It was noon, and the streets of the dyeing workshop area were sparsely populated.
Ye Jingtang led his horse and returned to Shuanggui Alley. All along the way, he was pondering ways to capture the "Wingless Owl". The old alley was very quiet, and from a distance, he could hear the sound of birdsong coming from its depths:
"Coocoo~..."
When he reached the outer wall of the courtyard, he stood on tiptoe to peek inside. There were a few more items of furniture in the clean and tidy courtyard, and the melon trellis in the far corner had been rebuilt.
A beautiful young woman dressed in a cyan dress gathered the hem of her skirt in front of her legs and squatted under the melon trellis, using a small hoe to dig small holes by the wall.
The young woman already had a graceful figure. The posture of gathering her skirt and squatting down accentuated the fullness of her hips, forming a curve like a full moon below her slender waist that could be encircled with one's arms.
The fluffy white "winged Owl" was quite diligent. It picked up seeds from the small cloth bag beside the young woman, hopped to the front of the dug holes, and dropped the seeds in. Then, it made a silly expression as if to ask, "Am I a good bird?" and opened its beak to beg for food.
"What are you planting? Bitter melons?"
When Luo Ning saw Ye Jingtang coming back, she put down the small hoe and came to the courtyard gate, keeping an eye on the movements at the entrance of the alley. "How did it go when you went to the Black Yamen today? Did you find out anything?"
She reacted this way because Zhe Yunli wasn't at home. If Luo Ning didn't pay attention to the outside, as soon as she heard the sound of footsteps, this rascal would surely pull her into the house.
Ye Jingtang found it a bit amusing. He took out a small stool from the kitchen and sat down under the eaves. "It went quite smoothly. I met Qiu Tianhe."
Luo Ning's alert expression froze slightly, and suspicion showed in her eyes. She didn't move closer.
But after Ye Jingtang described Qiu Tianhe's physical features, her face turned to one of surprise. She came out from under the eaves and asked, "How did you manage to meet Qiu Tianhe? Did the Black Yamen let you into the dungeon so easily?"
Ye Jingtang placed a small stool beside him. "I'm an honest citizen with a clean record, and my saber skills are not bad either. It's only reasonable for me to ask the officials at the yamen for a favor and get a chance to see a martial arts hero. What's so difficult about that? Come over and sit down to talk."
"..."
Luo Ning glanced at the small stools placed together. After a moment of hesitation, she came over, moved the stool a bit farther away, and then sat down. She let the bird squat in the middle and asked softly, "How is Qiu Tianhe's situation?"
"He's locked up on the second underground floor of Mingyu Building. Leaving aside the iron chains and iron bars, he's also been poisoned by the Soft Bone Incense. I reckon he doesn't even have the strength to get up. As for rescuing him, you can forget about it. The difficulty of sneaking into the dungeon and breaking him out is even greater than directly assassinating Prince Jing. I don't think anyone in the world can do it."
A look of worry appeared between Luo Ning's eyebrows. "I naturally know that the chances are slim. Qiu Tianhe saved Yunli's life. If we ignore it, Yunli will feel guilty about it for the rest of her life. Sigh..."
Ye Jingtang smiled. "But there's still a way."
"Hmm?" Luo Ning's eyes showed surprise. "You have a way to save him?"
Ye Jingtang nodded but didn't say it directly. Instead, he sized up Luo Ning. "This is a matter that could cost one's head. If Miss Luo asks me for help, shouldn't you show some sincerity?"
?
Luo Ning sat up a bit straighter, reached for the soft sword at her waist, and her eyes turned slightly cold. "Ye Jingtang, I didn't kill you because of what happened last time only because I think you're not a bad person at heart. If you don't know your limits and keep pushing your luck, trying to use this as a threat..."
Ye Jingtang shook his head. "I don't have any improper thoughts. Just answer me a few questions."
"What questions?"
"Miss Luo, are you married or not?"
Luo Ning's delicate face showed anger, and she said in a deep voice, "I am! I've been married for many years, and it's common knowledge in the martial arts world."
"You don't even know how to embrace a man, and your behavior is so inexperienced that you don't even know how to moan. How can you be someone who's been married? I think you're still a virgin..."
Screech—
Before he could finish his words, a gleaming sword was pointed at his neck.
Luo Ning's face turned red with anger at these vulgar words. "Once you're married, you're married. The relationship between a husband and wife lies in the word 'love'. What does it have to do with whether you've done that kind of thing or not? If you say such vulgar words again, I'll cut your tongue out!"
She hasn't done it... It seems she really is a virgin...
Ye Jingtang's eyes showed a rather strange look, and he pushed the tip of the sword aside. "Your husband is really wasting such a beauty. Could it be that your husband was injured and can't perform his marital duties?"
Luo Ning pointed the sword back at him and glared at Ye Jingtang. "Is it any of your business? Do you think everyone is like you, only thinking about a woman's body? Just because you're married doesn't mean you have to have sex! Yunli's master treats me with respect and courtesy. She's much more decent than you, and she's prettier than you and has better martial arts skills than you..."
??
Ye Jingtang really didn't know where to start to refute these absurd words. After holding it in for a long time, he just said in a puzzled tone, "Why are you comparing me with your husband? Do you want to deliberately make me jealous?"
Luo Ning opened her mouth, realized that there was something wrong with what she said, and changed the subject. "Let's not talk about things that will damage our reputations! What exactly is your way to save Qiu Tianhe?"
Ye Jingtang stopped bickering with Miss Luo. He took out a wanted poster from his bosom. "When I went to the Black Yamen today, because I'm good-looking and have good saber skills, I was taken a fancy to by Prince Jing. She asked me to find an opportunity to learn Qiu Tianhe's saber techniques and teach them to her. When learning someone else's martial arts, one naturally has to remember the favor. In order to prevent me from being a person who breaks my word, Prince Jing can make an exception and let Qiu Tianhe out of the dungeon to spend his old age in the capital. But the price is that I have to work for the court from now on."
Luo Ning listened quietly and secretly frowned. Prince Jing's condition seemed generous, but in fact, it was quite cunning.
Let Ye Jingtang learn the saber techniques and then work for the court as an inheritor in exchange for the opportunity to let Qiu Tianhe out of the dungeon.
As long as Ye Jingtang does as required, there will be a bond of gratitude between Ye Jingtang and Qiu Tianhe.
To prevent implicating Ye Jingtang, even if there are no shackles on him, Qiu Tianhe won't leave the capital半步 for the rest of his life, which is equivalent to being a "prisoner who won't be executed".
And if Ye Jingtang values friendship and righteousness, in order to ensure that Qiu Tianhe doesn't end up on the execution ground, he can only work wholeheartedly for the court.
With one condition, she has completely tied up two people. Prince Jing hasn't paid any price and has even obtained Qiu Tianhe's saber techniques for nothing...
After thinking for a moment, Luo Ning said coldly, "These corrupt officials are really treacherous... If you agree, won't you become a lackey of the court?"
Ye Jingtang shrugged slightly. "I'm an honest citizen. It's an honor to be valued by the court, and I can also learn a set of saber techniques for free. How can that be called being a lackey of the court?"
"..."
Luo Ning thought about it and realized that it was true. Ye Jingtang was different from her. He wasn't a rebel, and there didn't seem to be any disadvantages in accepting this condition. But...
"You have outstanding talent. If you pursue an official career, you'll always be subordinate to others. Even after struggling for half a lifetime, you'll at most become a low-ranking official. But in the martial arts world, with your talent and my connections, I can guarantee that you can rise quickly and become a powerful and influential figure in the future martial arts world..."
Ye Jingtang looked at Luo Ning, who was trying to recruit him, and asked with a smile, "Miss Luo, do you really want to save Qiu Tianhe, or do you want me to follow you in the future?"
I want both...
Luo Ning hesitated for a moment and let out a soft sigh. "If you take this step, you'll cut off your path in the martial arts world. In the future, the court will use Qiu Tianhe to threaten you and force you not to go against the court. Even if you want to serve the court, you and I don't know each other well. Just because of Yunli's matter, putting such a shackle of Qiu Tianhe on you, I... I really can't agree to it calmly."
Ye Jingtang pulled the small stool and sat a bit closer. "If Miss Luo feels indebted, you can think of a way to compensate me."
?
The sentimental feelings that Luo Ning had just felt vanished instantly. She grasped the hilt of the sword at her waist, and her eyes turned slightly cold. "What do you want?"
"I want to learn martial arts. What do you think, Miss Luo?"
I thought you wanted me to...
Luo Ning's expression softened a bit. "If you really want to help Yunli save Hero Qiu, it's not a problem for me to pass on all my martial arts skills to you. But from now on, you'll be in the court, and I'll be in the martial arts world. We'll go our separate ways... Sigh~"
She didn't finish the rest of the sentence, but there were too many similar things in the martial arts world.
There were those who were once as close as brothers but, because one had a heart of loyalty and the other a spirit of chivalry, had no choice but to face each other with swords. They could only be reconciled in the afterlife.
This was undoubtedly the most tragic thing in the martial arts world. No one was at fault, but there was nothing anyone could do.
Luo Ning had such an old acquaintance. They were once as close as sisters, but since she joined the Pingtian Sect, they had become strangers who would never communicate with each other until they died.
No matter what her impression of Ye Jingtang was, now that they were living under the same roof, it was fate. How could she not worry that in the future, the two of them would also fall into such a heart-wrenching situation?
Ye Jingtang didn't think so much. Seeing that Luo Ning was being sentimental, he comforted her. "It's better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than to support each other in hardship. If Miss Luo can get what she wishes, and I also have a bright future, why worry about what will happen in the future?"
"If one day we meet again in another part of the martial arts world, you'll be in a high position, and I'll still be a thief..."
"Then I hope Miss Luo can take good care of herself. If you're as graceful and peerless as you are today at that time, I definitely won't destroy such a beauty."
?
Luo Ning's mood of feeling sad about spring and autumn was completely dispelled by this sentence. Not destroying such a beauty meant that he was coveting her beauty and would capture her and make her his slave or concubine and torture and train her at will?
For a woman in the martial arts world, this was worse than death!
Luo Ning's face darkened, and she softly cursed, "You corrupt official. I'd rather die than let you get what you want."
Ye Jingtang laughed twice and stopped flirting. He gestured to the wanted poster. "If you want to be appreciated by Prince Jing, you have to complete a task first to prove your ability. Does Miss Luo have any way to capture the Wingless Owl?"
Luo Ning put away her cold gaze and carefully examined the wanted poster. "The Wingless Owl... This person is quite famous. His lightness skills are probably no worse than mine. Without any information, just having this wanted poster, how can we catch him?"
Ye Jingtang was also worried about this. After thinking for a while, he said, "The Wingless Owl stole from Jieyun Palace to learn lightness skills. But after succeeding, instead of keeping a low profile as a thief, he publicized the matter everywhere and gained his current reputation. This shows that like ordinary martial artists in the martial arts world, he values fame and doesn't want to hide his achievements. "
Luo Ning understood his meaning. "Since he values fame, he must care about his reputation. In the martial arts world, the most taboo thing is for someone to swagger around using his name and ruin his reputation. You can do some despicable things in the name of the Wingless Owl, the more outrageous the better, and spread the news in the martial arts world. The Wingless Owl is keeping a low profile in the capital. When he hears that someone is using his name and making a big fuss, he will definitely be dissatisfied..."
Ye Jingtang nodded. "If I were the Wingless Owl and heard such news, I would most likely want to find out the truth. Even if I suspect that it's a trap set by the Government office, I would still come to see what tricks the court is playing. As long as he takes action, I'll have a chance to catch him."
Luo Ning thought this was quite possible and asked, "You're quite cunning. What are you going to steal to spread the news and lure the snake out of its hole?"
Ye Jingtang took this as a compliment and shrugged slightly. "The thing to be stolen has to be valuable so that outsiders will believe that I'm the Wingless Owl and will talk about it privately to spread the news. Second, the news about the stolen thing has to be outrageous when it spreads, otherwise the Wingless Owl might just accept this 'reputation' and not care at all. It would also be best to dispel the suspicion that it's a 'trap set by the Government office'. I'm also worried about this. Does Miss Luo have any good ideas?"
Luo Ning seriously thought about it for a long time and asked tentatively, "Hmm... The golden silk bellyband of the Princess Royal?"
What?!
Ye Jingtang's expression froze.
Stealing Prince Jing's bellyband could indeed achieve all these at the same time—it was of inestimable value, it would make idle people talk about it, the Wingless Owl would be ashamed to be associated with it, and it would dispel the suspicion that it was a trap set by the Government office.
But how could he succeed in stealing it? Did he want to risk his life?
"Are you kidding me? Even the Wingless Owl himself wouldn't be able to get his hands on this. Even if I didn't steal it but went to ask for it in the name of investigating a case, Prince Jing would still cut me into pieces... Miss Luo, do you want to use a borrowed knife to kill someone?"
Luo Ning knew that this was a bad idea and frowned. "I'm not a cat burglar. How would I know what things are shameful to steal? You're helping the yamen handle a case. The Government office should prepare such things for you. You're not really going to steal it yourself, are you?"
Ye Jingtang smiled. "Actually, the idea of the golden silk bellyband is quite good, but it can't be borrowed... I'll go and ask at the Black Yamen..."