Volume 7 Chapter 6 (1/2)
Book 7 Chap 6 – Sisters in trouble
After returning, Teng Yi said quietly to him, “Yanran is waiting for you at the inner hall.” Xiang Shaolong was just about to look for her and quickened his steps on hearing that.
Teng Yi ran after him and asked, “Why did the King of Zhao summon you?” Xiang Shaolong was embarrassed and stopped to tell him briefly what happened and laughed, “We’re considered lucky, there should be no problem if we stay in Handan for 1 to 2 more months.” Teng Yi gave him a push and said, “Go in quickly! You’re really lucky in love.” Xiang Shaolong did not expect this burly man to suddenly utter such a phrase. Obviously Shanlan has changed him a lot. He replied with a smile and walked towards his bedroom.
He had just closed the door when the great beauty Ji Yanran ran into his arm with a gush of fragrance, her passion so fiery that he almost melted.
Women who have just started eating the forbidden fruit will be especially clingy and Learned Lady Ji is no exception. After the joining, they started talking, limbs entwined.
Before Xiang Shaolong had a chance to ask her about Li Yuan, this beauty admitted it first, “Xiang Lang, please don’t blame Yanran. I’ve agreed to go with Li Yuan tomorrow to Lake Feng at the south of the city to admire the red leaves. Hai! This lovelorn person is really sincere, to run after me all the way from Chu and kept on pleading with me. Yanran had no choice but to entertain him a little. I will then find a chance to clarify with him my stand and tell him to give up on me.”
Xiang Shaolong remained silent on hearing how Ji Yanran is still treating Li Yuan so nicely. Ji Yanran pouted a little, “Are you unhappy? It’s just a normal outing! If you’re still worried, I’ll ask Mister Zou to come along.”
Xiang Shaolong sighed and said, “From my observation and information obtained, this person’s interior is not as good as his exterior but if I say this at this point of time, it would seem that I lack graciousness.”
Ji Yanran disengaged herself from his arms and sat up on the bed, revealing her perfect upper body to his eyes as she said unhappily, “Do you think I am a person who would see you as someone carrying tales? I already belong to you while in Daliang, so why should you be afraid to speak your mind.”
Xiang Shaolong pulled her back into his arms, flipped her over and pressed down on her, telling her how he made use of Li Yanyan to take part in the evil scheme set up by Lord Chunshen, and also what happened at the feast tonight.
When Yanran heard how Li Yuan was pressurizing the King of Zhao to deal with her ‘Xiang Shaolong’, and how he publicly announced during the feast about his appointment with her, her expression changed and she said, “I did not expect him to be such a shallow and conniving person, Yanran must really be blind.”
Xiang Shaolong replied, “This person may have had a hard time suppressing himself in Chu so now that he’s in Zhao, he would reveal the real him when he’s not afraid that others will know.”
Ji Yanran breathed out a gush of cold air as she said, “Luckily Xiang Lang has reminded Yanran, so I won’t be taken in by him. Hai! When can Xiang Lang take me to Xianyang? It’s really torturous being so secretive. Mister Zou is also very envious of Qin and hopes that he can go there quickly.”
Xiang Shaolong sighed, “Who wouldn’t want to leave this godforsaken place, it’s just that now we still have to wait for the right time.”
Ji Yanran sat up unwillingly and said, “ I have to go. This time you don’t have to send me off, it’ll be difficult to argue if someone bumps into us.” Then added with a smile, “Why don’t we put on another show, the title of the act will be called ‘The Horse Fanatic gets Ji Yanran’. If we can infuriate that Li Yuan to death, won’t it be fun? Then we don’t have to be so secretive and scared all the time. I can even openly move in to stay with you.”
Xiang Shaolong sat up, hooking his arm around her pretty neck and tasted the lipstick on her pink lips again as he said, “It’s ‘The Horse Fanatic having sole possession of Beauty Ji’, or maybe ‘Fanatic Dong flirts with pretty Yanran’. This is a very tempting thought, but if it incurs the jealousy of Lord Longyang, then it’ll be really terrible.”
Ji Yanran replied with a smile, “This Lord Longyang likes to think that he’s smart. If we do it just right, seemingly having feelings at times, moving along in steadily, it will instead quell his doubts and it will even make him think that I have nothing to do with that Xiang Shaolong, otherwise why would I have fallen for another man. She added with a sweet smile, “The terms Xiang Lang uses are the best in the world.”
After being on cloud nine, Xiang Shaolong thought over it and found it reasonable and was greatly energized. If he can eliminate Lord Longyang’s suspicions of Ji Yanran, it’ll be easier for their mission in future. Otherwise if they let this man-woman find out about their affair, his identity may be revealed immediately. Because there’s no way for him to hide if they decide to look at his false face in detail.
To the Zhaos, it’s better to let him get Ji Yanran than to let Li Yuan have the advantage. The 2 of them were so excited they started their entanglements again before discussing the details.
Xiang Shaolong remembered Zhao Zhi, and it was only after much persuasion that Ji Yanran reluctantly left him quietly.
Xiang Shaolong took the opportunity to take a nap after Ji Yanran left and Teng Yi woke him up at midnight.
This guesthouse originally had a housekeeper and a group of servants but they have been transferred to work at the outer residence to stop them from being a hindrance.
While he was washing up, Teng Yi said from behind him, “A few suspicious looking men started hiding around the front of the street and back alley an hour ago. I wonder who they could be. Really feel like going out to teach them a lesson.”
Xiang Shaolong replied, “It’s easy to teach them a lesson. We just have to inform Zhao Mu tomorrow. That conniving thief will certainly have his ways to find out who they are.”
Teng Yi said, “Be careful when you go out. I think I’d better go with you, at least I can take care of you.”
Xiang Shaolong guffawed, “I’m just going for a rendezvous, why would I need to be taken care of.”
Teng Yi no longer insisted and changed the topic, “When do you intend to make contact with the 2 groups belonging to Pu Bu and Zhao Da?”
Xiang Shaolong wore his mask and said, “We can only decide on this at a later date, and we must not let them know that Dong Kuang is Xiang Shaolong. A person’s heart is unfathomable, who knows if any one of them would betray us?”
Teng Yi heaved a sigh of relief and said, “I’m relieved to know that you can think it this way.”
Xiang Shaolong gave him a strong hug around the shoulders and after he helped him with wearing his full gear, he climbed over the wall and left the residence, turning into the dark streets.
Although it’s late in the night, there are still carriages and people on the streets as well as patrolling guards. The cities of this era are huge and not as densely populated so general security is still good.
Keeping alert along the way, he reached his destination an hour later. He’s still worried about being followed so he deliberately hid on a tree, waiting until he was sure no one was following before jumping down and walking into the bamboo forest next to Zhao Zhi’s house.
It was an ordinary house, only slightly bigger than the average home. What’s special is that there’s a small river on the left while this bamboo forest is on the other side, separating this house from the nearby houses. This bamboo forest is also the path that one must go past in order to reach the house.
Xiang Shaolong cast aside his remorse towards Jing Jun, consoling himself by thinking that small details should not be haggled over if one wants to accomplish big things before walking out of the bamboo forest.
The deep barks of dogs were heard, then they were silent. Obviously Zhao Zhi had stopped them.
Zhao Zhi’s residence is split into the front, middle and back, with a small courtyard at the back planted with flowers and trees. The surroundings have a quiet elegance.
The rooms at the back were joined with the garden so he only have to climb the wall into the back courtyard and will easily reach Zhao Zhi’s bedroom.
Right at this time, the lamp in one of the rooms was lighted, and then extinguished again. It continued for 3 times before it remained lit.
Xiang Shaolong knows that this is Zhao Zhi’s signal, and excitement welled in his heart from having an illicit affair. Zhao Zhi wins in being matured enough, a unique character and style that can intoxicate a person. The deepest impression she gives is that although she is not past 20, she has an air of weariness as if she has been through a lot. It seems that she must have had a sad past.
Xiang Shaolong knows that there’s not much time left. A moment of night is worth a thousand taels of gold. He moved swiftly, climbing over the wall into the house and entering through the window.
It turned out to be a small study, simply and comfortably decorated. Zhao Zhi was wearing a pale maroon long dress, lounging on a rectangular bed, the table next to her filled with fine wine and snacks, looking at him climbing in through the window with a smile.
Xiang Shaolong was about to smile in return when an alarm suddenly went off in his heart but before he had the time to react, something is already pressing down on his waist from the back.
The reason why he did not have a proper feel is because it’s separated by the belt that was filled with flying needles tied around his waist.
A low but melodious female voice behind him said, “Don’t move, unless you can move faster that the specially made mechanical strong bow.”
Xiang Shaolong felt the voice sounded familiar but he could not remember who this person threatening him from the back could be.
Zhao Zhi jumped up excitedly and exclaimed with a dainty smile, “Everyone keeps saying how formidable Xiang Shaolong is, but he still fall into us sisters’ trap.”
Xiang Shaolong was secretly laughing dryly, this is the second time he got cheated by a woman. Maybe this is a man’s greatest weakness, always putting their guards down when faced with a pretty woman.
But he was feeling puzzled. If Zhao Zhi wants to deal with him, she just has to run out to the streets and start shouting and he’ll be done for, so why would she go through so much trouble to deal with him privately.
Or could it be she still has feelings for that dead Lian Jin? She won’t feel happy unless she kills him personally? He pretended to be surprised and said, “What is Miss Zhi talking about? Who is Xiang Shaolong?”
Zhao Zhi exclaimed angrily, “Still denying! Haven’t you already admitted while on the road to the Guo Residence?”
Xiang Shaolong deliberately antagonized her, “Who told you that I am Xiang Shaolong?”
Thinking back, Zhao Zhi realized that indeed he has not admitted to it but at that time his mannerisms and the way he talked is exactly like Xiang Shaolong. Now that he is denying it, it’s obvious he’s making a fool of her.
The lady behind him, who could either be Zhao Zhi’s younger or older sister, said in a low voice, “If you’re not Xiang Shaolong, than my only choice is to silence you immediately so that our secret will not be leaked.”
Xiang Shaolong’s heart shook, he finally recognized that this lady behind him is the female assassin who tried to assassinate Zhao Mu twice, the first time was a mistaken attack on the carriage and the other time happened the night before, which was thwarted by him.
What he couldn’t figure out earlier suddenly became clear. No wonder the female assassin could sneak into the Marquis Residence, all because of Zhao Zhi who helped with the spying.
He sighed and said, “Then I’m dead for sure, because I don’t even know who Xiang Shaolong is. I thought it’s because Miss Zhi had taken a special liking to me…”
The lady behind said fiercely, “If you say one more time that you’re not Xiang Shaolong, I’ll retaliate immediately!”
Xiang Shaolong was secretly sniggering and thinking it’ll be a miracle if she can shoot past those steel needles and said with a cold snort, “I, Horse Fanatic Dong Kuang, never likes to be threatened and neither am I afraid of death. If I am not Xiang Shaolong, I am not so why should I pretend to be. If you don’t believe me you can come and scrutinize my face to see if I have done anything to it?”
This is called making a calculated bet, betting that never in their dreams would they imagine that in this world, there will be such a leather mask made so delicately by Xiao Yuetan and this mask has a natural stickiness that will stick so perfectly onto skin that not a gap can be found such that even facial expressions can be shown. If one doesn’t know how, it won’t be easy to remove the mask at all.
Zhao Zhi was momentarily stunned and came forward, extending her hand to touch his face.