Chapter 650: Chapter 351: Deeper Misunderstandings, Love Beyond Control, Xiaotuan’s Past, Loyal Lady (Part 2)
Gu Nianjun saw his sincere words revealing his intentions and smiled, "That’s for the best. Brother Zhou, you excel in both culture and martial arts, and there are many better women than me. Although we lack a romantic bond, the friendship from Prefecture City remains strong. We are certainly good friends!"
Zhou Shijie smiled and said, "To have you say this, Nianjun, I am quite content." Gu Nianjun suddenly thought of something and said, "Brother Zhou, your arm injury, it can actually be regenerated."
Zhou Shijie said, "There are countless marvels in the world, and there must be a way to regenerate a limb. But I have no access to it, so of what use is it?" Gu Nianjun said, "In the place where three roads meet, there is an extremely wealthy city-state, Jade City, which has a product called ’Jade Saliva Muscle Regeneration Ointment’, capable of limb regeneration!"
Zhou Shijie noted it down secretly. Gu Nianjun said, "Right, back to business, what did you talk about after meeting that hero?"
Zhou Shijie said, "The hero’s elegance and grace truly made me helplessly admiring, deeply respectful. Nianjun, you know me; I rarely admire anyone, but I uniquely admire that hero."
Gu Nianjun proudly said, "That’s only natural, not just you, even I..." Her pretty face slightly reddened, recalling a lady’s restraint, she said no more. Zhou Shijie said, "He is gentle like jade, treats people kindly, and his talent is frighteningly high, yet he shows not a hint of arrogance. Such a person... makes me extremely envious, truly a favored one of heaven, a dragon among men."
Gu Nianjun found it slightly strange, thinking: "When I first met him, he treated me quite blandly and indifferently. Gentle like jade... not quite so. But what I like most about him is his carefree defiance, unrestrained, like an arrow piercing through, brilliantly unmatched by anyone."
Already suspicious, she stared at Zhou Shijie and asked, "You didn’t see wrong, did you? Could someone have been impersonating him?"
Zhou Shijie realized he had shown a flaw. His cunning wasn’t on par with Gu Nianjun’s, making it extremely difficult to fool her. But with his broken arm injury, he pulled a muscle in his face, pretending to be in unbearable pain, temporarily unable to speak, using this chance to think of a strategy.
He recalled that a few days before Gu Nianjun’s disappearance, she seemed worried, wanting to find the traces of the White-faced Red Bow.
He calmly said, "I did not see wrong. That hero told me he originally had business outside and was not in Flying Dragon City. Suddenly hearing of a major disturbance in the city, with the Flower Thief causing chaos and women disappearing, he returned to the city out of concern for your safety. By then, you were already missing, so I assumed you had been taken by the Flower Cage. Thus, I mentioned this matter."
Gu Nianjun’s pretty face flushed slightly, extremely pleased, she thought to herself: "So that’s how it is, yet concern arises again: if he thinks I was captured by the Flower Thief, does he assume I have lost my chastity? This... this would tarnish my reputation... would it not already be spoiled?" Her disdain for the Flower Cage Sect grew deeper.
Zhou Shijie said, "The young master, upon learning this, was very concerned about you and decided to help capture the Flower Thief. Therefore, I previously told you that if we capture the Flower Thief, we might encounter that young master again."
Gu Nianjun exhaled a deep breath, her worries slightly relieved, but she still hoped to meet again, asking, "Then... what else did that young master say to you?"
Zhou Shijie, seeing that Gu Nianjun’s doubts were dispelled, was already satisfied. Suddenly he thought: "There is no hope between me and Gu Nianjun. Gu Nianjun’s appearance clearly shows her feelings. Whoever she favors is acceptable, but it must not be Li Xian. This scoundrel cost me an arm, committed countless evil acts, how can all good things go to him? To think of winning the beauty’s favor, hmph, absolutely impossible." Consumed by envy, he said, "There is one thing... I have delayed telling you. Nianjun, I hope you won’t blame me."
"When we met, we feared that the Flower Thief might disguise himself to mock us. So, we demanded that he remove his mask and reveal his identity and origins. Thus, I know his identity!"
Gu Nianjun said eagerly, "Why didn’t you say so earlier!"
Zhou Shijie said, "His looks are handsome, a thousand times more so than Li Xian, and his strength is even more formidable, exceeding Li Xian a million times."
Gu Nianjun thought, "Zhou Shijie hates Li Xian tremendously. To say someone surpasses Li Xian in looks might already be very unlikely; claiming a thousand or a million times, how could such a person exist in the world? What I admire is certainly not his looks. Even if under the mask he is ordinary, I still admire him. But... his appearance definitely wouldn’t be bad." Her heart fluttered, thinking of the events of the Snow Mountain Fox Hunt.
Zhou Shijie said, "Furthermore, his family background is also quite exceptional. He is the Golden Boy from Daoxuan Mountain: Taishu Chunfeng. His surname is Taishu, named Chunfeng."
Gu Nianjun exclaimed in surprise, "So it is the Golden Boy from Daoxuan Mountain? No wonder... no wonder he is so formidable!"
Zhou Shijie thought, "This Daoxuan Mountain isn’t within Yu Nan Dao, quite far away. I deliberately mentioned a remote place, making it difficult for you to investigate. Gu Nianjun, oh Gu Nianjun... since you don’t like me, don’t blame me for setting you up. It’s only fitting that you experience the pain of unrequited love. I’ll continue to incite; from what I see, Li Xian doesn’t seem to have any affection for you either. Once he loathes you more, or is ultimately killed, then when the truth is revealed, you’ll taste the bitterness of a broken heart." He said, "Nianjun, although that scoundrel Li has temporarily escaped, he is a major threat and still needs to be apprehended!"
Gu Nianjun thought, "Now that I know his background, there’s no rush. If it’s meant to be, we will meet. What’s important now is Xiaofan’s future!" She said, "You’re right, when necessary, if Li Xian doesn’t cleanse himself of guilt, he might as well vanish without a trace."
"Otherwise, if someone uses this to attack Xiaofan’s sincerity in the future, all previous efforts will be in vain."
Zhou Shijie said, "Exactly! Though I am injured, I am willing to help." In his heart, he thought, "When the truth is eventually revealed, don’t blame me for obstructing. If not for your deep-seated prejudice, how could you be swayed by my incitement." He had suffered repeated setbacks and was embittered, his heart already twisted. Although Gu Nianjun did not reciprocate his affection, she had never owed him anything. His scheming was thus ungrateful and cynical.
Gu Nianjun reassembled her team and drove the boats back to shore. By this time, it was nearing dusk, capturing over thirty Flower Thieves and killing more than a dozen. They reaped a substantial harvest, with disciples from the Flower Cage Sect being captured, bound with ropes and iron chains, unable to move.
