Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: 333. Pretending to be someone else

Chapter 333: 333. Pretending to be someone else

Translator: 549690339

Regarding the sudden addition of a new master, Su Liang felt: It’s a good thing! Having more skills and more masters means an easier path forward.

She thought of her two masters at home, wondering what Old Bai and Old Mu were doing now. She wondered if they knew that she had been caught and were rushing to Liang Country to save her.

With this thought, Su Liang became somewhat worried. She hoped that the letter she had asked Qiao Cong to send to Jiaye City could be delivered to Nian Jincheng in time. As such, if the royal family of Liang Country wanted to use her capture as an excuse to do something, her own people wouldn’t get into trouble.

Because Su Liang thought that Nangong Lin and Situ Jing couldn’t possibly not make an issue of her capture.

After some thought, Su Liang believed that Nian Jincheng and Lian Shun would know what to do after receiving her letter. She was just worried about potential time differences caused by the distance and the possibility of bad consequences.

“Miss Su?” Qiuyue’s knock on the door interrupted Su Liang’s thoughts.

Su Liang came back to her senses, “Come in.”

Qiuyue closed the door, as if afraid that someone might hear, and looked at Su Liang somewhat awkwardly, “Madam Cen says she is a vegetarian and doesn’t eat any meat. But the master said that Miss Su and Miss should eat meat. I’m afraid the dishes I made might not suit Madam Cen’s taste. Miss Su, could you teach me how to make delicious vegetarian dishes?”

Su Liang nodded, “Vegetarian dishes are not difficult; I’ll make them.”

“But the master said not to…” Qiuyue thought it wasn’t right either.

“She is my master. It’s only right for me to cook for her and show my respect. You mustn’t stop me,” Su Liang said with a light laugh.

Su Liang’s new master was named Cen Man, and she lived in Qiao Cong’s room. Qiuyue had already cleaned and aired the bedding in advance. Su Liang even specifically rearranged the table and chairs in the room to avoid any chance of bumping into Cen Man.

During lunchtime, other than Qiao Cong’s seat being replaced by Cen Man’s, everything else was the same as before.

Cen Man took a bite of the dish and nodded slightly, “That girl has good cooking skills.”

Su Liang smiled, “I made those dishes for Master.”

Cen Man took another bite, “Very good.”

Then, the two of them quietly ate their meal. Su Liang’s meal had a mix of meat and vegetables, while Cen Man’s was strictly vegetarian.

Almost at the same time they put down their chopsticks, Cen Man wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, her movements elegant, “Su Liang, tell me about yourself.”

“What…about me?” Su Liang asked.

“Everything, except your name and you being Old Qiao’s disciple. I don’t know anything else,” Cen Man said.

Su Liang thought to herself, accepting her as a disciple without knowing anything about her background? On one hand, it showed that Cen Man really was isolated from society and didn’t care about the outside world; Su Liang herself was somewhat of a well-known figure. On the other hand, it showed that Cen Man really had a good relationship with Qiao Cong and trusted his judgment in accepting disciples.

Su Liang then recounted the experiences she had shared with Qiao Cong earlier. She talked about the day she got married to Gu Ling, and the sudden news of Yin Country’s invasion that arrived after their wedding. She stopped after telling about the hurried journey south.

“You are only 16 years old and got married on February 15th,” Cen Man frowned slightly, “You haven’t said how you met Old Qiao and became his disciple.”

Su Liang honestly recounted how she had met Qiao Cong and why she was on this island.

Upon hearing this, Cen Man’s face darkened slightly, “You couldn’t have made up the story to deceive me, planning to leave while Old Qiao is away, could you?”

“Oh, of course, I want to leave, but I won’t go for now. That’s because Master is looking for my husband, and I’m waiting for him here,” Su Liang calmly responded to Cen Man’s doubt. After all, Cen Man was first Qiao Cong’s good friend and only today became her new master.

“Old Qiao is really confused, actually doing such a thing,” Cen Man spoke again, indicating that she believed Su Liang. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain how a young divine doctor like Su Liang ended up being Qiao Cong’s disciple and treating Nangong Qian on this island.

“However,” Cen Man continued, “It seems that there is no real resentment between you and Old Qiao, and the conflict lies between you and his son-in-law and grandson. I’ve known Old Qiao for decades, and I know what kind of person he is. His decision to leave his granddaughter behind and travel far to find someone for you means he wants to make up for his previous mistakes.”

Su Liang nodded, “I understand. Master is not a bad person, he was just blinded by family ties at that time.”

“I really didn’t expect that you and him would have such a relationship,” Cen Man sighed softly.

Half-jokingly, Su Liang asked, “Does Master regret accepting me as a disciple?”

Cen Man shook her head, “No. As the enemy of Old Qiao’s son-in-law and grandson, you were caught and brought here without any freedom. Yet, you managed to make him admire and like you, which is extraordinary. You made an agreement with him that you would no longer be master and disciple after leaving this place, but you and I are different, with no time limit.”

Su Liang grinned, “Then I really got a bargain.”

Afterward, Cen Man began teaching Su Liang how to enhance her perception, which was extremely beneficial for the accuracy of both hidden weapons and normal weapons.

Cen Man took off an exquisite, ancient-looking purple jade ring from her hand and gave it to Su Liang.

At first, Su Liang didn’t want to accept it, thinking that it must be a self-defense item for Cen Man.

But Cen Man said it was a gift for meeting her, and not accepting it would mean not recognizing her as a master.

The ring fit perfectly on Su Liang’s thumb, and there was a hidden weapon mechanism inside that could launch five silver needles.

This reminded her of Old Mu. Old Mu was good at mechanical hidden weapons, and the real inheritor was Gu Ling. Unfortunately, before he could teach any of that, many things happened. Old Bai was the real master Su Liang wanted to worship. Although they had agreed not to have a master-disciple relationship in name, they did have the actual relationship. Unfortunately, she hadn’t had a chance to learn the powerful poison techniques yet…

In Liang Country, Yao City.

As soon as the sky began to light, Situ Xie left his mansion in a carriage to enter the palace.

Old Mu hid in the shadows, not sure who was in the carriage. He also hadn’t seen any signs of a funeral or request for an Imperial Physician at the Prince Masion. He wondered: Could it be possible that the poison Old Bai spent several days making was thwarted? Or did Situ Xie avoid a catastrophe by not wanting to drink the soup last night?

Old Mu decided to wait for the carriage to return and see if he could confirm if Situ Xie was inside. It has become too risky to sneak into the Imperial Palace.

As for Situ Han, he had been waiting until midnight yesterday, hoping to meet his son for the first time. However, all he saw was a secret guard sent by Situ Xie to deliver a message that the arranged meeting had been canceled without explanation.

Situ Han thought it was Situ Jing who had a change of mind and didn’t want to meet him. Although disappointed, he didn’t do anything about it.

It wasn’t until he met Situ Xie again and heard about Situ Jing being poisoned in Prince Yue’s mansion that Situ Han’s anger flared up again. “What kind of assurance did you give me earlier? You said you would protect him! Staying temporarily in Prince Yue’s mansion without revealing his identity would be the safest! Is this the safety you spoke of? Why did everyone else in Prince Yue’s mansion escape unharmed and only my son was poisoned?”

Situ Xie, anticipating this reaction from Situ Han, sighed deeply. “Now all we can do is find another famous doctor and have them treat Jingjing.”

“A famous doctor?” Situ Han said coldly, “Isn’t the most powerful divine doctor in the world today none other than Su Liang? Jingjing said he had captured Su Liang and kept her in another place. So what is the holdup? Let him reveal where she is, and send someone to bring her here! This would make everything else easier!”

Situ Xie nodded, “I’ll talk to Jingjing about Su Liang when I return. I suspect that the kidnapping of Yaoyao was done by Gu Ling, and Jingjing being poisoned this time must be related to him too.”

When Situ Xie returned to his mansion, he was still inside the carriage without showing his face. Old Mu crouched in wait, unable to determine who was inside, and returned first.

Back in the study room, Situ Jing sat with at his eyes closed, motionless as if asleep.

Situ Xie sighed before speaking, “Jingjing, at this point, we must have Su Liang come here. Your eyes may still have a chance to be saved.”

“Does grandfather want to really capture Su Liang, even at the cost of blinding my eyes?” Situ Jing opened his eyes, and everything he saw was blurry halos, making nothing visible.

“Jingjing, do you really think this way?” Situ Xie frowned.

Situ Jing remained silent. His near-blindness made him lose the calmness and confidence he had when he came to Yao City, and he was extremely irritated.

“I will find a girl similar in age and appearance to Su Liang to impersonate her and deceive the people hiding nearby. This way, at most we can save Yaoyao.” Situ Xie sighed deeply, “You are still so young, and there is a long life ahead of you. I know your feelings towards Su Liang, but now is not the time to be confused! If it gets any later, there may be no hope left!”

Situ Jing clenched and then loosened his fists. “Grandfather, please bring Nangong Lin here.”

Situ Xie wasn’t surprised to know that Nangong Lin was also in Yao City, even though Situ Jing had deliberately not mentioned it before.

“Does he know where Su Liang is? Where is he?” Situ Xie asked.

Situ Jing told him a location and gave him his jade pendant as a token.

Situ Xie immediately sent a secret guard to find Nangong Lin and bring him here.

It took about four hours before Nangong Lin finally arrived.

Seeing Situ Xie, his eyes narrowed slightly, but when he noticed the red spots around Situ Jing’s eyes, his face darkened, “What happened?”

Situ Xie sighed and recounted the events of the previous night.

Nangong Lin was furious, “I brought Jingjing back, and this is how you treat him?”

Regardless, the incident happened in the Prince’s Mansion, and the poisoned soup was personally served by Situ Xie, so he could not escape the responsibility.

“What’s the point of saying these things now?” Situ Xie shook his head, “The top priority is to bring Su Liang over as soon as possible to treat Jingjing.”

Nangong Lin looked at Situ Jing again, his breathing becoming heavier, “Damn it! Can’t we find the poisoner for the antidote instead? Wouldn’t that be faster?”

From Yao City, passing through Liang Country and Qian Country, to the south seaside to find Su Liang, a round trip would take more than a month!

Situ Xie shook his head, “It’s very dangerous to rashly look for a poison master. Moreover, the damage has been done. Even if the poison is neutralized, Jingjing’s eyes are no longer poisoned, but injured by it. The treatment should be for the injuries, not detoxification!”

Nangong Lin sneered, “Why do you know so much? Where did the antidote come from?”

Situ Xie said coldly, “A friend of mine gave it to me.”

“Master,” Situ Jing didn’t want to hear them talk about random things anymore. He knew that Situ Xie didn’t poison him, “Go and bring Su Liang here.”

“For you, of course, I can go.” Nangong Lin shook his head, “But the fastest way is for me to take you to Su Liang, isn’t it?” In this way, Situ Jing could see Su Liang and get the treatment more quickly.

Situ Jing frowned and then relaxed, “Master is right!” He was in a terrible mood, and his mind was a little confused.

But, did Situ Xie really not think of this? Or did he be willing to take the risk of Situ Jing’s treatment being completely blinded and insist on bringing Su Liang to Yao City? This way, he could use the real Su Liang to save his grandchildren!

Situ Jing couldn’t help thinking this way. He was poisoned and injured, but Situ Xie was not, so he shouldn’t be so clever as to not know what was best for Situ Jing.

Situ Xie sighed repeatedly, “I was confused! I was too happy to see Jingjing come back, I just thought about letting him meet his father, and didn’t think about letting him leave again. But now, your health is the most important thing. In any case, I’ll arrange for someone to escort you to find Su Liang as soon as possible!”

“That’s not necessary. I will accompany Jingjing on the trip.” Nangong Lin said.

Situ Xie didn’t insist and let them go. He had many grandchildren, but Situ Jing’s identity was the most special one. After years of training, once crippled, if he couldn’t recover, he would have no future.

“Grandfather, after I leave, please ask Father to restore my prince’s identity.” Situ Jing said to Situ Xie.

Situ Xie nodded, “As long as you are willing, there will be no problem on your father’s side. According to the order of birth, you should be the second prince. This way, you can restore your identity first, so people from Qian Country won’t be able to find you when they want to do something. You can come back after your eyes are healed.”

Before leaving, Situ Jing finally asked where the real Che Yun was.

Situ Xie sighed deeply, “During the journey when I brought him back, there was a snowstorm, and he ran outside at night.” It was obvious what would happen to a child running out into the icy, snowy outdoors without anyone looking after him.

“What about Che Xiao?” Situ Jing asked.

Situ Xie counter-questioned, “Do you want to see him?”

Situ Jing shook his head and left quietly with Nangong Lin.

Watching their retreating figures, Situ Xie’s face darkened. Che Xiao managed to escape because Su Liang intentionally let him go. He was indeed loyal and went a long way to bring the news.

However, Che Xiao knew too much, and there were some things that Situ Xie and Situ Han had lied about. Besides, the true value of Che Xiao was his identity, but that identity was now irrelevant. When he died unsuspecting in Situ Xie’s hands, he didn’t even get an explanation.

Old Mu was certain that Situ Xie hadn’t encountered any problems, and he was alive, without blind eyes. He went back to Old Bai in a huff to discuss countermeasures.

“I really did poison it, he drank the soup every day! Could there be a poison expert by his side?” Old Mu frowned and said.

Old Bai, however, asked, “Did you find Su Liang?”

Old Mu shook his head, “No! I didn’t see her shadow at all!”

“Keep an eye on them.” Lao Bai said.

Lao Mu got up to leave, and as he stepped out of the door, he turned back and cursed Lao Bai, “If it wasn’t for the kid, I wouldn’t listen to you!”

…

Situ Xie walked into the guesthouse and heard unfamiliar voices in the room.

At the entrance, he saw a tall girl standing inside with her back facing him.

“This is my granddaughter Aying.” The old woman introduced her to Situ Xie, and then said to the girl, “Aying, quickly greet King Yue.”

The girl turned around, tall and full-figured with a charming and bewitching appearance. She bowed and said, “King Yue.”

Situ Xie smiled slightly, “No need for formalities. I didn’t expect Mrs. Yue to have such an outstanding granddaughter. In fact, I have a task that I would like to ask Miss Aying for help.”

When Lady Yue asked what the matter was, Situ Xie said he wanted her granddaughter to impersonate someone.

Lady Yue chuckled, “I understand. It’s quite simple, and I had the same idea in mind!”

If Su Liang were here, she would find that Lady Yue’s granddaughter was actually Ying Ying, whom she knew.

Ying Ying didn’t know who her grandmother intended for her to impersonate, so she sat quietly, following her breath.

“Does she resemble her?” Lady Yue asked Situ Xie, looking at Ying Ying.

Situ Xie shook his head, “Not quite, but as long as she doesn’t show her face or speak, it won’t be a problem.”

“Very well. Maybe the person who will be lured out is my long-awaited Senior Brother.” Lady Yue’s laughter was harsh, and her emaciated face seemed to only have a layer of skin covering her bones, making her somewhat creepy.

“Miss Aying must have inherited her grandmother’s mantle, right?” Situ Xie looked at Ying Ying with a gentle smile.

Ying Ying shook her head, “My poison techniques are not even one-tenth or one-fifth of my grandmother’s.”

Situ Xie laughed and said Ying Ying was too modest.

Lady Yue asked Situ Xie, “When can I see the Su Liang you mentioned who is in your hands?”

Upon hearing Su Liang’s name, Ying Ying was taken aback for a moment. Seeing that neither Situ Xie nor her grandmother had noticed, she quickly lowered her head to avoid being discovered.

“My grandson’s eyes are injured and have gone to find her for treatment. Afterward, he will bring her back.” Situ Xie said.

“Can Su Liang cure your grandson’s eyes?” Lady Yue scoffed, “How is that possible?”

“What she is best known for is her medical skills, not poison techniques. She is known as a Divine Doctor. As for her being Lady Yue’s Senior Brother’s disciple, it is just your speculation and may not be true.” Situ Xie explained.

“Divine Doctor?” Lady Yue sneered, “In any case, because your grandson was poisoned, Su Liang must have some connection to my Senior Brother! Aying, have you heard of Su Liang?”

Ying Ying nodded, “I have heard of her. She was once the Martial Arts Champion of Qian Country.”

“Next, follow King Yue’s arrangement and impersonate Su Liang to quickly lure out whoever is causing trouble in this Yao City!” Lady Yue ordered.

Ying Ying nodded again, “Yes, grandmother.”

“There’s no rush. I need to make some arrangements first, and then I will come to ask for Miss Aying’s help.” Situ Xie said as he left.

Lady Yue also left shortly after, not knowing where she went.

Ying Ying closed the door and furrowed her brow: Was Su Liang captured by Situ Xie? Where was Gu Ling? She had to find out what was going on.

As for Situ Xie’s request for Ying Ying to impersonate Su Liang and lure out those who wanted to save her, Ying Ying had only one thought: let Situ Xie go to hell, she would never do anything harmful to Su Liang!