His chest trembled as his laughter grew louder.

I straightened my back, cleared my throat, and said, “Speak up.”

He suppressed his smile and made a helpless expression, indicating he didn’t know.

I glared at him and continued, “I heard you gave Hong Yu a letter, letting her and Feng Ming leave?”

“Oh, that’s right. I had them go meet Lei You Le.”

“Huh?” I was taken aback. “What scheme are you planning?”

“Can’t I check in on an old friend?”

“Ha! And you had to write a letter to say hello?”

“It shows more sincerity that way!”

“Indeed, very sincere.” I moved to sit on the edge of the bed and continued asking, “How was the letter written? Let me learn from it.”

He raised his eyebrows slightly and said, “That doesn’t seem right. I haven’t read other people’s letters to you either.”

“Oh, so after all this talk, it was about that—”

As I spoke, I got up to look for Shen Zui Tian’s letter. After searching through two pieces of clothing without finding it, I discovered the treasure map instead. Ink lines were drawn on a pale yellow handkerchief that didn’t seem to be made of silk, perhaps slightly damp from the weather. I crouched with my back to Yan Shao, examining it, when suddenly I heard him sigh and say, “Muddle-head, it’s right here.”

I turned to look and saw the letter perfectly intact in his hand. I smiled and said, “Ah, you—”

He interrupted me. “You’re the one who misplaced it. I didn’t look at it intentionally.”

I smiled without responding to him and lowered my head to continue studying the treasure map in my hand.

“What’s so interesting about that thing?” he snorted.

“This is all money!” I replied without looking up.

“We don’t lack money.”

“Who could complain about having too much money?”

“From your tone, it sounds like you’re planning to keep this money for yourself?”

“If you don’t object.”

“What do you plan to do with this money?”

“Anything I want! Just thinking about it is exciting!”

He didn’t speak. After a while, he said, “Come here.”

When I heard his tone, I glanced up—his expression was wrong too. I immediately smiled apologetically and said, “The rain has stopped outside. Are you hungry? Let’s get up and have lunch—”

Before I could finish, my legs suddenly went numb, and I involuntarily fell on top of him. He reached out to grasp my waist and smiled, “Yes, I am a bit hungry.”

I laughed nervously, “Then let’s get up quickly.”

He responded in a low voice, “If you can get up—”

Before he finished speaking, I felt an electric sensation spreading rapidly from my waist throughout my body. I instantly went limp. Wherever his hands moved, I felt extremely sensitive, and desire surged like an avalanche, unstoppable.

I gasped weakly, “You used the soul-consuming—”

Before I could say “technique,” he bit my ear and asked, “Do you still like the treasure map now?”

In my dazed state, I murmured, “I like it…”

He paused and held the treasure map in front of me, sneering, “If you like it so much, let it satisfy you then.”

“Who likes that thing? I like you.”

I panted as I knocked his hand away and slipped under the brocade quilt.

He gave a derisive laugh, pressed me down, and persisted, “What do you like about me?”

With a burning desire, I reached under the quilt and found something hot and hard. I immediately grasped it and smiled, “I like this. I wonder if it likes me?”

He gave a cold snort and slapped my buttocks hard, his fingers stimulating the acupoints down my back.

My whole body trembled uncontrollably, and I begged for mercy. Only then did he thrust forward.

At that moment, I felt that even if I died right then, it would be worth it.

[Editor’s note: Per reader request, explicit content has been expanded but is not included in this translation.]

The carriage was rather stuffy. If we rolled up the curtains, we would have to endure the dust flying everywhere—who knows how much animal waste it contained? What’s more, Du Du Niao’s driving skills were far inferior to Feng Ming’s. Yan Shao sat as steady as a mountain, but I was suffering from an aching waist and sore bottom.

They say some transmigrated female protagonists can bring all sorts of modern technology back to ancient times and apply it to daily life. They can create numerous modern things that leave ancient people dumbfounded (certainly not handcrafted items, which are the ancients’ strengths). I’m completely incapable of this. If I wanted to build a car to replace the horse carriage, even if I knew the theory of car manufacturing, where would I find all the materials and tools? Not to mention practical issues like front-wheel steering, rear-wheel drive, cylinders, steel plates, suspensions… Even if I could build a car, starting it would be another problem. I know the Ming Dynasty had cannons, but I don’t know if they had gasoline. If not, I’d have to find a way to extract it… I couldn’t even handle a bicycle chain, let alone a car… In short, with just my intelligence and abilities, I absolutely couldn’t produce a car. Even if there was an all-capable car manufacturing expert who transmigrated, even if she brought all the modern equipment, she would still need to find a power outlet, right?

So I often sigh, how can there be such a big difference between transmigrated female protagonists? In “Dream of the Red Chamber,” they say Jia Bao Yu is “the most incompetent person in the world”—I truly deserve this title. I’ve also heard that some female protagonists can determine where earthquakes and floods will occur based on a globe, and go to the scene to coordinate relief efforts in an orderly manner. I admire these female comrades immensely. I can’t help but wonder how they coordinate. Do they shout orders to armed police officers in floodwaters using megaphones like on TV? (Otherwise, I worry their voices would be drowned out in the panicking crowds.) Or do they sit like generals amid battle, waiting for reports on the speed of the flood, which areas it will flow through, how many acres of farmland and crops will be submerged, how many villages and people will be destroyed… In short, if these female protagonists hadn’t transmigrated, they’d probably have their names in the world record books.

Well, one should know when to stop. I can’t keep deceiving Qidian for manuscript fees like this. Back to the story.

As I was curled up in the carriage, aching all over and wishing for a car to fall from the sky to replace this damned horse carriage—at that moment, as if sensing my malicious thoughts, the carriage suddenly began to shake violently. I then heard the horse let out a long, extremely mournful neigh.

The carriage door burst open with a “bang,” shattering like fireworks, and Du Du Niao’s head crashed in before immediately flying back out. A white sleeve swept over, covering my eyes, and the next second, I was standing in the bright sunshine.

I saw four silhouettes quickly disappearing into the dense trees ahead, vanishing without a trace.

Du Du Niao got up, rubbing his bottom while cursing, “Damn it! This is the third time since yesterday. What the hell do these bastards want? Do you know?”

The last question was directed at me. Over the past two days, under Yan Shao’s imposing demeanor, his flippant and carefree manner had been somewhat restrained, though he still cursed with full effort.

I shook my head, indicating I didn’t know, and turned to look at Yan Shao, passing the question to him.

He appeared not to notice, his dark eyes unfathomable as he gazed into the distance, lost in thought.

I pondered and said, “Could it be people from Yu Chi Mountain Villa?”

Yan Shao remained silent.

Du Du Niao was already shaking his head and crying out, “Impossible, absolutely impossible. Miss Wan Ci is like a heavenly immortal, she would never do such a thing. Even if Miss Rong previously wronged Yu Chi Mountain Villa, now that Master Chu is no longer helping the Han Prince, they have no reason to do this… Rong, Miss Rong, why are you looking at me like that?”

I smiled thinly and said, “I wronged Yu Chi Mountain Villa. Tell me, how did I wrong them? How exactly did I wrong them?”

He laughed nervously, glancing at Yan Shao, and mumbled, “Well, heh! Everyone in the jianghu knows.”

I knocked him hard on the head and said, “You don’t know a thing. You’ll soon learn that not only did I not wrong them, but I did them a huge favor. It’s Lin Qian Yi, that bastard, who wanted to seize power and push me aside, causing things to reach this point. In the end, I’m the one bearing the blame. Hmph, I think Yu Chi Mountain Villa’s hundred years of pure reputation isn’t so pure anymore. When the leaders are corrupt, what reputation is there to speak of?”

After being hit by me, Du Du Niao looked full of grievance but didn’t speak.

This kid, so young yet so slick, with a mind full of licentious thoughts, would count the teats of even an old sow he encountered. Day and night, he mutters about Lin Wan Ci. I guarantee he must fantasize about those three characters every night until dawn, otherwise he wouldn’t always look so haggard.

Speaking of which, I also quite admire Lin Wan Ci’s intelligence. Sending people to assassinate us is too childish for her style. However, judging from the past three days, these people don’t seem to be trying to kill us, but rather deliberately delaying our journey, stalling for time…

Could it be… perhaps… she’s after the treasure? Is she deliberately delaying us so she can find the treasure first?

Maybe, who knows? When it comes to unknown matters, any guess is possible.

That evening when we lodged at an inn, I shared my doubts with Yan Shao. He only smiled silently with a noncommittal expression, showing no sign of praising my insight. This annoyed me, so I stopped talking to him and went out to wander the streets with Du Du Niao. Du Du Niao truly proved himself a master of sensual venues—he didn’t even need to ask directions before finding the place. In his own words: “I can smell the powder scent on the street and know how many girls have passed by. The place with the most concentrated powder scent is naturally a brothel.”

Suddenly, I found myself admiring him—this was indeed a special skill. In modern times, this nose would be far more impressive than a police dog’s. I wonder if he could determine a person’s number of sexual encounters by sniffing their pheromones (sorry, I’ve been writing erotic content lately and can’t help myself).

Admiration aside, I couldn’t let him frequent such places. So I grabbed his collar and forcibly pulled his right foot back just as he was about to step inside, compelling him to continue walking. He hung his head and followed behind me very reluctantly. I treated it like taking a dog for a walk after dinner.

As we walked, he suddenly said “Oh?” and stopped. I turned around and saw him staring intensely at a pharmacy on the street. I leaned in to look and saw a frail young man standing at the counter, his figure somewhat graceful.

I put my hand on his shoulder and teased, “What’s this? You’re interested in men now too?”

He smacked his lips and gave me a disdainful glance, saying, “That’s a woman. I’ve seen her before.”

At that moment, the young man turned around with a packet of medicine, and I saw that it was indeed a woman—Miss Luo Fei from the Seven Seas Chain Islands.

She was also startled to see us and immediately turned to leave.

I couldn’t help but find it strange. Hadn’t Nan Gong Jun Qing returned to the South Sea? Luo Fei should be with him. And why was she buying medicine? Could it be that Nan Gong Jun Qing’s injuries hadn’t healed? Calculating, it had been about ten days. Aren’t a martial arts master’s injuries usually healed overnight?

Du Du Niao said, “Don’t you remember? She’s from the Seven Seas Lotus Island. That neither man nor woman Nan Gong Jun… Hey, where are you going? Wait for me!”

I followed Luo Fei for a while until she suddenly turned into an alley and disappeared. I looked around. The alley was quite secluded with several households, and I didn’t know which one she had entered. Thinking that even if I met her, I wouldn’t have much to say, I was about to leave when she suddenly appeared again and demanded, “Rong Shu Kuang, why are you following me?”

I made up an excuse on the spot, smiling, “The moonlight is enchanting. I was just taking a stroll. How could you say I’m following you?”

She sneered, “Where’s your lord? Where is he?”

I was taken aback. “Nan Gong Jun Qing is missing?”

She remained silent with a grim face.

I spread my hands and said, “Miss Luo Fei, I’m standing here empty-handed. Your lord is a grown man, perhaps he just went out for a walk…”

She suddenly laughed and said, “Truly worthy of being a woman from Yu Chi Mountain Villa. Each one with good skills and methods—” Then she changed her tone: “My lord’s injuries haven’t healed, yet he’s been secretly protecting you. These past two days his condition has worsened. Where could he go?”

I quickly interrupted her, “Explain more clearly. What do you mean secretly protecting me?”

She flew into a rage, “My lord was recovering well in the South Sea, but because of your Yu Chi Mountain Villa, he’s ended up like this. And you still ask me what’s going on?”

As she spoke, she stepped closer, flipped her wrist to reveal a dagger, with a fierce look in her eyes, appearing ready to fight to the death.

I was startled. “What are you doing?”

She didn’t answer, suddenly lunging at me.

I quickly dodged, repeatedly saying, “Hey, don’t be rash. I don’t want to fight!”

She ignored me, focused only on stabbing and slashing at me recklessly, like a desperate fighter with no technique to speak of.

As a proper lady, with no grudge against her, I absolutely could not fight on the street without regard for my image. However, running away on the street was acceptable.

So I ran straight back to the inn, only to be dumbfounded when I entered my room.

Nan Gong Jun Qing was actually in my room, lying on my bed, covered with my silk quilt, resting on my pillow.

His hair was very long, trailing off the edge of the bed like black satin. His face was very pale, a sickly pallor, making the blood vessels under his skin almost visible. With his eyes closed, he looked very weak. At this moment, without his usual coldness and arrogance when awake, he seemed much more approachable, his expression reminiscent of all small, young animals.

I stood by the bed, staring at him blankly, completely forgetting to ask: How did this magical event occur? How did Nan Gong Jun Qing end up on my bed?

Suddenly, someone spoke softly by my ear, “Quite handsome, isn’t he?”

I was startled and turned to see Yan Shao standing beside me. I couldn’t help but punch him lightly, saying quietly, “You scared me.”

He wore a half-smiling expression and said, “You were too engrossed in looking.”

I sighed softly, “This is indeed a face that makes one lose focus.”

He said nothing. After a while, he spoke in a childlike manner, “Am I not handsome then?”

It had been a long time since he had spoken to me like this. My heart was both surprised and delighted, full of tender emotions. I took his hand and kissed it, saying softly, “You may not be the most handsome man in the world, but you are the man I love most.”

Still not satisfied, he persisted, “In what way am I less handsome than him?”

I couldn’t help but smile, repeatedly saying, “Yes, yes, yes, you’re more handsome than him. Happy now?”

He also smiled, bending down to kiss my face.

As I was about to show more affection, I suddenly heard someone coughing repeatedly. Glancing sideways, I saw Nan Gong Jun Qing with his clear black and white eyes fixed on us, a mocking smile on his lips.

He shifted his position slightly and said coolly, “You two are quite sickening. Listening to you gives me goosebumps all over.”

I immediately retorted, “Don’t you understand ‘don’t listen to what isn’t meant for you’? This is between husband and wife. You shouldn’t have listened. Even if you accidentally heard, you should pretend you didn’t.”

He closed his beautiful eyes and said, “If it’s between husband and wife, you shouldn’t speak in front of a third person.”

“Haha! We were speaking behind closed doors. It’s you who—” I tilted my head to stare at him. “I’d like to ask Master Nan Gong, how did you end up in our room?”

He kept his eyes closed, ignoring me.

Yan Shao smiled and interjected, “I invited him here.”

I was stunned. “Hmm?”

Yan Shao smiled and sat down at the table, reaching for the teapot to pour a cup of tea.

I frowned at him. “What’s going on exactly?”

He held the cup but didn’t drink, just twirled it in his fingers, saying nothing.

I was exasperated and turned to look at Nan Gong Jun Qing but saw that he had his eyes closed again as if he had fallen back asleep.

Yan Shao laughed softly, “I’m thinking about where to begin this story…”

I said, “Ha! Sounds like this is going to be a very long story.”

He smiled and nodded, “It is a bit long, probably starting from two months ago when Shen Zui Tian attacked Bi Yu Peak—hmm, Lin Shao Ci’s wide connections are truly enviable…”

Nan Gong Jun Qing suddenly sighed and said, “Jianghu rumors say that Master Chu has incredible abilities and never fails. I’ve always been skeptical, but today I see the reputation is well-deserved.”

These words left me completely confused. I couldn’t help but ask, “What does this have to do with Shen Zui Tian attacking Bi Yu Peak?”

Nan Gong Jun Qing was silent for a moment, then said, “At that time, the old master Lin and Lin Wan Ci disappeared together. I was entrusted by Lin Shao Ci to secretly investigate their whereabouts.”

A flash of insight suddenly came to me, and I remembered glimpsing him on the Jinan Road. Hmm, so at that time, Lin Shao Ci had already made plans and arrangements, not completely passive—truly hiding his talents.

I couldn’t help but sigh, “So you were already in cahoots with Lin Shao Ci at that time…”

“Cahoots?” Nan Gong Jun Qing suddenly frowned and raised his voice. Yan Shao couldn’t help but laugh softly.

I gave an embarrassed laugh and deliberately mocked him, “Your search for Lin Wan Ci has what connection to you lying on my bed now?”

He wasn’t offended and continued, “At that time, I followed Shen Zui Tian to Shanxi. Because the Four Immortals of Carefree were with him, I never had the chance to rescue them until they reached Taiyuan, when the Four Immortals finally parted ways with Shen Zui Tian and left through the pass. That night, I snuck into the Ghost Valley Alliance’s branch in Taiyuan and saw Lin Wan Ci—”

He suddenly stopped, with a strange expression on his face, as if lost in memories, looking slightly intoxicated.

I was about to urge him to continue when I suddenly realized that must have been his first time seeing Lin Wan Ci. I recalled Lin Wan Ci’s appearance and demeanor, her unparalleled elegance was truly intoxicating.

After a moment, Nan Gong Jun Qing came back to his senses and continued, “I explained my intentions to her, but she refused to come with me. This was something I never expected. I thought that as a woman without martial arts skills, in a dangerous situation, she would be panic-stricken… Who would have thought she was even more calm and composed than me… What surprised me even more was that she already had a plan…”

As he spoke, he smiled self-mockingly and sat up from the bed. His black hair fell over his shoulders, accentuating his jade-like complexion, exceptionally charming and beautiful.

I found myself feeling a bit parched watching him. Yan Shao, as if knowing my thoughts, poured a cup of tea and handed it to me with a smile. This smile frightened me—usually when he smiled like this, it meant my night wouldn’t go well. I quickly sat down beside him, lowering my head to drink tea, and focusing on keeping my gaze down.

To my dismay, Nan Gong Jun Qing came over and sat across from me, also pouring himself a cup of tea. After taking a small sip, he let out a long sigh and said, “This plan, you all know about now…”

His voice was extremely soft. After speaking, he lowered his eyes to the clear tea in the porcelain cup. The steam from the tea quickly gathered on his long eyelashes, forming a misty haze, but it immediately dispersed. There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his eyebrow, not visible.

The room was silent; no one spoke.

I couldn’t help but sigh, “I truly admire her. In her place, I could never have thought so far ahead…”

Nan Gong Jun Qing vaguely smiled and said, “She didn’t think that far ahead at first either. Her original intention was just to deal with the Ghost Valley Alliance and escape the White Lotus Sect’s control. She didn’t expect Master Chu would get involved… What happened later was really out of necessity. She could only guide things in the direction most favorable to herself… Especially when facing someone like Master Chu, every step she took was meticulously calculated, as if walking on thin ice.”

He paused, gazing intently at the bluish-green tea, sighing softly, “The jianghu is just like this. Once some things begin, there’s no turning back. There’s a force in the universe pushing you forward. Even if you want to retreat, you can’t.”

I said nothing, secretly sighing to myself—no wonder they say once in the jianghu, one is not master of oneself.

At this point, Yan Shao suddenly asked, “What do you mean by escaping the White Lotus Sect’s control? Isn’t Lin Qian Yi part of the White Lotus Sect?”

Nan Gong Jun Qing’s expression changed. He held his teacup, neither drinking nor putting it down. After a moment of silence, he finally said, “The old master Lin is not part of the White Lotus Sect. He was forced to work for them.”

I was shocked and blurted out, “Is the White Lotus Sect that powerful?”

He said coolly, “What’s powerful is the old Lady Lin. She’s the one who belongs to the White Lotus Sect.”

I was even more shocked. Could it be that Lin Qian Yi was being coerced by his wife?

Nan Gong Jun Qing added, “This is someone else’s family matter. It’s not for outsiders like us to comment.”

He said this with an urgent tone as if he was afraid I would continue to ask.

I gave Yan Shao a suspicious look.

Yan Shao remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly, “For Lin Shao Ci to have a friend like you, he hasn’t lived in vain.”

Nan Gong Jun Qing also sighed, “The same goes for me.”

For a time, no one spoke.

I couldn’t help but say, “After all this talk, we still haven’t gotten to the main point. Now, let me ask—why did you invite him here?”

I looked pointedly at Yan Shao.

He smiled, “Because he’s injured.”

“What does his injury have to do with you?”

“Strictly speaking, it should have to do with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Since the day we boarded the ship in Jining, assassins have been following us. He’s been helping us in secret.”

“When did you know about this?”

“I knew it early on.”

“Then why did you only invite him now?”

“In the past two days, the number of assassins suddenly increased, and they became brazen. I guessed he might have encountered some change in circumstances.”

“What happened to him?”

“Old ailments plus new injuries—snow atop frost.”

I turned to look at Nan Gong Jun Qing. By this time, he had walked to the window, opened it, and was gazing at a river outside. Standing tall, with black hair and white clothes, he was truly handsome and elegant.

“He doesn’t seem as seriously injured as you say…”

“That’s because I just gave him acupressure treatment.”

I pondered for a moment, then asked Nan Gong Jun Qing, “Why were you secretly protecting me?”

He said nothing, his lips pressed tightly together, as if not used to being questioned. After a moment, he finally said, “I was entrusted to do so.”

I mocked, “You seem to be frequently entrusted by others. Who was it this time?”

“Lin Shao Ci.”

“I guessed it was him. After all, not many people in this world can move Master Nan Gong. If he was so concerned about protecting me, why didn’t he come himself?”

He remained silent.

I asked further, “What’s the background of these assassins? Why do they want to kill me?”

“I don’t know.”

I asked directly, “Were they sent by Lin Wan Ci?”

His eyes changed subtly as he countered, “Why would you think that?”

I told the truth, “Shen Zui Tian said she wants to kill me.”

He seemed somewhat surprised but didn’t speak. After a long pause, when I thought he wouldn’t answer, he suddenly said, “In this world, there aren’t many people who can make Shen Zui Tian tell the truth. Madam Chu truly has impressive skills.”

I was stunned—this seemed to confirm that Lin Wan Ci indeed wanted to kill me. But why? Even if I had betrayed Yu Chi Mountain Villa, and Yan Shao had seriously injured Lin Qian Yi—no, that’s not right. When Lin Wan Ci made her request to Shen Zui Tian, I was still the master of Yu Chi Mountain Villa, and Lin Qian Yi was still in Shen Zui Tian’s hands—so she had wanted to kill Rong Shu Kuang from the beginning.

Why?

What reason would Lin Wan Ci have to kill Rong Shu Kuang? Rong Shu Kuang was raised by the Lin family from childhood and was like a sister to her. Why would she do this?

I couldn’t understand. Looking intently into Nan Gong Jun Qing’s eyes, I pressed, “Why does Lin Wan Ci want to kill me?”

He remained silent.

I nodded, sneering, “No wonder Lin Shao Ci didn’t come himself. His sister—”

He interrupted me, “These assassins were not sent by her.”

I was stunned. “If not her, who else could it be?”

He didn’t answer, slightly turning his head to look at Yan Shao.

Yan Shao still maintained his calm demeanor, with unwavering eyes. During others’ conversations, he always remained silent.

At this moment, there was suddenly a clattering noise from downstairs, and Du Du Niao started screaming like a slaughtered pig, “You woman, hey, are you being reasonable? Hey… if you continue like this, I won’t be polite anymore.”

Luo Fei shouted, “Where is Rong Shu Kuang? Tell her to get out here!”

Yan Shao looked at me with a slight smile.

Nan Gong Jun Qing frowned, went to the door, and called downstairs, “Luo Fei, don’t be impudent.”

There was a brief silence downstairs, followed immediately by the sound of footsteps coming up. Luo Fei’s voice was sharp, “Lord, your injury—”

“It’s nothing!” Nan Gong Jun Qing cut her off firmly, turning to look at Yan Shao and saying, “I appreciate Master Chu’s kindness. If there’s an opportunity in the future, I will certainly repay you.”

Yan Shao said, “It was a small matter.”

Nan Gong Jun Qing was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled bitterly, “With someone like Master Chu by her side, who in this world could harm Madam Chu? Shao Ci was truly overthinking it.”

Yan Shao smiled faintly and said, “As they say, concern breeds worry. I too often worry that I can’t protect Shu Kuang.”

Nan Gong Jun Qing was momentarily stunned by these words.

My heart warmed, and I went to hold his hand. He glanced at me and smiled without speaking.