Chapter 144:144. Su Xiaoliang Wants to Kill Me (Part 2)
Translator: 549690339
After Su Liang and Ning Jing resolved the trouble with Luo Rong and returned home, it was already past midnight.
Before each of them entered their respective houses, Su Liang asked Ning Jing, “Are you going to watch the challenge contest tomorrow?”
Ning Jing shook his head, “I can’t.”
‘Why not?” Su Liang asked, puzzled.
“The Provincial Exam,” Ning Jing replied.
Startled, Su Liang held her forehead, “I completely forgot that you still have exams to take. You should’ve mentioned it earlier – I would’ve gone by myself tonight.”
Other scholars would be focusing on preparing for the exam, but even when Ning Jing had free time at home, he either helped Su Liang make medicine or worked on model airplanes — he never seemed to spend time studying.
However, this hadn’t affected Ning Jing’s performance in the past.
As for Su Liang, all she could say was that this was the style of a great god.
Unlike her, she diligently practiced martial arts every day for the Military Exam, and still had to summarize her experiences and lessons when she got home.
Early the next morning, Su Liang prepared a lot of food for Ning Jing.
As the morning light began to appear, Ning Jing carried his bookcase, stood in a long line, and entered the Examination Hall.
Su Liang accompanied him and watched as the last scholar entered, and the heavy doors of the Examination Hall closed with a thud. Only then did she turn around and leave.
By the time she returned home, the sun had just risen.
Thinking that Ning Jing would be away for the next three days, Su Liang felt somewhat uneasy. Although the two of them were quiet when they were at home, they hardly spoke to each other unless it was necessary.
Xing Yusheng and Lin Xueqing came to pick up Su Liang to watch the challenge contest.
“Ning Senior Brother will undoubtedly be fine, and so will Su younger sister.”
Lin Xueqing confidently said, “If both of you become the Top Scholars, you should be together! A match made in heaven!”
Su Liang calmly replied, “We’re already living together.”
“I mean getting married. Su younger sister, don’t play dumb.” Lin Xueqing’s expression was serious.
Su Liang raised her eyebrows, “You should talk to Ning Jing instead of me. I don’t have a say.”
Xing Yusheng smiled, “Let’s go; it’s getting late. My younger cousin must’ve already arrived.”
The Civil Service Provincial Examination Hall was heavily guarded, but the
Military Examinations were open to all.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Su Liang thought she would see Duanmu Che, but instead, she saw another completely unfamiliar young man smiling at her.
Su Liang felt strange. Was this someone the original master knew?
“Su younger sister, hurry up! I see Sister Qin!” Lin Xueqing pulled Su Liang’s hand and ran forward.
Following Lin Shun’s gaze, Duanmu Che saw Su Liang’s retreating figure, his expression slightly sinking, “Cousin, what are you looking at?”
“A little beauty.” Lin Shun said, getting off the carriage. Amidst the surrounding exclamations, he carried Duanmu Che horizontally out of the carriage.
Duanmu Che disliked this position very much, as he used to be carried off by Huang Bo.
Lin Shun put Duanmu Che in the wheelchair, patting his head, “Little Cheche, how come you’re getting more and more delicate?”
Duanmu Che’s face darkened, “Lin Shun, mind what you say.”
Lin Shun sneered softly, pushing Duanmu Che’s wheelchair forward, “I’m not a prince; who cares about what I say?”
Xing Yusheng and Qin Yujin could sit with the princes and princesses in the spectator seats. If Lin Xueqing and Su Liang wanted to go, they could also follow them there.
But Qin Yujin and Lin Xueqing both felt disgusted at the sight of Duanmu Ao, and since no elder accompanied them today, they didn’t have to sit there either, so they didn’t go.
Lin Shun sat next to Duanmu Che, very casually greeting Duanmu Chen.
“Master Lin, long time no see,” Duanmu Chen smiled.
It was once rumored that Duanmu Yi’s favorite concubine, Xianfei, was a daughter of the Lin’s family – a Southern Guard General of Qian Country.
Old General Lin had passed away a few years ago, and his descendants didn’t inherit his mantle. Although the Lin family was still a prestigious family in the south, they had somewhat declined.
“I heard that there are two girls participating in the Military Exam this year. Who are they?” Lin Shun asked Duanmu Chen.
Duanmu Chen scanned the crowd and his gaze fell on Su Liang, pointing her out for Lin Shun, “That’s one of them. Her surname is Su, with a single name, Liang. The other is the Fourth Miss of the Nian Family. It seems she didn’t come today.”
Lin Shun looked at Su Liang, who was listening to Qin Yujin speak, and laughed, “So it’s that little beauty.”
Duanmu Che frowned, “Cousin.”
Duanmu Chen wasn’t meeting Lin Shun for the first time. He would come to the capital every year to stay for a while and visit Duanmu Che. It was rumored that Lin Shun was a famous playboy in the southern region of Qian Country.
Lin Shun seemed not to notice Duanmu Che’s displeasure and continued chatting with Duanmu Chen, “Has Miss Su Liang married?”
“No.” Duanmu Chen shook his head.
With a serious look, Lian Shun said, “If she becomes the Martial Arts
Champion, you can ask the emperor for permission to marry her!”
Duanmu Che’s expression tightened, “Cousin, what nonsense are you talking about?”
Lian Shun laughed, “Cousin, you’re so weak, you need to marry a strong wife to protect you. Miss Su Liang is very suitable, and she’s so beautiful, I’m even a little tempted!”
Duanmu Che frowned, “Stop talking nonsense!”
Duanmu Chen just smiled without uttering a word. He had an intuition that
Lian shun was not as simple as he seemed, always speaking with phixea truth and falsehood. However, he could also tell that Duanmu Che and Su Liang were indeed on bad terms.
The first match of the Challenge Contest was between Luo Rong and his enemy.
That man’s father went out last night and did not return. Today, he saw Luo Rong unharmed and guessed that something had happened to his father. However, he didn’t dare to make a fuss at this critical moment, as their father and son were not innocent themselves.
What happened last night made Luo Rong even more determined to defeat his opponent fair and square.
Although the battle was stuck at first, the final result was that Luo Rong won. He went from being eliminated to being the tenth-place challenger.
After watching Luo Rong’s match, Su Liang decided to leave.
Xing Yusheng wanted to arrange for Qi Yan to escort her back, but Su Liang politely refused, saying she wanted to walk by herself.
As soon as she left the Battle Arena, Su Liang detected someone following her.
Her first thought was that Duanmu Ao had sent someone to kill her.
Su Liang passed through an alley, where no one was around. She would soon reach the main street of the capital city.
But before she could leave the alley, a tall, thin man wearing a mask dropped from the sky, blocking her way. Without a word, he attacked her!
Su Liang’s eyes narrowed, and as she dodged, she drew the Twin Blades hidden on her calf.
After dozens of moves, the man suddenly closed in on Su Liang, feinted, and then retreated and ran away…
Su Liang stood in the alley with her Twin Blades, feeling strangely. The man was not weak, but she didn’t feel any killing intent. It was as if he had a stomachache and had left to find a toilet or had discovered halfway through the fight that he had targeted the wrong person. It was simply inexplicable.
And this man’s figure seemed unfamiliar to Su Liang.
Leaving the alley, Su Liang went straight home.
The morning Challenge Contest was over, and only then did Lian Shun, who had earlier claimed that he needed to relieve himself, leisurely return to join Duanmu Che as they left.
After getting in the carriage, Duanmu Che asked Lian Shun, “Where did you
Lian Shun reached out and mussed Duanmu Che’s hair, sighing, “Big brother has been worrying about you so much.”
Duanmu Che frowned, “Answer my question.”
“Last night, Old Huang told me everything about you and that little beauty Su Liang. I forced him to tell me.” Lian Shun leaned against the carriage wall and looked at Duanmu Che, “You asked me for the Disguise Medicine because you suspected that she’s a spy? I saw her up close just now, and there’s no trace of disguise on her face.”
Duanmu Che frowned, “You went to find Su Liang?”
“She doesn’t know me.” Lian Shun shook his head. “I didn’t do anything to her.” “Are you sure?” Duanmu Che asked.
Lian Shun snorted softly, “I can’t be certain about anything else, but for Disguise Technique, if I say there’s none, there’s none. Look at how sick you are; why do you think so much? Have Old Huang go and apologize to her quickly and invite her to come and treat you!”
Duanmu Che shook his head, “I don’t believe it. Even if she didn’t use the
Disguise Technique, she might not be Su Liang.”
“Little Cheche, in this world, there may be people who look exactly alike, but there are no two completely identical people. Since you know her but have no evidence, it means that her appearance has no difference from the Su Liang you know. If she didn’t use Disguise Technique, then it’s real!” Lian Shun said. “Didn’t you say there was a strange person in the martial arts world who could make human faces into masks, with no flaws when worn?” Duanmu Che said.
Lian Shun was taken aback, “Yes, there is such a person. Do you suspect that the woman is wearing a human skin mask after all?”
“It’s not entirely impossible.” said Duanmu Che.
Lian Shun looked helpless, “I give up; I’ll go check on her again. If it weren’t for fear of you dying from your illness, I wouldn’t bother doing this!”
When the carriage stopped at the Fifth Prince’s Mansion, Lian Shun was nowhere to be found inside.
Duanmu Che returned to the mansion but waited until dusk, and still, Lian Shun hadn’t come back.
“If nothing went wrong, Young Master Lin should have returned by now!” Huang Bo thought uneasily to himself.
Duanmu Che’s eyes turned cold, “Could he have been discovered and captured by that woman? I knew she had a problem! ”
Just as his words fell, Lian Shun’s exaggerated voice came from outside, “Little
Cheche, save me, Su Xiaoliang is going to kill me!”
Duanmu Che’s face changed, and looking out the window, he saw Su Liang standing expressionlessly in the yard. Lian Shun grinned, “Misunderstanding! It’s all a misunderstanding! There are no human skin masks, just a real, genuine little beauty.. It took me a lot of persuading to bring her here! Little Cheche, hurry up and apologize to Miss Su Liang!”
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