The Poet’s Trap and a Lover’s Demand

“Before the bed, moonlight bright,

I wonder if it’s frost on the ground.

Raising my head, I gaze at the bright moon,

Lowering my head, I think of my homeland.”

Lin Xingjian cursed inwardly.

His greatest fear had indeed come to pass.

The first line, ‘moonlight bright,’ was not ‘bright moonlight’ as he remembered.

The second line remained unchanged, but the third and fourth lines also had a single character swapped.

A flicker of vexation crossed his eyes.

How could he have been so careless in his actions, falling straight into Zhang Jingya’s trap?

When people read words, their minds automatically rearrange the characters.

This was the brain’s self-correction mechanism, provided one was extremely familiar with the words.

“Senior Sister Zhang, there must be some misunderstanding here. I hope you can calm down a little.”

Lin Xingjian feigned a semblance of calm, yet the tremor in his voice betrayed his inner turmoil. His back was drenched in cold sweat, leaving him feeling as though he had just been pulled from water.

“Calm down?”

“How do you expect me to calm down!”

Zhang Jingya’s voice abruptly rose, escalating into a near-frantic roar.

Her voice, laced with fury, echoed like a sharp, cold blade, slicing back and forth through the empty hall.

The Zhang Jingya of this moment was a stark contrast to the one who had gently called “Junior Brother Lin” moments before.

“This poem is a token of love given to me by my beloved. He swore to me that he had never given it to anyone else, nor have I ever told another soul about it. You are only the third person to ever see this poem.”

“So why is it that when I deliberately swapped characters and wrote it incorrectly, you could still recite the poem exactly as it was meant to be? Doesn’t this prove that you are that heartless man!”

“Senior Sister Zhang, I can explain.”

“This poem was actually written by a Senior Brother of mine. I had merely heard it once and never expected to encounter it again through you, Senior Sister Zhang.”

As he spoke, he frantically plotted an escape route in his mind.

Concurrently, his right hand subtly crept towards his waist, ready to deploy hidden weapons to distract Zhang Jingya at the slightest opportunity.

“Hmph! Still playing dumb with me.”

“If you had truly seen it before, why did you not mention it when I first presented the poem?”

“You are that heartless man; there’s no need to pretend anymore.”

Zhang Jingya’s gaze was filled with certainty; she had completely seen through Lin Xingjian’s deception.

The woman advanced towards him, step by agonizing step, each footfall seeming to echo his own racing heartbeat.

“Senior Sister Zhang, please calm down for a moment.”

“As a Shadow Sect cultivator, I live by roughing it in the wilderness, constantly risking my life. I simply have no spare time to—”

As Lin Xingjian spoke, he subtly shifted his body, positioning himself to bolt at a moment’s notice, his feet rustling softly against the floor.

He was now less than fifty paces from the depths of the hall.

With his perfected Ghost Shadow Steps, he could activate it and vanish from the Dao Gate Sect in less than half a breath, like a flash of lightning.

Escaping the Dao Gate Sect would secure his temporary safety.

The Dao Gate Sect had explicit rules.

Ordinary disciples, once joined, were forbidden from leaving without permission, unless under specific circumstances.

Should those circumstances not meet the regulations, they would still be held accountable afterwards.

“Silence!”

“I always found the answer from the Ask-Heaven Stone peculiar. ‘Shadow Sect Swordsman,’ I initially thought it referred to a swordsman, a ‘sword lad,’ but that’s not it at all. It points directly to your name, Lin Xingjian—‘Swordsman Lin’!”

Because of the Ask-Heaven Stone’s prophecy, Zhang Jingya had always, consciously or unconsciously, paid attention to cultivators who wielded swords.

Her previous line of reasoning had been entirely flawed.

“Are you trying to escape?”

“Your movements are subtly shifting. Do you truly believe your minute actions can escape my eyes?”

Zhang Jingya’s eyes glinted, a sharp light radiating from them, piercing directly towards Lin Xingjian’s feet.

“I have no intention of fleeing, Senior Sister Zhang.”

“This truly is a misunderstanding. I admit I was the one who approached you a year ago, but I also had compelling reasons. For that… I am willing to offer my sincerest apologies.”

Lin Xingjian bowed slightly, hoping to secure Zhang Jingya’s forgiveness.

Zhang Jingya gathered a surge of spiritual power around her.

If he attempted to flee, he would likely suffer the same fate as Liu Jinyao.

No matter how fast he was, he couldn’t outrun the speed of sound.

“Compelling reasons? What kind of compelling reasons could you possibly have?”

Zhang Jingya furrowed her brows slightly.

Recalling Lin Xingjian’s identity, she couldn’t help but inquire further.

“It’s a long story, Senior Sister Zhang…”

Before Lin Xingjian could finish, he saw Zhang Jingya’s expression abruptly change, her face growing as dark as ink.

Startled, he quickly corrected himself, “Oh, no, Ya’er…”

Hearing Lin Xingjian use her nickname, the coldness in Zhang Jingya’s eyes softened considerably.

Her expression returning to normal, she spoke to Lin Xingjian.

“Go on then, I’m eager to hear your reasons.”

He earnestly recounted the previous circumstances involving Zhang Jingya, explaining the entire situation in detail.

With Young Master Zhong’s demise, there was no longer any need for concealment.

It was still the same old adage: self-preservation was paramount.

His employer was gone; his approval rating was still a hundred percent anyway.

Lin Xingjian spoke with profound gravity.

The Shadow Sect was gradually declining, making it difficult to earn even a single coin.

At that time, he was on the verge of breaking through to the Qi Condensation stage, yet he had no spiritual elixirs or miraculous medicines to assist him.

He could only earn a substantial amount of spirit stones by taking on certain illicit commissions.

“So, what you mean is, you approached me back then merely to win my favor… but after gaining my affection, you were forced to abandon it due to certain circumstances.”

Zhang Jingya succinctly summarized Lin Xingjian’s explanation.

It had to be said that Confucian cultivators were truly eloquent.

Lin Xingjian had just spoken at length, only for Zhang Jingya to condense and simplify it into a single sentence.

Moreover… Zhang Jingya had selectively ignored the parts she didn’t want to hear.

‘What about the employer?’

‘What about the commission?’

‘Could this woman possibly—’

A bad premonition arose in Lin Xingjian’s heart.

“That’s essentially it, Ya’er. I’m truly sorry for everything I’ve done to you. I will do my best to grant you one request to compensate you for your loss.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Lin Xingjian was momentarily stunned, not expecting Zhang Jingya to calm down so swiftly.

Indeed, sincerity truly was the ultimate technique.

“I understand you, and I sympathize with you. Yet, the heart and emotions are not easily controlled, Lin Xingjian. Even after a year, even with my heart twisted in agony, I still deeply love you.”

Lin Xingjian remained silent.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to compensate me?”

Zhang Jingya took a deep breath.

“I don’t want your spirit stones, your heavenly spiritual treasures, or your sect’s suitable magical artifacts. I… only want you.”

Zhang Jingya spoke each word with deliberate slowness.

The last three words, in particular, were emphasized with almost crushing weight.

“Ya’er, what do you mean by this?”

“Lin Xingjian, I, Zhang Jingya, demand that you resign from your perilous position as a Shadow Sect cultivator and come to the Dao Gate Sect to remain by my side day and night.”

Lin Xingjian’s mind froze for a few breaths.

“Ya’er, what you’re saying… you want me to resign from my Shadow Sect cultivator position and then come to the Dao Gate Sect to become a Dao Gate cultivator?”

“Precisely.”

Zhang Jingya’s voice was clear and resolute, carrying an undeniable firmness.

“I have no other intentions. From this day forward, you shall remain by my side, comforting my wounded heart and healing the scars left by your absence. Only then can I truly forgive you.”

Zhang Jingya’s expression had undergone a complete transformation, vastly different from moments before.

Just moments ago, she had been like a lily blooming in a secluded valley, gentle and virtuous, every gesture exuding the refined elegance of a maiden from a noble household.

Now, a subtle madness and obsession flickered in her eyes.

She had transformed into a beast starved for too long, glaring fiercely at Lin Xingjian, as if she wished to devour him whole.