Chapter 37: All Roads Lead to the Same End

"Chirp, chirp, chirp~~"

It was high noon, and the streets of the Dyehouse District were sparsely populated. Ye Jingtang walked down the street leading his horse, while the little black bird on its back leisurely nibbled on the dried meat he had just bought for it.

Upon reaching the entrance of Twin Osmanthus Alley, the bird flew into the deep alleyway with impatient excitement. Along the way, it chirped, "Chirp, chirp, chirp..."

"Back already? You must be starving," came a young woman's doting voice from behind the courtyard wall.

Ye Jingtang smiled at the sound and led his horse through the gate. The clean, tidy courtyard had undergone a few subtle changes; a row of small pots now sat beneath the wall, filled with green sprouts of an unknown flower. Outside the kitchen, chopped firewood was stacked neatly, and even the smoked meat, ginger, and garlic hanging under the windows were arranged with such order that the entire yard seemed to brighten at first glance.

Ye Jingtang had lived with his foster father since childhood. Both were martial artists, and while their home wasn't exactly filthy, disorder was a given. Seeing this scene, he suddenly felt that having a virtuous woman tending the home was indeed a great blessing.

Luo Ning wore a cyan dress and emerged from the kitchen carrying two small dishes. The bird rested on her shoulder, her expression as cold and serene as when they first met. She didn't look at Ye Jingtang, who was tethering his horse under the melon trellis, but merely greeted him plainly: "Yunli has gone out to play. Come and eat."

Ye Jingtang felt that Luo Ning had suddenly grown much closer to him, which took him by surprise. He entered the kitchen, picked up the stir-fried dishes, brought them into the main room, and set them down, looking at Luo Ning as she arranged the plates. "Why is the Lady Heroine so gentle today?"

Luo Ning sat to Ye Jingtang’s left, opened a small jar of wine, and poured two cups. In a casual, conversational tone, she said, "Although our relationship isn't particularly close, I truly am grateful for your care these past days. I have been in the capital for some time, and I left home without informing them..."

Ye Jingtang’s hand paused as he reached for the wine cup, and he pulled it back. "Are you planning to leave?"

"Chirp?"

The bird, which had been staring longingly at the stir-fried meat, became anxious upon hearing this, tilting its head to look at "Sister Little Watermelon" with a pitiful expression.

Luo Ning gathered the bird into her arms and stroked it, her willow-leaf brows knitting slightly. "What do you mean by that? Do you want to keep me trapped in the capital, cooking and washing for you forever?"

That was not what Ye Jingtang meant. He pondered for a moment.

"Qiu Tianhe hasn't been rescued yet, and I haven't figured out the secrets of the Dragon Cry Map. It wouldn't be appropriate for you to leave now."

"I have urgent matters at home that require my return. I promised that as long as Qiu Tianhe was released from prison, I would teach you martial arts. I have already taught you the light-foot technique, and I don't even want the Dragon Cry Map anymore. I believe that even if I am not here, you will keep your promise..."

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Ye Jingtang frowned. "Are you planning to leave and never return?"

Luo Ning didn't intend that, but she kept a stern face. "You save Qiu Tianhe, I teach you martial arts—that was the agreement we made in advance. I’ve already taught you the light-foot technique, and I’ve even given up on the Dragon Cry Map. Why would I need to come back?"

Ye Jingtang was stumped by the question. He tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought. "Even if Qiu Tianhe is released, he will still be trapped in the capital; it’s not a long-term solution. If I move more actively within the imperial court, perhaps I can restore his full freedom."

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Luo Ning had only been playing "hard to get," intending to say she wouldn't return and then begrudgingly agree to come back in a few days so the little thief wouldn't pester her. She honestly hadn't expected Ye Jingtang to make such a grand promise just to keep her, and she felt a flicker of embarrassment. However, she couldn't let it show, lest the little thief realize it and push his luck with unreasonable demands.

"I have pressing matters at home. People have already been sent to notify me, so I have no choice but to leave early. If... if you can truly help Qiu Tianhe regain his freedom, I will return in a few days and teach you the 'Fourteen Cloud-Clinging Hands'."

Ye Jingtang smiled upon hearing this and asked, "What is the matter at home? Is it that urgent?"

"That is my private business and has nothing to do with you."

"I’m just afraid something might happen to you. You won't tell me your true identity, and once you run off, it’s like looking for a needle in the ocean. If you accidentally die out there, I’ll be left thinking you broke your word and never came back. Doesn't that make sense?"

Luo Ning fell silent for a moment. It wasn't easy to tell him she was going to the Water-Cloud Sword Pool to attend the birthday banquet of the Old Patriarch Zhou. She simply said, "It’s nothing major. Um... I’m going back to deliver a gift. I'll be back once I’m done, in about twenty days or so..."

"Twenty days..."

Ye Jingtang had to accompany Sanniang on a trip in a few days—first to West King Town to slash a few people, then on the way to the Water-Cloud Sword Pool to slash a few more. He would be back around the middle of next month, so the timing was roughly the same.

Ye Jingtang thought about it and nodded. "Fine. I have to go out in a few days anyway. It’s hard to get Qiu Tianhe out in just a few days, so why don't we continue when we both return?"

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Luo Ning took this as a sign that Ye Jingtang didn't trust her and wouldn't help if she weren't around. She said with displeasure, "I said I would come back, so I will come back. What are you going out for?"

Ye Jingtang spread his hands slightly. "I am a bodyguard for the Heavenly Water Bridge, not some wandering vagabond. I’m on the payroll and have things to do. I have to handle some minor business matters in a few days."

Seeing this, Luo Ning didn't press further. She thought for a moment, picked up the wine pot, and poured a drink for Ye Jingtang. "With your talent, why be a bodyguard? Whether you go into officialdom or roam the pugilistic world, surely that is better than doing manual labor for others..."

The way she rested her hand on her flowing sleeve, pouring the wine with such gentle grace, combined with her nagging, made her look very much like a young wife complaining about her husband's lack of ambition.

Ye Jingtang picked up his chopsticks, his gaze scanning Luo Ning, and he blinked.

Luo Ning noticed. Her eyes turned slightly cold as she set down the pot, picked up her full cup, and drained it in one gulp.

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Ye Jingtang was speechless. He picked up the pot to pour himself a drink and asked the same old question: "I'm risking my neck to help you save people, yet the Lady Heroine still refuses to give me the truth?"

Luo Ning covered her face with her sleeve and downed the strong liquor. Just as she set the cup down, Ye Jingtang poured her another. She didn't refuse. "There is a reason I don't tell you my background."

"What reason?"

Luo Ning didn't say it because the Flat Heaven Sect was a group of rebels. If Ye Jingtang found out, he would have to choose between his "official career" and "staying with her." If he chose his career, they would have to part ways, and Qiu Tianhe’s business would become difficult to handle. Furthermore, the Sect Leader of the Flat Heaven Sect was a woman; to be honest, she would have to reveal that she was just a clean, single "big sister," and she likely couldn't handle the various tactics this little thief might use.

"Don't ask. Once Qiu Tianhe is out of danger, I will tell you everything clearly."

"Can't you give me a hint beforehand?"

Ye Jingtang sighed as he picked up his cup. "I feel like I have corrupted morals, dallying with a married woman, betraying the very word of 'chivalry.' I can't even sleep at night..."

*You know that?*

Luo Ning sat up straighter and said sternly, "In that case, you should repent and turn back from the edge of the cliff..."

Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly. "But the deed is done. If I turn back now, haven't I still committed the wrong? I could cut the Gordian knot, but I'm afraid the Lady Heroine would think I’m a heartless man."

Luo Ning was so angry she laughed. She picked up her cup and gulped down another mouthful, too lazy to respond to words thicker than a city wall.

Ye Jingtang poured her another cup. "Fate is a strange thing. I may have no wife or concubines at the moment, but you know, I am handsome and my talent is decent; there are many people keeping an eye on me. King Jing opens doors for me—don't you want to know why?"

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