Adding up both her lifetimes, the most serious threat to Shaoshang’s physical safety had only been a group brawl in a pool hall, when the big sister boss handed her a beer bottle and told her to make a pledge of loyalty, thereby causing her to first conceive the intention to withdraw from the jianghu. Because she suddenly discovered that although she was all kinds of reckless, she wasn’t suited for scenes involving bloodshed.

Ling Buyi had one hand tightly around her waist, the other hand hooked onto the railing under the fifth level tower eaves. The two of them hung outside the tower like this, and Shaoshang had no choice but to firmly embrace Ling Buyi. The wind at the hilltop was fierce. Her arm strength was limited, and she nearly slipped down several times. Fortunately, Ling Buyi’s left arm was like a solid iron hoop, fastening her in his embrace, preventing her from falling.

Shaoshang heard the footsteps inside the tower coming down from the sixth level with a clatter. Those two people in the side room hesitated briefly, then indeed couldn’t wait to leave this place. Shaoshang was just about to feel relieved when Ling Buyi suddenly said in a low voice, “I’ll go eliminate these two people, then no one will know about today’s matter.”

Shaoshang felt somewhat frightened. The Ling Buyi at this moment was completely different from usual. His expression revealed a kind of cold ruthlessness, as if he was speaking not of killing two people, but of slaughtering two dogs. Her heart jumped in alarm. Without time to think of anything, she quickly said, “No, no! Look, over there, someone’s coming!”

Ling Buyi followed her gaze and saw a team of several dozen sturdy-dressed guards silently feeling their way up the hillside, clearly coming to meet those two people in the side room. Fortunately, the two of them were hanging on the back side of the lateral eaves, so the guards didn’t see them. Ling Buyi frowned, seemingly unwilling to give up the idea of ‘killing to silence witnesses.’

Those two people in the side room walked to the tower’s base, spoke a few words with the guards who came to meet them, then quickly mounted horses and left. Ling Buyi remained hidden behind the fifth level’s lateral eaves the whole time. Seeing them leave completely, only then did he exert force with his right hand, pulling himself up and flipping into the fifth level side room with the girl in his arms. Shaoshang’s hair was disheveled from the wind. The moment her feet touched the ground, her legs went soft and she sat down. Her heartbeat was as violent as beating drums. Looking at the man beside her, his face was calm, his heartbeat normal, except his expression was slightly grave.

“They’ve left?” Shaoshang pressed her chest, suppressing the heart that was about to leap out. “We should leave quickly too. Who knows, they might come back to search for people!”

Ling Buyi glanced at her, with a slight smile: “What makes you think so?”

“These two gutless scoundrels, with their own delicate bodies and precious flesh fearing injury, ran away so fast. But once they’re safe themselves, they’ll definitely send people back to investigate!” That’s how it’s always shown on TV.

Ling Buyi suppressed a smile and nodded: “Did you walk here on foot?”

Shaoshang pointed to the eastern window: “No, no, I rode a horse here, then tied the horse in the grove to the east.”

Ling Buyi’s expression darkened, suspicion growing: “…You’re very clever, knowing to hide your mount so people wouldn’t discover it.”

“That’s not it!” Shaoshang almost wanted to vomit blood. “I saw this hillside was covered with sharp broken rocks. I was afraid of hurting my horse, so I didn’t ride up here!”

Ling Buyi froze, clearly not having thought of this reason.

“With heaven above and earth below, I’m truly the world’s biggest fool!” Shaoshang was beside herself with frustration. She had now figured out the sequence of cause and effect. “When I came, there was no one here. Seeing the gentle breeze and beautiful sunshine, the high sky and refreshing air, I climbed onto the roof to take a nap. Those two people must have also assumed the tower was empty, so they met here to discuss their secret plots. Aiya! If I had known, I would have tied my horse below the tower. When people saw someone was there, they wouldn’t have come over!”

Ling Buyi couldn’t help but laugh: “Climbing to the tower top to nap, hmm, indeed not something many people could think of.”

Shaoshang said sheepishly, “Who doesn’t have some hobby from childhood?”

Ling Buyi smiled, bent down, and picked up the girl’s slightly cool hands: “Today, accompany me for a walk.”

Shaoshang looked into his smiling eyes. His deep brown pupils were transparent as crystal, yet inexplicably made her feel a chill.

Only now did she notice he was wearing a dark blue silver-threaded diagonal weave brocade robe that faintly reflected light. Originally he should have been wearing an outer robe, but it was nowhere to be seen. Before she could react, Ling Buyi had already lifted her up again and placed her on his back, wrapped her hands around his neck, then quickly descended from the tower.

Shaoshang originally wanted to request to walk herself, but seeing him dodge and weave sideways on the hillside, walking as swift as flying, much faster than she could walk herself, she obediently closed her mouth. Lying on the man’s broad back, her nose surrounded by an aura like a cold snowy forest, she had to tightly hold his neck to avoid falling. Through the thin spring robe, she could almost feel the solid, elongated back muscles beneath. Shaoshang was so embarrassed she simply didn’t know what to do with herself.

The two first found Shaoshang’s milk-spotted little flower horse in the eastern grove. The silly and cute little horse still didn’t know what had happened, continuing to shake its head cutely. Ling Buyi looked at that ridiculous garland, the corners of his mouth curving up. Shaoshang’s face reddened as she indicated ‘this is also a small hobby.’

Then Ling Buyi led the little flower horse and pulled the girl south for a while longer, finding his tall and handsome steed tied there. On the pitch-black bridle hung an ink-blue brocade outer robe, clearly showing he too had decided on a whim to follow those two people over.

Shaoshang smiled: “So you also tied your horse in this grove, it’s really…” She had wanted to say ‘great minds think alike,’ but thinking that pulling Ling Buyi down to her own intelligence level was like slapping flattery on the horse’s leg, she changed her words: “Lord Ling, let’s hurry back.”

Who knew Ling Buyi would shake his head, saying: “The hour of You has already passed. When those two people see which people missed the banquet, they can slowly filter out who was on Goose Return Tower today.” After pondering a moment, he added, “We’ll go elsewhere.”

Shaoshang could only follow him in mounting her horse, riding the whole way with Ling Buyi away from Goose Return Tower. After riding for a short time, they came to the base of a cliff, where a crooked-neck tree grew out diagonally from the cliff face.

“Lord Ling, what are we doing here?” Shaoshang saw the sky gradually darkening. This place was desolate, and she began to feel uneasy. Actually, earlier she had wanted to ride back on her own, but the man had firmly grasped the little flower horse’s reins, making it impossible for her to leave.

Ling Buyi carefully tied both horses to the mountain rocks, his back to the girl, saying neither hastily nor slowly: “I truly didn’t expect to encounter you today, much less expect you to stumble upon those two people.”

Shaoshang heard his tone was unkind, and panicked: “Lord Ling, do you know those two people? Is the matter very serious?”

Ling Buyi continued: “I followed them all the way precisely to see these two people clearly. Now I still don’t know their true faces, yet I’m about to be exposed instead.”

“How could we be exposed? They didn’t even see us. We only need to find a good excuse for missing the banquet, and we can muddle through.” Shaoshang’s voice was very dry.

Ling Buyi turned around, his features handsome and profound, his expression obscure and unclear: “No, there’s still you. You could leak information about me.”

“I, I won’t…” Shaoshang’s voice trembled. She suddenly remembered that earlier Ling Buyi had wanted to kill those two people in the side room. His thoughts toward her now were probably the same. Seeing the situation wasn’t good, she immediately wanted to run toward the little flower horse. But Ling Buyi reached out and broke off a piece of rock from the mountain stone, lightly tossed it, and threw it straight ahead, forcefully smashing a small deep pit in front of Shaoshang’s footsteps. If Shaoshang had taken one step faster just now, her toes would have been hit by this stone.

Ling Buyi again showed that kind of unfamiliar, cold expression, walking toward Shaoshang step by step.

Shaoshang retreated step by step, suddenly crying out loudly: “I’ve heard you were raised in the Empress’s palace from childhood, and have always been close with the Crown Prince. Who doesn’t know which side you’re on? Those people wanting to deal with the Crown Prince, would they not guard against you?!”

Ling Buyi stopped his steps, saying calmly: “You’re not wrong. However, I’m not afraid of them knowing I’m supporting and protecting the Crown Prince. I just can’t ruin a good show in a few days.”

Shaoshang was so frightened her teeth were chattering, tears about to fall. She had almost retreated to the cliff edge: “Lord Ling, elder brother, I really won’t tell. You must believe me…”

“This matter is of great importance. With the slightest carelessness, who knows how many heads will roll. I can’t just let it go based solely on believing you.” Ling Buyi said calmly. As he spoke, he had already grabbed Shaoshang’s arm. With just a light push, he could directly complete both the steps of killing and destroying the corpse.

Shaoshang firmly grasped his sleeves with both hands, crying in a complete mess, rapidly explaining: “…No, no, I don’t even know those two people. No wait, I didn’t even see their faces. How could I leak your whereabouts? Would I go around the whole camp shouting? Besides, the Cheng family’s foundation is weak. We’re neither a powerful aristocratic clan nor were we original trusted ministers who followed His Majesty in conquering the realm from the beginning. This, this matter of the heir apparent position, what business is it of ours to interfere… You can really trust me…!”

Heaven and earth, why was her life so tragic? In her previous life, bad luck was bad luck, but at least she lived peacefully. This lifetime she had to get involved in national conspiracy, skipping over the social news section straight to the political section. Oh heavens, is it necessary to think so highly of her? Her qualifications were actually barely enough to mix as Yu Town’s thirteenth sister!

Hearing this, Ling Buyi slowly released his right hand, retreated several steps, and without a word turned to sit on a long, flat, smooth rectangular stone at the cliff’s edge.

Shaoshang had seen Ling Buyi’s abilities and knew escape was hopeless. Better to use all her strength on pleading. Seeing there was hope, she quickly crawled and scrambled to Ling Buyi’s side, crying and sobbing: “…A’Yao and I both respect and admire you so much. How could we ruin your great undertaking…”

This would have been fine not to say, but after saying it, there was a ‘crack’ sound as Ling Buyi’s left hand directly broke off a piece from the rectangular stone beneath him. Shaoshang was immediately frightened silent, firmly closing her mouth, not daring to ramble anymore.

Ling Buyi slowly pulled out a jade ornament from his chest. Shaoshang looked carefully and saw it was actually half a jade pendant, with the character ‘weak’ still remaining at the broken edge. She frantically felt at her waist and indeed found it empty—this was the jade pendant Old Man Cheng had given her, on which he had personally carved the character ‘Niao’ for her.

“Where’s the other half?” Shaoshang said dumbly.

Ling Buyi said: “Those people have already picked it up.”

Shaoshang’s brain spun rapidly. She immediately understood.

Just now Ling Buyi had taken advantage of the chaos to tear off her jade pendant, snapped it in half, then threw the half carved with the character ‘nu’ (female radical) out for those two people in the side room to pick up, keeping the other half himself. In the capital, there were countless young ladies with names containing the ‘nu’ character. Based on just that half jade pendant alone, they couldn’t guess whose it was. But if they had the other half of the jade pendant, as long as the jade stone’s grain patterns matched up, they could find out about her.

Ling Buyi smiled slightly: “I also want to trust you, but… this way is better.”

The fire of anger in Shaoshang’s heart burned fiercely: “You’re actually threatening me?!”

Ling Buyi’s face turned cold: “Then I’ll just kill you instead.”

“No, no, no…” Shaoshang immediately softened, pouncing forward to clutch his sleeve, begging bitterly, “You should threaten me instead!”

Ling Buyi’s mouth curved almost imperceptibly.

“In any case, you must not tell anyone about today’s matter, including your parents, siblings, and Lou Yao. If I detect you’ve let something slip, I’ll immediately throw this half jade pendant out, and conveniently remind those people that the Cheng family has a daughter with the childhood name Niaoniao.” He said.

Shaoshang was speechless with anger, but helplessly said: “Since you already know who those people are, why did you still come to eavesdrop, making such a big production?!”

“If you don’t agree, then I’ll just kill you.”

“No, no, no! I agree, I agree, isn’t that enough?!” Shaoshang desperately hugged Ling Buyi’s arm. She knew she had no backbone, but staying alive was most important.

After finishing this exchange, both of them quieted down. Shaoshang sat exhausted at the other end of the rectangular stone, slumped shoulders and empty head. Alternately mentally exhausted and relaxed, both disappointed that the idol she once thought of as having high integrity and noble character had shattered, and resentful of her own predicament of being constrained everywhere. Forget it, just see less of this person in the future!

Ling Buyi looked at the girl’s expression, tightly gripping that half jade pendant in his palm, saying calmly: “I knew all along that if you saw my true appearance, you wouldn’t like me anymore.”

Shaoshang turned her head to look. Under the sky full of evening clouds, his profile was handsome yet sorrowful, filled with self-loathing. For no reason her heart softened. She shifted over to sit beside Ling Buyi, saying gently: “No, no, I don’t dislike you.”

Eh, had she liked him before? Never mind, first coax him and then think about it. At the same time she began to console herself—people doing great undertakings being more cautious was also understandable. Besides, as long as she didn’t blab, then nothing would happen.

“Is that so? Just now I saw your expression was unhappy. Weren’t you secretly cursing me in your heart?” Ling Buyi turned his face toward her, his jawline perfectly flawless. “The spirit you had when looking at me before wasn’t like this.”

“How could that be?!” Though her inner thoughts had been guessed, how could Shaoshang admit it? “If not for you, I would have been cooked and eaten by bandits long ago, meeting a miserable end. After that you helped me repeatedly, fully showing your benevolent and generous nature. Just now… just now… if not for you, those people in the side room would have caught me long ago. The outcome would probably be silencing me! Now, if I bore resentment toward you just for this little matter, wouldn’t that be ungrateful!”

The more she spoke, the more righteous she felt. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she shouldn’t blame Ling Buyi. He had only frightened her, threatened her, nearly taken her life… and that’s all. He hadn’t done anything else!

Ling Buyi finally smiled, but then his expression sank again, his face gloomy. He suddenly said: “I truly wanted to let you go.”

Shaoshang sighed in her heart: Then couldn’t you have just pretended not to see me?

“…A while ago, His Highness the Crown Prince had a seal stolen, causing much trouble. It should have been done by a guest in the Crown Prince’s residence, so I set a trap, just waiting for the other party to fall into the snare. I generally know who the opponent is, but don’t know which spies are buried in the Crown Prince’s residence. I only hope not to alert the enemy today.” Ling Buyi said slowly.

Shaoshang was both shocked and frightened, forcing a smile: “How would I understand these critical important matters? You don’t need to tell me, my lord!”

Ling Buyi’s gaze, clear as water, swept over: “Just now, I only heard intermittently, a few sentences, not very clearly. Did you hear their voices clearly?”

How alert was Shaoshang? She quickly said: “No, no, I didn’t hear clearly either.”

Ling Buyi looked at her for a long while before saying: “Then forget it.”

Shaoshang was still frightened, when she suddenly heard Ling Buyi say: “The sky will soon be completely dark. Have you thought of our excuse for when we return?” Shaoshang quickly shook her head, indicating she would completely follow his instructions.

Ling Buyi reached out to grasp the girl’s left forearm. His palm was broad, his finger joints long and powerful. The girl’s arm was slender—grasping it like this, his five fingers completely closed around it.

He said: “In a moment I’ll break your arm, then tear a few strips from your clothes to hang on that cliff edge, and say you were greedy to see the scenery and accidentally rolled down. I happened to pass by and saved you… Don’t worry, I’ll only lightly crack your arm bone. It will heal quickly.”

Shaoshang hugged her own arm, trembling. She knew this was a good plan, but truly couldn’t bear to sacrifice her own bones!

Ling Buyi looked at her for a while. The girl’s beautiful face still carried a soft, downy quality, appearing delicate and pitiable. At this moment in her fright, her flower-bud-like lips trembled lightly, like a fine feather brushing his heart.

With a light muffled ‘crack’ sound, Shaoshang’s eyes widened. Ling Buyi had used his right hand to break his own left forearm—she had witnessed the power of this left arm before. It had single-handedly swung a long halberd brilliant as the golden crow, cleaving that fierce bandit along with his blade in two. Now, because of his reluctance to hurt her, it was forcefully broken.

“Forget it, you can save me instead. We’ll coordinate our stories.” Ling Buyi’s face was pale as he smiled faintly.

Shaoshang instantly shed tears, as if her heart had been viciously hacked with a blade.

She threw herself down at Ling Buyi’s knees, crying in a complete mess: “I heard those two people’s voices. I remember them. Later I’ll help you identify them! You… does it hurt, does it hurt…”

This time she cried without any pretense.