Chapter 133
Ye Li woke up early as she always did . However, before she got out of bed, she knew she probably wouldn’t be able to leave today . The drizzling sound outside indicated there was a big rain . She had learned about the wet weather of the South a long time ago . However, this rain came way too sudden . They would be in a bad place if they did rest in open air last night . Thinking of that, she didn't find that young lord of Luoyi Clan as awful . Dressed up, she went out of the bedroom . Secret Guard No . 3 was still resting on the chair by the door . But she knew he wasn’t really asleep . Hearing Ye Li’s footsteps, Secret Guard No . 3 opened his eyes at once and looked at her .
“Go inside and have a rest . We won't be leaving anytime soon . ” Ye Li said below her breath after glancing at Han Ming Xi who was asleep on the bamboo couch with a frown .
Secret Guard No . 3 paused for a second . Then he nodded and went inside . Ye Li walked into the hall as she opened half of a window and admired the curtain of rain outside .
“Jun Wei, you are so cold-blooded, having a big bed all to yourself while letting me sleep on a bamboo couch . ” Before she was aware of it, Han Ming Xi already woke up, lying lazily on the bamboo couch, gazing at Ye Li bitterly with his charming eyes .
Ye Li turned to him with a smile and said: “You can go inside now and share a bed with Zhuo Jing . ”
Raising his brows, he looked at her with smiles: “Why can't I sleep with you? I’m particular about cleanliness . ”
“I don't enjoy sharing . I like to have good things all to myself . ” She answered without batting an eyelid .
Han Ming Xi mumbled vaguely as he sat up . Putting his soft crimson gauze robe in order with a frown, he walked up to Ye Li and watched the rain outside the window as well as he sighed slightly: “Rain in Nan Zhao has quite a different charm . But too much rain is difficult to manage as well . ” Before Ye Li answered, they heard footsteps outside, then came knocks on the door .
Opening up, the Sick Scholar stood at their door with an oilpaper umbrella in one hand . He didn’t look better after half a night of rest . Instead, he was even more sickly . Covering his mouth with the other hand, he coughed from time to time . “Mr . Han, Mr . Chu, is this a bad time?”
Ye Li smiled slightly: “Not at all, please come in . ”
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As he stepped inside, he looked around and fixed his eyes on the door to the bedroom .
She smiled slightly: “Zhuo Jing is still resting . Please have a seat . What brings you here at such an early time . . . ”
The Sick Scholar sat down and spoke after he coughed: “I didn’t expect to meet Mr . Han on this trip to Nan Zhao . Mr . Han . . . *Cough . You know me, don't you?”
Not expecting him to come straight to the point, Han Ming Xi paused before he answered with a smile: “Right, the third master of the Hall of Darkness, I’ve heard about you a long time ago . ” Judging from the way he addressed the Sick Scholar, it was clear he didn't want to have anything to do with this guy who he feared .
The Sick Scholar smiled slightly . “You are so polite . The Grand Master of the Hall of Darkness is an intimate friend of your brother’s . Besides, I’m on good terms with your brother as well . However . . . this young lord is quite unfamiliar . ”
While she was pondering, Ye Li already flashed a smile as she said: “I don't belong to the green woods so I don't know much . Please excuse me for that . ” I don’t know you . You don’t know me . So, we are even .
The Sick Scholar gazed at her as if he was calculating . However, Han Ming Xi didn’t like it when he did that so he jumped in the conversation with a laugh: “I’ve heard from my brother that you don't travel around much in recent years . May I ask what it is that brings you here this time? Is there anything Tianyi Pavilion may be of help?”
The Sick Scholar paused for a second and shook his head with a smile: “Just something personal . I won’t trouble you with that, Mr . Han . ”
Since he wasn't willing to tell, Han Ming Xi didn’t urge him . In fact, he would love to get as far away from him as possible . Why didn’t Mo Xiu Yao kill this illness-plagued man in the past?Han Ming Xi cursed inwardly as he wore a smile .
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Apparently, the Sick Scholar didn’t want to talk about his personal matter . He smiled at Ye Li and Han Ming Xi as he said: “What do you think about this village?”
With a frown, Han Ming Xi answered: “I’ve been here for two to three times and never noticed that the village of Luoyi Clan was so close to our border . ”
“What about you, Mr . Chu?” The Sick Scholar asked as he looked at Ye Li .
Frowning, Ye Li said: “It’s said Luoyi Clan is one of the largest clans of Nan Zhao . However, I don't think there are over 100 people here . Besides, I've heard that the villages of clans are extremely secret . Why is this village of Luoyi Clan right beside a widely-traveled road?”
Raising his brows, Han Ming Xi said to Ye Li with a smile: “You've had those questions last night, Jun Wei . Then why did you come here?”
Ye Li said with arched brows: “Do I have a choice? We had no horses but snakes all around us . The clansmen had decided to invite us over no matter what . It was nicer to be invited here than being tied up like dumplings and thrown here . But . . . I’m indeed curious about what it is they want to do with disposition of such forces . I . . . don’t think I’m important enough to let them go through all that trouble except having pissed off that young lord in Yong Lin . ”
After she finished, she fixed her eyes on the Sick Scholar who sighed: “Mr . Chu, though you are young, you are very intelligent . You are right . Their aim has always been us . ”
Raising her brows, Ye Li said: “I’d like to hear the details . ”
“I believe you’ve noticed that we were watched last night . Luoyi Clan’s purpose is simple . They want a treasure that Mr . Liang has . ” The Sick Scholar said indifferently .
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Han Ming Xi smiled: “I never heard you become an escort . ”
With a frown, the Sick Scholar curbed his cough and smiled indifferently as he looked at Han Ming Xi and said: “Right, I didn’t come to protect Mr . Liang . ”
Leaning on a chair, Han Ming Xi said as he gazed at the Sick Scholar: “I know . You want the treasure too . Why don't you kill that old man? Instead, you've come all the way here with him . ”
Looking at Han Ming Xi, a trace of cruelty appeared on his handsome features . Now, he looked sicker than he did before, a different person from the weak and sickly scholar . “Right, I can kill him . But pitifully . . . he isn’t a fool either . That thing he has is in the capital of Nan Zhao at the moment . He only has the keepsake, half the keepsake, to be exact, which will lead him to it . Nobody else except him knows who has the other half of the keepsake . Nor does anyone else know how to use it . ” He turned murderous . Apparently, he was annoyed at Mr . Liang for being so cunning .
Han Ming Xi smiled with arched brows: “What about interrogation by torture?”
The Sick Scholar snorted coldly: “You really don’t know who he is, do you, Mr . Han?”
Han Ming Xi shrugged as if he couldn't care less . He smiled as he saw Ye Li turn to him and said with a smile: “Of course I do . After the four richest merchants of Great Chu, followed a Liang Family of the North-west . Wealthier than my brother . Besides, if my big brother loves money as he does his life, that Mr . Liang loves money more than he does his life . I’ve heard once his favorite concubine was abducted by bandits while he didn't bat an eyelid . He is wealthy all right but he is extremely stingy, living a more austere life than average merchants . Didn't he boast about visiting Cool Breeze Bright Moon House last night? My big brother hates him the most since he would simply order a cheapest cup of tea for a whole night, spending less than 20 Liang . If he does have a treasure, he probably won’t give it to you even if you kill him . ”
Ye Li looked at the Sick Scholar . “I’m curious as to why you are telling us this information, My Lord? Aren't you afraid we will have evil intentions at sight of treasure?”
The Sick Scholar said indifferently: “I need your help . I saw Mr . Zhuo is good at martial arts last night . Though I have no idea about your level, you can't be bad either . As for Mr . Han, I won’t let you suffer losses when this ends . ”
Han Ming Xi looked at him with his chin supported by his hand and his head tilted: “I think you’ve said you don’t need any help from Tianyi Pavilion, My Lord . ”
The Sick Scholar nodded as he said: “Right . I don't need information from Tianyi Pavilion . However, since we’ve met, I have no choice but to invite you along . ”
“Can we refuse?” Han Ming Xi asked .
“I’m afraid not . ” The Sick Scholar said in a low voice, glancing over them grimly . Han Ming Xi felt as if he was sliced by a knife . Ye Li looked as usual . However, inside her sleeve, her hand clenched tighter . With an indifferent and ghastly smile, the Sick Scholar lifted his left hand elegantly as he admired his fingers in a slightly different color from those of his right and smiled slightly: “I believe you won’t refuse, will you, Mr . Han?”
Han Ming Xi's expression changed and looked at the Sick Scholar vigilantly: “You’ve poisoned us?”
The Sick Scholar replied with a smile .
Without an answer, Han Ming Xi turned paler .
The Sick Scholar seemed sure that Han Ming Xi wasn't going to deny his offer, he then turned to Ye Li as he asked: “What about you, Mr . Chu?”
She poured herself a cup of herb tea . Frowned slightly because of its bitterness, she said: “I refuse . ”