Emperor's Cunning Wife

Ning Lou was too preoccupied with her Brother Long's condition that she seemed to forget an important thing.

Near Yangmei city gates inside a small inn, Brother Qian's pitiful figure was huddled beside their room's open window. His face had traces of tears. Slender Xiu and another abbot were beside him.

"I shouldn't let Little Flower alone. He must have been unable to find his way back." Brother Qian sniffled and hugged his body from the coldness coming from the outside.

"Close the window or else we'll catch a cold. We can continue the search tomorrow morning." The abbot spoke beckoning Slender Xiu to persuade the depressed Brother Qian.

The three had to stay put to search for Little Flower's whereabouts. The rest had been sent to the temple in order to inform Abbot He and High Priest Zhang of Little Flower's disappearance. They had explored the every possible place where Little Flower could be, they had also asked the people but none had been able to lead them to Little Flower. Just thinking about him without a place to sleep at night made Brother Qian and the rest worried.

"Abbot, will Little Flower be fine? Nothing bad will happen to him, right?" Brother Qian whimpered as images of Little Flower possibly offending some man from gambling filled his mind. Little Flower has skinny arms and legs. He wouldn't be able to protect himself from any bad guy.

Another round of cries were heard from him, Slender Xiu immediately pulled him off the window and closed it immediately.

"Hey will you shut up! Some people are trying to sleep here!" That was the fifth time someone had complain about Brother Qian's constant crying.

"Sir, we're really sorry!" Slender Xiu yelled back.

The inn's wall was thin so the sounds coming from the neighbouring room could be heard on the next. Brother Qian's wailing was really annoying, even Slender Xiu and the abbot tried to cover their ears sometimes.

Brother Qian was a responsible and sensible man, while slender Xiu was often business minded and possessed a great perception in assessing people. Three days with Little Flower was enough for him to understand that young man's deep and calculating mind behind his innocent and playful façade. He still remembered how Little Flower proposed him some ways to make money.

"Brother Xiu, have you considered being a loan shark?"

"What's that?" Slender Xiu raised his eyebrows at him. The young man was a head shorter than him, so it's easy for Slender Xiu to make an examination.

"Lending money at an interest rate!" The young man rubbed his hands together and his eyes sparkled along with those words.

"This is the temple! How could you say such things on holy grounds?" Slender Xiu alarmed and look around for someone possibly eavesdropping on their conversation. He wouldn't want to go under the radar of High Priest Zhang and be punished for copying the Holy Scriptures again.

"Looks like I hit the mark, Brother Xiu is really a man that has a backbone for business!" That young man titled his head, his shining eyes had traces of shrewdness that an ordinary person shouldn't have.

Xiu felt uncomfortable as if he had been stripped all over. How did he know? He only confessed his origins to High Priest Zhang, even the brothers here in the temple don't have a clue.

"Nonsense, I'm just a young man practicing the way of enlightenment. You're mistaken." Slender Xiu quickly turned around and clenched his fist. His eyes had some anxiety.

"Alright. Alright. I don't have any interest in your family affairs, what I want is your head." The young man appeared in front of him again, his eyes shaped into crescents.

Slender Xiu stiffened at her last words. His eyes bore into the young man and turned grim. Slender Xiu stepped back and he almost relived a memory if not for the young man's timely interference.

"Hey, Brother Xiu the past is past don't be stuck on it, you should live in the future. What I meant is your talent! Okay?" The young man quickly corrected himself as if he knew what cause Slender Xiu's emotional turmoil.

Slender Xiu awakened and heard those words. He stared at the young man's peerless face in seriousness. "You don't know me at all. Don't act like you know everything about me!" What past is past? Live in the future? Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, blood and revenge are hammering it my head. There's no turning back. An eye for an eye should be exacted then only can my heart be settled.

Xiu slowly walked towards a different direction, he didn't want to stay a single second anymore.

"If everybody prefers an eye for an eye, then the world will go blind. Brother Xiu, if your revenge will affect a lot of people's live will you be able to live without a single guilt? Then would there be any difference between you and the one who did this to you?" The young man spoke lightly but Xiu heard every word like it was said next to his ears. His heart palpitated and immediately turned around. But, he only saw a silhouette already walked a few meters away.

"Don't think lightly of the consequences. If one seeks revenge, he must dig two graves." Again, that silhouette said some words that floated to his ears and he realized that he was seen through. For the first time since that tragic event, he felt that there was someone to confide his story. Without knowing, he started to follow that person's steps.

"Xiu, time to go to sleep. You too, Qian." The abbot said lightly gazing at the candle's flame.

"Yes." Xiu replied and spread the blanket on the floor.

"Hey Xiu, how could you sleep at ease with Little Flower missing?" Brother Qian started his complain again at Xiu's unresponsive attitude.

"You're worrying too much. Little Flower is much more independent that you think." Xiu said, his eyes carried some laughter.

'Brother Xiu, If you wanted to exact revenge, kill them with success and bury them with a smile.'