Super Soldier

Xiao Bing and Gao Fei often exchanged opinions about martial arts and it benefitted them a lot. But overall Gao Fei gained more from it. What Xiao Bing was currently seeking was not the level of martial arts. It was the accumulation of the primitive strength inside him. After all, Xiao Bing’s comprehension had long been at the level of Void-breaking. It was even more advanced than the level he was at before his power was sealed.”

According to Zhang Yizhi, he should be able to unseal his power within a month. The reason why Xiao Bing dared to let Gao Fei remain was that he was willing to gamble that the followers of Buddhism would not come here twice within one month. As long as Xiao Bing could unseal his power before their arrival, he was confident of his chances of winning.

It was the same with the Long family. They would also face their doom when Xiao Bing’s power was restored.

Time was the only thing he needed. Yet it’s the wait that was most uncomfortable because it usually meant that your fate was in the hands of others.

Jiang Zihou was having a drink with Tang Xueyan in his mansion. He had never drunk so much before as he was a man with a cause. That’s why he always had to stay sober. He drank a little when he had to. But today he had drunk quite a bit. He didn’t know why Tang Xueyan would drink so much. Maybe she was in a bad mood. But he decided to drink with her anyway since this was what she wanted.

They were slightly drunk. The girl stared at him with blurry eyes. He asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about those ants moving house.”

“Seriously? You’re staring at me while thinking about ants moving house? Is this old man worth less than a few ants?”

Tang Xueyan shook her head and said, “Of course not. I was thinking about what I said the other day. I’m envious of the ants’ freedom. Every ant is doing the same thing, which is fundamental to their survival. But humans are different. We often do things for ambition and we’re even willing to go against our conscience for it.”

Master Hou sighed, and his eyes became a little moist. “We humans have our own difficulties and pain. We can only try to give ourselves as much freedom as we can, to decide our destiny as much as we can. Only when we keep climbing can we be superior to others.”

Tang Xueyan nodded and then looked at Master Hou and asked, “Zihou, why are you so nice to me? Is it because I remind you of other women?”

“Yes.” But when he met the girl’s sad eyes, he said, “And no.”

Smiling, Tang Xueyan shook her head, “I don’t really believe that.”

“I’m telling the truth.” Master Hou was already slightly drunk. “You do look a lot like her. At least 80 percent similarity. The first time I saw you, I thought you were she, even though your countenance was blurred by dirt.”

“Who was she to you?”

“Her name was Jiang Qin, a woman I loved when I was young.”

“Where is she now?”

“Dead.”

Even though he was drunk, Master Hou did not want to talk further about this woman. Instead, he shifted the conversation to focus on Tang Xueyan. “When I first saw you, I truly thought you were her. I even regarded you as her for the next few days. I knew it was just my imagination. But then, I gradually realized that you were different from her. She was a quiet girl. But you have become more and more lively. Maybe that’s your nature.”

“But you didn’t ask me to leave.”

“Because I believe you to be a very good girl. I don’t want to chase you out. As I said, I want you to stay here and be the princess of this mansion, and I will keep to my word.”

Tang Xueyan’s eyes reddened. She stood up, walked over to him and helped him up. “Zihou, let me walk you to your room to sleep.”

“Okay, go to bed…”

He chattered non-stop while Tang Xueyan helped him back to his room, “I used to be able to hold far more alcohol than this. Maybe I was overly happy today, too happy…”

They went into the room and Tang Xueyan helped him settle into bed. The room was full of flowers, all given by Tang Xueyan herself, in many colors, all well-preserved by Master Hou.

The rich fragrance filled the room.

Tang Xueyan left after seeing Master Hou to bed. But she soon came back holding several bunches of flowers. She hesitated for quite a while. Then she put the flowers beside his pillow and quietly left the room.

Tang Xueyan was awake the whole night in her room. She had been looking out of the window with her chin in her hands. Tears sparkled in her eyes.

The next morning, Master Hou was not seen practicing Taiji as usual. At about ten o’clock, the whole mansion suddenly fell into chaos. Someone shouted, “Something’s wrong with Master Hou! Someone get Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Mu!”

Tears trickled down from Tang Xueyan’s eyes when she heard the shouting from her room. She murmured to herself as she wiped them off, “I promise you that I’ll always be the little princess in this mansion. I’ll never leave.”

Miyamoto Shinji suddenly appeared outside her window. Miyamoto Shinji was always a placid man, yet at this moment he could not help bellowing, “Come, Master Hou needs to see you!”

Tang Xueyan wiped away the tears and walked out of the room. Miyamoto Shinji nodded while looking at her, “I’ve underestimated you. Never would’ve thought of it… to kill without a weapon. Those flowers are all harmless. But combined, their fragrance becomes toxic. Am I right?”

Tang Xueyan did not answer him as she walked quietly towards Master Hou’s room. At the door, she stopped to adjust her clothes and hair. Miyamoto Shinji sniggered, “What’s the point of that at this stage?”

“Even if the best doctor on earth can’t save Zihou, I’d still like him to see me at my most beautiful. I mustn’t let him leave with regrets.”

Miyamoto Shinji laughed sarcastically. He had been at Master Hou’s service for far too long. His utmost responsibility was to protect Master Hou and he had been successful on that matter for many years. But he never imagined that he would fail because of a girl.

When Tang Xueyan pushed the door open and walked in, she found a group of doctors, their heads wet with perspiration, busily trying to save Master Hou as he laid on his bed, purple-faced. He waved his hands and smiled as he said, “Just leave me. I can tell that I’m dying. Let me spend some time with Xueyan.”

The doctors took exited in a flurry. Indeed there was nothing they could do. They all feared that Master Hou would blame them and sentence them to death. It was not until they left the room that they had could breathe a sigh of relief.

Master Hou said, “Miyamoto, please guard the door for me. Don’t let anyone in.”

Miyamoto Shinji hesitated a moment. He sighed when he thought of Master Hou dying. Then he went outside to guard.

The door closed and their eyes met. Master Hou smiled, “Silly child, why are you crying? Can’t bear to see me die?”

The girl asked, “Do you hate me?”

“No.” Master Hou grinned, “I’ve killed countless people in this world. Sooner or later, I would have to face retribution. I’m prepared for it. Why would I hate you? Xueyan, were you sent by the Long family?”

“Yes,” Tang Xueyan said. “A year ago Lord Long captured my parents. He forced me to study plant toxicity and got his men to teach me how to impersonate Ms. Jiang, the woman you loved most.”

“He planned this a year ago.” Master Hou laughed, “I’ve underestimated him. I had always thought that he was a physically strong man with a simple brain, like Xiang Yu, the ancient general of China. Yet I did not expect him to be so sly. Not just me. I believe everyone has misread him.”

Looking at Tang Xueyan, Master Hou said, “But I don’t care about that now. Whoever the three provinces finally end up with, I’ve lost and Lord Long has won. Right now I just want to talk to you and look at you before I die. Can you sit beside me?”

The girl sat beside him, her hand in his. His heart ached for her. “Lord Long is an animal, forcing you to do such a thing. I assume you knew that I will be poisoned to death today?”

Tang Xueyan sighed, “The flowers aren’t all poisonous, or you’d have all noticed it already. But put these species together and their fragrance would combine and become very toxic. Others are seldom in your room so nothing happened to them. But you sleep here every night, so the poison has seeped into the vitals now.”

Master Hou grinned, “I know I’m about to die so no need to tell me that. But why didn’t you escape last night? No one would’ve stopped you.”

“I don’t want to leave.”

“Why?”

Tang Xueyan looked at Master Hou tenderly and smiled, “Because I want to fulfill your lifelong wish and be the princess of this mansion forever…”