The next day, when Commandery Governor Xu invited Xiao Jin and Chu Shao to tour the Purple Bamboo Forest together, Xiao Jin had already arranged everything from the previous night.
The two Qin family girls had gone with Xia Sanniang to temporarily stay at a residence in Qingzhou.
That residence had been arranged before Xiao Jin’s trip. Old Zhang handled things steadily, so she could rest easy. Garrison troops were also assigned to guard it—security was tight, and no mishaps would occur.
Only, Xia Sanniang’s mother-in-law was advanced in years and couldn’t travel by boat.
So Xiao Jin had transferred her to another private residence in Xinyang, also with garrison troops guarding and caring for her.
Before moving the family, Xiao Jin had interrogated the assassins and the three Qin family members. The answers she obtained were no different from what she had previously guessed.
Though the assassins were sent by the Fourth Prince, the master they had previously served was Xiao Shuang.
The key to this matter lay only in whether Xiao Shuang knew or not.
From Chu Shao’s earlier description, Xiao Jin could basically conclude that Xiao Shuang was aware. But the assassination attempt she had experienced that day—the poisoned blade hadn’t been aimed at her, but at Chu Shao.
This meant Xiao Shuang wanted to kill Chu Shao.
At this very moment, Xiao Jin listened distractedly as Commandery Governor Xu introduced the origins of this bamboo forest, thinking: why did Xiao Shuang want to kill Chu Shao?
Chu Shao accompanied the two on their outing, looking with interest at the emerald bamboo grove.
The bamboo forest was lush. Occasionally, a gentle breeze stirred the leaves and startled the birds perched on the branches, raising waves of green.
Gazing at the leaves on the bamboo branches, Chu Shao suddenly recalled the night before—the two figures, one large and one small, standing at the boat’s bow.
At that time, she had been leaning against the vermillion railings, listening to Xiao Jin tell strange stories to Qin Xueyi.
Xiao Jin’s voice was low and slow, softer than the breeze brushing the lake’s surface. Beneath the moonlight, her thin silhouette reflected in the rippling lake water.
Chu Shao stood in the pavilion watching Xiao Jin and felt as if she were gazing at a painting.
A scroll slowly unrolling before her eyes. She knew this scene was rare and precious, and she stood elsewhere, merely an observer of the painting.
At that moment, Xiao Jin held a bamboo leaf to her lips and blew out hoarse melodies.
The boat parted the lake water. Beside her, willow branches swayed gently in the night breeze.
In an instant, Chu Shao was suddenly unwilling to remain merely an observer of the painting. She also remembered, abruptly, that there was a jade flute at her waist.
It was one she had just discovered on the boat. But she hadn’t used a flute to play music in a very long time.
Watching Xiao Jin and Qin Xueyi on the deck, a thought inexplicably arose in Chu Shao’s heart. A person like this, set against such scenery—if stained with blood, it would rather desecrate the moonlight.
It seemed Xiao Jin’s words might have been right: blood doesn’t always bring pleasure.
Chu Shao drew the flute from her waist and brought it to her lips, playing a melody. What this tune was called—she had almost forgotten.
But the nightscape was beautiful, and the black hair scattered on the bamboo chair was also beautiful.
Chu Shao felt she should play a lovely tune to complement such beautiful things.
Only when Xiao Jin raised her head and met her gaze did Chu Shao remember—the melody she was playing was called “Everlasting Longing.”
…
The Lantern Festival was approaching.
By all reason, Xiao Jin should be preparing to return to the capital. After all, for a major festival like this, the palace would certainly hold a banquet for reunion.
But having just saved the assassin’s family, leaving for the capital right afterward would seem too suspicious.
To thoroughly cement the “sightseeing” pretense and also seize the chance to win over Commandery Governor Xu, Xiao Jin decided simply not to return to the palace and to celebrate the Lantern Festival in Qingzhou.
However, staying at the Governor’s Residence would be inconvenient for communicating with Juege.
So Xiao Jin decided to use the sightseeing excuse to leave the residence for a day or two. After Juege had investigated everything clearly, she would return to the Governor’s Residence to discuss cooperation.
Commandery Governor Xu felt that Xiao Jin was testing him, so he didn’t urge her to stay. He merely accompanied her with his family and respectfully saw Xiao Jin out of the residence.
Yet privately, he was somewhat anxious, repeatedly asking his retainer: “Do you think Prince Yan’s trip to Qingzhou could truly be just for sightseeing? Why, whether I openly express goodwill or secretly hint at it, does he never give me a definite answer?”
In truth, Xiao Jin was indeed testing Commandery Governor Xu.
If he showed goodwill once and she eagerly formed an alliance, such an alliance would come too easily and would lower her own status.
Xiao Jin knew that Commandery Governor Xu urgently needed someone strong enough to oppose the Mu Family. That person could be the Crown Prince, or it could be her.
In other words, Commandery Governor Xu had many potential allies—he wasn’t necessarily set on her alone.
If he could easily ally with her now, then presumably, he could just as easily betray her later.
The retainer shook his head and said to Commandery Governor Xu: “My lord, this humble one feels Prince Yan is likely waiting.”
Commandery Governor Xu couldn’t help asking: “What is Prince Yan waiting for?”
The retainer smiled and answered: “Prince Yan is perhaps waiting for you, my lord, to propose terms, or a difficult problem. A problem that can bind you to the same boat—one that only he can help you solve.”
…
Xiao Jin waited several days. Seeing that Commandery Governor Xu still hadn’t come to propose terms, she wasn’t anxious in the least.
She believed the other would come eventually.
So at present, she was very at ease, even having the leisure to prepare matters related to the Lantern Festival.
These past few days, Xiao Jin had completed a few trivial extra tasks, basically securing this month’s lifespan points.
But these tasks were too simple, making Xiao Jin begin to suspect the System was saving up a big move—first laying out simple tasks as a diversion, and then thoroughly messing with her.
Still, the System’s intentions ultimately had nothing to do with her. Right now, Xiao Jin received a batch of goods shipped from Prince Yan’s Manor a few days ago, planning to put them to use at the Lantern Festival.
At the same time, Juege also sent a letter.
The letter’s content was simple. She had listed the buyers who had purchased Spring Mountain Void in recent months.
Xiao Jin read through every name on it. After finishing, however, she was somewhat puzzled.
Because the names on the paper didn’t include any from Xiao Shuang or the Fourth Prince’s forces—not even a single one from the Crown Prince’s faction.
Xiao Jin believed that with Juege’s investigative ability, mistakes were basically impossible.
If none of these three had bought it, then the one who used the Endless Sorrow Gu on the assassins wasn’t the Fourth Prince, nor Xiao Shuang or the Crown Prince.
So… there was still someone hiding in the shadows.
However, Juege had added one sentence at the end of the letter.
She said these were all the forces she could investigate within her capability. But she also discovered that a jianghu organization seemed to have purchased Spring Mountain Void a few days ago as well.
Yet no matter what methods she used, she couldn’t find a single clue about that organization.
Xiao Jin tossed the letter into the brazier and burned it.
She could more or less guess the name of that mysterious jianghu organization, and its background.
In the original novel, the largest organization in the jianghu was called “Blood Rain Pavilion.”
No one knew whom Blood Rain Pavilion served. All they knew was that Blood Rain Pavilion was ruthless, with spies spread across the Nine Provinces and Four Seas.
Behind almost every major event, Blood Rain Pavilion was involved.
But Blood Rain Pavilion always left no trace. Apart from the blood-red marks left on corpses’ necks, almost no clues could be found.
The identity of the Pavilion Master of Blood Rain Pavilion was an even greater mystery. Though this person had never appeared in the jianghu, it was said the Pavilion Master knew everything, controlling all the world’s intelligence and secrets.
Outside, a light rain began to fall.
Xiao Jin sat in her wheelchair warming herself by the fire, thinking: if even Blood Rain Pavilion wanted to act against the original self, it seemed the original self was truly a special figure.
After a moment, her frown deepened.
No—perhaps Blood Rain Pavilion didn’t want the original self’s life.
But wanted Chu Shao’s life.
…
Today was the Lantern Festival.
The people of Qingzhou celebrated the festival together, bustling with excitement.
Commandery Governor Xu had sent an invitation for Xiao Jin and Chu Shao to gather at the Governor’s Residence. Since Xiao Jin had nothing better to do, she happily accepted.
They drank several cups of fine wine and stood on the bridge, watching flower lanterns drift down the river.
A thousand gates of lanterns turned night to day. Fireworks burst over Qingzhou, so loud the entire city could hear only the thunderous explosions.
Such an atmosphere wasn’t suitable for discussing politics, so both Commandery Governor Xu and Xiao Jin very tactfully refrained from mentioning the alliance.
After the fireworks died down and the crowds dispersed…
The two bid farewell on the bridge and each returned to their own residence.
The Lantern Festival was originally an extremely joyous holiday.
When watching the fireworks on the bridge earlier, Xiao Jin had kept a corner of her eye on Chu Shao.
She noticed that though the other wore a smile, the curve was extremely deliberate—not born of genuine enjoyment.
So Chu Shao didn’t like liveliness.
Realizing this, Xiao Jin recalled that ship of goods she had instructed Old Zhang to send and suddenly wondered if this decision had been somewhat unwise.
But since it was already arranged, there was no room for regret.
They were about to reach the residence where they were staying in Qingzhou. Xiao Jin maintained a calm front, but inside, she was somewhat nervous.
Perhaps from witnessing too much bustle in Qingzhou today, Chu Shao now looked slightly weary. She couldn’t even be bothered to maintain the smile on her face.
Xiao Jin had guessed correctly—Chu Shao indeed didn’t like liveliness.
Because liveliness was only temporary.
Very noisy, never lasting, always dispersing.
Having seen so much liveliness today, Chu Shao still found it dull.
Even watching the fireworks over Qingzhou, all she could think of was the black solids that, after the gunpowder burned out, would fall from the sky and cool on the ground.
Everything seemed no different from before.
Carrying this weariness, Chu Shao slowly pushed open the residence’s main gate.
Then her footsteps halted.
Because color flooded into Chu Shao’s eyes.
Hundreds of colored lanterns hung from the wooden racks in the courtyard, clustered tightly together, beautiful as butterflies about to take flight.
Hundreds of brilliant butterflies burned in Chu Shao’s eyes.
Chu Shao recalled that snowy night—the bean curd seller standing on a stool, tiptoeing to hang that small colored lantern among so many snow lanterns.
Back then, the colored lantern had been dim. Now it blazed with dazzling brilliance, as if cascading down from the heavens.
Back then, beneath the colored lantern, Xiao Jin had told her an incredibly moving lie: “There will be another chance. Come see them next time.”
Only, now it was no longer a lie.
Seeing Chu Shao’s expressionless face, Xiao Jin thought she had ruined everything.
But since she had promised this before, no matter how awkward, she naturally had to follow through.
Xiao Jin coughed once and was about to say something to ease the awkwardness of this moment. Unexpectedly, the System’s electronic tone suddenly rang in her ears.
【Beep! Congratulations Host—Successfully unlocked Chu Shao’s Favorability stat】
【The Host should be reminded that Chu Shao’s current Favorability is only visible to you alone. Thus, the System cannot determine whether this is good or bad】
【Please assess this on your own, Host】
