Shao San Sheng sighed to himself. It seemed his lord, even in prison where so many cultivators guarded him, still feared Niu You Dao.
On the other hand, he understood. After all, it was his lord's first time suffering such a blow!
"My lord, do not worry. As soon as this happened, we immediately contacted Lady Su. Lady Su will arrive shortly." Shao San Sheng said, comforting him. He extended a hand:
"My lord, eat, and your strength will return."
Hearing that Su Zhao already knew everything, Shao Ping Bo calmed down. He picked up his chopsticks and slowly began to eat.
Only the marks of Shao Deng Yun's slap still lingered on his face.
He had killed his stepmother, killed his brothers. One could say he had gotten off lightly...
That night, two drunken men walked shoulder to shoulder, swaying unsteadily.
Along the way, one leaned against a wall, while the other held a bottle of wine and asked:
"Brother Li, what’s wrong? Are you drunk?"
The man leaning against the wall waved his hand:
"My head’s a little dizzy, this is more comfortable. You go ahead. I know the place. I’ll follow you."
"Hahaha, alright. Then hurry up and come." The man with the bottle chuckled and walked on.
When he had gone far and turned the corner, the man who had been leaning against the wall stood up straight. There was now no trace of his drunken appearance.
He turned, stepped away, and vanished into the darkness. Looking around, he climbed a tree and began to survey the surroundings.
It wasn’t long before the drunkard with the bottle approached a courtyard and began to knock on the door:
"Brother Tang, Brother Tang..."
Soon, the courtyard doors opened, and a scholar appeared. He held a book in his hands. He had clearly been reading it just moments before.
Seeing the drunken man, he asked in surprise:
"Brother Tang, why are you so drunk?"
"I made a new friend, I’ll introduce him to you soon," the intoxicated man said with a smile, then stumbled inside.
"Brother Tang..." The scholar was at a loss for words. Drunk, he had just stumbled into his home uninvited.
The scholar stepped outside and looked around, but he saw no sign of any new friend. He shook his head and went back inside, closing the door behind him.
Before this, Lu Sheng Zhong had carefully checked whether anyone was following the scholar.
Why was he following this scholar? Only because when Wu Tian Nan was discussing art with Tao Yan Er, they spoke of poetry and somehow mentioned this scholar. Shao Ping Bo’s younger sister, Shao Liu Er, was fond of poetry and was even a member of a poetry society.
And among these poets, she had connections with Tang Xiang Yang.
However, Wu Tian Nan mentioned them and then immediately fell silent, and they didn’t press him further.
Lu Sheng Zhong was an assassin, and if he had managed to gain Niu You Dao’s favor, it spoke volumes about his exceptional abilities.
And as an outstanding assassin, Lu Sheng Zhong naturally understood the hidden meaning in Wu Tian Nan’s account.
Of course, Niu You Dao had then ordered him to first complete his task, telling him not to "mow the grass and startle the snake" for now.
But this time, he had arrived and could now act more closely with Shao Ping Bo. Yet, it was very difficult!
He couldn’t simply contact Shao Ping Bo’s people directly.
Although Niu You Dao had said that Shao Ping Bo was very weak now, it was still Shao family territory. Therefore, as Niu You Dao had said, Lu Sheng Zhong first had to ensure his own safety.
Especially when he learned that Shao Ping Bo had so cruelly poisoned his own family members and still remained alive, Lu Sheng Zhong only now fully grasped Niu You Dao’s words. Shao Ping Bo truly was very dangerous.
This time, he truly acted with caution.
After finding Tang Xiang Yang, he first surveyed the surroundings. He ascertained that Tang Xiang Yang lived alone, but still didn’t dare approach him directly.
On the surface, Tang Xiang Yang appeared to be an ordinary man. He was a tutor. But this seemingly simple scholar had managed to befriend Shao Ping Bo’s younger sister. Therefore, Lu Sheng Zhong, not knowing the full extent of things, dared not act rashly.
He began his approach from a more distant vantage point. First, he found a friend of Tang Xiang Yang’s, befriended him, and shared a drink. And under the guise of convivial drinking, he proposed meeting Tang Xiang Yang.
This man didn’t seem important, but he needed to ascertain whether there were any cultivators or other significant individuals around him?
Although Shao Ping Bo was weak now, caution was still necessary. He annoyingly kept reminding himself of this.
After surveying everything and noticing nothing amiss, Lu Sheng Zhong relaxed, descended the tree, and like a shadow, departed from it.
When he reappeared on the street, he was already holding wine and snacks.
He had specifically bought everything to justify his delayed arrival.
Lu Sheng Zhong knocked on the door, and soon it opened. Tang Xiang Yang saw the unfamiliar man and asked doubtfully:
"You?"
Lu Sheng Zhong smiled and said:
"Brother Tang? I am Li Ji, Brother Tang asked me to come to introduce us."
"Ah..." Tang Xiang Yang was surprised. It turned out the drunkard hadn't been lying. He hadn’t thought anyone would actually come.
As befitted a cultured man, he cupped his hands and invited the guest in:
"Brother Li, please come in." Tang Xiang Yang fully opened the doors.
He didn’t think this man would cause any trouble, as there was nothing precious in his house.
Lu Sheng Zhong stepped inside, observing everything and surveying the interior decor.
When he entered the hall, he noticed nothing superfluous that should have been in the house. Around him were only old, worn items. However, everything was neatly arranged and cleaned. One could say that the owner of the house was a poor man, yet possessed a sense of dignity.
"Well? Shouldn’t Brother Tang have come first? Why isn’t he here?"
Tang Xiang Yang said with a bitter smile:
"Brother Tang arrived, sat down, and began to fall asleep. I had no choice but to take him to a room to rest."
Lu Sheng Zhong was surprised and wanted to see.
Tang Xiang Yang stepped out and led him to another room.
As soon as they entered, they saw the drunkard lying there, snoring.
Lu Sheng Zhong approached and tried to wake him:
"Brother Tang...Brother Tang..." As he nudged him, he subtly touched an acupuncture point, ensuring the drunkard would sleep longer.
"He came to introduce us, but he himself fell asleep. What a sight." Lu Sheng Zhong said with a sigh.
"He drank too much," Tang Xiang Yang said with a smile. He extended his hand, inviting Lu Sheng Zhong back to the room.
In the hall, they sat at the table. Lu Sheng Zhong began to lay out the provisions, while Tang Xiang Yang brought out the dishes. In the end, the two began introducing themselves to each other.
Tang Xiang Yang was not fond of alcohol, so he didn’t want to drink. However, for the sake of acquaintance, he drank a few cups, which immediately made him flush. But then he refused, explaining that he couldn’t drink any more.
However, the alcohol had already taken its effect, and as the two men conversed, their tension and awkwardness vanished. Lu Sheng Zhong ventured to ask:
"I heard, Brother Tang, that you are skilled in poetry. Did you also manage to recite a fine poem to the lady from the Shao family?"
When the topic of Shao Liu Er arose, Tang Xiang Yang poured himself some wine and drank three cups in a row, quickly becoming intoxicated.
Lu Sheng Zhong’s eyes sparkled:
"Brother Tang, why are you silent?"
Tang Xiang Yang drank another cup and, waving his hand, said:
"My heart is bitter. No need to speak of it." A sorrowful expression appeared on his face.
Lu Sheng Zhong grabbed the jug and poured him more wine:
"Did I perhaps say something amiss?"
Tang Xiang Yang shook his head:
"Brother Li misunderstood. I no longer recite poetry, I have no interest." He raised his head and drank another cup.
Lu Sheng Zhong poured him another cup:
"Why did you stop? Did the lady from the ruler’s palace not like your poems?"
Tang Xiang Yang sighed: "It’s not related to her. I am simply helpless..."
He had already drunk quite a lot, making his speech difficult to understand.
Lu Sheng Zhong listened to Tang Xiang Yang with surprise and thought to himself: "It seems there are romantic feelings between him and Shao Liu Er?"
Tang Xiang Yang seemed reluctant to mention it, but the wine gradually began to take hold of his mind, and he could no longer control his tongue.
How could Lu Sheng Zhong miss such an opportunity? Tang Xiang Yang did not want to speak of it, but Lu Sheng Zhong, on the contrary, drew him into the conversation. And the inexperienced scholar spoke freely before Lu Sheng Zhong. He revealed everything about his relationship with Shao Liu Er.
They first met at a gathering of poets. Everything happened just like in classical romances. Two people accidentally collided and dropped their poetry scrolls. When they both looked up, they clearly saw each other for the first time. In that moment, they etched each other into their memories. After this incident, the two individuals, whether intentionally or by chance, sought to draw closer to one another. And so, Tang Xiang Yang gradually fell in love with Shao Liu Er. He understood, however, that his social standing was not suitable for Shao Liu Er, so he kept his feelings deeply hidden within himself. He dared not confess. Only Shao Liu Er proved braver. She herself confessed her feelings to him and questioned him. It was then that he could no longer bear it and told her of his own.
When they opened their hearts to each other, they felt a sense of freedom, and it became easier to breathe. Shao Liu Er was constrained, so they could only meet at poetry gatherings.
But even so, they behaved modestly. At most, they only dared to hold hands. As for anything intimate between a man and a woman, it was out of the question. Tang Xiang Yang was a man of old customs and strict decorum, while Shao Liu Er feared her all-powerful elder brother, who could kill many with a single word.
Then Tang Xiang Yang, weary of it all, decided to go and propose marriage to her family. Shao Liu Er was frightened. She knew that her brother might kill him after that.
In the end, she told him to wait and, when the opportune moment arrived, to tell her family everything.
However, they couldn't wait, and the poetry society disbanded. What's more, after that, Shao Liu Er never saw Tang Xiang Yang again.
It seemed Shao Liu Er’s brother was the cause of everything. Shao Ping Bo also seemed to have learned about her relationship with Tang Xiang Yang.
When the story reached this point, Lu Sheng Zhong asked:
"Brother Tang, did you not see Shao Liu Er afterwards? Where was the young lady taken? Did you truly not see her after that?"