Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 170 Lu Huai, the ruthless killer?
Lin Zhiqing drew the dagger from her waist. She felt no fear whatsoever; only one thought remained in her mind: to save Lu Huai!
She was completely unaware that a fine layer of cold sweat had appeared on her forehead.

And her hands and feet were cold, and the strange, uneasy feeling from the dream came over her like a tide.

She felt as if she were immersed in icy seawater, about to be submerged.

Even so, she still gripped the dagger tightly and stood in front of Lu Huai.

Lu Huai realized Lin Zhiqing's intention, grabbed her, and dodged to the side.

The short sword swiftly approached Lu Huai's face, leaving a bloody gash.

Then, it hit the wall and fell to the ground.

Fortunately, Lu Huai reacted quickly; otherwise, he would have suffered more than just a face injury.

Lin Zhiqing gripped the dagger tightly in her hand. Seeing that Lu Huai was alright, she breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of her heart.

Different!
It's completely different from the scene in my dream!
She placed one hand on her chest and felt her heartbeat, realizing that she was truly standing under the vast sky of Dasheng.

"Ah Qing, are you alright?"

As Lu Huai's voice rang out, Lin Zhiqing felt a pair of large hands tightly gripping her, pulling her out of that suffocating and uneasy feeling.

However, this title... Lin Zhiqing frowned, finding it somewhat strange.

At the same time, realizing something was amiss, Lu Huai was also taken aback.

The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise.

Lin Zhiqing remembered it very clearly: at first, Lu Huai called her Lin Zhiqing, and after they became more familiar, he called her Zhiqing.

He never called himself A-Qing!
Ah Qing...

Lin Zhiqing was no stranger to this title.

In that strange dream, that's what Lu Huai called her!

Thinking of this, Lin Zhiqing felt a jolt in her heart, clearly realizing something.

She looked at Lu Huai with an incredulous expression: "You had that dream too, didn't you?"

Lu Huai was just thinking about how to explain to Lin Zhiqing when he heard her words and was shocked.

His eyelids and eyebrows were raised, and his jaw drooped, but this expression was fleeting.

This means he was genuinely surprised.

Because a genuine expression of surprise on a person's face doesn't last more than three seconds, just like Lu Huaifang's expression just now.

Based on that expression alone, Lin Zhiqing instantly understood that the dreams Lin Zhiqing and Lu Huai had when they visited the Liu family's study last night were very likely the same!
"Yes." Under Lin Zhiqing's questioning gaze, Lu Huai nodded without much thought.

At the same time, the man in black, who had been ignored by the two, became somewhat annoyed when his attack missed.

He quickened his pace, clenched his fists, and charged straight at Lin Zhiqing and Lu Huai.

Lin Zhiqing was surprised that she and Lu Huai had the same dream when she heard the footsteps of the man in black and subconsciously raised her dagger.

Before she could even make a move, Lu Huai casually pulled out the sword that Lin Shi'an had given him for self-defense.

Just as the man in black approached, a muffled groan was heard.

The man in black stared wide-eyed at the sword embedded in his heart, then collapsed helplessly to the ground.

"You had that dream too?" Lu Huai looked at Lin Zhiqing seriously, casually wiped the blood-stained sword on his sleeve, and then put it back in its sheath, as if nothing had happened.

His series of movements were very casual, as if the man in black had interfered with his conversation with Lin Zhiqing.

Lin Zhiqing blinked.

No, is that right?

She hadn't misread it; Lu Huai's attack was swift, precise, and ruthless, killing the man in black with a single sword strike. "You know martial arts?" Lin Zhiqing frowned, her attention focused on the sword.

"Yes, I know a little bit." Lu Huai answered honestly, and added, "Brother Tongjiang is no match for Brother Shi'an; he only knows some martial arts."

"Martial arts skills?" Lin Zhiqing glanced at the man in black again.

His black clothes were already soaked in blood, making it impossible to see the details.

Seeing that Lin Zhiqing seemed suspicious, Lu Huai explained:

“I had a martial arts instructor when I was young, but at that time my father was still an official in the imperial court. Being a military officer was too dangerous. The Lu family wanted to be stable, so we could only take the civil service route. That’s why my martial arts instructor was removed.”

"But I have a good memory, and I did manage to memorize the few moves I learned. I never thought I would be able to use them today."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiqing first looked at Lu Huai's hands.

Lu Huai wasn't guilty at all and generously opened his arms.

His hands were very long and slender, and apart from a few calluses on his fingers, they were very smooth.

People who practice martial arts regularly often develop calluses on the base of their palms and the area between their thumb and index finger.

The calluses on Lu Huai's hands were all on his fingers, which was probably related to his frequent use of an abacus.

Seeing this, Lin Zhiqing finally believed his claim that he had never practiced martial arts.

"Your movements just now were so clean and efficient, anyone who didn't know better would think you were some kind of ruthless killer." Lin Zhiqing pouted.

“Because…” Lu Huai paused for a moment, “I want to hear about your dream; it’s really quite noisy.”

For some reason, there was a hint of nervousness in his gentle voice.

Seeing that Lin Zhiqing did not answer, Lu Huai thought she did not believe him, so he quickly explained:
"That man in black must have known beforehand that neither you nor I knew martial arts, so he underestimated us."

"He was certain we couldn't escape, so he was very casual in throwing short swords and attacking us, without using his true strength."

"In addition, the powder I sprinkled in his eyes was poisonous, so he couldn't quite tell which way was which for a while."

"I was just trying my luck, but I didn't expect to actually succeed."

Lu Huai's words were earnest.

Lin Zhiqing easily realized that he was not lying.

"Yes, I believe you." Lin Zhiqing nodded, and her first reaction was to walk over to the man in black, squat down, and start feeling around on him.

She wanted to look around and see if she could find anything that could identify the man in black.

But nothing.

The tail was wiped so clean, which is somewhat reminiscent of Liu Mang's style of doing things.

"Let's get this body out of here quickly, it won't be good if someone finds it." Lin Zhiqing didn't want to bear the blame for murder anymore.

"I'll send someone over to clean it up later. Just pretend you never saw it." Lu Huai wiped the bloody gash on his face.

This action successfully caught Lin Zhiqing's attention: "Let's go to the nearby clinic. It would be troublesome if he were disfigured."

Not only is it troublesome, but it would be such a waste to ruin such a handsome face.

Of course, Lin Zhiqing was too embarrassed to say these words aloud.

"Just a physical appearance," Lu Huai chuckled.

"Ah... Zhiqing." Realizing he had misspoke, Lu Huai quickly changed his form of address: "What I want to know now is whether the dreams we had at the Liu residence that day were the same?"

He stared intently at Lin Zhiqing, seeking an answer.