Night was slowly falling.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In her new home on North Street in Lingshan Town, Jiang Ning changed intofortable clothes, slipped a dagger into her sleeve, and pushed open the door to leave.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Jiang Ning? Where are you going?" Liu Ming''an sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, looking puzzled at Jiang Ning''s nimble attire.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The new house had two bedrooms, so Liu Ming''an no longer had reason to share a bed with Jiang Ning. Half an hour ago they had each retired to their rooms, and he thought Jiang Ning had gone to sleep. He didn''t expect to see her emerge in different clothes, looking as if she was heading somewhere.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning had also assumed Liu Ming''an was asleep. Who knew he''d still be sitting in the courtyard? If she''d known, she would have used her spatial abilities to leave undetected.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning frowned and countered with a question instead of answering: "Why aren''t you in bed at thiste hour? Are you out here feeding mosquitoes?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"There are no mosquitoes this time of year," Liu Ming''an said with a smile. Then he averted his eyes slightly and lowered his voice: "I couldn''t sleep. The environment feels a bit unfamiliar."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Of course, it was mainly because Jiang Ning wasn''t sleeping beside him, and he wasn''t used to that. But Liu Ming''an didn''t dare say so, fearing she might kill him for it.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Hearing this, Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow in surprise: "A grown man like you still needs to get used to a new bed?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an said nothing, and Jiang Ning casually added, "It''s fine, you''ll get used to it in a few days. Just try to adapt."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"By the way, you still haven''t said where you''re going," Liu Ming''an suddenly realized his question had been deflected.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning had chosen this time to go out precisely to avoid Liu Ming''an, but she had unexpectedly run into him. Now that he was asking where she was going, she naturally had to lie.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I just wanted to take a walk around, see the surrounding streets and houses, so I don''t get lostter," Jiang Ning said very naturally.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an didn''t suspect a thing. He stood up and said, "Then I''ll walk with you. I can''t sleep anyway."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
However, Jiang Ning raised her hand and pressed it on Liu Ming''an''s shoulder, pushing him back into his seat. "What''s there to see in the dark? You should go to bed early."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
With that, Jiang Ning turned to leave without waiting for Liu Ming''an''s reaction.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Jiang Ning, you—"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an felt something was off. He quickly stood up and reached out to grab Jiang Ning''s arm, but his hand touched something hard in her sleeve.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It was the dagger!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Jiang Ning, why are you carrying a dagger?" Liu Ming''an''s expression changed. Thinking back to Jiang Ning changing clothes, he gradually had an ominous feeling.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Unable to avoid it any longer, Jiang Ning inwardly sighed and looked at Liu Ming''an, asking, "Have you finished writing theint?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I have," Liu Ming''an replied, realizing Jiang Ning was trying to change the subject again. He immediately pressed, "You still haven''t told me where you''re going, and why you''re carrying a dagger."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning still didn''t answer Liu Ming''an''s questions. Instead, she asked him three of her own: "Do you trust the government? Do you think the county magistrate can uncover the truth? Do you think that clerk will let his nephew face the consequences of his actions?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an understood. Jiang Ning didn''t trust others; she only trusted herself.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"So? What do you intend to do?" Liu Ming''an heard himself ask, his voice as hoarse as if it were being squeezed from his throat.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning knew she had frightened Liu Ming''an, but what could she do? Should she pin her hopes on government officials? After so many years of hunting in the darkness, the concept of fighting violence with violence was deeply ingrained in her bones.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"N, remember, there''s nothing that can''t be solved by killing!" The woman''s words seemed to echo in her ears again.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"What if there really is?" Jiang Ning remembered that at the time, she didn''t agree with this principle and had asked a counter-question.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But the woman had curled her lips, her eyes shing with bloodthirsty killing intent, and said, "If you think there is, then you certainly haven''t killed enough people!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
...<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Jiang Ning? Jiang Ning?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an''s voice prated her eardrums, pulling Jiang Ning out of the swamp of her past.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning came back to her senses to find Liu Ming''an gripping her arm, looking at her with eyes full of anxiety.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"What happened just now? What were you thinking about?" Liu Ming''an asked, relieved to see Jiang Ning''s gaze no longer unfocused.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning''s appearance moments ago had been too rming—a body full of killing intent, eyes dead and lifeless, like a fierce ghost struggling to crawl out of hell to im souls.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning tilted her head slightly to look at Liu Ming''an, her eyes seeming to hold shattered light: "Liu Ming''an, I''m the one who brought this undeserved cmity upon you."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"What?" Liu Ming''an didn''t immediately understand what Jiang Ning was saying.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"It was I who provoked the people from Gold Jade Hall. The events ofst night were all aimed at me..." Jiang Ning paused, the fire seeming to ze before her eyes again. "They weren''t just trying to steal money; they wanted to kill! And all of this originally had nothing to do with you. It''s because of me that you got involved. Do you understand?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning''s voice was unlike her usual calm demeanor, carrying a slight, barely perceptible tremor.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
In Liu Ming''an''s memory, Jiang Ning''s voice had always been clear and crisp, like dewdrops from wild orchids in an empty valley falling onto stones. When had she ever shown such outward emotion?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Jiang Ning, don''t say such things..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an wanted to say something, but Jiang Ning continued as if she hadn''t heard him: "You were just a schr, content to study, write, and pursue an official career. But you just had to buy me and bring me home. Someone like me, in Buddhist terms, hasmitted too many evil deeds. I carry karmic obstacles. I will only bring you misfortune..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Jiang Ning!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an watched helplessly as Jiang Ning once again sank into her own thoughts, unable to escape. He called out to her anxiously.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"...Since this matter started because of me, I should end it myself. Liu Ming''an, you''re a good person. Your hands are clean, but mine aren''t. I don''t mind if a few more—"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning didn''t finish saying "lives," because Liu Ming''an reached out and pulled her into his embrace.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The warmth of another person''s body transmitted through their clothes. A faint scent of ink lingered in her nostrils. Jiang Ning initially wanted to raise her hands to push Liu Ming''an away, but in the end, as if possessed, she lowered them and docilely allowed him to hold her.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an had one arm around Jiang Ning''s waist and the other hand cradling the back of her head, holding her tightly against him. Looking at Jiang Ning quietly nestled in his arms, a pained expression shed across his eyes.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
From Jiang Ning''s words just now, Liu Ming''an had detected self-doubt, self-negation, and self-loathing. Why would a girl in the prime of her youth live like this? She must have experienced some kind of trauma.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an also recalled the first time he saw her in the cage, covered in wounds yet still like an unyielding lone wolf—calm, sharp, and full of wariness.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Jiang Ning," Liu Ming''an held her even tighter, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze in March. "Don''t have these strange thoughts anymore. You haven''t implicated me. Being able to know you is my greatest fortune."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The evening breeze began to rise in the courtyard. Jiang Ning didn''t struggle, allowing Liu Ming''an to embrace her fully.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an knew Jiang Ning harbored some extreme thoughts and patiently tried to persuade her: "The county magistrate is an upright and honest official. Trust me, even if he can''t uncover the truth, you shouldn''t..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an paused, remembering Jiang Ning''s martial skills that were no less than Zhao Qiang''s, and her action of carrying a knife out today. His heart inevitably sank.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Please don''t have any radical ideas, okay?" Liu Ming''an looked down at the expressionless person in his arms and inwardly sighed.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning remained silent, offering no promise to Liu Ming''an. She had misjudged; both the monkey and Old Six Hu were not good people. With such individuals, if you don''t eliminate thempletely, they will undoubtedly cause endless trouble in the future.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After a long while, Liu Ming''an seemed to sigh in resignation: "Jiang Ning, you shouldn''t be this kind of person."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Jiang Ning''s eyes flickered uncontrobly. This was the second time she had heard Liu Ming''an say these words to her.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"You still don''t understand. I was born this way." Jiang Ning finally spoke, her long eyshes lowered, hiding all expression. "I''m not a good person. When someone offends me, I just want to kill them, just like..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
At this point, Jiang Ning broke free from Liu Ming''an''s embrace, her gaze firmly fixed on his eyes: "Like He Wen, who died back then."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an''s pupils contracted instantly as he looked at Jiang Ning in disbelief.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Do you know how he died?" It felt as if a wound in her heart was being torn open, but Jiang Ning recklessly poured salt on it: "I held his head down, pushed him into the pond, and watched him take hisst breath. Afterward, I tampered with the scene, leaving no trace for the coroner to detect..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Tonight when I went out, I was nning to kill again. Those two from the Gold Jade Hall provoked me, so I intended to make them the next victims of my de. I have the skill to kill, and even more so, the ability to walk away unscathed after the deed..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Human life is the cheapest thing in my eyes. This is who I am - born cold-blooded, numb, and cruel. Do you understand?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Liu Ming''an was so horrified by each word that he couldn''t utter a sound. He heard every word Jiang Ning said clearly, but he doubted his own ears, even believing it must be a nightmare.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0