Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: 254. Watch me (an update)

Chapter 254: 254. Watch me (an update)

Translator: 549690339

Su Liang entered the room, and the bowls and plates in front of Ren Dong were empty.

“Is that enough?” Su Liang asked.

Ren Dong quickly nodded, “It’s enough. Delicious!”

Su Liang sat down, “Have you thought it through?”

Ren Dong nodded more slowly this time, but there was a firmness in her eyes, as if she had made a significant decision, “I have thought it through.”

“Why did you become a secret guard for the emperor? What is the story behind your master and your sister?” Su Liang asked bluntly.

Ren Dong took a deep breath and began, “Since the founding of Qian Country, there has been an organization that has been loyal to the Royal Family and obeys only the emperor. No one else is aware of our existence, including the Empress and the crown prince.”

Ren Dong said the organization is called Qianlong Guards, the secret protectors of the emperor.

Ren Dong didn’t know her true origins because she had been taken in by her master since she could remember. She might have been sold by her biological parents or abducted, or perhaps she was the child of a senior member within the organization. No one offered her any clarification.

The men in Qianlong Guards were all named after trees, while the women took names from flowers. Ren Dong’s master was called Shaoyao.

Each Qianlong Guard, after turning twenty, would begin to take disciples, ultimately cultivating one boy and one girl to succeed them in protecting the emperor. In reality, they were to unconditionally obey the emperor’s orders and do whatever was needed of them.

Ren Dong grew up with a girl one year older and a boy one year younger than her.

The three of them were named Jin Hua, Silver Flower, and Bai Yang. Silver Flower is the Ren Dong in front of Su Liang now.

Although the training was harsh, and Shaoyao was either abusive or scolding, the three siblings relied on each other like brothers and sisters. Jin Hua had the highest martial arts talent and was the most sensitive, always protecting Ren Dong and Bai Yang.

They not only had to learn martial arts but many other things, such as how to disguise themselves because they might be assigned to enemy countries as spies once they had mastered the necessary skills.

Until last year, Shaoyao told them that they would soon meet the emperor and instructed them to be prepared.

That night, Jin Hua committed suicide.

At this point, Ren Dong was tearful, and Su Liang could guess some of the reasons behind it.

“Because master told my sister that she only needed two disciples, and she took one in privately to select a better one. Only one of us sisters could survive. She told this only to my sister and ordered her to kill me…” Ren Dong couldn’t continue through her sobs.

The outcome was already known to Su Liang. Jin Hua couldn’t bear to kill Ren Dong, whom she considered her sister, and perhaps she didn’t want to continue that life either, so she chose to end it herself.

“Master lied to us. She told us that she had no idea why my sister committed suicide.” Ren Dong said solemnly, “My sister left her hairpin to me, and a single word was carved inside its case: ‘Escape’. Because she knew that people like us would not end well in the end.”

Su Liang recalled the first time she heard the name Silver Flower, and she casually asked if there was a sister named Jin Hua. At that time, Ren Dong showed a noticeable change in her expression.

Ren Dong continued, stating that the reason why their names were Jin Hua and Silver Flower, and not officially flower names, was that Shaoyao had prepared only one name to hand down to her successors. One of them would ultimately use the name and the other was to die.

“That name is also called Shaoyao.” Ren Dong’s face showed disgust as she mentioned these two words.

Su Liang stared intently and asked, “So your name given to you by the emperor is Shaoyao? Does the emperor know that you call yourself Silver Flower in front of me?”

Ren Dong shook her head, “If the emperor knows, I only need to defend myself by saying I did it to hide my identity.”

As her words fell, Ren Dong’s eyes sparkled with tears, and she looked at Su Liang and said, “I really like the name ‘Ren Dong’ that Master gave me. Master said that Jin Hua and Silver Flower are both medicinal herbs, also known as Ren Dong. I feel that with this name, it’s like my sister and I are both alive. She’s in my bones and blood, and she’s never left.”

Hearing this, Su Liang sighed. She had initially known nothing about Ren Dong, and the name change was just a casual remark, but she never expected it would touch Ren Dong’s deeply buried feelings.

“What about your brother?” Su Liang asked.

Ren Dong shook her head, “After we met the emperor, we were separated and never saw each other again. Master ordered me to go to Yin Country to kill Man Ya, and when I reported the task to the emperor, he said that if I couldn’t complete the mission, my brother and I would both die.”

Su Liang frowned. What Ren Dong said was true; Duanmu Yi indeed didn’t see them as human beings. However, considering the world’s power structure and the emperor’s status, Su Liang shouldn’t be surprised by his actions. Not only Duanmu Yi, but the royals of other countries likely also had people like Ren Dong or even more cruel selections.

From an objective perspective, before Su Liang could criticize Duanmu Yi, she should first criticize the laws of survival in this world.

However, from a subjective emotional standpoint, Su Liang naturally couldn’t empathize with Duanmu Yi because the actual victim was Ren Dong.

The person who killed Jin Hua was Shaoyao. Duanmu Yi might not have even known about Jin Hua’s existence, and even if he did, he wouldn’t care.

“You’re telling me all this in hopes that I’ll rebel?” Su Liang looked at Ren Dong and asked.

Ren Dong shook her head incessantly, “No, no, not at all. I never meant that. The one who killed my sister is that poisonous woman Shaoyao. The emperor doesn’t even know about my sister’s existence. Ever since I met Master, I’ve been thinking about my sister’s last words. She told me to escape, but where can I go? If I run away by myself, Bai Yang will surely die. The day Master named me ‘Ren Dong,’ I had a feeling that maybe it was destiny. Master is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. Master is too kind; I don’t want to be the emperor’s spy and betray Master.”

“So, what do you want to do?” Su Liang asked indifferently.

“I can only tell the emperor what Master wants him to know. No matter what the emperor asks me to do, I will inform Master.” Ren Dong replied respectfully.

“I thought someone with your background would understand one principle better: knowing others, knowing their faces, but not their hearts.” Su Liang’s expression was calm, “You trust me so easily without considering the possibility of misjudging me?”

Ren Dong shook her head, “No, it won’t happen. Although I haven’t spent much time with Master, I believe I won’t misjudge someone!”

“You’re gambling. Anyway, I can’t bring myself to kill you.” Su Liang scoffed.

Ren Dong nodded, “I admit I’m gambling because Master is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, so I don’t want to miss it, nor do I want to make any more mistakes.”

“You want me to help you find your brother?” Su Liang asked.

Rendong shook his head, “I have no right to ask you to do anything, Master. I just hope you will accept my loyalty. I only wish that if one day you encounter Baiyang, you could show some mercy.”

“I can’t promise you something that hasn’t happened yet.” Su Liang shook her head.

Rendong didn’t bring up Baiyang again but talked about the two times she met the emperor.

Duanmu Yi’s words didn’t surprise Su Liang, as she had known Rendong was sent to watch her.

“What about someone like Shaoyao? After retirement… Where do they go after they have a successor?” Su Liang asked.

Rendong shook her head, “I don’t know. But Shaoyao said that if she performs well and makes achievements, she can gain freedom and wealth when she reaches a certain age.”

Su Liang thought to herself that this freedom might be wandering in the Underworld, and the wealth might be NTH Currency…

But it might not be. Because it occurred to Su Liang that young people are suitable for being spies, and the older they get, the higher their Martial Arts generally are. It’s unlikely that Qianlong Guards in their forties would be killed, maybe they are still with Duanmu Yi.

All of them get in touch with Duanmu Yi individually and don’t know where the others are, so they can avoid collusion and betrayal.

In fact, Rendong was the spy arranged to be by Su Liang’s side. At first, because her figure was very similar to Su Liang, Duanmu Yi arranged her as Su Liang’s stand-in.

“You just said that the Crown Prince has already sent someone to bring me back to the capital?” Su Liang frowned.

Rendong nodded, “Yes.” Duanmu Yi wanted Rendong to observe Su Liang’s reaction to the news about going back to the capital and report it to him.

“I see. You can rest here, get water from the kitchen.” Su Liang got up and left.

Back in the room, Gu Ling was organizing some books that Su Liang had recently read.

“Great God, she stays, and you go,” Su Liang said.

With a tearing sound, Gu Ling ripped a Medical Book borrowed from Duanmu Yi in half.

“Great God, be careful. This book needs to be returned.” Su Liang hurried over and took the torn book from Gu Ling’s hands, “You fix it if you break it. Have it rebound.”

“Su Liang,” Gu Ling looked at Su Liang, her tone cold, “What did you just say?

While smoothing the torn pages, Su Liang said, “Oh, I think Rendong is not deceiving me. She sincerely wants to join me, but you can’t meet her. She said someone from the capital city is coming to take me back. You should go first, return to the capital and regain your identity. Avoid arousing suspicion by returning at different times. Rendong is here, she can escort me back.”

As Su Liang finished speaking, she looked up at Gu Ling, “Great God, are you not happy? What do you think would be more appropriate?”

Gu Ling frowned slightly, “Is there no other way?

“I know the Great God doesn’t want to go back, neither do I. But if someone from the Royal Family is coming, we can’t justify not going back,” Su Liang said.

“That Rendong, you plan to keep her around for good?” Gu Ling asked.

Su Liang shrugged, “It’s not like I want to keep her. I can’t drive her away, and I can’t kill her, so what else can I do? If she becomes a double agent, it’s good for me. I’ll watch her for a while and see how she does.”

“You want me to leave tonight?” Gu Ling’s frown did not relax.

Su Liang sighed slightly, “Otherwise, it would be hard for you not to be discovered by her while living under the same roof.”

Gu Ling was silent for a moment, and then said quietly, “Why am I the one always hiding?”

Su Liang put her hand on her forehead, “Great God, don’t forget why you couldn’t show your true identity from the beginning. If you don’t want to hide anymore, you can only go back to the capital and be the Marquis Chang Xin.” Gu Ling said nothing and got up to return to his room.

After a while, Gu Ling came over with a bundle, and Su Liang packed the leftover steamed buns and pancakes from dinner for him, “Make do with this for now, I’ll make you something delicious when we get back to the capital.”

“On the day you return to the capital, remember to look at Wan Family Restaurant,” Gu Ling said.

Su Liang was stunned, “Huh? What am I looking at?” “Look at me.” Gu Ling said calmly, “Don’t forget what you said.”

“Which one?” Su Liang felt a little bewildered.

Gu Ling just stared at her.

Soon, Su Liang realized what he meant and laughed, “Oh, I did say that when the Great God regains his identity, I’ll perform a pretend love-at-first-sight scene on the street and pursue him. But is this plan still going on?”

Gu Ling stretched out his arm, hugged Su Liang for a moment, let go, and ended this farewell ceremony. His last words were, “Act well.” With that, he left.

Su Liang held her face and pretended to be infatuated, “Wow, Marquis Chang

Xin is so handsome!”

A familiar voice came from not far away, “You’re such an idiot.” When Su Liang ran after him, Gu Ling had already disappeared..