Chapter 26: The True Face of Mount Lu

Come out. Chen Tianyu seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps to the empty air.

“So you actually managed to evade Yun Ji’s hawk-eye. Truly remarkable.” A faint fragrance drifted in and gradually dispersed the smell of tobacco, soothing the mind like a breeze over open water.

“Hawk-eye? You think too highly of him.” A slender figure leaped down from a tree, then flashed out from a corner not far from where they had been speaking. It was obvious she had heard every word.

It was, of course, a woman. She even laughed shamelessly. “Yun Ji was led around by the nose by you. That pretentious ghost of a detective—what’s there to swagger about?”

“In my view, the most impressive one is you. The two of us together still failed to notice your presence.” Chen Tianyu said with a grin.

“Talking so sweetly—did I really fool your eyes?” The woman was He Jiping, though she was unlike her usual self tonight, speaking much more softly.

“Of course.” Chen Tianyu nodded frankly. “I swear to heaven, I absolutely did not see you.”

“Tch. So you were bluffing me? What an old hand.” He Jiping sighed in helpless admiration.

Chen Tianyu laughed. “I was relying purely on instinct.”

“I’ll believe you for now. That said, if the invisibility technique my master taught me were this easily exposed by you, he might really crawl out of his grave…” With a resentful kick, He Jiping sent a pebble skimming into the lake, where it struck with a clear, ringing sound.

Chen Tianyu said in surprise, “So you really are Qian Yaliangzi?”

He Jiping smiled lightly. “I didn’t admit it, and I didn’t deny it either. Believe whatever you like—that’s your business.”

“Sharp tongue.” Chen Tianyu sighed. “I can only admit I’m no match for you in an argument.”

“But you won’t deny that you’ve already seen through my identity, will you?” He Jiping laughed. “You’re far too stubborn, and far too arrogant…”

At this moment, He Jiping had finally set down the burden she had been carrying. She looked relaxed and lively, her eyes sparking like embers. She was almost a different person from before.

“That isn’t really important. What I’m most curious about now is why you’re hiding in such a desolate place. Are you on a mission too?” Chen Tianyu asked in puzzlement.

He Jiping answered playfully, “Oh? Do I have to tell you?”

“Well, you have the right to remain silent…” Chen Tianyu said with a wry smile.

He Jiping immediately cut in, “Then I’ll remain silent.”

Chen Tianyu could only say, “Then I really don’t understand. Why did you take the initiative to reveal yourself? As a practitioner of ninjutsu, you could have come and gone as you pleased.”

“Hm.” He Jiping tilted her head, thinking. “Can I say I simply couldn’t stand it anymore?”

Chen Tianyu burst out laughing. “Seems you’re not a qualified ninja after all.”

“Maybe.” He Jiping brushed back her wind-tossed hair. “A few grown men taking turns bullying a weak woman—anyone with even a shred of chivalry probably couldn’t bear to watch…”

There was meaning in her words, and a trace of compassion appeared in her eyes.

“So you’ve counted me among them as well?” Chen Tianyu said with a smile.

He Jiping opened her eyes wide. “You dare say you didn’t use Yi Ruo? Whether out of good intentions or ill, you had already turned her into a pawn, hadn’t you?”

Chen Tianyu awkwardly touched his nose, a little choked by that. What she said might well have been the plain truth.

He could only explain, “If the problem isn’t solved, Yi Ruo will always remain the victim.”

“Solve the problem?” He Jiping’s brows suddenly turned cold. “Then fine—those same three choices, one with the surname Shi, one with the surname Su, and one with the surname Xiao. Give me your answer.” Clearly, she had missed not a single word.

This time Chen Tianyu could no longer hide it. He spoke plainly. “Although that man likes to use an alias, the photographer I know calls himself Xiao Su. Come to think of it, there really is quite a connection all the way along this path.”

“Oh? You didn’t even hesitate?” He Jiping asked in surprise. “You’re just going to casually reveal such important information to me?”

Chen Tianyu smiled and nodded. “I trust you, so I don’t want to hide things.”

He Jiping was unconvinced. “I was almost touched. So, what are you after?”

Chen Tianyu was equally direct. “An answer from you.”

He Jiping curled her lip in disdain, then said slowly, “You want to know why I came to the lake?”

“Don’t tell me you came all this way just to protect Yi Ruo. I don’t believe that.” Chen Tianyu added, “Besides, you came all the way from Japan, disguised yourself by Lashi Lake, and changed your name. That price is a little beyond imagination…”

He Jiping lowered her head in thought, her eyes flickering.

“Uh, have you heard of PUA?” she suddenly asked.

Chen Tianyu thought for a moment. “Seems vaguely familiar…”

“PUA is an organized international group. To put it bluntly, it’s a gang of inhuman frauds.” Fire flared in He Jiping’s eyes. “They target young, beautiful women, swindling them of money and sex, and often driving them to their deaths. They’re monsters, rotten to the core!”

“So that means…” Chen Tianyu had already guessed something.

“That’s right.” He Jiping ground her teeth. “A very good friend of mine was not only cheated out of everything she had, but is now no longer in this world. Tell me, should I seek revenge for her or not?”

“Uh, how did your friend die?”

“She killed herself, and even in death she never understood that she’d been deceived. Her death was utterly meaningless.” He Jiping said through clenched teeth.

A long silence followed.

After listening to her explanation, Chen Tianyu fell into deep silence for a long while.

“So you think Yi Ruo was also deceived emotionally by Xiao Su…” Chen Tianyu paused. “Or that Xiao Su is simply a professional scam artist in this line of work?”

He Jiping looked at him coldly. “Don’t you think poor Yi Ruo is like a lamb trapped in a snare? Left for others to butcher.”

“It’s hard to say.” Chen Tianyu remained noncommittal. “At least for now, she hasn’t been cheated out of money, nor has she suffered any true physical harm.”

He Jiping said contemptuously, “If I weren’t by her side, reminding her all the time, just look at the state she’d be in. That scumbag’s tricks still haven’t been fully played out…”

Then her eyes suddenly lit up. “You’re right. In that case, that bastard is very likely to come back here and continue cheating money and love alike.” She clapped her hands hard, revealing a bold, fearless side.

“Good. Then let’s see whether I let him off next time!” A sharp flash of lightning seemed to leap through her gaze.

Yet Chen Tianyu keenly sensed something amiss. “With your ninja tracking skills, do you really have to wait until this scumbag walks straight into the net before you can find him?”

“Pfft…” He Jiping laughed uncontrollably. “Do you think tracking arts are omnipotent? I haven’t even seen the man. How am I supposed to track him? Track you instead?”

Chen Tianyu thought to himself: if you tracked me, you might actually find him.

He gave a faint laugh. “So Yi Ruo can’t even clearly describe what that man looks like?”

“Exactly.” He Jiping said bitterly, “All she knows is love, love, and more love. What kind of discernment could she possibly have?”

“In that case, how did Yun Ji know so clearly?” Chen Tianyu asked, slightly puzzled.

“Maybe he was just conning you…” He Jiping burst into laughter again. “Even you, the founding ancestor of detectives, can have this day?”

Chen Tianyu shook his head firmly. “Unlikely. It’s very hard to describe details when you’re just making things up. Unless…” He suddenly thought of an extreme possibility, but stopped short.

“Unless what?” He Jiping asked casually.

Chen Tianyu swiftly changed the subject. “Oh, I’d like to ask you to help me with something.”

He Jiping was surprised. “I can help you?”

“Of course. This is also helping yourself—or rather, helping Yi Ruo.” Chen Tianyu coaxed her.

He Jiping nodded gladly. “Then no problem. Just say it.”

“You know I came to the lake only to travel. Although Zi Chen doesn’t object, I don’t really want to get too involved in matters here. Besides, my identity still has value, so I can’t expose it too early. So… the task of tracking Yun Ji can only be handed to you.” Chen Tianyu said lightly.

“What?!” He Jiping snapped. “You want me to track down a ghost detective? Out of nowhere, why should I do this thankless job for you?”

Chen Tianyu gave her a sidelong glance. “You aren’t scared, are you?”

“Provocation won’t work. Didn’t he fail to notice me just now?” He Jiping calmed down. “It’s just that making me watch him put on that pretentious act all day would be too dull.”

“Isn’t the weird part exactly what makes it interesting?” Chen Tianyu winked at her.

He Jiping seemed somewhat tempted, but she said, “Rather than wasting effort tracking a detective, you might as well let me go after that scumbag directly.”

“Tracking the scumbag is definitely necessary, but only after this matter is settled.” Chen Tianyu thought for a moment. “Just one day, or two at most, will be enough. You can’t even wait a day or two?”

He Jiping considered this briefly. “What exactly do you want to know?”

“Anything.” Chen Tianyu enunciated each word.

He Jiping bit her lip, and only after a long pause did she say, “Then promise me one thing too.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do everything you can to keep Yi Ruo safe!” He Jiping said with hope.

“With you around, is there really that much to worry about?” Chen Tianyu said in confusion. “Are you afraid someone will harm her? Or do you already know something?”

“I only come to the lake occasionally. Most of the time I’m at Lashi Lake.” He Jiping let out a soft sigh. “I still have my own business. I can’t keep staying beside her, and she’s so innocent…”

“Fine.” Chen Tianyu agreed without hesitation, saying no more.

At last, an honest smile appeared on He Jiping’s face. She said with relief, “Then I can truly rest easy this time! Oh yeah!” She even made a playful victory sign.

“Stop going around with a stiff face all day, little girl.” Chen Tianyu grumbled at her.

“Tch…” He Jiping made a face. “Fine, I’m off to do your errand now. Just wait for my good news.”

She had clearly lowered all her guard and returned to her original mischievous nature, increasingly matching the Qian Yaliangzi Chen Tianyu remembered.

“Where do you think you’re going in the dead of night?” Chen Tianyu said helplessly.

He still wasn’t willing to give up. “I still want to ask—can I call you Xiaoya from now on?”

He Jiping blinked, then gave a sly grin. “Suit yourself!”