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墨書 Inktalez
The white veil fell away, revealing the girl's delicate and beautiful face. Although she could not compare to the stunning beauties of Qingjing Peak, she was still a sight to behold.
The girl pressed her hand against her knee where she had just been struck, her eyes slightly red, filled with a mix of shame and anger. She stared straight at Qi Xiao, still visibly annoyed.
Qi Xiao approached silently, drawing his sword and resting it against her neck, coldly asking, "Who are you, and what do you want here?"
The girl bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes from frustration. "Don't you know who I am?"
"Go ahead and capture me; I won't run away. But when I get back, I will make sure my father punishes you properly!"
Throughout her life, her father had never laid a finger on her. How dare this insufferable guard hurt her? Once she returned home, she would definitely settle the score!
Qi Xiao scanned her from head to toe, shaking his head slightly in disdain. She was too weak, lacked cunning, and had a terrible temper—she couldn't possibly be a spy from Baiyun Palace.
He pushed the sword forward a few inches until the tip pressed against the blood vessels in her neck, so close that it seemed swallowing would bring them into contact.
Jiang Xinlian's eyes widened in fear; she was so terrified that she could hardly speak.
Suddenly pale, she realized she had made a mistake—this man was not from the city lord's mansion. His presence here suggested he might be some ruthless rogue hiding out in the slums.
"Speak!"
Jiang Xinlian stammered, "I’m not a bad person."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I... I'm here to escape from a marriage."
"Escape from a marriage?"
Qi Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly skeptical.
The girl cautiously nudged his sword tip away by two inches and boldly continued, "Put down your sword first; let me explain."
Qi Xiao withdrew his sword, looking down at her expectantly for an explanation.
Jiang Xinlian lowered her gaze, rolling her eyes as she slightly altered her story to weave together a tale of her own.
In a certain household, the master held great power and influence. My parents could not stand against him, and out of fear of his might, they had no choice but to marry me off. I was unwilling, so I secretly ran away.
The girl was dressed in luxurious garments, truly resembling a young lady from a prominent family. Qi Xiao lightly lifted the embroidered hem of her skirt, adorned with begonia patterns, his smile slightly cold.
The begonia silk was intricately woven with golden threads; a single tael of this silk could cost a mid-grade spirit stone in the market—something that only wealthy families could afford. In this city, the only household that could use such begonia silk was the lord's mansion. Moreover, the lord's daughter was known as the most beautiful woman in Jiangling, who had an immense fondness for begonias. It was common knowledge that you were not from a humble background; you were indeed the daughter of the lord!
Am I wrong, Miss Jiang?
Jiang Xinlian's face turned pale.
During the selection of Jiangling's first beauty, she had danced with a begonia in hand and won the competition. Everyone sighed that she was more delicate than the begonia itself, praising her as the Begonia Fairy. Since then, she had abandoned all other flowers and devoted herself solely to begonias. However, this became her flaw.
Qi Xiao lowered his gaze upon her. You are the daughter of the lord's mansion; who could force you? Is it those immortal sects or perhaps Baiyun Palace?
Jiang Xinlian looked at him curiously. Baiyun Palace had always been kind and benevolent; they would never resort to coercion. The one I am to marry is not just anyone; it is—
A clear and crisp female voice interrupted them as they turned to see a girl in red swaggering toward them, a long whip hanging at her waist, her lips red and teeth white, radiant like a phoenix flower.
Jiang Xinlian stared at her in shock for a moment before finally recalling why she looked so familiar.
Is it you?
Ji Linglong nodded. Come inside to talk.
Qi Xiao called for Yingchun to open the door. Ji Linglong used her spiritual power to bind Jiang Xinlian and tossed her directly into the courtyard before dragging Qi Xiao into the back room.
After hearing her plan, Qi Xiao expressed his disapproval. You have no idea what lies below; what if that dragon is still there? What will you do then?
Do you have a better solution?
That river is impossible to descend; perhaps it's those monsters below that don’t want me to go down.
But if I disguise myself as your mother, I might obtain other clues.
Seeing Qi Xiao's serious expression, Ji Linglong patted his shoulder. Oh come on, why so serious? We can’t be sure whether there’s even a dragon down there. If it turns out that the water is still pitch black like before and nothing can be seen, I’ll swim back up immediately!
"Don't worry, I value my life too much to let myself die," Qi Xiao said, hesitating. The Dragon Lord's wedding would surely be a grand affair, and it was likely that people from Baiyun Palace and several other sects would be present. Under the watchful eyes of so many, how would you escape?
"Didn't you already agree with those people to check again the next day? Why not wait a bit longer and see?"
Ji Linglong appeared somewhat irritated. "I've already tried again and again; I'm practically drowning in frustration! The first time I went into the water, I couldn't see anything. The second time, I brought a night pearl, which helped me see a little better. But I didn't go down very deep before almost being sucked in by a whirlpool. You know what happened after that."
Having learned from past experiences, their group prioritized caution. They would retreat at the slightest hint of danger, yet even so, they were still caught off guard by sudden waves that swept two of them away.
After so many attempts with little to show for it, they faced heavy rain again, making the Xun River even more treacherous. The others began to lose heart and left one by one, including the Baiyun Palace disciple who had been friendly with Ji Linglong.
"Miss Ji, why not come to our Baiyun Palace? The conditions here are a bit harsh, but at least there's no danger to your life."
Ji Linglong was determined to uncover what was happening beneath the water; how could she possibly give up? She dismissed the Baiyun Palace disciple and planned to return to the Xun River the next day, only to find that the area was already swarming with Baiyun Palace members.
Anyone attempting to approach the Xun River would be driven away. Seeing her efforts over several days amounting to nothing made Ji Linglong unwilling to accept defeat.
She bit her lip. "Am I really just going to give up like this? With everyone around the Xun River keeping watch, how else can I go down if I don't disguise myself as a woman?"
Baiyun Palace had been stationed here for many years; if there were any strange occurrences in the water, they would surely know best. "We could try going into Baiyun Palace," she suggested.
Though Ji Linglong was skeptical and reluctant, with the answer right before her eyes, Qi Xiao insisted on seeking alternatives.
With a sigh, Qi Xiao said, "If you insist on this course of action, then I can only inform Elder Chang."
Ji Linglong rolled her eyes and, once connected, snatched the communication jade slip from Qi Xiao's hand before retreating to mutter quietly to herself.
After a while, she returned with a bright smile on her face, her eyes sparkling with triumph. "Elder Chang has agreed! In just a few days, he will come with other elders."
"And he guaranteed that even if there is indeed something related to the Dragon Lord below, he won't let me take any risks."
"That should be sufficient, right?"
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