Still Secretly In Love With My Enemy Today - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: 

 

As I vaulted into the night, the light dimmed instantly. I paused for a heartbeat, waiting for the silhouettes of the houses to gradually sharpen against the dark.

 

—Xie Huaishuang couldn’t see even these blurry outlines. Who would take him away, and where to?

 

I stood at the entrance of Silver Flower Alley, scanning every direction with frantic urgency.

 

The sounds were a cacophony: laughter and angry shouts, the hissing of low-quality copper lamps, the distant rumble of iron-clad carriages on rails, the rapid whirring of the Illusion Stage’s axles, and the splash of a basin of water hitting the cobblestone road.

 

In this narrow space, chaotic sounds and surreal sights crowded together. I focused my concentration, trying to catch the distinctive click of the Cloud-Slaying Blade’s mechanism or Xie Huaishuang’s cool, indifferent voice.

 

People moved to and fro at the alley’s mouth.

 

—Not here.

 

The lamps were dim in the middle of the alley.

 

—Not here either.

 

Tree shadows swayed at the far end.

 

There…

 

I stopped abruptly, snapping my head to the left.

 

A crooked, narrow side-street branched off from Silver Flower Alley. It was pitch black, without a single lamp.

 

The sound of a blade’s tip scraping against a wall echoed. I immediately flicked on my portable lamp. In the erratic halo of light, a flash of green fabric appeared. A shadow on the opposite wall held a sword, long hair hanging loose.

 

Xie Huaishuang!

 

The lamp clattered to the ground as I charged into the dark alley and rounded the corner. Within steps, the fresh scent of blood hit my nose.

 

Xie Huaishuang spun around, his sword halting inches from me as he forced it to change direction. The sharp killing intent in his eyes vanished instantly. With a quick glance, I saw someone slumped against the wall behind him.

 

“How did you—”

 

Xie Huaishuang’s words cut off. I wrapped my arms around his back with every ounce of strength I had, pinning his shoulders, holding him so tightly he couldn’t move.

 

He had no idea how scared I was. Even I didn’t know.

 

“How could you come out alone…” My words were a jumbled mess, and I didn’t care that he couldn’t hear them. “Didn’t I say wait for me? You really…”

 

He was so thin; his shoulders felt like jagged stones beneath my hands. Even with our body heat pressed together, it didn’t feel real. Amidst the frantic, irregular beating of his heart, I feared he might vanish in the next second. My grip tightened, then tightened again.

 

“Ngh…”

 

A muffled groan came from his throat near my ear. I snapped out of it, stopping my frantic rambling, and turned to look at him.

 

Only then did I notice a few flecks of crimson on his cheek. Looking down, blood was seeping from a spot half an inch below his left shoulder. His brow furrowed imperceptibly when my hand touched it.

 

I let go of his shoulders in a panic, checking him from head to toe. Aside from the wound on his shoulder, the blood splattered on his hem had mostly dried. Fortunately, it didn’t look like his own; it looked like spray from someone else.

 

“How did you find me?”

 

He looked up at me, his brow furrowed, his long hair once again scattered over his shoulders.

 

“And how did you get here alone?” I hurriedly wiped my eyes and wrote in his hand with messy strokes. “How are you hurt like this? Where else? I’m taking you back now…”

 

“Just a minor surface wound, it’s fine.” Xie Huaishuang gave my hand a gentle push, his tone softening. “No rush to go back. I have things to ask this man… It really doesn’t matter, it doesn’t hurt.”

 

His hand was pressed against my chest, and he gave it a light pat after speaking. Before I could respond, a familiar voice started cursing from the corner.

 

“Look at you now, acting all dignified… Why weren’t you like this with me earlier?”

 

Peering over his shoulder by the faint light, I saw the man slumped against the wall. Sagging skin, cloudy eyes, and deep dark circles—it was that hideous creature from our first night at Linlang Pavilion.

 

“How did he…”

 

“He came for revenge… while you were out. He brought men to kill both of us.” Xie Huaishuang spoke before I could finish writing. “I lured him here and lost the others; they’ll likely find us soon. He has a medallion. He is…”

 

Xie Huaishuang paused, his voice devoid of emotion.

 

“He is also from the Temple.”

 

I hadn’t told him back then—how do you tell someone that the person who humiliated and tormented them was someone who wouldn’t normally be fit to touch the hem of his robes? Anyone would be devastated.

 

Only a sliver of moonlight reached the corner. I hesitated, then cupped his face slightly. There was no emotion on his face; his eyes remained as steady as ever. Only when he looked up did a trace of confusion appear, his voice a soft breath of air.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Hardly anyone in the Temple is even human. Don’t be sad because of them.”

 

Xie Huaishuang froze, then actually laughed. The moonlight seemed to ripple through his features, relaxing them slightly.

 

“What do you take me for? I’m not one of your glass lamps,” he shook his head, patting the back of my hand. “I won’t shatter at a touch. I have questions for him; stay and listen for me.”

 

He finished speaking softly and took a step back. The sword in his hand flashed with a cold light. As he changed his stance, the hideous man, who had been cursing to himself, went dead silent, pressing himself tight against the corner.

 

“Don’t… don’t you dare… My uncle will be here with his men any moment. If you touch me, you’ll—you’ll pay for this…”

 

Xie Huaishuang lowered his head for a moment, calculating the position. He took a step to the right, crouched before the man, and used his sword hilt to force the man’s chin up.

 

Looking at him, I realized Xie Huaishuang’s style was as efficient as ever. I clearly remembered he only had twenty percent of his power two days ago, yet now it seemed to have doubled.

 

What kind of technique was he practicing that was this effective? And why hadn’t he used it before?

 

“The Temple and Linlang Pavilion—is there anything else you want to say?”

 

Xie Huaishuang’s tone shifted; he sounded like a vengeful ghost again.

 

I suddenly sensed something was off. If this man was just a regular customer at Linlang Pavilion, there would be no reason for Xie Huaishuang to interrogate him like this.

 

—Was Xie Huaishuang’s fall to Linlang Pavilion actually connected to the Temple?

 

The hideous man was stubborn, huffing and puffing for a long time without saying anything.

 

I translated the man’s nonsense for Xie Huaishuang, growing impatient and reaching for the tools in my iron box. It was still the chill of early spring, and Xie Huaishuang was dressed thinly; his fingertips were cold.

 

But Xie Huaishuang was faster. With a frown, he raised his hand, and a thin line of blood appeared on the man’s throat.

 

“Can’t remember a single thing?”

 

“Wait!”

 

The man’s eyes bulged. “I’ll… I’ll talk. Just let me go…”

 

After I relayed this to Xie Huaishuang, he looked up, still expressionless. “Speak.”

 

“I… I really don’t know much. I just heard from my uncle and the others that if you have a medallion, you’re a VIP here, so I came to play… Uncle! Uncle, save me!”

 

A whistling sound cut through the air. I caught the first silver dart between my fingers.

 

If the lines of the tail were slightly improved to reduce drag, the speed could be increased by another ten percent. The Temple truly has no talent left.

 

Looking back, I saw five or six men blocking the alley entrance. Leading them was a middle-aged man with a goatee—presumably the “Uncle” who served as a consecrated expert in the Temple. He was just as ugly as his nephew.

 

With the silver dart still clamped between my fingers, my heart suddenly skipped a beat. What if I hadn’t found him? These people couldn’t kill him, but they would have hurt him.

 

This man seemed to have always been this way. Whether it was settling rebellions in the past, chasing me in battle, or dealing with these people now, he was always reckless with his own safety.

 

Bad habit. Terrible habit.

 

Xie Huaishuang tried to step forward, but I pushed him back. He looked up at me, surprised.

 

Why use a master’s blade to kill a chicken? The Temple was still using such crude Seven-Star Crossbows; even the trajectory was the most outdated model. I decided to give them a little education.

 

Fifteen minutes later, Xie Huaishuang nudged the bodies scattered on the ground with his toe. He turned to me and asked: “What was that you just used? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use that against me.”

 

I hadn’t. When dealing with him, I used my ultimate, top-tier weapons; I couldn’t bring myself to use such “toys” in front of him.

 

But saying that felt awkward. So, I didn’t explain. I simply led him over the fallen men to the one with the goatee.

 

“What else do you want to ask?”

 

Xie Huaishuang’s gaze lingered on me for a second, but he said nothing and crouched down.

 

“Are you the one managing the Linlang Pavilion?”

 

Goatee kept his eyes shut, muttering repeatedly about the “God of Xiling this” and “God of Xiling that.” This time, I was faster than Xie Huaishuang, forcing his eyes open.

 

“Keep muttering, and I’ll send you to see the God of Xiling right now.”

 

He shut up instantly, his beard twitching—clearly, his faith wasn’t that sincere.

 

“Talk. Is it you managing the Linlang Pavilion or not?”

 

I must have looked terrifying, as his beard twitched even harder.

 

“No… it’s not me! I don’t know anything! I was just following orders! I just do whatever the Lord Priest tells me to do…”

 

…Who?

 

“The Priest?” I glanced at Xie Huaishuang beside me. “What did he tell you to do? When?”

 

“Just… just when it’s time to collect the ‘incense money,’ I notify the manager of Linlang Pavilion. I don’t know anything else!”

 

He tried to wash his hands clean of it, but it was enough for me to guess the dark connection between the Temple and Linlang Pavilion.

 

But to blame all this filth on the “Priest”…

 

I told Xie Huaishuang: “He says you are the one managing Linlang Pavilion.”

 

Xie Huaishuang had seemed somewhat distracted for some reason. When I repeated the sentence, his brow furrowed, and he blinked in confusion. “Me?”

 

“If there’s anything… you can go talk to the Lord Priest. Why trouble me?” Goatee was still rambling. “There must be a misunderstanding. I’ve been in the Temple for over ten years; I’m… I’m very familiar with the Lord Priest. I can introduce you. Why don’t you just let me go…”

 

“…”

 

After I finished writing in Xie Huaishuang’s hand, he fell silent. A moment later, he suddenly laughed.

 

Unlike the relaxed smile from before, this laugh made me feel like someone was about to be very unfortunate.

 

In the next moment, I heard him speak softly, his voice accompanied by the rhythmic tapping of his sword hilt, carrying a sharp chill.

 

“Then take a good look at who I am.”