With a forced smile Xu Ziling said, "Why do you suddenly become sentimental? To achieve success, there is always a price to pay. With any challenge naturally comes pressure; have you thought about such contradiction?”
Kou Zhong slowly breathed out a long breath. Leaning forward a little, he said, "What we are going to do might very well be our, two brothers, most important turning point in life. If we succeed, we will reverse the situation in the south immediately, while our names will shake the world at the same time. Ay! I know that you don't have the slightest bit of interest in this kind of thing. It is merely to help me that you are willing to risk your life. Tell me, don't you think I am able of having conflicting thought?”
Dejectedly he slumped back into his chair and said softly, "All you need to do is just say the word, and we will drop the operation tonight.”
Xu Ziling said indifferently, "All will go according to plan! By tomorrow morning, either Ren Shaoming will die a violent death around the Chun Yuan, or Shuanglong Bang will be finished. The only other possibility is if Ren Shaoming never show up.”
Leaving the restaurant, the two boys walked in the direction of Chun Zai Lou, oblivious of anything unusual.
Kou Zhong was back into his usual relaxed self; he whispered in Xu Ziling's ear with a laugh, "I was right, wasn't I? That evil princess is very interested in you!”
Xu Ziling casually shrugged his shoulders and said, "Have you forgotten that she and Fengshi Han were having private meeting in here? She is interested in me all right, but her interest is in taking my life, hence I don't think it is worth mentioning.”
Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, "A woman's heart is the most difficult thing to fathom. Maybe the reason she is good with that Ba kid is merely because she wanted to forget you. But when she saw you, anything wet and cold will be cast out to the back of her mind.” [Translator's note: play on words - shi shi han han (wet and cold), the character ‘shi' and ‘han' are the same as in ‘fengshi han' (rheumatism).]
Xu Ziling smiled wryly and said, "You actually understand narcissistic people. Uh, looks like someone is following us?”
Kou Zhong also sensed it; lowering his voice, he said, "Do you also feel that it was that guy wearing dark green clothes? He has been trailing us as soon as we left the restaurant's door. Hey! Turn left!”
The two boys turned left into a side street. It was a secondary street only for pedestrians, with tall walls and deep courtyards, a serene and quiet alley, vastly different from the noisy and lively street outside; a very peaceful environment.
"He did not follow us!” Kou Zhong said.
Xu Ziling signaled him with his eyes, the two of them soared up to the left and right, separately jumping over the walls, entering the residents' courtyard on either side of the alley.
Not a moment later the man wearing dark green clothes also flitted over. By the time he heard the rustling gust of wind behind him, his retreat path has already been sealed dead by Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.
Standing behind him, Kou Zhong said with a laugh, "This Xiongtai …”
The man suddenly turn around and hissed, "Finally I found you, two kids who don't know how to spell ‘dead'.”
Turned it was a woman dressed as a man, the big beauty of the Song family, Song Yuzhi.
The three of them stepped out of the alley and walked over to an arch bridge constructed over the river. The stream winding its way toward Chun Zai Lou's side of the city.
Strewn randomly along the river bank were row upon row of houses at different elevations, with the stone steps in front of the houses leading into the river. The scenery was extremely unique.
However, Song Yuzhi's face, which had two strips of moustache on it to enhance her masculine air, was as cold as frost. She halted her steps on the bridge and spoke in a heavy voice, "Why are you still here and have not slipped out? For no reasons you created havoc that now the entire city know that you have come here to assassinate Ren Shaoming, and in the process you destroyed our carefully drawn up plan.”
Kou Zhong smiled and said, "I wonder if our agreement is still in effect? Have Miss Song discussed this matter with your esteemed father?”
Song Yuzhi turned her tender body around; seething with anger, she scolded in low voice, "What's the use of discussion? Under present circumstances, nobody will have any chance.”
Xu Ziling walked over to the edge, leaning against the bridge's railing, he looked down on the water below, while silently listening to the two people's exchange behind him.
Calm and unfazed, Kou Zhong said, "As long as the agreement is still in effect, that is enough for me. Miss, please immediately leave the city, I guarantee that by tomorrow you will hear good news.”
"You must be mad,” Song Yuzhi was not happy, "If you want to kill yourself, why don't you just jump into the river?”
Giggling, Kou Zhong leaned closer to her pretty face; shoving the ‘unbearably vulgar' fake face with drools at the corner of his mouth to her, he said, "How about making an additional bet? If, under this very difficult situation, I can still succeed, Miss will give yourself in marriage to me, Kou Zhong, okay?”
Song Yuzhi stared hatefully at him for a moment before angrily said, "You fake belly touches me!”
Kou Zhong deliberately used his fake belly to squeeze her a bit before backing off and said with mischievous smile, "Miss has not replied to my question concerning the rest of your life!”
Exasperated, Song Yuzhi said, "Why are you so hopelessly muddled like this? Didn't I tell you that Die has already promised my hands in marriage to another? Besides, I see that you are always upset and angry, nobody will fall for you; just go home and look at yourself in the mirror.”
Turning around, she looked at Xu Ziling's back and said, "Xu Ziling! Do you have to accompany him in losing his mind?”
Xu Ziling spoke emotionlessly, "Tonight will be the anniversary of Ren Shaoming's death. Miss Song, please leave the city immediately.”
While Song Yuzhi was stunned by Xu Ziling's answer, Kou Zhong, assuming a distressed face, said, "Turns out Miss Song has had a change of heart, you are now falling for Xiao Ling. I, Kou Zhong, have no choice but to declare my withdrawal from this competition; I only want to kill Ren Shaoming and … ow!”
‘Slap!'
With a crisp slapping noise, five traces of Song Yuzhi's slender fingers immediately appeared on Kou Zhong's face, even the grease and powder were scraped off of his face quite a bit.
Song Yuzhi herself was shocked, "Why didn't you dodge?” she asked.
Stroking his stung face, Kou Zhong smiled wryly and said, "I wanted to see if I can sober you up, so that later on I won't have to cause trouble or illness to you.”
Song Yuzhi wanted to say something, but in the end she held her peace, and turned her beautiful face to look at Xu Ziling.
Xu Ziling stood motionless, with his gaze fixed on a fisherman who had just appeared from the bend of the river; he seemed to be deep in thought.
Kou Zhong saw several people were walking toward the bridge where they were standing. Pulling Song Yuzhi's sleeve, he said, "Go home, let's talk about this later!”
Xu Ziling suddenly trembled slightly. "My Niang!” he exclaimed, "Zhong Shao! Fishing line!”
Forgetting Song Yuzhi, Kou Zhong walked over to Xu Ziling's side and said in great delight, "We are really stupid! What can be more elastic and invisible than fishing line in the world? That time Shen Poniang [reminder: b1tch] used super long fishing line to trap us, and in broad daylight!”
That moment those people were walking passed them, the three people remained silent.
When those people were out of earshot, Song Yuzhi asked in bewilderment, "What are you guys talking about? Have you really turned crazy?”
By this time, how could Kou Zhong be in the mood to bicker with her? If they were using fishing line, plus it was installed ten zhang above the ground, ordinary martial art masters would find it difficult to see, especially if they were not intentionally looking for it. Since now they had to move as soon as possible, Kou Zhong simply laughed and said, "Miss Song, please move your jade self out of town. There is a good chance that tomorrow you will receive report of success!”
At the end of her patience, Song Yuzhi snapped, "No! I want the two of you to follow me leaving the city.”
Kou Zhong was stunned. "Turns out Miss Song is so concerned about us,” he said.
Song Yuzhi suddenly recovered her cold, detached demeanor. "Of course I am!” she replied in soft voice, "If the ‘Duke Yang Treasure' fell into Ren Shaoming and Lin Shihong's hands, the whole world will suffer a calamity.”
Kou Zhong smiled wryly and said, "Turns out you are that good to me. Never mind! Let us now go our separate ways, but don't forget the agreement; otherwise your Song Family and I will have nothing to do with each other anymore.”
Song Yuzhi's voice was as cold as ice as she stared at him and said, "Do you really want to deliver your life?”
Bright and shiny light flashed through Kou Zhong's eyes. "Exactly,” he said decisively.
"Then go ahead and die!” Song Yuzhi spoke indifferently.
Brushing her sleeve, she walked away. Just like that.