One.
The rain was cold, and the rain was fine.
The fine, long strands of rain floated over the parasol trees in the courtyard, entangling the leaves, and entangling the melancholy in one's heart.
Dragon Fifth walked through the long corridor, but didn't walk out. He didn't like to get wet.
Liu Changjie was behind him.
He knew, but didn't say anything. Neither did Liu Changjie.
The two of them stood quietly at the end of the long corridor, looking at the cold rain and the parasol trees in the courtyard. After an indeterminable amount of time …
"Power of Hu really is a ruthless person," said Dragon Fifth with a sigh. "He's not just ruthless to others, he's ruthless to himself." "Perhaps it's because he knows he has no other path to take." "And because he has no other path to take, you let him go?" "I'm also a ruthless person," said Liu Changjie coolly.
"You're not," said Dragon Five.
Liu Changjie laughed, but it wasn't a very happy laugh.
Dragon Fifth turned to look at him. "At the very least, you let him protect his reputation." "That's because his reputation wasn't stolen," said Liu Changjie. "He fought bitterly for it." "I can see that," said Dragon Fifth.
"Besides, there's no personal enmity between the two of us. I don't want to ruin him as a person." "But you didn't force him to come to justice. You didn't even ask him to hand over the stolen goods." "I didn't, and I didn't need to."
"Didn't need?"
"He's a very smart person," said Liu Changjie. "I don't need to force him. He'll give me an answer himself." "So you're waiting here, waiting for him to sort things out?" Liu Changjie nodded. "Yes.
"That's why the case isn't over yet."
"Not yet."
Dragon Fifth muttered to himself for a moment, then suddenly said, "If he's willing to hand over the stolen goods, and if he's willing to sort things out himself, then wouldn't the case be over?" "Not really."
"Why?" asked Dragon Fifth.
"You should know why."
Dragon Fifth turned his head and looked off into the distance at the dark clouds. After a long time, he slowly said, "You can't let Qiu Hengbo go?" "I can't."
The expression on his face suddenly became very serious. "Justice and law cannot be broken by anyone. Whoever commits a crime must be punished." Dragon Fifth suddenly turned his head and stared at him. "Who are you?" he said. "Who are you? Why must you pursue this matter? " Liu Changjie said nothing. After a long time, he slowly said, "At least I'm not doing this for myself." "Who are you doing this for?" asked Dragon Fifth again. "Just who are you?" Liu Changjie closed his mouth.
"Of course you're not the kind of person you say you are. You don't want to sell yourself out, and you definitely won't sell yourself out." Liu Changjie didn't deny it.
"But Power of Hu and I investigated your background, and we couldn't find any evidence that you were lying." "So you can't figure it out?"
"I really can't figure it out."
Liu Changjie suddenly laughed. "When I run into something I can't figure out, there's only one way to deal with it." "What way?"
"If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it. At least don't think about it for now." "And in the future?"
"No matter what the secret is, sooner or later the truth will come to light. As long as you have patience, sooner or later you'll find out." Dragon Fifth closed his mouth.
Perhaps he couldn't not think about it, but at least he wouldn't ask. The rain fell, and the sky darkened.
The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard in the long corridor.
A man, holding a paper lantern in his hand, slowly approached from the other end of the long, gloomy corridor.
The lantern light illuminated his white hair, as well as his face. It was none other than Power of Hu's faithful old man.
His face was completely expressionless.
He had long since learned to hide his sorrow in his heart.
"You two haven't left?"
"Not yet."
The old man nodded slowly. "Of course you haven't left. But the Old Master has!" "He left?"
The old man gazed out at the rain. "The weather is unpredictable, and people have their ups and downs. I never could have imagined that the Old Master would suddenly fall ill." "He died of illness?"
The old man nodded. "His rheumatism had long since seeped into his bones. He was a cripple. It wasn't easy for him to survive until today." His face was still expressionless, but a strange expression could be seen in his eyes. It was hard to tell if he was grieving for Power of Hu, or pleading with Liu Changjie to not reveal the Old Master's secret.
Liu Changjie looked at him, and finally nodded. He sighed. "Yes, he definitely died of illness. I could tell a long time ago that he was very sick." The old man's eyes shone with indescribable gratitude. He let out a long sigh. "Thank you. You really are a good person. The Old Master didn't misjudge you." He sighed, then slowly walked past Liu Changjie and out into the corridor.
Liu Changjie couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going?"
"To report the Old Master's death."
"And where to report the death?"
"To Madam Qiu." The old man's voice suddenly filled with resentment. "If it weren't for her, the Old Master wouldn't have been so sick. Now that he's gone, I have to let her know." Liu Changjie's eyes shone. "Don't tell me she'll come here to pay her respects?" "She will," said the old man, emphasizing each word. "She can't not come." The rain outside grew heavier.
The old man slowly walked out, holding the lantern in his hand. The rain quickly drenched it, and it was extinguished.
But it seemed as if he didn't feel it at all. Holding the lantern in his hand, he walked step by step into the darkness.
Night fell, enveloping the land.
When the old man's wizened, stooped figure disappeared into the darkness, Dragon Fifth sighed. "This time, you were right. Power of Hu didn't disappoint you." Liu Changjie sighed.
"But I still don't understand. Why did Qiu Hengbo have to come?" "I don't understand either."
"That's why you don't want to."
Liu Changjie suddenly laughed. "Because I believe that no matter what happens, sooner or later, the truth will come to light." He turned to look at Dragon Fifth. "There's something I'd advise you never to forget." "What is it?"
"Heaven's net is long and mighty, but it never escapes."
His eyes shone in the darkness. "No matter who commits a crime, don't even think about escaping the net of the law." Part 2
Dusk.
Every day has dusk, but not every day's dusk is exactly the same.
Just as everyone dies, there are many ways to die. Some people die honorably and heroically. Some die ordinary and lowly.
At least Power of Hu didn't die a lowly death.
Many people came to the mourning hall to pay their respects. Many were his students and old friends, and many had come because of his reputation. But one person was missing.
Madam Lovesickness hadn't come.
Liu Changjie wasn't worried. He didn't even ask why.
When Dragon Fifth left, he didn't try to stop him. He knew that Dragon Fifth would leave, just as he knew that Qiu Hengbo would come.
— Seeing him would only add to one's troubles, so it was better not to see him.
Since Qiu Hengbo was coming, how could Dragon Fifth not leave?
He saw Dragon Fifth off, all the way to the end of the road. Coolly, he said, "I'll definitely come find you." "When?" Dragon Fifth couldn't help but ask. "When will you come find me?" Liu Changjie laughed. "When you're drinking, of course." Dragon Fifth laughed as well. "I often drink at the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant." The mourning hall was located in this ancient, wide hall.
Liu Changjie was nowhere to be found. The only people left in the mourning hall were the white-haired old man and two paper-made boys and girls, guarding Power of Hu's coffin.
It was very late at night.
The gloomy lamplight shone down on his weary old face, making him look like a paper doll.
White curtains hung on all four sides of the coffin, and behind them were piles of paper-made vessels, carriages, bridges, and mountains of gold and silver.
They were all prepared to be incinerated on the days of 'Receiving the Three' and 'Accompanying the Night'.
The carriages were painted to look very realistic. The horses and mules, the drivers, even the attendants, the reins, the horsewhip, the green-robed hat, the ears, eyes, mouth, and nose were all lifelike. Unfortunately, Power of Hu couldn't see them.
The night wind was bleak, and the lamplight flickered. A shadow floated in.
It was a nocturnal traveler who was draped in linen and wearing mourning attire. Underneath the mourning attire, he was also wearing a black night suit.
The old man looked up at him. He knelt, and the old man knelt. He kowtowed, and the old man kowtowed.
When a great figure of the Wulin world like Power of Hu passed away, there would often be unknown figures of the Jianghu who would pay their respects at night.
This couldn't be considered strange. It wasn't worth making a fuss about, and it wasn't worth asking.
But the man in the night asked, "Has Old Man Hu really passed away?" The old man nodded.
"He was just fine a few days ago. How could he have passed away so suddenly?" "The weather is unpredictable," said the old man sadly. "People have their own fortunes and misfortunes. No one can predict such things. "" How did he pass away? "The man was clearly very concerned about Power of Hu's death.
"He died of illness," said the old man. "He was already very ill." The man let out a long sigh. "I haven't seen him in a long time. I don't know if I'll be able to see him one last time." "Unfortunately, I'm one step too late."
"Can I pay my respects to his remains?" The man still hadn't given up.
"No," said the old man simply. "Everyone else can, but you can't." The man seemed surprised. "Why can't I?"
The old man's face darkened. "Because he doesn't recognize you."
The man was even more surprised. "How do you know he doesn't recognize me?"
"Because I don't recognize you either," said the old man coldly.
The Nightwalker said, "As long as he recognizes it, you will recognize it?"
The old man nodded.
The man's face darkened as well. "What if I insist on seeing him?" "I know you don't insist on seeing him," said the old man coolly. "The person who wants to see him isn't you." The man frowned. "Do you know who it is?"
The old man nodded again, then laughed coldly. "There's only one thing I'm curious about." "What is it?"
"Madam Qiu, if you don't believe that the old man is truly dead, and you still want to see his remains, why didn't you come yourself? Why did you, a thief from the Lower Five Sects, come harass the old man's spirit after he died?" The man's face changed. He flipped his hand, revealing a pair of deerskin gloves filled with poisonous projectiles.
The old man didn't even look at him.
The man laughed sinisterly. "Even if I'm a thief from the Lower Five Sects, I can still take your life!" It seemed he really was about to make his move. But at this moment, a cold voice suddenly said, "Shut your mouth and get out. Get out!" The voice was beautiful, as if it had come from the heavens.
There wasn't a third person in the mourning hall, and no one could see where the voice was coming from.
The old man wasn't the least bit surprised. His face was completely expressionless. "So you really did come," he said coolly. "I knew you would come." Three.
The man retreated, step by step, out of the mourning hall.
The only person left in the mourning hall was the white-haired old man, accompanied by the gloomy, desolate lamp.
But at this moment, in the mourning hall, someone else's voice could be heard.
"Hu Yi." She was calling the old man's name. "Since you knew I called him here, why didn't you let him see the old man's remains?" Hu Yi's answer was just as straightforward. "Because he wasn't worthy."
"What about me? Am I worthy? "
"The old man knew you wouldn't believe he was dead."
"Oh?"
"So he told me to wait until you came, then nail the coffin shut." "Could it be that he wanted to see me again?" She laughed.
Her laughter was beautiful and sinister.
Amidst the laughter, the paper palanquin suddenly shattered into countless pieces, as if it were being set ablaze by an invisible flame.
Countless pieces of paper danced about in the middle of the hall, like countless colorful butterflies.
Among the butterflies, a person floated up, like a snow-white flower suddenly blooming.
She wore a snow-white robe, and her face was covered with a snow-white veil. She looked like a snow-white mist as she floated in front of Hu Yi.
Hu Yi's face was completely expressionless — Madam Lovesickness would come.
He knew, and had been waiting for her.
"Now, can I see the old man's remains?"
"Of course you can," said Hu Yi coolly. "And he might actually want to see you again." The coffin had not been nailed shut.
Power of Hu lay quietly in the coffin, looking even more peaceful and serene than when he was alive.
Because he knew that no one in the world could force him to do anything.
Madam Lovesickness finally let out a soft sigh. "It seems he really did leave." "It seems you didn't tell him to wait for you."
Madam Lovesickness said, "Because I know a dead man can't take anything with him." "He really didn't take anything with him."
"If he didn't take anything with him, then he should have left it behind for me." "What should have been given to you, of course I should have."
Madam Lovesickness asked, "Where?"
"Right here," Hu Yi said.
"How come I can't see it?"
"Because you promised to bring it to him, but you still haven't brought it." "Even if I did, he wouldn't be able to see it." "I can see it."
"Unfortunately, I didn't promise you anything, and Hu Yue 'er isn't your daughter!" Hu Yi shut his mouth.
"Where is it?" Madam Lovesickness asked.
"Right here," Hu Yi said.
"I still can't see it."
"Because I can't see Hu Yue 'er either."
Madam Lovesickness laughed coldly. "I'm afraid you'll never be able to see her again." Hu Yi laughed coldly as well. "Then you'll never be able to see those things either." "At least I can see one thing."
Hu Yi said, "Oh?"
"At least I can see your head fall," said Madam Lovesickness coldly. "Unfortunately, my head isn't worth a single copper coin."
Madam Lovesickness said, "Sometimes I want something worthless." Hu Yi said, "In that case, you can come and take it whenever you want."
Madam Lovesickness suddenly laughed. "You know very well that I won't kill you." "Oh?" said Hu Yi.
"As long as you still have a breath left in you, I have a way to make you tell me the truth." Her hand suddenly flicked out like an orchid.
Hu Yi didn't move.
However, another hand suddenly reached out and met her hand with lightning speed.
There wasn't a third person in the mourning hall, so where did this hand come from? Did it come from the coffin?
There was no hand coming out of the coffin.
It wasn't the hand of a dead person, it was the hand of a paper man.
The paper man was in pieces, broken into countless fluttering butterflies.
"I've been waiting for you here for a long time." Amidst the fluttering butterflies, a smiling face could be seen.
Liu Changjie was smiling.
However, there seemed to be an indescribable sadness in his smile.
Because the wind from his palm had lifted up Madam Lovesickness's veil, he could finally see her face.
He would never have imagined that this mysterious, gloomy woman was actually Hu Yue 'er.
Four
Dragon Fifth hugged his sable fur coat and reclined on the couch, staring out the window at the withered branches. "Why hasn't it snowed this year?" he muttered. No one answered him, nor did he expect anyone to.
Qin Huhua rarely spoke.
— When a person begins to talk to themselves, it means they are getting old.
Dragon Fifth suddenly remembered this saying, but forgot who had said it.
"Don't tell me I really am getting old?"
He stroked the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, his heart filled with an indescribable loneliness.
Qin Huhua was warming some wine for him.
Normally, he rarely drank, but recently, he drank two cups a day.
— When will you come to find me?
— When you drink, of course.
Light footsteps could be heard outside the door. A waiter in a green robe and hat carried in a saucer covered with a soup bowl.
Dragon Fifth didn't turn his head. Instead, he laughed. "This time, there are three hands in the saucer, right?" Liu Changjie really did come.
He was also smiling. He lifted the lid off the saucer. "There's only one hand here, a left hand." Inside the saucer was a bear paw, which Dragon Fifth had instructed the kitchen to simmer over a low flame for an entire day.
The wine was also warmed just right.
"I knew you would come," said Dragon Fifth with a laugh. "You've come at just the right time." Qin Huhua had already filled two cups.
Liu Changjie couldn't help but ask, "You're not going to drink?"
Qin Huhua shook his head.
He looked at Liu Changjie for a moment, then turned his head away. His face was completely expressionless.
Liu Changjie was still looking at him. He suddenly thought of the white-haired, withered face of Hu Yi.
Every time he saw Hu Yi, he couldn't help but think of Qin Huhua.
Was it because they were the same kind of people? It was impossible to tell what they were thinking from the expressions on their faces.
What was Liu Changjie thinking about right now?
He was smiling, but his smile was gloomy, just like the gloomy weather outside.
"It's a good day to drink."
Dragon Fifth turned his head with a smile. "That's why I prepared two jugs of good wine for you." Liu Changjie raised his cup and drained it in one gulp. "It really is good wine." When he sat down, his smile was a bit more cheerful. A cup of good wine can always brighten a person's mood.
Dragon Fifth stared at him. "Did you just get here?" he asked probingly.
"Yes," said Liu Changjie.
"I thought you'd be here a few days ago."
"I … I'm late." Liu Changjie said.
Laughing, Dragon Fifth said, "Better late than never."
Liu Changjie was silent for a long time.
"You're wrong," he suddenly said. "Sometimes it's better not to come." He was obviously not talking about himself.
"Who are you talking about?"
Liu Changjie drank another cup. "You should know who I'm talking about." "Did she really go?"
"Yes!"
"Did you see her?"
"Yes!"
"Do you recognize her?"
"Yes!"
"Don't tell me she's the Hu Yue 'er you were talking about?"
Liu Changjie was on his fifth cup. "Of course she's not the real Hu Yue 'er." "You've never seen the real Hu Yue' er?"
Liu Changjie nodded and finished his sixth cup.
"She kidnapped Hu Yue 'er, and used her to blackmail Power of Hu. Then she pretended to be Hu Yue' er to see you." Liu Changjie drained his seventh cup in one gulp. "Do you want to know what happened to her?" "I don't." Dragon Fifth laughed.
"I knew what kind of person she was a long time ago." "But you didn't know what her end was." "I don't need to know," said Dragon Fifth slowly. "What kind of person she was, that kind of end was what kind of person she was." He forced another laugh. "Heaven's net is wide, but not wide enough. I haven't forgotten that saying." Liu Changjie wanted to laugh, but he didn't. He had already downed the entire jug of alcohol.
Dragon Fifth also drank a cup, and then suddenly said, "But I still can't tell what kind of person that old man is." "You mean Hu Yi?"
Dragon Fifth nodded. "At first, I suspected that he was the real Power of Hu." "Oh!" said Liu Changjie.
"I even suspect that both of them are Power of Hu." "I don't understand." "Have you ever heard of someone in Jianghu called Brother Ouyang?" "I've heard of him." Liu Changjie nodded.
"Brother Ouyang isn't just two brothers. His name is Brother Ouyang." "I know," said Liu Changjie.
"If Brother Ouyang is one person, then Power of Hu could be two people." Liu Changjie finally understood what he was getting at.
"Have you ever considered that possibility?" asked Dragon Fifth.
"I didn't," said Liu Changjie. "Relationships between people can't be understood by a third party." He couldn't help but look at Qin Huhua. Qin Huhua and Dragon Fifth's relationship was also quite marvelous.
He sighed. "No matter what, we will never be able to find out the truth of this secret!" "Why?"
"Because Hu Yi didn't walk out of the mourning hall alive."
Hu Yi didn't "either."
Did the word "either" have some other meaning? Did someone else "also" die in the mourning hall?
Was Liu Changjie the only one who could leave the mourning hall alive?
Dragon Fifth didn't ask. He didn't want to ask, and couldn't bear to ask.
"No matter what, the case is finally over." He picked up the jug of wine and filled Liu Changjie's wine cup.
Liu Changjie raised his cup and drained it in one gulp. "But even I could never have imagined that the case would end like this." "What were you thinking?" asked Dragon Fifth. "Were you suspicious of me all along?" Liu Changjie didn't deny it. "You were a very suspicious person all along." "Why?"
"Because even now, I can't see through you."
"What about yourself? Who would be able to see through it? " Dragon Fifth laughed. "I've always wondered why Power of Hu and the others couldn't figure out your background." Liu Changjie laughed as well. "That's because I don't have any special background." Dragon Fifth stared at him. "Now, can you tell me who you really are?" "You and Power of Hu went to that town to investigate me." "We didn't find anything." Dragon Fifth nodded. "You and Power of Hu went to that town to investigate me.
"Of course you couldn't."
He smiled. "Because I grew up in that small city. My life has always been ordinary." "And now?" asked Dragon Fifth.
"Right now I'm just a bailiff in that small town." Dragon Fifth stared blankly.
"A person like you is just a bailiff in a small town?"
Liu Changjie nodded. "You couldn't figure out my background because you never would have guessed that I was a bailiff." Dragon Fifth couldn't help but let out a long sigh. With a bitter smile, he said, "I really never would have guessed." "You met me because it just so happened that I was assigned to this case. Otherwise, you would never have guessed that there was a person like me in the world." "Are you telling the truth?"
"You don't believe me?"
"I believe you. But there's something I don't understand." "What is it?"
"Why would a person like you become a constable?" "I always do what I want to do," replied Liu Changjie.
"You always wanted to be a bailiff?"
Liu Changjie nodded.
Dragon Fifth laughed bitterly. "Some people want to be heroes and warriors. Some want high positions and generous salaries. Some seek fame. Some seek profit. I've met all of them." "But you've never met anyone who wants to be a bailiff." "People like you really aren't many," said Dragon Fifth.
"But there are too many heroes and warriors in the world," said Liu Changjie. "There should be a few people like me, doing things that other people don't want to do, and aren't willing to do." He smiled. His smile suddenly became cheerful. "No matter what, being a bailiff is still a person. A person lives in the world, and if the things they do are what they want to do, then they should be satisfied."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
