Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse

 

In the dense woods, there was silence. The sunlight was shining through the leaves, like stars twinkling in the sky. It was shaking eerily and looked dazzling, but it was crystal clear and beautiful, revealing an unpredictable silence. Looking at the woods from one end to the other, the endless green seemed a little hollow. Such vibrant greenery felt mysterious and gloomy, like a huge mouth, always ready to swallow you up.

Yu Linglong squinted her eyes slightly. This place looked very peaceful on the surface, but when she looked closely, there was an evil atmosphere everywhere.

It was like…like Feng Xuanyuan’s smile, indifferent and gloomy, and chilling to look at.

On the edge of the woods, Yu Linglong stopped and carefully searched for the mark mentioned by Feng Xuanyuan, and finally found a small lotus mark on an inconspicuous tree.

It was just a trace drawn in a rush, but it still appeared that the lotus was very agile, with layers of petals blooming, like flames, about to burst out.

Yu Linglong found the mark and followed the path under the tree into the woods.

As soon as she walked in, the coolness quietly covered her back. Even in the hot summer, it was still very shady and the sounds from outside seemed to fade away. Deep in the woods, there were only a few crisp bird songs from time to time. The atmosphere became quieter and quieter.

The paths in the woods were intricate and complicated. Some seemed to be created by people, and some had traces of beasts’ footprints intermittently. If it weren’t for Feng Xuanyuan’s guidance, she would probably get lost after only a few steps.

Three from the left, eight from the right, four from the right, and seven… Following the route Feng Xuanyuan gave her, Yu Linglong silently counted the trees around her, moving faster and faster.

At the end of the walk, having reached the depths of the woods, Yu Linglong raised her head and was suddenly startled by the scenery in front of her.

A white waterfall appeared in front of her, jutting out from the cliffs. A cluster of sunlight projected from the depths of the woods, refracting the drops of water splashing in the air into a colorful, showing countless rainbows. The setting of the waterfall was like a dream and fantasy, like a fairytale.

In the silent mountains and forests, all the unnecessary sounds had disappeared. There was only the splashing of this waterfall, which was loud, but very pleasant. It only felt dazzling and refreshing.

Settling down, Yu Linglong carefully stepped onto a wet rock and walked behind the waterfall.

Feng Xuanyuan told her that there was a hidden stone room behind this waterfall, and the thing he promised to her was in this stone room.

Drops of water splashed onto her clothes, and her small embroidered shoes soon got a little muddy, but Yu Linglong didn’t care. She soon reached the bottom of the waterfall.

When she looked up, she only felt that the waterfall was so majestic. It was really breathtaking.

Looking from the side, she saw a dark lacquered hole behind the waterfall, about two meters above the ground, with only fragmentary rocks in between, and no traces of artificial excavation. Obviously, this was a naturally formed stone chamber, not carved by humans.

Pulling up her dress, Yu Linglong dexterously climbed the rock. For a while, she liked rock climbing, only for the sense of challenge and accomplishment of climbing high, but she didn’t expect this skill to come in handy now.

Soon, she reached the entrance of the cave, and with a slight leap, she finally stepped into this mysterious world.

The stone room was dark, and the only light was the sunlight outside the waterfall. After her gaze adjusted to the dimness in front of her, Yu Linglong realized that the stone room was not wide but very deep. It was too dark to see the inside. Yu Linglong took out a torch and walked slowly inside.

After only a few steps, she heard a strange sound, like a small beast whimpering like an injury, panicking and helpless, seeming to be struggling.

Yu Linglong stepped forward quickly and soon discovered the source of the sound.

A teenage boy was tied tightly and twisted constantly as if trying to break free from the ropes in his hands. His mouth was stuffed with rags, and his pale face and big eyes were faintly lit by the fire. He was staring straight at Yu Linglong with a look of terror.

Yu Linglong frowned slightly, and immediately raised her eyes to check the surrounding situation. This was the deepest part of the stone room, and he was the only thing there except for a few large and small rocks that acted as tables and chairs.

Could it be that this boy was what Feng Xuanyuan was talking about!?

This incident was full of weirdness. Although it was unexpected, she couldn’t not save him from death. She stepped forward and took out the cloth from the boy’s mouth and asked in a low voice, “Who are you?”

The boy’s lips trembled slightly, and his childish voice sounded a bit nervous and hoarse: “My…my name is Gan Lin. Sister, did my father send you to save me?”

Yu Linglong frowned slightly. She couldn’t figure out the situation for a while, but she knew that she shouldn’t stay in this place for long. She freed Gan Lin and said, “Get up.”

Gan Lin rubbed his sore wrists and looked at Yu Linglong with his big, unblinking eyes: “Sister, will the bad guys come again?”

Yu Linglong paused and said, “Go, I will take you out of here.”

Gan Lin wanted to stand up but fell to the ground all of a sudden. In the light of the jumping fire, his expression looked very painful: “Sister, my feet hurt.”

Yu Linglong snorted coldly: “If you don’t go, then you will stay here.”

After speaking, Yu Linglong turned and walked out.

Seeing Yu Linglong walk towards the entrance of the cave, Gan Lin was frightened and stood up with all his strength. He stumbled behind her: “Sister, wait for me!”

He rushed to the entrance of the cave. The light was suddenly bright, and after hiding in the dark for so long, Gan Lin subconsciously blocked his eyes: “Sister!?”

Seeing him like this, Yu Linglong frowned slightly, and stretched out her hand to him: “Follow me.”

Gan Lin froze, and carefully took Yu Linglong’s hand.

The boy’s hands were slender and soft, with cold sweat on his palms, and he seemed to be very nervous. Yu Linglong pulled him to the entrance of the cave and pointed out the point where he could step on the cliff. Then she let go of his hand: “I’ll go down first, follow behind me.”

In the gloom, Gan Lin’s eyes flashed with trust: “Okay.”

After reaching the bottom of the waterfall, the sunlight finally brightened, and Yu Linglong began to look at the boy in front of her.

He was about thirteen or fourteen years old. His stature was about the same as hers. His skin was fair and delicate, his facial features were delicate, and she knew that he grew up in a pampered environment. His pine-green robe was shredded and his face was torn. With a few traces of scratches, it was obvious that he suffered a lot.

Yu Linglong faintly felt that Gan Lin should have something to do with the people in black. Could it be that the people in black ambushed the people of the Blue Lotus Cult here for this boy?

Wait, the men in black, Blue Lotus Cult, Feng Xuanyuan, the boy’s surname is Gan…

Yu Linglong raised her eyebrows and asked in a deep voice, “Are you Gan Taifu’s son!?”

Gan Lin took a sip of water, then looked up at Yu Linglong with a strange expression on his face: “Yes, didn’t my father send you to save me?”

Yu Linglong squinted her eyes slightly. The Gan family looked for Gan Lin, turning over the entire capital, but Gan Lin was here all along?

It turned out that Feng Xuanyuan’s reward was to rescue Gan Lin.

Thinking of this, another question came to mind. Feng Xuanyuan was a member of the Qinglian Sect. This should not be false. But that day they sacrificed so many people to prevent the men in black from rescuing Gan Lin. But he let her rescue Gan Lin?

The mystery was solved, but she was left with more doubts. The truth only revealed the tip of the iceberg. What was the real answer?

By the water pool below the waterfall, Gan Lin carefully washed his face, got up and tidied up his ragged robe, and said, “Sister, let’s go.”

Yu Linglong said nothing, turned, and walked.

Gan Lin, who had just escaped from the danger, appeared to be very excited and was asking Yu Linglong various questions along the way.

“Sister, why did you come alone to save me? Aren’t you afraid of running into those bad people?”

“Sister, did my aunt make you come?”

“Sister, how did you know that I was here? How did you find this place?”

“…”

No matter what Gan Lin said, Yu Linglong did not answer.

Rescuing Gan Lin was a complete mistake for her. She wanted to unlock the true identity of the men in black, but after seeing Gan Lin, the identity of the men in black became even more confusing.

Were they Gan Taifu’s people? Or Empress Gan’s people? Or were they Gan Taifu’s enemies who wanted to take the opportunity to get in on the mess?

Countless questions kept popping up in Yu Linglong’s mind, and she chose to turn a deaf ear to Gan Lin’s naïve questions.

The two reached the mountain road together. Zhuiyue, who had been waiting by the side of the road, saw Yu Linglong, and immediately snorted happily, and rushed to her side in a few steps.

Seeing Zhuiyue, Gan Lin’s eyes suddenly widened: “Sister, this is your horse? It’s so beautiful!”

Yu Linglong leaped on the horse, looked at the limping Gan Lin, and said, “Come on!”

The mountain road was rugged, and if she didn’t take the child, he probably won’t be able to get home before dark.

She stretched out her hand and pulled Gan Lin onto the horse.

Without looking back, Yu Linglong said to Gan Lin behind her: “Sit firmly and hold me tight.”

Gan Lin cleverly wrapped his arms around Yu Linglong’s waist, and suddenly said, “Sister, you smell so good.”

Yu Linglong shook the reins in her hand as if she didn’t hear it, “Giddyup!”

Back in the capital, it was already time to light the lanterns. Yu Linglong followed Gan Lin’s instructions and led him to the door of the Gan Mansion.

“Here, get down.” Yu Linglong said in a low voice as she raised her eyes to look at the huge Gan family plaque.

Gan Lin got off the horse, raised his head reluctantly, and looked at Yu Linglong: “Sister, come in and sit down. I will tell father that you saved me.”[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]

Yu Linglong shook her head. She was a little disappointed inside. There was no answer she wanted to find, but it brought even greater doubts. Halfway through, she mixed up with the Gan family. She had only heard of the power of the Gan Taifu’s Mansion from Lord Xu. She didn’t want to have anything to do with them.

Looking down at the boy with a little childish face in front of her, Yu Linglong couldn’t believe it. For this child, the entire capital was almost destroyed by the Gan family, only to have countless members of the Blue Lotus Cult arrested.

She just wanted to stay as far away from the Gan family as possible if they were like this.

She whipped Zhuiyue and his hooves went flying, and there were bursts of crisp noises on the cobblestone streets.

Behind her, Gan Lin followed her for a few steps and shouted at Yu Linglong: “Sister, what’s your name?”

Yu Linglong casually said a name: “My name is Yu Qianjiao!”

If there was any trouble, let that little girl go to the top!

At the gate of Gan Mansion, Gan Lin stared at Yu Linglong’s back in a daze, and he hardly heard the surprised call of the gatekeeper behind him.

“My little master, you are finally back!”

…

As night fell, the heat of the day gradually dissipated. In the Jingshan Hall, Lady Yu leaned halfway on the couch and said: “Where is this girl Linglong? I haven’t seen her all day.”

Her personal maid Ying Han gently fanned Lady Yu, and said, “Xuan Cao said that the Fourth Lady had gone out early in the morning and didn’t say where she was going.”

Lady Yu smiled slightly: “This girl is running wild outside. How can she be a little girl?”

Although she said this, the tone of Lady Yu’s voice was full of pampering.

Mama Wang, who was serving her, smiled and said, “Look at the servants. Among the young ladies in this house, only the Fourth Lady has a temperament like yours.”

Lady Yu nodded, “You’re right. When I was young, I also refused to stay at home. I wished I could play outside every day. For this, our master did not teach me less, but he also beat and scolded me. Looking back, I didn’t change a bit!

While talking and laughing, a little maid’s voice suddenly rang outside: “The lady is here.”

The smile on Lady Yu’s face gradually faded, and she said angrily: “What is she doing here?”

The maid at the door had already closed the curtains, and Mu Shi brought Mama Cui in and bowed to Lady Yu: “Lady, how are you?”

Lady Yu didn’t even lift her eyelids and said coldly: “I’m okay, I haven’t been provoked.”

Mu Shi didn’t seem to hear the accusatory tone in Lady Yu’s voice, and said with a smile: “I’m here this time to discuss something with you.”

Lady Yu nodded lightly, and Mu Shi continued: “Now that some of the girls in our family have grown up, we have to talk about marriage soon. I want to invite a lady from the palace to come to teach the girls the rules.”

Lady Yu raised her head unexpectedly: “The rules?”

For a long time, Mu Shi only cared about her own pair of children and didn’t care about the other sons and daughters of commoners. Why did she suddenly think of the rules for them?

Mu Shi laughed and said: “Yes, the master is not at home all year round, and I really have no time. Asking a lady in the palace to work at home, regardless of the rules or education, is good for the girls.”

Lady Yu thought for a moment, and said, “This is a good thing, but it’s just that the girls in the family are all grown up. Perhaps it’s too late to learn the rules.”

Mu Shi said hurriedly: “Why is it too late to learn the rules? It seems that the girls will get married in a few years. Now they are well treated at home, and they will not lose the face of our family in the future.”

Lady Yu could not have guessed Mu Shi’s thoughts. Now there was a fierce woman like Yu Linglong in her family. The brutal name was known all throughout the capital. The reputation of the lady in the Yu house was exhausted. The people next to it are easy to say, mainly if Mu Shi delayed Yu Qianjiao’s marriage because of this, that would be a big deal.

She wanted to invite an elderly palace lady to teach the rules in the mansion so that the ladies of the Yu Family can first learn etiquette, and it may also allow Yu Linglong to learn the rules, so as not to ruin the reputation of the Yu Mansion.

No matter what Mu Shi’s purpose was, this matter was good for the Yu house.

Lady Yu thought for a while and then agreed: “That makes sense. Let’s do it.”

The smile on Mu Shi’s face increased a lot, and she took the serving plate from Mama Cui behind her, and graciously handed it to Lady Yu: “Lady, this is the lotus seed soup that I specially ordered the kitchen to prepare for you. Try it, it will purify your heart and strengthen your qi. “

Although Lady Yu didn’t want Mu Shi’s kindness, she signaled Ying Han to bring it over.

Mu Shi watched Lady Yu eat the lotus seed soup bite by bite, with an imperceptible sneer on her face.

…

Yu Linglong was taking a nap in the room that day, and Tong Hua whispered at the door to report: “Miss, Lady Shi has sent someone over to greet you.”

Shi Huiru?

Seeing Yu Linglong nod, Ling’er raised her voice and said, “Come in.”

An obedient maid came in and immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Yu Linglong: “I’m Hong Jian and I hope you are well. I came to give you two boxes of tea. I wish you good health and good fortune.”

Yu Linglong’s mouth was slightly raised. She was such a smart maid. No wonder Shi Huiru relied so heavily on her and only sent her to give gifts.

Signaling Xuan Cao to take the box in Hong Jian’s hand, Yu Linglong said, “How is your eldest lady these days?”

Hong Jian stood up, bowed her head respectfully, and turned back: “The eldest lady has been copying “The Female Commandment” at home these days, and she can go out tomorrow.”

Yu Linglong was stunned. Then she remembered the incident. She beat Feng Sihuai. How could Lady Feng give up? The Yu Mansion would be good because no one dared to condemn Yu Linglong, but Shi Huiru was different. She was locked up at home and had to copy “The Female Commandment” as a punishment by her family.

Seeing Yu Linglong looking down and meditating, Hong Jian hurriedly said with a smile: “The eldest lady is fine except for not being allowed to go out. She often mentions you to me. As a matter of fact, the young master just brought the tea back from Suzhou. The lady immediately ordered me to bring it to you. Please try it.”

Yu Linglong couldn’t help but smile faintly: “Then send my thanks to your lady.”

Hong Jian said: “Our young lady also said that if this tea is boiled with Gu Lianquan spring water, it will taste better. If you are free, please go to the teahouse next to Gu Lianquan to taste the tea.”

Yu Linglong thought for a while and said, “Okay, I will definitely go tomorrow.”

Hong Jian was overjoyed, plopped down on her knees, and bowed: “Thank you, Fourth Lady!”

Yu Linglong thought it was a little strange. Didn’t she just agree to drink tea? Why was this maid so happy?

Hong Jian herself felt that she overreacted and raised her head and smiled: “You don’t know, Fourth Lady. Our lady has not been able to go out for many days at home. She is really depressed and uncomfortable. She always quarrels with the servants as a pastime. She said to send the tea, and made a bet saying that I wouldn’t be able to move you…”

Yu Linglong couldn’t help but laugh. When Shi Huiru was locked up, she used the maids all day to relieve her boredom? Such a little thing must be used to bet.

Hong Jian smiled with joy: “The lady said that if I can convince you, she will reward me with a pair of sapphire earrings.”

Ling’er listened with interest and smiled: “No wonder you used all your abilities, saying this is good, that is good. As it turns out, it’s all for a pair of earrings.”

Hong Jian smiled embarrassedly: “It’s not just that. I placed so many bets with the lady, and I haven’t won any of them. Now, thanks to the blessing of the Fourth Lady, I can win against the lady. So forgive me for being so happy, Fourth Lady.”

Yu Linglong listened with interest, and she gave a rare smile: “Ling’er, take a Hong Jian down and give her a cup of tea to moisturize her throat. After talking for a long time, I am afraid that her mouth is dry.”

The whole room couldn’t help but laugh after these words. Hong Jian kowtowed to Yu Linglong with a grin, and then went down with Xuan Cao.

After being bored for a few days at home, even Ling’er felt bored. Now when she heard that Yu Linglong was going out to drink tea, she was very happy. Before dinner, she was busy preparing clothes and jewelry for Yu Linglong, running around inside and out.

Xuan Cao couldn’t stand it, and laughed and teased her: “No matter how much you work, the lady has no earrings for you!”

Ling’er pouted: “Do I covet the lady’s rewards? You underestimate me. I just do it to serve the lady well!”

Xuan Cao smiled and said: “Yes, yes, you serve the best, we are not as good as you, okay?”

The two maids kept fighting each other, and Yu Linglong shook her head helplessly and went out alone.

In the backyard of Yu’s house at night, the wind was light, and the shadows of flowers swayed. The fragrance of flowers lingered on the tip of her nose, which only felt refreshing.

She noticed a familiar smell suddenly appear in the air. It was faint but secretly shocking.

In the night, the man’s cold voice suddenly sounded, his tone full of suppressed anger.

“How did you find Gan Lin!?”

Yu Linglong didn’t move, and said in a low voice, “Why, did I disturb your good deeds?”

Under the moonlight, the silver mask exuded a sharp light, making the man’s eyebrows sharper: “Unexpectedly, Feng Xuanyuan trusted you too much.”

Yu Linglong sneered: “If he didn’t trust me, could he trust you?”

The man cracked his knuckles in the dark, indicating his anger at the moment: “Since you have to get involved in this matter, I can’t help you.”

Yu Linglong sneered: “You? Help me? I really want to know, how can you help me?”

After a short pause, the man’s voice slowed down a little: “Yu Linglong, this matter is not as simple as you thought. I advise you not to get angry.”

Yu Linglong took a deep breath: “I want to stay out of the matter now, is there still time?”

Feng Xuanyuan chose to let her rescue Gan Lin. Was it just because he wanted to repay her? The man in black stared at her steadily. Can she easily get out?

The Gan family, the man in black, and the Blue Lotus Cult…no matter who she had a relationship with, it was not so easy to tell them apart. What’s more, she seemed to be at the center of the whirlpool in this matter, and now wanted to leave. Was it easier said than done?

The man’s thin lips were pressed tightly, and a pair of bright and sharp black eyes looked at her deeply, and after a long time, he spoke solemnly.

“As long as you are willing to agree to me and stop interfering in this matter, I…” After a pause, his tone became a little difficult, “…I will never show up in front of you again.”[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]