Chapter 186

After all, the Gumu Sect had only a handful of members.

In the end, Li Mochou was able to leave the mountain, but what happened afterward, Xiao Longnu did not know.

Now it seemed that her senior sister, just like in the story, had not obtained the happiness she desired.

"Love..."

Xiao Longnu looked at the copy of the diary, lost in thought.

【Just as disaster was about to strike, Huang Yaoshi happened to pass by and saved Cheng Ying's life at the right moment.】

【Huang Yaoshi was accustomed to being alone; he originally intended to send her away, but Cheng Ying was obedient and sensible, served him meticulously, and showed deep consideration, causing Huang Yaoshi to develop love from pity, so he took her as his disciple.】

【However, hearing Rong'er's words today, Cheng Ying clearly has no connection to the Taohuadao lineage; it seems the plot has undergone a major change again.】

"So, in the story, I am her senior sister?"

Huang Rong blinked her eyes; such a detached and lofty woman actually having such a close relationship with her made her feel a sense of novelty.

【Cheng Ying followed Huang Yaoshi to learn martial arts and cultivated a set of impressive Wu Gong.】

????????? Begging for flowers??????????

【Later, she happened to meet Yang Guo, and the two had some interactions.】

【Meeting Yang Guo once leads to a lifetime of regret; this saying is not spoken in vain.】

【Not only did Guo Xiang prove this with her entire life, but Cheng Ying did as well.】

【Even her cousin, Lu Wushuang.】

【Although the ending was not explicitly stated, Lu Wushuang and Cheng Ying were likely both trapped by love and spent their lives in loneliness.】

【What a pity for such a woman, like an orchid, like a chrysanthemum, like bamboo, like a water lily.】

【I heard she appeared at Guiyun Shanzhuang, so I took the "Water-Control Pearl" and went to find her, but alas, I was still a step too late.】

"Meeting Yang Guo once leads to a lifetime of regret... love unrequited?"

Cheng Ying's heart, which had shown little reaction, rippled slightly, but soon returned to calm.

That was merely a story after all.

...... 0

"He went to Guiyun Shanzhuang to find me?"

The reason Cheng Ying went to Guiyun Shanzhuang was to deliver the "Black Jade Bone-Healing Ointment" to Lu Chengfeng.

Lu Chengfeng is Lu Aotian's younger brother; after learning that Lu Chengfeng's legs were disabled, he and his wife searched everywhere for famous doctors.

Later, through inquiry, they learned that there was a "Black Jade Bone-Healing Ointment" in the Jianghu that could reattach broken bones and allow one to stand again, so Lu Aotian took it to heart from then on.

However, the Black and White Heroes searched for many years but never found anything.

The "Black Jade Bone-Healing Ointment" delivered by Cheng Ying was obtained by their only son, Lu Yi, who grew up, through some unknown method, and entrusted someone to send it back.

The Black and White Heroes then entrusted Cheng Ying to deliver it to Guiyun Shanzhuang.

Now that the mission was complete, Cheng Ying felt there was no need to stay and left with a carefree air.

She did not deliberately avoid Jiang Sishui, yet the two still passed each other by.

In Cheng Ying's view, this was simply that fate had not yet arrived.

……

"So, my cousin missed him." Lu Wushuang breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Then she stared at the page, her brows knitting together.

"Trapped by love, spending life in loneliness"—these eight characters were annoying to her no matter how she looked at them.

"What 'Meeting Yang Guo once leads to a lifetime of regret'? There's even me? Hmph, there are thousands of men in the world; if this one won't do, I'll switch! Are you a god descending from heaven or what, that you can make a lady like me hang myself on a single tree?"

Lu Wushuang let out a light scoff.

Although she did not yet have a man in her heart, she felt she would not be so foolish.

She, Lu Wushuang, would absolutely not be a simp!

206 Great Wisdom Changping Yunluo, Zhu Zhu Wushi's Order

【Besides Feng Heng, Shangguan Haitang also came to Mantuo Shanzhuang today.】

【And the purpose of Shangguan Haitang coming here was actually to deliver the "Art of Absorbing Power" and the "Jin Gang Indestructible Sacred Art" on behalf of the Divine Marquis, requesting the whereabouts of the third Tianxiang Doukou to complete the original transaction.】

【This is something I did not expect.】

【Delivering one technique is normal; giving both entirely... this does not fit Zhu Zhu Wushi's style of conduct at all.】

【Such an old schemer should be "not releasing the eagle until the rabbit is seen," shouldn't he? Why is he so proactive this time?】

【I imagined many possibilities for how the final transaction would proceed, but I never expected Zhu Zhu Wushi to be so clean and decisive.】

【He is betting on my integrity.】

Jingzhou, the Imperial Palace.

Princess Changping turned her head to look at Princess Yunluo beside her and said in surprise, "You gave it?"

Princess Yunluo nodded: "I gave '363'; what else could I do?"

"Didn't you say you would first check whether this imperial uncle had treasonous intentions, then weigh and handle the situation?"

"Originally I thought that way, but seeing my imperial uncle's... ah, I don't know how to say it; I just felt my imperial uncle was very nervous and anxious, so I softened my heart for a moment and..."

"So you gave it to him?"

"Hmm..."

"Ah, you silly girl!" Princess Changping sighed, wearing an expression of frustration at her lack of progress.

Princess Yunluo became indignant: "You say I'm silly? Then tell me, what should I do? Keep it and not give it?"

"Giving it is certainly possible, but you can't give it like that!"

"If not like that, then how should it be given?"

"Negotiate terms with him!"

"Negotiate terms?" Princess Yunluo said lazily: "This princess doesn't have to worry about food or clothing. What does my royal uncle have that's worth me keeping in mind?"

Princess Changping glanced at her sideways: "Not even interested in the 'Art of Absorbing Power'?"

Princess Yunluo: "……"

She stared blankly for a good while, then bounced up as if her backside had a spring installed, shouting loudly: "Changping! Such important business—how could you only remind me now!"

Princess Changping averted her gaze and said: "I thought such a simple principle, you should have understood it yourself, no need for me to specially remind you."

"Ouch, really! How could I be so stupid!" Princess Yunluo knocked her head in frustration, endlessly regretting.

"Huh? That's not right!"

Princess Yunluo stopped her hand and looked suspiciously at Princess Changping.

Seeing that the latter's expression was a bit unnatural, she looked at the diary again and suddenly realized: "I get it! Changping, you're tricking me!"

"Trick you into what?" Princess Changping felt a pang of guilt.

Princess Yunluo snorted: "You really take me for a fool! You must have just read the diary yourself and only then thought of the trade, right? Hmph, I knew it—you're not actually smarter than me. How could you have thought of it so much earlier when I couldn't think of it at all?"

Princess Changping gave an awkward smile and said nothing.

Still, she always felt in her heart that something was a bit off.

How did this comparing end up producing a sense of superiority?

……

Manor of Manjuelike.

After Shangguan Haitang sent the message back, she breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.

The task her godfather had assigned was finally half completed.

And the other half……

Shangguan Haitang's memories came flooding back.

That day, seeing the diary say she met a violent death in the story, Shangguan Haitang took it to heart.

To pull out the thorn stuck in her heart, and also to ease the conflict between Jiang Sishui and Zhu Wushi, she decided to come to Suzhou to meet Jiang Sishui.

Besides, she also wanted to see whether the feelings she had long buried in her heart had any outcome in the story.

However, before she had traveled a few days, a secret agent from the Shanzhuang found her and delivered Zhu Wushi's order.

Telling her to head toward Suzhou while keeping an eye out for news.

Shangguan Haitang naturally did not dare to slack off.

Over half a month later, eighteen swift messages arrived in succession; pieced together, they were unmistakably two manuals.

Zhu Wushi did not instruct Shangguan Haitang on exactly how to negotiate, but told her to act as the situation allowed.

Offering both manuals together was actually Shangguan Haitang's own idea.