Murong Qing Lian wanted to find the answer from Misha’s face, but Misha still had a clean and gentle smile. Nothing could be seen from it. It seemed, this time, to drive a duck onto a perch, she had no choice but to stake it all!

  To drive a duck onto a perch: to push somebody to do something beyond their ability

  Murong Qing Lian grabbed the cylinder of the gun, but her heartbeat was a mess. She had never seen this ‘gun’. Could it be a thing to smash other things? Murong Qing Lian clutched the cylinder of the gun and knocked the table with the butt of the gun. In her heart, she believed that this was something similar to a hammer, but it wasn’t as easy to use as a hammer.

  Misha smiled gently. His expression hadn’t changed. Murong Qing Lian saw Misha like this, she was surer that she guessed right! It seemed that god stood on her side and was biased towards her!

  “Big brother, look, it’s used like this!” Murong Qing Lian proudly raised the gun in her hand.

  “Mm, very well!” Misha took the gun in Murong Qing Lian’s hand. His fingers gently stroked the cylinder of the gun. “If the person who invented the gun saw you like this, he would certainly find it funny……”


  “Big brother……”


  Even if Murong Qing Lian was very stupid, she heard the unspoken implication of those words. She was startled for a moment, then she laughed embarrassingly. “Big brother, presumably it had been too long. I don’t remember how to use it, so I became unfamiliar with it. Let me think a bit more. Let me try……”


  Murong Qing Lian wanted to get the gun back from Misha’s hand, but she was stopped by him. Misha took the gun and pointed it at Murong Qing Lian. The wheelchair came closer in her direction, “Even if you’ve forgotten everything, then, you should at least remember how you died!”


  “Big brother……”


  Don’t know why, Murong Qing Lian sensed an unprecedented coldness from Misha. Although, his smile was still the same, but that pair of clear eyes was surging.

  “Pa……,” Misha narrowed his eyes and aimed at Murong Qing Lian’s heart. He made a gun sound. Seeing that he was like a different person, Murong Qing Lian went blank. She didn’t say anything, afraid that if she made a mistake, Misha would get angry.

  Seeing Murong Qing Lian’s timid look, Misha laughed out loudly.

  “So funny! Hahahaha!” Misha laughed and even had to bend his body. His tears fell from the corner of his eyes on his disabled legs. He laughed too much that his breath couldn’t keep up. Only after he choked twice did he stop laughing.

  “In my past life, I hated people deceiving me the most. To this life, I still hate being lied to.” Misha raised his head. A smile still hung on his mouth, but his face was like it came from an icehouse. It was stiff and cold without any emotion.

  “Before finding you, I did a test on Penglai Island. Two female disciples passed, but they were very honest and generously admitted that they aren’t Lian. So, I didn’t make things difficult for them……”


  “Do you know how much I wanted to see you when I heard Jia Lan say that you were the first one to arrive at the seventh floor of the pagoda? From Penglai Island to here, it took more than a month on water. The moment I came on shore, without stopping to rest, I rushed to meet Jia Lan. Then, I rushed to Bei Zhou. I just wanted to know if you’re the person I was looking for.”


  “In fact, from the first time I lay my eyes on you, I knew you weren’t her. However, I still brought you here; do you know why?”


  “I……,” Murong Qing Lian felt air choke in her heart, making it very uncomfortable to breath. She couldn’t swallow it nor spit it out.

  She never imagined that from the beginning, Misha already know that she was a fake. However, why didn’t he expose her? Why did he watch her act like a clown? Why?!

  Murong Qing Lian’s question soon got the answer from Misha.

  “When adoptive father brought Yi Lian, she was only five years old. She was so dirty like a worn out doll. And you, the image of that day was like the first time I saw Yi Lian. So, I got compassion and brought you back. You must thank Yi Lian. It was she who saved you!”


  Misha didn’t look at Murong Qing Lian, but he had been staring at the gun in his hand.

  Probably, because he stayed long-term in the wheelchair and couldn’t exercise, Misha was very thin. Even his fingers were very slim. He gently stroked the gun in his hand. So focussed, so serious as if this gun was his only treasure. Misha’s voice wasn’t as gentle as before. Instead it had a bit of coldness in it, making Murong Qing Lian frightened. She didn’t know what she would face next.

  The gentleness of this young man was all pretense. He compiled a large web and looked at her struggling and bouncing in the web. He applauded and went along, but didn’t expose and didn’t unmask her. Now, he was like this, did it mean that his patience was gone? Then, would he kill her?

  Murong Qing Lian grasped the collar of her clothes. Her face was pale.

  Don’t know why, but now she felt that Misha was very frightening! To be more exact, Misha had always been frightening. Before, he was like a gentle milk, warming her heart. Now, he let her know that all of this was a pretense. What was it that would make a person pretend so flawlessly? Could it be that those gentleness and warmth in his eyes could also be pretended?

  Misha didn’t want to know Murong Qing Lian’s emotions and also had no interest or care in them. He only cared about the person he cares about. As for Murong Qing Lian, she was just a plaything for when he had the interest. Looking at her unceasingly exchanged the four types of human emotions, was nothing more than to let his life be a bit livelier.

  Four types of human emotions: happiness, anger, sorrow and joy

  “I lived ten years with Yi Lian. When I was twenty, she was fifteen. At that time, we already went our different ways and had different lifestyles. However, we would go every year to adoptive father’s home to spend the Spring festivals (Chinese New Year). I saw how Yi Lian turned from a crying little girl full of snot to a slender and elegant woman who caught many people’s eyes. My heart also began to beat for her!”


  Misha reminisced bit by bit about the good times of the past. Murong Qing Lian saw a thing called ‘happiness’ from his face. Now, she knows how stupid she was. She actually wanted to use the identity of ‘Yi Lian’ and continue living in her (YL) disguise. She didn’t know, in Misha’s eyes, she was just a clown-like character.

  Although this young man’s voice turned cold after exposing her, but every time when Misha said ‘Yi Lian’, Murong Qing Lian could hear the deep love from his voice.

  At this time, Murong Qing Lian was envious of this woman called ‘Yi Lian’ from the bottom of her heart. Although, she didn’t understand many things from the content Misha told her, but she could feel the deep love Misha had for Yi Lian.

  Thinking about her own encounters, Murong Qing Lian laughed bitterly once. Before, she was set up by Murong Xin Lian and had been dirtied by Wanyan Hong. Then, she, the victim was put into prison by Wanyan Lie who didn’t distinguish between right and wrong, making her bear the pain of the flesh daily……Everything she experienced was things ordinary people couldn’t imagine.

  Misha searched everywhere for Yi Lian. No matter what kind of ways he used, even if he may kill her (MQL), but the real care he had for Yi Lian still let Murong Qing Lian be touched.

  Misha cared so much about that woman called Yi Lian, then what about her (MQL)?! When she was in pain, where was the person she liked?

  She liked Longze Jing Tian so much, but he wasn’t a bit concerned about her and paid no attention to her. Now, presumably Longze Jing Tian had already returned to Xi Qi! All her heart thought about and missed was him, but what about him? Who was the person he thought about and missed?

  Murong Qing Lian recalled her experiences after coming to Bei Zhou. She didn’t notice that the gun in Misha’s hand was pointing at her head. Until when the coldness from her temple spread to her skin, did Murong Qing Lian wake up. Now, Misha face was already in front of her. So close, that she could count the eyelashes on his beautiful eyes.

  “You pretended to be the woman I love to deceive my feelings. Tell me, how should I punish you? Mm……”


  The elongated tone from Misha’s made Murong Qing Lian’s heart made a ‘thud’ sound once and froze there. After being played by this man for so long, Murong Qing Lian couldn’t distinguish clearly if he was good or evil. She also didn’t know which one was the real him.

  Anyway, it was just the death. Although, Murong Qing Lian was unwilling to die at Misha’s hand, but she accepted. At least, these past few days, Misha gave her a beautiful dream; let her see the hope to continue living and also let her have a purpose. Dying here was at least clean. It was a lot better than dying in the smelly prison.

  “My life is here. You can take it any time! I only have one request. When I’m dead, burn me to ashes and bury me on a mountain facing the west. So, I can look at Xi Qi and look at my hometown.”


  Murong Qing Lian raised her head. She closed her eyes. The eyelashes on the closed eyelids trembled slightly. She was afraid, but on the surface, she still pretended to be calm. Seeing Murong Qing Lian like this, Misha chuckled. He retrieved the gun.

  “Hehe, I won’t kill you……”


  After hearing Misha, Murong Qing Lian opened her eyes. She looked in disbelief at Misha. She didn’t dare to believe that Misha would let her off like this. Just now, she saw the strong killing intent in Misha’s eyes. He was truly going to kill her!

  “I have a lot of ways to let someone die, but I’m better at letting people feel like living is more painful than death!”


  He didn’t wait for Murong Qing Lian to understand, a silver light flashed in Misha’s hand. Two needles made from bones pierced into Murong Qing Lian’s shoulder blade.

  “Ah……” A piercing pain let Murong Qing Lian scream.

  That bone needle pierced into the gap between her bones. Every time she breathed, Murong Qing Lian could feel the bone needle went a bit deeper and pried open her shoulder blade. It mercilessly drilled inside, making her unable not to slow the frequency of her breathing to reduce the pain the bone needle brought her.

  “Not bad! The ability to adapt is quite fast!” Misha smiled and returned to the gentle him of before as if what had happened was only a nightmare of Murong Qing Lian. He was still an innocent young man. His voice was gentle like warm milk without any impurities.

  “Why don’t you directly kill me……,” Murong Qing Lian had never experienced such pain. Although, before, she was beaten hundred times every day in the prison, but that was only the pain of the flesh. Compared with this pain that came from the bones, it paled into an insignificance by comparison.

  Now, Murong Qing Lian finally understood what kind of feeling was Misha’s ‘living is more painful than death’. That kind of numbness and heaviness spread from the shoulder. Inch by inch her shoulders lost consciousness. When she felt something was wrong, she was already unable to lift her hands.

  “I think, you presumably don’t know what the paralysis of the upper body is. Your people of this era presumably don’t know……So, I specifically let you have a taste of it. It won’t take long before your whole body, aside from your head, would be like your hands and would gradually lose consciousness until there is no feeling.”


  “No! I don’t want it to be like that!”


  Although, Murong Qing Lian couldn’t fully understand what Misha had said, but she could understand his meaning. If other parts aside from the head couldn’t move, then wasn’t it that she would be no different from trash? She didn’t want to be trash. No! Rather than being a trash, it would be better to die fast!

  “Don’t be like this……”


  Aware that Murong Qing Lian wanted to bite her tongue, Xia Xue who was next to Misha, pried her mouth open. She stuffed a piece of wood to keep her mouth open, so, her teeth couldn’t come together and she wouldn’t be able to bite her tongue.

  “You’re not a bit well-behaved, yo!” Misha pushed the wheelchair a few steps back.

  “Only weak people will choose suicide to end their own lives. You want to use suicide to end all of this, but you need to ask me first! If I’m unhappy and let your whole body be paralyzed, then you will completely continue to live on like a rubbish! By then, I will throw you on the street and let everyone see how Murong household’s fourth miss looks like. You say, how would people evaluate you?”


  Murong Qing Lian knew that Misha wasn’t scaring her.

  This man had the means and had the ability. What he said, he could do. it was not a simple joke. The thought that she would lay on the ground like rubbish, receiving the gazes with despise from the people’s eyes, being ridiculed and maybe even insulted, Murong Qing Lian gave up the idea of suicide.

  Forget it, she accepted her fate! Falling into Misha’s hands, she could only be manipulated by him!

  “Really well-behaved. It’s fine if you don’t want to die!”


  Misha saw compromise from Murong Qing Lian’s eyes. He gave Xia Xue a glance. Xia Xue went forward and took out the wood in Murong Qing Lian’s mouth and took out the bone needles in her shoulders.

  Without the stimulation of the bone needles, Murong Qing Lian felt the pain was relieved a lot. With the bone needle pulled away, the numbness on her body disappeared. It seemed that Misha wanted to try to truly torture her, but it was to give her a deterrence to let her fear and also surrender.

  “Say, what do you want to get from me?”


  The difference in Misha’s treatment and his merciless torture of just now, made Murong Qing Lian become clear of one reality. That was, in Misha’s eyes, she’s a very insignificant existence. Whether it was the gentleness and consideration of before or the coldness and ruthlessness of now, she was just a plaything in his hands. She couldn’t even be compared to a plaything. She was just an existence like an ant.

  Murong Qing Lian came at things like this made Misha very satisfied. He handed the gun in his hand to Xia Xue. With his hands crossed, he leaned against the chair.

  “I want to know everything that happened at the tournament of the four countries. Especially, everything that happened after you entered the pagoda……”


  Murong Qing Lian wasn’t a fool. Misha must have his reasons for asking this. Could it be that the person Misha was looking for was a contestant of the tournament?

  “You want to find Yi Lian, that was why you brought me back, isn’t it?! Are you so sure that Yi Lian was among the contestants?”


  ‘Pa……’ The moment Murong Qing Lian’s words fell, the wood in Xia Xue’s hand directly hit Murong Qing Lian’s face. This wood was small and exquisite. It was only the size of a palm of the hand. Using it to beat people, won’t let your hand hurt, but it would inflict serious damage on the other party.

  “Cough, cough……,” Murong Qing Lian spit out two blood stained teeth. It couldn’t be seen that this Xia Xue was so ruthless. Her mouth had been cracked. Her left face was very swollen. Her mouth was full of the taste of blood.

  “Just answer whatever young master asks. Don’t waste young master’s time.”


  Xia Xue’s voice was cold without any emotions. After hearing Xia Xue, Murong Qing Lian laughed. While laughing, blood came out of the corner of her mouth. Coupled with the original scars on her face, she looked more hideous.

  “Who do you think you are?! Now, it’s your young master who is begging me. You don’t serve me well and still treat me like this? Then……kill me! Don’t think you can get anything from me!”


  Murong Qing Lian faced death with equanimity. She thought about it clearly. Sooner or later, she would die after falling into Misha’s hands. She couldn’t be casually tortured. If Xia Xue treated her like this, she would just be a dead pig doesn’t fear scalding water and let them toss around! It was just, Misha wouldn’t get any valuable information from her.

  A dead pig doesn’t fear scalding water: unaffected

  “Looking for death!” Xia Xue raised her hand and slapped Murong Qing Lian’s right cheek.

  If that slap from before, Xia Xue only used fifty percent of her strength, now she used eighty percent. The reason she didn’t use hundred percent was because she was worried that if she used full strength, she would’ve killed Murong Qing Lian. So, she held back some strength.

  This slap made Murong Qing Lian’s mind make a ‘weng’ sound. In front of her eyes, were gold little stars. Her nose felt a warmth. Hot blood flew out.

  Murong Qing Lian got a burst of dizziness. Both sides of her cheeks were swollen, so that her eyes narrowed into a narrow slit. Just when Murong Qing Lian wanted to let herself sober up, from her ears came the gentle and long voice of Misha.

  “I forgot to tell you. Aside from hating people lying to me, I also hate to be threatened. To talk conditions with me, you should at least have the same strength as I do.”


  Now, she finally knows the difficulties to deal with Misha. This person wore a lovely and normal face and always maintained a clean and pure smile, but his heart was harder than anyone else’s. It seemed, she was mistaken. She simply didn’t have the qualifications to talk about conditions with such a person.

  “Good, I will talk……”


  Murong Qing Lian was completely woken up by Xia Xue’s two slaps. Looking at Misha’s smiling face again, in Murong Qing Lian’s heart raised a fear she never had before. This man was completely different from the ones she encountered. She could only follow his rules……

  While at Misha’s, Murong Qing Lian remembered what happened at the tournament of the four countries, at Feng Cang’s Nan Lin wangfu1, a special guest arrived.

  1. Wangfu: residence of the prince of first rank