Jian Ning really did not dare to gamble. Suo Lun dared to risk everything, but he did not.
In his view, Suo Lun had a worthless rotten life, but he still had a bright future ahead. He did not dare to gamble.
Thus, his hand remained raised high there, not daring to chop down at Suo Lun, yet unable to lower it either.
“Alas…” Suo Lun sighed, then walked to the bed and gently stroked her incomparably beautiful face.
Mentor Niya was so kind and so innocent. Just because of his, Suo Lun’s, relationship with her, she had nearly lost her life. Such a beautiful life was treated like grass in the eyes of some people.
Suo Lun said: “You have also finished using her. No matter what poison you fed her, hurry up and save her.”
Jian Ning stood there motionless, staring fixedly at Suo Lun.
“If there is nothing else, I will leave.” Suo Lun said. Then he pushed open the door just like that and walked out.
Behind him, Jian Ning trembled all over, gritting his teeth until they bled. Several times he almost could not hold back and rushed forward to cripple Suo Lun, but in the end he did not dare to do so.
In this way, Suo Lun left the back courtyard completely unscathed. At this moment, his back was already thoroughly soaked with sweat.
When he walked into the courtyard, Suo Lun looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.
In fact, this time when he came to the Marquis Jian Yong residence, he really did not have absolute confidence that he could retreat with his whole body. If Jian Ning had been a bit more hot blooded in character, he would really have been dead.
However, he had not guessed wrong after all. Jian Ning was a thorough beast, a beast fanatically obsessed with power.
In this way, the heart for power became his absolute weakness, and it was very easy to be grasped.
…
Walking in the garden of the Marquis Jian Yong residence, Suo Lun suddenly felt the surroundings were very quiet. The bustling figures from earlier had all disappeared.
It was as if the entire garden had instantly become empty.
Immediately after, he smelled a charming faint fragrance, followed by a burst of laughter like silver bells.
This voice was truly crisp and moving, like the sound of ice shards breaking in a mountain stream on a winter day. After hearing this voice, it was as if all the worries in one’s heart would be released.
In the next second, his eyes were covered by a pair of soft, jade like small hands.
“Guess who I am?” A delicate and crisp voice sounded beside his ear, as if from a girl in her teens.
A soft and delicate body was now pressed against his back. It was a girl. She was not tall. In order to cover Suo Lun’s eyes, she even had to hang her body on him.
However, her movements were very fast, like the wind.
“Miss, you have the wrong person.” Suo Lun said.
“Ah…” The girl behind him cried out delicately, as if she had glanced forward at Suo Lun’s face, then said shyly: “Sorry, I recognised the wrong person.”
Then she released Suo Lun’s eyes and flew away like a little bird.
Suo Lun quickly turned his head and only saw her graceful back disappearing around the corner of the wall. Her movements were too fast. She was vaguely wearing a yellow skirt, with a very petite figure, about fourteen or fifteen years old, but her martial arts were very high.
From beginning to end, Suo Lun had not seen her face. He only heard her voice and smelled the fragrance on her body.
Was she Jian Ning’s younger sister? Did Marquis Jian Yong have such a young daughter?
…
After walking out of the Marquis Jian Yong residence, Suo Lun truly let out a long sigh of relief, but then discovered that Ye Jing Yu had disappeared.
“After you entered, Lord Ye left at the fastest speed to invite Duke Zhi Ting.” A family warrior said.
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from not far away. Ye Jing Yu galloped over madly, holding a golden token in her hand. It belonged to Duke Zhi Ting.
Seeing Suo Lun standing there safe and sound, Ye Jing Yu’s eyes turned red and she almost cried with joy.
Then she rushed quickly to Suo Lun and said: “Duke Zhi Ting has once again been placed under house arrest by the king and is not allowed to go out even one step. However, he had someone send me this token.”
This was Duke Zhi Ting’s personal token. He had the heart to save Suo Lun, but it was useless. The Marquis Jian Yong residence would not pay any attention to him.
Duke Zhi Ting was favoured and arrogant, so not many people dared to provoke him. However, not many people were willing to obey his orders either, especially high ranking nobles.
“Let’s go, let’s go home.” Suo Lun said: “It is peaceful now. We just need to wait for tomorrow’s exam.”
…
That evening, Zhi Ning was still by the side of the pool, reading a book while feeding the fish, while Jian Ning knelt outside the curtain.
“Did Suo Lun really go?” Zhi Ning asked.
“He went.” Jian Ning said.
Immediately, a complicated look flashed in Zhi Ning’s beautiful eyes. Although this trap had been set by her, hoping that Suo Lun would step into it.
However, Suo Lun clearly knew it was a trap yet still stepped into it regardless of the danger. This made her heart tremble.
“Why did you not make a move?” Zhi Ning said: “It would have been perfectly reasonable for you to break his arms and legs, because he put a green hat on you.”
Jian Ning said: “Your subject has come to plead guilty precisely because of this matter.”
“Speak.” Zhi Ning said.
Jian Ning said: “Suo Lun painted a picture, extremely realistic. The… the people in that painting are your subject and His Highness Prince Zhi Li. The scene is extremely filthy and unbearable. Suo Lun threatened me that if I broke his arms and legs, he would make this painting completely public.”
As soon as these words came out, Zhi Ning was stunned. She had thought of many ways for Suo Lun to save himself, but she really had not thought of this method. It was truly simple and crude.
Jian Ning said: “Your subject’s reputation is of course not worth mentioning, but this concerns the reputation of His Highness Prince Zhi Li. Even if there is the slightest stain, your subject would die ten thousand deaths without complaint. If it affects His Highness Prince Zhi Li’s position as heir, then even if your subject is smashed to pieces, it would not be enough to atone for the crime.”
Zhi Ning thought of Suo Lun’s god like painting skills, then imagined in her mind the filthy scene he would paint of Zhi Li and Jian Ning. Her delicate body suddenly trembled with cold.
This bastard is truly despicable and evil.
“You did the right thing. Let it be like this then.” Zhi Ning said.
Jian Ning kowtowed and said: “As for tomorrow’s archery subject exam, please rest assured, Princess. I will now go to discuss with my father and make thousands of preparations. We will definitely ensure that Suo Lun suffers a crushing defeat, with no chance of failure.”
Princess Zhi Ning said indifferently: “No need. It is already guaranteed with no chance of failure.”
Jian Ning was stunned, then kowtowed and said: “Yes.”
“You may leave.” Princess Zhi Ning replied coldly, then reopened her book and continued reading, indicating that Jian Ning could depart.
“There is one more matter. Please give your instructions, Princess.” Jian Ning said: “Regarding Niya, should she live or die?”
As soon as these words came out, Zhi Ning slightly raised her head and looked at the man kneeling outside.
After all, Niya was his wife. Since the trap had been broken by Suo Lun, Niya naturally did not need to die. She had not expected Jian Ning to ask such a question.
The people in this world are truly strange. Some men would risk their lives for a woman who was not very related to them.
While some men, in order to curry favour with those above, would not hesitate to offer up their own wife or even kill their own wife.
“Get lost!” Princess Zhi Ning said coldly.
“Yes!” Jian Ning kowtowed, then retreated backwards at a ninety degree bow until he reached a place where Princess Zhi Ning could no longer see him. Only then did he dare to turn around, straighten his waist and leave.
Zhi Ning looked at the fish in the pool. She did not know how many batches this was already. The fish she raised could hardly live for more than a month.
“I am sorry, Suo Lun. Do not blame me. Because you have blocked our path, you are destined to only have the road of destruction.”
Tomorrow’s archery exam, Suo Lun is already destined to be beyond redemption.
There will not be any accident at all. Even if the sun rises in the west, there cannot be any accident.
…
The next day, the final day of the great exams at the Royal City Academy was about to begin.
The martial arts subject exam was the most important among all the exams and was the grand finale.
For Suo Lun, today’s exam would decide his fate and the fate of the Suo clan.
The bet between him and Zhi Ning would also be decided today.
Around seven in the morning, Suo Lun’s biological clock woke him up on time. He opened his eyes and looked out the window.
He liked to sleep with the windows open, because outside the window was a patch of canna lilies blooming very brilliantly. At this time, the morning dew hitting the fiery red petals of the canna lilies must be stunningly beautiful.
However…
After opening his eyes, Suo Lun still saw only a blurry darkness.
He, he could hardly see anything.
His heart trembled violently. He stretched out his hands and placed them in front of his eyes.
He really could not see. There was only a very hazy dark shadow.
At this moment, Suo Lun recalled the silver bell like laughter at the Marquis Jian Yong residence and the mysterious fragrance.
That pair of small hands had covered his eyes. A moment later, she had disappeared like a bird.
From beginning to end, Suo Lun had not seen her face.
And this petite woman in yellow was Zhi Ning’s true trump card, directly making Suo Lun’s eyes go black.
If he could not even see, how could he shoot arrows? How could he pass the great exam?
No wonder Zhi Ning said that today would truly be guaranteed with no chance of failure!
Suo Lun closed his eyes in pain, slumped down on the bed and asked: “Yao Xing, my eyes cannot see.”
Yao Xing trembled, then suddenly surged out a wave of energy that entered Suo Lun’s eyes.
“There is a very powerful dark force that has directly sealed your visual nerves. So your eyes look completely fine, yet you cannot see anything.” Yao Xing said.
“Will I go completely blind?” Suo Lun asked.
Yao Xing said: “If I did not exist, you would definitely go blind. But this dark energy is too powerful. I need to spend a very long time extracting it bit by bit without harming your nerves.”
“How long?” Suo Lun asked.
“At least five days.” Yao Xing said: “Because this is an evil dark negative energy that cannot be devoured. It can only be expelled bit by bit.”
Five days? But the archery class great exam was to be held today. This exam would decide Suo Lun’s fate and also the fate of the Suo clan.
“Is there any way at all to restore light to my eyes within today?” Suo Lun asked.
Yao Xing said: “There is no possibility, because this is a very powerful dark negative energy that has directly penetrated into the nerves. If I did not exist, you would be completely blind with no way to recover.”
Zhi Ning’s ruthlessness truly far exceeded his imagination. She had directly blinded his eyes in such a straightforward way.
Moreover, his eyes looked completely undamaged. If Suo Lun said he could not see, no one would believe him.
A few days ago, Suo Lun had played “Destiny”. Was this a kind of fate?
After Beethoven became deaf, he created the world shocking masterpiece “Destiny”. And he himself had to shoot the arrow in his hand at the target that decided fate under nearly blind conditions?
“Yao Xing, my eyes cannot see. For today’s archery shooting, can we do it?” Suo Lun asked.
Yao Xing was silent for a moment and said: “I do not know, but we can try. I really like the words you once said, to choke the throat of fate. Today let us try it!”