Li Ying and Scorpion Heart, Chapter Twenty: Flowers Fade in Late Autumn

page views:1 Publication date:2023-05-09 08:14:32

"I've waited so long for this sword, Moonlit Beauty!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, resounding in everyone's hearts! Everyone's eyes widened, their faces filled with utter shock. They simply couldn't believe that Moonlit Beauty was her! That she was such a noble, dignified, and elegant woman! That she was—Madam Ling!

The hall was silent, utterly still. Time seemed to stand still. After a long while, Luo Jingwen suddenly cried out, roaring, "No! She's absolutely not Moonlit Beauty… I

refuse to believe it even if you beat me to death…" "I don't want to believe it either…" Ren Dongjie said sadly, "But, no matter how cruel the truth may be, it's an undeniable fact…"

"Nonsense!" Luo Jingwen gripped his folding fan tightly, every muscle in his face twitching horribly, hissing, "What makes you say this is true? What makes you think it is true?"

"The fact that she plotted against me is enough!" Ren Dongjie said calmly. "Only the real Moonlit Beauty would want to get rid of me, this meddlesome troublemaker!"

Luo Jingwen sneered, "Ridiculous! You yourself said that the Moonlit Beauty's most important task is to obtain the treasure map. When she saw you burn the map, she should have rushed to save it, how could she have had time to plot against you?"

Ren Dongjie said coldly, "Because she knows that the one that was burned wasn't the real treasure map at all!"

Luo Jingwen was shocked and exclaimed, "What? Then... where is the real map?"

Ren Dongjie smiled mysteriously and turned his gaze to Madam Ling. She seemed to have regained her composure, standing there with an indifferent expression, her slender hand gently stroking the hair at her temple. That kind of stunning and captivating beauty was enough to make any man's soul flutter and his jaw drop!

"The one that was burned was fake; the real one is still in Madam Ling's hands!" Ren Dongjie gazed at the exceptionally beautiful woman and slowly said, "This was originally a plan that she and I had discussed..."

He paused, then explained, "Before I came here, I had a private conversation with Madam Ling. I told her that we could use a fake map to lure out the hidden murderer, and she readily agreed!"

"Actually, those words were just for her ears. At that time, I already suspected that Madam Ling was the real culprit, but I couldn't be completely certain. So I deliberately set up this scheme to test her reaction..."

Kong Wei suddenly interrupted him, saying, "But this scheme can't work without cooperation, so you asked Qi Nanzhi to come to me, wanting me to put on a good show with you?"

“That’s right!” Ren Dongjie nodded. “I had already calculated it. When we were locked in fierce combat and had no time to spare, she would definitely seize the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to me! And that’s exactly what happened…”

Kong Wei pondered, “But I still don’t understand why Madam Ling was so determined to kill you?”

Ren Dongjie smiled and said, “Because Madam Ling didn’t know that you and I were in cahoots. After I burned the fake treasure map, she thought that as long as she could kill me with one sword, no one in the world would know that the real map was still in her hands!”

Kong Wei suddenly realized, “That way, she could easily monopolize the entire treasure and become the richest woman in the martial arts world.”

"It wasn't for her to keep it all; she intended to donate this fortune to the Palace of Bliss!" Ren Dongjie glanced at Luo Jingwen and said coldly, "There's someone in the Divine Wind Gang who was Madam Ling's accomplice. He helped her a lot! But after Madam Ling got her hands on it, she turned on him. She's been thinking about how to send the treasure map away while keeping it from this person's eyes and ears."

Kong Wei asked, moved, "Did she come up with a good plan?"

Ren Dongjie nodded, "Yes. She knew that Wei Tianying had long coveted the treasure map, so she used a scheme to his advantage, deliberately letting him learn the map's whereabouts from the dying Tang Gang. Sure enough, this 'righteous hero' couldn't resist and, just as she expected, made a move to snatch it!"

Kong Wei said, "You mean, Madam Ling originally planned to let Wei Tianying succeed smoothly, creating the illusion that the map was lost?"

“That’s right!” Ren Dongjie said with a wry smile, “To make the illusion more convincing, she half-heartedly… left me in Tingyu Tower so that I would have a witness in the future!”

Kong Wei pondered, “But what if the treasure map ends up in Wei Tianying’s hands and we can’t get it back?”

"Madam Ling has already considered this!" Ren Dongjie said confidently. "If I'm not mistaken, Wei Tianying must be under close surveillance. As soon as he leaves the Shenfeng Gang's headquarters, he and the map will be captured by the experts of the Bliss Palace!"

He said this with a more serious tone, "This expert is the swordsman who ambushed me in front of the 'Green Jade Hall' that night. He is Madam Ling's superior and the mastermind behind the series of bloody incidents!"

Luo Jingwen listened to him while constantly sneering and said loudly, "Young Master Ren speaks eloquently, but unfortunately, he has overlooked the most important fact! The treasure map was left to Madam Ling by the gang leader's dying wish. She only needs to wait patiently. Why should she go through the trouble of risking her life to kill people?"

Everyone felt that this made a lot of sense and couldn't help but nod in agreement. Luo Jingwen, his momentum surging, pressed his advantage, saying, "As you all know, since last month, 'Moonlight Beauty' has repeatedly attacked Madam Ling, even hiring assassination groups like the 'Yamaguchi-gumi,' intending to kill her! How could they possibly be the same person?"

Ren Dongjie said calmly, "According to you, Master Luo, you believe 'Moonlight Beauty' is another woman?"

"That's obvious!" Luo Jingwen smiled coldly, pulling a file from his person with a "whoosh," and loudly proclaimed, "This is Chief Ling's handwritten will. Let me read it to you..."

He cleared his throat and read aloud, "After my death, the treasure map will be sent to the Shenfeng Gang headquarters. Although I have had countless beauties in my life, I can only call two my confidantes. One is my legal wife, Madam Ling, and the other is..."

He stopped abruptly. Luo Jingwen's eyes swept across Ren Dongjie's face like cold lightning, and he said aggressively, "Young Master Ren, this file was found next to Senior Fu's body. You had Qi Nanzhi deliver it to him, didn't you?"

Ren Dongjie answered decisively, "Yes!"

Luo Jingwen said, "When you found this file, this page of the suicide note was already incomplete. Obviously, the gang leader originally wrote a woman's name on it, but that name was deliberately cut out, wasn't it?"

Ren Dongjie said, "Hmm!"

Luo Jingwen stared at him and pressed, "In your opinion, Young Master Ren, who cut out the hole in the suicide note?"

Without thinking, Ren Dongjie said decisively, "It's the murderer of Senior Fu—Moonlight Beauty!"

Luo Jingwen asked again, "Why would Moonlight Beauty cut out the name written after 'The other is…'?"

Ren Dongjie sighed and said, "There's only one reason—she was afraid we would know who she was from that name!"

"That settles it!" Luo Jingwen said sternly, "This shows that the 'Moonlit Beauty' is indeed someone else! She knew that the gang leader was dead, and as long as she eliminated Madam Ling, she could safely obtain the treasure map. That's why she painstakingly dug up her own name, naturally to conceal her identity! Isn't this the most reasonable explanation for the truth?"

“That’s indeed a reasonable explanation!” Ren Dongjie admitted, “I’ve always thought so too. From the moment Zuo Leidong died from the ‘Soul-Stealing Needle,’ we all had a deeply ingrained idea in our minds—since Yuexia Liying went to such great lengths to prevent others from saying that name, then it must undoubtedly be her own name!”

Luo Jingwen sneered, “Isn’t that idea right?”

"No!" Ren Dongjie said decisively, "This is the most ingenious trap set by Yuexia Liying! She used this to mislead us into drawing the wrong conclusion! For a long time, we all took it for granted that since Chief Ling's will specified two women, one of whom—the named Madam Ling—was assassinated one after another, then the other person was the most suspicious, especially after her name was removed. Everyone almost believed that this unknown woman was the murderer!"

As he said this, his eyes suddenly gleamed, and he stared sharply at Madam Ling, saying each word clearly, "In fact, we have all been fooled. The truth is exactly the opposite!"

Everyone listened intently to his eloquent speech, so tense that they almost held their breath. Luo Jingwen's face turned purple as he pointed at Ren Dongjie's nose and shouted angrily, "Nonsense! You're spouting nonsense!"

"I'm not spouting nonsense!" Ren Dongjie smiled, his expression quite peculiar, and said calmly, "If you knew whose name was actually dug out, you would understand how reasonable I am!"

Before Luo Jingwen could speak, the people around him began to shout, "Young Master Ren, speak quickly!" "Who did Chief Ling write down? Is she really not the murderer?" "Tell everyone!"

"Alright, I'll speak!" Ren Dongjie took a breath and said, word by word, "She is Shi Yun!"

She—is—Shi—Yun!

These five words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, stunning everyone! Although they had heard far too many astonishing words today, none had ever brought such a powerful shock!

After a long while, Ling Shaoyun, who was standing in the corner, suddenly rushed up. Her pretty face was deathly pale, and she said in a trembling voice, "Young Master Ren... is what you said true? Then... then Shiyun's death..."

"Yes, Shiyun's death was not accidental!" Ren Dongjie smiled sadly and said, "We always thought that Shiyun died in place of Madam Ling, but we were all wrong! In fact, that night, the target of the murder was Shiyun!"

Ling Shaoyun's eyes were filled with tears. She stared at him in disbelief and said sharply, "How did you know?"

Ren Dongjie said slowly, "I knew from this hairpin!" As he spoke, he took out an exquisitely crafted, antique hairpin from his pocket and held it in his palm.

Ling Shaoyun's eyes widened even more, and she exclaimed in horror, "This...this is Shiyun's hairpin! Where did you get it?"

"No, you're mistaken!" Ren Dongjie said calmly, "This was found on your father's body. It looks very similar to Shiyun's hairpin, but it's a different one!" As he said this, he suddenly smiled at Li Yan and said, "As for Shiyun's hairpin, it should be on you, right? Why don't you take it out?"

Li Yan blushed, reached into her inner garment, took out the hairpin, and silently handed it to Ren Dongjie.

"Please look, everyone!" Ren Dongjie held up the two hairpins side by side, displaying them to the crowd. He said in a deep voice, "These are actually a pair of mandarin duck hairpins, a trendy new item these days. After Chief Ling and Shi Yun became lovers, Chief Ling gave her one, and kept the other by himself so that he could remember her when he was far away!"

Sun Yuanfu exclaimed in sudden realization, "So that's it! It seems that Chief Ling holding this hairpin when he died wasn't meant to hint at the murderer, but rather an instinctive reaction out of love for his beloved! But… but how did Shi Yun's hairpin end up in Li Yan's hands?"

Ren Dongjie sighed, "Shi Yun, that little girl, knew the Chief was a womanizer, so she probably didn't take this relationship too seriously. Therefore, she didn't value her hairpin much. When she was ordered to invite me to the Yingbin Restaurant, to stop Li Yan from killing the three Gai brothers, she casually threw this hairpin as a hidden weapon, and that's why it ended up in…" "It's in Li Yan's hands!"

Li Yan said sadly, tears welling in her eyes, "This hairpin... Chief Ling originally intended to give it to me. He even described it to me in detail... That day, I hid this hairpin, intending to confront him properly later..."

Ren Dongjie smiled bitterly, "Later, when news of Chief Ling's death spread, you couldn't help but wear it and ran to my residence to cry. It was then that I saw this hairpin, but unfortunately, I only remembered it recently..."

He sighed and continued, "After figuring this out, another perplexing past event suddenly became clear—one morning, I saw Tang Gang entering and leaving Miss Ling's residence with practiced ease, but she insisted that she had never had any contact with him. So what's going on? The only reasonable explanation is that Tang Gang went to see Shi Yun! Because she is the second woman designated in Chief Ling's will!"

“So…” He waved his hand, concluding in a stern voice, “I’ve come to the conclusion that the truth might be the opposite of what it appears to be—it wasn’t that unknown 'second woman' who attacked Madam Ling, but rather Madam Ling who attempted to assassinate her!”

Ling Shaoyun felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Grief and anger surged up like a tidal wave, filling her chest. She barely managed to control herself, gritting her teeth as she said, “Then, the assassin that night was—” Ren Zhongjie sighed, his gaze slowly returning to Madam Ling. Since her longsword was broken, she had stood gracefully in place, listening indifferently to even the harshest accusations, a faint, sarcastic smile on her lips, without uttering a word.

“I’m going to kill you!” Ling Shaoyun suddenly cried out in a sorrowful voice, drawing a sharp short sword with her backhand. A flash of cold light, and the sword tip, like a venomous snake with eyes, grazed Madam Ling’s throat.

This sword strike might not be a flawless move, but the irreconcilable hatred and the unwavering determination to kill it contained were enough to make even a top-tier master tremble with fear! No one could deny that this strike was indeed ruthless and precise! Yet

, Madam Ling didn't even flinch. As the sword flashed, her long sleeves flowed out like clouds, lightly brushing against the blade. In an instant, Ling Shaoyun felt an immense force strike her, and she was sent flying backward involuntarily.

Ren Dongjie reached out with his right arm, his palm firmly gripping Ling Shaoyun's back, and gently set her down. He sighed, "You can't kill her... Not just you, but probably very few people in the entire Shenfeng Gang could kill her!"

Ling Shaoyun gripped the cold hilt of her sword tightly, angrily shouting, "I don't believe it..."

"You'd better believe it!" Ren Dongjie interrupted her, saying calmly, "Countless people have died by her hand: Chief Jiang, Senior Fu, the Eight White-Clad Sword Maidens... even your father, Ling Zhenfei..."

"What did you say?" Ling Shaoyun's heart sank to her feet, and she exclaimed, "My father... was also killed by this bitch?"

Ren Dongjie didn't answer, slowly walking towards Madam Ling. His steps were slow, but steady, firm, and as solid as a rock. Only when they were almost touching, and her fragrant scent and sweet breath were clearly wafting into his nostrils, did he stop.

“I know you don’t want to kill your husband…” He gazed into her dreamy, dark eyes, his voice seemingly filled with deep sadness: “Although life after marriage is not perfect, and the loneliness of being alone in your empty room often makes you cry alone in the middle of the night, you have never had the thought of betraying your husband, because you still love him deeply in your heart.”

"You always endured, enduring his philandering and womanizing... But one day, you accidentally discovered that your dearest husband had become involved with Shi Yun—a maid of low birth—and was even planning to share the 'Crimson Flame Treasure' with her. At this point, your long-suppressed grievances and resentment finally erupted..." "

Once a woman's heart is consumed by jealousy, her actions often become madness. In your rage, you resolved to destroy the entire Divine Wind Gang to avenge your husband's heartlessness. Therefore, you colluded with the Bliss Palace, which had been watching closely, and were completely controlled by the experts sent by the Palace Master!"

"On the first day of the ninth month, Gang Leader Ling Zhenfei, returning from an expedition, sent a message by carrier pigeon, saying he had arrived at a small village two hundred miles outside Jinling City. Upon receiving this news, the Bliss Palace, eager to seize the treasure, immediately issued an order to you—to eliminate Ling Zhenfei immediately!"

"That night, the moon was bright, so bright that no one could sense the lurking danger. You rode a fast horse, stealthily arriving at the edge of the village. Chief Ling, accompanied only by four followers, could never have imagined that death was drawing ever closer. After a agonizing internal struggle, you trembled as you raised your butcher's knife… At that moment, the river beside the village and the moonlight were both stained crimson by the gushing blood…"

"From that moment on, Chief Ling 'disappeared,' and no one in the martial world heard of him again. Meanwhile, you began to be targeted by assassins one after another. These assassins, of course, were all hired by you. Heh, this 'self-inflicted injury' ruse certainly had the desired effect. The leaders of the Divine Wind Gang were extremely nervous. After much analysis, they unanimously concluded that there was only one motive for the murders—to steal the treasure map!"

"After some time, everyone guessed that the gang leader had met with misfortune. At this point, the position of gang leader became the most eye-catching focus. However, no matter how openly or secretly everyone fought, they all felt that you were a troublesome hot potato. Because if something happened to you, they would certainly not be able to explain it to the gang members; if you were alive and well, you would also pose an obstacle to the successor. Under such circumstances, Third Master Luo thought of me..."

Ren Dongjie said, glancing sideways at Luo Jingwen, a mocking smile appearing on his face, and said lightly, "Everyone knows that I, Ren Dongjie, am a lecherous playboy. Once I see a beauty like Madam Ling, I will not let her go no matter what. I will definitely try every means to get her into bed, and maybe even elope with her. If such a scandal occurs, it will be exactly what you all want! Third Master, don't you think so?"

Luo Jingwen's body trembled, and he subconsciously glanced at Madam Ling, the light in his eyes suddenly dimming. He staggered back, slumped into a chair, and murmured, "No...no..."

Ren Dongjie sighed deeply and said, "Brother, your strategy was originally good, but unfortunately, you shot yourself in the foot. After I actually came to the Divine Wind Gang and unexpectedly took Madam Ling as my concubine, you felt unexpectedly painful, because you suddenly realized that the weight of power in your heart was far less than that of Madam Ling, whom you had longed for! However, it was all too late..."

Luo Jingwen sat blankly, his face expressionless like an old monk in meditation, only his pale lips moving slightly.

Ren Dongjie looked at him, his eyes suddenly revealing deep sympathy and understanding. He knew all too well how helpless and bewildering love could be; when you painstakingly pursue it, it is elusive and unpredictable. When you are determined to give up, it often arrives unexpectedly.

The hall was quiet; no one made a sound. After a long silence, Ren Dongjie sighed, "Third Master, I can understand your feelings. But you're really wrong, terribly wrong... By doing this, you've not only hurt yourself, but also the heart of the girl who has always loved you so deeply..."

Luo Jingwen smiled bitterly and said in a hoarse voice, "Is that so?"

Ren Dongjie seemed not to hear him and continued, "That girl loves you so passionately, she would do anything for you! She suppressed her disgust, feigning friendship with me and those scoundrels like Master Lu, even risking her life to impersonate the Moonlit Beauty to steal the treasure map..."

Luo Jingwen suddenly looked up, his facial muscles contorted, and asked in a trembling voice, "What... what do you mean by that?

" Dong Jie smiled and said, "You know exactly what I mean. Just an hour ago, the masked woman wielding the 'Soul-Snatching Needle' who killed Wei Tianying in Tingyu Tower wasn't Yuexia Liying, but another pitiful woman tormented by love."

He stopped Luo Jingwen from speaking and said in a deep voice, "If she had successfully stolen the treasure map just now, she would probably be gone forever! Then, the whereabouts of the treasure map could be rightfully attributed to her, becoming an unsolved mystery. And you could have gained both wealth and beauty, obtaining a huge amount of wealth and possessing the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan..."

Cold sweat poured down Luo Jingwen's forehead as he roared, "Nonsense... You're slandering me..."

"I have not committed any slander!" Ren Dongjie's eyes were filled with sharp sarcasm as he coldly said, "Ever since you fell in love with Madam Ling, you have willingly served her and assisted her in carrying out a series of murders... I have checked your gang's duty records. Every night that Moonlit Beauty committed a bloody crime, you were the one guarding Tingyu Tower. That's why Madam Ling was able to come out and kill so easily!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Jingwen's face turned ashen. His usually eloquent tongue seemed to have lost its power, and he stammered for a long time without being able to squeeze out a single syllable!

Ren Dongjie pressed on, saying, "Remember that night when I was with the Thirteenth Concubine, you poisoned her with 'Strange Aphrodisiac Incense,' then used it to blackmail me into stealing the key from the 'Azure Water Hot Pool.' When I actually went, you collaborated with Madam Ling to eliminate all eight of the 'White-Clad Sword Maids,' because these eight women were loyal guards of Madam Ling, posing a significant obstacle to her actions!"

"On the night of the sacrificial ceremony, the most crucial part of the entire conspiracy arrived! That was—killing Shi Yun, who might have obtained the treasure map! Killing such a maid wasn't difficult, but the challenge was killing her without arousing suspicion. After meticulous planning, you set up a deception, successfully making us believe that Shi Yun was mistakenly killed!"

"Immediately afterwards, Madam Ling deliberately leaked the news of the gang leader's death to me, thereby spreading this tragic news throughout the martial arts world. Naturally, Tang Gang, the messenger who delivered the treasure map, also heard about it. He had just delivered the treasure map to Madam Ling as promised when you cruelly murdered him to silence him!"

"Then, just now, you brought the 'Soul-Stealing Needle' and gave it to that girl who deeply loves you, instructing her to impersonate the Moonlit Beauty, with the aim of further obscuring the truth. Who knew that the situation would take an unexpected turn? This girl actually wanted to steal the treasure map so that she could share wealth and glory with you in the future. She killed Wei Tianying without authorization, which ultimately ruined Madam Ling's plan..."

Ren Dongjie spoke eloquently, recounting many things in one breath, and then sighed deeply, "What a pity, what a pity... Such a devoted girl, she was so wholeheartedly devoted to you, but this sincere affection was used as a tool for exploitation..."

"Stop talking!" Suddenly, a woman's shrill scream rang out in the hall. Before anyone could react, a flash of green appeared before their eyes, and a slender, beautiful figure swiftly appeared beside Luo Jingwen. Her beautiful eyes glared at him fiercely, and she sneered, "Is Ren Dongjie's story true? Tell me, is it true or not?"

In the firelight, her jade-like face flushed with anger, her expression as cold as the snow on a distant mountain. Yet, she seemed colder than ice, purer than snow! She was Han Bing!

Luo Jingwen suddenly fell silent, standing motionless, his face expressionless again. He said indifferently, "So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"

"What? What else can I do?" Han Bing staggered back a few steps, her once bright and beautiful eyes now filled with pain, jealousy, sorrow, and resentment. She hissed, "Actually, I've always felt you were using me, but I kept deceiving myself, refusing to believe the truth… However, I never expected you would actually like that slut…"

Luo Jingwen suddenly slapped her, sending her flying, and roared, "Shut up! You're no saint yourself, how dare you insult me!"

"Yes, I'm not pure, I've slept with at least a thousand men!" Han Bing laughed maniacally, five dark bruises swelling on her delicate, pink cheeks. Laughing wildly, she suddenly extended her index and middle fingers and plunged them into her eyes, gouging out her bloody eyeballs!

"I'd rather be a blind man in the dark than see you exchanging glances with that slut!" she screamed hoarsely, two streams of blood rolling down her pale face, a gruesome sight. Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events, a chill running down their spines.

Luo Jingwen, his face ashen, rushed to Han Bing's side, stammering, "You... why did you do this..." Before he could finish, Han Bing suddenly lunged at him, embracing him tightly. With a soft "poof," a puff of pale blue smoke billowed out, instantly enveloping the two of them.

"The Aphrodisiac Incense?!" Luo Jingwen's cry of alarm echoed from the thick fog, his voice a mixture of anger and terror. Through the hazy smoke, his body could be vaguely seen struggling desperately, unable to shake off the woman entwined around his limbs.

“Yes, this is ‘Strange Aphrodisiac Incense’…” Han Bing was still laughing wildly, screaming, “I used the maximum dose, there’s no antidote in this world that can save us…”

“You slut, you…you’re dragging me down with you to die…” Luo Jingwen was already incoherent, breathing heavily and coughing, when suddenly he let out a beast-like howl, grabbing Han Bing’s slender waist!

The fog had dissipated, but two flames burned in his pupils, his handsome, refined face full of lewd smiles, like an impatient lecher, roughly tearing at Han Bing’s thin clothes, quickly stripping her naked.

Fair, smooth skin, mature chest, long, jade-like legs—what was presented to everyone was an almost perfect naked body, but the two eye sockets constantly bleeding destroyed all beauty, leaving only a breathtaking horror and shock!

"I'm going to fuck you to death!" Luo Jingwen roared, picking up the naked body and stumbling out. His figure had barely left the doorway when the woman's screams, a mixture of pain and pleasure, began to fill the air.

The screams faded into the distance, finally disappearing, and a deathly silence enveloped the hall once more!

After a long pause, Ren Dongjie finally spoke. He stared at Madam Ling and asked coldly, "Why don't you speak?" "

Ren Dongjie truly lives up to his reputation as a man of exceptional talent!" Madam Ling smiled slightly, her noble and dignified face showing no sign of tension or unease, and even her gentle and melodious voice remained unchanged: "This secret has finally been exposed by you... From the day you joined the Divine Wind Gang, I had a premonition..."

Ren Dongjie said, "Oh?"

Madam Ling frowned slightly with a self-deprecating smile, her elegant smile carrying an indescribable helplessness: "I knew I would lose sooner or later, but I never imagined I would lose so completely, losing both my body and my soul..."

"If only you had known then what you know now!" Ren Dongjie interrupted her, saying bitterly, "Since you knew the truth would eventually be revealed, why didn't you stop sooner?"

"You don't understand! Ren Dongjie, you will never understand this!" Madam Ling shook her head sadly, her clear and bright eyes flashing with sorrow. She was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "But I don't understand, when exactly did you begin to suspect me?"

"Not too early, but thankfully not too late!" Ren Dongjie narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "After my first time with Madam, I always felt something was amiss… but at that time I didn't suspect Madam. Perhaps I had a vague idea, but I forbade myself to think further! Because I simply couldn't connect such a beautiful, gentle, and elegant noblewoman with that vicious killer!"

He smiled bitterly and continued, "If it weren't for Madam unintentionally saying something wrong in the Listening Rain Pavilion just now, perhaps I would still be in the dark!"

Madam Ling was moved and asked, "Oh? What did I say wrong?"

Ren Dongjie said: "You said that although I have broken Moonlit Beauty's 'Withered Heart Palm,' her martial arts are still extraordinary, and you told me to be very careful!"

Madam Ling's eyes sparkled as she smiled and said, "That's just a concerned remark, but where did it slip up?"

Ren Dongjie said calmly, "That night, I broke Moonlit Beauty's 'Withered Heart Palm' in front of the 'Green Jade Hall.' I have never told anyone except Qi Nanzhi about this. How did you find out?"

Madam Ling's smile vanished instantly, and she glared at him resentfully, saying, "It seems that being too caring towards a lecherous and shrewd playboy like you is like being too cruel to myself... I really shouldn't have been so enthusiastic towards you!" "

Madam was indeed very enthusiastic towards me, allowing me to enjoy the pleasures of the world twice!" Ren Dongjie chuckled and said leisurely, "I was almost completely intoxicated by her gentle charms! But that slip of the tongue gave me a sudden realization, and I immediately understood what was wrong!"

Madam Ling didn't speak; she was listening attentively.

Ren Dongjie glanced around at everyone, his gaze finally settling on Kong Wei. He smiled and said, "Master Kong, that lecherous scoundrel Chu Tianliang said something before he died. Do you remember it?"

Kong Wei pondered for a moment and said, "He said that he recognized the true identity of Yuexia Liying with his keen sense of smell. She was in Tingyu Tower at the time!"

Ren Dongjie nodded and said, "That's right. Chu Tianliang sneaked into Tingyu Tower that night and used a sleeping potion to knock out Madam Ling, intending to take advantage of her. I happened to be outside the window at the time and saw him reaching for Madam Ling's naked body..."

Madam Ling's pretty face flushed slightly. She bit her lip hard like a young girl and said angrily, "You...you were peeping..."

Ren Dongjie sighed and said with a wry smile, "I did want to feast my eyes first before going out to play the hero, but before I could see clearly, Chu Tianliang suddenly exclaimed 'Eh!' I thought he must have discovered me, so I immediately rushed out to fight." "But to my surprise, he seemed completely unprepared. In his flustered state, he was defeated after only two or three moves..."

He paused, his voice growing even more serious. "After much thought, I can only conclude that Chu Tianliang didn't cry out in alarm because he discovered me. His loss of composure was due to discovering another terrifying fact!"

Kong Wei suddenly realized, "You mean, back then, Chu Tianliang recognized Madam Ling as Yuexia Liying simply by his sense of smell?"

Ren Dongjie calmly replied, "Otherwise, I can't understand why a lecherous thief like him, who has repeatedly committed crimes, would be afraid of a stunningly beautiful woman who has lost all ability to resist?"

Madam Ling said disdainfully, "Perhaps it's simply because he's a cowardly lecher! I deliberately inhaled the sleeping potion and even offered myself to the thief to make myself less likely to be suspected, but unexpectedly, it gave me away!"

Ren Dongjie couldn't help but say, "What a pity... what a pity..."

"What a pity!" Madam Ling's face hardened, and she said coldly, "The most regrettable thing is that what you said is only one side of the story. Without other evidence, don't expect me to admit to these crimes!"

"I really can't produce any evidence!" Ren Dongjie actually smiled quite happily, and said leisurely, "I did this simply to tell you that I'm not a fool who only knows how to sleep with women! Besides, as long as Qi Nanzhi can capture that mysterious person sent by the Bliss Palace, I'll have vented my anger!"

Madam Ling's pretty face immediately turned pale, and she said in horror, "What did you say?"

Ren Dongjie laughed and said, "The fake treasure map was burned, but what about the real one? You just casually left the real map in Tingyu Tower, wasn't that just to make it easier for the people from the Bliss Palace to take it away? But this time, I think the Bliss Palace will probably lose both its wife and its army..."

Madam Ling was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly sneered, "You're lying! Since arriving at Tingyu Tower, you've never had a chance to talk to Qi Nanzhi alone. How could he possibly know to capture the enemy?"

Ren Dongjie said calmly. He said, “To avoid arousing your suspicion, I truly dared not speak with him privately. But I wonder if Madam still remembers that after we escaped the attack of the ‘Strange Aphrodisiac Incense,’ I grabbed his hand…”

Madam Ling’s expression changed. “Did you secretly write on his arm? In such a short time, you were able to explain so many things clearly?”

Ren Dongjie smiled and said, “I didn’t explain much, just a mere thirty words— ‘The real culprit has been revealed, it is the person before you. Tell Kong Yang to kill me, and also take care of Luo Jingwen. Return to Qian Tingyu Tower and wait for the enemy to come to our door.’ Haha! If we don’t even have this much understanding, wouldn’t our more than twenty years of fighting the enemy together become a joke, all for show?”

Madam Ling’s lips moved, and her mature and voluptuous body suddenly began to tremble. She could no longer maintain her composure. She suddenly leaped up, flicked her sleeves, and darted towards the hall door like a butterfly flitting among flowers!

Ling Shaoyun, Fang Wanping, and the other women shouted angrily in unison, each making a move to intercept them. But Madam Ling's movements were incredibly fast; her graceful figure flashed, and she easily swept out of the hall, using her lightness skill to speed into the night!

Li Yan paused, glaring at Ren Dongjie, and asked, "Why didn't you arrest her? Just because she's a woman, are you going to show her mercy and let her go?"

Ren Dongjie replied calmly, "A murderer stained with blood like her, even if I let her go, she won't escape divine punishment!"

He didn't let Li Yan speak, turned around, and strode out, saying in a deep voice, "Come with me! We'll wait for her!"

Everyone looked suspicious, asking, "How do you know where she escaped to?"

Ren Dongjie smiled slightly and said, "No matter where she escaped from, she'll eventually end up in the grove where Miss Ling lives!"

Ling Shaoyun asked in astonishment, "Why?"

Ren Dongjie slowly said, "Because there's a secret passage there that leads to the outside world! That's the real reason your father designated the grove as a forbidden area!"

**********

Dawn was approaching! The warm sun would soon rise in the east!

This autumn night was cold, cold and long! But no matter how long the night, it will eventually be dispelled by the sun. Just as no matter how dark the society, justice and righteousness will eventually prevail!

The morning breeze caressed our faces, rustling through the treetops. Large swaths of leaves fluttered down, like a rain of leaves!

This was the forbidden area of the main altar—the artificial forest where Ling Shaoyun lived. The trees in the forest seemed to be seriously ill, constantly shedding leaves that had not yet turned yellow!

"It's killing intent!" Ren Dongjie nodded slightly and said to the people following behind him, "There are experts fighting inside!"

"Then—" Kong Wei hesitated, looking at Ling Shaoyun, pondering how to begin.

"Go in, everyone!" Ling Shaoyun was on the verge of tears, choking back sobs, "Father is dead, and the ban has been lifted!"

Ren Dongjie patted her arm comfortingly and led everyone to search the forest carefully. After a while, they arrived at a place where the trees were slightly sparse.

Two people were standing under a large tree, facing each other without moving. Although they hadn't exchanged blows, the sharp, menacing killing intent emanating from them was unmistakable.

The man on the left was Qi Nanzhi, and the one on the right was a masked man completely shrouded in black. Judging from the chaotic scene, the two had already engaged in a fierce fight!

"Friend, you should surrender!" Qi Nanzhi said gently, "Without using your true martial arts, you are definitely no match for me. But if you do unleash your full power, your identity will be revealed through your moves! You were destined to lose this match from the very beginning!"

The man in black snorted, gripping his sword hilt tightly. The gleaming blade reflected in his piercing eyes, making him appear as fierce as a wild beast!

Ren Dongjie sized him up and down, then suddenly asked, "Are you really from the Blissful Palace?"

The man in black remained silent. Qi Nanzhi had no choice but to answer for him, "Yes, he is!"

Ren Dongjie frowned and muttered, "Strange, how could there be a man in the Bliss Palace? Isn't the Palace Master the one who hates men the most?"

"That might just be a rumor!" Qi Nanzhi stared at his opponent and said with a slight smile, "I never believe that a woman would hate men for no reason! A woman, no matter how strong or powerful, needs a man's shoulder to lean on—even the Bliss Palace Master, whose martial arts are unparalleled and who is invincible in this world, is no exception!"

"That makes sense!" Ren Dongjie clapped his hands and laughed, saying with a smile, "But this cowardly fellow in front of us doesn't seem like the kind of man who can lend a woman his shoulder to lean on!"

Qi Nanzhi said calmly, "Perhaps what the Bliss Palace Master needs is not his shoulder!"

"Not a shoulder? Then what is it?" Ren Dongjie suppressed a laugh and said seriously, "Could he be a gigolo who provides services?"

A burst of sarcastic laughter rang out around them, but the man in black seemed oblivious. He suddenly swung his knife and cleaved it fiercely at a towering tree beside him!

The force of the chop was immense, and he was clearly using a precious sword. With a "whoosh," a chunk of the tree, which would take four or five people to encircle, was cleaved off, revealing a dark hole in its trunk!

"Not good, the secret passage is here!" Just as Ren Dongjie and Qi Nanzhi were about to rush forward, a fragrant breeze wafted into their nostrils, and Madam Ling appeared like a ghost from the depths of the forest, her long sleeves fluttering, her slender palms striking at their vital points!

Ren Dongjie sighed deeply, his hand still poised, and said sadly, "Madam Ling, must we really turn against each other and fight? Have two nights of tender intimacy left not a trace in your heart?"

Madam Ling smiled sadly and said softly, "In the martial world, one is not free to choose one's own path!" With that, she pushed the man in black's back with her left hand, helping him climb into the tree hollow. With her right hand, she pulled a dark syringe from her bosom and handed it to him, saying respectfully, "Young Master, go first! I'll hold them off for you!"

"Trying to run? Not so easy!" Qi Nanzhi stepped forward and said sharply, "Get out of my way! I want to drag this guy out and see his true face!"

Madam Ling showed no fear, puffing out her chest and saying, "Unless you kill me first and step over my dead body!"

Qi Nanzhi's face turned ashen with rage. Just as he was about to force her away, the man in black suddenly poked his head out of the cave again, glaring at Madam Ling coldly and saying, "This plan has completely failed. The treasure map will ultimately not be obtained..."

Madam Ling trembled, her voice shaking, "Yes, I admit my guilt!"

The man in black chuckled coldly, saying each word clearly, "You really admit your guilt?"

Madam Ling dared not raise her

head, vaguely replying, "Yes!" The man in black's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he said sinisterly, "Very good... haha... very good... haha..." Before his laughter subsided, he suddenly raised the syringe in his hand and aimed it at her. With a flick of his thumb, a dazzling, brilliant silver light shone from the syringe, illuminating half the sky!

The Soul-Snatching Needle! The unerring Soul-Snatching Needle had been fired again! Once this hidden weapon, powerful enough to make ghosts wail and gods howl, was launched, no one in the world could escape from the rain of needles! Even the exceptionally skilled and intelligent Ren Dongjie was no exception!

With a "poof," the light vanished from her chest! Five hundred sharp needles had pierced her skin almost simultaneously, rupturing her countless blood vessels and piercing her internal organs!

Ren Dongjie felt as if struck by lightning, a surge of blood rushing to his head. He instinctively reached out to support Madam Ling, but she struggled and staggered backward, using her body to firmly block the hole in the tree.

"Don't...chase him..." Blood continued to spill from her mouth and nose as she stammered, "I...I beg you, spare...spare his life..."

Ren Dongjie stared at her contorted face, his heart filled with both anger and sorrow. He couldn't help but shout, "Why? Why are you still pleading for the murderer now? Why?"

Madam Ling forced herself to stand, forcing a bitter smile, "If he...if he dies, the Palace Master of Bliss...will surely seek revenge...you are no...no match for him..."

Ren Dongjie felt a pang in his chest, choking back sobs, "Madam Ling, you..."

"Don't call me Madam Ling!" she interrupted him, gasping, "I don't want...to hear anyone call me...Madam Ling again! My name is Ji Yaqin!"

“I know, your name is Ji Yaqin!” Ren Dongjie embraced her gradually cooling body, saying each word slowly, “You were once the most beautiful woman in the Jiangnan martial arts world! I only regret that I didn’t meet you ten years ago, otherwise I would never have let you marry someone else!”

Madam Ling smiled faintly, her eyes beginning to blur: “I remember… once, you said I was… as beautiful as a peach blossom… as venomous as a snake…”

Ren Dongjie forced a smile: “That wasn’t my true feeling…”

“But… there’s something I said that… from the bottom of my heart…” Madam Ling’s breath grew weaker and weaker, her cherry lips moving very slightly as she softly said, “…besides… my husband, you are my most… most beloved man…”

With her last strength, she forced a sweet smile, then slowly closed her eyes. The first rays of dawn shone down at that moment, illuminating her beautiful face, her expression peaceful and serene, like a baby soundly asleep!

For the living, darkness was a thing of the past; but for her, darkness had only just begun… 　　The leaves had fallen, the flowers had withered, and before they knew it, the bleak late autumn was very close. Though the flowers and grasses had faded

, 　　they would bloom again next year; though autumn was hard to endure, spring would always come. But the departed beauty, like flowing time, would never return! 　　Ren Dongjie stood silently before the Listening Rain Pavilion, gazing up at the red lanterns hanging from the roof. He recalled the first time he saw Madam Ling. Under the colorful lights, she smiled gently, her demeanor elegant, appearing so noble, so captivating. He couldn't believe that in just a few days, this peerless beauty had become a desolate grave. 　　He had once thought she was a gentle and innocent young woman, but she was the murderer hiding behind the scenes. He had once thought murderers were all ruthless and heartless, but her heart was so full of deep affection! 　　To complete her mission of delivering the treasure map, she didn't hesitate to ambush him from behind; in that instant, she may have truly wanted him dead! But when her plot was exposed, she was willing to sacrifice her own life to shield everyone from death—he could see that she deliberately positioned herself at the dangerous entrance of the tree hollow, her purpose being to use her own blood to save everyone's lives! 　　Ren Dongjie suddenly realized that he didn't understand women at all! Her goodness, her evil, her kindness, her wickedness—they were so intricately intertwined that he could never understand or comprehend them in his entire life… 　　Footsteps sounded behind him. Ren Dongjie knew without turning around that it was Qi Nanzhi. He said calmly, “How is it? Couldn’t catch that man in black, huh?” 　　Qi Nanzhi’s voice sounded weary and dejected. “There were traps in the secret passage. It collapsed automatically halfway through the search! I don’t know which exit that guy escaped through. Looks like we won’t be able to catch him!” 　　Ren Dongjie clenched his fists and said resolutely, “No matter who he is, no matter where he escapes to, I will bring him back and use his heart and liver to appease the spirits of the dead!” 　　“Well said!” Qi Nanzhi couldn’t help but cheer and said loudly, “When are you planning to leave? I’ll go with you!” 　　Ren Dongjie hesitated and said, “Right away…” 　　“Right away? That won’t do!” Qi Nanzhi suddenly interrupted him, teasingly saying, “Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Thirteenth Concubine and the others before you leave?” 　　"What's there to say goodbye for?" Ren Dongjie said with a bitter smile. "Haven't you noticed that Fang Wanping's attitude towards me has become much colder since she finished her oil painting? Perhaps in her heart, her truest love isn't her husband, nor me, this prodigal son, but the art she's pursued all her life..." 　　Qi Nanzhi looked at him, shook his head, and sighed. "Every time you find excuses for your heartlessness, and every time you say it so confidently... Fine, then let me ask you, what about Miss Ling? What are you planning to do with her? Just abandon her and leave?" 　　Ren Dongjie said with a bitter face, "This... this... I..." 　　"You don't need to explain to me! This has nothing to do with me!" Qi Nanzhi said calmly. "I just want to remind you to be careful not to let Miss Ling follow Han Bing's old path, otherwise the tragedy will repeat itself sooner or later!" 　　Ren Dongjie's heart sank suddenly! Han Bing and Luo Jingwen died in a frenzied act of intercourse, their naked bodies tightly embracing each other, inseparable no matter what force they used! The sorrow and grimace on their faces were enough to bring tears to the eyes of even the strongest person! 　　"Will this tragedy really repeat itself?" Ren Dongjie silently asked himself, a chill creeping down his spine. For some reason, he suddenly felt a fear of seeing Ling Shaoyun, especially her large, expressive eyes that seemed to speak volumes! 　　************ 　　Outside, the autumn wind was biting, but inside it was warm and cozy. In the bright candlelight, Ling Shaoyun stood quietly, her tender eyes fixed on Ren Dongjie. 　　She wore no clothes, only a pure white bath towel wrapped around her delicate body, barely covering her curvaceous figure. When Ren Dongjie entered, she had just finished showering and hadn't yet combed her wet hair. A delicate, pleasant fragrance emanated from her fair skin, lingering in the air. 　　Ren Dongjie's lips were a little dry, and he stammered, "Miss Ling, I'm leaving here..."

“I know, that’s why I asked you to come!” Ling Shaoyun tilted her head and suddenly said, “Don’t worry, I won’t bother you, absolutely not!”

Ren Dongjie stared at her in surprise, stunned, “You…”

“I’ve long understood that there’s no future for us!” Ling Shaoyun’s expression was very calm, her tone as if it came from another person: “You have your pursuits, and I have my career! We are on two completely different paths!”

She suddenly straightened her chest and said solemnly, “My father is dead, and the Shenfeng Gang is facing decline. Now is the time for me to make good use of the ‘Crimson Flame Treasure’ to help Uncle Kong Er revive the gang’s prestige! In the past, I was always willful and playful, but now I’m not a child anymore, and I should take responsibility!”

Ren Dongjie gazed at her serious expression and smiled with satisfaction. He realized that overnight, she seemed to have really grown up a lot. The childishness was fading from her pretty face, replaced by a decisiveness and determination beyond her years!

He was about to speak when Ling Shaoyun did something that shocked him. She suddenly rushed over and buried her face in his chest, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck.

Holding her soft, warm body, Ren Dongjie, inhaling her sweet, warm breath, was stunned and bewildered, exclaiming, "What are you doing?"

"Silly boy, don't you understand? I want to give myself to you!" Ling Shaoyun whispered, biting his ear, her cheeks flushed with excitement, "Although I can't keep you, nor can I keep your heart, I want to leave a beautiful memory in your life..."

She suddenly looked up at him, her eyes shining, and said gently, "In the future, when you look back, perhaps you can occasionally recall this sweet time, and then I will be very happy and content!"

Ren Dongjie listened to her tender whispers, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He wanted to push her away, but the moment his hand touched her delicate body, the smooth touch was like a giant magnet, drawing him in and making it difficult to let go.

Ling Shaoyun let out a soft moan, her body instantly burning hot. She grabbed one of his hands and pressed it firmly against her well-developed chest, whispering, "Feel it, is my body feverish? Is my...is my heart beating fast?"

Ren Dongjie was neither a gentleman nor a saint!

He was just a man, a perfectly normal man, without a single flaw!

Almost instinctively, he lowered his head and kissed Ling Shaoyun's bright red cherry lips deeply. At the same time, his hands impatiently tore off the cumbersome bath towel.

When his gaze fell upon her full, white, and undulating breasts, the last trace of hesitation vanished completely. He lovingly kneaded the two elastic mounds of flesh, his fingertips tracing the perfect curves, finally reaching the towering peaks, gently pinching the two delicate, pink buds.

"Oh..." Ling Shaoyun trembled as if electrocuted, her brows furrowing slightly involuntarily. Her sensitive nipples quickly hardened and erected, displaying an alluring and lovely color.

Ren Dongjie's heart surged with excitement, and he couldn't help but bury his face between her firm breasts, almost worshipping her, and lightly licked the spreading areola with his tongue. He originally intended to stop after a brief taste, but with the soft moans that accompanied her, his blood immediately boiled...

"Aww..." he roared excitedly from his throat, greedily and thirstily sucking on those firm and tender buds, wetting her nipples with his saliva, teasing her reaction with his lips and tongue. He wanted to use his most skilled techniques to ignite the fire of desire in this beautiful young woman.

After a flurry of rough yet tender advances, Ling Shaoyun was already panting and moaning, the sweet pleasure sending her into a daze. Her pale thighs sometimes closed tightly, sometimes parted slightly, and warm nectar flowed uncontrollably, forming a trickle on her smooth skin.

The bed was in a corner not far away. But they seemed impatient to traverse this short distance, and the two rolled onto the cool floor together, their naked bodies intertwined, rubbing against each other without restraint.

Gradually, Ren Dongjie's hand caressed Ling Shaoyun's skin, gliding over her flat stomach, and directly probing into that mysterious triangle. The girl's delicate body hair was black and glossy, as smooth as her hair to the touch. Deep within the fragrant grass, the two pink petals were tightly closed, guarding the last shred of virginity.

"Ah..." A sweet and moving moan escaped Ling Shaoyun's lips. She could feel his fingers parting her moist labia, gently probing into her tight little hole. Her small, red bean-like clitoris was swelling and engorging under his teasing caresses...

Ren Dongjie looked at her reserved yet yearning, shy yet wanton state, knowing she was completely aroused. This time, he no longer hesitated; a sacred sense of mission welled up within him. He knew he would lead her from an innocent virgin to a mature and alluring woman!

"I'm coming..." he growled softly, reaching out to lift Ling Shaoyun's round, white buttocks, and with a forceful, unstoppable thrust, he plunged his penis inside...

"Ah—" As expected, Ling Shaoyun let out a heart-wrenching cry, as if bidding farewell to her virginity. In that instant, Ren Dongjie experienced the intense pleasure of his penis piercing her hymen, a long-dormant masculine desire for conquest surging within him.

"Don't cry...be good...just relax your body..." he gently instructed her, his lower body relentlessly thrusting in and out of her honeyed depths. Blood mixed with fluids rolled down from their point of union, dripping onto the ground, filling his chest with even more passion.

To his surprise, the virgin Ling Shaoyun quickly adapted to his fierce onslaught. Under his weight, she moaned softly, singing passionately, her alluring legs tightly wrapped around his waist, her snow-white buttocks rising and falling incessantly, welcoming his powerful thrusts...

After a long while, Ren Dongjie, his pleasure reaching its peak, could no longer restrain himself, and suddenly ejaculated his hot semen, drenching Ling Shaoyun's flower core. She cried with excitement, straightening herself to receive the increasingly intense spray, murmuring, "I...I've finally grown up...I'm so happy, so happy..."

************

The sun rose in the east, the sun shone brightly, and another morning arrived.

Ren Dongjie looked back at the headquarters of the Divine Wind Gang. The massive courtyard was already very far away, as far as the horizon.

He had only been here for a little over half a month, but so much had happened in those two weeks that now, thinking back, he couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions and profound melancholy.

But no matter what, he knew he had to leave. He was originally a wandering, homeless wanderer; there was nowhere in the world where he could stay permanently. If he stayed too long, perhaps deep feelings would grow in his heart, perhaps one day he would tire of this wandering, this life, and then how would he have the courage to face the storms of the martial world again?

Qi Nanzhi, who had been watching him, suddenly smiled and said, "You finally managed to get rid of that troublesome Miss Ling. I admire you!"

"It's not that I got rid of her, it's that she never intended to stay with me in the first place!" Ren Dongjie glared at him, annoyed, and said sullenly, "She seems impulsive and willful, but she's actually a rational and sensible girl!"

Qi Nanzhi chuckled and said, "Why does your tone sound so sour? Are you still reluctant to let her go?"

"Who said that?" Ren Dongjie suddenly smiled and said, "If all girls in the world were as straightforward and decisive as her, our lives as men would be much easier... Unfortunately, most girls are too clingy..."

"I absolutely agree!" Qi Nanzhi suddenly sighed and said with a wry smile, "If I'm not seeing things, there are two clingy women waiting for us ahead..."

"What?" Ren Dongjie was taken aback, looked up, and was immediately dumbfounded.

Outside the pavilion, by the ancient road, two graceful figures stood there, one a slender and delicate young girl, the other a voluptuous and beautiful young woman, both with a small white flower tucked into their hair.

"Ling Lin, Li Yan!" Ren Dongjie suddenly called out, "What are you doing here?"

Seeing him approach, the two women's faces lit up with uncontrollable joy, and they rushed to his side, breathless and speechless.

After a long silence, Li Yan glared at Ren Dongjie and snapped, "You think you can just slip away without a word? Humph, let me tell you, no way!"

Ling Lin, however, lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, and whispered, "Young Master Ren, my... my master is dead. Can you take me with you?"

Ren Dongjie asked, puzzled, "Why don't you stay with the Divine Wind Gang? Isn't Miss Ling your own sister?"

"I don't like this blood-soaked place!" She bit her lip, her expression resolute, staring at him. "If you really refuse, I... I'll just leave on my own..."

Ren Dongjie was stunned for a long time, only able to manage a bitter smile. What else could he do besides a bitter smile? He had never been a heartless man; how could he possibly be so cruel as to drive them away?

"Alright! You can come with me then!" He forced a dry laugh, saying, "Having two such beautiful girls accompany me on this journey is truly wonderful, haha, haha..."

Qi Nanzhi blinked, then suddenly leaned close to Ren Dongjie's ear and whispered, "With two girls like these by your side, you might have the fortune to admire them but not the fortune to enjoy them... Do you know who's waiting for you at the end of this road?"

Ren Dongjie was stunned, seeing the mockery in his eyes, and suddenly understood, exclaiming, "Could it be her? My God, she... she's come all the way here again?"

"What? Aren't you happy?" Qi Nanzhi seemed very surprised, saying seriously, "She's so devoted to you, chasing you all the way here? Aren't you even a little moved?"

Before he could finish speaking, Ren Dongjie had already plopped down on the ground, as if he didn't even have the strength to get up. He knew that from this moment on, real trouble had truly begun to entangle him, and he could never shake it off… At

noon

in Jinling City, the Yingbin Restaurant was as bustling as ever.

Inside Room Number One of the Heavenly Class, the enormous bridal sedan chair was steadily parked in the center. A masked man dressed entirely in black stood before the chair, speaking in a low voice.

“Luckily, that brat surnamed Ren didn’t know about this secret passage, or I would be dead!” He breathed a sigh of relief, then grinned maliciously. “He probably never dreamed that the exit of the main altar’s secret passage would be built inside the Yingbin Restaurant.”

There was no sound from inside the sedan chair. After a long while, a soft sigh from Jin Yezi finally escaped.

The man in black's eyes flashed, and he said calmly, "Of course, you and I are actually in cahoots! Ren Dongjie probably never imagined that!"

Jin Yezi said coldly, "Although he didn't discover certain facts, he at least successfully thwarted our conspiracy!"

The man in black said bitterly, "If you had known this would happen, you shouldn't have helped him infiltrate the Shenfeng Gang's headquarters!"

Jin Yezi sighed slightly, "Times have changed! We've always regarded him as a pawn in our plan, so naturally we've made things easy for him at every turn. Who could have predicted that this pawn would eventually slip out of the player's control?"

The man in black was silent for a moment, then said bitterly, "Where do you plan to go now?"

"That's none of your concern!" Jin Yezi replied coldly, then suddenly raised her voice and called out, "Raise the sedan chair!"

The three Gai brothers rushed in, steadily lifted the sedan chair, and strode towards the door. None of them paid any attention to the man in black standing in the room, as if he were invisible.

Long after she left, a faint, lingering fragrance remained in the room. The man in black sniffed greedily, then suddenly pulled down his trousers, revealing a long, black penis. He touched it and began to rub it vigorously back and forth!

"You slut... always pretending to be so virtuous in front of me... oh... you little vixen... oh... one day I'll fuck you... ahhh..."

Soon, his penis began to throb violently, ejaculating a thick, foul-smelling semen that sprayed straight onto the opposite wall. He breathed heavily, satisfied, fastened his trousers, and removed the black cloth from his face.

If someone were to walk in at this moment, they would be astonished. What a renowned, upright, and chivalrous face it was—there were probably very few people in the martial arts world who didn't recognize it!

He took off his tight-fitting black clothes, put on an expensive, finely crafted long gown, and strode out, muttering to himself, "Ren Dongjie... just you wait... I will definitely avenge this..."

A gust of wind blew by, and thick dark clouds temporarily obscured the sun. On this very day, the somber atmosphere of late autumn finally arrived!

[The End]

**********************************************************************

Postscript

I've always enjoyed reading suspenseful detective stories, because they are battles and challenges of wits; I also love martial arts novels, because they are full of masculine heroism and dashing charm; of course, my favorite is erotic literature, which gives my instincts and desires a certain release and satisfaction.

These three distinctly different popular works basically constitute my entire leisure reading. After reading so much, one day I suddenly had a whimsical idea: could I organically combine these three genres into a novel with unique characteristics? Thus, "The Legend of Ren Dongjie" was born!

In my first story, "The Beautiful Shadow and the Scorpion's Heart," I made a concerted effort in this direction. Looking back, while not entirely without merit, it was largely a failure. Throughout the writing process, I often neglected certain aspects. Focusing on the martial arts elements led me to forget the plot development; depicting eroticism resulted in overlooking the detective and reasoning elements, ultimately turning a potentially good novel into a bizarre and incoherent mess!

This unfortunate situation stemmed primarily from my own lack of skill. In fact, before even beginning to write, I had spent over a week meticulously drafting a writing outline, clearly outlining the content for each chapter. If I had strictly adhered to this outline, the resulting work would have been logically sound and well-structured. Unfortunately, after starting to write, I was constantly distracted by new ideas and concepts, causing many parts to deviate from the original path. Chapters five, nine, twelve, fifteen, and seventeen were particularly problematic, requiring almost complete rewriting. This approach may have made some parts of the text more engaging, but the side effects are obvious—any slightly attentive reader can see that the novel is flawed in its details, with numerous inconsistencies throughout!

Besides the overall mismanagement, the novel also failed in its use of genre. First, from a martial arts perspective, the entire text is practically devoid of any engaging elements. In fact, I didn't even define the protagonist's martial arts skills, only vaguely stating that "he is the most agile person in the world." The fight scenes are not only scarce but also lack excitement and suspense, a major flaw.

Second, from a suspense/mystery perspective, the failure is embarrassing to even mention. The murderer and detectives in this novel are probably the most incompetent group of idiots ever. To paraphrase Wang Shuo, they "not only insult our country's investigative techniques but also lower our country's crime rate, and furthermore, reduce the average intelligence of the vast majority of the working people!" Many readers predicted the ending during the serialization, which is the best proof of my own limitations.

As for the crucial erotic aspect, I think it's also limited in its sophistication. Not only are there no innovations in the sex scenes, but they are also far too few. In fact, whether this work can rightfully be crowned with the sacred title of "erotic literature" is highly doubtful.

In short, the novel's effect fell far short of my initial expectations. Its greatest benefit was that it gave me experience and a deeper understanding of the hardships of creating a long work. I believe that the next story in this series will bring readers an even more enjoyable experience.

December 15, 2001, drafted in my study

******************************************************************

Ladies and gentlemen, this story is now finished. However, I want to clarify one point: this is only the final installment of "The Beautiful Shadow and the Scorpion's Heart," not the "grand finale" of the entire series! Some plot points I mentioned in previous chapters, such as the Hall of Pleasure and the Palace of Bliss, will appear in subsequent stories. Also, some flaws and shortcomings in this installment will be addressed in future chapters.

In my original plan, Jin Yezi and Ling Lin were crucial characters, occupying a pivotal position. However, due to poor pacing, I unknowingly forgot about them! Now I have to postpone their development and leave them for later.

For now, I plan to put this series on hold and try other themes. I've recently conceived three different works: one about violence, one about incest, and one about urban life. The outlines and characters are all planned, but I haven't decided which to write first. Also, I'll be traveling out of town next week and probably won't have a chance to use a computer for at least two months, let alone post online! (So please hurry if you want to leave comments, write letters, or request articles, because in a few days I won't be able to see anything.) I probably won't start serializing my next long novel until March next year. For now, I can only say goodbye!

Finally, I want to thank all my friends who left comments and supported me! Without your enthusiastic encouragement and diligent contributions, this work would not have reached its conclusion. Thank you for reading!

Author: Qin Shou

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Li Ying and Scorpion Heart, Chapter Twenty: Flowers Fade in Late Autumn

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