This apology was naturally for Jing Wen killing of Hong Fu. In truth, Jing Wen found the use of ‘apology’ to be somewhat inappropriate, since what he did cannot be absolved through any words or actions. But Jing Wen found it even less proper to simply ignore Hong Jingfei entirely.
After the gesture, Jing Wen stood up from the table and gave a deep bow towards Hong Jinfei, holding it for a long moment.
Hearing the sound of metal clinking, Jing Wen recognised Hong Jingfei had already left the table. For Jing Wen, this kind of response was entirely understandable, so he did not experience any indignation and began departing from the backside building.
The backside building was the place of residence for female servants and unmarried women after all. Although Jing Wen is the Jing family’s patriarch, it is still inappropriate to stay here for too long. In fact, from the beginning, Jing Wen had secretly hoped the conversation would progress in such a short manner, since ‘I apologies’ was the only sentence he was able to string together after a week of lesson from Wang Zhixin. It would be rather awkward for the two of them to communicate after, or worse, for Hong Jingfei to become openly hostile towards him.
“Young Master Jing, please wait a moment.”
It is at times such as these that one is reminded of the saying; Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives. As Jing Wen was entering the fruit tree forest, Wang Zhixin called out towards him. Her hand were dragged by Hong Jingfei, who was gesturing signals with her free hand.
Jing Wen gave a slight bow to Wang Zhixin before inquiring, “Lady Zhixin, what is the matter?”
Wang Zhixin studied Hong Jingfei’s gesture before translating, “Young Master Jing, Lady Hong wants to you move closer towards her.”
Jing Wen shook his head and said, “Lady Wang, tell Lady Hong that if she wants to kill me, she must wait for some time. Afterwards, she is free to try.”
Wang Zhixin was somewhat shocked by Jing Wen’s statement, after all, who was so inviting of their own death. Still, she quickly relayed Jing Wen’s words to Hong Jingfei, who shook her head, gesturing rapidly.
Wang Zhixin glanced at the girl’s gestures, and immediately, her face turned pale. After a moment of silence, she used her willpower to calm down and said to Jing Wen, “She said she wants to kill you now, young master.”
Hearing this, Jing Wen found it almost humorous. Seldom few people in the world would loudly declare their intentions of murder, and those who do are typically very confident they were capable of killing that individual without much trouble. Hong Jingfei is a girl without any cultivation and has a far lower status than Jing Wen, it would be impossible for her to have the kind of confidence the old monsters possess.
For Hong Jingfei to declare her intent to kill so plainly is truly unique.
Perhaps it is because of this uniqueness that she was capable of hiding her hatred towards him for so long, even following him to Jing manor? To take revenge, one must first be alive after all, not to mention the benefits that comes from living so closely towards Jing Wen for assassinating him.
Still, Jing Wen found there was no reason for him to distance away from Hong Jingfei. If she held the world’s sharpest sword, she would be incapable of swinging it against Jing Wen. If she was in possession of the world’s most deadly poison, she would be incapable of poisoning Jing Wen’s food due to her lack of speech and the cautions other servants displayed towards her. In essence, she was completely harmless.
Walking before Hong Jingfei, Jing Wen felt the girl’s right hands reaching out for his throat. Judging that the girl had wanted to strangle or stab him, Jing Wen allowed her hands to continue, for he was it would be impossible to kill him in such a manner. He had once undergone Qi Manifestation, and his neck was no different from an iron pole in hardness. It is simply impossible for him to die of strangulation.
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Hong Jingfei’s hands did indeed land on Jing Wen’s throat, gripping so tightly onto Jing Wen’s neck that her tendons on her fingers stood out. Her fingertips were silence and cool, akin to the touch of pearls from the South Sea. Her thumb, especially, was particularly frigid, feeling as though a layer of ice had formed above its surface; it hungrily absorbed the warm from Jing Wen’s skin.
Jing Wen’s breathing did not change in the slightest, his breaths still rich and stable as he shook his head. He said patiently, “Lady Hong, it is useless against me.”
Hong Jingfei could feel her attempt of killing Jing Wen created no effort. Her face turning red, she silently cried out some words, yet her muteness meant no sound came from her throat.
Jing Wen, however, could vaguely sense that what she said was in response to his previous words. He had long heard that Tianmen Sect had a strange abundance of dumb and deaf people. So perhaps Hong Jingfei was also taught to comunicate from the vibration from his throat?
Jing Wen ‘looked’ at Hong Jingfei and sincerely said, “Lady Hong, I take back the earlier apology.”
Hong Jingfei showed no emotion within her eyes, only calmness as she continued to apply force onto Jing Wen’s throat in a futile attempt.
Seeing her calm eyes, Jing Wen could not help but commend her calmness and understanding. Most individual, noble or commoner, would at the least unconsciously react to such an insulting sentence, yet Hong Jingfei showed no change. Her fingers did not even loosen in the slightest upon hearing his words.
Jing Wen said, “I do not need absolution from you. As Confucius says, ‘one cannot coexist with the killer of their father in the same sky’ (父之仇弗与共戴天,兄弟之仇不反兵,交游之仇不同国). I will not persuade you from attempting to take revenge nor ask for forgiveness.”
Hong Jingfei’s face remained disconsolate. After a few moments, a resolute expression resurfaced on her face again, and she retrieved the hairpin from her bun, stabbing it towards the piece of cloth covering Jing Wen’s eyes. Yet as it touched the fabric, the wooden hairpin ruptured into countless fragments, defecting harmlessly off Jing Wen.
“Lady Hong, for now, I suggest you bide your time. If you are talented in cultivation, it is not entirely impossible for you to kill me if I were off guard. Of course, once you have reached Qi Manipulation state, I will have to force you to leave the residency since I must protect my life and the life of the other servants.”
Smoothing the piece of cloth covering his eyes, which had become ruffled from the earlier hairpin, Jing Wen said, “Since it will take you some time to achieve Qi Manipulation state, I will have enough time to finish my matters.” Pausing for a moment, Jing Wen thought it over and said, “And that way, I will have fulfilled your father’s demand to look after you.”
Feeling Hong Jingfei’s eyes staring intensely at him, while her hands gradually released their grip, Jing Wen smiled lightly and said, “It is good that you can be reasonable.”
Although Hong Jingfei’s hands had already left contact with Jing Wen’s skin, it appeared as though she could understand Jing Wen’s worlds. Slowly, tears welled up within her eyes as she opened her mouth to let out silent cries. To have to depend upon your father’s killer to live - how sorrowful is that!
Jing Wen reached within his sleeves to take out a handkerchief, only to realise he had no more. ‘Looking’ at Wang Zhixin, who was too shocked to speak a single word during the entire affair, he said, “Prepare a hot towel for Hong Jingfei and, if necessary, a bath as well.”
Giving a slight bow towards Wang Zhixin and Hong Jingfei, Jing Wen entered the fruit tree forest at a leisurely pace. He took a detour towards the apple tree on his way back, yet before he reached the fruit, the light, ruffling sound of shivering leaves could be heard as Gao Shu walked out from the well-organised rows of trees.
Aside from the time Jing Wen spent meeting with Consort Li, Gao Shu had followed him the entire afternoon. Earlier, when Hong Jingfei was strangling Jing Wen, Gao Shu was about to intervene but recede after Jing Wen shook his head. Still, Gao Shu felt extremely indignant, and even more so, confused. Was Jing Wen seeking death by allowing, no, inviting Hong Jingfei to strangle him?
“Captain, why did you allow her to attempt to kill you?”
Jing Wen answered, “I made a promise to her father.”
“I understand.”
Such a simple answer warrant an equally simple response. Gao Shu was relatively familiar with Jing Wen and knew him to be a sentimental person; even if he is no less ruthless in his actions, he would always ensure the person would die without regrets. And since Jing Wen experienced the loss of Jing Ping only a little more than a month ago, it was reasonable that he would sympathise with Hong Jingfei.
Yet, understanding does not equate to accepting. Gao Shu has regards righteousness above all else and believes that Jing Wen had a just reason for killing Hong Jingfei’s father. For Hong Jingfei to take revenge against Jing Wen was also in the right, but what he cannot understand why Jing Wen would take care of a potential assassin simply due to a promise.
Through the layer of gauze, Gao Shu looked at Jing Wen and said, “She is both dumb and deaf, leaving her unable to contribute to anything but manual labour; yet judging by her hands, she has not done anything of the sort in her life. Even if she were to become a private confidant, she is far from loyal. Captain… there is no use looking after her.”
Jing Wen walked towards the apple tree and struggled to retrieve the fruit, grabbing a handful of leaves before an apple finally appeared in it. Looking at Gao Shu, he said, “If she is incapable, then what am I?”
Hearing Jing Wen’s words, Gao Shu’s expression turned unsightly - although Jing Wen was blind, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Indignant by Jing Wen’s self-depreciation, Gao Shu swiftly countered, “Captain, of course you’re different from her. You are a genius that has reached Qi Manifestation while she is so weak she can be blown over by a gust of wind (弱不禁风).”
Jing Wen remained silent for a while then bitterly chuckled. He said, “Don’t forget I am a Body Supplementation cultivator now.”