Zhi Hua’s gaze was filled with mockery and cruelty. He spoke slowly, “Women always think they can toy with men as they please. But what’s so extraordinary or unfair about being deceived by a man for once? Since you treated him that way, why shouldn’t he deceive you in return?”
Huo Ling Long murmured, “You… you knew about this too?”
Zhi Hua spoke coldly, “I’m not blind. Even a blind person could see his affection for you. If he’s in this state now, how could it be for any reason other than you wronging him?”
Huo Ling Long gritted her teeth and said, “I know he hates me, but I still can’t believe he would send you to kill me!”
Zhi Hua did not deny it. He looked at her and enunciated each word deliberately, “True. As much as he hates you, how could he bear to kill you? He’s gone to great lengths to obtain the Ling Long Eye of your Huo family. If you were to die, who knows how long he would have to wait for the next eldest daughter of the Huo family to be born. Even if he could wait, I doubt Prince Xiang Yang could.”
Huo Ling Long’s heart sank.
──Her turmoil wasn’t due to what Zhi Hua said about the Ling Long Eye but because his words sounded strange to her.
──Wasn’t he also serving in the Jinshi Hall under Prince Xiang Yang? Wasn’t Prince Xiang Yang his master? Why was he speaking about his master in this tone?
Huo Ling Long said, “I wasn’t wrong about you. But why are you telling me this? And why should I believe a word you say?”
Zhi Hua smiled faintly. “Whether you believe me or not is, of course, up to you. But I won’t hide the truth—I may serve in the Jinshi Hall, but Prince Xiang Yang is not my master.”
Ming Zhu’er couldn’t help but interject, “Then who is your master?”
Zhi Hua didn’t want to answer. His mouth shut tightly, and his lips, exuding undeniable masculinity, took on an indescribable firmness.
At this moment, a gentle voice echoed through the faint rain and mist, “Zhu’er, there’s no need to guess. Who his master is doesn’t matter. What does matter is that his master seeks to destroy the Ling Long Eye of the Huo family, which can glimpse the future.”
Huo Ling Long’s body trembled.
For an instant, Zhi Hua’s gaze became indescribably complicated.
The young girl in pale lavender robes, Ming Yu’er, stood there quietly, serene as a chrysanthemum. Yet her words cut into his heart like a blade.
The girl continued, “It’s because his master knows that once Prince Xiang Yang possesses the Ling Long Eye, he’ll be able to foresee the outcome of future events. This would naturally include not only his grand ambitions but also the secrets of others. His master, of course, would never allow his own secrets and vulnerabilities to fall into the prince’s hands.”
The casual arrogance in Zhi Hua’s eyes finally disappeared. Fixing his gaze on her, he asked sternly, “Who exactly are you? Zhan Zhao is nothing more than a fourth-rank Blade Guard. How could someone like you be a servant in his household?”
The girl still smiled warmly, her tone soft. “Master Zhi, you flatter me too much. I am merely Ming Yu’er, and my younger brother and I have both benefited greatly from our family’s Third Young Master. To serve him is already our greatest fortune. But as wise as Master Zhi is, even you’ve sold yourself to your master. Being sent to Prince Xiang Yang’s residence to destroy the Huo family’s dowry must have required no small amount of planning and effort.”
Her words, “meticulous scheming,” sent an inexplicable chill down Huo Ling Long’s spine. For a moment, her thoughts scattered like falling petals, blurring her vision and overwhelming her heart. It was as if she had grasped onto some realization but couldn’t fully articulate what it was.
Then, the words “Great Compassion Palm” suddenly leaped into her mind.
──“Your meticulous scheming isn’t just aimed at the Huo family of Ling Long Manor, is it? Perhaps it also involves Shang Qing Temple. Otherwise, why would you steal and learn the Great Compassion Palm?”
These words escaped her cherry lips softly, yet they brought a flash of pain and hatred to Zhi Hua’s eyes. The name of this half-Buddhist, half-Taoist temple seemed to momentarily rob him of his breath.
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