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Chapter 344: At the Peak of the Purple Forbidden City
Chapter 344: At the Peak of the Purple Forbidden City
The hunchbacked old man suddenly let out a coquettish laugh. "How did you recognize me?"
Ma Xiuzhen was startled by the voice and glared at the old man. "You're Gongsun Daniang?"
Gongsun Daniang looked down at her feet, her blue hemp boots covering her red shoes, making it impossible for Su Shaoying to have deduced her identity based on her footwear.
"That's right, I deduced it from your shoes," Su Shaoying replied.
Gongsun Daniang was intrigued. "Impossible. My red shoes are hidden inside these boots. You couldn't have seen them."
"Who said I saw your red shoes?" Su Shaoying asked.
"Then how did you know?" Gongsun Daniang inquired, puzzled. "I bought these shoes from a second-hand stall. They're definitely ordinary shoes."
"But they're too big," Su Shaoying said with a knowing tone. "For someone as short and hunchbacked as you, wearing such large shoes is bound to arouse suspicion."
Gongsun Daniang blinked. "Are they big?"
"Maybe not obviously so, but to a skilled observer, it's enough to raise doubts," Su Shaoying stated calmly. "Didn't Ye Gucheng also notice you just now?"
As Ye Gucheng had left, he glanced at Gongsun Daniang, and Su Shaoying had noticed. Naturally, Gongsun Daniang had been aware of it too.
Gongsun Daniang sighed. "Lu Xiaofeng has a dog's nose, and your powers of observation are equally sharp. The pressure on me is immense."
"Why are you reluctant to take off your red shoes?" Su Shaoying asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.
"Why are you reluctant to put down your sword?" Gongsun Daniang countered calmly.
Su Shaoying then handed the sword to Ma Xiuzhen.
Gongsun Daniang was left speechless.
"No wonder you and Lu Xiaofeng became friends. You're both incorrigible." Gongsun Daniang laughed, shaking her head. "Anyway, the red shoes are a symbol of our sisterhood, and we will not take them off."
"Are you resorting to underhanded tactics because you can't win the argument?" Su Shaoying teased.
"Underhanded tactics are a woman's forte," Gongsun Daniang replied with a smile. "And coincidentally, I am a woman."
Su Shaoying shook his head. "You're wrong about that."
"How so?" Gongsun Daniang asked, curious.
"Underhanded tactics are the forte of beautiful women," Su Shaoying clarified.
Gongsun Daniang laughed heartily. "Am I not a beautiful woman?"
"You're just an old man now," Su Shaoying said flatly. "How do you think others will view an old man who acts coquettish and resorts to underhanded tactics?"
In response, Gongsun Daniang deliberately struck a coquettish pose, accentuating her figure in an alluring manner, even with the hunchback disguise, and said in a coy voice, "Like this?"
Ma Xiuzhen turned her head away, unable to bear the sight. The image before her was truly too much for her eyes.
Su Shaoying covered his face with his hand, never expecting Gongsun Daniang to be such a character. He sighed, "You've learned the bad habits of Lu Xiaofeng."
Gongsun Daniang pouted, "You're not so bad yourself."
Su Shaoying nodded, "Thanks for the compliment."
Gongsun Daniang glanced at Ma Xiuzhen and then back at Su Shaoying. "Ouyang is waiting for you in the capital."
"You've seen Ouyang?" Su Shaoying asked.
"She arrived in the capital a few days ago," Gongsun Daniang said, giving Su Shaoying a sidelong glance. "She's at Yiqing Courtyard."
Su Shaoying blinked. "This Yiqing Courtyard, it's not one of your establishments, is it?"
Gongsun Daniang smiled faintly. "Take a guess."
"Ye Gucheng is the heir apparent's tutor at the Pingnan Wang Manor, and the 'Honest Monk' also has connections with certain royal households. As for you, there's no need to even mention it..." Su Shaoying drawled, "Are you here to see Ye Gucheng?"
Gongsun Daniang's pupils contracted as she drew a slight breath. "Can't you be a little less sharp?"
"I heard that many people have placed bets on the duel between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue. Some are offering three-to-two odds, betting on Ye Gucheng's victory?" Su Shaoying asked.
Gongsun Daniang sighed. "Indeed."
"So Ye Gucheng was poisoned by Tang Tianyi's sand, and the 'Honest Monk' just happened to bear witness to it?" Su Shaoying had fought alongside Gongsun Daniang before, so he decided to test her, "Then, what are you doing here? Are you here to heal Ye Gucheng or to help him disguise himself and return to the capital?"
Gongsun Daniang shook her head. "I can't tell you that, but rest assured, the duel between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue will definitely be a fair one. I'll be there to watch it too."
Su Shaoying raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you know where they will duel?"
A cunning gleam flashed in Gongsun Daniang's eyes. "If you can guess where they will duel, I'll tell you why I came to Zhangjiakou."
"Really?" asked Su Shaoying.
"Absolutely!" Gongsun Daniang affirmed.
"In that case, I won't hold back." Su Shaoying replied nonchalantly, "The 'Purple Gold Peak' on the fifteenth of August has naturally been changed to the 'Purple Forbidden Peak' on the fifteenth of September. An unparalleled swordsman, an unparalleled duel, deserves an unparalleled venue."
Su Shaoying laughed, "In the capital, what other place could compare to the Purple Forbidden Peak?"
Gongsun Daniang's pupils contracted sharply. "Did you guess this yourself?"
Su Shaoying chuckled, "If the Shu Wang Manor hadn't been involved in this gamble, then it must have been my own deduction."
"The Shu Wang controls the southwest and rarely interferes in the affairs of other royal households." Gongsun Daniang sighed, "You're right. The 'Purple Gold Peak' has been changed to the 'Purple Forbidden Peak'. After Ximen Chuixue changed the duel venue to the capital, he let Ye Gucheng choose the specific location, and Ye Gucheng chose the Purple Forbidden Peak."
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuzhen couldn't help but gasp, "They have such bold ambitions!"
Gongsun Daniang said indifferently, "These two men have nothing to fear."
"Don't change the subject." Su Shaoying waved his hand in front of Gongsun Daniang's eyes, "You don't even know Ye Gucheng, and almost no one knows their duel venue, but you found out in advance. It's clear that the Pingnan Wang Manor is involved."
Gongsun Daniang nodded, "Yes, this duel between the two unparalleled swordsmen has not only shocked the entire jianghu, but even the high officials in the court and various royal households have heard of it."
"A duel in the jianghu may be aboveboard, but once it involves the court, if there aren't any conspiracies or tricks involved, I wouldn't believe in the integrity of those court officials." Su Shaoying laughed.
Gongsun Daniang also laughed, "You're right. I did come to witness this duel. When I learned that Ye Gucheng wanted to kill Tang Tianyi, I came, and I also have a letter to deliver to Ye Gucheng."
Su Shaoying's eyes flickered, "For whom?"
"The Pingnan Wang Manor." Gongsun Daniang replied.
(End of Chapter)
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