“I’ll repay what I owe you!” she murmured softly, perhaps to justify herself, or perhaps to ease Shao Ji Zu’s pain. She added in a quieter tone, “But you must understand—I’m not going to the capital to see him.”
Shao Ji Zu’s gaze finally returned to its usual cold, firm, and composed state. “If you’re not going to see him, then the item Zhan Zhao carries—is it something entrusted to you to bring to Kaifeng?”
As soon as he spoke, Shao Ji Zu was filled with regret.
Though spoken lightly, his words landed like a thunderbolt to Huo Ling Long’s ears, shaking her so much that she stumbled back a step. Her face instantly turned deathly pale.
All her naive tenderness, her unwoken dreams, her lingering illusions, and her deeply hidden hopes were crushed in that moment by his seemingly innocuous statement. It was as if the merciless hand of fate forced her to open her heart’s eyes and confront the world’s deception and cruelty.
– “So, this is why you came after all!”
– “So, you haven’t changed at all!”
Her eyes were filled with disappointment and fear.
Was she afraid of the sinister and convoluted nature of humanity, or was she terrified that all the beauty of her memories had been irrevocably shattered?
Disappointment and fear lingered within her heart, but strangely, there was also a faint sense of relief: there would no longer be any lingering attachment or regret between them.
Shao Ji Zu’s heart turned cold—cold to the very marrow of his bones.
– He should have been more cautious.
In his anxiety, he said, “Ling Long, listen to me. I followed you all this way because I learned you had encountered him. That man always uses false benevolence to win people over. I was worried you’d fall for his tricks and be deceived by him.”
Huo Ling Long repeated his words slowly, deliberately: “Deceived by him? Then tell me honestly—who is the one deceiving me? Is it you, or is it him?”
Her eyes, filled with sorrow, seemed to pierce him. “I came all the way from the West Bridge crossing. Who do you think your words can still deceive?”
Shao Ji Zu was silent.
Her voice began to tremble involuntarily as she continued, “What about him?”
Shao Ji Zu replied, “Who are you talking about?”
Huo Ling Long’s tone was sharp: “Stop lying to me, and don’t feign ignorance. When I passed by the West Bridge crossing, I already asked. He—he’s already fallen into your hands.”
Shao Ji Zu struggled to speak. “Ling Long, just listen to me—”
But it was as though Huo Ling Long couldn’t hear him. Slowly, deliberately, she said, “What I’m asking is, what did you do to him? Tell me, what did you do to him?”
Tears seemed to well up in her eyes, rolling back and forth as if struggling to escape.
In the light of the setting sun, her glistening tears sparkled brightly.
– For whom were those tears shed?
Shao Ji Zu let out a long sigh and said, “You only spent a few days with him, yet you care so much. You even gave him the Ling Long Honey—a treasure that every martial artist dreams of obtaining. As for what I did to him—I did nothing. Right now, the men from Jin Shi Tang and Jun Shan are escorting him to Xiang Yang.”
Huo Ling Long was taken aback. “How did you even know he had consumed Ling Long Honey?”
Shao Ji Zu sighed lightly. “It’s clear he had more than one dose. Without your Ling Long Honey, with his condition, attempting to use Crane Ascends to the Heavens at the West Bridge crossing would have cost him his life on the spot!”
He paused, looking at Huo Ling Long with an expression of sorrowful concern. “Ling Long, I’m truly doing this for your own good. The Xiang Yang Prince’s power is beyond anything you can imagine! Take Zhan Zhao, for instance. Even though he’s renowned as the Southern Hero, blessed with unparalleled martial skill and intelligence, his actions against the Xiang Yang estate have earned him a death sentence.
“Not to mention, he used Crane Ascends to the Heavens in the West Bridge crossing battle. Even with your family’s miraculous medicine, it’s uncertain whether he can survive the journey to Xiang Yang over the next two days. And once he reaches Xiang Yang, the Prince’s strict rule will ensure that he does not escape death.
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