Even though she had anticipated that “he” wasn’t him, she still couldn’t withstand the blow.
──The face before her was, of course, no longer Zhan Zhao’s face.
The person standing in front of her had a wise and tranquil face. It was a face that, though no longer young, radiated a magnetic charm unique to men.
If this face were seen on the street, anyone catching a first glance would mistake it for an ordinary one. But a second look would reveal just how extraordinary it truly was.
──It was Zhi Hua’s face.
The Ever-Changing Black Demon Fox rarely revealed his true appearance in the martial world.
──Could this be his true face?
Huo Ling Long could no longer believe what she was seeing. “How could it be you? Why is your martial art so different? That day, outside the small forest on Xiao Lang Tou Mountain, the one with the Hua Fengzi brothers… wasn’t that you?”
Zhi Hua, however, only smiled faintly without answering. His gaze had already shifted elsewhere.
──To the person who had given the warning.
By the old ferry crossing, near the riverbank, a pair of young figures emerged from the grass. Huo Ling Long suddenly realized that they were the same siblings she had encountered yesterday at the small inn by the post station. She had been so unsettled that she hadn’t noticed the presence of anyone hiding in the distant grass.
Under Zhi Hua’s gaze, the boy showed no trace of fear. Standing with his hands on his hips, he shouted angrily, “Who are you to dare impersonate my family’s Third Young Master?”
Huo Ling Long was taken aback once more.
──So, the “Third Young Master” this boy kept mentioning was Zhan Zhao. Could this pair of siblings truly be servants of Zhan Zhao’s household?
Zhi Hua began to laugh heartily.
“For someone so young, to be able to see through my disguise, you’re the first in the martial world today. Tell me, where did I slip up?”
The boy replied, “My family’s Third Young Master is a true hero. Apart from a few blind fools, no matter how clever your disguise, how could you ever mimic his heroic spirit? How could you ever deceive us?”
Zhi Hua stared at him and asked, “And who might you be?”
The boy responded, “I am Ming Zhu’er, famously known as ‘Ghosts Fear Ghosts’ in the capital of Dong Jing. And this is my sister, Ming Yu’er.”
Zhi Hua sneered coldly. “Ah, so it’s you! I’ve long heard that you’re quite the character in the capital, often seen as a pair of mischievous monkeys with Zhao Zhi’er from Prince Zhao’s household at Nanqing Palace. One’s called ‘Gods Fear Gods,’ and the other’s called ‘Ghosts Fear Ghosts.’ Truly a pair of troublesome little demons. Now that I’ve met you, the rumors are indeed true. I’ve also heard that Prince Zhao and Zhan Zhao are quite close—seems even their young servants share a similar temperament. How curious.”
Ming Zhu’er retorted, “If you think you can fool me, it won’t be that easy! This place is several days’ journey from Xiang Yang Prefecture. If my family’s Third Young Master had fallen into your hands, how could you possibly have brought him here in just one day?” He glanced at Huo Ling Long and continued, “Since it’s impossible to get here so quickly, how do we know the person on your stretcher isn’t a fake?”
Zhi Hua sighed softly. “To have such intelligence at such a young age—who would’ve thought Zhan Zhao’s household would be a haven of hidden talents.”
Ming Zhu’er ignored him and demanded, “What have you done to my family’s Third Young Master?”
Zhi Hua cast a glance at Huo Ling Long, who remained silent and dazed, then sneered again.
“Him? Naturally, he’s already at Prince Xiang Yang’s residence by now.”
This seemingly casual statement hit Huo Ling Long like a dagger, piercing straight through her heart.
Her heartbreak came from the man who had deceived her. But though her heart was shattered, why couldn’t she bring herself to believe what she had just heard?
──“So… so, he really did deceive me. Xiao Shao… he actually lied to me!” Her words became increasingly filled with sorrow, until she could hardly continue.
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