Under the sunlight, Duan Ling’s striking features were breathtaking, his facial contours smooth and defined.
If not for the flying fish uniform symbolizing the Jinyiwei, many passersby would likely have stared at him.
He said casually, “So Miss Lin Qi even has friends from the martial world.”
Those who roamed the martial world had distinct clothing styles that made them easy to recognize.
“It was a chance encounter,” Lin Ting replied.
Lin Ting casually shifted in front of Jin Anzai, trying to block him from view.
However, she was much shorter and thinner than him, making her efforts futile.
Instead, the scene looked rather comical.
Such a small move couldn’t escape Duan Ling’s sharp eyes.
Amused, he said, “I may be a Jinyiwei, but I don’t arrest people at random. Why are you so eager to protect him, Miss Lin Qi?”
Lin Ting flatly denied it.
“Lord Duan, you’re overthinking. I just happened to move a little.”
Not far away, a snake charmer was performing with his snakes.
One of them, a green snake, had slipped out of an unlocked bamboo basket and was slithering toward them.
Since the street was crowded, and the snake was moving along the ground, it wasn’t easily noticeable.
Duan Ling had his back to the approaching snake and didn’t seem to dwell on Lin Ting’s words.
“Pardon my question, but why does Young Master Jin wear a mask?”
Lin Ting quickly interjected before Jin Anzai could answer.
“He’s too ugly—he’s afraid of scaring people.”
Underneath his mask, Jin Anzai’s eyes met Duan Ling’s.
He stiffly echoed her explanation.
“My appearance is grotesque, truly unbearable to behold. Children would wail at the sight of me, and ordinary folk would find me repulsive.”
Duan Ling did not ask him to remove the mask.
He merely said, “I’ve seen countless people before. Aside from those who’ve suffered torture, I’ve never encountered someone whose face would make children cry and strangers recoil.”
Lin Ting gave an awkward laugh.
“The world is vast, full of wonders. Nothing is impossible.”
She lowered her gaze and quickly changed the subject.
“We have some matters to attend to. We’ll take our leave and not disturb Lord Duan’s investigation any further.”
“If that’s the case, then take care, Miss Lin Qi.”
Duan Ling stepped aside, and the Jinyiwei behind him also moved in unison to clear the way.
At that moment, the green snake suddenly sprang up, lunging toward Duan Ling.
Lin Ting was the first to see it.
“Snake!” she shouted.
Jin Anzai immediately reached for his sword to cut it down, but before he could act, Duan Ling reacted even faster.
With pinpoint accuracy, he seized the snake by its seven-inch mark (the vulnerable spot behind its head), preventing it from turning around to bite his hand.
Seeing this, Jin Anzai slowly released his grip on his sword hilt, his gaze on Duan Ling carrying a hint of intrigue.
Lin Ting stood frozen in place.
Both the snake’s attack and Duan Ling’s counteraction had happened in an instant—so fast that she only saw a blur.
By the time she focused, the snake was already in his grasp.
While she admired Duan Ling’s extraordinary reflexes, she also felt a sense of unease.
How could she ever get close enough to kiss a man like this and still escape unscathed?
Lin Ting had no answer.
Not only had she failed to see Duan Ling’s movements clearly, but even the well-trained Jinyiwei were caught off guard.
“Lord, are you alright?”
They stepped forward, their eyes landing on his hand, where his pale, slender fingers firmly held the slippery green snake.
The stark contrast between the two colors was striking.
Lin Ting thought Duan Ling would kill the snake, but he didn’t.
The snake charmer, having finished his performance, soon realized that the green snake he had recently acquired—one that still had its venomous fangs intact—was missing.
Following its trail, he found it in Duan Ling’s grasp.
Upon recognizing the Jinyiwei’s uniform, his face turned pale with fear.
If a Jinyiwei had been injured…
In a trembling voice, he asked, “Lord, that snake belongs to me… Did it… did it harm you?”
Duan Ling showed no intent to blame him.
He placed the snake back into the man’s bamboo basket and spoke with a mild demeanor.
“No injuries.”
The snake charmer held the basket like it was a hot potato, anxious.
“This snake startled you, my lord. Perhaps it would be better if you killed it?”
Losing a single snake was a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Duan Ling said, “It startled me, and it has already received its punishment. Take it away.”
To the bystanders, this made him seem like a kind and merciful man.
The snake had tried to bite him, yet all he did was hold it still—he hadn’t even harmed it.
But Lin Ting felt something was off.
Jin Anzai, arms crossed over his sword, watched in silence, detached from the situation.
The snake charmer, afraid of getting into trouble, hurried away with his basket, not daring to stay another second.
He decided he wouldn’t be performing on West Street again today.
First, though, he needed to deal with the venomous snake before it caused any further problems.
Reaching a secluded spot, he took out his tools to extract the fangs.
Lifting the tattered cloth covering the basket, he prepared to grab the snake—only to find it lying motionless inside.
What happened?
Upon inspection, he realized the snake was dead—poisoned.
When he had retrieved it from the Jinyiwei, it had still been alive.
How had it suddenly died?
Then, he recalled the last words that man had spoken: “It startled me, and it has already received its punishment. Take it away.”
So that’s what he meant…
A shiver ran down the snake charmer’s spine.
He quickly dug a hole and buried the snake.