After Abandoning the Ruthless Dao Swordmaster - Chapter 14

Wu Su wanted to pull back her hand, but it was too late.

 

The bandages that had just been tightly wrapped were now falling down one after another, tangled around Pei Jiuzhi’s fingertips.

 

Underneath the layer of ointment Pei Jiuzhi had applied earlier in the day, there was still a slight scar on Wu Su’s wrist.

 

He could clearly see that Wu Su’s injury hadn’t improved.

 

Wu Su was a little flustered, her hands started to nervously curl into fists, accidentally grabbing Pei Jiuzhi’s fingertips.

 

“What’s wrong?” Pei Jiuzhi asked seriously with lowered eyes.

 

Almost subconsciously, his other hand landed on top of their touching fingertips, gently holding them in place.

 

Wu Su’s hand trembled.

 

She didn’t want His Royal Highness to know that she was not a normal person. This Little Highness looked very powerful,  and had the means to slay demons.

 

Her primal instinct as a creature is to survive.

 

Wu Su thought quickly, almost whispering, “Your Highness, I’m just very happy.”

 

Pei Jiuzhi watched her quietly, raising his chin slightly.

 

So far, he had never seen her show any emotions, so when she said she was very happy, he was a little surprised.

 

“The joy in my heart is greater than the healing of a wound.” Wu Su lied to him again.

 

Of course, it was indeed true that at the moment when the golden lotus fireworks exploded, she felt a kind of joyful emotion welling up in her heart.

 

“Happiness is so important?” Pei Jiuzhi asked.

 

“Because it was given by His Highness.” Wu Su turned her head away,and pulled back her hand.

 

She spoke empty words without changing her expression. She didn’t know what kind of ripples her words would cause in other people’s hearts.

 

“Yes.” Pei Jiuzhi’s cold eyes showed a rare softness.

 

His gaze fell on Wu Su’s cheek, entwining her like a web.

 

Wu Su’s pure and gentle black eyes looked directly into his.

 

After a long moment, she turned her head sideways, and the hair tucked behind her ears fell, brushing against the gently swaying pearl earrings.

 

Pei Jiuzhi leaned forward and suddenly came close to her. The bandage from Wu Su’s wrist was still gripped in his hand.

 

The clean white ribbon fluttered downwards, connecting the two of them.

 

Wu Su faced him quietly, blinking.

 

His slow, sharp breath brushed against her ear, causing her cheeks to turn a little red.

 

Wu Su didn’t know that a soft blush had appeared on her face.

 

Suddenly, the silence between them made her face feel a little hot. It seemed to happen when His Highness approached her.

 

While Wu Su was overcome with confusion, Pei Jiuzhi stretched out his hand, and gently captured the shining pearl between his fingers.

 

In an instant, the pearl pendant that had been trembling like a fawn’s heart stopped moving.

 

“Your Highness, what’s wrong?” Wu Su asked.

 

“Nothing.” Pei Jiuzhi’s breath fell on her ear.

 

He turned his head slightly, and his cold thin lips brushed the hair beside her ear, but he didn’t come any closer.

 

Wu Su stood in place, completely motionless. She did not shy away, but she also didn’t encourage him.

 

But Pei Jiuzhi remembered that night, she came to him, taking the initiative to open her arms, like a drowning person grabbing driftwood and hugging him tightly.

 

“Do you know who I am?” Pei Jiuzhi suddenly asked such a question.

 

“Your Royal Highness the Ninth Prince.” Wu Su replied.

 

“You lost something—” Pei Jiuzhi was about to continue speaking when the door of the room behind Wu Su was pushed open.

 

The second before the door opened, he flicked his white robe and instantly turned into a blue bird, landing on Wu Su’s shoulder, interrupting their conversation.

 

As Wei Li opened the door, the bandages originally held in Pei Jiuzhi’s hands fell limply to the floor.

 

From Wei Li’s perspective, she only saw a fleeting flash of a man’s figure.

 

“Wu Su, is there really someone hiding in your room?” Wei Li walked up to Wu Su, staring at her critically, trying to find something wrong with her.

 

She couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed when she saw that Wu Su had immediately put on the pearl earrings that she had been too cautious to wear.

 

“You made me give the earrings to you, and now you’re actually wearing them? You don’t know anything about jewellry.”

 

“I like them, so why not wear them?” Wu Su walked a few steps away from her, towards the desk. She lowered her head and rewrapped the fallen bandages.

 

Even though her injuries were almost healed, the marks left on her wrists by the chains were still shocking.

 

Wei Li saw the marks, her eyes flashing slightly. This whole situation was all Wu Su’s fault for running around at night, causing all this trouble.

 

“Have you spoken to that noble man?” Wei Li inquired.

 

“He knows.” Wu Su replied.

 

“Then…can A’Cun’s punishment be lessened?” Wei Li hesitated for a moment before asking..

 

Wu Su felt that the blue bird sitting on her shoulder drew a “ten” with its foot.

 

“Ten strikes less.” Wu Su guessed.

 

“Really, that… that’s great!” Wei Li put her hands on her heart, picked up her long skirt, and hurried out.

 

She didn’t close the door, so Wu Su slowly walked towards it, planned to close it.

 

Lin Meng was sitting in the courtyard.  “Wu Su, did the blessing from the formation of the Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony on the arch bridge just now… fall to you first?”

 

“Yes.” Wu Su turned around and closed the door.

 

She locked the door, and when she turned around, she saw that Pei Jiuzhi had transformed into a human again and was standing in front of her.

 

“The City Guard’s punishment strikes are not light. After receiving forty blows, he is almost dead.” Pei Jiuzhi said. “I have read the files of Zhu Zheng’s interrogation of Xue Cun. Zhu Zheng gave him twenty extra lashes because Xue Cun tried to put the blame on others.”

 

“Xue Cun said that it was the girl in Prince Jing’s Mansion who seduced him, that’s why he left his post without permission. He also said that it was the same girl who exposed you for owning the lantern, and she should be the one to be punished.” Pei Jiuzhi’s voice was indifferent and cold, “So the twenty extra strikes were that girl’s punishment.”

 

“But since she doesn’t appreciate it, then I’ll spare ten for her.” He said.

 

Wu Su thought about how worried Wei Li was about Xue Cun. She simply nodded, not knowing what to say.

 

Pei Jiuzhi was just about to continue the previous topic when he felt someone trying to get the attention of his body that was still in the formation.

 

He bid farewell to Wu Su, turned into a blue bird, and flew out of the window of her room.

 

Wu Su watched his leaving figure for a long time, until the blue bird was so far away that it turned into a small dot.

 

She raised her hand and touched the pearl earring next to her ear.

 

Wu Su muttered to herself in confusion, with a questioning tone in her voice.

 

“Your Highness…Why do you like pearls?”

 

——

 

“Pearl earrings?” Pei Jiuzhi sat in the centre of the golden formation.  Beside him stood Xu Ling.

 

Xu Ling was a highly trusted secret guard under Emperor Pei Chu. Upon Pei Jiuzhi’s return to Yundu, Xu Ling had been assigned to protect Pei Jiuzhi.

 

Of course, Pei Jiuzhi himself does not need protection. However, if he wants to investigate something, he can leave it to Xu Ling.

 

Hidden in the folds of his clothes was the earring that had been left behind that night.

 

When Xu Ling mentioned this, his fingers touched the lonely pearl hidden in his sleeve again.

 

He knew that it was her.  Even her aura was exactly the same, gentle, calm, and pure.

 

“Yes, when the steward of Prince Jing’s Mansion inspected the warehouse, he found that one of the handed in pearl earrings was abnormal. After opening it, he found that it was—”

 

Xu Ling handed over a brocade box, which Pei Jiuzhi opened with lowered eyes.

 

Inside the brocade box lay a shrivelled fish eye and a withered cherry stalk.

 

Wu Su’s magic ability was low, and the camouflage spell could not last long. As the fish eyes and cherry stems shriveled, her spells gradually became ineffective.

 

Until this was discovered by the steward of Prince Jing’s mansion.

 

But by this time, there would no longer be any way to find out who handed over the fake pearl earrings.

 

Pei Jiuzhi saw that the cherry stem was carefully inserted into the fish’s eye. At first glance, it really looked like jewellery.

 

It was plausible that the steward could have mistaken it.

 

Somehow, it does seem like the kind of thing she might do.

 

The corners of Pei Jiuzhi’s lips were slightly raised. She was interesting.

 

But she was indeed avoiding him, and Pei Jiuzhi didn’t want to scare her.

 

Pei Jiuzhi closed the brocade box and shook his head helplessly.

 

“Go look for her based on the order in which the brocade box was handed in. If you find her, bring her to my house and treat her well.”

 

Pei Jiuzhi has been unable to leave the formation, and he still has to eliminate the evil monster lurking in the city.

 

The Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony was coming to an end, and the power of the blue bird talisman was almost exhausted, so he couldn’t slip away anymore.

 

Xu Ling was very surprised when he heard Pei Jiuzhi’s order.

 

“Your Highness, but you are the only one who has the key to the Riyue Pavilion. Even if I bring her there, she won’t be able to get inside.”

 

“She will open it.” Pei Jiuzhi said.

 

Xu Ling stared at Pei Jiuzhi in shock.

 

Everyone knows that this Little Highness is cold-tempered and never gets close to others, even with members of his family.  He rarely participates in social activities.

 

The Riyue Pavilion was the place where he had lived before he left Yundu, and no outsiders were allowed to enter.

 

After his departure, the Riyue Pavilion was immediately closed, and it was forbidden to approach it.

 

Now, His Royal Highness actually wants to bring someone to the Riyue Pavilion, and it is very likely that this person is a woman.

 

Is this… the sky falling?

 

Pei Jiuzhi stared at Xu Ling indifferently, and asked coldly, “What?”

 

“Ninth Highness, I understand.” Xu Ling didn’t dare to ask too much, so he just bowed and withdrew.

 

Pei Jiuzhi closed his eyes, and once again put his mind into the formation.

 

But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince beside him suddenly spoke: “Jiuzhi, do you want to take someone to the Riyue Pavilion?”

 

“Yes.” Pei Jiuzhi’s long eyelashes drooped slightly as he calmly responded.

 

“Jiuzhi, that incident involving the City Guard happened because I didn’t know the Commander’s character very well. Don’t take it seriously.”

 

Because Pei Jiuzhi seemed to have a strong opinion on this matter, the Crown Prince felt that he needed to admit his mistake.

 

Everyone knew that Pei Chu valued him the most, and Pei Jiuzhi did not have royal blood.

 

Without the involvement of power, his relationship with many people would be much purer.

 

“Dear Brother, the Commander of the City Guard is no longer your subordinate.” The Eldest Princess chuckled beside him.  “Jiuzhi, if you have any concerns in the future, just tell me directly.”

 

“Okay, Imperial Sister.” Pei Jiuzhi responded.

 

“Hmph, Imperial Sister, this time the slow investigation skills of your Imperial City Department allowed you to avoid trouble.” The Crown Prince spoke disdainfully.

 

Pei Jiuzhi pinched his eyebrows. The Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess were bickering again, back and forth, and no one gave in.

 

He decided to ignore them.

 

Pei Jiuzhi picked up the Clear Water Sword beside him and stepped out of the formation. He headed to the small courtyard prepared for him to rest, and entered the study.

 

Inside the formation, the Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess threw out phrases like “Right, Juizhi?” and “Jiuzhi, what do you think?” without realising that he had already left.

 

Pei Jiuzhi took out a pen and paper, prepared the ink, and smoothed the tip of his pen.

 

The slender wolf-hair brush hovered over the white rice paper, dropping a splash of ink.

 

Pei Jiuzhi lowered his eyes, thinking about his words, and there seemed to be a little redness on his face.

 

The long sword that he had placed on the table was humming with excitement.

 

Pei Jiuzhi stretched out his hand and hastily held down the long sword.

 

He got up and closed the window of the study.

 

The room became a little dim, and Pei Jiuzhi discarded the ink-stained paper.

 

On a new piece of clean white paper, his powerful and elegant words fell on the paper.

 

This font is cold and elegant, but it forms a series of secret and ambiguous messages.

 

“Wu Su, there is a beauty mark under your right breast. If you felt pain when you woke up, it was because I bit it.”

 

Pei Jiuzhi’s words were a little explicit, but also a little shy.

 

At the end of this sentence, Pei Jiuzhi did not write his own name, but used the title Wu Su always called him.

 

——Little Highness.

 

After he finished writing, he folded the paper quickly, as if he was afraid that the two sentences would dissipate into the air.

 

Pei Jiuzhi took the key to the Riyue Pavilion out of his pocket and put it into a brocade bag together with this note.

 

The talisman paper beside him folded and turned into a blue bird, and he hung the small parcel around the blue bird’s neck.

 

“Wait until she gets to the Riyue Pavilion before you let her open it.” Pei Jiuzhi said in a deep voice,  watching as the blue bird flew away carrying the brocade bag.