Martial Arts Secret Realm: Only I Can Know the Plot?

"I know," Mu Xue'er said, "but class monitor, what exactly do you want me to do by getting close to that maid?"

Sun Fan remained silent for a moment before speaking: "I want Ling Shuanghua to do me a favor."

"What kind of help?"

"Give me a token," Sun Fan said, "a token that will make Ding Dian believe in me."

Mu Xue'er was taken aback: "A token? What token?"

Sun Fan thought for a moment: "There must be something between Ling Shuanghua and Ding Dian that only the two of them know. Like a word, a gesture, or an inconspicuous little object. I need to get my hands on that."

"But..." Mu Xue'er hesitated for a moment, "Will Ling Shuanghua give it to us directly?"

"No," Sun Fan said. "So you can't just ask for it directly; you have to let her give it to you herself."

He looked at Mu Xue'er: "What you need to do is not to ask Ling Shuanghua for the token, but to make her feel that there is someone worthy of her giving her token."

Mu Xue'er seemed to understand, but she nodded nonetheless.

The next morning, Mu Xue'er went out.

Sun Fan didn't go. He knew that in this kind of situation, his presence would only be a hindrance. The friendship between two women needed to be built naturally. His sudden appearance as a grown man would only arouse suspicion.

He stayed at the inn and continued reading.

In the evening, Mu Xue'er returned, her expression somewhat strange.

"What's wrong?" Sun Fan asked.

Mu Xue'er sat down, poured herself a glass of water, drank it all in one gulp, and then said, "Class monitor, the Ling Shuanghua you mentioned... I saw her."

"How is it?"

"She's...different." Mu Xue'er thought for a moment, unable to find the right words. "How should I put it? She's not like a daughter of an official. There's something about her...I can't quite put my finger on it, it just makes you feel sorry for her, like she doesn't fight or compete for anything, she just stays there quietly."

Sun Fan didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.

"Today at Qingxu Temple, I talked with Cui'er for a long time. Cui'er said that Miss Ling wasn't like this before. She was very lively and loved to laugh and play when she was little. But she changed after her mother passed away three years ago."

Mu Xue'er paused for a moment: "Besides burning incense, she spends her days indoors embroidering. She rarely goes out and rarely sees anyone. Miss Liu is her only friend, but she can only see her once a month."

"Does she have scars on her face...?" Sun Fan asked tentatively.

Mu Xue'er nodded: "Cui'er said it happened a year ago. Miss Ling, for some reason, suddenly locked herself in her room for three days. When she came out, she had that scar on her face. No matter how Miss Liu asked, she wouldn't say."

Sun Fan remained silent.

He knew what the scar was—Ling Shuanghua had slashed her face with a knife to make her father give up and stop forcing her to marry someone else.

"However..." Mu Xue'er suddenly lowered her voice, "Cui'er said something very strange."

"What is it?"

"Miss Ling always has a potted plant on her windowsill," Mu Xue'er said. "Cui'er said that the plant blooms no matter the season. And Miss Ling waters it herself every day, never asking anyone else to do it."

Sun Fan's heart tightened.

That potted plant was what Ding Dian could see every day in his cell.

"Cui'er also said that once she got up in the middle of the night and saw Miss Ling standing by the window, talking to the potted plant." Mu Xue'er's voice was even lower. "Her voice was very soft, and she couldn't hear what she was saying. But Miss Ling's expression was like she was saying goodbye to someone."

Sun Fan closed his eyes.

Every night, Ling Shuanghua would talk to the potted plant. She knew that Ding Dian could see the plant from his cell, so she told it everything she wanted to say.

Whether Ding Dian heard it or not, she didn't know.

But she kept talking.

"Class monitor," Mu Xue'er suddenly called out to him.

Sun Fan opened his eyes.

Mu Xue'er looked at him, her eyes filled with something indescribable: "The story you told... about Ding Dian and Ling Shuanghua... is it true?"

"It's true," Sun Fan said.

After a long silence, Mu Xue'er finally said softly, "Then... can we help them?"

Sun Fan did not answer immediately.

He recalled watching the TV series "Liancheng Jue" when he was a child.

He sometimes wondered why the Monkey King had turned into a big bad guy.

Why did Brother Ding, such a good person, have to die such a tragic death?

To be honest, he watched many of the martial arts dramas from that time over and over again.

But he only read Liancheng Jue once.

Nothing more than suffering.

too bitter.

Yang Guo suffered hardship in his childhood and lost an arm in middle age, but at least he had a girl named Xiaolongnu who loved him devotedly, a group of confidantes, and youthful triumphs.

Zhang Wuji lost both his parents when he was young and lived a life of constant wandering, but he never stopped having other women around him.

Even that idiot Shi Potian still has Ah Xiu.

But what about Di Yun?

He had nothing. His senior sister, whom he had admired since childhood, married his enemy. His respected elder brother died for love. Most of the upright people were hypocrites. In the end, the person who treated him the best, besides Ding Dian, was actually the Blood Saber Ancestor.

It's a huge irony.

His official partner, Shui Sheng, initially misunderstood him, hit him, scolded him, and even wanted to kill him.

When it comes to misery, if he's second, no one dares to claim first.

But Ding Dian's life was perhaps even more miserable than his.

"We must help, we must help everyone."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sky outside, which was gradually darkening.

"Yes," he said, "but it will take time."

He turned around and looked at Mu Xue'er: "Go to Qingxu Temple again tomorrow and find a way to let Ling Shuanghua know something."

"What is it?"

"Tell her that there is a man in a prison cell who sees the flowers on her windowsill every day. He needs something, something to keep him going."

Mu Xue'er was stunned: "This...isn't this a bit too direct?"

"No," Sun Fan said. "Ling Shuanghua is a smart person. She won't press for answers or panic after hearing this."

"Remember, ask privately when no one's around; there's always a chance."

Mu Xue'er nodded.

A few days later, Mu Xue'er returned from Qingxu Temple with an even stranger expression on her face.

"Class monitor, you're right." She sat down. "Ling Shuanghua didn't react at all after hearing that. But I noticed her hand trembled slightly."

Sun Fan nodded.

Ling Shuanghua took the bait.

It wasn't because she was careless, but because—she hadn't heard any news about Ding Dian for a long time.

She swore on her deceased mother's oath never to see him again, which earned her father's promise not to kill him.

But she didn't know whether the promise was true or not, and could only pray silently.

After all, she had never imagined that her father, who had always doted on her, would have such a side.

She couldn't help but investigate even the slightest disturbance.

But she dared not make any rash moves.

The previous untimely death of her maid had already made her wary enough; her father's spies were everywhere around her.

This is Sun Fan's and others' opportunity.

"Go again tomorrow," Sun Fan said. "Tell her—that person is still alive. He looks at your flowers every day, and he wants to see you too."

"Be careful on the road. You've been in contact with Lin Shuanghua recently, and you might already be being watched by Lin Tuisi's men. Be mindful of your surroundings and don't let anyone else find out."

No matter how prestigious Lin Tuisi was as a prefect, the competence of his subordinates was ultimately limited.

Mu Xue'er's movements are already quite skillful; if she deliberately conceals them, it would be very difficult for ordinary people to keep up with her.

Mu Xue'er opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just nodded.

Another day passed, and when Mu Xue'er returned, she had something extra in her hand.

A handkerchief.