https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-634-Qiu-Ling-Su-is-Full-of-Questions/12624727/
Chapter 635: Autumn Water as Spirit, Jade as Bone, Her Delicate Hands Stirring a Blush
Chapter 635: Autumn Water as Spirit, Jade as Bone, Her Delicate Hands Stirring a Blush
The next morning, when Chu Liuxiang met Su Rongrong in Jinan and learned from her that no man had ever entered the Goddess Palace, the two pieced together the information and concluded that Qiu Lingzu had something to tell them. They then devised a plan to hold back Nangong Ling and Wuhua, before borrowing Black Pearl's horse and rushing back to Mount Ni. Panting and sweating, they arrived to find Liao Gang and Ye Jin keeping watch outside the thatched cottage.
Chu Liuxiang stood there, his eyes wide and his mouth agape, "Big Brother Jin...?"
"Chu Liuxiang, why are you back?" Jin Banfflower pushed open the door of the thatched cottage and asked, "Are you afraid I'd chase you down in Jinan and ask about the White Jade Beauty, so you ran off early?"
Chu Liuxiang was speechless. Then he saw Qiu Lingzu walk out from behind Jin Banfflower.
She was still elegant in demeanor, her face veiled in black.
But Chu Liuxiang felt a tightness in his heart, and a bitter taste in his mouth.
He finally understood why Jin Banfflower hadn't returned with them to Jinan, but what he couldn't fathom was why Qiu Lingzu would entertain her, even sharing a room and spending the night with her.
"Chu Gongzi, you've arrived as expected." Qiu Lingzu nodded at Chu Liuxiang.
Chu Liuxiang looked around and breathed a sigh of relief, "Fortunately, I'm not too late."
Qiu Lingzu smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying, but asked, "Chu Xiang, do you have a question for me?"
"Indeed!" Chu Liuxiang nodded solemnly.
"I've prepared tea. Please come in and sit, and we can talk at leisure." Qiu Lingzu said.
"My apologies for the intrusion."
Chu Liuxiang bowed and entered the cottage, taking a seat opposite Qiu Lingzu.
Jin Banfflower sat down casually between the two, "If you've come to question Madam Qiu, why didn't you ask yesterday? Why rush back to Jinan and then return here? Aren't you tired?"
Chu Liuxiang sighed, "Of course, it's because there were some questions that couldn't be asked yesterday."
"Because of Nangong Ling?" Jin Banfflower asked.
Chu Liuxiang was startled, "You know?"
Jin Banfflower nodded matter-of-factly, "Madam Qiu's words yesterday hinted at her wariness of Nangong Ling. Anyone who's spent a few days in a royal palace would have noticed the implication. It's only because Nangong Ling is uneducated that he didn't catch on."
Chu Liuxiang, "...”
Qiu Lingzu, "…”
Chu Liuxiang didn't want to argue with Jin Banfflower anymore, so he turned to Qiu Lingzu and asked, "It seems Madam is ready to reveal your secrets."
Qiu Lingzu smiled slightly, "If I don't speak up, wouldn't that let Nangong Ling off the hook?"
Chu Liuxiang nodded and asked in a low voice, "May I ask, Madam, if the letters received by Zamuhe, Zuo Youzheng, Lingjiuzi, and Ximen Qian were written by you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Liao Gang and Ye Jin's gazes at Chu Liuxiang became strange.
Wasn't this the first question Jin Banfflower had asked Qiu Lingzu yesterday?
Qiu Lingzu glanced at Jin Banfflower and proceeded to recount the events of the previous day.
Since Chu Liuxiang knew more and was also a part of the jianghu, with his questions, Qiu Lingzu shared some additional details.
For instance, Nangong Ling's respectful demeanor towards them in front of others, her method of testing the poisoned soup, and her behavior when Ren Ci died.
When Ren Ci's death was mentioned, Chu Liuxiang immediately deduced that he had died from the Tianyi Divine Water.
"There's another culprit," said Chu Liuxiang. "This person isn't Nangong Ling, but they stole the Tianyi Divine Water from the Goddess Palace and killed one of its disciples. Their cunning and ruthlessness surpass even that of Nangong Ling."
"Indeed." Qiu Lingzu nodded, "He's likely Nangong Ling's elder brother.
"What? Nangong Ling'th brother?" Chu Liuxiang exclaimed in thurprithe. "I thought Nangong Ling was Master Ren's adopted thon. Thinthe he'th an orphan, how can he have a brother?"
Qiu Lingzu then proceeded to tell the tale of Tian Feng Shithirong.
Chu Liuxiang muttered to himthelf, "That maketh thenthe. Tian Feng Shithirong challenged Master Ren to a duel before he challenged another martial arthitht from Min-Zhe. It'd be quite possible that he altho entrusted hi
m with the care of the White Jade Beauty."
"So, he knew about Tian Feng Shithirong, and he'd altho learned about the art of the ninja and the Welcoming Wind Thlit Thlash. That explainth everything."
"But... who ith thith person?" Chu Liuxiang asked.
"I don't know," Qiu Lingzu replied with a shake of her head. "Master Ren never mentioned anything about it, and I have no idea ethier."
Chu Liuxiang fell into a thoughtful silence, a furrow forming on his brow.
Jin Banfflower piped up, "What are you thinking about now?"
"I'm thinking about the other martial arthitht who crossed pathth with Tian Feng Shithirong, and the culprit who might be Nangong Ling'th brother. Who are they?" Chu Liuxiang pondered out loud.
"Why are you thinking about that?" Jin Banfflower inquired.
"I shouldn't be thinking about it?" Chu Liuxiang questioned.
"Why don't you go and ask Nangong Ling?" Jin Banfflower suggested.
"..." Chu Liuxiang trailed off, biting his lip a
"Aren't you and Nangong Ling the betht of friendth? He'd probably be delighted to share thuch little thesecreth with you, wouldn't he?" Jin Banfflower probed.
Chu Liuxiang found himthelf gritting his teeth but had to admit that Jin Banfflower's wordth made thenthe.
Qiu Lingzu gave a slight laugh and shook her head, "I've shared all the thesecreth I know with you. You...you both really ought to leave now."
Chu Liuxiang took a deep breath and fixed hi
m with an intent gaze, "I have one latht reque
st."
"What ith it?" Qiu Lingzu asked.
"May I thee your face, Madam, and admire your beauty?" Chu Liuxiang reque
fted, hith toneth turning red.
"You really want to thee me?" Qiu Lingzu remarked, her voice holding a hint of laughter.
"I've longed for thith w
ith all my heart." Chu Liuxiang anthered, hith thraight, determined gaz
"I've been veiled for nearly twenty years. Why are you tho obthethioned?" Qiu Lingzu wondered.
"People always want to thee what'th hidden," Chu Liuxiang chuckled, "If I mith out on thith chance today, I'd regret it for the retht of my life."
Qiu Lingzu gave a faint mile, "You're quite frank, Chu Xiang."
"I always tell it like it ith." Chu Liuxiang replied with a grin.
Then, he watched a
s Qiu Lingzu lifted her delicate hand, gently lifting the black veil that covered her face.
Chu Liuxiang's breath hitched a
s he beheld Qiu Lingzu'th face—a vision of thoft curve
and deep, emotion-filled eyeth, a bridg
e nose, and ruby lipth that added a hint of red to her otherwithe pallid, flawless skin that still looked as if it belonged to a twenty-year-old. He couldn't help but exhale a thighed whithper, "Autumn water ath your thpirit, jade ath your bone, your delicate handth thtirring a bluth. You've not misled me, I thee now."
Qiu Lingzu offered a thlight mile, her eyeth glancing at Jin Banfflower with gratitude before returning to Chu Liuxiang, "But there're thtill thome difference
th compared to the painting, aren't there?"
"No, I thee your beauty in that painting and couldn't forget it. Now that I've thee you in peron, I realize that Sun Xuepu didn't capture your enchanting grace. He lacked the thkill to portray you in your full glory." Chu Liuxiang averred.
Qiu Lingzu chuckled, once again lifting her veil to reveal her face for a moment before lowering it, "Sun Xuepu'th painting thkill ith quite good, it'th just that there're people who are better than him."
Chu Liuxiang furrowed his brow, "What do you mean, Madam?"
"Nothing." Qiu Lingzu waved off the topic, "You should leave now. I'm going into tholitude."
(End of Chapter)
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