Chapter 88 The Wandering Swordsman

Bai Hua's words were like guillotines, each one cutting into Rong Linyan's heart.

He was in so much pain that he was almost delirious. After a long while, he stared at Bai Hua, who was still motionless. Only when Ning Jue approached him, blocking his burning gaze, did he come back to his senses as if waking from a dream.

"Hua'er, I know you've thought things through for me. Are you worried that the Yang family might be unhappy about my marriage and try to sabotage me? Don't worry, you don't need to worry about these things. I can handle it perfectly well. So you absolutely mustn't make up such a reason just to leave me. I don't believe it, how could I believe it... We're deeply in love, childhood sweethearts, and we've long been mutually in love. How can I just give up this love like that?"

Rong Linyan refused to admit that his unrequited love had become a joke and relentlessly pressed for an answer.

Bai Hua stepped out from behind Ning Jue, her face open and honest: "Cousin, I did not fabricate any lies. Everything I said just now was true, and I was not coerced. On Mount Xianyang, we spent so much time together that we developed feelings for each other. However, because I had not yet repaid the Rong family for taking me in, I had no choice but to lie to him and trick him into revealing his sword techniques. Afterwards, I felt deeply remorseful and ashamed, and I could not sleep soundly every night. Now, I have repaid the Rong family's kindness, and you are married with a wife. Everything is different from the beginning. Now, the choice is placed before me once again, and I will only choose him with unwavering resolve."

This is already very clear; Lin Yan is just deceiving himself by not wanting to understand.

He refused to accept the fact that after pushing his cousin away, he would lose her completely.

In Rong Linyan's eyes, Bai Hua was once an unattainable pearl of the capital, a bright moon in the sky. He had longed for her for so many years, and finally, when the Bai family fell into ruin, he was able to fulfill his wish and bring her to his side.

With his aunt and uncle gone, and his cousin Bai barely able to take care of himself, he believed that his cousin had no one else to rely on but him. So he naturally saw himself as her savior, thinking that the two of them were destined to be together. But he never expected that after letting go just once, he would never be able to hold his cousin's hand again.

He was extremely unwilling to accept this.

Rong Linyan attempted to continue his entanglement, but Ning Jue blocked him, his eyes flashing a cold warning that made him dare not make any further rash moves.

Ning Jue spoke with a stern face, a flash of disgust in his eyes: "Rong Linyan, if I were you, I would have run as far away as possible. How dare you come here to question Hua'er? Back then, you were eager to enter officialdom, but you were afraid that I would become an obstacle in your path. You have no integrity whatsoever that a person of the martial world should have. Instead of working hard to improve yourself, you only wanted to take shortcuts. In the end, you shamelessly used trickery to send a girl to risk her life to spy on you. This is truly the behavior of a gentleman. Greed knows no bounds. Since your official career is more important to you, don't think about having it all. You don't deserve to have Hua'er at all."

Hearing this, Rong Linyan was somewhat provoked. His chest heaved violently as he glared at her and sneered, "Ning Jue, shut up! What right do you have to talk to me about whether we're a good match? How long have you known Hua'er? How much do you really know about her? Just a few months, how can you talk about deep affection? You're nothing but a scoundrel who lusts after seeing Hua'er's beauty. You've got evil intentions because you think Hua'er is pretty. You're utterly shameless!"

Ning Jue scoffed, "Shameless? That description suits you better. There are some things I didn't want to say, worried that I would only upset Hua'er, but you keep pestering me, so don't blame me for not giving you any face."

Upon hearing this, Rong Linyan initially didn't take it seriously, feeling that Ning Jue hadn't found any fault with him.

But as soon as he heard his first sentence, Rong Linyan's expression changed instantly, and panic flashed in his eyes.

Ning Jue: "Hua'er's elder brother, Bai Shu'an, has been wrongly imprisoned in the capital for a long time, but he has not been able to get out of prison for a long time. You must know very well why. You had evidence to prove Bai Shu'an's innocence before, and you could have helped him get out long ago, but you held back and delayed indefinitely. Wasn't it because you wanted Hua'er to continue to rely on you and ask for your help? Rong Lin'an, you have a good plan, but unfortunately, heaven is watching. You can't hide it from me."

Before Rong Linyan could come up with a defense, Bai Hua impatiently grabbed Ning Jue's arm, shaking it and asking anxiously, "Is what you said true, young master?"

Seeing the fear and anxiety on Bai Hua's face, Ning Jue felt a pang of pity. He also thought of how she had been tormented by worrying about her brother's predicament for so long, and felt even more resentful towards Rong Linyan.

He quickly replied, "Hua'er, don't worry. After I established a relationship with the Grand General, I intervened in this matter in time. Although people in the capital don't know me yet, the officials in charge recognize the Grand General's personal letter of appointment. Therefore, with my guarantee for Brother Bai, he has been successfully released from prison and is now recuperating peacefully. Jiling is not close to Jingqi, and my intervention was far away, so the timeliness was not high. That's why this matter was only settled the day before yesterday. I didn't have time to tell you after we met. Hua'er, please don't blame me."

Of course it's not surprising. Bai Hua shook her head, her throat feeling sore and a little sore, and she even had the urge to cry tears of joy.

After calming down a bit, she couldn't help but think, how ironic...

Previously, she had sacrificed herself and risked everything, hoping that her cousin would promise to rescue her brother from danger. She even went so far as to harm Ning Jue and deceive him into revealing the sword techniques against her will. In the end, her cousin made excuses and only schemed against her. The one who truly cared about her brother's safety was Ning Jue, who had been cruelly hurt by her but still chose to repay evil with kindness.

Bai Hua felt a tightness in her chest, and her guilt deepened.

Since the two confessed their feelings to each other and made their relationship clear, Bai Hua felt much more relaxed. At the same time, she subconsciously felt that she could make up for her debt to Ning Jue in the future, and that they had a long future together. However, at this moment, listening to Ning Jue's thoughtful consideration for her and his dedication to her family, her heart became heavy again. She felt that with Ning Jue's kindness to her, she would never be able to repay him in this lifetime.

Bai Hua turned her eyes away, suppressing the urge to cry, and gently sniffed.

Rong Linyan, still unwilling to give up, rushed to Bai Hua, his face tense, and shook his head vigorously, explaining, "Hua'er, don't listen to Ning Jue's one-sided story! I've been busy with Shu'an's affairs all along, how can I say I've been slacking off? You know, after winning the competition, I haven't been officially appointed by the Grand General, making it very difficult to get involved in matters of the capital, but I've never thought of giving up. I've searched everywhere for connections, used a lot of persuasion, and finally, my efforts have paid off. I've managed to establish a relationship with Jingqi. Shu'an was indeed released from prison recently and was able to reunite with his family. I only just received the news and haven't had time to tell you yet. It was all thanks to my behind-the-scenes efforts, how can Ning Jue steal the credit with just a few words?"

Rong Linyan's excitement and determination were exactly what Ning Jue wanted.

He had anticipated that Rong Linyan would be stubborn and argumentative, so he had prepared a backup plan in advance.

As soon as Rong Linyan finished speaking, Ning Jue glared at him coldly, reached out and pushed him back, driving him away from Bai Hua.

"Is that so? Since you took charge of this matter personally, why was the news delayed so much? I only said that Bai Shu'an was resting peacefully, but I never said that he had returned home."

Rong Linyan was surprised and stunned. After pondering his words, he realized that he had been tricked, and his face suddenly turned ashen.

Bai Hua didn't react either, and looked at Ning Jue with a questioning gaze.

Ning Jue, fearing Bai Hua would worry, immediately explained the whole story and exposed Rong Linyan's lie: "Don't worry, everything's alright. After your brother was released from prison, he briefly met with his family, which put your sister-in-law at ease. Afterwards, he was placed under separate custody in a private residence by the Dali Temple. Although he isn't completely free to move around, at least his basic needs are met. Once the case is retried and your brother's innocence is proven, he can be reinstated and return home openly. But the process will take some time, so please wait."

Bai Hua breathed a sigh of relief, a heavy weight lifted from her heart: "Young Master is very considerate. Thank you for your help in mediating this."

Ning Jue: "Your business is my business."

The two of them talked back and forth, completely ignoring Rong Linyan, whose clownish behavior of trying to gain credit was despicable.

Even if Rong Linyan had the thickest skin, he couldn't argue anymore. Standing in front of Bai Hua and Ning Jue, he felt like he was being pricked by needles and had no face to face them.

I want to leave, but I'm still unwilling to give up.

Rong Linyan was overcome with emotion and finally said, "Hua'er, is Ning Jue a good match for you? You were once the eldest daughter of a high-ranking earl's family. Even if your family has fallen on hard times, Brother Shu'an is still an official in the court, and I am about to officially enter officialdom. Even if you don't marry me, Brother Shu'an and I will definitely be able to find you a better marriage in the capital in the future. Ning Jue is just a carefree and unrestrained swordsman. Even if he has temporarily gotten in touch with the prince, he is just a henchman. What future does he have? How can he be worthy of you?"

Bai Hua looked at Rong Linyan with an unyielding determination in her eyes: "If we're talking about the sincerity and purity of this feeling, I am unworthy of him. Ning Jue has been generous and forgiving of my past mistakes. Even after I hurt him, he still treats me well without expecting anything in return. How could I judge this affection with worldly eyes? Cousin, the Rong family has been kind to me, and I will never forget that. I don't blame you for sending me up the mountain as a spy back then. But if you still have a shred of brotherly affection for me, then let go and let us fulfill our mutual love."

They are mutually in love.

She and Ning Jue were mutually in love...

The last vestiges of warmth in Rong Linyan's heart were enveloped by a thick layer of ice, and the sudden realization made it difficult for him to accept reality.

Ning Jue was impatient to waste any more words with Rong Linyan. He was annoyed by Rong Linyan's hypocritical and pretentious manner, so he said bluntly, "Actually, I should thank you. If it weren't for your meddling behind the scenes, Hua'er and I probably wouldn't have had the chance to meet. For that reason alone, I can generously overlook your scheming against me. You can keep those sword techniques for yourself."

After hearing this, Bai Hua silently grumbled to herself, no wonder she could never win an argument with Ning Jue. If he wanted to be sarcastic, even ten of her wouldn't be a match for him.

My cousin was no match for him either.

Rong Linyan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. Having lost all face, he could not suppress the urge to draw his sword. However, he knew very well that he was no match for Ning Jue, and it was impossible for him to swing his sword forward to prove himself.

There was nothing he could do but swallow his anger, feeling utterly humiliated. Staying any longer would only bring further disgrace. Rong Linyan gritted his teeth, turned around, and slammed the door shut behind him.

General Wang is currently in the rear garden. Rong Linyan did not send anyone to inform him when he left.

He was always meticulous in his work, but now he was so angry that he disregarded everything. One reason was his emotions, but another was that he couldn't help but resent the Grand General's bias.

Even though the prince didn't say it outright, his attitude spoke volumes. He was determined to support Ning Jue on this matter.

Besides this, there was another matter that made Rong Linyan even more resentful.

Why is it that he, a champion of the arena, has been delayed in receiving the important position of the Great General, while Ning Jue, who has not even stepped onto the arena, has easily stolen his limelight and become the Great General's bodyguard through some unknown means? It's really unfair!

Rong Linyan could not accept it, and while feeling a sense of unease, he also made a decision.

The Grand General is not worth following. He should instead completely pledge allegiance to the Left Prime Minister, who has always admired him. That is his true mentor!

...

Not long after the person left, General Wang reappeared in the front hall.

It was his first time seeing Bai Hua, and a look of amazement flashed in his eyes. When he looked at Ning Jue, he had a knowing expression on his face.

The Great General Wang spoke freely, saying, "She is indeed a rare beauty. No wonder you went to great lengths to beg me for her, even exchanging the favor of saving me for this favor. But you should know that based on the favor you showed me, what you could get is far more valuable than a beauty. You exchanged it so easily, don't you really feel any regret?"

Ning Jue smiled and said, "Hua'er is priceless. In my heart, no one and nothing can compare to her weight now."

The Great General's gaze swept between the two, noticing the spirited look in Ning Jue's eyes and the shy charm in the young woman's expression. He sighed, "So young indeed. Back in the day..."

Before he could utter the words of his longing, the Great General stopped himself. Some memories are like fine wine, which are best left untouched until they are opened.

He changed his mind and refused to share, so he got down to business: "Today I have backed you up, so shouldn't you keep your promise and agree to come to the capital with me?"

Bai Hua blinked, and then she understood.

It turns out that the young master had made a deal with the prince beforehand to indirectly put pressure on his cousin by using the prince's territory to make him give up completely.

Ning Jue would not go back on his word; he would naturally keep his promise.

Without any hesitation, he openly took Bai Hua's hand and asked with a smile, "May I ask, Your Highness, is it permissible to bring your family members with you when you travel to the capital?"

The Grand General glanced at him, shook his head and laughed, "You brat, you can't help but show off in front of me? Look how smug you are. Because of you, Rong Linyan and I have fallen out. I went to great lengths to set up a talent competition, and I can't let my efforts go to waste. If he chooses another high branch, you will have to serve by my side from now on."

Ning Jue asked, "When does Your Highness plan to depart for the capital?"

General Wang replied, "It's better to do it sooner rather than later. Let's pack up and set off the day after tomorrow."

Ning Jue looked at Bai Hua for a question, and Bai Hua nodded calmly.

Having been away from her homeland for many years, she was finally about to set foot there again, and her heart was naturally filled with excitement, but inevitably, there was also a sense of unease.

Ning Jue tightened his grip on her hand slightly, as if silently conveying: Don't worry, I'm here for you.

She instantly felt at peace again.