Water Mirrored Moon - 水鏡月

Part V - Mistress of Hidden Night City: 91. Jade Flute

She should know everything by now...he thought to himself.

High up in the Chrysanthemum Tower, Zhao Ling Ye paused, lightly tapping his flute against his thigh.

It had been a whim to take her in as his disciple, though he had done so at the time in order to use her. Someone of her special identity...he could not have chanced leaving her to someone else, especially his father.

However, he had never considered that he would actually fall in love with her, start teaching her martial arts, and without even really being conscious of it, train her as his successor. He sighed as he recognized his own foolishness. It had come as a huge surprise when he had discovered that she was not only the princess of Xiyu, but someone else entirely.

To have her become the City Master of Hidden Night City...she was uniquely suited to it as she came from outside the kingdom and thus had no ties to the internal politics of the court and had been wholly unconnected to the surrounding countries. In essence, she would have been a perfect candidate except that she was now married to a prince of Tiansheng.

His thoughts tossed about as he absently stroked his fingers along the body of the flute.

Of course, there were other candidates...but if he could pass Hidden Night City to her, then even if he had grossly miscalculated, it was unlikely that Laosan could completely destroy Hidden Night City's foundation. In the end, he would still be able to protect her if things did not go as he hoped.

While Zhao Ling Ye was still musing, there was a small thunk sound and a sudden change in the air. Shifting backwards, he swept his arm out, banging the doors of the balcony open with only his spiritual power and he instantly put out all the lamps. Standing in the darkness, his long silver hair stirred in the breeze.

Phzzzzht.

Hopping down from the rail, a slender figure stood on the balcony, standing quite relaxed while retracting a cable into an arm sheath. Zhao Ling Ye wasn't alarmed as he had already realized that it was his little disciple from her frame, her stance, and the snake ring twining on the index finger of her right hand. Normally, he would have relied on her lack of spiritual aura, but he could no longer say that. Since the assassination attempt, it appeared that her meridians had opened themselves and looking at her with spiritual perception she was bathed in a faint light...like the soft glow of moonlight on water.

What a troublesome girl. She will have to learn how to hide that. As I won't have time to teach her, I can only rely on Zhao Ling Xian now.

"A new toy, Xi'er?" he asked politely.

She grinned, pulling her mask up, so it sat crookedly on the side of her head, making her look like a lopsided little demon. At this sight, he could not help the corners of his lips tipping up ever so slightly.

"Cang Ru Shan truly is a heavenly talent. He can make anything..." she smiled softly.

Zhao Ling Ye felt his heart beat faster with her smile, but he ignored it.

"Hmph," he snorted. "Why are you here?"