Jade of Another World

Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun, inside the dark room, could faintly hear sounds coming from outside—a chaotic mix of noise, shouts, and footsteps. A thought struck Lin Wan, and she leaned close to Peng Yingchun's ear and whispered, "Judging from this commotion, it seems there's trouble at the Prince's residence. Our chance might have come."

Peng Yingchun's eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded in response, "Yes, we have to take this opportunity to escape."

After saying that, the two of them did not hesitate any longer. They carefully pushed open the door of the secret cave, peeked out and saw that no one was paying attention to them for the time being. They then crouched down and quickly walked out.

But they hadn't gone far from the secret cave when they bumped into Nangong Jin and his group who had come to rescue them. Lin Wan's eyes widened instinctively, her face filled with surprise. She never expected to see him here. Nangong Jin was also slightly taken aback when he saw Lin Wan, but he quickly recovered and his gaze swept over her, then he saw Peng Yingchun. Seeing this, Lin Wan quickly gave Nangong Jin a wink, indicating Peng Yingchun's situation.

Nangong Jin understood immediately and, without saying anything more, gave his men a look, signaling them to quickly take the two away. However, Peng Yingchun was still in handcuffs and shackles, making her movements extremely difficult, and each step she took made a clanging sound, which slowed their escape very, very slowly.

Lin Wan was extremely anxious, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Supporting Peng Yingchun, she anxiously looked at Nangong Jin, hoping he could find a way to speed things up. Fortunately, Nangong Jin was prepared and led the group through a maze of turns towards the previously agreed-upon intersection.

When they arrived at the crossroads, they saw Lin Ning already waiting anxiously with the carriage and horses ready. Upon seeing them, Lin Ning quickly waved, signaling them to get in. Nangong Jin and his men escorted Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun to the carriage. The group scrambled onto the carriage, and the driver cracked the whip, sending the horses galloping away.

Meanwhile, the guards of the Crown Prince's residence finally extinguished the fire and were checking the situation. But by the time they came to their senses, Lin Wan and the others had already ridden away in a carriage and disappeared into the night. The guards were left in the residence completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened. Lin Wan and the others had temporarily escaped the danger of the Crown Prince's residence.

Lin Ning sat in the carriage, her heart still pounding. The harrowing rescue had left her shaken. Nangong Jin, meanwhile, drove the carriage from outside, speeding westward with everyone.

The carriage sped along in the night, its wheels kicking up clouds of dust. After some time, Nangong Jin reined in the horses, slowing the pace, and said to the passengers, "Miss Lin, let's head west of the city. I have a manor there that's currently uninhabited. We can go there temporarily to take shelter and catch our breath before discussing what to do next."

Lin Ning quickly lifted the curtain, peeked out, looked at Nangong Jin, nodded, and said, "Alright, the situation is critical right now, finding a safe place to hide is the most important thing. Then I'll trouble you to lead the way."

Nangong Jin responded and then spurred his horse to lead the way, with the carriage following slowly behind. Before long, the outline of a manor came into view. The manor appeared to be quite large, surrounded by walls, but it was quiet and desolate, as if it had been uninhabited for a long time.

Nangong Jin dismounted first, walked to the gate of the manor, took out the key to open the gate, and then waved to the people in the carriage, saying, "We're here, everyone, please go in first."

Lin Ning helped Peng Yingchun up, and Yingchun looked at Lin Ning gratefully with tears in her eyes. The two carefully got off the carriage, and the group walked into the manor together. The courtyard in the manor was quite spacious, with several rooms. Although they looked a bit dusty because no one had taken care of them for a long time, they were still a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

As Nangong Jin led everyone into the house, he said, "Although this place is a bit simple, it's safe for now. Please make do with it for the time being. I'll have someone prepare some food and hot water. Everyone has been through so much, so let's rest well first and discuss things further once we've recovered some energy."

Lin Ning looked at Nangong Jin gratefully and said, "We really owe you a lot this time, otherwise we wouldn't know what to do."

Nangong Jin waved his hand and said, "You're too kind."

After saying that, Nangong Jin instructed his men to get to work. Lin Ning, Lin Wan, and Peng Yingchun found a room to sit down, breathed a sigh of relief, and thought to themselves that they were finally out of danger for the time being.

In the villa in the west of the city arranged by Nangong Jin, Lin Ning, Lin Wan and Peng Yingchun sat together, their faces still showing some weariness and emotion from surviving the ordeal. They recounted their various experiences at the Crown Prince's residence.

Lin Wan sighed softly and spoke first, "I was in the Crown Prince's residence at the time, trying to find a chance to escape, but I accidentally triggered a mechanism and fell into that secret room. I was terrified. But it was a blessing in disguise, because I unexpectedly discovered that she was imprisoned there. No matter what, she was a victim in the Crown Prince's residence, so I thought that I had to rescue her no matter what. I couldn't just watch her continue to suffer there." Peng Yingchun's eyes reddened slightly when she heard this. She looked at Lin Wan gratefully and said, "Thanks to Lin Wan, otherwise I don't know how long I would have been imprisoned in that dark and sunless place, and I might never have gotten out in this lifetime."

At this moment, the people arranged by Nangong Jin arrived and helped Peng Yingchun remove the handcuffs and shackles that had bound her for so long. Peng Yingchun moved her stiff hands and feet, but the sorrow in her eyes deepened. She turned to look at Lin Ning, her voice choked with sobs, and said, "Sister Lin Ning, I really didn't expect the Crown Prince to treat me like this. After I married him, I devoted myself to managing all the affairs of the Crown Prince's residence, believing that as long as I treated him sincerely, he would treat me well in return. But who knew that he would scheme against me like this for power, using me as a pawn to manipulate at will, and even locking me in that secret room, almost costing me my life."

Lin Ning gently patted Peng Yingchun's shoulder and comforted her, "Sister, don't be too sad. The Crown Prince's actions only show that he is a heartless and ungrateful person, and he is not worth your sincere feelings. Now that we are out of his control, we have a long life ahead of us. Don't be sad because of a scumbag."

Peng Yingchun wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and said through gritted teeth, "My sister is right. I can't just swallow this insult so easily. I must let him know that I, Peng Yingchun, am not someone to be bullied. Even if I am just a woman, I will not let him trample on my dignity and manipulate my fate at will. But what is a scumbag?"

Lin Ning said with a smile, "He's just a bad man who only cares about his own gains and losses, and has no humanity or emotions."

Peng Yingchun rarely smiled and said, "That's true."

Lin Wan chimed in, "Yes, let's work together to figure something out. I don't believe he can get away with this forever. Let's hide here for now and wait until things calm down before we start planning how to get our revenge."

The three women exchanged glances, each seeing determination and resolve in the other's eyes. Although they were still in dire straits, they were determined to fight the prince and seek justice for themselves. However, the road ahead would likely be fraught with thorns and difficulties.

As Lin Ning and Peng Yingchun were talking, Lin Wan suddenly stood up and said, "You two keep talking. I'll go out and see if I can find some food. I've been hungry for so long, it's making me uncomfortable." With that, she turned and left the house.

But she didn't return for quite some time. Lin Ning grew increasingly worried, wondering if Lin Wan had encountered some trouble. Although the estate was safe for the time being, she was still unfamiliar with the area. So, Lin Ning got up and went outside to look for Lin Wan.

Lin Ning wandered around the estate and finally spotted Lin Wan in a corner. To her surprise, Lin Wan was standing close to Nangong Jin, whispering to each other. Nangong Jin had a gentle smile on his face, and his eyes seemed to hold a different kind of tenderness. Lin Wan had her head slightly lowered, and her expression seemed somewhat ambiguous.

Seeing this scene, Lin Ning felt a sharp pang in her heart, a bitter taste rising within her. She stood there, stunned and bewildered, a complex mix of emotions swirling within her. She had already developed feelings for Nangong Jin during their time together, and seeing Lin Wan and Nangong Jin so close now, how could she not feel distressed?

After a long pause, Lin Ning ultimately said nothing and silently turned to walk back into the house. Her steps were heavy, her mind a jumble of thoughts. As she walked, she kept thinking that perhaps she was overthinking things, that they were probably just discussing something. But the ambiguous scene wouldn't leave her mind, making her increasingly agitated. However, she couldn't show it at the moment, so she could only suppress her discomfort and return to the house. Yet, the low mood still lingered in her heart, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

It was late at night, and Lin Ning lay quietly in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. The words Uncle Zhong had spoken to her after Nangong Jin left that day kept replaying in her mind.

Uncle Zhong looked serious and said with concern, "Miss, Young Master Nangong Jin should still be in Nanzhao, but we haven't received any news from him. Even His Majesty the Emperor is very worried about this. Don't you feel that the person in front of you who looks exactly like Young Master Nangong Jin might not be the real Nangong Jin?"

When Lin Ning heard this, she had a slight doubt in her heart, but she didn't think too deeply about it, only thinking that Uncle Zhong was probably overthinking it. But now, she couldn't help but recall the scene she saw Nangong Jin and Lin Wan talking today. In her previous impression, Nangong Jin had extremely disliked Lin Wan. Every time he saw Lin Wan, he was always cold and distant, never like today, chatting and laughing with Lin Wan, and getting so close, exuding an indescribable ambiguity.

Lin Ning's doubts grew stronger. Actually, she had her suspicions before, but she didn't know much about Nangong Jin to begin with. However, after spending time together, she felt that Nangong Jin was treating her very well—his meticulous care and timely help were far better than before. So, she subconsciously ignored that faint suspicion in her heart. But now, all the signs seemed to indicate that something was really wrong with Nangong Jin.

She stared at the dark roof, her thoughts growing increasingly chaotic. If the person before her wasn't Nangong Jin, then who was he? And why was he impersonating Nangong Jin to get close to her? Did he have some ulterior motive? And were all his kindness towards her just an act? These questions, like a tangled mess, swirled in Lin Ning's mind, leaving her both confused and somewhat afraid. But in the dead of night, there was no one to investigate these doubts with, so she could only ponder them silently, trying to find clues from the fragments of the past to unravel this perplexing mystery.

In the distant land of Nanzhao, the night was cool and still. The real Nangong Jin lay on a simple bamboo couch, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. His mind kept replaying the news that his spies had just gathered, news concerning Lin Sanxing, an important figure who had once been a close bodyguard of his mother, Empress Zhangsun.

Back then, when his mother was murdered, Lin Sanxing should have been by her side. Perhaps he held the key clues to the cause of his mother's death. Over the years, Nangong Jin had been searching for Lin Sanxing's whereabouts, but each time he returned disappointed, never truly finding him.

Actually, Nangong Jin almost got a clue earlier. Lin Sanxing had left her a letter, which might have contained the truth about what happened back then. But who could have imagined that someone with ulterior motives would beat her to it and burn the letter, instantly shattering the hard-won hope. This made Nangong Jin both angry and resentful, but there was nothing she could do.

Nangong Jin firmly believed that her mother, Empress Zhangsun's, death was not as simple as the publicly stated cause of death from illness; someone must have secretly poisoned her, deliberately plotting to murder her. Thinking of her mother's familiar face and gentle voice, and then of her mysterious death, Nangong Jin felt a fire burning within her—a fire fueled by a determination to uncover the truth and avenge her mother.

For so many years, wherever he went and whatever he did, he always kept this matter in mind, secretly investigating and not letting go of any clue. Now that his scouts said they had seen Lin Sanxing in Nanzhao, Nangong Jin came to this complicated and dangerous place. Although there were dangers all around, he never thought of giving up. However, the road to investigation was fraught with difficulties. Every step forward felt like breaking through layers of fog and facing many unknown obstacles. But he was prepared. No matter what, he would find out the hidden truth and bring those villains who murdered his mother to their due punishment.

Nangong Jin was determined to investigate the murder of his mother in Nanzhao, but he encountered numerous difficulties and obstacles at every turn. To make matters worse, he never expected that some of the spies he had carefully planted would be cowards who betrayed him to the enemy for personal gain.

In an instant, a group of vicious assassins swarmed in and launched a frenzied pursuit of Nangong Jin. Although Nangong Jin was highly skilled, he was no match for so many opponents and could only fight his way back, fleeing in panic into a dense jungle.

The dense forest was like a giant maze, with trees and vines intertwined in a complex web. Nangong Jin ran around inside, quickly losing his way. He was anxious but helpless, and could only grit his teeth and continue groping his way forward through the forest.

But misfortune never comes singly. Just as he was anxiously searching for a way out, he accidentally stepped on a venomous snake hidden in the grass. Startled, the snake bit him, and instantly, a sharp pain shot through his wound. Nangong Jin struggled to stay upright, trying to drive the snake away and continue on his way, but the venom was too potent. Before long, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness, collapsing in the woods.

It is unknown how much time passed, but perhaps by divine intervention, a farmer's daughter who was gathering herbs on the mountain passed by and saw the unconscious Nangong Jin. The woman was kind-hearted, and seeing Nangong Jin's condition, she rushed forward to check on him. Finding that he was still breathing, she laboriously carried him on her back and walked step by step towards her family's farmhouse in the mountains.

Upon arriving home, the woman diligently prepared water and herbs to treat Nangong Jin's wounds, brewed medicine, and fed him the medicine. Under her meticulous care, Nangong Jin's health gradually recovered, and his complexion improved day by day.

After regaining consciousness, Nangong Jin looked at the kind woman bustling around him, his heart filled with gratitude. He knew that if it weren't for her rescue, he would probably be dead already. However, he had a heavy responsibility to fulfill, and once he recovered, he would have to continue investigating the truth. The brief peace in the farmhouse brought him a rare warmth and comfort on his perilous investigation journey.