Chapter 28 A Mysterious Youngster
Yu Peiyu closed his eyes, he didn't want to see their degrading actions.
Ji Lingfeng said calmly:"Now you understand the power of my pills, not everyone can be like you. Only you have the tenacity and the willl to break from my pills."
She smiled to Yu Peiyu. He still ignored her.
Ji Lingfeng said:"Why do you ignore me? We are old friends and I have helped you many times. Why do you always run away from me when you see me."
Yu Peiyu stayed quiet for a moment and sighed in the end:"You're right. You have helped many times, but...... "
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"Don't worry, I don't want you to repay me."
Yu Peiyu asked:"What do you want from me?"
Ji Lingfeng answered:"I just want to make a deal with you."
Yu Peiyu asked:"What kind of deal?"
She walked around Yu Peiyu and stared at him, she said:"From the very first time we met, I knew you're extraordinary."
Yu Peiyu stuttered:"What....what is so extraordinary about me?"
Ji Lingfeng waved her hand and Xu Ruoyu, Xiangxiang and the other eight girls left. She closed the door and said calmly:"Firstly, you're the only son of Yu Fanghe, but...... "
Before she could finish, Zhu Lei'Er loudly interrupted:"You say that he is the son of Yu Fanghe?"
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"You don't know? You're right, with the exception of me and old man Gao. Nobody knows this."
Zhu Lei'Er was stunned and looked at Yu Peiyu with her startled eyes.
Ji Lingfeng said:"It is very glamorous to be the son of the chancellor of Wulin. But why did he have to pretend to be dead and assume the identity of a new Yu Peiyu?"
Zhu Lei'Er asked:"Why....why is that?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"He doesn't acknowledge this Yu Fanghe as his father, he even broke his ties with his fiancee Lin Daiyu. That day when I saw her stabbing you with her sword, I felt sad for you. You would rather see her hating you than explaining your problems to her."
Zhu Lei'Er bit her lip and said:"Because perhaps they do not understand him...... But I do understand, because I too...... "
She stopped talking, Ji Lingfeng said:"Do you think his father did something bad to him?"
Zhu Lei'Er stayed quiet and Ji Lingfeng said:"Your situation is different than his."
Ji Lingfeng said calmly:"It is different because this Yu Fanghe is an imposter too."
Zhu Lei'Er called out with surprise, Yu Peiyu's face changed. Ji Lingfeng smiled:"So many people in history think that their secrets would never be exposed. However they are too foolish and naive, you can never keep secrets hidden too long from the world. Heaven works in strange ways, I must be the last person you expect to see here and there back then."
Yu Peiyu said:"Are you talking about that day in the inn?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"Exactly, it was fate that brought us together in that inn."
Yu Peiyu repeated softly:"Fate.....fate...... "
Ji Lingfeng said:"When I saw you together with Lin Daiyu, I was startled too."
Yu Peiyu asked:"I was meaning to ask you, what were you doing there anyway?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"I was following Ximen Feng and others, I suspected that they were up to no good."
Yu Peiyu smiled wryly:"So you followed them and they lead you to me."
Ji Lingfeng said:"I didn't expect to find you there, it was also a surprise to see Hong Lianhua there. I knew that the Beggars Association was holding an assembly in Sichuan province."
Yu Peiyu said:"So many coincidences."
Ji Lingfeng said:"Hong Lianhua was even more surprised to see you and Lin Daiyu. The normally the ever so cold Miss Lin Daiyu was travelling with a mysterious young man. And you lodge in the same inn and stayed in the same room."
Zhu Lei'Er wanted to ask something, but she looked at Yu Peiyu and didn't ask.
Ji Lingfeng said:"Hong Lianhua was suspicious, so he sent a disciple to investigate."
Yu Peiyu smiled coldly:"So that waiter was sent to spy on us, I found him very suspicious from the start. He kept staring at Miss Lin and he came into our room with feeble excuses."
Ji Lingfeng said:"Didn't you suspect that waiter was sent by Hong Lianhua?"
Yu Peiyu said:"Although I did suspect a bit, but I wasn't sure."
Ji Lingfeng said:"That Song Si is also my subordinate, that is something you and Hong Lianhua didn't know."
Yu Peiyu said:"Is he addicted too?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"Yes, before he reported to Hong Lianhua he made a report to me. He told me that you and Miss Lin were both behaving strangely, the second time he entered he saw Miss Lin in tears and you were facing the wall."
Yu Peiyu asked:"What did Song Si have to say?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"He told me that he and Miss Lin had met before when she was in trouble some months ago. She also gave him a message to deliver to Hong Lianhua."
Yu Peiyu remembered Hong Lianhua telling him that story, she gave him a pouch in it was a piece of paper with the characters Trust Yu Peiyu and help him.
It was only months ago, but to him it seemed like an entire lifetime.
Ji Lingfeng said:"I was very curious when I heard Song Si's report so I decided to have a look. It was a coincidence to see Hong Lianhua and Ximen Feng there too."
Yu Peiyu sighed:"It was a busy day that day in the inn."
Ji Lingfeng said:"Afterwards I saw Miss Lin storming out of her room holdin her sword. She was crying, cursing creating quite a scene. Why was that?"
Yu Peiyu looked pensive and said:"Because I did not tell her who I was, and she hates me for doing something horrible to her. So she wanted to kill me."
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"She may fool Ximen Feng and Hong Lianhua with this charade, but not me."
Yu Peiyu said:"You don't believe this?"
Ji Lingfeng shook her head:"Not a word."
Yu Peiyu said:"What happened in your esteemed opinion?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"Firstly, she knew you and the so-called deceased Yu Peiyu are the same person. Otherwise she wouldn't travel with you."
Yu Peiyu stuttered:"Maybe.....maybe she just wanted to wait for an opportunity to kill me."
Ji Lingfeng laughed:"If she wanted to kill you she had plenty of chances. Why would she try and kill you there? She just wanted to put up a show and hoped to trick the spies of Yu Fanghe."
Yu Peiyu looked awfully pale and said:"A show?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"She knew that Ximen Feng and others were following you and were spying on you. She created that scene to fool them that you're not the Yu Peiyu they want."
Yu Peiyu stayed silent for a moment before asking:"What else?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"There is nothing else, I just have great admiration for your fiancee. Miss Lin is a very intelligent and courageous girl, she will be the perfect wife."
When Zhu Lei'Er heard the word [wife], her face turned red and then pale again. She wanted to cover her ears.
Ji Lingfeng continued:"Also I wanted to warn you that you may fool Yu Fanghe for a moment but not forever. He is bound to get to the bottom of this. But when you saw me you ran away as fast as you could."
Yu Peiyu now asked very earnestly:"What sort of deal were you suggesting earlier?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"If I revealed your secrets in open, you will be dead within a few days. But rest assured I will protect your secrets very well and I am even planning to help you."
Yu Peiyu said:"Help me?"
Ji Lingfeng said slowly:"I want to help you destroy that fake Yu Fanghe."
Yu Peiyu sighed deeply:"Of course you want to become the new chancellor of Wulin in order to become it, you have to eliminate Yu Fanghe. And the only way you can successfully remove him is by working together with me to expose his crimes."
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"We have a common goal."
Yu Peiyu said:"What if I refuse?"
Ji Lingfeng said calmly:"I will kill you now."
Yu Peiyu sighed:"It seems I have no other choice."
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"It seems so. And I will fully support you, you have no idea how much my power has grown. There are subordinates of me spread across the entire land. With only one order they are at your disposal."
Yu Peiyu sighed:"With that much power why do you want to become the chancellor of Wulin."
Ji Lingfeng said:"Some people like to drink, some people like women but I love power!"
Yu Peiyu said:"Power?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"If one hasn't tasted it before, one doesn't know the joys of it. My biggest wish is to see everyone in Wulin bow before me. At this point my operation is only conducted in secret, if I fail everything is gone."
Yu Peiyu sighed:"It is said that drinking and prostituting kills, but in my eyes power is even more horrifying."
Ji Lingfeng's eyes were burning with passion and said:"But power is something that is desired and wanted by many."
Yu Peiyu said:"But now that Yu Fanghe is the chancellor, you are plotting against him. But when you're the chancellor someone would rebel against you too."
Ji Lingfeng said:"When you become an emperor, there are bound to be usurpers or rebels. However if most of the people fear and respect you, those few traitors won't matter to me."
Yu Peiyu asked:"How long can you stay the chancellor?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"If my wish comes true.....Even if it was only for one day I will be very happy."
Yu Peiyu sighed deeply and said softly:"Power.....power, what an abominable concept!"
Ji Lingfeng said:"We are not here to discuss ethics or philosophies of life. There are two roads for you to pick, one work with me. Two: Die!"
Yu Peiyu said seriously:"I have one condition too, if you won't comply I will rather die."
Ji Lingfeng said:"What is that condition?"
Yu Peiyu said:"I don't want anything to do with those pills of happiness, I don't even want to hear that name."
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"You think it is cheap to make those pills? Since you already agree to help me I won't waste those pills on you."
Yu Peiyu said:"My word is enough for you?"
Ji Lingfeng smiled sweetly:"I can only trust one person in this world and that is you. Besides I know too many of your secrets, you wouldn't dream of defying me. But most important we have a common enemy we need to deal with."
Yu Peiyu smiled wryly:"It seems in order to defeat Yu Fanghe I have to work together with people like you."
Ji Lingfeng said seriously:"Indeed, all those Wulin people from the orthodox schools are at his side. They won't believe your story and help you."
The funny thing is that the mission of Yu Peiyu was righteous and good, but in order to succeed he has to work with evil and heretic people. The irony of life!
In order to live Yu Peiyu had to die once, for the past months he had experienced the most strange events.
Zhu Lei'Er now understood that Yu Peiyu's tragedy was even sadder than her own tragedy. Furthermore Yu Peiyu had never told her about his own events, she looked at him dreamily and was sobbing.
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"Zhu Lei'Er...... Zhu Lei'Er...... what an interesting name. Do you have a lot of tears."
(*Lei'Er=tears)
Zhu Lei'Er angrilly said:"At least I'm not a coldhearted monster like you."
Ji Lingfeng sighed:"Most people can't curse and sob at the same time."
Zhu Lei'Er retorted:"Some people can smile friendly and kill innocent people at the same time."
Ji Lingfeng said:"When it comes to that I'm no match for Lady Zhu and Miss Zhu."
Zhu Lei'Er was startled and asked:"How do you know who I am?"
Ji Lingfeng said calmly:"If I don't know who you are, I wouldn't tell you all that I know."
Zhu Lei'Er sternly asked:"How do you know?"
Ji Lingfeng said:"I want to become the new chancellor of Wulin, if I don't even know these little secrets how can I defy Yu Fanghe. By the way congratulations! I forgot today you got married to our young master Yu."
Yu Peiyu didn't say a word but just looked at Zhu Lei'Er, she looked very pale and started to cry again.
She trembled and sobbed:"You...... you don't have to mock me."
Ji Lingfeng said:"Who is mocking you?"
Zhu Lei'Er bit her lips and said:"You know that he isn't willing to marry me. He doesn't take this...... marriage...... serious."
She started to cry sadly now, Ji Lingfeng:"What do you mean not serious? Marriage is a very serious matter."
Zhu Lei'Er said:"But...... I...... "
Ji Lingfeng said gently:"Don't worry. Yu Peiyu is not the kind of man who will not acknowlegde you as his wife, because you did not die."
Zhu Lei'Er was trembling and looked at Yu Peiyu, Ji Lingfeng smiled:"You don't have to ask him, I will teach you a method if he doesn't acknowledge you. That method is dying in front of him."
Yu Peiyu sighed in his heart, he saw Zhu Lei'Er looking at him dreamily. She said softly:"Don't worry I won't do such a thing...... "
Ji Lingfeng said:"Why not if a man loves a woman, he is allowed to do all kinds of strange methods to court her and keep her. If he succeeds he will be praised, why can't women do the same?"
Zhu Lei'Er said:"But men and women are different...... "
Ji Lingfeng said:"What difference? Why should women be inferior to men, my every move and plan is meant to bring glory to women."
She asked Zhu Lei'Er:"Are you inferior to most men? Of course not, why do you look down upon yourself?"
Ji Lingfeng held Zhu Lei'Er's hand and said gently:"Little sister, we're both women. And if we work together we can bring glory to all the women in the world."
Yu Peiyu looked at them and thought that Ji Lingfeng was practically brainwashing Zhu Lei'Er.
She unsealed Yu Peiyu and Zhu Lei'Er's acupoints and put the hand of Zhu Lei'Er in the hand of Yu Peiyu.
She smiled to Yu Peiyu:"I'm giving her to you, take good care of her. If not I will be looking for you."
Yu Peiyu smiled:"Thank you."
Ji Lingfeng was a bit startled by him and asked:"Thank me? Why?"
Yu Peiyu said:"I was afraid she won't understand, but thank you for consoling her."
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"You must be blaming me in your heart."
Yu Peiyu smiled:"I wouldn't dare. But do you really know what happens kilometres away?"
Ji Ling smiled mysteriously:"Have you forgotten that song I sang to you?"
Yu Peiyu was amused and laughed:"Don't tell me that you understand the language of the birds?"
Ji Lingfeng smiled:"If I didn't understand their tongue, I wouldn't save you out of that well in my manor."
Yu Peiyu said:"But that was Miss Ji Lingyan...... "
Ji Lingfeng laughed:"How do you know that I am not Ji Lingyan? Who is Ji Lingyan? And who is Ji Lingfeng? Can you tell the difference? How well do you know them?"
Yu Peiyu was very confused and scared now, originally he knew who was who but now......
These two sisters were filled with mystery, Ji Lingfeng was intelligent and ambitious. Ji Lingyan was mentally handicapped, but that could be an act too.
Ji Lingfeng said:"Do you now know who I am?"
Yu Peiyu sighed:"I really can't tell."
Ji Lingfeng laughed:"The biggest weakness of humans is that they are too confident."
Suddenly someone knocked at the door:"I have something to report, mistress."
It was Xiangxiang, Ji Lingfeng became her regular self again.
Ji Lingfeng asked:"What is it?"
Xiangxiang said:"There are three customers here."
Ji Lingfeng frowned and said:"I told you to put up a notice that we will be closed for the next few days."
Xiangxiang said:"I did what you told, mistress. I have already told a lot people to go somewhere else. But these three were adamant in coming in."
Ji Lingfeng said earnestly:"Go and see how they look like?"
Xiangxiang said:"Xiaofang at the door didn't know what to do, so she informed me. The three won't leave and are still standing in front of the main door."
Ji Lingfeng said:"Have you seen how they look like?"
Xiangxiang said:"I couldn't see clearly because it is dark outside, but at least two of those men are quite old. And they were riding steeds that are only available in the northern regions. It seems that they came from a long way."
Ji Lingfeng said:"And their faces?"
Xiangxiang said:"They are wearing long cloaks and large straw hats with veils in front. But one of them only has one arm."
Ji Lingfeng said:"They don't want anyone to see their true appearances."
Xiangxiang said:"I think so too, mistress."
Ji Lingfeng looked pensive and scoffed:"Are they here to deal with me? Let me have a look myself."
Zhu Lei'Er was very much herself with Ji Lingfeng around but now she was gone, she felt uneasy again.