Twenty Twenty

Cold sweat trickled down Ding Feng’s forehead, drop by drop.

A chilling gaze pierced through the cabin door, enveloping him completely. The keen senses of a martial artist came alive at that moment; he could hear the breathing outside the door—steady and measured, one breath after another. The breath was shallow but precise, neither too fast nor too slow, like the ticking of a Western mechanical clock.

Though Ding Feng could not see her, he could feel her presence. Throughout his life, he had committed countless misdeeds, but in this moment, that precise breathing felt like a form of cruel torture, making him restless and drenched in cold sweat as he kept asking himself: Who is she? Who exactly is she?

Had he left any loose ends undone? And what would the young master do?

Just now, the young master’s words outside the door had been heard by Ding Feng clearly, every single one. In short, there were two matters.

First, to acknowledge that someone was indeed in this cabin.

This was a truth that required no concealment, for the cabin door was locked from the inside. Denying this or hiding his presence would only make things look suspicious.

Second, to distance himself from Ding Feng.

Ding Feng was an old acquaintance of Chu Liuxiang. It was he who deliberately left clues to lure Chu Liuxiang onto the ship and out to sea.

If their relationship were not severed, once Ding Feng was exposed, the young master would inevitably face even greater suspicion.

This was understandable, but Ding Feng had to contemplate how to escape his current predicament. If he were truly found out, the young master would never expose himself for him—and for Ding Feng, that would mean only one thing: death.

This woman named Jiuli, with a single simple act, had nearly driven him to a dead end.

His mind spun wildly, desperately seeking a way out.

On the other side of the cabin door, the atmosphere grew even tenser.

Jiuli stood there, motionless.

Her back was straight, her breathing steady, her gaze indifferent as she stared at the door, as if she could stand like that until the end of time, until heaven and earth crumbled.

Many eyes were fixed on this spot.

The household servants and sailors… in Yuan Suiyun’s mind, they didn’t even count as people—they were weak in martial arts, and any one of the others present could kill them all within a quarter of an hour if they wished.

To Yuan Suiyun, only Chu Liuxiang, Hu Tinhua, Zhang San, Jiuli, Jin Lingzhi, and the master-disciple trio of Master Kumei truly qualified as people.

Chu Liuxiang and Jiuli’s group were naturally his enemies. Yuan Suiyun keenly sensed a subtle change in Chu Liuxiang’s positioning—it was delicate, placing him right between Yuan and Jiuli, ready to strike should Yuan attempt to harm her.

Was Chu Liuxiang already suspicious of him?

No… Chu Liuxiang was like a fox—charming and suave on the surface, but deeply calculating.

Jin Lingzhi… Jin Lingzhi was actually Yuan Suiyun’s childhood playmate.

The young master of the Wuzheng Manor and the eldest daughter of the Wanfu Wanshou Garden could very well be childhood companions. Moreover, she had already been to Bat Island and knew his true identity.

This woman both loved and feared him.

But that was not loyalty.

Yuan Suiyun understood women well. He was no inexperienced youth when it came to women. He knew clearly that women who both love and fear you need you to remain strong. If you falter, their conscience might suddenly be awakened, leading them to turn against you.

As for Master Kumei and her two disciples, the situation was even more delicate.

A physical vessel was indeed a useful resource, but Yuan Suiyun would never use that resource to lure Master Kumei.

Young love is a trap for the young and inexperienced, who are easily consumed by passion and willing to abandon everything for their beloved, because at that age, they have nothing—or rather, they do not realize what they already possess.

Master Kumei was no naive young girl. Over fifty years old, she had spent half her life striving to earn fame, status, and honor, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to the Mount Hua Sect. No matter how confident Yuan Suiyun was, he would never think his physical vessel could surpass the Mount Hua Sect or Master Kumei’s standing and lifelong renown.

But it didn’t matter. Coercion and temptation—everyone has a weakness, and Xiao Shao simply needed to exploit theirs.

Yuan Suiyun was adept at this, which was why he had managed to control Master Kumei, convincing her to hide her identity and assist on Bat Island.

But this relationship was equally unstable. He knew that although Master Kumei had not uttered a word, she was undoubtedly attentive to the situation. Should he weaken, she would not hesitate to end him with a single sword.

Yuan Suiyun was already trapped in a perilous and delicate predicament.

And all of this was because of Jiuli!

She seemed to have known who he was from the start, and who else was hidden in the cabin!

She had feigned madness and recklessly charged about, nearly fooling even him.

But now that he realized this, was it already too late? The predicament had formed, and the urgent task was to find a way out.

But the solution did not lie with him.

No matter what he said or did, it would not change Jiuli’s resolve. She seemed like a stone, standing cold and unyielding, letting the pressure bear down on Yuan Suiyun alone.

Zhang San spoke up at the right moment: "Ah, our Miss Jiu has quite a stubborn personality. Once she says something, no one can change her mind."

Hu Tinhua eyed Zhang San suspiciously.

In fact, Hu Tinhua and Zhang San occupied the same social niche and often argued.

As the saying goes, “Neither deaf nor mute, no head of household,” Chu Liuxiang was usually the head of the household. It was only because Hu Tinhua had been absent for a few days that Zhang San and he had been bickering more than usual.

Now that Hu Tinhua had returned, the usual routine resumed.

Hu Tinhua cast a sidelong glance at Zhang San, rolled his eyes, and said, “Miss Jiu this, Miss Jiu that—Zhang San, have you sold yourself off as her servant? You might as well be kissing her feet!”

Zhang San was unperturbed, replying leisurely, “Better than kissing the smelly feet of someone who never bathes.”

Hu Tinhua: “……”

Hu Tinhua needed to consider how to retort.

Chu Liuxiang spoke timely: “If a friend insists on not seeing Jiuli, then speak up and let her give up hope.”

Hu Tinhua’s attention snapped back.

He shouted, “No matter what, having a young lady standing outside the door waiting is hardly the behavior of a true man. Have you done something to wrong her? Where there is abnormality, there must be a cause. Your evasiveness only makes people despise you!”

A cold snort came from someone.

It was Yidianhong, who had just jumped into the sea—and somehow managed to come back in. This assassin was always aloof and arrogant, coming and going as he pleased, answerable to no one.

At that moment, he stood leaning against a wooden wall, arms crossed over his sword, his beast-like green eyes fixed on the cabin door, a cold, mocking smile on his face.

Yuan Suiyun sighed and said, “This is not my place to interfere. If Miss Jiu insists on waiting, she may do so at will. But it would be better to move into the parlor to rest while waiting.”

Jiuli still gave no reply.

Her lips were tightly pressed, her gaze fixed—

Time passed, moment by moment.

It felt like a long, long time—long enough for the sky to darken, long enough for no one to ignore Jiuli’s persistence.

Suddenly, Gao Yanan opened the cabin door with a creak and said coldly, “You’d better resolve your matters quickly. Don’t disturb my master’s meditation here! Hey, inside there, do you hear me? Take care of your own business and come out!”

The Mount Hua Sect had been watching for a long time and finally lost patience. They wanted to add fuel to the fire and force Ding Feng out.

Of course, the words were domineering, but at this point, the person inside had to come out. Everyone present was experienced; who was easily fooled? If Ding Feng did not come out now, who wouldn’t sense something was amiss?

Ding Feng clenched his jaw tightly.

At some unknown moment, a cold, gleaming dagger had appeared in his hand.

What was he going to do?

Was he prepared to fight to the death with the enemies outside?

He had caused Chu Liuxiang and his group to suffer a shipwreck—a deadly grudge on top of deadly grudge. Did he really have such confidence in himself? That he could take on ten men alone?

Ding Feng raised the dagger high!

In the next instant, the dagger slashed across his face!

Blood sprayed forth, the excruciating pain making his whole body tremble, yet not a sound escaped his lips—not even a whisper.

After a while, he finally finished.

Ding Feng collapsed weakly onto the bed, hiding the dagger, then flicked his hand. A small shard of broken porcelain bounced from his hand and precisely struck the door latch, causing the door to slowly, slowly open.

A heavy scent of blood wafted through the gap.

The room’s furnishings were simple—a bed, a table, two chairs. On the table sat a basin of water—but the water was blood, with scattered cloth strips soaked in fresh blood hanging over the basin’s edge.

The person Jiuli insisted on seeing lay on the bed.

It was someone whose head was wrapped in bandages.

The bandages almost completely obscured his features, making him look neither human nor ghostly. The cloth was stained with blood, and with every breath he took, the bloodstains spread further.

The person on the bed spoke weakly, “Forgive my rudeness due to illness… I hope you can understand…”

His voice was hoarse, unrecognizable from his original tone.

Yuan Suiyun sighed deeply, his face showing sympathy and reluctance.

So, there was a pitiable person living in this cabin. Could it be that the young master was unwilling to reveal this person’s identity for this reason?

But he was still forced to open the door by Jiuli.

Everyone was stunned by this turn of events. Hu Tinhua’s eyes widened, Zhang San gasped, and Chu Liuxiang furrowed his brow, clearly unprepared for such a development.

Then, who was this disfigured man? Why was Jiuli so certain he was on the ship? And what was her purpose in seeking him?

The mystery deepened.

Chu Liuxiang glanced at Jiuli. The silver-haired woman still stood motionless, expressionless… showing no reaction whatsoever.

Chu Liuxiang frowned.

“Jiuli?”

Suddenly, the silver-haired woman collapsed backward!

Chu Liuxiang’s heart leapt. Without hesitation, he reached out and caught her. The girl was slender and light; Chu Liuxiang was confident he could fully support her with one arm. She fell softly, without any resistance or warning.

He held her tightly and reached to check her breathing.

It was steady—her breath was still so steady.

Moreover… there was an even steadier sound… something like… a soft purring?

Like a cat softly purring.

Jiuli: “Zzzzzzzzzzz…”

She had fallen asleep without a single worry!

At that moment, the player emerged from the bathroom holding a phone.

…Ah, had answered a work call while in the restroom, took a bit longer than expected… and now, it was already 2 a.m. in the game.

As everyone knows, Stardew Valley has no world beyond 2 a.m. If the player does not return home before then, they collapse on the spot, emphasizing the game’s theme of napping anywhere.

The player stared at the fully darkened game screen and the blinking date.

The day was over.

The player shrugged, unconcerned, and clicked “Next Day.”