Chapter 219

That night, Yin Xuan rushed back to Ruyi Sect with the Holy Sword. The journey was very smooth, and Nangong Min did not send anyone to stop him along the way. In fact, for several days, there was no news of the theft of the Ziwei Sect's Holy Sword in the martial arts world.

When Yin Xuan arrived, it was another dark night. Shen Mandong had been waiting for him for several days, feeling anxious and exhausted. When Yin Xuan took out the holy sword and told Shen Mandong Nangong Min's original words, the joy on Shen Mandong's face slowly faded.

“We have the Holy Sword, but she is unwilling to negotiate,” Shen Mandong said worriedly, even more so than a few days ago. “What should we do next? Even if I can persuade my parents to stop being enemies with the Ziwei Sect, Nangong Min’s mind is made up. Is it still necessary for the Ruyi Sect to back down?”

She originally thought that Nangong Min valued the Holy Sword so much that she would give up attacking Ruyi Sect for it, but she didn't expect that she would actually let Yin Xuan pass. She didn't even care about the Holy Sword.

“It’s not that she doesn’t care, it’s just that the Ziwei Sect is currently under heavy suppression. If multiple sects join forces, it’s questionable whether the Ziwei Sect can even survive. Holding the Holy Sword won’t change her situation,” Yin Xuan said. “No matter how good a sword is, it’s just an object. You can’t conquer the world with just one sword. Otherwise, the Ziwei Sect would have already unified the martial arts world and become the overlord. If she wants to win against all odds, the only viable path is to defeat the sects that are unfavorable to her.”

Shen Mandong pondered for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "But no matter what, having the Holy Sword is better than not having it. I've already written to the Nine Immortals Hall, and the hall masters will be wary of Nangong Min and won't give her a chance to get the blueprints." She lowered her head, looking at her belly, "Even if we take the worst-case scenario, it will take Nangong Min quite some time to find a way to obtain the blueprints. I'll be giving birth soon, and once the child is born, I can pick up the sword again. If she dares to come, I won't be afraid of her."

Yin Xuan was in great turmoil. Hearing this, he didn't say much, but handed the Holy Sword to Shen Mandong and said gently, "Keep it."

The dim candlelight couldn't illuminate the corners of the room. Shen Mandong leaned against the headboard, sitting silently for a long time before saying with a downcast expression, "I went back to the palace during the few days you were gone."

Yin Xuan had rushed back without even changing his clothes or drinking a drop of water. He was exhausted and weary, but he couldn't show it. Hearing Shen Mandong's words, Yin Xuan didn't ask what she had done back home. He simply said, "The doctor said your due date is at the latest next month. You shouldn't run around anymore. Just stay home and rest. Leave everything to me."

Shen Mandong smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've practiced martial arts since I was a child, so I'm not that delicate." After she finished smiling, she said sadly, "My junior sister said she's going south next month and will be busy with official business, so she won't be able to come and keep me company."

Yin Xuan hummed in agreement and said in a calm tone, "After you left, many things in the palace fell on her shoulders. It's only natural that she was so busy that she couldn't find the time to spare."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mandong remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, "Have you ever hated your parents?"

Yin Xuan remained silent for a moment, then shook his head: "I have never truly hated anyone."

He felt hatred, but more than that, he was heartbroken. He didn't want to hold a grudge against anyone too much; he just wanted to remember his parents and didn't take hatred too seriously.

Hearing him say this, Shen Mandong felt extremely guilty. With Xie Yijun, she could atone for her parents' sins with her own life, but with Yin Xuan, she could do nothing for him. Instead, she had to force Yin Xuan to steal Nangong Min's holy sword to threaten his savior.

She couldn't even love him; she loved someone else.

“Now you can trust me,” Yin Xuan said after another silence. “I’m willing to let go of the past and pretend it never happened. After the Holy Sword incident, I’ve also broken ties with Sister Nangong. Now I only have you and the child left, so I won’t help anyone deal with the Ruyi Sect anymore. Can you rest assured?”

Holding back her tears, Shen Mandong said sorrowfully, "Brother Xuan, I'm sorry..."

"Keep the Holy Sword safe, and don't let anyone else know about it for now, especially Father and Mother," Yin Xuan smiled, pretending to be relaxed. "If they find out, they might take the opportunity to join forces with other sects to attack the Ziwei Sect. Sister Nangong has been kind to me, and I told her about the underground mechanisms. You and I are now family, and I took the Holy Sword on your behalf. I can't treat everyone equally, so this is all I can do for now. But no matter what happens in the future, I will face it with you. You are not alone; I will be with you through all these storms."

Shen Mandong's eyes were red, and she couldn't say a word.

"Take good care of yourself and don't think about anything else," Yin Xuan said. "Although I may not be able to save Ruyi Gate, I will do my best to protect you and the baby. Go to sleep early."

For the next two weeks, Shen Mandong finally got a few good nights' sleep, no longer living in constant fear and sleepless nights. But less than two days later, an old servant suddenly died in the house. No one knew who killed him, and after two days of investigation, they found no clues. Because of this, Shen Mandong began to live in fear again, with a bad feeling, especially after Yin Xuan told her that the old servant had been on good terms with the Yin couple in the past. Shen Mandong became even more uneasy and couldn't sleep well at night again.

At that time, no one knew Ye Zhilan's background, nor did anyone know that she was secretly plotting to help Nangong Min destroy the Ziwei Sect in order to take revenge on Man Jiangxue. The old servant told Ye Zhilan about the suffering of the Yin family back then, and Ye Zhilan killed him. A few days later, she used Gu poison to torture a hall master of the Jiuxian Hall to the point of near death, and forced him to draw up the blueprints. Then Ye Zhilan anonymously sent the blueprints to Nangong Min, successfully pushing things forward in the dark and causing the destruction of the Ruyi Sect.

No one expected that Nangong Min would actually obtain the blueprints, and in such a short time. On the day the Ziwei Sect attacked Liucang Mountain, Shen Mandong was bleeding heavily in the delivery room. She grabbed Yin Xuan's hand, sweating profusely, and asked, "Is it you? Father and Mother burned the blueprints a long time ago, and the nine hall masters didn't keep any either. You said you wouldn't help Nangong Min deal with the Ruyi Sect anymore..."

Yin Xuan felt a chill in her heart, but she still smiled at her and said, "It wasn't me. I've been staying at home with you these past few days. Where would I have found the blueprints?"

"Who is that...?" Shen Mandong asked weakly. "Is it Senior Sister Xie? But she stays in the palace with Master all day long, and she doesn't have a chance to go down the mountain to find the blueprints. Who could have such ability?"

Yin Xuan didn't know, and no one else could have known back then. But Nangong Min had already led his men to attack, choosing the very day Shen Mandong was giving birth. Yin Xuan couldn't care less about her; he could only instruct the midwife to take good care of Shen Mandong. He left the Holy Sword with her, took Shen Mandong's Zhubing sword, and went to Ruyi Hall. However, as soon as he appeared, Sect Leader Shen ordered his men to surround him, intending to kill Yin Xuan on the spot.

"You shameless scoundrel! I misjudged you!" Sect Master Shen roared. "I thought you didn't know what happened back then, but now that the Ziwei Sect has broken through the underground mechanisms, I've finally realized that besides you, who else could have tipped you off? You're so cunning! If I had known this would happen, I should have sent you to meet the King of Hell with me! If it weren't for the fact that you were still young and ignorant back then, I wouldn't have let you off so easily! It's a pity that I was too soft-hearted and let this treacherous and cunning person come back to stir up trouble. How could you do this to Mandong!"

Outside the hall, a fierce battle raged. The Ruyi Sect and the Ziwei Sect had already clashed. Yin Xuan's chest heaved, but he had no way to argue. He could only reply, "Except for Nangong Min, I have been fair to everyone. If you want to argue with me about right and wrong at this time, then it is your Shen family that wronged our Yin family first. But today's events were not my doing. Whether you believe it or not, I only ask you one question now: can you put aside the past for the time being and help me protect the Ruyi Sect?"

"You treacherous scoundrel, how can I trust you!" Sect Leader Shen roared, veins bulging. "Kill him! Don't let him leave this Ruyi Hall!"

The disciples attacked him en masse, surrounding Yin Xuan. Yin Xuan did not want internal strife and wanted to leave the hall to persuade Nangong Min to withdraw his troops. However, the disciples were convinced that he was a traitor who was colluding with the Ziwei Sect from within and without, and they were determined not to let him leave. The two sides fought in the hall for a long time, and it was difficult to determine a winner.

Ultimately outnumbered and with Sect Master Shen interfering, Yin Xuan lost his Ice-Chasing Sword and his weapon. Forced to use his palm techniques to injure several people, he fled the sect. Sect Master Shen pursued closely, and the two fought further and further apart until thick smoke filled the surroundings and the firelight illuminated the corners of his eyes. Only then did Yin Xuan realize with shock that the Ruyi Sect had been engulfed in flames.

"This is also your doing!" Sect Master Shen was furious. "Even if you want revenge, you should wait until Man Dong gives birth to the child. That child is your own flesh and blood! Family matters should be resolved by yourselves. Why do you have to be a lackey of the Ziwei Sect!"

Yin Xuan was speechless and had no intention of explaining further. He certainly couldn't bring himself to harm Shen Mandong behind her back. Yin Xuan could only dodge and retreat, intending to return to the delivery room to check on Shen Mandong's condition. But as soon as he turned around, he heard Sect Leader Shen call out anxiously, "Mandong...? What are you doing here at this time? Go back quickly!"

Yin Xuan paused, then immediately turned around, but there was no sign of Shen Mandong. Instead, a sword, radiating murderous intent, pierced his chest in an instant.

In an instant, blood splattered, and excruciating pain spread. Yin Xuan staggered back two steps and couldn't help but kneel down.

Sect Master Shen gripped the Ice-Chasing Blade, repeatedly thrusting the blade into Yin Xuan's body, mercilessly piercing him through. His eyes were venomous as he glared at Yin Xuan, gritting his teeth and saying, "No poison, no man! To do great things, one must be ruthless! I really shouldn't have been soft-hearted back then, thinking I had a daughter and wanted to accumulate some good karma for her. Who knew that a single wrong thought would leave behind such a calamity!"

Yin Xuan knelt on the ground, powerless to fight back, blood dripping from his mouth, soaking his robe.

As the fire spread, people fell one after another, and Ruyi Gate was completely engulfed in flames and a river of blood.

His mind was buzzing, and all he could hear was the clanging of swords clashing. Heaven and earth seemed to be howling in anger, and the world was in turmoil. Yin Xuan raised his hand, trying to pull Zhu Bing out of his body, but he was in too much pain and had lost all his strength. He was worried about Shen Mandong, wondering if she had given birth to the child. He moved his lips, wanting to beg Sect Leader Shen to spare him this time and let him go see Shen Mandong, but before he could say anything, a red shadow flashed in his eyes. Taking advantage of Sect Leader Shen's unpreparedness, Nangong Min struck him on the top of the head with a palm, the blow swift and ruthless, killing Sect Leader Shen on the spot.

"Ruyi Sect, what a fine name," Nangong Min smiled contentedly, delivering a final blow to Sect Master Shen's heart, and looked at Yin Xuan with a gentle expression, "Unfortunately, in life, what one desires often cannot be as one wishes. The more one plans, the more likely one is to fall short. Don't you think so?"

Yin Xuan glanced at her, then looked at Zhu Bing on his chest. Nangong Min said coldly, "I told you, even without the Holy Sword, I can still destroy the Ruyi Sect. I allowed you to steal the Holy Sword, which was actually giving you a chance, a chance for you to see the truth. There is no possibility of peaceful coexistence between you and the Shen family, just as there is no possibility of reconciliation between me and the martial world."

Yin Xuan struggled to his feet, his face as pale as paper. He asked in a hoarse voice, "...Who is it?"

Nangong Min smiled and said, "I also want to know who it is that helped me so much, yet did good deeds anonymously. I would like to befriend such a kind person."

Yin Xuan shakily steadied himself, unable to pull Zhu Bing out. He leaned against the nearest flower bed, panting and unable to speak.

“Come back to the Ziwei Sect with me,” Nangong Min said. “This place will soon be a wasteland. You are injured. If you still want to stay and fight against me, you will only die. But if you are willing to come with me, I can still take pity on you and save your life.”

Yin Xuan shook his head, clutching his chest and backing away, weakly saying, "No, I have to see Man Dong..."

Seeing that even now he still only remembered Shen Mandong and didn't even care about his own life, Nangong Min lowered his voice and sneered, "You won't see her. I knew you would definitely hand over the Holy Sword to her, so I sent people to look for her before coming here. She has already disappeared. The midwife in the delivery room was killed, and the child is also missing. You thought you could defeat me with this old bastard surnamed Shen, but you didn't expect that he wouldn't believe you and that there were other people behind you acting according to the situation. This time, the destruction of Ruyi Sect is an irreversible fact. If you still insist on being stubborn, I can't save you."

Yin Xuan felt a chill run through his body, finally understanding what despair truly meant. Ignoring Nangong Min, he turned and stepped into the sea of ​​fire. Nangong Min watched his retreating figure but did not try to stop him. Under the same sky, the two went their separate ways, each embarking on a different path.

Soon, a torrential rain began without warning.

Yin Xuan, clinging to life, used his inner strength to seal his acupoints, stopping the bleeding from his wounds. He then pulled out the Zhu Bing sword and casually stuck it into a corpse at his feet. He searched for Shen Mandong in the fire to no avail. The disciples of the Ruyi Sect would fight him to the death if they saw him, as would the people from the Ziwei Sect and Yunhua Palace. Everyone considered him the culprit, a traitor and a villain. He couldn't stay in this place, couldn't show his face, and couldn't find Shen Mandong no matter what he did.

It wasn't until nightfall, when the torrential rain extinguished the fire on Liucang Mountain, and Yunhua Palace successfully repelled the Ziwei Sect, leaving Ruyi Gate in ruins, that he finally fainted in the forest. He tumbled down the hillside along the slippery mud into the tall grass, where he was buried by the dense undergrowth.

When Yin Xuan woke up again, he didn't know who had saved him. He was lying in a dilapidated temple. A kind-looking monk pinched his lips and teeth and forced him to drink a bowl of medicine, cursing, "Kid, you're pretty lucky. You're lucky to have met me. It cost me a lot of incense money to save your life. Remember to pay me back several times over in the future, or I'll throw you out to be fed to the wild dogs!"

It turned out that this monk was traveling around and had heard that the red maple scenery of Liucang Mountain was the most beautiful in the world. He planned to go up the mountain to feast his eyes on it. Unexpectedly, he happened to witness the bloody incident. On his way down the mountain, he happened to see Yin Xuan rolling down from the forest and rescued him and brought him back to the temple.

The news of the Ruyi Sect's annihilation by the Ziwei Sect had already spread far and wide. Everyone said he was Nangong Min's accomplice, and that Shen Mandong had personally pierced his heart with a sword, causing his death at Liucang Mountain. The Ruyi Sect was destroyed overnight, Shen Mandong disappeared without a trace, the Ziwei Sect's sacred sword was stolen, and Nangong Min swiftly annexed all the sects, large and small, consolidating the sect's position in the martial arts world and becoming an even more formidable overlord than before. The successive news was like a series of thunderbolts, overwhelming Yin Xuan, who lay in the temple for almost two months before he could barely get out of bed and move around.

Everything was already set in stone, and what's done is done. After learning the whole story, the monk sighed and said, "Heaven's sins can be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins cannot. In this situation, no one can claim complete innocence. Although your wife has vanished without a trace, at least no one saw where she died, so she might still be alive. However, I think you shouldn't look for her anymore. Since she wanted to leave, she naturally wanted to forget these grudges. You should come with me to enter the Buddhist order and become an ordinary person who doesn't care about the past."

Faced with this upheaval, Yin Xuan was fortunate to survive. He even considered becoming a monk, but in the end, he couldn't let go of his worries. Whenever he thought of his promise to protect Shen Mandong and the child, he was tormented by pain, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Once the situation in the martial world calmed down and his injuries healed, Yin Xuan bid farewell to the monk, determined to investigate who had sent the secret letter to Nangong Min and what caused Shen Mandong to disappear with the Holy Sword.

After that, he put on a mask, changed his name, and never showed his true face. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not find out who killed the leader of the Nine Immortals Hall and obtained the blueprints. He suspected Xie Yijun, but by then Xie Yijun had become the head of the Yunhua Palace. Things were different now. He could not show himself to confront her, nor could he let the world know that he was still alive. So he could only focus his mind on finding Shen Mandong's whereabouts.

In those years, he inquired about Shen Mandong wherever he passed, but no one had ever seen her. Along the way, he encountered many displaced orphans, who reminded Yin Xuan of the child who had vanished before he even met her. So, he did his best to save many people and took the orphans in and cared for them. As time passed, more and more children joined him, learning literature and martial arts, and gradually growing into adults. Then, Yin Xuan chose a propitious spot in the remote mountains of Cangzhou, gave each child the surname Shen, and established his own school, Fanxin Valley, so that the children could also help search for Shen Mandong's whereabouts.

Thus, the low-key and mysterious Fanxin Valley gradually gained fame in the martial arts world, and there was no longer a person named Yin Xuan in this world, only a young master named Fan who wore a mask and whose origins were unknown.

·

Night deepened, the starlight grew even more dazzling, the evening breeze grew colder, and mist rose from the forest, dampening her skirt and hair. Gongzi Fan leaned against a tree, his deep voice slowly recounting his painful past. Yin Qiu lay on his lap, gazing at the distant, tranquil night sky, remaining silent for a very long time.

When she was little, when Man Jiangxue took her to eat wonton noodles at Yao Dingcheng's teahouse, Yin Qiu was incredibly saddened when she first learned about her background. She thought that her father was so different from other people's fathers, and that her father was an absolute villain despised by the world.

But now Yin Qiu realizes that it wasn't true.

My father is not a bad person.

He was even a good person who was willing to put aside hatred for the sake of his beloved.

How many people in this world can truly let go of hatred? Ye Zhilan couldn't, Xie Yijun couldn't, and neither could Meng Wugui. While remembering or forgetting hatred is not easy, and we cannot definitively define who seeks revenge as necessarily despicable, or who abandons revenge as necessarily noble, the three people Yin Qiu witnessed did not achieve their desired outcomes in their pursuit of revenge. Instead, some died, some were injured, and having already lost everything, they further lost all that they had worked so hard to obtain.

The door to good fortune may not always bring good luck, and the cycle of revenge will never end. In the end, it will all be for nothing, a dream that leaves you battered and bruised and harms both yourself and others.

When this dream fades into the past, and all grudges dissipate, those who remain will no longer remember the pain, but only the good.

Ye Zhilan said, "This bracelet is a birthday gift I gave you. Wear it carefully and don't lose it."

Xie Yijun said, "We've been together for many years, and I've always treated you like a daughter. I've hurt many people, but I never thought of hurting Jiang Xue."

Meng Wugui said, "You have a sect, a home to return to, and your father is still alive. I no longer need to worry about you being hurt by Xie Yijun. You will live a good life."

Afu said, "Please stop fighting. Peace can bring in a lot of money and save many orphans."

Fu Xiang said, "Xiao Qiu, we will be best friends for life. Maybe one day we will face an unimaginable situation, but you must remember that I will never hurt you."

These people came and went. They hurt others and they gave their true feelings. No one can erase their existence. At least Yin Qiu will remember them, at least Yin Qiu will not forget them.

“Remember the good in someone, and don’t dwell on the bad,” Yin Qiu said. “Kindness is a choice. Like you, I am willing to forget the bad things and keep the precious good in my heart, and then work hard for the people and things I cherish. People cannot live for hatred. Hatred is a fire, and those who play with fire will eventually burn themselves and drag others down with them.”

As she spoke, she straightened up, looked at Gongzi Fan, and asked, "Am I wrong to think this way?"

Gongzi Fan looked at her with affection, touched her face, and said softly, "Of course that's right. If there is less hatred in the world, there will be less grudges. One person may not be able to bring peace to the world, but if everyone thinks this way, the world will be at peace. Even though it is difficult to do, as long as you are willing to do it, there is nothing that cannot be done. Even if you can't do it, it doesn't matter. Just be able to have a clear conscience is good enough."

Yin Qiu said, "I have a clear conscience." Then she asked, "And what about you?"

Gongzi Fan simply smiled and did not answer.

“You still feel guilty,” Yin Qiu said, “but neither your mother nor I will blame you. People who have done their best should not be blamed. You don’t need to feel guilty.”

Gongzi Fan said, "That's just how people are. They can teach others perfectly well, but when it comes to themselves, it's a completely different story."

Yin Qiu asked, "Am I someone else?"

“Of course you’re not,” Gongzi Fan said, raising her hand. “I’m sorry, I misspoke. Slap me twice to vent your anger.”

“I’m not angry,” Yin Qiu said earnestly, her eyes crinkling. “Do you remember Meng Jing? I once talked to her about our parents, and she asked me if I had ever dreamed of you. I said no, but I imagine my father must have been a handsome and dashing man. Are you?”

Gongzi Fan said, "Then I'll disappoint you, I'm not."

Yin Qiu raised her hand, touching Gongzi Fan's face, and then the mask. Gongzi Fan gazed at her, his lowered hand clenching into a fist where Yin Qiu couldn't see. He was so nervous he didn't speak, unsure where to put his hands, but he could only force a calm expression on his face. Yin Qiu looked at him expectantly, and in the silent night, she gently removed the mask with her fingertips.

A strange yet strangely approachable face was revealed in the starlight.

Yin Qiu's eyelashes trembled, and her eyes flickered slightly—she saw those eyes, those eyes that looked exactly like hers.

He was handsome and dashing.

"Am I?" Gongzi Fan asked.

Yin Qiu laughed, looked into his eyes as if looking in a mirror, and said happily, "Yes."