The wind has no form, yet I seek to hunt it! I roam the Nine Provinces with pride, acting as a thief in the name of heaven! He is in the prime of his youth; she is a beauty beyond compare. He should have been a scholar full of youthful vigor, speaking with bold conviction; she should have been a woman with a charming smile, enjoying the beauty of flowers and the moon. Yet born into a time of chaos—with national grievances and family vendettas, a shattered land, foreign powers carving up the realm, and ancestral honor tarnished—he cast aside his books, and she took up arms. Together, they guarded the dragon veins, explored the depths of the underworld, seized the Celestial Coffin, and battled the Demon Star. Killing one in ten paces, leaving no trace for a thousand miles. When the deed is done, they turn and go, hiding their deeds and fame deep within!
Chapter 47: [The Library] (Part 1)
Chapter 24: [The Library] (Part 1) Ye Qinghong nodded, her clear eyes fixed on Luo Lie. “You’ll help me, won’t you?” Luo Lie laughed. “If I miss this opportunity, I’m afraid I’ll never have another chance in my life to make a hundred thousand silver dollars.” Ye Qinghong also smiled faintly. “You needn’t worry about money. I can fulfill any of your needs.” “Any?” Luo Lie stared at Ye Qinghong’s fair face with a hint of surprise. As soon as she spoke, Ye Qinghong realized she had said too much. Her pretty face flushed slightly; she cleared her throat softly to break the awkwardness, then turned her gaze out the car window: “As long as it’s within my power!” Fortunately, Luo Lie didn’t dwell on the matter. He said softly, “If I’m not mistaken, you didn’t come here to kill Liu Tongsi?” Ye Qinghong replied, “At least for now, he still has a reason to live.” Luo Lie mused to himself. The fundamental reason Ye Qinghong hadn’t deemed Liu Tongsi a target for immediate execution was likely the missing treasures beneath the Sea of Bliss in the Old Summer Palace. Based on her description, Liu Tongsi was the prime suspect in the theft, but why did she absolutely need to obtain the Seven Treasures Wind-Shelter Amulet? What significance did that object hold for her? This young lady must still be holding quite a few things back from him. Luo Lie chose not to press the matter. Gazing at the scenery passing by outside the car window, he murmured, “How do you plan to proceed?” Ye Qinghong replied, “The cocktail party on Saturday will be a perfect opportunity. You find a chance to hypnotize Liu Tongsi, while An Zhai creates a commotion at the scene. I’ll have Lu Weilin handle the backup.” Luo Lie shook his head, but Ye Qinghong stopped the car at his gesture. Her beautiful eyes fixed on him in puzzlement. “You refuse?” Luo Lie replied, “You’re overestimating my abilities. Hypnosis depends on the subject. With someone like Xie Liyun, it’s easy to succeed—after all, she’s simple-minded and easy to control. But with someone who’s constantly on guard and deeply calculating, it’s never that simple. It could easily backfire. Have you forgotten? I failed when I tried to hypnotize you back then.” Ye Qinghong was displeased that Luo Lie had lumped her in with Liu Tongsi. She said coldly, “So you finally admit you tried to hypnotize me back then.” Luo Lie replied, “I’m simply stating the facts; I have no intention of disparaging you. To successfully hypnotize someone, you must first lower their guard, break down their inner defenses, or exploit their weaknesses—striking when they’re off guard and taking advantage of their vulnerability.” Ye Qinghong said, “Liu Tongsi is by no means perfect; he has his weaknesses too.” Luo Lie looked at Ye Qinghong and nodded. “You’re right. Liu Tongsi’s greatest weakness is his lust.” Ye Qinghong immediately understood what Luo Lie meant from the look in his eyes. She bit her cherry-red lips and shook her head resolutely. She couldn’t bring herself to seduce the man who had murdered her father. Luo Lie said, “To succeed, you must set aside your personal likes and dislikes. We’re simply exploiting his weakness—it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to pay a price.” In Ye Qinghong’s original plan, it was Luo Lie who was supposed to seduce Xie Liyun. She never imagined that now she herself would be pushed into this position by Luo Lie. She clenched her fists and said firmly, “No, I can’t get past this mental barrier. Just seeing his despicable face makes me sick!” Luo Lie smiled faintly. “I’m not asking you to abandon your principles or self-respect. We simply need to create an opportunity for the two of you to be alone, then seize the moment to take the Seven Treasures Shelter Amulet. Perhaps we’ll still have a chance to extract the secret of the Fuhai Treasure Vault from him.” Ye Qinghong said, “He might not be willing to talk.” Luo Lie replied, “At that point, he won’t have a choice.” Ye Qinghong nodded; she believed Luo Lie must have a plan. Luo Lie continued, “However, there’s one thing we must plan in advance. Liu Tongsi is the head of the Liaoshen Provincial Administration Office; his influence extends throughout Yingkou and the surrounding areas. Once we’ve succeeded, can you guarantee we’ll be able to make a clean getaway?” Ye Qinghong hesitated; she didn’t answer Luo Lie immediately. Luo Lie had already gleaned the answer from her hesitation. He sighed and said, “You can’t. Because in your original plan, you never even considered a way out for me and the Blind Man.” Luo Lie didn’t spell it out, but in truth, Lu Weilin’s presence wasn’t merely to ensure Ye Qinghong’s safety; perhaps he also bore the task of eliminating potential threats. If Luo Lie and the Blind Man were to fall into enemy hands, Lu Weilin would likely choose to silence them. He saw the whole situation very clearly. From the very beginning, the relationship between Ye Qinghong and himself had been one of mutual exploitation. He could not expect Ye Qinghong to show him any mercy. This woman was deeply calculating, cool-headed, clear-eyed, and tenacious; to achieve her goals, she would stop at nothing. After a moment’s hesitation, Ye Qinghong finally made up her mind. She solemnly promised, “Luo Lie, rest assured. Now that I’ve decided to cooperate with you, I will never abandon the two of you. I will stand with you through thick and thin!” Luo Lie gave a faint smile. “Regardless of what you thought in the past, I trust you now. However, we must find a foolproof backup plan; otherwise, I’d rather cancel this operation.” He would never risk his own life or that of his friends. Ye Qinghong said, “There must be a way.” This statement made it clear that she did not yet have a foolproof plan of retreat. Luo Lie said, “I have an idea. The Sparrow gang has close ties with the Japanese; they wield considerable influence in Yingkou. If we can secure their assistance, this mission is sure to succeed.” Ye Qinghong asked, “Aren’t you afraid they might inform on us to Liu Tongsi?” Luo Lie shook his head. “No.” He was convinced that the Sparrows wouldn’t betray him; after all, he held immense value to them. Moreover, judging by recent events, there appeared to be no connection between the Sparrows and Liu Tongsi. He also believed in the sincerity of Ye Qinghong’s confession—she had clearly recognized his worth, and if not for that, why would she have shown such genuine goodwill? Ye Qinghong gazed at Luo Lie for a long time. She began to realize that her original plan had completely changed; without even noticing it, the central figure in the plan had shifted from herself to Luo Lie. What kind of magic did this man possess? Luo Lie intended to persuade Ye Qinghong to cooperate with Sparrow’s faction, yet he had no intention of bringing the two sides into direct confrontation. In his view, the time was not yet right, nor was it necessary. Both sides sought to use him, and he intended to exploit that very mindset to firmly grasp the initiative of this operation in his own hands. Often, those who seek to use others are the ones most easily used themselves. A cliff stands a thousand feet high; only by being free of desire can one remain unyielding. Only by maintaining a peaceful state of mind, free from desire and expectation, can one see the bigger picture and control the entire situation. The decision to head to the South Man Library after dark was primarily to take advantage of the Blind Man’s superior night vision and alertness, to avoid being followed, and to make it easier to cover their tracks. Although he had had several deep conversations with Ye Qinghong, Luo Lie still felt that they had not yet reached the point of complete trust. The cold was biting, and the north wind howled. Wrapped in thick sheepskin coats, the two men looked like two cotton balls as they walked along the old street in the gloomy night. Although they hadn’t spotted anyone following them, Luo Lie chose to take a few extra detours out of caution before finally arriving at the back door of the Nanman Library. The Blind Man looked around to make sure no one was watching, and only then did Luo Lie ring the doorbell. They waited quite a while before someone came to open the door. It was a middle-aged coachman—the very same man who had picked Luo Lie up at the train station when he first arrived in Yingkou. Back then, the two had come to blows on the frozen surface of the Great Liao River, only to fall into the water together when Lu Weilin’s long-range shot caused the ice to crack. Had Luo Lie not put aside their past grievances and come to his rescue,the coachman would likely have drowned in the icy waters of the Liao River. The coachman’s presence here proved he was on the same side as Sparrow. Seeing Luo Lie before him, the coachman grinned, revealing a simple, friendly smile: “Mr. Luo has arrived. Uncle Fu is waiting for you.” Luo Lie smiled and nodded at him. “What’s your name, brother?” The coachman replied, “Changfa! Just call me Old Chang, Mr. Luo.” Changfa showed considerable respect toward his savior. The Blind Man, unaware of what had transpired between Luo Lie and Chang Fa, chuckled and said, “My name is An Zhai. Old Chang, I look forward to your continued support!”
