864 Surveillance (2/2)

Xu Xiaoyi had prepared this small dwelling in advance. A merchant with an innocent background had been living here. For a considerable sum of fixed income, the merchant agreed to deliberately ”ignore” one of the rooms in this dwelling and had forbidden anybody from entering, including himself. As regards for who would sneak into it, he didn't care, and neither did he want to know.

On the other side of the room, there was a small window squarely facing King An's mansion, but this window was only useful during daytime. At night, they still had to go outside to monitor the mansion.

”Let me take the night shift,” said Chu Nanping.

Tie Linglong blandly answered, ”No. I can't afford to commit the crime of weakening a great swordsman's will. I'll take the first night shift. We'll rotate the shifts from then on.”

Surveillance was always boring, especially for Tie Linglong. She had wanted to sneak into King An's mansion several times, but eventually, she managed to control herself each time. If the Dragon King believed that the mansion was a trap, then it probably was. She wanted to be on her best behavior and couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

The two stayed in the same room. Most of the time, one of them slept while the other monitored the mansion. They even had to take turns having meals.

Xu Xiaoyi had stored enough food and water in the room to last them five days, and the owner of this dwelling didn't provide anything either.

Chu Nanping gradually got used to the existence of Tie Linglong. The look in his eyes became more and more restrained until he no longer fixed his eyes on her. Whenever he sat beside the window, monitoring, he was as still as a wooden statue, only breathing and occasionally grasping his sword as his only movements.

On the third night, it was Tie Linglong's turn to go outside the room to monitor the mansion. She hid herself at a usual position. As she stared at King An's mansion, which was totally dark inside, she believed that nothing would happen tonight either.

With the Dragon Army stationed only thirty miles away outside the city, King An seemed to be more afraid than anybody else. The gate stayed closed during both daytime and at nighttime. The vendor who came to the mansion to sell water and vegetables every day had to stand outside the door and send the food in through a narrow crack.

Tie Linglong still believed that infiltrating the mansion was the right thing to do, so gradually her heart left the boring surveillance. She was indignant about Chu Nanping's bland attitude, but she didn't know how to retaliate.

For a man who had made up his mind to rid himself of all emotions, all retaliation seemed motivational.

She couldn't help but sigh and suddenly thought of that teenager named Nie Zeng.

Nie Zeng had left with Norlanders. If it weren't for the fact that his love confession had been firmly rejected by Tie Linglong, he probably would have still been working for the Dragon King.

Even if she had known that things would end up this way, Tie Linglong still would have declined. She had never liked Nie Zeng and didn't want to know why. She just didn't like him.

This sigh drew an uninvited guest to her.

Tie Linglong abruptly turned around, her saber halfway unsheathed.

Under the cold moonlight, Han Wuxian seemed like a translucent spirit and her tender smile sounded like a soundless spell. More than half of the vigilance in Tie Linglong dissolved upon seeing it was her.

”What a coincidence. I never expected to see you here,” said Han Wuxian gently.

”The Dragon King sent you here?”

”No. I work for the Dragon King, but I don't have to follow his orders in all things,” Han Wuxian said as she looked around. ”Let's find another place to talk.”

Tie Linglong believed that she should decline, but when Han Wuxian turned around, she involuntarily followed.

”You're a girl who's as beautiful as a fairy. Why did you sigh? Do you have romantic grievances as well?” Han Wuxian asked intimately as she stood close beside Tie Linglong.

Tie Linglong raised her head and looked at her, discovering that Han Wuxian was even taller than she had remembered. ”I… It's none of your business.”

”Sure. But I merely want to help you – with my experience.”

”The Dragon King forbade me from getting close to you.” Tie Linglong suddenly thought of the Dragon King's warning.

”He doesn't have to know. Apart from me, you're the only one who has learned all the moves of the Jueyin Finger Energy. I can't help but care about you.”

Since she started practicing the Balanced Power with the Dragon King, Tie Linglong hadn't practiced the Jueyin Finger Energy for quite a while. She couldn't stop herself from blushing slightly. ”It was that Chu Nanping. He humiliated me, but I… ”

Tie Linglong couldn't continue.

”I understand,” Han Wuxian said as she nodded considerately. After thinking for a while, she explained, ”The body is a woman's most powerful weapon. You see, Lotus lost her virginity, so Dragon King will never like her. However, he can't stop herself from longing for her.”

Tie Linglong was even more confused. ”Dragon King likes Sister Ru. That's why he… ”

Han Wuxian just smiled, before she unexpectedly turned around and disappeared.

Tie Linglong returned to her original position and kept monitoring the mansion, gradually forgetting about her conversation with Han Wuxian as if Han Wuxian had never shown up. Then she started thinking about Jueyin Finger Energy. It was a set of very powerful kung fu moves, and it was more interesting than the Balanced Power which required long-term cultivation.

At dawn, Tie Linglong returned to the room. Chu Nanping was sitting by the window, looking outside.

Tie Linglong sat on the bed. ”I'll be seventeen years old in a month.”

”Um,” Chu Nanping answered.

”I'll give my virginity to the Dragon King on my birthday.”

Chu Nanping didn't say anything.

Finally, Tie Linglong felt the pleasure of retaliation.