The Person in the Painting

The next day, in Double Osmanthus Alley…

Tick, tick…

The ethereal sound of the raindrops falling into puddles made the room seem exceptionally quiet.

Lying on the bed by the window, Ye Jingtang opened his eyes and turned his head to look. The sky outside was gray, and he didn't know if it was morning or afternoon.

The bird, who had worked hard the entire night, was sleeping beside his pillow with its claws facing the sky. As he moved, it let out a drowsy 'Chirp~' and turned over to continue sleeping.

Ye Jingtang scratched the big bird with his fingers, then covered it with a thin blanket. He sat up and took out the golden paper from his pocket to check.

After hearing about the mysteries of the Roaring Dragon Chart from his foster father's letter, he had been thinking about it for a long time. But now that he had really succeeded by accident, a problem appeared again.

The golden paper in his hand could block his full-strength saber strike without being damaged at all. There was a high chance that it was the real thing. But there were no words on the front or back of the paper. There was only a picture of a turtle carrying three mountains. There was no hint. Even if he knew that it was a supreme secret manual that recorded a unique secret technique, he didn't know where to start practicing it.

Ye Jingtang held the golden paper and studied it carefully, trying to figure out the mystery from the lines of the picture. After looking at it for a while, he looked at the courtyard outside the window.

The room where Ye Jingtang slept was in the west wing opposite the kitchen. Luo Ning and Zhe Yunli stayed in the main room.

Zhe Yunli was more lively and couldn't stay idle. The two of them were catching up on sleep. Zhe Yunli had nothing to do at home and went out for a walk. Luo Ning was still resting in the main room.

With the three of them living in the courtyard, the main room had changed drastically from when they first arrived.

After Zhe Yunli bought a few pieces of furniture, the main room looked even more like a living space. There was a small cabinet in the corner with some makeup, bronze mirrors, wooden combs, and other things.

On the bed, Luo Ning was sleeping in her clothes. A thin blanket was covering her waist, outlining the curves of her waist perfectly.

Coming back here in the middle of the night to lie down had indeed been a little tiring, but after experiencing yesterday's unforgettable night, as a woman, how could Luo Ning sleep?

Luo Ning lay on her side on the pillow, her beautiful peach blossom eyes looking at the wall in a daze. Her fair fingers were placed on her lips as she recalled the short kiss.

Since lying here in the early morning, she couldn't help recalling every step she had taken in the past.

She was born in a water town in Jiang Province. Her family could be considered a prestigious family in Jianghu. Unfortunately, when she was still learning how to walk, her family had encountered enemies. Her parents had died, and her family fell from grace.

As a woman, she shouldn't be wandering Jianghu. But her talent was outstanding. If she didn't come out to shoulder the responsibility, who would settle the enmity?

When she first started roaming Jianghu, she had great ambitions and vowed to become the 'number one person in Jianghu' like Feng Guancheng.

But in the end, Jianghu was too big, and the sky was too high. After running around in circles, other than the title of 'the number one beauty in Jianghu', she didn't make any other name for herself.

As for her enemy, he suddenly repented and became a monk at the Thousand Buddha Temple in Sha Province. He became the disciple of Zen Master Shenchen, one of the two Sages.

Zen Master Shenchen said that her enemy had repented and felt guilty for what he had done in the past. Living was the punishment for her enemy.

How ridiculous was this statement? If living was considered punishment, then what about people who died for no reason? Relief?

In order to settle her enmity, she searched everywhere. She went to Void Jade Mountain and met Daoist Xuanji. She went to the Heavenly South's Guan City and met the Martial Immortal. But she couldn't obtain any true teachings until she met the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master.

The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master had inherited her ancestral teachings and wanted to restore the country for the previous dynasty. To put it bluntly, she wanted to rebel against Great Wei. Since she was rebelling, she had to become an emperor. Since she didn't want to be a subordinate, she had to wear the golden robe. But since ancient times, how could there be a woman who became an emperor?

Even if the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master felt that it was alright, her subordinates would be afraid that the world they had painstakingly conquered would be used as a dowry by a woman and be taken advantage of by outsiders.

Because of this, after the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master agreed to teach Luo Ning all her divine martial arts, she helped the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master conceal her identity and became the cult mistress to manage the internal affairs of the Pacifying Heaven Cult.

The two heroines who had just entered Jianghu hit it off and became the most enviable deity couple in Jianghu.

Originally, there was a lot of hope in living like this, but how could it be easy to practice martial arts to the level of the two Sages on the mountain?

Ever since she went to South Firmament Mountains, her life seemed to have been frozen. Her days were very monotonous. She practiced martial arts all day long, but she was getting further and further away from the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master. The glory of being the number one beauty in Jianghu gradually faded, leaving only endless trivial matters. She didn't know how she ended up like this.

The appearance of the shameless little thief was like throwing a stone into a pool of stagnant water, causing thousands of ripples and making it unable to calm down again.

Luo Ning couldn't understand how there could be such a bold and thick-skinned man in this world.

But there was nothing she could do. She couldn't beat or scold him. She could only let the other party slowly take more and greater advantage of her.

She and the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master said that they were helping each other, but everyone in Jianghu knew about their relationship as husband and wife.

But she was flirting with a man outside. If word got out that the wife of the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master was having an affair with a young man, wouldn't the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master's reputation be ruined?

She would also become a promiscuous and unscrupulous woman…

You even asked me about my identity. If I tell you, I will scare you to death…

Luo Ning didn't feel sleepy at all. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Just as she was worrying about a million things, the light in the room suddenly dimmed.

She turned around and saw the handsome little thief standing silently by the window.

?

Luo Ning's expression turned cold as she pulled up the thin blanket. "What are you looking at?"

"I just woke up, and I'm preparing to report to the Black Office. I came over to greet you. Don't let your guard down when you're alone at home."

Luo Ning was mentally and physically exhausted and didn't want to bother with Ye Jingtang at all. She turned over lightly, leaving Ye Jingtang with the view of the back of her head.

"Sigh…"

Soon, the footsteps faded away.

Luo Ning took a deep breath, hugged her little watermelons, and began to think again…

———

Double Osmanthus Alley was quite far from Jasper Pavilion. After Ye Jingtang had a meal at a street vendor, he carried the red sandalwood box and arrived outside the Black Office without a plaque.

In the small square outside the office, there was a flagpole erected. The originally rotten heads had been replaced by a new one.

Some idlers were sizing it up and whispering.

"Who is this?"

"Yan Province's King of Thieves, the Wingless Owl. He has stolen from many important figures and killed several people…"

"The cat burglar who sneaked into the Censorate a few days ago? Why was he suddenly caught?"

"He was too daring. Of all the things to steal and people to steal from, he stole from Prime Minister Li…"

"Oh, it's not an unjust death…"

…

Ye Jingtang pretended not to hear the gossip, went to the Black Office, and showed his token.

In just a moment, Shang Jianli came out of the office to welcome him. He cupped his hands in the distance. "Young Master Ye, you're so capable. I really didn't expect you to bring this thief to justice in a few days."

"I just put in some effort. If it weren't for the government's full support to spread the news everywhere, how could I catch this cat burglar…"

After exchanging pleasantries, he arrived at the back of the office. The registrar of the Black Office rewarded him with 300 taels of silver, along with a 'commendation letter' stamped with the Prince of Jing's seal as a form of encouragement for his chivalry.

Compared to the infamy of the Wingless Owl and the difficulty of solving him, 300 taels of silver was really not much. But this was the first bucket of gold he had earned with his own ability, apart from the salary he received in advance from Third Lady.

Ye Jingtang wasn't greedy for money, but he really didn't have a lot of money in his pocket. He gladly accepted it. After going through the necessary procedures to close the case, he asked, "Sir Shang, is the Prince of Jing at her estate?"

"Her Highness is hosting a guest in the estate. The visitor is noble, so it might be inconvenient. However, Her Highness said this morning that if you come over, I should get you to wait for a moment. I will go and inform her."

As Shang Jianli spoke, he led Ye Jingtang to a tea room at the back of the office.

The tea room should be a place for daily discussions. It was ordinary and nothing special.

Ye Jingtang sat down by a tea table and placed the red sandalwood box containing the Mr. Horn on the table. Then he quietly waited for the King of Jing's summons…

———

Behind the Black Office, at the top of Jasper Pavilion…

The rain stirred up the wind chimes hanging on the eaves of the terrace, and the sound of a zither rang out in the room.

Ding~ Ding~

Several palace maids were waiting outside the study for orders. Dongfang Liren was wearing a silver python robe. She was standing in front of a painting table, holding a brush, and sketching the beautiful scenery in front of her.

Behind the zither platform directly in front of her was sitting a graceful and elegant young woman in a phoenix dress. Her fair fingers plucked the strings of the zither, and her mature and plump buttocks drew a heavy arc behind her dress. There was a hint of resentment on her face.

"Liren, are you done? It's been an hour."

"Empress Dowager, don't worry. It will be done soon."

"You said you would bring me out to relax. But in the end, I can't even get out of the door due to the rain. Sigh…"

The empress dowager had been bored to death in the palace. It wasn't easy for her to come out, but she could only sit in the chilly Jasper Pavilion. She couldn't even see the view of the streets. She felt really depressed.

Dongfang Liren was considerate. While painting the portrait, she comforted her gently. "When the rain stops, I will send you to Clear Water Villa. Let's enjoy the hot spring. The scenery there is much better than here. It's suitable for relaxing."

"What's the use of good scenery? Without anyone to accompany you, you can only admire yourself alone." The empress dowager fiddled with the zither strings, her gaze fixed on the street market in the distance of Jasper Pavilion. She really wanted to suggest that the Prince of Jing take her shopping 'incognito'.

But there were undercurrents in the court. Dongfang Liren had been plotted against several times by bandits. Even if Dongfang Liren agreed to this, she couldn't bear the responsibility. She thought about it and decided to forget it.

After sitting for a long time, Dongfang Liren finally stopped painting. A lifelike portrait of a beauty appeared on the paper.

The empress dowager stood up and rubbed her sore legs. She went over and looked at the painting. Before she could comment, she heard a maidservant's footsteps coming to the door.

"Your Highness, Young Master Ye is here."

When Dongfang Liren heard the news of the Wingless Owl's arrest in the morning, she had wanted to see Ye Jingtang. Hearing that the person was here, how could she still be in the mood to accompany the empress dowager?

She immediately said, "There's a servant in the office that handled a big case yesterday. I am going to meet him. Empress Dowager, you should rest first."

The empress dowager knew that Dongfang Liren was busy with work, so she didn't keep her. After watching Dongfang Liren leave, she wandered around the room alone and took out a painting from one of the bookshelves.

Dongfang Liren and the empress had been taught by Daoist Xuanji. One of them was good at the literary arts, while the other was good at martial arts. Both of them had received her true teachings.

Dongfang Liren's painting and calligraphy skills were quite impressive, and she usually liked to paint the various scenes of the market outside Jasper Pavilion.

The empress dowager appreciated it for a moment. Then she quickly picked up a brand new scroll from the middle of the bookshelf, unfolded it, and saw a man drawn on it.

The man was wearing a black robe. He had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and an imposing aura. He was holding a saber in a reverse grip in his left hand and placing it on a person's neck. On his shoulder stood a fat owl. The details of the man and the bird were outstanding.

"Tsk tsk~ So handsome…" The empress dowager's apricot eyes lit up. She raised the portrait to the window and observed it carefully under the light.

The man in the painting had a very unique temperament. He was wild and heroic, but he didn't lose his gentleness and elegance. No matter how she looked at him, he was pleasing to the eye. He was so handsome that it was a little unreal. It was as if he was just a person in the painting, and it was impossible for such a flawless man to exist in reality.

"Could he be the husband in Liren's fantasy…" The empress dowager pondered seriously for a moment and felt that it was very likely. She secretly teased Dongfang Liren and prepared to put the portrait away.

But at this moment, there was some movement below Jasper Pavilion.

The empress dowager looked down and saw two people walking out of the huge government office. The person in the lead was a scholar in a blue robe. She had seen him before. He was a chief constable of the Black Office, Shang Jianli.

Behind him was a man in black. His posture was neither servile nor overbearing, and his footsteps were neither fast nor slow. He was covered by the rain, and she was far away, so she could only see his side profile. But she could still see this man's handsomeness.

Hmm? The empress dowager was taken aback. She picked up the portrait and looked at it. Then she looked at the black-robed man in the distance and then at the portrait…

??

The empress dowager's eyes slowly glowed with the fire of gossip. Just as she was trying to figure out the relationship between the two, she found the handsome man looking in her direction. Shocked, she hurriedly left the window…