Chapter 103 The Untrustworthy Man's Confession (Part 2)...

Upon hearing this name, Qin Ruoliu's icy expression finally softened.

"That's true, he's your old rival, you know him best."

Wang Yi looked at her changes and suddenly laughed.

"Chen Shudong has always been lucky. Back then, no one thought that the abandoned baby who was struggling to survive would become the number one in the world. Even our Qin City Lord, who had dominated the top spot in the Yunya Yitian Rank for many years, was defeated by her."

It seemed that for Chen Shudong, keeping the abandoned baby was a matter of course. Without saying a word, she poured her inner strength into the weak-breathing child and asked me to go to the pharmacy to get some rare and precious herbs to keep him alive.

After several days of this ordeal, they finally managed to keep the child's life hanging by a thread. Having spent so much time with Chen Shudong, I stopped wondering why he was so pure-hearted. Having witnessed so many good deeds, I've become somewhat numb.

Chen Shudong acts without reason, saving lives and never giving up until the very last moment. He insists on watching the person close their eyes and pass away, or at least see them open their eyes and return to the world of the living.

Chen Shudong said that the characters on this wooden sign seemed unlucky to use as a name: Bian Yi, Bian Yi. The character Yi means rugged and difficult to travel, as if she were destined to suffer a lot in her life.

I was too lazy to bother with this abandoned baby anymore, so I casually said that it was better to have a weak name, because all the suffering in her life would be taken away by this name, and the rest of her life would be smooth.

Chen Shudong found this reasonable and didn't change the girl's name; he simply used the name on the wooden sign as is.

I hadn't paid much attention to this child named Bian Yi. After all, ever since I discovered that only Chen Shudong knew about that secret, I had focused all my energy on this and started making preparations.

Just when I thought I was going to experience a dull and boring life, Bian Yi gave me another surprise.

She has grown up so fast that it has become a point of concern for people.

Especially in martial arts, he is a once-in-a-century genius.

While a gentle and mild nature is superior in medicine, it becomes a disadvantage in martial arts. It is too mild, lacking in power and a sense of pressure.

But Bian Yi seemed completely unconstrained by this. She was too young to wield a sword, and by simply gesturing with a wooden stick, she could make the gentle, spring-like movements seem sharp and fierce.

Furthermore, Bian Yi was probably not the infant they thought she was when they found her; she must have been four years old at that time. She was well cared for by Chen Shudong for a year, and her height increased rapidly. Because of this, her calves were always cramping, and she would run to my room in the middle of the night crying, saying, "Senior Sister, my right leg hurts, and my left leg hurts too."

Bian Yi has never had a proper identity, but she probably followed suit and started calling me "Senior Sister" at some point.

"When Bian Yi is mentioned, I can't help but talk a bit more about her. She was raised by Chen Shudong to be exactly like herself."

Wang Yi paused.

"So pure it's almost...stupid."

Qin Ruoliu felt a chill run down her spine as she listened. Wang Yiming knew all about these tender moments. In other people's eyes, she was a hardworking disciple and a reliable and gentle senior sister.

But Wang Yi clearly asked me to come here for...

"In the thirty-ninth year of Zhenping, when Bian Yi was seven years old, three more people came to Qingluan Medicine Valley seeking medical treatment..."

Wang Yi's slightly hoarse voice rang out again, interrupting Qin Ruoliu's thoughts. Her seemingly frozen smile finally changed slightly, no longer displaying the indifferent calm of knowing everything, but rather surging with a deeper, more intense joy.

“These three people called themselves Lin Kefei, Li Qing, and Li E. They said they wanted to ask one of them for medicine for Li Qing, who was born with a weak constitution.”

These three people, from head to toe, from their clothing to their demeanor, were anything but innocent; they were clearly not ordinary martial artists or commoners. However, Qingluan Medicine Valley treated all those who practiced medicine and saved lives equally, so they welcomed them in.

After examining Li Qing, Chen Shudong said that Li Qing would probably have to stay here for a while, at least a few months, and at most a few years. His illness was something he had from birth, and it was difficult to cure completely. He would need to be recuperated slowly.

We're not that far apart in age, so it's normal for us to become friends. Later, I learned that the man named Li Qing, who had recently married Lin Kefei, was Li E's younger brother.

Lin Kefei and Li Qing, in particular, doted on Bian Yi. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they treated him like their own son. Lin Kefei even readily took on the troublesome task of being Bian Yi's sparring partner.

Li E was a spirited young man who followed Chen Shudong around every day. A nobleman personally went to the fields to pull weeds and plant herbs, clearly overjoyed.

I was all too familiar with the look of confusion that flashed across the eyes of these three people when their names were called. Like me, their names were also pseudonyms, but they were not quite used to this new identity.

"Actually, their identities are easy to discern, especially Lin Kefei, who is straightforward. She treats Li E with extreme respect, like a subject to a ruler. And when she was sparring with Bian Yi, she unconsciously used the technique of 'Overturning Seas and Moving Mountains'."

"The Lin family possesses a unique martial arts technique, and the Lin family is also home to only one daughter, General Lin Daiqiao. Not long ago, news of her marriage to Prince Wei Yunqing spread like wildfire, with everyone on the streets saying how beautiful the woman and the man are..."

Wang Yi said this casually, as if everyone should keep a close eye on their friend's every move as if observing prey, and that everyone in the world is just a pawn in a clearly defined camp.

"So Lin Kefei is actually Lin Daiqiao. Li Qing is actually Wei Yunqing. And Li E is Wei Yune... This is too easy to discover."

Wang Yi raised her eyes, and in her long, upturned eyes, she saw Qin Ruoliu's figure opposite her. She said.

"This is the real turning point in my destiny."

"I've realized that I'm not so far from being a member of the so-called noble royal family. And am I really that far from... the emperor's position? I think not."

"Madman..." Qin Ruoliu looked away uncomfortably. Wang Yi was still staring at her, or perhaps her gaze just needed a focal point. In her memories and accounts, only her own image was clear and vivid.

From beginning to end, she only had eyes for herself.

...

"Hmm..."

Bian Yi, who had been asleep, suddenly felt the carriage beneath her jolting. She frowned and slowly opened her eyes.

After a while, her blurred vision gradually closed, and sure enough, the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Lin Chengye's face. He was holding a candle and looked worried.

"You're awake?"

Bian Yi felt a little relieved and nodded slightly. These past few days had been like this; she could see Lin Chengye as soon as she opened her eyes.

“Yesterday we talked about…” Bian Yi opened his dry, cracked lips, his voice like a broken bellows, gurgling out of his mouth with the rise and fall of his chest.

"I'm about to talk about how I became a disciple of the Qingluan Medicine Valley. The Qingluan Medicine Valley has a rule that one can only become a disciple at the age of eight, so it wasn't until the fortieth year of Zhenping that I officially became a disciple of the Qingluan Medicine Valley."

"What's the rush? It's not like I'm not going to tell you anymore."

Lin Chengye felt somewhat helpless. She didn't even dare to help Bian Yi up. She could only take a chopstick and put it into the person's mouth, slowly feeding the water into her mouth.

She reached out and lifted another section of the carriage curtain, letting in the moonlight.

The air outside the car was even colder and drier, the bushes and haystacks on the ground were becoming sparser, and the wind was howling through the curtains, indicating that they were almost at their destination.

Lin Chengye's voice seemed to have been hoarse by the wind and sand of the border as she whispered.

"The story... has one last little bit to go on."

"We are not far from Northern Yan."

...

"Wei Yun'e, do you want to ascend the throne?"

"What did you say?"

"I say, Wei Yun'e, do you want to become the emperor?"

In a secluded spot in the Azure Phoenix Valley, the two faced each other.

Wei Yun'e suddenly gripped the sword at his waist, his expression uncertain.

"How...did you know? I only told Ah Dong."

"How about I help you?"

I shrugged.

"You? An unknown figure from the martial world? Do you think this throne is some rotten radish that everyone wants? I haven't even caught the eye of the Empress Dowager all these years..."

Wei Yun'e seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and instead relaxed his expression, giving Wang Yi a contemptuous look.

"You've already fallen to such a state, why bother going down the right path?"

I chuckled.

"What if there were a demigod at this moment who could form an alliance with you and serve your purposes?"

"A fortune teller? Are you kidding me? Where in Lai Kingdom can you find one like that..."

Wei Yun'e clearly knew the power of the Half-Immortal, and he was taken aback. If there really was a Half-Immortal in his grasp, then the word "rebellion" was not out of the question.

"That secret is in Chen Shudong's hands. Only she knows it. Once I obtain that secret, I can become a demigod and serve you."

I didn't hide anything and spoke frankly.

"You want me to help you scheme against Chen Shudong?"

Wei Yun'e suddenly widened his eyes and glared at me, as if I were saying something incomprehensible.

"Do you know that we have already pledged our lives to each other, and... she already has a child."

See, no wonder this kind of fool is destined to never ascend the throne; he just can't grasp the essentials. What kind of child is he? What does this have to do with me?

Unless you tell me that the love between them is more important to Wei Yun'e than the throne.

"You don't need to do anything, Your Highness. Just keep our conversation tonight a secret."

I raised an eyebrow, chuckled twice, and shook my head.

"And Your Highness, you've got it wrong. If you had simply said that I had no interest in the throne, or if you had just told Chen Shudong what I said, I could have been expelled from the sect immediately and would never have said those words again."

"It all depends on you, Your Highness."

Wei Yun'e remained silent for a long time, seemingly struggling with his decision. But I knew that he had already made his choice in that moment of hesitation, and what he was considering now was the feasibility of my plan.

"...Then what do you want?"

I almost burst out laughing, but I held it in.

“One identity, Your Highness. After this is done, I can no longer use this identity.”

"Then you will serve as my advisor, and I will arrange an official position for you..."

"That's not my identity, Your Highness."

I shook my head.

"I need an identity with the surname Wei."

...

Wei Yun'e indeed remained silent about our conversation after that.

He continued to take meticulous care of Chen Shudong and their unborn child.

One morning, as I was disturbing the door, I heard Chen Shudong's voice. She was being helped by Wei Yun'e to move around slowly, and she said with a smile.

"Given your special status, why not let this child stay in Qingluan Medicine Valley? The martial world is far more free and unrestrained than the imperial city. What do you think, would the name 'Chen' be suitable?"

Wei Yun'e smiled and nodded.

"This character is good. The character 'Chen' means the revival of all things. The name Chen Chen sounds nice."

But he knew perfectly well that the child's future would not include his mother.

Sure enough, not long after, Wei Yun'e told me that he had an older sister named Wei Yunmo, who was in very poor health and lived in Yongfo Temple for many years, rarely appearing in public. It would not be difficult to replace her.

It was 41 years ago, and my plan had been secretly in progress for most of the time. Fortunately, Chen Shudong was not so energetic and entrusted me with most of the Qingluan Medicine Valley.

...

The days that followed were peaceful and flew by; at least in my eyes, those days were boring.

In the forty-fourth year of Zhenping, the Northern Yan invaded the border. Lin Daiqiao, who was twenty-five years old, took command of the expedition and left with Wei Yunqing.

Bian Yi was only twelve years old at the time, yet she already had no rivals in the Azure Phoenix Medicine Valley. Even Chen Shudong couldn't beat her, and she was on par with Lin Daiqiao.

However, I'm not sure what to do with this child; she's as innocent as Chen Shudong.

This kind of person is extremely troublesome to me; I can't use her, so I can only kill her. However, I also felt that she might be useful, so I didn't kill her, but only did some minor things to make her useful to me in the future.

"Later, in the forty-eighth year of Zhenping, the year after Bian Yi descended the mountain, he actually defeated you, Lord Qin. How does it feel to be defeated by a seventeen-year-old child?"

Wang Yi narrowed his eyes.

"I think you weren't feeling well, were you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone crazy searching for ways to become stronger after that, and even spread the word to seek out miracle cures everywhere."

"Therefore, you should not give up the opportunity to become a demigod."

Am I right?

Qin Ruoli remained silent. What could she say? She had almost completely undressed in front of this man, and Wang Yi could see her desire and longing. What need was there for her to speak?

...

Another year has passed, and now, my arrangements are finally complete.

"……What did you say."

Chen Shudong stared at me blankly. When I first met her, she hadn't aged much; in fact, the years had made her appear more serene and composed, like a piece of warm jade.

"Master, didn't you hear me?"

I smiled and repeated it again.

“I said, please tell me the secret of the Half-Immortal. Otherwise, I will immediately activate the Ninth Yellow Springs Formation and bury the entire Azure Phoenix Medicine Valley with this secret.”

The ingenious diagram stolen from the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Gate is this; I've been conceiving it since then. The scene I envisioned has finally appeared. I'm unusually excited.

Chen Shudong's expression was as expected—so shocked and pained that tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at me. Her voice trembled, and her eyes were bloodshot.

"How many years did you spend? When did you start planning? You..."

Suddenly, Chen Shudong grabbed my collar and yanked me down violently. This was the first time I had ever seen her so angry; she roared and howled like a lion, smashing my head open and leaving us both covered in blood.

I looked at her calmly and said.

“Master, this is what I came here for from the very beginning.”

"Let me tell you, you'll never become a demigod. Your martial arts talent is far too poor..."

Chen Shudong said a lot, but it was incoherent, and I didn't understand most of it. I just watched her, and the more she talked, the more tears she shed.

Finally, Chen Shudong pleaded with me.

"If I tell you, will you let Qingluan Medicine Valley go?"

...

"Chen Shudong is right. I really don't have any martial arts talent. It will be a long time before I reach the peak of the ninth level of internal strength, but I can't wait that long."

"That's why...Lord Qin, I came to you to share this secret, and even offered you the materials needed for the blood sacrifice."

Wang Yi placed his hands on Qin Ruoliu's shoulders.

"Tonight, you will work together with the Ninth Yellow Springs Formation that I have laid. Although I can only activate half of it, it will still be enough to eliminate the Azure Phoenix Medicine Valley as quickly as possible without anyone noticing."

"No one knows it was you who did it. Even if someone guesses, you are already a demigod. What can they do? At that time, you will be the pinnacle of martial arts."

Qin Ruoliu's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.

"At this time tomorrow, I should call your name..."

Wang Yi seemed to have already seen the answer, and she smiled mischievously.

"Qin the Half-Immortal".

"For you, storming into the palace is just a matter of a snap of the fingers. You only need to do me this small favor."

That night under the moon, one man drank his wine in one gulp, raising his empty glass as if waiting for something. The other hesitated for a moment, then also drank his wine in one gulp, lightly and quickly clinking his glass against the other's, producing a crisp clinking sound.

That sound sent a sudden chill down Qin Ruoli's spine, leaving her stunned and unable to recover for a long time. The wine she swallowed at that moment tasted bland, and it made her vow never to touch alcohol again for the rest of her life.

...

"At that time, I naively thought that I could go back on my word after I used her to become a half-immortal, and that I would not help her rebel. I thought... I could cut my losses in time."

“I thought I was different from Wang Yi, I thought… this would be the last mistake I ever made.”

"Impossible."

Lin Chengye waved her hand wearily; it was the first time she had felt tired even listening to a story. Perhaps it was because everyone involved was an active participant, an executioner, or even the force that led her to this predicament.

"You've only made one mistake, and it led to a series of mistakes."

The web of desire was there, and Wang Yi incited and seduced them, making it seem as if they could get what they wanted with just a little effort. So even knowing it was wrong, they still fell for it. Even knowing that Wang Yi was not trustworthy, they still held onto a glimmer of hope, like Wei Yun'e and Qin Ruoliu.

For some reason, Lin Chengye felt that if they could do it all over again, the two of them would probably still make the same choice.

If a broad road to prosperity is based on the disregard for human life, then for her it is nothing more than a useless dead end.

...

The disappearance of Qingluan Medicine Valley was silent and without a trace.

Such a large sect stood majestically in the martial arts world, yet it ended so abruptly.

Looking at the river of blood beneath her feet, Qin Ruoli felt in a daze that the insatiable demon within her body was finally being nourished and satisfied, and power was flowing out continuously.

She has indeed broken through and entered the realm of a demigod.

Qin Ruoliu looked at her blade and actually smiled. Her struggles and entanglements from last night seemed utterly insignificant at this moment, completely overwhelmed by the excitement of having reached the pinnacle of martial arts.

Snap, snap, snap.

Three rounds of applause rang out behind her, jarringly loud in the silent night. The man spoke in a hoarse, smiling voice.

"Don't get too excited, Qin Banxian, and forget our agreement."

"...Since I have become a demigod."

With her back to Wang Yi, Qin Ruoli gripped the blood-stained blade once more.

"Then what use is there for me to keep you alive? I'll kill you first, then..."

Suddenly, Qin Ruoliu felt a blur before her eyes. Her body instantly went out of control, the blade slipped from her hand, and she clutched her chest, collapsing to her knees in anguish.

She struggled desperately, but could only see her body out of control, her hands unable to bend, and she unable to find any leverage, leaving her sprawled on the ground in such a pathetic state.

A shoe slowly appeared in her blurred vision. Qin Ruoli used the last of her strength, crawling forward like a writhing maggot, and grasped Wang Yi's ankle, her lips trembling as she uttered a single word.

"you……"

"How does it feel to be a silver codger? There are only two parent-child silver codgers in the world. Giving you one is a recognition of your worth, Qin Banxian."

The foot kicked her away and then stomped hard on her hand holding the knife.

Qin Ruoliu let out a painful wail, tears and snot streaming down her face. In just a few breaths, the once glorious half-immortal had fallen into such a sorry state.

She regretted it. She regretted trusting Wang Yi so easily, regretted how she could have done such a thing, regretted it all…

Qin Ruoliu heard Wang Yi's voice coming from above her head, accompanied by a smile.

"That's why I say I admire Chen Shudong the most; she's the most interesting. She's completely different from you guys."

“You hypocrites are always criticizing me with words, but you do the same things I do. My actions are despicable, but how much better are you?”

“Wei Yun’e had the same idea as you, wanting to kill me after it was done. But he had already been poisoned by me without his knowledge. The poison would slowly, bit by bit, erode his body. His health is already much worse than before, and he will soon beg me to save him.”

Wang Yi used the tip of his shoe to lift Qin Ruoliu's chin, forcing her to look at him, and said with a smile.

"Be a good boy and listen to me, Qin Banxian."

...

The air inside the carriage seemed to freeze, with only the crackling of the flames in the stove. The heavy breathing of the two men mingled, probably because neither knew what to say.

"It's gone."

Seeing that Lin Chengye remained silent, Bian Yi whispered.

"You can probably pick up the rest, right?"

Lin Chengye's voice was somewhat hoarse. She was afraid that Bian Yi would be too sad, after all, her body could not withstand any more changes at this time, so she spoke cautiously.

"Wang Yi...she's been lying to you and using you from the very beginning. You..."

"No need to comfort me, I already understand."

Bian Yi raised her pale, bloodless arm and gently brushed away the yellow sand stuck in Lin Chengye's hair.

"You've clearly suffered a lot because of her, and you're still so young."

Lin Chengye opened her mouth, about to say something, but suddenly her eyes sharpened. She keenly raised her head and looked out the window.

"Wait for me, someone is approaching us."

There was only one person, moving very fast, using his light-footed skills to rush towards their carriage, which Lin Chengye quickly sensed.

With that, Lin Chengye's figure emerged from the carriage curtain. She drew her sword, intending to finish the fight quickly and not give the man a chance to speak. After all, this was Northern Yan territory, where the chance of being a friend was only one in ten, while the enemies were varied and diverse, and she did not want to take any risks.

A flash of sword light, a figure swift as a shuttle, swept past the bare branches. Just as the sword was about to slash at the neck of the attacker, the dark figure rushing towards them suddenly screamed in panic.

"Young Master Lin! Show mercy!!"

The blade stopped abruptly, just an inch from the man's throat. Lin Chengye used his other sword to pry open the turban covering the man's head, revealing his yellowish-brown skin and curly white hair.

She looked at the man and said coldly.

"explain."

"You two... are you the great heroes Bian Yi and Lin Chengye?"

Lin Chengye remained silent. The white-haired Northern Yan man awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, coughed lightly, and then bowed respectfully.

"I have been ordered by the Chanyu of Canglang and the Right Wise King to wait here for your arrival!"

Author's Note: In order to speed up the story and clarify the facts, I've added an extra long chapter. This chapter will conclude the story of Wang Yi!

That way, we'll jump straight into Northern Yan in the next chapter, which might make the experience a bit better, haha ​​( ▽ ` )