Chapter 655.2: Money-Obsessed Jiao
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"He’s actually the little sect master of the Hidden Night Sect." This news was really shocking, as Xiao Heng had always thought Chang Jing was just an ordinary dark guard.
"What is the Hidden Night Sect?" Gu Jiao had wanted to ask this for a while.
"It's an assassin organization that doesn't belong to any country." Xiao Heng replied. He didn't know much about it either; his focus was more on court affairs, hearing about the martial world only occasionally from others.
Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the inn where Gu Jiao and the others were staying.
Actually, Gu Jiao hadn't mentioned where she was staying after getting on the carriage. However, if someone really wanted to know, they could find out about Tianqiong Academy's information through various means.
There were not many instances where someone was truly powerless; it was more about whether they cared enough or not.
In the past, it was always Gu Jiao who saw Xiao Heng off. Back in the countryside, she would walk over ten miles to escort him to town for his studies. After they moved to the capital, she continued to accompany him to the Imperial Academy and the Hanlin Academy.
Being escorted back by Xiao Heng suddenly felt strange to Gu Jiao.
She scratched her ear and said, "Well, I'm going now."
Xiao Heng gently tugged her sleeve, "You're leaving, just like that?"
Gu Jiao, who could knock out an ox with a single blow, was caught off guard as someone's slender fingers, as smooth as jade, gripped her. She looked over, puzzled. "Hmm?"
Xiao Heng looked up, the moonlight casting a glow on his handsome jade-like face. He slightly curved his lips, saying, "Aren't there two things? What about the other one?"
Gu Jiao replied seriously, "The mastermind behind the scenes being from the Great Yan’s imperial family, and Chang Jing's identity as the little sect master of the Hidden Night Sect. These are the two things."
Xiao Heng looked at her with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "These are all pieces of information. Informing me of information only counts as one thing."
"Uh..." Can it be divided like that?
Xiao Heng's fingertips slid down her sleeve, grasping her slightly cool fingers. With a gentle tug, he stood up.
The carriage wasn't that tall, so he had to bend over. He held Gu Jiao's hand with one hand and propped the other beside her, leaning slightly over her.
His unique presence enveloped Gu Jiao all at once.
A beam of white moonlight slipped through the crack in the curtain, casting diagonally across his brows and eyes.
Gu Jiao used to think Jing Kong had beautiful eyelashes, but looking closely, so did Xiao Heng.
Gu Jiao was mesmerized again.
Xiao Heng found it both amusing and exasperating. He had mustered all his courage to make such a shameless move, yet she was just admiring his face.
Gu Jiao sat on the seat, staring at him without blinking.
Xiao Heng lifted the hand that had been toying with her fingertips, gently held her chin, and in a husky voice asked, "Have you remembered something else?"
Since his voice had fully transitioned after puberty, Xiao Heng's voice had become more pleasant day by day——youthful, clear, yet with a mesmerizing adult male charm.
Gu Jiao’s soul was almost captivated.
Xiao Heng chuckled softly and lowered his body slightly, "Gu Jiao, remember, this is the second thing."
With that, he tilted his head slightly and kissed her lips inside the carriage.
......
The next day, after breakfast at the inn, the Tianqiong Academy group rode their horses to Lingbo Academy.
The polo field was already surrounded by people who had come to watch the matches, and most of the seats in the stands were already reserved.
However, Gu Jiao managed to find a small area of blue and white amidst a chaotic mix of various academy uniforms.
Could it be... students from Tianqiong Academy came to watch their match?
There weren't many of them, only about ten or twenty, which seemed particularly small compared to the hundreds from other academy groups.
Teacher Wu was overjoyed, "They're students from our academy! Our students have come too!"
After so many matches, it was the first time they had their own supporters watching. Teacher Wu was nearly in tears of happiness.
Zhong Ding and Zhou Tong waved towards their direction.
Gu Jiao and Mu Qingchen had already headed towards the pavilion, with Mu Chuan waving enthusiastically at them.
Zhao Wei, who had missed the last match due to an upset stomach, was being extra cautious this time.
His polo skills surpassed Mu Chuan's, so if he played, Mu Chuan would be relegated to a substitute. Fortunately, Mu Chuan didn't mind.
After drawing the lots, Teacher Wu announced, "We're up for the third match again."
Mu Chuan hurriedly chimed in, "The third match is good; we’re not fully awake if it’s the first, and the later matches are too hot!"
Teacher Wu agreed deeply, “That’s right, the third match was indeed the best time slot in the morning. We've been lucky to draw it two times in a row."
Only Gu Jiao seemed somewhat dissatisfied, furrowing her brows.
"What’s wrong?" Mu Qingchen asked.
"Nothing." Gu Jiao replied.
Last night, Xiao Heng had mentioned he would be checking some information this morning before leaving.
Mu Qingchen glanced at Gu Jiao and his gaze fell on her neck, "Don't you use a mosquito net when you sleep?"
"I don’t." Gu Jiao said calmly, adjusting her collar.
Mu Chuan continued to ask Teacher Wu, "Which academy are we competing against?"
Teacher Wu answered, "Pingyang Academy."
The last round of matches spanned two days, with Pingyang Academy competing on the second day, so they hadn’t seen their performance. However, making it to the second round indicated they had some strength.
Seeing Mu Qingchen tighten his lips and remain silent, Gu Jiao asked, "What's wrong? Is this academy difficult to compete against?"
Mu Qingchen pondered for a moment before saying, "Pingyang Academy is one of the rare academies proficient in both academics and martial arts. Their teacher for polo used to be the most skilled in the imperial polo team; Xu Ping was trained by him. After getting injured and unable to play polo anymore, he became a teacher at the academy."
Pausing briefly, he added, "Their overall skill level is very high, and they coordinate their plays extremely well."
Pingyang Academy might not have a polo player as outstanding as Xu Ping, but a team’s fundamental strength was often determined by its weakest member rather than the strongest.
No matter how good Xu Ping was, he couldn’t carry Nangong Lin and the other two if they couldn’t keep up with his pace.
Mu Chuan, with bitterness and resentment, said, "Fourth brother, I've never heard you praise anyone. Just now, you praised them twice in a row! Are you suggesting we're going to lose?"
Yuan Xiao advised, "Don't dampen our spirits before we even step onto the field."
Zhao Wei agreed, "I second that."
Mu Chuan muttered, "Is this a matter of agreeing or not? It's a question of losing miserably."
Gu Jiao wrapped bandages around her wrist while casually asking, "By the way, if we win the polo tournament, will there be any rewards?"
"You don’t know?" Mu Qingchen looked at her strangely.
"I don’t know." She replied. No one had informed her.
Mu Qingchen frowned and looked away, "I thought you were in it for the rewards. If we take third place, you get your own inner city tally; second place wins a thousand taels of gold."
Gu Jiao's hands, in the midst of bandaging, paused. Gu Changqing fought fiercely on the border, and upon his return, the State of Zhao’s Emperor only rewarded him with a thousand taels of silver.
The Yan Emperor was actually so extravagant?
"What's the reward for first place?" Gu Jiao asked.
Mu Qingchen replied with some reverence, "The first place winner has the chance to enter the imperial palace and meet the Emperor."
Gu Jiao instantly entered battle mode, asking, "How many more matches do we have to play to get to the final round?"
Mu Qingchen, startled by her sudden burst of determination, said, "Including today, if we don’t lose any, there are three more matches."
But who could guarantee they would make it to the last match?
Let’s do this!
Gu Jiao grabbed her polo mallet and marched out valiantly!
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Description:
In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.
When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.
The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.
From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.
***
Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.
After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"
Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"
Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”
Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
He hasn't finished his lines yet though…