NOVEL NEXT Chapter 444
Chapter 444: Meeting Gao Zhanli, She is Now My Wife!
A charming courtyard stood quietly, isolated from the hustle and bustle.
Surrounded by sparse population and offering unobstructed views, such a tranquil place in the invaluable Xi’an City was truly rare.
Ordinary folks simply did not possess the funds or qualifications to claim such a serene piece of land.
The courtyard looked quite new, likely recently renovated, nestled right by the water’s edge.
A long corridor extended all the way to the center of the lake, where a pavilion was constructed.
Surrounding the pavilion, and along the walkway leading to it, stood numerous soldiers clad in armor.
The sharp glint in their eyes indicated they were an elite group.
At the heart of the lake, a man sat in the pavilion.
A young man, his face marked by sorrow!
Though his expression bore sadness, it also held a hint of serenity, as if he had come to terms with life and death.
Yet beneath that calmness lurked a trace of reluctance.
With all those guards surrounding him and the sight of the man plucking his guqin, one might think a noble scion from a rich family was here to unwind.
A simple table in front of him held an ordinary guqin, unadorned and not extravagant.
But with his deft fingers dancing upon its strings, it produced enchanting melodies.
The ding-dong of the strings blended beautifully with the gentle flow of water, creating an ethereal harmony.
The solitary figure mingling with the golden sunset painted a scene quite desolate.
As the final dong reverberated, the piece came to an end.
“A beautiful tune, but it carries a hint of sadness.”
Suddenly, a silhouette appeared behind him without a sound.
The guqin player, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the other, only showed a fleeting look of surprise before quickly regaining his composure.
Calm as the water settled beside the pavilion, he replied softly, “Do you understand the guqin?”
The figure behind him answered, “I know a little, perhaps just enough. I have two wives—one who enjoys listening to the guqin and another who naturally loves to play it.”
“You have how many wives?” the guqin player inquired.
The person behind fell silent for a moment, as if counting.
After a brief pause, he finally replied, “Many.”
Now it was the guqin player’s turn to be speechless.
Seeing the silence, the figure sat down directly on the ground, disregarding whether his luxurious dragon-patterned robe would get dirty.
Gazing at the back of the man in front of him, he asked, “Did you know I was coming?”
The figure shook his head, “No.”
“But you don’t seem surprised.”
“Because I knew someone would come.”
“Just didn’t expect it would be me, right?”
The figure in front of him chose not to respond and finally shifted his gaze away from the guqin to the calm lake ahead, softly replying, “I should have anticipated this long ago.”
Pausing momentarily, he seemed to muster a great deal of courage and asked, “What’s the name of your wife who enjoys guqin music?”
After some thought, the man behind replied, “To be precise, she doesn’t just enjoy listening; she loves having the guqin accompany her dancing.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the guqin player could no longer restrain his emotions.
His previously calm demeanor turned pale, his eyes empty as if all life had drained from them.
“So you’re here to kill me?”
He clutched his chest, where a sharp pain emanated, gasping as he spoke.
The other man chuckled, “Why do you think that?”
“Isn’t it? Are you not afraid I might take Xue’er away from you? So you’ve come to kill me, hoping that would eliminate your worries!”
Suddenly, he let go of his chest, stood up abruptly, and glared fiercely at the one seated, shouting hysterically, “How dare you disrespect the National Advisor!”
The guards—initially there to protect him—turned against him, pointing their cold weapons towards him, poised to strike at any moment!
Zhang Han, stationed at the other end of the corridor, looked over upon hearing the commotion.
After pondering briefly, he waved his hand.
The guards quickly sheathed their weapons and withdrew in an orderly manner.
Soon, only the two of them remained in the pavilion!
Li Mo remained seated on the ground, his expression unchanged throughout the encounter.
He quietly observed the enraged Gao Zhanli for a long time before slowly saying, “Do you have the qualifications to provoke me into action?”
Gao Zhanli’s expression froze, as if petrified, and he stood there for a while.
After a moment, he staggered back a few steps, falling onto the guqin.
It was as if he lost all strength, his head drooping as if he had no words left to say.
“I am not Lord Yan Chun; if I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have had the chance to escape from Yan State back then.”
Li Mo finally stood up, looking down at the dejected Gao Zhanli.
He continued, “I don’t kill you because I’ve never considered you a threat; to me and to Xue’er, you’re utterly insignificant.”