The next day, at Shuanggui Alley.
Tick, tick...
The ethereal sound of raindrops falling into the puddles made the room seem especially quiet.
On the bed by the window, Yejing Hall opened his eyes and turned his head to look outside. The sky was gray, and it was hard to tell whether it was morning or afternoon.
The bird that had worked hard all night was sleeping with its claws facing the sky beside the pillow. As he moved, it mumbled "Chirp..." in a daze, turned over, and continued to sleep.
Yejing Hall scratched the big bird with his finger, then covered it with a thin quilt, sat up, and took out the golden paper from his bosom to examine it.
After hearing about the mystery of the "Minglong Tu" in his adoptive father's letter, he had been longing for it for a long time. But now that he had unexpectedly obtained it, problems arose.
This piece of golden paper in his hand could withstand his full-strength saber strike without any damage. It was highly likely to be genuine. However, there were no characters on either side of the paper, only a picture of "The Tortoise Carrying Three Mountains". There were no hints at all. Even though he knew it was a supreme secret manual recording unique secret techniques, he didn't know where to start practicing.
Yejing Hall held the golden paper and examined it carefully, trying to figure out the mystery from the lines of the picture. After looking at it for a while, he then looked out at the courtyard through the window.
The house where Yejing Hall slept was in the Western Wing opposite the kitchen, while Luo Ning and Zhe Yunli lived in the main house.
Zhe Yunli was more lively and had an active personality. Since both of them were catching up on sleep, Zhe Yunli had nothing to do at home and went out for a stroll again. Luo Ning was still resting in the main house.
As the three of them settled down in the courtyard, the main house had undergone tremendous changes compared to when they first arrived.
After Zhe Yunli bought several pieces of furniture, the main hall looked more like a proper house. There was a small cabinet in the corner, on which were placed some rouge and powder, as well as items like a bronze mirror and a wooden comb.
On the bed, Luo Ning was sleeping in her clothes, covered with a thin blanket, and the curve of her waist was perfectly outlined.
Lying down here in the middle of the night, she was indeed a bit tired. But after experiencing that unforgettable night yesterday, as a woman, how could Luo Ning fall asleep?
Luo Ning was lying on her side on the pillow. Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes, which were moist and glistening, looked a bit absent-minded at the wall. Her slender jade-like fingers were placed on her lips, recalling that brief kiss that separated as soon as they touched.
Since lying down in the early morning until now, her mind had involuntarily reviewed every step she had taken in the past.
She was born in the water town of Jiangzhou in her childhood. Her family was also a renowned family in the martial arts world. Unfortunately, when she was still learning to walk, her family encountered enemies. Her father's generation was either killed or injured, and the family fell into decline.
As a woman, she shouldn't have ventured into the martial arts world. But she had outstanding talent. If she didn't step up and take on the responsibility, who else would end the grudges?
When she first started in the martial arts world, she had great ambitions and vowed to become the "Number One Person in the Martial Arts World" like Fengguancheng.
However, the martial arts world was too vast, and the sky was too high. After going around in circles, apart from the title of "The Most Beautiful Woman in the Martial Arts World", she hadn't achieved anything significant.
And the former enemy had a change of heart, became a monk at the Thousand Buddha Temple in Shazhou, and became a disciple of the Divine Dust Monk, one of the "Two Saints".
The Divine Dust Monk said that the enemy had repented and felt guilty for what he had done in the past, and that living was already a punishment for the enemy.
How ridiculous these words were. If living was considered a punishment, then what about those who died unjustly? Were they liberated?
In order to end the grudges, she searched far and wide. She had been to Yuxu Mountain and met True Man Xuanji. She had also been to the official city in Tiannan and visited the Martial Immortal, but she hadn't received true teachings. It wasn't until she met the leader of the Pingtian Sect.
The leader of the Pingtian Sect, adhering to the ancestral teachings, wanted to restore the previous dynasty. In other words, he wanted to rebel against the Great Wei. To rebel meant to become an emperor. Even if the leader of the Pingtian Sect didn't want to be an emperor, his subordinates would force him to wear the imperial robe. But since ancient times, there had been no such thing as a woman becoming an emperor.
Even if the leader of the Pingtian Sect thought it was possible, his subordinates would be afraid that the world they had painstakingly conquered would be given away as a dowry to an outsider if a woman became the emperor.
For this reason, the leader of the Pingtian Sect promised that after she learned the peerless martial arts, the entire sect would be hers. In return, she would help the leader of the Pingtian Sect conceal his identity and act as the mistress of the sect to manage the internal affairs of the Pingtian Sect.
Two young female martial artists who had just entered the martial arts world hit it off and became the most envied couple in the martial arts world.
Originally, life seemed promising, but it was easier said than done to learn martial arts to the level of the Two Saints on the mountain.
Since going up to Nanxiao Mountain, her life seemed to have come to a standstill. The days were very monotonous. She practiced martial arts all day long, but she was getting further and further away from the leader of the Pingtian Sect. The glory of being the "Most Beautiful Woman in the Martial Arts World" gradually faded, leaving only endless trivial matters. Somehow, she had reached this point.
And the appearance of the shameless little thief was like throwing a stone into a stagnant pond, stirring up thousands of ripples, and it could no longer be calm.
Luo Ning couldn't figure out how there could be a man in the world with such great courage and such a thick skin.
What's more, she had no way to deal with him. She couldn't beat him or scold him. She could only let the other party take advantage of her step by step like a frog being boiled in warm water.
She and the leader of the Pingtian Sect said they were helping each other, but their husband-wife relationship was well-known in the martial arts world.
If it were to spread that "the wife of the leader of the Pingtian Sect is having an affair with a young man", wouldn't the leader of the Pingtian Sect, who had好不容易 built up his great reputation, be completely disgraced overnight?
She would also become a promiscuous woman...
He even asked about my identity. If I told him, it would scare him to death...
Luo Ning had no intention of sleeping. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Just as she was full of worries, the light in the room suddenly dimmed.
She turned her head and saw the handsome little thief standing silently at the window.
?
Luo Ning's face turned slightly cold, and she pulled up the thin quilt a bit. "What are you looking at?"
"I just woke up and was about to go to the Black Yamen to report back. I came to say hello. Don't let your guard down when you're home alone."
Luo Ning was extremely tired and had no intention of paying attention to Yejing Hall. She gently turned over, showing Yejing Hall the back of her head.
"Sigh..."
Soon, the sound of footsteps faded away.
Luo Ning took a deep breath, hugged her breasts, and her mind started to wander again...
-----
Shuanggui Alley was quite far from Mingyu Tower. After having a meal on the street, Yejing Hall, holding a rosewood box, came outside the Black Yamen which had no hanging plaque.
On the small square outside the yamen, there was a flagpole. The originally rotten human head had been replaced with a new one.
There were some idle people on the street looking at it and whispering:
"Who is this?"
"He's the 'Wingless Owl', the king of thieves in Yanzhou. He has stolen from many important people and has several lives on his hands..."
"Is he the flying thief who sneaked into the 'Censor's Pavilion' a few days ago? How did he get caught all of a sudden?"
"He was too bold. He could have stolen anything, but he stole a person, and he even stole someone from Prime Minister Li's household..."
"Wow, then he doesn't deserve any pity for dying..."
...
Yejing Hall just pretended not to hear these idle remarks and went outside the Black Yamen to present his plaque.
After a while, Shang Jianli came out from the yamen and saluted from a distance. "Young Master Ye has great skills. I really didn't expect that you could bring this thief to justice in just a few days."
"I just did some physical work. If it weren't for the full support of the yamen in spreading the news everywhere, how could we have caught this flying thief..."
While exchanging pleasantries, they came to the back of the yamen. The chief secretary of the Black Yamen brought three hundred taels of reward silver, along with a "Commendation Letter" stamped with the seal of Prince Jing, to show encouragement for his act of upholding justice.
Compared with the reputation and difficulty of dealing with the Wingless Owl, three hundred taels of reward silver was really not much. But this was also the first pot of gold he had truly earned by his own ability, apart from the advance payment from Third Aunt.
Yejing Hall wasn't greedy for money, but he was indeed short of money. So he happily accepted it. After going through the necessary procedures to close the case, he asked, "Sir Shang, is Prince Jing at home?"
"Prince Jing is entertaining a guest at home. The guest is an important person, so it might not be convenient. However, Prince Jing gave instructions in the morning. If Young Master Ye came, he asked you to wait for a while. I'll go and inform him."
As Shang Jianli spoke, he led Yejing Hall to a tea room at the back of the yamen.
The tea room was probably a place for discussing matters on weekdays. It was ordinary and had nothing special about it.
Yejing Hall sat down by himself beside the tea table, placed the rosewood box containing the "Jiao Xian Sheng" on the table, and then waited quietly for Prince Jing's summons...
-----
At the back of the Black Yamen, on the top of Mingyu Tower.
In the continuous rain curtain, the wind chimes hanging on the corner of the terrace were set in motion, and a serene piano sound came from the room.
Dong~ Dong~...
Several palace maids were waiting outside the study to be dispatched. Dongfang Liren, wearing a silver-threaded python robe, stood in front of the painting table, holding a brush and sketching the beautiful woman and scenery in front of him.
Behind the qin platform directly in front, a noble and elegant woman in a phoenix dress sat sideways. Her white jade-like fingers plucked the strings of the qin. Her full and beautiful buttocks formed a heavy half-arc behind the dress, but her expression carried a hint of springtime melancholy.
"Liren, is the painting finished yet? It's been half an hour already."
"Don't worry, Empress Dowager. It'll be done soon."
"You said you would take me out to relax, but look what happened. It's raining so hard that we can't even go out. Sigh..."
The Empress Dowager had been bored in the palace. It was a rare opportunity for her to come out, but she could only sit in this chilly Mingyu Tower and couldn't even see the distant view of the street. She was really depressed.
Dongfang Liren was considerate. While painting the portrait, he gently comforted her. "When the rain stops, I'll take you to Yutan Villa. We can enjoy the hot springs there. The scenery there is much better than here and is suitable for relaxing."
"What's the use of good scenery? Without anyone to accompany me, I can only admire myself."
The Empress Dowager plucked the strings of the qin and looked at the distant market street from the Mingyu Tower. She really wanted to suggest that Prince Jing take her on an "incognito visit" to go shopping.
However, there were undercurrents surging in the court and the public. Dongfang Liren had been attacked by thieves several times. Even if Dongfang Liren could agree to such a thing, she couldn't bear the responsibility. So she thought better of it.
After sitting for a long time, Dongfang Liren finally stopped painting. A vivid portrait of a beautiful woman appeared on the paper.
The Empress Dowager stood up, rubbed her sore legs, and came over to take a look. Before she could give her evaluation, she heard the sound of the maid's footsteps approaching the door.
"Your Highness, Young Master Ye is here."
When Dongfang Liren heard the news of the Wingless Owl's arrest in the morning, he had wanted to meet Yejing Hall. When he heard that the person had arrived, he had no more intention of accompanying the Empress Dowager. So he said, "He's an assistant in the yamen who handled a big case yesterday. I'll go and meet him. Empress Dowager, please take a rest first."
The Empress Dowager knew that Dongfang Liren was busy with affairs and didn't try to keep him. After watching Dongfang Liren leave, she wandered around the room alone and took out the scrolls placed on the bookshelf to look at.
Dongfang Liren and the Female Emperor were both disciples of True Man Xuanji. One was good at literature, and the other was good at martial arts, and both had received true teachings.
Dongfang Liren had quite good skills in painting and calligraphy and usually liked to paint the various aspects of the marketplace outside Mingyu Tower.
The Empress Dowager secretly appreciated the paintings. Soon, she picked up a brand-new scroll from the middle of the bookshelf and unfurled it. To her surprise, it depicted a man.
The man was wearing a black robe, with sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes, and an imposing manner. He held a long saber upside down in his left hand and placed it on someone's neck. There was also a fat owl standing on his shoulder. The expressions of the man and the bird were depicted in great detail.
"Tsk tsk~ So handsome..."
The Empress Dowager's almond-shaped eyes lit up. She held the portrait and came to the window to carefully observe it in the light.
The man in the painting had a very unique temperament, both wild and chivalrous, yet also gentle and refined. He looked pleasing to the eye no matter how she looked at him. He was so handsome that he seemed a bit unreal, just like a person in a painting. It was impossible for such a flawless man to exist in reality.
"Could it be the husband that Liren has imagined..."
The Empress Dowager thought carefully for a moment and felt that it was very possible. She secretly made fun of Dongfang Liren a few times and then prepared to put the portrait away.
But at that moment, there was some commotion below the Mingyu Tower.
The Empress Dowager looked down and saw two people coming out of the large yamen. The leading literati in a green robe was someone she had met before. He was Shang Jianli, the chief constable of the Black Yamen.
And behind was a man in black. His posture was neither servile nor overbearing, and his steps were neither hasty nor slow. The rain curtain blocked the view from a distance, and she could only see his profile. But she could still tell from his demeanor that this man was handsome.
Huh?
The Empress Dowager was taken aback. She picked up the portrait and looked at it, then looked at the man in black in the distance, and then looked at the portrait again...
??
The "fire of gossip" gradually emerged in the Empress Dowager's eyes. Just as she was speculating about the relationship between the two, she found that the handsome young man looked in her direction. She was so startled that she quickly left the window...