Chapter 35: Ghosts and gods are not feared; what is frightening is the human heart.

  Fang Xiaoling was a mess at this moment, and even if she wasn't disheveled, she didn't look much better. After leaving the courtyard with Xun Qing, she received a message from Ah Liu and rushed to Luanxiang Pavilion, almost kicking down the door. Although demons 'causing trouble' don't need to pay compensation, it's still not good, not good at all.

  She took two deep breaths, and her mind finally calmed down a bit from the intense excitement. Then she started to get a severe headache. From receiving Mingting's gift to the assassination attempt today, everything had already deviated from the script.

  When she learned about the origin of this Qingyu Order from Alyuna, she suddenly became impulsive and went to find Zhang Zuoyan without thinking. However, soon after arriving there, she calmed down, but unexpectedly got caught by Zhang Zuoyan.

  "You came and left, you really look down on me Zhang Mouren!" Zhang Zuoyan said as he closed the heavily damaged door. "Damaging store property requires compensation, hasn't anyone taught you that, Fang Xiaoling?"

  The small house's door creaked in the wind, and Fang Xingyu gazed at it with a sense of foreboding, inexplicably filled with a strong sense of guilt.

  "It's alright, the wait wasn't too long, you didn't disappoint me after all." Zhang Zuoyan ruffled his somewhat disheveled hair and casually sat down somewhere, also pouring two cups of clear wine as he did so. "Let's consider it a show of respect for me, shall we have a drink together?"

  Is he waiting for her? Also, he didn't deliberately avoid Alyu's surveillance, so everything that followed was in his plan, including... coming to settle accounts with him himself.

  Fang Xiaoling sat down opposite him, completely unaware of being calculated. With a raise of her hand, the cup of wine was offered to her five internal organs temple. Fang Xiaoling wanted to give him a disdainful look, but thinking that Zhang Zuoyan wasn't a real "ghost eye" and couldn't see himself anyway, she gave up.

  In Zhang Zuoyan's eyes, the scene just now was really interesting. He couldn't see Fang Xiaoling, that was a fact, but that cup, he could see it clearly. However, judging from her appearance, the little thing seemed to be angry.

  "Bang!" Fang Xiaoling slammed the cup on the table, then raised her eyes to meet his gaze. To be honest, if this hypocrite showed even a hint of fear, she would have been thrilled for half a day, but... what's with that interested look in his eyes? This is clearly the kind of look you'd get from watching a monkey show!!

  After calming down for a long time, Fang Xiaoling finally came to a very heart-wrenching conclusion - Zhang Zuoyan was not human at all!! Hmm, actually, the phrase "beast in human skin" suited her better.

  "Wine shouldn't be drunk like this, what a waste." Zhang Zuoyan looked at it for a while, and didn't make a sound, but said, "This Osmanthus wine is a rare treasure with a unique fragrance, one of a kind."

  Can't you have some taste?!

  The house was small, and Ling felt that he had not finished speaking, so she supplemented the rest of his words in her mind. She really didn't have the energy to continue arguing with him. In the end, she opened her mouth and said, "You went to great lengths to find me and bring me here, but don't tell me it's just for a drink? If that's really the case, I still have things to do, so I won't keep you company."

  Zhang Zuoyan raised an eyebrow, seemingly very displeased with her lack of romantic feelings. "Woman, can't you be more patient?"

  "Hmph..." Fang Xiaoling said coldly, "I'm not as idle as you, Zhang Jia Zhang Sao Yan!"

  Zhang Zuoyan didn't think much of it, still with that calm and unhurried tone: "It seems that Brother Xun's vision isn't great either. You're gentle, kind, and virtuous, which one of these qualities do you possess?"

  "Zhang Zuoyan, the way of a gentleman, you're not taking advantage either." Fang Xiaoling sneered, this nameless fire won't disperse, he's bound to be unlucky.

  Zhang Zuoyan was taken aback, then burst out laughing: "Good, good, you're the first person to dare say that to my face!!" Then he turned his head and muttered, "How come one after another are all wolves in sheep's clothing, not fun at all."

  Fang Xiaoling raised an eyebrow and said, "What did you just say? I didn't quite catch it?" The threatening tone was evident in her words.

  "Uh..." Zhang Zuoyan stiffened, immediately changing his words: "I mean, Sister-in-law is mighty and powerful, cough..." He seemed to have received the murderous gaze from Fang Xiaoling, and he awkwardly rubbed his nose, wisely shutting his mouth.

  "After dragging it out for so long, are you not planning to speak at all or just delaying my time?" Almost every word was spat out, and even the most obtuse person could hear her gritted teeth.

  Ordinary people would still have a way out when they get angry, but Fang Xiao Ling was after all a demon, and no matter how bold he was, he would still feel some fear towards the unknown.

  Zhang Zuoyan was sweating profusely. Previously, according to Xun Qing's description, this Fang Xiaoling was just a soft persimmon, but how did he become a big wolf tail here? This difference in treatment is too great!!

  "If you drag on any longer, I won't just walk away immediately. At the very least, I'll have to get some interest back. For example, Liu Yingying?" Fang Xiaoling's move was still from Zhang Zuoyan, and she was using it quite smoothly.

  "...otherwise, his happiness for the rest of his life would be ruined. Zhang Zuoyan became extremely honest after realizing this and said, 'Then let's talk about Qing Yu Ling.'"

  Fang Xiaoling poured herself another full glass, her eyes fixed on the inverted reflection of the person in the cup. Zhang Zuoyan watched with wide eyes as the cup hovered in mid-air for a moment before being drained dry again, and suddenly his face didn't look very good.

  "Generally speaking, I've already understood the situation from Alyu, the question is... you..." Fang Xiaoling hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to continue.

  "I told you before when we were chatting, unless something unexpected happens, I'm on Xun Qing's side."

  "As for those two giants, the probability of unexpected events has indeed increased."

  "There are only two things that can affect me," Zhang said, lazily stretching out two fingers. "My family and... uh, you know my hobby."

  "Hmph..." Fang Xiaoling poured herself another cup, "Indeed, not much." This time, it was unclear whether she genuinely agreed or was being sarcastic. "As for Liu Yiyang's identity, don't tell me you know nothing about it. If I'm not mistaken, your father Zhang Lao Taifu is someone from the Emperor's side, and on top of that, you've taken a liking to the hidden stake in Liu Chu's hands. Why should I believe you, Zhang Zuoyan?"

  Zhang Zuoyan leaned against his head with one hand, playing with a white porcelain cup in the other, his eyes dazed and his cheeks flushed with a faint pink hue due to the effects of alcohol. "Just because I've known him since we were kids, wearing split pants together, is that enough? I've called him my sworn brother for nearly twenty years, so there's still some sentimentality between us." Zhang Zuoyan paused before continuing, "If I really followed in my father's footsteps, I wouldn't be a carefree playboy wandering among the flowers now. Instead, I'd be diligently working towards a not-too-big-or-small official position in the imperial court, or at least participating in the imperial examination for fun; as for Liu Chu, he's not someone who can be trusted. From what I know of him, once Yinger loses her usefulness to him... " Zhang Zuoyan made a throat-slitting gesture and asked rhetorically, "Do you think I'd die for him?"

  Indeed, Zhang Zuoyan is not incompetent and can still manage to get a mediocre official position. However, his current actions are undoubtedly self-exile. In that case, the possibility of him relying on Liu Chu is even lower. Although Zhang Zuoyan may not be willing to personally eliminate a time bomb, he will definitely have some defensive precautions and keep a distance from it.

  The house was small and quiet, and Zhang Sao Yan couldn't find any fault with it. Helpless, she poured herself another cup of wine and drank it down in one gulp.

  "Wine does not get drunk, everyone gets drunk by themselves." Fang Xiaoling inexplicably thought of this place, and the cup in her hand silently fell to the ground. Her vision gradually blurred, and the last scene was frozen on that bright red color.

  Manzhusha flower, the most poisonous of poisons, she had actually forgotten...

  She raised her eyelids, still struggling. Her high-speed spinning brain also protested to her at this moment, even if she realized that something was wrong, she couldn't... "You!!"

  Bang!

  A loud thud on the desk, in exchange for a ghostly smile from you.

  "This wine is quite effective, it's just that the effect lasts a bit longer." The man smiled slyly and searched around to pick up Fang Xiaoling horizontally and put her on the soft couch beside him. "Xun Qing's place, you can't go there for now, I'm really sorry."

  Judging from this point, if the assassins of the Two Instruments Department have not yet confirmed whether Xun Qing has the Qingyu Order on him, then they should just ask for leave to go home and sleep.

  Zhang Zuoyan still wore that big red robe, swaggering out like this. When he was about to leave, he didn't forget to ask his mother to keep the room for him, saying he would go out and buy something nice for his lover and be back soon.

  After receiving the silver, Mother immediately smiled and said: "As for Zhang's land, we naturally dare not move it arbitrarily. Zhang can rest assured."

  Zhang Zuoyan nodded and left. Now he really should go somewhere, but he needs to change his clothes. Xun Qing would definitely get a good scolding, and if he wore a big red outfit and ran over, 80% of the time he wouldn't even make it through the door before being chased out.

  A dark moon and strong winds make for a killer's night, it is just the right time for thieves and robbers.

  He said, even when returning to his own home, he had to enter through the back door like a thief. Perhaps in this entire city, only he had this honor. He smiled wryly and took out a piece of wire from his pocket, skillfully picking the rusty lock on the door with a few quick movements. But just as he was about to open it, a loud shout startled him, causing the wire to slip from his hand.

  "Rebellious child, you actually know how to come back?!"

  In an instant, a face that was originally peerlessly beautiful suddenly turned dark on one half, as if it had swallowed a fly. "Old man, how...".

  "How dare you! If I weren't here, how would I catch you, you rebellious child!" Old Lady Zhang's temper was still as fierce as ever, and she shouted angrily, "Tonight, you'll kneel in the ancestral hall. If you can't recite the 'Strategies' again, you'll copy it out by hand twenty times for me!"

  Zhang Zuoyan pouted, anyway, it's not his turn to copy, but tonight he might not be able to get out... I don't know if Mr. will raise the price for himself again tomorrow, thinking about it, let's prepare well.