Chapter 279: 279. Feign weakness to capture the enemy
Translator: 549690339
A folding fan attracted the attention of many in Yao City.
If it hadn’t been intercepted by Peng Wei, it would have fallen into the hands of King Yue. Other than the always honest and impulsive General Peng, no one dared to openly compete with Situ Xie for it.
Not only was Su Liang a great benefactor of the Peng family, but he was also treating Emperor Liang’s Situ Han. This was one of the reasons Situ Xie did not publicly humiliate Peng Wei.
As Su Liang was holding the fan and about to leave with the Peng family, Situ Jing laughed and asked, “Dr. Su, could you show everyone how powerful the hidden weapons made by the descendant of the Mu family are?” As soon as this was said, it immediately drew a chorus of agreement.
“I don’t know how to use it, and I’m afraid I might accidentally hurt myself or others.” Su Liang politely refused.
Situ Xie spoke up, “I just had a look and let me give it a try?”
Su Liang raised his eyebrows, “Of course. Please, King Yue.” He handed the folding fan to Situ Xie smoothly.
Outside the Treasure Pavilion, a large space was cleared, and onlookers craned their necks, afraid of missing any exciting moments.
Situ Xie stood in the middle, carefully examining the fan again before suddenly opening it and aiming at a pine tree near the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion.
Several silver flashes went by, and the silver needles pierced the hard tree bark and stuck firmly to the tree, with only a tiny tail exposed.
If they had hit a person, one could imagine the consequences.
Hidden weapons, like martial arts, are a means of attack, with speed being the most important factor—only the fastest prevails.
Such a small fan, with a close range and a speed too fast to see clearly, had a considerable force behind it. If poison was applied to the silver needles, the lethality would be doubled.
Su Liang bowed, walking towards Situ Xie, “King Yue knows how to use it at a glance, admirable.”
Situ Xie smiled, returned the folding fan to Su Liang, and shared his thoughts.
Peaceful harmony prevailed.
“This isn’t an antique. Perhaps the master who made this fan is the mysterious
Mr. Mu. I’d like to make his acquaintance. ” Su Liang sighed with regret, “Wouldn’t King Yue send people to look for Mr. Mu in the city? If they find him, could you introduce me?”
Situ Xie’s expression did not change at all, nodding with a smile, “Sure.”
Peng Wei, standing nearby, knew this was nonsense. If they could really find a descendant of the Mu family, how could Situ Xie let Su Liang know? This was not a trivial matter but a matter of state.
Su Liang’s words, however, gave people the impression that she did not fully understand the importance of the descendant of the Mu family.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Su Liang took the precious folding fan back to King Yue’s Mansion and once again inquired about Gu Ling upon entering the mansion. Learning that he had gone to Qingjing Temple and had not yet returned, she went to find him.
By evening, Gu Ling and Su Liang returned to King Yue’s Mansion one after the other. Situ Jing soon received news from Gu Ming: Gu Ling had refused Su Liang’s gift of the folding fan.
“My cousin Ling really has no desires.” Situ Jing sighed, “The one claiming to be a descendant of the Mu family seems to have vanished into thin air and left no trace. Why did he sell the folding fan? Just for five thousand silver?” Situ Xie put down his teacup, “Have Yaoyao interact more with Su Liang.”
Situ Jing nodded, “Alright, I will remind my sister again.”
After Situ Jing left, only Situ Xie was left in the study. The bookshelf slowly spun, revealing a hidden door from which a man emerged. Situ Xie gestured to the man, who sat down in the shadowy corner.
Situ Xie described the fan that had appeared in the Treasure Pavilion today and asked the man, “Could it be your master’s work?”
The man who spoke had a very young voice, “Such exquisite hidden weapons are not something an ordinary person can make. It must have been my master who came to look for me and wanted to let us know he was here with this move. If he finds me, he will definitely kill me.”
“Mu Yu, I need the half of the secret mechanism manual in your master’s hands.” Situ Xie said coldly, “Otherwise, the half you gave me is worthless.”
Duanmu Yi’s information was not wrong. Indeed, a descendant of the Mu family had joined Situ Xie, and he had brought with him the secret mechanism manual that the royal families of the three countries had been secretly searching for. This man, named Mu Yu, resided in Situ Xie’s study.
Unfortunately, Mu Yu brought only half of the manual. Each page of the horizontally split half was incomplete, without a single complete diagram, rendering it useless.
“I didn’t expect Master to split the manual in half. He must have been guarding against me!” Mu Yu’s tone was a bit resentful, “If I had known, I would have…”
“I don’t want to hear nonsense.” Situ Xie said coldly, “The place you mentioned is already empty. The house has been burned to the ground, and nothing has been left. If today’s fan was indeed made by your master, he must be in Yao City. Tell me, how do we find him?”
Mu Yu shook his head, “No, Master has been in hiding for many years. There has been no one else beside me. But how did a young man sell the folding fan to the Treasure Pavilion today?”
“How old are you? Do you really think your master has no children or other disciples?” Situ Xie sneered.
“This…” After a moment of silence, Mu Yu spoke up again, “King Yue is right. Master must have kept something from me. His appearance is already known to you. Just now, I remembered something. Master has made many hidden weapons, but they all ended up destroyed. He said that our ancestors left an injunction that descendants of the Mu family should not let any weapons fall into the hands of others, as it would cause bloodshed.”
“He is skilled in this aspect, but can only hide his identity and bow to the so-called inheritance. It’s not the weapon’s fault, it’s the fault of the world being divided into three parts.” Situ Xie said coldly, “As long as I can see your master, I can try to persuade him.”
“Your Highness, what I just mentioned is a way to find my master!” Mu Yu said excitedly, “If that fan is my master’s, he would definitely take it back, no matter whose hands it is in!”
Situ Xie’s eyes narrowed, “That fan is in the Prince’s Mansion of Yue, this prince will keep an eye on it. You can go back.”
With the end of the conversation, Mu Yu returned to the secret chamber behind the bookshelf, and Situ Xie pushed open the window and leaped out.
It was a silent night.
The next day when Su Liang met Situ Xie in the hall, she found bloodshot in his eyes, indicating that he did not sleep well last night.
Situ Xie’s gaze fell on the folding fan in Su Liang’s hand, he smiled and said,
“Su Divine Doctor, you cannot bring this item into the palace. It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just the rules.”
Su Liang laughed lightly, “I understand.” It was indeed inappropriate for a person from Qian Country to take a hidden weapon to meet the Emperor of Liang Country.
Su Liang handed the fan to Ren Dong, “I will take it back after I leave the palace. It’s not just because of the hidden weapon. I really like this fan, and I think it’s a great match for Gu Ling, but he doesn’t want it.”
Hearing this, Situ Xie chuckled, “It’s getting late, let’s go.”
Situ Xie always accompanied Su Liang on her daily visits to the palace to treat Situ Han with acupuncture.
Su Liang thought that this was probably not just because Situ Han was the Emperor of Liang Country, but also because he was Situ Xie’s son. While she was giving the treatment, Situ Xie would always be nearby, showing a protective attitude.
After leaving the palace, Su Liang took back the folding fan and told Situ Xie that she wanted to go to Qingjing Temple, “Gu Ling is definitely still playing chess with Master Xuanqing, I’ll go find him.”
“I haven’t seen Master Xuanqing for a while, it would be nice to see their chess skills together. Let’s go together.” Situ Xie said with a warm smile.
Su Liang agreed cheerfully, “Sounds great. When we’re there, can the Prince of Yue play a few games of chess with Master Xuanqing while your grandson shows me around Qingjing Temple?”
Situ Xie nodded happily, “This prince would be delighted.”
So they went together to Qingjing Temple, where they found Gu Ling had just finished a game of chess with Master Xuanqing.
Situ Xie proposed playing chess with Master Xuanqing. Gu Ling then got up and walked out.
Situ Xie quickly asked, “Ling’er, are you going back now?”
Gu Ling didn’t look back, “I’m going to the Pagoda Forest.”
Su Liang beamed, “Me too! Marquis Gu, wait for me!”
Situ Xie smiled, “Master, what do you think of my grandson?”
After some contemplation, Master Xuanqing commented on Gu Ling, “This child has extraordinary intelligence, but he has a gentle temperament and quite a Buddhist heart.”
Situ Xie shook his head with a smile, “I only have this one grandson, Master, please don’t lead him into Buddhism.”
Master Xuanqing waved his hand with a smile, “Not everyone who enters Buddhism has a heart for it, and those who have a heart for it do not need to enter. The young friend who came just now, is she the Su Benefactor who is treating the emperor now?”
Situ Xie confirmed, and Master Xuanqing lamented, “Su Benefactor has clear and transparent eyes, an open and honest heart, and is undoubtedly a kind and compassionate person, with quite a Buddhist heart too!”
Situ Xie just smiled without a word.
At this moment, Su Liang had already chased Gu Ling into the Pagoda Forest of Qingjing Temple.
There were many stone pagodas of different heights in the dark green Pine Forest, which enshrined the relics of the deceased High Monks.
This place was not open to the public under normal circumstances, but Master Xuanqing allowed Gu Ling to visit and walk around various places in the temple. The monks guarding the temple thought Su Liang was with Gu Ling, so they didn’t stop her.
The Pagoda Forest was tranquil and quiet, with no place to hide, making it a convenient place to talk.
“The bait has been set, but there has been no movement yet.” Su Liang sighed softly.
Yesterday was the fifteenth, and there were activities in the temple. Master Xuanqing did not have much free time, so Gu Ling said they could wait for him to finish before continuing their game. Taking advantage of the break, Gu Ling sold the fan.
Situ Xie was watching Su Liang, and Su Liang was also observing Situ Xie, but he led a very regular life and there were no abnormalities.
“Someone was near Han Xiangyuan last night.” Gu Ling said. But he didn’t know who it was.
Su Liang frowned, “Is it the person arranged by Situ Xie to watch me? Or maybe, it’s him himself? He seemed not to sleep last night.”
Su Liang had been living in Prince Mansion for several days, and suddenly someone started to watch her last night. She wanted to visit the Qingjing Temple, and Situ Xie followed her, which made her think, “He cannot know that you made the fan. I’m wondering if he’s not watching me, but rather the fan. In that case, does he think that someone will be attracted by this fan?” Gu Ling nodded, agreeing with Su Liang’s opinion.
However, whether there were descendants of the Mu Family by Situ Xie’s side, and why he thought a hidden weapon fan would attract someone, Su Liang and Gu Ling didn’t know.
“In that case, there are some clues. Let’s see who the fan will attract next.” Su Liang had another fan with her, which Gu Ling had given to her, and she carried it with her all the time.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps. Su Liang’s expression tightened, and she turned to see a gray-clothed old man with a hunched back carrying a large bamboo basket, picking up dead branches on the ground.
The old man looked up, his messy beard like dried grass, his eyebrows long and his aged eyes dull. He spoke slowly, “This is not a place for secret meetings. Leave quickly.”
Su Liang smiled, “Master Xuanqing allowed us to visit here.”
Upon hearing this, the old man continued to pick up dead branches and suddenly fell to the ground as he stood up.
Su Liang’s expression changed and she hurried to help him, but Gu Ling was faster and reached the old man first, bending down to assist him.
As soon as Gu Ling’s hand touched the old man’s arm, the old man suddenly made a move, reaching for Gu Ling’s waist! The dull and aged eyes had become sharp!
Unfortunately, the old man assumed that Su Liang, the doctor, would be the first to reach him, but he didn’t expect it to be Gu Ling.
Su Liang now held the fan that was originally hanging at her waist. It was obvious that the old man was after the fan, perhaps he wasn’t even from Qingjing Temple but had followed her here instead.
At this point, Gu Ling had already started fighting with the old man. The hunched-backed old man straightened his back, his figure tall and large, obviously an act. Su Liang had nearly been fooled too.
Su Liang wondered if this person was related to the Mu Family, or just wanted to steal the fan for his own use. If it were the latter, it wouldn’t count as much of a gain. If it were the former, their plan would be mostly successful.
After several moves, the old man suddenly spoke up, “I just wanted to borrow the fan to take a look!”
Su Liang replied coldly, “If it weren’t for the master by my side, you would have snatched the fan and left already.”
The old man’s mouth twitched slightly, “Anyway, I won’t fight anymore!”
Su Liang knew the old man stopped fighting because he realized that it would be difficult to suppress Gu Ling. However, this wasn’t the main point now, “Why did you want to borrow the fan?”
Gu Ling returned to Su Liang’s side, and the old man stared at Su Liang from two meters away, “You name the price.”
Su Liang laughed lightly, “If you know me, then you should know that the last thing I lack is money.”
The old man glanced at Gu Ling and said coldly, “I want to know if this fan was made by a descendant of the Mu Family.”
A thought crossed Su Liang’s mind. Only the Mu family members could distinguish whether the fan was made by their family! They had caught a real fish!
“Old man, aren’t you afraid that we won’t let you go after hearing what you said?” Su Liang asked with a smile.
The old man snorted, “It’s not easy for me to defeat that kid, but you two are dreaming if you want to keep me!”
Su Liang smiled, “Alright. Since you are an expert, there’s no harm in taking a look. I want to know if this precious fan is a genuine Mu Family product.”
As she spoke, Su Liang handed the fan to Gu Ling, “Please help me give the fan to the old man, let him have a look, and then bring it back to me.”
Gu Ling took the fan and walked towards the old man, handing it to him directly.
The old man was visibly startled, “Young miss, aren’t you afraid that I will run away when I get the fan? You two can’t stop me!”
“Though your entrance was not very friendly, I would still like to make a friend with you, so why not gamble?” Su Liang smiled.
“Forget about making friends, I don’t need it.” The old man snorted lightly, took the fan and opened it to examine it closely.
Su Liang walked to Gu Ling, “How about it? Is it the work of the Mu Family?”
The old man shook his head, “It’s not. The descendant of the Mu Family that I know cannot make such a fine hidden weapon.”
“Oh? So this fan is a fake Mu Family hidden weapon, but it’s even better than a genuine Mu Family work?” Su Liang looked surprised.
“Not all descendants of the Mu Family are skilled craftsmen.” As the old man spoke, he continued to examine the fan’s handle, “Young miss, may I take this fan apart?”
“If I agree, will you promise me one thing in return?” Su Liang had barely finished speaking when she heard a tearing sound – the fan had already been torn apart by the old man.
Su Liang also saw the mechanism inside the fan for the first time, and once again marveled at Gu Ling’s ingenious hands.
“Not too complicated, but so delicate, it must not be the work of that scum…” The old man’s mutterings reached Gu Ling and Su Liang’s ears.
The two exchanged glances and gained new information. Su Liang even thought at this moment that the scum mentioned by the old man might be the descendant of the Mu Family loyal to Situ Xie, as Duanmu Yi had said.
After all, so many years had passed, and the Mu Family had made no move, nor had the secret scroll appeared in the world. It seemed that their descendants did not want to get involved in the world’s disputes or pursue fame and fortune.
If someone suddenly joined Situ Xie’s camp without being the only heir, could it be that they were most likely a traitor?
Su Liang felt that if her guess was correct, the situation wasn’t bad for them, as long as they got along well with the old man.
“Old man, your last name is Mu, right?” Su Liang smiled sweetly.
The old man glanced at Su Liang and snorted lightly, “Don’t try to take advantage of me! I know you were sent by the Qian Country Royal Family!”
“That’s not important.” Su Liang shook her head, “If I guess correctly, the old man must be the true heir of the Mu Family’s Divine Craftsman. If you only have one disciple and have fallen out with him, why not take on another one?” The old man frowned at Su Liang, “You want to be my disciple?”
As soon as Su Liang heard this, she was almost certain that she had guessed correctly, so she quickly shook her head, “I am not good with my hands. I have a friend who is the most dexterous person I’ve ever met.”
The old man shook his head, “Tell your friend to focus on embroidery.”
Su Liang coughed lightly, “He’s a man.”
“He still can embroider.” The old man snorted.
Su Liang’s expression turned serious, “What if it were the maker of the fan in your hands, old man? Would he catch your eye?”
The old man’s expression changed slightly, “You know the person who made this fan? Then why did you let someone else buy it… You cunning girl, this fan is yours, isn’t it?!”
Su Liang maintained her smile, took out another smaller fan she had been carrying with her, and admitted the old man’s guess, “Don’t be upset, old man. Just like you pretended to be sick to trick me today, I played a little trick with my friend yesterday. We’re both cunning, aren’t we?”
“Friend…” The old man’s gaze fell on Gu Ling, “This kid here?”
Su Liang nodded, “Yes, him. He’s my most dexterous friend. He made these two fans when he had nothing else to do, and no one taught him anything. Isn’t he a genius?”
“Really? You came up with this on your own?” The old man’s eyes brightened.
“I’m not interested in becoming a disciple. Goodbye.” Gu Ling turned and walked away.
“Wait!” The old man grabbed Gu Ling, “If everything you’ve said is true, then you’re the disciple I’ve been looking for! I can teach you everything I know!” “Sorry, I don’t need it.” Gu Ling refused again, his face cold.
The old man looked at Su Liang, “Little girl, you clearly want him to be my disciple. Why don’t you persuade him?”
Su Liang coughed lightly, “Brother, just agree. There’s no harm in it. Don’t you want to see the exquisite mechanisms crafted by the Mu Family’s Divine Craftsman? You won’t have this chance again!”
Gu Ling frowned slightly and said to the old man, “Fine, but you can’t force me to do anything.”
“As long as you abide by the ancestral teachings, everything else is up to you!” The old man’s expression changed, “Someone is coming. I’ll find you again!” After he spoke, he grabbed the bamboo basket on the ground and disappeared into the depths of the Pagoda Forest with a few leaps.
When Situ Xie walked into the Pagoda Forest and saw Su Liang and Gu Ling, Gu Ling was taking the folding fan from Su Liang’s hand and putting it into his pocket.
In fact, the fan Su Liang gave to Gu Ling was a different one. This way, Situ Xie would not notice that the fan he had been watching had disappeared.
“It seems that Divine Doctor Su has finally given out her gift.” Situ Xie walked over with a smile.
Su Liang looked pleased, “Marquis Gu just wanted to see the hidden weapon. He said he would return it after looking at it. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t.”
“I am very happy that Ling’er has a friend like Divine Doctor Su.” Situ Xie’s smile was meaningful, “It’s getting late, and I need to return to the mansion. Are you coming back?”
“Yes.” Gu Ling replied.
Upon returning to Prince Yue’s Mansion and parting ways between Ning Xiang Residence and Han Xiangyuan, Su Liang gently bumped Gu Ling’s shoulder and whispered, “You played it well today with the feigned retreat trick.”
It was not a masterstroke of Su Liang’s own. Gu Ling was genuinely interested in mechanical things, and the old man was an opportunity not to be missed.
Gu Ling shook his head, “I’m not good at it.” At Qingjing Temple, he deliberately pretended not to be interested in becoming a disciple. However, his feigned retreat had absolutely no effect on Su Liang. The problem was with him, and he retreated so well that Su Liang couldn’t even notice his intention to “capture.” But the current situation was also good, and deep down, what he really looked forward to was Su Liang falling in love with him without knowing
that he loved her….
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