Where Zhao Shuning looked, she mainly saw the peddlers in the black market.
Presumably, they had witnessed Zhao Shuning's methods. After the incidents of Yan Qi and She Shi, they had regained their awe of the Misty Rain Tower.
"Go back," Zhao Shuning said.
"Miss, we were blinded by the immediate interests. Please spare our lives, considering our mistakes are not too serious," a peddler pleaded.
Zhao Shuning frowned slightly. "You're overthinking. I don't have any malicious intentions towards you."
"What about the former boss She?"
"I didn't kill him. However, if he failed to meet my requirements in the end, I would have."
The peddlers knelt even more devoutly.
Zhao Shuning said, "Go back."
"Miss, if you promise not to pursue us in the future, we'll go back. We hereby guarantee that we'll never engage in such immoral business again."
"Yes, yes. We'll go back and live a peaceful life with our wives and children. We'll never touch the trade of contraband again."
"I hope you'll keep your words."
"Yes, yes—"
"Go."
"Yes! Thank you, miss."
Zhao Shuning turned around and entered the Misty Rain Tower. The remaining disciples quickly followed.
When Zhao Shuning entered, the flower - strewn pavilions and the lotus pond were just as they used to be. It was as if she had returned to the past.
"Senior sister, the tower master is waiting for you in the main building," a disciple said.
Zhao Shuning nodded and walked towards the main building. As she walked forward, a long line of people followed behind.
She turned around, and Ye Xingrui and the others quickly looked elsewhere.
"What are you following me for? Do you have nothing to do? Or are your injuries healed enough for another round of training?"
"Sorry, senior sister. We'll leave," Ye Xingrui and the others quickly dispersed. They had held back their questions all the way but finally didn't dare to ask.
"Is senior sister really that eight - year - old prodigy?"
"I don't know. I dare not ask."
Zhao Shuning entered the main building. At this time, Kong Shishuang had almost finished tidying up and once again looked like the in - charge tower master of the Misty Rain Tower.
Seeing Zhao Shuning, Kong Shishuang could hardly control her emotions.
"You're back."
"I'm just passing by."
"Zhao Shuning, where have you been all these years?"
"I had a long sleep. Let's not talk about this. Miss Kong, after all these years, you've really wasted your time. It was obvious that Zhang Tianyuan was setting a trap for you this time. You didn't even realize it for such a long time?"
"I... It's my fault," Kong Shishuang sighed.
Admitting her mistake so readily was quite different from the Kong Shishuang Zhao Shuning had known before.
Zhao Shuning continued, "You're admitting your mistake so readily that I don't know what else to say. Tell me what happened. Shuiyunsheng is at the height of its power. The relationship between the Misty Rain Tower and Shuiyunsheng is not extremely good, but it shouldn't have reached this point. I don't believe that that kid, Poison Snake, would really be so heartless as to stand by and do nothing."
Kong Shishuang sighed deeply. "It's not his fault. It's my problem."
"Even if there are reasons, that kid Poison Snake shouldn't be so ungrateful."
"He's very busy now, with a lot of things to deal with. It was me who cut off the relationship with him and tore our robes in front of many elders and hall masters of Shuiyunsheng."
"Kong Shishuang, you're so stupid—"
Seeing the remorse on Kong Shishuang's face, Zhao Shuning held back what she wanted to say. This girl must have experienced a lot in the past few decades.
Zhao Shuning found a seat and sat down. "Tell me everything in detail."
Kong Shishuang was silent for a long time and then said, "Zhao Shuning, do you still remember the white - clothed young master in our tower?"
Zhao Shuning recalled and replied, "Yes." It was the first time she met Xingchen after they separated. At that time, they didn't recognize each other.
"Do you know that now Poison Snake and Ye Xingchen are almost inseparable?"
Zhao Shuning didn't say a word. In fact, before, in the illusion of the mermaid clan in the Sea of Woe, seeing the interaction between Xiao An and Xingchen, she had already guessed most of it.
"Do you like Poison Snake?"
"Yes."
It was well - known within Shuiyunsheng that Kong Shishuang liked Poison Snake. Poison Snake was cold and had never responded to this.
"Is it because Xie An is with Ye Xingchen that you got angry and cut off your relationship with Poison Snake?"
Kong Shishuang shook her head. "It's my fault. I fell into Zhang Tianyuan's trap back then."
Kong Shishuang told Zhao Shuning everything that had happened back then.
After listening, Zhao Shuning let out a long breath. In this case, Kong Shishuang was still the Miss Kong in her impression. She didn't do such a thing because she couldn't get Poison Snake's love but because of a misunderstanding.
"No wonder. With your intelligence, Miss Kong, it's not strange for you to fall into Zhang Tianyuan's trap at all."
"Zhao Shuning!" Although Kong Shishuang seemed dissatisfied, she actually felt much better when she heard Zhao Shuning say this.
"Alright. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, shouldn't you go to Shuiyunsheng and explain everything to Xie An?"
"I... I can't go."
"Why?"
"Now, the Misty Rain Tower can't do without me."
Zhao Shuning was silent. Indeed, now that Kong Shishuang was the tower master of the Misty Rain Tower and the tower had suffered such a heavy blow, it was impossible for her to leave for the time being.
"You've become more thoughtful when considering things."
Kong Shishuang showed a hint of coldness on her face. With a solemn voice and a sigh, she said, "I have no choice. My brother disappeared a few years ago."
"I've heard about it but haven't had the chance to ask you what exactly happened."
Kong Shishuang shook her head. "I don't know either. He just disappeared out of the blue. And since then, he has had no contact with me at all. My brother would never treat me like this. He must have encountered something. But I'm so useless that I still haven't found any news about him."
"Be patient. Everything will be okay."
Kong Shishuang forced a smile. "Look, Zhao Shuning. After all these years, not only have I changed, but you've also learned to say such words to comfort people."
"Do you like to hear them?"
"Yes."
Kong Shishuang had actually been quite unlucky. She was an orphan in her childhood. Fortunately, she had her elder brother Kong Ye to take care of her, spoiling her into the real young miss of the Misty Rain Tower.
Now, Kong Ye had disappeared out of the blue. This young miss who had always been living in happiness had to step out of her comfort zone, take over the Misty Rain Tower, and manage it to the best of her ability.
"Actually, your performance on the city tower today far exceeded that of Kong Ye back then. Kong Shishuang, you're now the real tower master of the Misty Rain Tower, no longer just Miss Kong. You've really impressed me."