Chapter 19: Mistaken Identity

Jing Huan stood with her hands behind her back, not speaking. Her light blue pupils constricted, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the peasant woman dressed as a farmhand.

A Quan dared not ask further. The Jing Master usually did not show emotions, but now her feelings were exposed. If she did not initiate conversation, it meant she did not wish to speak.

The affairs of the mistress were not for servants to inquire about. Moreover, the Jing Master was usually strict with people. Even the highly esteemed Second Imperial Son did not dare to overstep boundaries in front of the Jing Master.

A Quan stood behind her mistress with lowered head, her narrow black eyes vigilantly scanning for suspicious individuals in the main hall.

The peasant woman below was leisurely sipping tea. Jing Huan’s gaze fell on her hand holding the cup, not moving away.

She raised the cup and lowered her head. The teacup was placed near her nose for a light sniff. After smelling the tea, she seemed unsatisfied with the flavor, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Her other hand unconsciously lifted, slender fingers brushing away strands of hair that had fallen over her forehead.

It was an ordinary gesture, but Jing Huan’s breathing suddenly quickened.

The way that person pushed back her hair in the distance, with the little finger straight up and the fingertip tilted, was exactly the same.

A flash of urgency appeared in her eyes, though quickly suppressed. Her back became exceptionally rigid, and if observed closely, one could see her body trembling slightly.

Similar actions, identical gestures of pushing back hair.

Jing Huan’s full lips moved, almost uttering the name that had filled her heart for five hundred years.

Five hundred years, seas turned to mulberry fields, ages passed.

Even if her appearance had changed, as long as her soul remained, she could recognize her at a glance.

The Heartless Dao Ancestor Liu Cangyun, without emotions or desires, a flower on a high peak. He had spent a full ten years investigating her likes and dislikes, moods, and simulating her living habits. Then fifty years of day and night companionship, he used a purely kind exterior to gradually infiltrate her life.

Later he discovered that the Heartless Dao Ancestor, feared by all in the Immortal Realm for her cold and aloof nature, secretly liked to make many small gestures.

When angry, she would purse her lips, frown, a flash of displeasure passing over her face.

When happy, the corners of her lips would secretly curve into an arc, but quickly disappear without a trace.

When lost in thought, she would stand by the cliff of Mount Cangwu under the phoenix tree, stepping on the fallen leaves on the ground.

When drinking tea, she would brush the loose hair at her temples, little finger straight up, fingertip tilted.

…

He was familiar with her every little action, using fifty years to understand and infiltrate her life, originally thinking he could completely control her in his hands.

But he had not expected that in fifty years of constant companionship, his revenge would succeed. Yet his own heart had fallen in. In the many years that followed, her every move, every smile, was like a series of images imprinted on his soul, unable to be driven away, aching when touched.

Laughable, entering the demonic path was originally his heart’s desire, yet because of her, heart demons were born.

Inside the restaurant’s main hall, every seat was filled.

The female storyteller was vividly expressive.

Cheers of approval rose and fell from the crowd below.

But Jing Huan seemed unaware of the bustling atmosphere around her, her phoenix eyes reflecting only one person.

Liu Changning had been stared at by a burning gaze for a long time. Annoyed beyond endurance, she raised her eyes and met those of the noblewoman by the window on the second floor directly.

A flash of surprise passed through her eyes. This was an acquaintance, the noblewoman she had coincidentally encountered at the entrance of Yunlai Inn earlier.

No wonder the gaze had been fixed on her without wavering. To encounter her twice in one day must be fate.

Liu Changning curved her lips, raising her teacup in a distant greeting.

Unfortunately, the person upstairs was distracted and did not respond.

Her gaze fixed on the curve of her lips, her originally relaxed thick eyebrows furrowing, full lips pressed into a straight line, displeasure fully evident.

Liu Changning rubbed her sharp chin. Could it be… that her smile was so ugly it was unbearable, disgusting the noblewoman upstairs?

Although the original owner of this body had unremarkable features and a sallow complexion due to malnutrition.

But after yesterday’s medicinal bath, her skin had improved considerably. Restoring her features to their former appearance would certainly not be an overnight matter. But to say she was ugly enough to frighten people away seemed an exaggeration.

Gazing at that person for a moment, she saw her brows furrow even more.

Liu Changning’s smile faded slightly at the corners of her mouth. She shrugged, looking away and lowering her head to focus her attention on the female storyteller at the front of the hall.

“Not long ago, the Northern Rong invaded. The Mo family army guarding the border was repeatedly defeated and retreated. The rear supplies were even burned to ashes by the enemy’s iron cavalry. When news of this reached Jinling City, the Empress was furious and specially dispatched the Marquis of Zhennan to lead an army of 50,000 to provide aid.”

The female storyteller’s voice rose and fell with dramatic effect. She looked up, sweeping her gaze across the hall below. Seeing everyone in heated discussion, she raised her hand and struck the wooden block.

With her hands behind her back, she continued: “Everyone, please be quiet and listen as I explain in detail. The Marquis of Zhennan took to the battlefield at fifteen and was undefeated in battle. It was thought that with the Marquis of Zhennan in command this time, the Northern Rong would surely be driven back step by step. But just as the Marquis of Zhennan’s 50,000 troops had barely entered the territory of Langfan, news of victory came from the front. It turned out that this defeat of our forces was all part of General Mo’s strategy to lure the enemy deep into our territory. The rear supplies that were burned had been switched. Yesterday, the Mo family army caught the enemy by surprise, fought bloody battles, pursued victory, routed the Northern Rong army, and took the heads of the Northern Rong rebels!”

“General Mo is still vigorous in old age, his sword not yet rusty!”

“The general is wise, and the troops of the northern desert are brave.”

“What a brilliant strategy to lure the enemy deep into our territory, step by step. The general must have kept even the imperial court in the dark this time, otherwise they would not have sent the Marquis of Zhennan to reinforce.”

“Half truth and half deception is the best way to make the enemy let down their guard. The general’s strategy was brilliant.”

…

In the hall, everyone began to discuss animatedly, their words full of admiration for General Mo.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. But who knew the cicada was just bait to lure the enemy in deep. This plan had many twists and turns, leaving everyone in heated discussion.

Liu Changning sipped her clear tea in small mouthfuls. The tea leaves were of average quality, and the brewed tea tasted bitter yet sweet, not particularly delicious, but better than nothing.

She was originally an extremely picky person. The tea she drank every day had to be picked from the morning dew, and even the slightest impurity made it undrinkable.

Later, in her second life, Earth was heavily polluted. Forget about drinking polluted morning dew, even tap water filtered through purifiers had a chemical taste.

After being afflicted for many years, Liu Changning felt that human adaptability was limitless. Now in ancient times, even a cup of plain boiled water tasted exceptionally sweet to her.

The second life changed not only her values but also her living habits.

Later, without spiritual energy, she could not cultivate. She discovered that apart from attaining the Dao and ascending, she preferred to drink lightly in the mortal world, sitting in a corner, observing the smoke and fire of human life, examining the rich and colorful expressions on people’s faces. Because she didn’t have them, she was more willing to observe and appreciate them.

Thus, she could now sit calmly in the noisy main hall.

Thinking carefully, her former self had lived too rigidly, losing the joy of being human.

In the private room on the second floor.

Jing Huan pressed her lips together in displeasure. That person was not her!

Everyone in this world could smile, only her master did not know how to smile. She practiced the Heartless Dao, how could she show emotions?

Her light blue eyes were full of disappointment. She straightened her leaning body, her gaze floating, losing focus.

She had thought that after waiting for so many years, their meeting would be a natural progression.

But she hadn’t expected her heart to become impatient after all. Living under the same sky as her, she couldn’t help but compare every woman she met to the one in her memory.

How could these people compare to her? Even with the same small gestures, every move seemingly identical.

But Master would not smile, as cold as an ice lotus on the peak of a snowy mountain, high above.

Even though he had been her good disciple for so many years, restraining himself and behaving as the type of disciple she liked most, she had never smiled at him.

Everyone in the Immortal Realm knew that the Heartless Dao Ancestor Liu Cangyun’s expressionless face was her expression. She would not smile.

Thinking of that person’s immortal-like face, a flash of pain and melancholy passed through Jing Huan’s eyes.

She clenched her fist, turning her back, and asked the guard behind her in a hoarse voice: “Have you found any clues about the person I asked you to investigate?”

A Quan’s expression was solemn. The sudden low pressure emanating from her mistress forced him to lower his head, bow, and carefully reply: “All members of the Shadow Guard’s first division have been mobilized, taking the portrait you provided to search the entire Langfan Prefecture, but so far… we have found nothing.”

A Quan paused, lowering his head even more, glancing at his mistress’s expressionless face from the corner of his eye, and continued nervously: “Please rest assured, mistress. This servant will spare no effort to investigate every village in Langfan one by one.”

Jing Huan’s phoenix eyes flashed with a hint of coldness as she said in a deep voice: “No need to investigate Langfan. She must be within the borders of Beihuan County. You just need to narrow down the search area. Remember, if there are any people whose temperament has suddenly changed greatly, becoming cold and aloof, gather information on all of them as well. Now that this king has come to Langfan on imperial orders, we may need to stay for some time and can personally investigate.”

Jing Huan raised her eyes, scanning the woman below once again. Looking carefully now, her behavior and mannerisms were still similar and familiar, the resemblance in her actions making her emotions difficult to calm.

She pressed her lips together, flicked her sleeves, and personally stepped out of the private room.

She was usually extremely cautious. Even though that glance just now had already completely dismissed this person in her mind, if there was even the slightest chance… it was better to wrongly kill a thousand than to let one escape.

Following the corridor to the staircase.

The storyteller had finished today’s discussion of ancient and modern affairs. The woman in the distance was cupping her cheeks with both hands, her gaze sliding over everyone before quickly withdrawing.

Jing Huan walked down the red-lacquered wooden staircase, holding the railing. A waiter was walking towards that person with packed porridge.

She paused in her steps forward, standing tall and straight to one side, the long tassels of the gold hairpin fixing her hair swaying in midair.

Her phoenix eyes stared straight ahead, taking in every word of the conversation between the unremarkable woman in the corner and the waiter.

The waiter handed over the packed porridge, a pleasing smile on her face: “Customer, sorry to keep you waiting. Your porridge is ready. The chef inside asked me to pass on a message. The white porridge is bland and tasteless. Would you like to add a couple of appetizing side dishes?”

Liu Changning was in a good mood and smiled, saying: “Thank you for your trouble. My husband at home is unwell and prefers bland flavors, so no side dishes are needed.”

The waiter wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and replied: “Alright then.”

Jing Huan turned and returned to the private room.

Her steps were steady, one at a time.

Someone like her master, a high and unreachable flower, had cut off all emotional ties many years ago. Even if her soul was now attached to the body of a married woman, the first thing she would do upon being reborn would certainly be to divorce her husband.

She would never “buy porridge for her husband”.

If it wasn’t her, then it wasn’t. She had forced the issue.

She opened the door of the private room, no longer sparing a glance for the peasant woman below.