After the Foolish Beauty Wore Women's Clothes and Married the Brutal General - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: I Promise to Be Good and Not Move Around. I Won’t Desecrate Your Innocence.

This was Nan Jianxue’s first time on a nighttime excursion. From the moment he climbed out of the window, he was in a state of excitement and proactiveness.

Liang Qifeng watched him turn his head and scan his surroundings like a cat, and asked, “What are you looking at?”

“The guards,” Nan Jianxue immediately lowered his voice and answered mysteriously, “What if we get caught?”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

“Then so be it,” Liang Qifeng frowned slightly. “This is your own manor. Nothing will happen if you get caught.”

Nan Jianxue was stunned. After thinking about it, he realized it made a lot of sense, and at the same time, a question popped into his head. “Then why were you so cautious and took me out through the window?”

Liang Qifeng: “…I didn’t take you through the window. You went yourself.”

He hadn’t even had a chance to say anything when Nan Jianxue excitedly opened the window and climbed out. He could only follow.

“But you were going to climb out the window last time, too,” Nan Jianxue said. “And I caught you.”

Liang Qifeng: “…That was to avoid you.”

And to hide from Nan Jianxue, he had to sneak out, otherwise the guards’ report the next day would definitely expose him.

Liang Qifeng continued, “Also, why would you think that by walking out so brazenly, you wouldn’t be discovered?”

“Where was I being brazen?” Nan Jianxue asked, confused. “I was being very careful.”

“Not just by walking close to the wall,” Liang Qifeng said, pointing in one direction. “There’s a guard over there, and he’s already spotted you.” He then pointed in another direction. “The patrol that just passed by also spotted you.”

Nan Jianxue: “…”

He immediately wilted. “Then what do we do now?”

Liang Qifeng asked, “What do you want to do?”

“Can we climb the wall…?” Nan Jianxue blinked his eyes at him, his voice weak and a little pitiful. “I’ve never tried it!”

Liang Qifeng was silent for a moment. “Your imperial brother never took you to climb one?”

“No,” Nan Jianxue said. “I’m a girl. How could he take me to do something like that?”

Liang Qifeng’s expression became a little strange. “Then do you know that he often takes his other two sisters to sneak out of the palace?”

Nan Jianxue: ?

“Impossible!” Nan Jianxue’s eyes widened. “My imperial sister never told me.”

Liang Qifeng heard the shock in his voice and ruthlessly twisted the knife. “Princess Anping went to the ghost market a long time ago. It was your imperial brother who took her.”

Nan Jianxue immediately felt betrayed. He said incredulously, “Then why didn’t my imperial brother take me?”

“He said you were very well-behaved and timid,” Liang Qifeng said with a hint of a smile in his voice. “You’re even afraid of small bugs. How could you go to a place like that?”

Nan Jianxue was silent.

He really couldn’t argue with that.

But he could still try.

“I think it’s normal to be afraid of bugs,” Nan Jianxue said. “Don’t you think they’re ugly, and they can suddenly appear, jump on your face, and maybe even bite you? Isn’t that terrifying?”

“No. What’s there to be afraid of something you can crush with two fingers?” Liang Qifeng said.

Nan Jianxue crossed his arms and said self-righteously, “Anyway, I’m afraid, so what!”

Liang Qifeng smiled. “Okay, then do you still want to climb the wall? The walls are covered in…”

“Don’t say it!” Nan Jianxue immediately cut him off. “You’re so skilled, you definitely won’t let me touch them!”

Liang Qifeng: ?

It took him a moment to understand what Nan Jianxue meant. “You want me to carry you out?”

“Yes,” Nan Jianxue said as a matter of course. “I don’t know how to climb.”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

“No,” Liang Qifeng said. “Go find a guard to carry you.”

Only then did Nan Jianxue remember that he had a beloved.

“You’ve carried me before,” Nan Jianxue said. “Before, at the Liang Manor…”

“That was because you were injured,” Liang Qifeng said. “You’re all better now.”

“But I might get injured again. The palace doctor said to be careful during this time. It will be a hassle if I twist my ankle again,” he said, and then changed his voice to a soft tone. “Just take me, please. I promise I won’t tell your beloved.”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

Nan Jianxue continued to be a sweet nuisance. “Qifeng gege–“

“Shut up,” Liang Qifeng cut him off. “I can take you, but on one condition: you’re not allowed to call me that in the future.”

Nan Jianxue immediately lowered his head and said in a wronged voice, “Okay.”

But a sly smile was hidden on his face.

He had already noticed last time that Liang Qifeng also couldn’t handle his sweet-talking!

His imperial sister was right. This trick was very useful on men, and it was the same even if Liang Qifeng liked men!

“Come here,” Liang Qifeng frowned and reached out to him.

Nan Jianxue immediately went over and held out his hands to him, very much on his own accord.

Liang Qifeng bent down and scooped up his knees, saying flatly, “Hold on tight yourself.”

Nan Jianxue immediately wrapped his arms around his shoulders and asked, “Is this okay? Or should I hold on tighter, oh!”

Before he could finish, Liang Qifeng held him and leaped. In the blink of an eye, they were on the other side of the wall.

Nan Jianxue’s eyes immediately lit up. “That was fun! Can we do it again?”

Liang Qifeng: ?

He put him down and turned to leave.

Nan Jianxue immediately followed and asked, “Can we do the same on the way back?”

The question gave Liang Qifeng a headache. “I’ve never seen such an immodest girl.”

“We’re just touching. We’re not doing anything,” Nan Jianxue frowned. “My imperial sister sometimes does this too.”

Liang Qifeng thought of Princess Anping and all her male companions and felt a little speechless. “Don’t use her as an example.”

Nan Jianxue said, “Oh,” but from his tone, he clearly hadn’t taken it to heart.

Liang Qifeng was too lazy to waste words with him and changed the topic. “Can you ride a horse?”

“Yes,” Nan Jianxue said. “Are we going to ride horses? Not take a carriage?”

“Do you really think we’re going on a spring outing?” Liang Qifeng said. “If I weren’t taking you, I would have just flown there.”

His lightness skill was good. He was faster on his own than on a horse when moving around the city. But with Nan Jianxue… it was inappropriate.

Nan Jianxue also understood. “You’re still afraid your beloved will find out.”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

“Nan Jianxue,” Liang Qifeng stopped and turned to look at him. “Even if I didn’t have a beloved, I don’t need to teach you that men and women shouldn’t be too close, do I?”

“But if we don’t, you won’t be able to take me,” Nan Jianxue said. “Besides, you’re my consort. Even if we’re holding hands in the street, no one will think we’re improper. At most, they’ll just say we’re being ostentatious.”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

He wanted to say something else, but Nan Jianxue changed his voice and called out to him again, “Qifeng gege.”

Liang Qifeng’s eyebrows furrowed. “Didn’t you just promise not to call me that?”

“I promised not to call you Liang Qifeng gege,” Nan Jianxue said. “I didn’t call you that.”

“You…”

“Aiya, just carry me. I’ve never flown before,” Nan Jianxue tugged on his sleeve and began to sweet-talk him. “Just for a little while. I promise to be good and not move around. I won’t desecrate your innocence.”

Liang Qifeng pulled his sleeve back and strode forward. “We’re going on horseback.”

Nan Jianxue immediately followed, continued to tug on his sleeve, and called him “Qifeng gege” in a soft and sweet voice, like a piece of chewing gum that couldn’t be shaken off. He was so clingy that Liang Qifeng almost fled.

When this matter is over, he’s going to set Princess Anping’s manor on fire!

In the end, Liang Qifeng still carried Nan Jianxue onto the rooftops.

This wasn’t the first time Nan Jianxue had been high up. Many of the restaurants in the capital were not short, but this was his first time jumping on rooftops. He was so excited that he couldn’t stop. He stuck his head out and looked around, pointing and asking Liang Qifeng questions every time they passed by a familiar place.

Liang Qifeng was so annoyed the whole way that his ears were ringing by the time they landed. Before he could even catch his breath, he heard Nan Jianxue ask again, “Where are we?”

“Willow Quarter in the western part of the city,” Liang Qifeng said.

When he heard the name, Nan Jianxue was stunned. “The ghost market is here?”

“Where else would it be?” Liang Qifeng said. “Would it be next to the Meridian Gate?”

Nan Jianxue thought for a moment and realized that was true.

The Willow Quarter was in the westernmost corner of the capital. Its terrain was complex, and all sorts of people lived there. It was very chaotic. When he first moved out of the palace and had his own manor, his imperial brother had specifically told him not to come here. If he had to, he should bring attendants and guards.

Thinking of this, he immediately leaned closer to Liang Qifeng and whispered, “Then you have to protect me.”

Liang Qifeng glanced at him. “Then stay close.”

With that, he walked towards a small path.

Nan Jianxue immediately followed, poking his head out from behind him to look around.

Although his imperial brother had described this place as very dangerous, it actually looked like a very ordinary area. The streets were ordinary, the houses were ordinary, and the ground was not as dirty and messy as he had imagined. It was cleaned very neatly. It seemed no different from other places.

Nan Jianxue followed Liang Qifeng into a small alley and then took two more turns before he was completely disoriented. He whispered, “Where are we going…”

Before he could finish, a small… stall? appeared not far away.

Nan Jianxue was stunned. He looked closer and realized it wasn’t a stall, but a few people gathered together gambling. One of them, who had presumably lost, suddenly cursed loudly.

Nan Jianxue immediately tugged on Liang Qifeng’s sleeve and said, “Let’s go.”

Liang Qifeng didn’t answer and walked directly towards them.

“Hey!” Nan Jianxue quickly reached out to grab him, but Liang Qifeng was walking so fast that he didn’t give him a chance to grab on.

Nan Jianxue stomped his foot and followed.

As he got closer, he saw the person who had just cursed get up and prepare to leave. But when his eyes met his, he stopped.

Nan Jianxue’s heart tightened, and he immediately leaned a little closer to Liang Qifeng.

But the person came closer and gave him a slightly lewd smile. “I’ve never seen you before. Is this your first time here?”

Nan Jianxue immediately went around to Liang Qifeng’s other side.

But the person was relentless and followed him, asking for his name. The tone was so disgusting that Nan Jianxue frowned.

Just as he was about to get angry, a miserable scream suddenly came from behind him.

Nan Jianxue was stunned and quickly turned around to see the person clutching his chin, his mouth wide open, and making short, painful “ah ah” sounds. His eyes were filled with horror as he looked at Liang Qifeng.

Nan Jianxue didn’t understand what had happened. He whispered to Liang Qifeng, “What did you do to him?”

“Told him to shut up,” Liang Qifeng said, taking out a small piece of silver and throwing it to the person sitting on the ground.

The person still held a dice cup in his hand. When he saw the silver, his eyes immediately lit up. He patted the person next to him and said, “Go, lead the way for this sir.”

He was calling out to a child.

Or, more accurately, a little beggar.

The little beggar immediately stood up after hearing his words, ran to Liang Qifeng in two steps, and said with a smile, “Follow me.”

Liang Qifeng glanced at Nan Jianxue. “Let’s go.”

Nan Jianxue said, “Oh,” and quickly followed Liang Qifeng’s footsteps, whispering, “Who is he?”

“A guide,” Liang Qifeng said in a low voice. “These people are small-time thugs. They know where the ghost market is but don’t have the means to earn a living from it, so they point the way for newcomers and earn a little money.”

Nan Jianxue understood. “So you just found one at random?”

Liang Qifeng nodded. “I heard a sound.”

Nan Jianxue: “…”

He thought there would be some secret to it, but he didn’t expect it to be so simple.

The two of them followed the little beggar through a few turns in the alley. Just as Nan Jianxue was about to get dizzy, the little beggar suddenly stopped, pointed to a place, and said, “We’re here.”

Nan Jianxue leaned his head out and saw that it was a dilapidated temple. It was a very small dilapidated temple and didn’t look like it could host a market.

He said doubtfully, “You’re not lying to us, are you?”

The little beggar said, “Tch.” “Are you an idiot?”

Nan Jianxue: ?

“How dare you talk to me like that, you child!” He rolled up his sleeves and was about to go and reason with the little beggar, but he was grabbed by his hair and pulled back by Liang Qifeng. He immediately turned and kicked Liang Qifeng in the leg. “What are you doing?! That hurts!”

Liang Qifeng let go and threw another small piece of silver to the little beggar. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Nan Jianxue looked at Liang Qifeng resentfully.

Liang Qifeng also looked at him. “What did you promise me before we came?”

Nan Jianxue pouted. “To be good and listen to everything you say.”

“Then let’s go. You’ll know once we get in,” Liang Qifeng led him into the dilapidated temple.

Inside, as Nan Jianxue had imagined, it was very run-down. There were spiderwebs everywhere, the furniture was broken, there was some dry grass on the floor, and the air was full of dust. The only thing that was somewhat presentable was the stone Buddha sitting on the platform. It wasn’t particularly exquisite, but at least it was complete.

The temple was small, and he could see the whole thing with a single glance. There wasn’t a single person inside.

Nan Jianxue said, “See? You were tricked.”

Liang Qifeng said helplessly, “Come here.”

He led Nan Jianxue around to the back of the stone Buddha. Only then did Nan Jianxue realize that the wall behind it had a hole just big enough for a person to pass through.

Nan Jianxue immediately shook his head. “I’m not crawling through a dog hole!”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

He bent down and fumbled under the stone Buddha’s platform until he felt a small groove. He pressed down hard.

With a muffled sound, the stone Buddha slowly moved away, revealing a dark hole underneath.

Nan Jianxue’s eyes immediately widened. “There’s a mechanism here?!”

Liang Qifeng took out a pearl from his sleeve and handed it to Nan Jianxue. “Take this and follow me closely.”

Nan Jianxue thought it was some kind of treasure, but when he took a closer look, he realized it was a luminous pearl.

He immediately held the pearl up a little to light the way for Liang Qifeng.

“You don’t have to,” Liang Qifeng rejected his offer. “Use it for yourself. Just don’t fall.”

Nan Jianxue said, “Oh,” put the luminous pearl away, and followed his footsteps.

There were stairs inside the hole, so it wasn’t difficult to walk, but the path was long and very complicated.

Nan Jianxue followed Liang Qifeng down for a while and then came to a fork in the road.

He whispered, “Which way should we…”

Before he could finish, Liang Qifeng walked to the leftmost path.

Nan Jianxue: ?

“Do you know the way?” Nan Jianxue asked.

Liang Qifeng nodded. “I’ve been here a few times.”

Nan Jianxue then asked, “Does everyone who comes here know the way? What do first-timers do?”

“Generally, first-timers are brought by someone,” Liang Qifeng explained. “If not, they figure it out themselves.”

Nan Jianxue didn’t understand. How could they figure it out?

“There’s a path for snakes and a path for rats. All kinds of people come here,” Liang Qifeng said, pointing to his ear. “You can listen or smell. If all else fails, you can try each path one by one. There are no mechanisms here. The entrance to the ghost market changes periodically, but the paths inside are fixed. If you don’t want to pay to ask, you can just search one place at a time and you’ll find it.”

Nan Jianxue thought about it and realized that was true.

Not to mention the mechanisms, the paths here were so complicated that even if the Imperial Guards came to manage it, it would be difficult to catch people.

As he thought about it, he leaned in and asked Liang Qifeng some other questions. Liang Qifeng answered half of them and ignored the other half. They continued like this until they reached their destination—a giant underground cavern.

When he heard the word “market,” Nan Jianxue’s first thought was the markets that were set up in the streets during the day. He thought the ghost market would be the same, but when he saw it with his own eyes, he realized it was a little different.

At the very least, it didn’t look as lively here. And most of the people were dressed in layers or wearing masks, looking very strange. You could tell at a glance that this was not a legitimate place.

Nan Jianxue hid behind Liang Qifeng and looked around curiously, not forgetting to ask, “Why are we here?”

“You followed me without knowing anything? We’re here to investigate a clue about the assassin,” Liang Qifeng said, taking out two masks from his clothes and handing one to Nan Jianxue. “Wear this. Don’t let anyone recognize you.”

Nan Jianxue looked at the mask and commented, “It’s a little ugly.” But after saying that, he put it on anyway. “What clue?”

“The poison the assassin used to kill himself,” Liang Qifeng said. “It’s common in the black market. We’re here to ask around.”

“Will they tell you?”

“If the money’s right, they will.” Liang Qifeng then started walking forward.

Nan Jianxue quickly put the luminous pearl away and followed.

Liang Qifeng had a purpose for this trip, so he went directly in one direction.

According to his original plan, he would leave after asking his questions, but that plan now had an extra person—Nan Jianxue.

They had just passed a stall when Nan Jianxue was attracted by something on the table.

It was a very beautiful zither. The body was completely black, with a gold-painted image of a celestial maiden playing a musical instrument. The artistry and craftsmanship were exquisite. Nan Jianxue was instantly captivated.

He immediately walked over and squatted down, asking the owner how much it cost.

The owner gave him a price.

It was indeed very expensive, but for the craftsmanship and artistry of the zither, it was too cheap.

His first thought was that it was a fake.

When the owner heard his suspicion, he chuckled a few times. “Little girl, is this your first time here?”

Nan Jianxue didn’t understand the connection between the two things.

Liang Qifeng reached out and pulled her up, whispering, “It’s stolen goods.”

Nan Jianxue was stunned.

Liang Qifeng looked at the owner and asked, “Is it from a tomb?”

The owner nodded. “Do you want it?”

Liang Qifeng looked at Nan Jianxue and explained, “It was stolen from a tomb.”

When Nan Jianxue heard this, he instantly felt that the zither was creepy all over.

He asked with a pale face, “They can sell things like this?”

“Otherwise, why do you think he wouldn’t take it to a store to sell it for a better price?” Liang Qifeng said helplessly. “Have you looked enough? If so, let’s go.”

But Nan Jianxue hadn’t looked enough.

He really liked that zither.

“You said that if I don’t touch it, just… just put it in the storeroom, it should be fine, right?” Nan Jianxue looked at Liang Qifeng pitifully, his voice soft and sweet. “Can I buy it?”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

In the end, they bought it.

Nan Jianxue didn’t dare to touch it, so Liang Qifeng had to hold it himself.

Most importantly… the money was paid by Liang Qifeng. Nan Jianxue hadn’t even brought money with him on this trip.

Liang Qifeng held the zither and watched as Nan Jianxue’s attention was caught by another stall. He was squatting there, picking and choosing, and Liang Qifeng suddenly felt like he was a complete pushover.