Chapter 135 Lover’s night (1)

　　The night of Lion Ridge was quiet and peaceful. Winter hadn’t passed and spring had yet to come. The night on the mountain was a bit cold, but inside the furnace of the garret, a raging fire was burning.

　　There wasn’t much candlelight; only two candles were lit. Coincidentally, the two were actually a pair of dragon and phoenix red candles. It seemed that the owner had long premeditated or perhaps this was done inadvertently by fate.

　　The orange light projected the figures of the people inside the canopy onto the wall.

　　A strong shadow gently covered the delicate body. His low moans and her light sounds of flowing water made a moving love song.

　　The sweat on Feng Cang’s nose dropped on Murong Qi Qi’s forehead and became one with the sweat on her forehead, just like their love which was inseparable. Her clench made him grit his teeth and didn’t dare to be violent. He was afraid that tears would fill her eyes again.

　　“Qing Qing…” Feng Cang never knew that the love between man and woman could be so joyful, but also so torturing. It was like, one moment, he would be in heaven. The next moment, he would fall in hell.

　　“Cang…”

　　Murong Qi Qi’s voice held a deep sobbing tone. Even though she’d tried her best to relax, but the pain couldn’t deceive people. She had bit too powerfully just now and left a deep tooth print on Feng Cang’s shoulder. Fortunately, in the end, she released him. Otherwise, his shoulder would’ve had a row of bloody teeth marks.

　　It’s the first time Murong Qi Qi had experienced this kind of feeling of running between the edges of pain and happiness. It was a feeling that was difficult to express in words. It was like standing at a beach in the summer. Sometimes, there would be winds and thunderstorms. Sometimes, the sky was blue and sunny…

　　She could only use a hoarse voice to call out his name. She put that pair of fine and beautiful small hands on his shoulders. No matter if it was painful or beautiful, she still clutched him tightly as if she wanted to use all her strength and leave her traces on his shoulders.

　　Feng Cang’s long and black hair covered their bodies like a black quilt and didn’t let that orange light peep in the slightest. Under his black hair, his strong butt constantly came forward. And she was like a vine wrapped tightly around him.

　　If he was a tree, then she was a vine which clung to him. Her white, slender, and without any superfluous legs encircled his thin and strong waist. Along his beat, she swayed in this red ocean.

　　Feng Cang’s beautiful eyes were locked on Murong Qi Qi’s body, which was about to burn. At this moment, her eyes only had his figure. He clearly saw his face in those dark pupils. He could even see the fire in his eyes clearly.

　　“Qing Qing, I love you!”

　　Feng Cang bent over, bit her lips and wantonly captured her fragrance. At the same time, his right hand grabbed her pair of soft hands and trapped them above Murong Qi Qi’s head. His left hand at this time took her as a peerless piano and lightly fiddled the strings.

　　“I also love you…” Murong Qi Qi was already unable to distinguish if the warmth she felt was because of shyness or because of excitement. She called out his name without any strength as if she was a delicate flower blooming in front of him.

　　This ‘love you’ became Feng Cang’s biggest power. He felt tenderness towards the woman in front of him and couldn’t love her enough. To express his love, aside from language, there was also action.

　　“Qing Qing, it’s you who found me, hooked my heart and stole my love! From today onward, don’t think about getting rid of me. Life after life, you’ll be mine!”

　　Feng Cang overbearingly declared at Murong Qi Qi’s ears. And she, after listening to his domineering words, she couldn’t help but look at him full of love, “Cang, I want to give you a son! What do you think?!”

　　How would Murong Qi Qi know that her words were a complete temptation? This little woman obviously didn’t know what temptation was, but it so happened that she did it inadvertently with ten thousand flirtatious expressions.

　　Like now, her words had directly stimulated Feng Cang’s senses.

　　“How could one be enough?” Feng Cang’s long and narrow phoenix eyes flashed a trace of devilishly beautiful glory, “At least three…”

　　This night seemed particularly long. Murong Qi Qi discovered for the first time that Feng Cang had such fake pure moments. After his declaration, what met her was a violent wind and rainstorm like passion. His tenderness, modesty and cautiousness, after saying the sentence of three children, had all been swept away and he became a vigorous extremist, making her unable to do anything but cling to him tightly.

　　Only when a slight white light came into the room, did Murong Qi Qi finally close her eyes. She was too tired. The pain coming from her waist made her want to bite Feng Cang. However, she was really exhausted and could only fall asleep while lying on his chest.

　　“Little brat…” Feng Cang’s eyes were full of the satisfaction after having eaten her. If it wasn’t because this little woman was tired, he would’ve wanted to continue pestering her like this.

　　Feng Cang’s slender white fingers were interwoven in Murong Qi Qi’s hair. He dried her wet, sweaty hair. In the end, he bound her hair with his hair. “Binding our hairs means becoming a married couple. Qing Qing, from today onward, you’re my wife, my only lover.”

　　In ancient China, only the main wife could have the title 结发夫妻 (Binding hairs married couple).

　　“Woo…”

　　Murong Qi Qi hummed lightly. Feng Cang thought that she had woken up. In the end, he discovered that she’d only hummed once. It seemed that she really was too tired.

　　This couple had finally became one under such a turning point. This was a happy thing. However, to the people of Wu Ji Gong, this day was a nightmare.

　　“Who are you?” When he saw his underlings had climbed inside, completely covered in blood, Wu Ji Gong’s new leader Hu Min was startled. The people behind them were a group of strangers. They didn’t seem to be good people.

　　“People who have come for your life!”

　　Nalan Xin was too lazy to talk nonsense with Hu Min. He directly waved. The people behind him flocked forward.

　　Although Wu Ji Gong was good at using poisons, but in front of Moyu, they were somewhat childish. Fortunately, this time they had Su Yue. Towards Fo Sheng Men’s people, Hu Min’s poison didn’t have any effect.

　　“Moyu, you are Moyu’s people!” Seeing Su Yue in front of him, the hand which Hu Min held a dagger with trembled slightly. Just now, he’d been accidentally infected with the red powder Su Yue sprinkled. Now, his right hand felt painful like a burning fire.

　　“You are Du Xian Er?”

　　Hu Min was startled. He hadn’t seen this poison before and also couldn’t detox it. Seeing that Su Yue was a weak girl and also recalling the rumors from the jianghu,1 Hu Min was sure that this woman in front of him was Du Xian Er from the jianghu’s rumors.

　　“Humph! Just you? You’re not worthy for our miss to use her hands against!”

　　With one cut, Su Yue cut off Hu Min’s throat, surprising Nalan Xin beside her. Her hand just flicked and she’d directly taken someone’s life. In his heart, his impression of Su Yue changed completely. Although he knew that Su Yue and Su Mei weren’t ordinary, but after seeing Su Yue’s vicious side with his own eyes, Nalan Xin’s heart still couldn’t help but shudder once.

　　Feeling that someone was looking at her, Su Yue turned and saw Nalan Xin. At this time, she didn’t smile at him. Instead, she had a displeased expression on her face. The next moment, she attacked another person from Wu Ji Gong. Similarly, he was killed in one move, making those people, who’d wanted to surround her because she was a woman, take a few steps back.

　　Nalan Xin had already sensed that Su Yue’s mood was not good on the way here. Presumably, it was because he’d followed her that day, which made her angry…

　　This time, Nalan Xin knew that it was his fault, but wasn’t he also forced?! Now, even Su Yue resented him, making Nalan Xin nurse a grievance.

　　Moyu and Fo Sheng Men cooperated side by side. Everyone from Wu Ji Gong was soon eliminated. Nalan Xin led people to clean up the scene, but Su Yue went directly to Wu Ji Gong’s treasure-house.

　　These past few years, Wu Ji Gong had been doing many shameful activities. They’d earned a great deal of money. After seeing the gold and silver treasures in the treasure-house, Nalan Xin was shocked. It was just, wangye2 had ordered that Wu Ji Gong’s things were wangfei’s.3 That was why he let him brought Su Yue over.

　　“Wu Qing, miss said that these things need to be registered. I’ll talk, you’ll register!”

　　Su Yue smiled at the somewhat thin but handsome man standing at a side, making Nalan Xin’s heart feel a bit strange. Just now, she had been giving him the cold face. Now, she smiled at another man. What does she mean with this? Could it be that he was severe floods and fierce beasts?

　　Severe floods and fierce beasts: extremely dangerous things

　　Nalan Xin stared at the man called Wu Qing. The more he (NX) looked, the more he (WQ) became displeasing to the eyes.

　　Firstly, this man’s name was very strange. Wu Qing, Wu Qing, he must be a ruthless person; secondly, this person was not as handsome as him. Nalan Xin went over to take a look when he (WQ) was registering. His handwriting was very beautiful, but his appearance wasn’t comparable to Nalan Xin’s. There was no doubt on this.

　　Wu Qing means ruthless, heartless and merciless.

　　Such a cold-blooded and ruthless person who wasn’t as attractive as him, why would Su Yue smile at him? Could it be that they’re lovers? A couple?

　　Just the thought that Su Yue and this man called Wu Qing being lovers, made a thing called ‘vinegar’ spread in Nalan Xin’s heart.

　　It seemed that he was accustomed to that gentle like water and smiling like flower woman. Also, her soft ‘teacher Nalan’. Now, she was so cold with him, but talked cheerfully with another person. From Nalan Xin’s point of view, this scene was particularly piercing to the eyes.

　　Wu Qing was in charge of the finances of Moyu, which was equivalent to being Moyu’s accountant. Using the accounting method that Murong Qi Qi had taught them, in just a while, the two had registered Wu Ji Gong’s financial inventory in its entirety.

　　“Barely able to offset the loss of the two stores.” After calculating the results, Wu Qing reported to Su Yue.

　　“No way! So many things could just barely offset? You didn’t calculate wrong?!” Nalan Xin, who had long disliked Wu Qing, after hearing this result, questioned Wu Qing’s words.

　　Su Yue glanced once at Nalan Xin, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she continued to discuss with Wu Qing, “Then, you lead the people to take the things away. Copy one registration sheet for me. I need to give it to miss.”

　　Su Yue completely ignoring him and only speaking with Wu Qing, made Nalan Xin’s originally gloomy mood become even worse. Like an ignored child, he squatted at a side and looked at Su Yue and Wu Qing.

　　After Su Yue and Wu Qing cleaned up thoroughly, Su Yue put the register away. Nalan Xin quickly stood up and came to them smilingly, “Miss Su Yue, where are you going? Returning to the wangfu4 or Lion Ridge?”

　　“Wu Qing and I will first go to Moyu.” It was still a cold answer. It was the complete opposite of her attitude towards Wu Qing.

　　As for Wu Qing, he acted as if he wasn’t aware of Nalan Xin’s hostility. He truly was like his name; he only had one expression, didn’t have joy. He was just as quiet as stagnant water, “Su Yue, let’s go!”

　　“Mm!”

　　Only when the two figures disappeared, did a trace of melancholy flash in Nalan Xin’s eyes. It seemed that they really were a pair. He thought that Su Yue was single and was even thinking…forget it, don’t think about it anymore. She already had a lover. No matter how much he thought, it was of no use now.

　　At this moment, Nalan Xin suddenly somewhat understood Feng Cang’s mood when Feng Cang found out that Murong Qi Qi was Du Xian Er and also thought that Du Xian Er and Guanghua gongzi5 were a couple. It was just, was the bad taste in his heart, the jealousy from the legends? This taste was truly f****** uncomfortable!

　　It seemed that love truly was a sad poison. It’s better if he did not touch love. Thinking about the fact that Su Yue didn’t turn back to look at him as she left, Nalan Xin’s throat choked badly. Thinking about that time under the moonlight, when Su Yue looked back with a smile like a hundred charms were born. It was like a cat was scratching in Nalan Xin’s heart; how uncomfortable it could be was how uncomfortable it was.

　　In just a short night, Wu Ji Gong was completely removed from the jianghu. Everything from Wu Ji Gong had cleanly disappeared as if in this world, this sect had never even existed…

　　Inside the palace at the capital, Nan Lin wang didn’t go to the morning court. This made the officials surprised. Although this wangye’s body wasn’t good, when he could persist, he would come to the morning court and never missed one unless he was sick.

　　Today was an exception. The sun had definitely come out from the west! Yesterday, Nan Lin wang had left with princess Zhen Guo. Today, Feng Cang didn’t appear. There was indeed something worth thinking about inside these actions.

　　Wanyan Lie frowned and looked at the place where Feng Cang had usually stood. Now, it’s empty. He was somewhat not used to it.

　　“Jing De, sent someone to Nan Lin wangfu to see what has happened.”

　　When that person returned and told Wanyan Lie that Feng Cang didn’t return to the wangfu for the whole night and princess Zhen Guo also didn’t return, after hearing this, his face showed a trace of joyful smile. It was with a bit of happiness and also with a bit of loneliness.

　　After the court meeting, like usual, Wanyan Lie mightily went to Long Autumn palace with Jing De.

　　The Long Autumn palace, now without Yue Lan Zhi’s presence, was usually deserted. The new palace servants had been long warned to not go everywhere. They could only appear in the fixed range.

　　After pulling the seal off the door, Wanyan Lie entered the chamber.

　　It had been some time since Yue Lan Zhi had died. This chamber still had the original furnishing. Thinking about that woman, Wanyan Lie already had no impression of her. There were too many of that kind of woman around. There also had been too many similar women who’d lived in this place…

　　Letting Jing De keep a look out above, Wanyan Lie went underground.

　　He came to the heating warm jade bed. Wanyan Lie looked infatuatedly at the sleeping Wanyan Ming Yue. Before, having a woman to be the cover, he could come frequently to this Long Autumn palace. Recently, many things had happened. It was the first time he came here in a long time.

　　“Yue er,6 I have come.” Holding Wanyan Ming Yue’s hand, Wanyan Lie sat at her side. “Did you miss me? These days, I keep dreaming about you. You’d certainly missed me; that was why you came in my dreams, right?”

　　Wanyan Ming Yue on the warm jade bed only had a serene expression on her face. It seemed that she was listening to Wanyan Lie talking. It also seemed that she didn’t hear anything.

　　“I came to tell you good news! Your daughter has been found! Her name is Feng Qi Qi. Do you think this name is pleasing to the ears? She looks almost exactly like you. It was just, that pair of eyes was very much like Feng Xie’s. The moment I saw Qi Qi, my heart almost stopped. She was simply a replica of you before you had married!”

　　While Wanyan Lie was talking, his chin shook slightly. Even those thin beards shook as if he was suppressing his excitement.

　　“Do you know who she is? She was Murong Qi Qi who’d come for a marriage alliance. That bitch Li Qiu Shui took Qi Qi away and raised her as her daughter. She’d calculated very well! She wanted to humiliate Cang er and Qi Qi. How would she know that after I knew that truth, I was eager for them to be together.”

　　“In the past, I didn’t grasp my happiness. In the end, I could only watch you become Feng Xie’s bride. This became the forever pain in my heart. Now, such a pain was also torturing these two children. I don’t want our tragedy to play once again.”

　　Recalling the memories of the past, Wanyan Lie’s expression turned painful as if every time he thought about the person he’d missed and the things he’d missed, he would regret and wished time could go back and that everything could be started over.

　　“In this palace, consort De’s eyes are like yours. The empress’s smile is like yours. Noble Lady Zhao’s hair is black like yours. Lady of Handsome Fairness Zhou likes to eat sweet and sour plum, just like you. The frowning expression of Talented Lady Sun is exactly like yours…On each of them, there’s your shadow. You live through them and have been in my heart.”

　　“I’ve raised so many women in Long Autumn palace. I wanted to let them replace you and let me forget you. However, I’ve discovered that I was wrong. I was outrageously wrong. When Qi Qi stood very alive in front of me, my heart felt like it had met spring and resuscitated. She is so much like you, ah! Every smile, every frown is very much like you.”

　　“Seeing the tangling love of her and Cang er, it was like I had seen you and me. It was just, these two children are stronger than us! They obviously know they are siblings, but they continue to love. They’re a lot braver than I!”

　　“Today, Cang er didn’t come to the morning court. The person who went to the wangfu said that Cang er and Qi Qi didn’t return. What do you think they went to do? Yue er, if, I mean if, if they truly love each other, would you support them? I think, I would certainly support them! I don’t want my tragedy to repeat with the children. They didn’t do anything wrong like how there was no wrong with me loving you…”

　　Time went by slowly. Wanyan Lie held Wanyan Ming Yue’s hand and rambled a lot. Before he left, he tidied Wanyan Ming Yue’s hair. Finally, he left a kiss on her forehead. Then, he returned to above.

　　After he came out, Wanyan Lie discovered that it was already afternoon. Jing De shut the door and fixed the seal. The two talented ones left Long Autumn palace with one walking in the front and one in the back.

　　When they left, a person in black appeared in Long Autumn palace. Just now, he’d followed Wanyan Lie to here. Only after a long time, did Wanyan Lie come out with red eyes.

　　What kind of mystery was hidden inside here? Feng Xie in black clothes touched the seal on the door. After thinking for a long time, he looked for a window without a buckle and went inside.

　　This chamber…

　　After seeing the furnishings in the chamber, Feng Xie was shocked.

　　He’d even doubted that he’d come to the wrong place. How could this be the palace? It obviously was Wanyan Ming Yue’s boudoir! He and Wanyan Ming Yue were childhood sweethearts. When Wanyan family didn’t get the world yet, he had been to Wanyan Ming Yue’s boudoir at Wanyan residence. The furnishings there was exactly the same as here.

　　Why was it like thus? Feng Xie quickly walked to the bed and looked at everything here. After circling once, Feng Xie was felt even more sure. Right! Everything here, including those white dresses in the closet seemed to be Wanyan Ming Yue’s.

　　What happened? Why was it like this? Could it be that Wanyan Ming Yue didn’t die and had been living in this Long Autumn palace? Why would Wanyan Lie hide Wanyan Ming Yue? Why would he do that?

　　Feng Xie seemed to have grabbed some clues, but these clues were so vague that he couldn’t get them right. He carefully inspected the area once and didn’t find any problems. However, just now, he saw Wanyan Lie enter and then exit from here. Could it be that he’d only come to sit for a while?

　　Not letting Feng Xie think anymore, he’d heard the voice of a little palace maid outside. Feng Xie went to the window and saw that it was two little palace maids. One was in pink and one was in green.

　　“Big sister, where do you think consort Yue went to hide? It has been so long, why has she still not captured? Could it be that she grew wings and flew away?” The palace maid in pink looked young, about thirteen to fourteen years.

　　“Hush! Lower your voice. Aren’t you afraid that someone would hear?!” The palace maid in green did a gesture of silence. Obviously, they’d sneaked from the busy affairs and got a little freedom to chat.

　　“No one would hear! His majesty and eunuch Jing De have just left. Now, no one would come here. Big sister, I heard consort Yue was very beautiful. She got the emperor’s favor very much and was the most favored one out of the six palaces. Why would she cut off her future and attempt to assassinate the emperor?”

　　While mentioning Yue Lan Zhi, the palace maid in pink’s expression turned mysterious. Right now, the matter of Yue Lan Zhi was a popular topic. The whole capital had been turned over, but they didn’t find Yue Lan Zhi. This person seemed to have disappeared into thin air and become a mystery.

　　“I tell you, what you hear in this palace is false. What you see with the eyes is also false. Many imperial noble consorts have died in this Long Autumn palace. Many servants have also died here. It’s said that this Long Autumn palace is haunted! From time to time, you can hear the crying voice of a female ghost…”

　　1. Jianghu: world of martial arts

　　2. Wangye: prince of first rank

　　3. Wangfei: main consort/wife of the prince of first rank

　　4. Wangfu: residence of the prince of first rank

　　5. Gongzi: young master

　　6. Er: term of endearment