Chapter 95

Chapter 95

◎ May My Beloved, Have All Things Go as Planned ◎

Luo Wanqing knew that this thought of hers was subjective.

Wang Hu might have been intentionally placed there by someone, but that person wasn't necessarily Li Guiyu. She couldn't infer that Li Guiyu had orchestrated everything just based on the marks on those walls. After all, that was where special prisoners were detained. Anyone who was held in special confinement would be there, and she would eventually see that cell.

Li Guiyu wasn't any more special than others. She couldn't jump to the conclusion that he was involved in everything.

Luo Wanqing suppressed her speculations and continued asking, "What did those people who captured you ask you when they interrogated you?"

"They asked about the hairpin."

Wang Hu recalled, "Not long after I bought it, someone started watching me. The hairpin was too valuable, so they kept questioning me about who I bought it from and what I bought it for. But Master had warned me not to reveal anything about the hairpin, so I didn't say a word."

"Then why are you telling us now?"

Luo Wanqing found it strange. Wang Hu gave a bitter smile and said, "But Master told me that if someone investigated Head's affairs and I trusted them, then I could tell them. Since Young Master is here to ask, I naturally trust you."

If someone investigated Zhang Qiuzhi, he could talk. This meant that person was on the same side as Zhang Qiuzhi, which meant their stance was at least consistent with Cui Qingping's.

Luo Wanqing nodded and then asked the final question, "Did the person who took the hairpin have any distinctive features?"

"I never saw his full face; he always wore a mask," Wang Hu recalled. "But he should be good-looking, around thirty years old, with a red mole on his forehead."

Around thirty years old, with a red mole on his forehead.

This description made everyone present think of the same person.

Luo Wanqing was slightly startled and hurriedly asked, "Can't you contact him now?"

"My only way to contact him was through him finding me. The only method I had to reach him was to enter Liufeng Island and send a message."

Wang Hu mentioned Liufeng Island several times, and Luo Wanqing realized that this person had a deep connection with Liufeng Island. She couldn't help but ask, "What's his relationship with Liufeng Island?"

"He seems to be on good terms with the island lord?"

Wang Hu thought for a moment and said, "My family was arranged to stay on Liufeng Island with his help. He returns to Liufeng Island once a year. Oh," Wang Hu remembered, "When he got the hairpin, he told me that he couldn't stay outside for long and would return after finishing his business."

"So he might have returned to Liufeng Island?"

Luo Wanqing understood and discarded her previous speculation.

Xiangsizi had been personally killed by her at Fangfei Pavilion. How could he have returned to Liufeng Island?

Or perhaps...this person really was Xiangsizi, and he died in East Capital without returning to Liufeng Island?

Luo Wanqing considered all possibilities, and Wang Hu nodded. "Yes, he might have returned to Liufeng Island."

After finishing her questions, Luo Wanqing knew she had asked enough. Seeing Wang Hu's weary expression, she asked the most crucial question: "Where exactly is Liufeng Island?"

Liufeng Island was always a legend. In fact, no one knew where it was.

According to rumors, Liufeng Island was guarded by one of the Eight Masters, Xie Minsheng, and was surrounded by numerous mechanisms. Few people knew its location, and every year, Liufeng Island would open up once to accept a batch of people who had passed the screening process.

After entering the island and staying, they would no longer involve themselves in worldly matters, and past grievances would be forgiven. Therefore, Liufeng Island was mostly inhabited by people burdened with deep grudges seeking refuge.

Hearing this, Wang Hu shook his head and said, "I don't actually know. I only know that there's a cave at the foot of Wenyun Mountain. Every year, I take the Orchid Token and pass through the cave, opening an iron gate and exiting the cave. I blindfold my eyes and shake the Orchid Token, and someone will come to pick me up."

As he spoke, Wang Hu took out the Orchid Token and placed it on the table. "This is the Orchid Token."

Luo Wanqing picked up the Orchid Token and found that it was exquisitely crafted, shaped like an orchid with a small hollow bell hanging in the middle. When shaken, it would ring.

Luo Wanqing guessed that this was a special sound-transmitting object similar to the Supervision Division's short flute. After observing it for a moment, she looked up at Wang Hu. "Can we borrow this..."

"Yes."

Wang Hu nodded without hesitation. Luo Wanqing was taken aback and was about to ask why Wang Hu was giving it so easily when he said, "Every year, those of us from Liufeng Island outside can choose to give away the Orchid Token. Giving away the Orchid Token means we believe you are qualified to participate in the selection process to enter the island."

"Selection process?"

Luo Wanqing was puzzled, and Xie Heng explained, "With the Orchid Token, you can open the mountain gate to enter Liufeng Island. After that, Liufeng Island will set up some obstacles, and only those who remain can go to Liufeng Island."

He lightly tapped the armrest and looked at Wang Hu. "How many people can enter with one Orchid Token?"

"There's no limit."

Wang Hu shook his head and said, "After the Orchid Token opens the gates of Liufeng Island, anyone following can enter. After passing through the mountain gate, there will be a dense forest. After exiting the forest, you'll see a lake, and there will be boats from Liufeng Island to ferry you across. But apparently, very few people make it to the lakeside each year."

"Why?"

Luo Wanqing didn't understand. Wang Hu shook his head. "I don't know. I was personally brought onto the island by Master, so I don't know the specifics of their selection process."

"When does Liufeng Island open?"

"August 13th."

After Wang Hu finished speaking, everyone exchanged glances and calculated the time. It was actually two days from now.

Wang Hu thought for a moment and said, "Every year on August 13th, Liufeng Island opens. Each person recommended by the Orchid Token has a different path to enter the island, but they must all pass through that dense forest."

"I see." Xie Heng nodded and then looked up. "One last question, what's your master's name?"

"Cui Zisi."

Upon hearing this, Xie Heng was stunned.

After pondering for a while, he nodded and said, "Alright."

As he spoke, Xie Heng rose and nodded his head. "It's late, we shouldn't disturb you any longer."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hu also stood up, apprehensive yet respectful. "I bid you farewell, Lord Xie."

Xie Heng said no more, leading everyone out of the room.

Zhang Yiran exchanged a few more words with Wang Hu before following them.

They returned to the main hall, where Cui Heng found a table with a plate of pastries and sat down. Picking up a pastry, he bit into it as he said, "The person he mentioned earlier, wearing a veil with a red mole between their brows, reminds me of someone."

"I might know this person too," Zhang Yiran interjected. Everyone looked over, and Zhang Yiran, deep in thought, continued, "The one who arranged for my mother and me to change our identities in East Capital and told us that my sister had joined a prestigious sect, was this person."

"It may be the same person we're all talking about."

Luo Wanqing surveyed the group as Xie Heng uttered the name: "Love Seed."

"Indeed," Zhang Yiran nodded, pondering. "Others called him Love Seed. He is now on Liufeng Island..."

"He was killed by me at Fengyu Pavilion."

Luo Wanqing spoke up, leaving Zhang Yiran momentarily stunned. She continued, "We can't be sure if it's the same person, but we should visit Liufeng Island. This trip will be dangerous. Xingling, stay behind to protect Lords Zhang and Cui. I'll go to Liufeng Island to gather information."

"No."

Xingling frowned upon hearing this, looking at Luo Wanqing with concern. "I'm not comfortable with you going alone."

This warmed Luo Wanqing's heart. She recalled someone and turned to Xie Heng. "Young Master..."

"I'll accompany you."

Before Luo Wanqing could inquire about Cui Heng's whereabouts, Xie Heng spoke up.

Luo Wanqing was taken aback, slightly disappointed, but she responded respectfully, "Yes."

Xie Heng glanced at her slightly disappointed gaze, then turned to the map hanging behind him. "Where is Wenyun Mountain?"

Luo Wanqing searched the map and located Wenyun Mountain.

Wenyun Mountain was some distance from Yangzhou, seemingly in an uninhabited area, with many places left blank. After the blank space around Wenyun Mountain was the location of Snow Spirit Mountain.

Seeing how close the two mountains were, Luo Wanqing felt a shiver. Then, she watched as Xie Heng rose and, looking at the map, said, "Let's prepare to leave. On the thirteenth of August, Liu Xiniang and I will depart for Wenyun Mountain."

Everyone could only agree to Xie Heng's statement.

It was late, so Cui Heng stretched and got up, offering, "We've been busy all day, haven't we eaten yet? Let's go have dinner."

"Sure," Zhang Yiran nodded.

Cui Heng smiled, inviting Xingling and Luo Wanqing. "Si Shi Xingling, Si Shi Liu, shall we go together?"

Luo Wanqing nodded, then turned to look at Xie Heng, who was facing away from them. She cautiously asked, "Young Master, would you like to join us...?"

"No need."

Xie Heng interrupted her question. Luo Wanqing collected herself and, along with Xingling, bowed. "Then we'll take our leave."

Xie Heng remained facing away from them, not turning around. Alone in front of the map, he faintly acknowledged them. "Mm."

As they bowed and left, Luo Wanqing glanced back at Xie Heng's silhouette. Standing there in the darkness, he seemed no different than when he was in the Supervision Division's backyard.

She turned and left with the others. Cui Heng was excited and cheerful. "Si Shi Liu, since you're most familiar with Yangzhou, could you take us to a good restaurant for a meal?"

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment and led them to her favorite restaurant.

Cui Heng was lively and sociable. They ate and drank, laughing and joking until late into the night. Luo Wanqing returned with a strong scent of alcohol.

When she came back, Xie Heng was sitting in his room reviewing documents. His door was wide open, and as Luo Wanqing passed by, she saw Xie Heng seated inside, almost as if he were waiting for her. This startled her sober, and she hurriedly bowed. "Young Master."

Xie Heng glanced at her briefly before lowering his head. "Mm."

Luo Wanqing bowed her head and left, returning to her own room. After washing up, she lay down to sleep.

But whether it was due to the lingering effects of the alcohol or the quiet of the night giving her time to think, her mind began to fill with thoughts she had deliberately suppressed during the day.

She thought of Jiang Shaoyan.

The name from the prison began to flow through her mind. With her eyes closed, she couldn't fall asleep.

She recalled every step she took on the street today, every corner, and she could picture Jiang Shaoyan's presence everywhere.

Tossing and turning in bed, she finally couldn't bear it anymore. Taking a deep breath, she got up, dressed, and stepped outside.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Xie Heng standing on the steps of the corridor in a simple robe, his long hair loose.

Luo Wanqing paused, then bowed. "Young Master."

"Can't sleep?"

Xie Heng turned to look at her. Only then did Luo Wanqing realize that with Xie Heng's keen hearing, her tossing and turning in the room might have disturbed him.

She couldn't help but ask, "Did I disturb you, Young Master?"

"The moonlight is beautiful tonight."

Xie Heng raised his head toward the sky. Only then did Luo Wanqing notice that the night was clear, with a bright moon and sparse stars.

She followed his gaze upward, looking at the bright moon in the sky, listening as Xie Heng asked, "Why can't you sleep?"

On any other day, she wouldn't dare speak, after all, it was Xie Heng.

But for some reason, perhaps due to the wine's influence tonight, she grew bolder and couldn't help but say, "Jiang Shaoyan and I stayed in the Jiangnan region for five years. Thinking about the past, my heart is restless."

"What past?" Xie Heng was unusually patient.

Luo Wanqing didn't notice anything amiss and, hearing his question, looked at the moon as she spoke honestly, "Actually, Young Master is right. When I carved his name, it wasn't out of boredom."

As Luo Wanqing continued, she found it hard to stop, speaking slowly, "At that time, I had just been imprisoned and held in solitary confinement. There was no one else in that cell except me, and I was very scared. I didn't know what would happen to me or what had actually occurred; all I knew was to cry out in injustice, but no one paid attention to me. Only my own voice echoed through the cell, again and again."

As Luo Wanqing spoke, she recalled many details: "That cell was very cold, and at night, there were sounds of people crying and begging for mercy. It was filthy and stank. One evening, while I was sleeping, I felt something crawling over my foot. I woke up and discovered it was a rat gnawing on my shoe."

Listening to her, Xie Heng turned his gaze towards her.

Luo Wanqing laughed, "I screamed in terror. I used to be terrified of rats, so I called out Jiang Shaoyan's name. When I said his name, I suddenly felt less afraid. So I kept calling him, and when my voice grew hoarse, I started carving his name. Whenever I was scared, I carved it, thinking that he would come to save me. That was my only hope."

"So I..."

Luo Wanqing choked up, struggling to continue, "I carved him into my heart, stroke by stroke. When I saw my mother again, she praised me, saying I was braver than she expected. But that wasn't true. I just transformed all my fear and despair into Jiang Shaoyan's name, etching him into my bones, into my life. Sometimes I wonder why, even though it was Zheng Pingsheng who did it and Zheng Biyue who incited him, and maybe Li Guiyu just provided them with motivation or a plan, why is Li Guiyu the person I hate the most... When I think about why, I feel scared. Today, when I saw his name, I thought, will I be stuck like this for the rest of my life..."

Luo Wanqing suddenly stopped, realizing what she was saying, and hastily said, "I'm sorry, Young Master. I... I've had some wine. I'll go to sleep now."

As she spoke, Luo Wanqing hurriedly turned to leave, but just as she took a step, she heard Xie Heng's voice asking, "For the rest of your life, how?"

His tone was calm and indifferent, like a detached observer from above.

In his voice, Luo Wanqing gradually calmed down. She lowered her eyes, not daring to respond, but Xie Heng persistently asked, "For the rest of your life, how?"

"I'm afraid," Luo Wanqing struggled to speak, "that for the rest of my life, I won't be able to escape that cell filled with Jiang Shaoyan's name."

"There's no cell you can't escape from."

"What if it's a curse?"

Unable to resist, Luo Wanqing argued, "His name is a curse to me, Young Master. Some curses can follow you through lifetimes."

Xie Heng remained silent, and Luo Wanqing realized her slip of the tongue. However, since Xie Heng didn't speak, she didn't dare move.

After a long silence, Xie Heng suddenly said, "Back when I was at Dao Sect, my master would sometimes descend the mountain to bless and protect the common folk, dispelling disasters and removing curses. My skills aren't perfect, but I can give it a try."

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing turned around in surprise. Xie Heng took out a box of lip rouge from his sleeve, gazed at her, dipped his finger in the rouge, and raised his hand to smear it on her forehead.

"Nine Heavens' deities, hear my prayer."

"Remove calamities and banish malevolence, dissolve curses and eliminate evil."

"Bless and turn fate, extend longevity and peace."

"May my beloved," his finger had grown warm, drawing the final stroke down her brow, "have all things as they should be."

As he finished speaking, his fingertip remained, his hair fluttering in the breeze, gently brushing against her cheek. He lifted his eyelids, his usually cold gaze now carrying a hint of warmth, like a deity showing compassion to mortals, filled with an ocean-like breadth of kindness and gentleness.

Her heart seemed to slow down and grow heavy, as if time itself had paused, and she could clearly hear each beat.

Seeing her expression, Xie Heng chuckled softly, placed the lip rouge in her hand, and turned to say, "Follow your heart and seek answers, and you will find them. Sleep now."

"Young Master!"

Seeing him turn away, Luo Wanqing suddenly reacted, suppressing her racing heart and quickly offered the lip rouge back, "The lip rouge..."

Xie Heng gave her a once-over and simply said, "Once used, it can't be given to someone else. Consider it a gift."

With that, Xie Heng turned and entered his room, closing the door behind him.

Luo Wanqing held the lip rouge he had given her, feeling as if she were holding a flame, unsure of what to do.

She didn't dare keep it, yet she didn't dare throw it away either. She could only take it inside and place it on the table. However, upon seeing the items Cui Heng had sent her, she hesitated for a moment before hurriedly opening a drawer and locking the lip rouge inside.

After doing all this, she looked up at the woman in the mirror. The woman had a symbol resembling a flame pattern on her forehead, making her features appear much more striking.

She couldn't resist lightly touching the flame pattern, recalling Xie Heng's words.

May my beloved have all things as they should be.

She closed her eyes, and this time, she truly didn't think of Jiang Shaoyan.

Indeed, Xie Heng was right. If she followed her heart, she would find answers.

She would ask about her doubts, seize what she wanted, and kill if she needed to. Once everything settled, she would emerge.

If she couldn't get out, she would cut through the iron and break down the walls.

She would always find a way out.

Taking a deep breath, she returned to bed, her mind much calmer.

Only then did she belatedly remember that earlier, Xie Heng hadn't worn gloves, and she hadn't noticed.

But what was there to see?

With that thought, she closed her eyes and stopped thinking about it.

As Luo Wanqing went to sleep, within the Yangzhou Prison, the guard named Zhou Chun was drinking alone.

After taking a sip of alcohol, everyone drinking fell unconscious shortly after, leaving only the prison guard at the entrance awake. After quickly checking that all his colleagues had fallen, he immediately approached to open the door, respectfully saying, "Miss Wang."

As he spoke, a group of people followed a girl wearing a black cloak into the prison. They quickly entered and came before Zhou Chun.

"Zhou Chun."

A girl's voice came from beneath the cloak, coldly saying, "Have you thought about my proposition?"

Hearing this, Zhou Chun's lips trembled slightly.

"Xie Heng has brought Liu Xiniang here, and you can't hide what you've done with Zheng Pingsheng. He'll only use you as a scapegoat. Act now, and if successful, no one will investigate you further—I'll ensure your swift rise. If not, stay here and wait to die. Have you decided?"

The girl's voice showed no fluctuation. Zhou Chun's thin lips quivered lightly. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and bowed, saying, "This subordinate is willing to take the risk!"