嫩草影院地址一二三

Chapter 249 - 249: 249. The Counterattack of the Bootlicker

Su Liang’s response was that she liked quietness, not used to having people by her side all the time, and Rendong was a guard, not a maid.

After Rendong left, Qi Jun asked Su Liang about the division of labor, as they were both guards.

Su Liang smirked, “Her martial arts skills are higher than yours, right? From now on, she will be the guard, and you will do the maid’s tasks. How about that?”

Qi Jun’s mouth twitched, “Miss Su…you must be joking with your subordinate, right?”

“I trust you, but I also need to be cautious about her. So, your duties will be determined according to the situation.” Su Liang said.

Qi Jun got serious, “I understand.”

The next day, just as dawn broke, Su Liang arrived at Wangxiang Mountain.

Four monks had come to Huguo Temple, the youngest of which was Chengyun, who had also helped Su Liang invite the other monks to recite scriptures. In the past, Huguo Temple did not refuse such tasks, but it was difficult for ordinary people to invite them.

Su Liang explained the whole story, and her filial piety touched Chengyun. She also donated a large sum of money for oil to Huguo Temple on behalf of Su

Yuanzhou.

Su Liang burnt paper money and kowtowed in front of Su Yuanzhou’s grave, whispering in her heart: I have avenged your deep hatred, please rest in peace.

Su Liang also burnt paper money for the other Su family members, and at the right time, Xing Yusheng helped her by inviting people to dig up Su Yuanzhou’s grave first.

Finally, Su Liang stood in front of “her own” tombstone, looking at the words “Tomb of Su Liang” inscribed on it, and let out a soft sigh.

“Miss Su, how do you want to deal with this place?” Qi Yan asked.

Su Liang’s face was calm, “Since my tombstone is already engraved, and there is a coffin, I will take it back to my hometown and be with my family.”

Qi Yan frowned. Su Liang was still alive, but she had a tomb, which was actually very unlucky.

However, since Su Liang had always been strong-willed and courageous, Qi Yan didn’t say anything more, thinking that Su Liang keeping this tomb might be a reminder for her not to take things for granted and be cautious.

When the sun rose, Su Liang climbed to the top of Wangxiang Mountain and looked into the distance to the north. Tomorrow she would set off for Su Village, but because she had important matters to attend to this time, she didn’t feel excited, on the contrary, she felt very calm.

She looked back, and Rendong was standing quietly not far away, her eyes barely moving, like a statue.

Su Liang gestured for her to come over.

Rendong went to Su Liang’s side, “Do you have any orders, Master?”

“When His Majesty arranged for you to follow me, what did he tell you?” Su Liang asked.

Rendong reverently said, “His Majesty commanded me to use my life to protect you, and I will do my best to accomplish any task you assign.”

“In that case, I want you to help me kill someone.” Su Liang said, turning her gaze to the south.

Rendong’s face remained unchanged, “Who does Master want me to kill?”

Su Liang spoke slowly and gently, “Man Ya, the imperial concubine of Yin Country’s crown prince.”

Rendong frowned, “But Master’s journey is imminent, and if I go south, I won’t be able to stay by your side.”

“She sent a spy to assassinate me before, and even almost killed my friend.” Su Liang sighed softly, “It was only recently that I discovered she was the real culprit behind a certain poison, and I didn’t tell His Majesty because I didn’t want to cause conflict between the two countries. But she won’t let the matter rest, and neither will I.”

“Can I do this after you return safely to the capital from Bei’an County?” Rendong was still unwilling to leave, “His Majesty specifically instructed me to protect your safety during your travels, and I cannot neglect my duty.”

“What if I insist?” Su Liang looked at Ren Dong indifferently, “I feel that having you by my side and having you eliminate those who try to kill me in the dark are essentially the same thing, both for my own protection.” Ren Dong’s complexion was clearly wrong, “But…”

“But what? You are my subordinate, but I can’t command you?” Su Liang’s expression was unhappy.

Ren Dong took a step back, bent her knee, and knelt down, “Please forgive me, Master! Don’t drive this subordinate away!”

Su Liang’s eyes narrowed slightly, ‘What do you mean, I’m driving you away? I’m just asking you to do something. Do you mean that, apart from following me all the time and not letting me leave your sight, you can’t do anything else?”

Ren Dong’s expression stiffened, “No, that’s not it.”

“Then, you shall head south today. When I return to the capital, I want to see MO Yu’s head. Can you do it?” Su Liang asked.

Only then did Ren Dong nod.

“Get up, go back and pack up. If you need money, just ask Qi Jun.” Su Liang said.

Ren Dong got up and left. Before going down the mountain, she looked back at Su Liang, who picked up a stone from the ground.

Having Ren Dong go to Yin Country to kill MO Yu was an idea Gu Ling suggested to Su Liang that morning.

They discovered yesterday that if they found a way to send Ren Dong back to Duanmu Yi, Duanmu Yi would not let her live.

But Su Liang asking Ren Dong to go on a distant mission did not mean that she would not let her return, in which case Ren Dong would not be in danger of losing her life.

Su Liang wanted revenge on MO Yu because MO Yu had sent Qiu Ming to poison Su Liang and almost killed Gao Jiabao.

It wasn’t necessary to go now, but it was better to get rid of such a hidden threat as soon as possible. They hadn’t acted before because neither Su Liang nor Gu Ling could conveniently leave on a long journey.

It was fitting to let Ren Dong go. She appeared to be an assassin cultivated by the royal family, about as strong as Su Liang and naturally stronger than MO Yu, so she could do it.

At this moment, Gu Ling was secretly following Ren Dong to see if she would secretly return to the Imperial Palace to report to Duanmu Yi, and what Duanmu Yi’s reaction would be.

If Ren Dong didn’t go, that would naturally be good. If she went to the palace, it would prove that her true master was still Duanmu Yi. In fact, the latter was quite obvious. Su Liang allowing Ren Dong to leave her side could cause susoicion from Duanmu Yi.

But in many cases, if Su Liang adhered only to established rules, such as the rule that a subject must obey the emperor’s words, it would not be good for her, especially in the situation where she suspected that Duanmu Yi had ulterior motives for her. Breaking the rules and being “willful” would help her test Duanmu Yi’s bottom line.

An hour later, Ren Dong was kneeling in front of Duanmu Yi.

Duanmu Yi’s face was gloomy, “Waste! How did I tell you?”

Ren Dong looked terrified, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. This slave servant is incompetent. It is only because if this servant refuses Miss Su’s request, I won’t be able to stay by her side, so I had no choice but to agree.”

“MO Yu?” Duanmu Yi’s eyes flickered, “So, the mastermind behind that incident was actually MO Yu.” Suddenly, his expression changed, “When you left Su Mansion you weren’t followed by anyone, were you?”

Ren Dong shook her head, “This slave servant first left the city and came back, and did not notice anyone following.”

Duanmu Yi snorted coldly, “That girl always has secrets hidden, which is why I sent you. But she is too cautious, knowing that you are watching her, so she found things for you to do far away from her. And, unfortunately, it’s something that needs to be done…”

Not daring to breathe, Ren Dong listened as Duanmu Yi continued, “Her trip to relocate the grave and return to her hometown is traceable. What you need to do next is show her your loyalty. You should go to Yin Country! If you cannot bring back MO Yu’s head, you and your brother will hit the road together!” Ren Dong’s body trembled, “Yes, this slave servant obeys!”

Gu Ling saw Ren Dong sneak into the Imperial Palace from an inconspicuous place and then come out, heading towards the city gate.

During broad daylight, there were masters near Duanmu Yi, so Gu Ling did not follow into the palace and thus did not know what Duanmu Yi had said to Ren Dong.

But Ren Dong’s actions were all within the expectations of Su Liang and him.

This could not be considered a betrayal, as Ren Dong was originally a spy, and not on their side.

However, if Duanmu Yi wanted Ren Dong to gain Su Liang’s trust, he would give her the opportunity to prove her loyalty.

In the evening, Su Liang returned home, having made all the arrangements for the journey.

Qi Jun had originally planned to keep a close eye on Ren Dong, but unexpectedly, Su Liang sent her away to take care of other matters. Qi Jun was not sure what those matters were, and Ren Dong didn’t come to him for any “expenses”.

Xing Yusheng, who came to set up for Su Liang, lamented, “I would really like to take Xueqing back to Qiuming Manor for a while, and then visit Xuanbei City, but my grandmother is in the capital city.”

As Xing Ji couldn’t return for the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Old Lady Xing was already missing her son. It would be unacceptable for her if Xing Yusheng also left the capital city.

“There will be opportunities later,” Su Liang said.

Lin Xueqing hugged Su Liang’s arm and asked when she would be back.

Shaking her head, Su Liang replied, “Hard to say. When the tragedy happened at home, I didn’t have the chance to mourn for my family. After the burial in my hometown, I want to stay there for a few days.”

“I know, Sister Su doesn’t like the capital city,” Lin Xueqing sighed, “Little Tiger told me Sister Su had a lot of fun in the village.”

“I’ll invite you to visit later,” Su Liang said with a smile.

Lin Xueqing was looking forward to it, but she wasn’t a capricious person, so she could only say, “I hope there’s a chance.”

Xing Yusheng suddenly mentioned Gu Ling, “He and Nian Jincheng still haven’t made any moves, they might not be planning to return. It’s better this way.”

“Who knows,” Su Liang shook her head, “Maybe they’ll show up in a few days. I really want to see what kind of beauty the legendary number one beauty in the capital city is.”

“I haven’t seen her either,” said Xing Yusheng.

Lin Xueqing raised her hand, “Neither have I.”

Gu Ling who was eating a single meal upstairs: Already looking forward to how Su Xiaoliang would perform her “love at first sight” for him, the deeper the acting, the better…

On the eighteenth of August, it was a good day for a journey.

Many people in the capital knew that Su Liang was going to move the graves of her family back to their hometown, and they all praised her filial piety.

Su Liang had Qi Jun prepare two carriages; she rode in one alone while Qi Jun accompanied Bai Xiaohu in the other.

The workers who had previously helped were hired by Xing Yusheng, and this time those who went to Bei’an County were arranged by the Ning family’s steward. In addition, Su Liang paid handsomely for escort masters to protect them.

The most famous escort agency in the capital city, Changfeng Escort Agency, took the deal. Both the young owner and the main escort of the agency set out for the task.

During the journey, Su Liang couldn’t help praising the “wealth and ease,” as there were always people arranged by the Ning family’s steward to make food and lodging preparations in advance.

Gu Ling was unable to get close to Su Liang during her journey, as there were many watchful eyes around her.

The two could only meet at night. When Su Liang was staying at an inn, Gu Ling would sneak into the room she was going to stay in and wait for her to come.

On the first day of the journey, nothing happened. At dinner, Su Liang said she wanted to eat alone and had the meal sent to her room.

After the servants had left, Gu Ling appeared. Su Liang carried Gu Ling’s utensils in her suitcase, the two ate together, and Su Liang told him about the contents of the medical books she had read during the day.

In this way, Su Liang consolidated her memory through storytelling, teaching Gu Ling at the same time. Occasionally, Gu Ling would raise some doubts, and the two would discuss and deepen their understanding, learning and progressing together.

When Su Liang took a bath, Gu Ling left, but actually did not completely leave, he hid nearby to prevent anyone from intruding.

When it was time to sleep, Gu Ling and Su Liang decided who would get the bed and who would sleep on the ground by playing rock-paper-scissors, as they had agreed. Su Liang insisted that Gu Ling shouldn’t have to sleep on the floor since he was there to protect her.

But a problem arose on the first night.

For some reason, after many rounds, they always had the same hand gesture.

Gu Ling, who had long since figured out Su Liang’s micro-expressions, said calmly, “With this outcome, you sleep on the bed.”

“Why not you?” Su Liang countered.

Gu Ling reasoned, “It’s cold. You can’t be freezing. Save some ginger date brown sugar water.”

Su Liang: …She couldn’t rebut that.

So it was settled. Before going to bed, Su Liang continued to tell stories to Gu Ling. The Water Margin was almost finished, and Gu Ling had drawn dozens of pictures to go along with it.

After finishing the story and closing her eyes, Su Liang suddenly remembered

Yan Shiba, “It has been a while since the Great God sent a message to Yanyun

Building. Why hasn’t she sent any news? Did something happen to her?”

Gu Ling said indifferently, “If something happened, she brought it upon herself.”

Su Liang sighed softly. Yan Shiba had a quirky personality and definitely wasn’t a good person, and she and Su Liang were not true friends. Su Liang owed her a favor, but she didn’t owe Yan Shiba anything. Su Liang was more curious about Yan Shiba rather than worried about her.

At this moment, in a valley near Huguo Temple, a bloody Yan Shiba, with red eyes, stood unsteadily with the support of her sword, her injured left knee trembling uncontrollably.

The eight black-clad assassins surrounding her did not make a move.

The pale, sinister man opposite Yan Shiba was her shadow since childhood, Yan Shiqi.

Yan Shiqi had one blind eye covered with black cloth. His left hand was raised, and four fingers were severed. Wearing a black jade thumb ring that symbolized the identity of the owner of Yanyun Building, his gloomy laughter was especially eerie in the valley.

“Eighteen, are you going to the capital to wait for Gu Ling?” Yan Shiqi sneered, “I’ve been so good to you; my eyes and heart are full of you. Why don’t you love me? I even risked my life for you, but you only treat me like a dog! When did you meet Gu Ling? What do you love him for? Does he know who you are?”

Yan Shiba glanced in the direction of Huguo Temple and cursed loudly, “Of course I like Gu Ling, he’s an immortal from heaven, and you’re just mud on the ground! Don’t even dream about making me like you!”

Yan Shiqi’s eyes narrowed viciously, and he coldly snorted, “Fine, very well! Since that is the case, I will take you back first, then ‘invite’ him to see you when Gu Ling becomes a Marquis. I can’t help but want to treat you well. Why don’t you thank me now?”

“One-eyed blind, you damn whore! I’ll thank your eight generations of ancestors!” Yan Shiba shouted angrily, charging at Yan Shiqi with her sword.

Not too long after, the severely injured and unconscious Yan Shiba was taken away by Yan Shiqi, entering the capital of Qian Country, and the valley went quiet once again.

As dawn approached, Yan Shiba woke up and stared at the ceiling, mumbling incoherently, “Ning Jing, that pretty white face can’t possibly die. Without him, Gu Ling would have to appear. He is him. You sly girl, you’re playing me. I’ll get back at you someday…”

Yan Shiqi suddenly appeared and asked coldly, “What did you just say?”

Yan Shiba laughed maliciously with her pale face, “I miss my lover so much that my heart aches. When will you help me find him?”

Yan Shiqi couldn’t contain his anger and grabbed Yan Shiba’s neck, almost choking her to death before letting go.

Yan Shiba coughed violently, and said intermittently, “You really are… so damn cheap… even now… you can’t bear… to kill me… ha ha ha ha!”

“You wait. When I find Gu Ling, I will dismember him into ten thousand pieces in front of you!” Yan Shiqi left in anger.

Yan Shiba kept laughing and even laughed until tears came out, “He’s now sleeping with my sister. You go and find him. You go and find your own death, hahaha… ah, you wicked girl, you’re making me so angry….”