A Nightmare
The smile on Dou Yanxun's lips gradually faded. He took the sword with one hand, but his eyes were filled with coldness and solemnity.
For many years, outsiders only knew that he entered the martial arts school after returning to the Dou family in Mujing, but dropped out due to illness after only half a year. He always kept his abilities to himself, and very few people in the world knew the extent of his skills.
"Now that Marquis Liangping is so wealthy and powerful, he has probably long forgotten the predicament he was in when he was imprisoned and helpless. However, as long as Marquis Liangping is now rising to prominence, he will not have failed to repay the kindness of me and Xuxu in saving you from danger."
Liang Zhengyuan completely ignored the sarcasm in Dou Yanxun's words, and looked at the man in front of him holding a sword with one hand, his eyes full of confidence that he had expected it all along.
He himself was a martial artist, and although he had only spoken briefly with Dou Yanxun that day, it was enough to make him wary of the man. Now, judging from the way he took the sword, he was nothing like the sickly and weak person the outside world had rumored. He was clearly a highly skilled martial artist who had always presented himself as frail!
In an instant, the atmosphere between the two of them froze like ice.
Liang Zhengyuan didn't utter a word, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly took a step forward. The long sword in his hand gleamed coldly, and in a few moves, it went straight for Dou Yanxun.
He was a hero of Hecheng, who despised those who broke their promises. At this moment, his anger burned like a raging fire. Dou Yanxun had betrayed Xu'er and, more importantly, had failed him in his initial advice. How could this man have the face to appear before him again? Today, even if swords were drawn, he would seek justice for Xuxu!
Seeing this, Lin Xu's heart almost stopped, and his palms were already covered in cold sweat.
The once peaceful and tranquil courtyard is now filled with murderous intent. How could she not be anxious? Liang Si is truly determined to kill this time! However, she is now firmly protected by two burly soldiers. Although she is so anxious that she almost rushes forward to stop them, she can only watch helplessly as the swords flash and the shadows of the blades clash before her eyes.
Soon, Dou Yanxun's figure blurred, and he dodged several swords carrying sharp killing intent like a swimming dragon.
Her chest tightened, her heart leaping into her throat. Although she knew Dou Yanxun harbored many secrets, witnessing his skill firsthand felt utterly foreign. She never imagined he would actually fight Liang Zhengyuan to this extent!
"don't want!"
Lin Xu could no longer restrain herself. Taking advantage of the two soldiers' momentary lapse in attention, she rushed out from their shelter. One was her closest cousin, and the other was the father of her child. How could she stand by and watch them kill each other? Moreover, all of this was because of her.
The two clashed, their swords locked in a fierce and even exchange. Liang Zhengyuan, a veteran of years of battle, wielded his sword with the force of thunder, each strike a powerful and unstoppable force, a breathtaking spectacle. Dou Yanxun, on the other hand, had endured years of hardship, his every move a product of his youthful struggles for survival. His style, however, lacked any discernible pattern or set pattern; his unorthodox attacks only served to further astound Liang Zhengyuan, making him realize the immense power Dou Yanxun possessed! And he was truly lamenting the lack of a worthy opponent!
Thinking of this, Liang Zhengyuan sneered, becoming even more interested. He slashed and hacked, creating gusts of wind that sent stone chips flying and the lamplight flickering in the courtyard.
Seeing this, Dou Yanxun also launched a counterattack. His footwork was a mix of feints and real strikes, and he moved like a shadow past the sword's edge. His sleeves fluttered, and he not only barely dodged Liang Zhengyuan's close attack, but his long sword also flashed coldly in the gaps, stabbing straight at Liang's vitals.
Lin Xu could no longer bear to watch and cried out in anguish, how could she stand by and watch the two of them kill each other?
Her exclamation, however, distracted Liang Si, who was trying to dodge the sword.
He subconsciously turned his head to look at Lin Xu, but the long sword pierced through his chest. With a "rip", Liang Zhengyuan's clothes were torn open by the sharp blade, and the fine silk was instantly tattered. As Dou Yanxun withdrew his sword, bright red blood slowly dripped from the sword's core.
Liang Zhengyuan looked down at his injuries. These two swords were the ones his personal attendants used daily, sharp enough to cut through iron like mud in battle. Although he had been distracted, Dou Yanxun had managed to withstand his attacks and even injure him at close range. This showed that Dou Yanxun was not only exceptionally skilled but also had a formidable temperament, able to endure until now... He even vaguely sensed that Dou Yanxun's true strength was by no means inferior to his own!
He was incredibly foolish to have entrusted Xu'er to such a dangerous and unfathomable person. Just because he didn't want to see her disappointed, he ultimately failed to stop her and handed Xu'er over to him!
When Lin Xu saw that Liang Zhengyuan was injured, his face turned pale. He couldn't care about anything else and just wanted to go forward and check on his injuries.
Dou Yanxun's eyes were deep and dark, as if layers of dark currents were surging within them, but he forcefully suppressed them. He merely raised his eyes slightly, staring at Lin Xu, who was rushing towards Liang Zhengyuan and anxiously checking his injuries, and remained silent for a moment.
The lights in the courtyard shone with a chilling, eerie light. He had been drenched in sweat from the fierce fight, yet he felt inexplicably cold. He couldn't help but recall the time shortly after their marriage, when Liang Zhengyuan, after joining the army, was implicated in a murder case and covered in wounds. The look in his eyes when she looked at him lying unconscious on the bed back then was clearly filled with the same sorrow.
Even if times have changed, what difference does it make?
Thinking of this, Dou Yanxun's eyes darkened, and his hands had already loosened their grip without him noticing. All that could be heard was the loud sound of the sword falling to the ground.
He had only hurt her by accident today; after all, Liang Zhengyuan was her closest relative, and how could he bear to see her so heartbroken? But the way she looked at Liang Zhengyuan now showed a pain worse than if he were dead.
With someone injured, chaos erupted in the courtyard. The guards and attendants all paled, their cries and footsteps a jumbled mess as they rushed forward to help Liang Zhengyuan.
The only saving grace was that although the sword struck his chest, it landed just above his heart, so the wound wasn't deep. Liang Zhengyuan had trained in Hecheng since childhood and had spent many years fighting on the training grounds and battlefields, so scars were commonplace for him. Although blood stained his clothes, he remained calm, merely raising his hand to stop the people around him, his gaze still fixed on Dou Yanxun.
Liang Zhengyuan's lips curled slightly, revealing a faint smile. His voice, though not loud, was clear and distinct, instantly silencing the courtyard.
"Lord Dou just said that he saved my life in the past... So today, I, Liang, will repay that debt with this sword."
He paused, his eyes as cold as a knife, locking onto Dou Yanxun: "...However, from now on, Dou Yanxun, if you dare to bully Xu'er even a little bit again, I, Liang Ying, will surely take your life. This is proof."
As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out and ripped off the piece of clothing from his chest, which had been torn by the sword. The tattered cloth fluttered in the wind and drifted down amidst the lamplight of the night, like an unbreakable vow, lying straight between the two of them.
After this ordeal, Liang Zhengyuan and his men had no desire to stay any longer. They simply said goodbye to Lin Xu and left in a hurry.
Dou Yanxun was returning home from his shift. After a busy day, he felt utterly exhausted. The grass and trees in the courtyard were lush, casting dappled shadows among the branches and leaves. He slowly sat down on a stone bench, his expression serene.
"Are you blaming me... for hurting him?"
His tall figure was hidden in the shadows of the grass and trees, half-lit and half-shadowed, as if isolated from his surroundings. He looked indescribably lonely.
Lin Xu's heart skipped a beat; he could no longer bear it, and he slowly spoke:
“Liang Si is my cousin. He was entrusted by my maternal grandfather to take care of me during this trip. Today, he acted impulsively in a moment of panic. I should have stopped him.”
She wasn't stupid. After her rebirth, free from the influence of drugs, her mind was as clear as a mirror, and she naturally realized the deep feelings Liang Si had harbored for her all these years. But for Kunrou's sake, for her own sake, and also to consider Dou Yanxun's feelings, she absolutely could not respond. She could only pretend not to see it and act as if it didn't exist.
Dou Yanxun, being meticulous and extremely perceptive, must have noticed it long ago. That's why, during the sword fight just now, even though he had clearly gained the upper hand and dodged Liang Zhengyuan's several fierce attacks, he still managed to thrust out that sword.
At least for that brief moment, she saw it clearly enough from the corner. He had murderous intent.
The courtyard was a mess, and the night breeze rustled the grass and trees. Dou Yanxun remained silent for a long time before slowly raising his head.
Under the moonlight, Lin Xu's clear eyes reflected in his own, untouched by worldly dust, like a pool of autumn water, crystal clear and flawless. Yet, deep within his heart lay layers upon layers of secrets, suppressed for far too long. Today, he was merely forced to reveal the tip of the iceberg.
But what if such moments become more frequent? If he truly has no choice but to peel back the layers of his most vulnerable side and reveal it to her, will she still love him as much as she does now?
...If one day, as Liang Zhengyuan said, he really hurt her, hurt the people she loved most, the people she cared about most, would she still forgive him? Would she still look at him with those eyes?
Dou Yanxun was in turmoil, feeling as if his heart had sunk to the bottom of a valley. The wind whistled, but he no longer had the strength to speak.
She remained standing silently in place.
The two were unusually listless, barely touching the food that Li Niang had carefully prepared in the kitchen. Dou Yanxun only drank a few cups of fine wine, then went to the room to hold the already sleeping Mianxue for a while before leaving.
This was the first time he had returned since they reconciled, but he did not stay overnight.
.
As night fell, Lin Xu took a bath, and while Rong Wei helped her wash and dress, she couldn't help but softly comfort her:
“Madam was indeed in a difficult position today. Both the young master and the second master are your closest people. How could you neglect one for the other? Fortunately, the young master's injury was not serious, otherwise you would have felt even more guilty. But judging from the expression on the second master's face when he left, he must have been feeling terrible as well…”
Lin Xu applied a hot towel to her face, feeling utterly exhausted. She really didn't want to recall the murderous intent Dou Yanxun had shown towards Liang Zhengyuan in that instant. Finally calming her mind, she walked to Mianxue's crib, kissed the sleeping little one's soft cheek, and felt that nothing in the world could be better than her. Only then did she feel much better.
She had many dreams all night, and everything in her dreams was chaotic. She felt a tightness and pain in her chest, perhaps a nightmare. The scenes changed constantly. She could hear faint sounds around her. One moment she felt like she was in a valley, surrounded by silence, and the next she felt like she was on a vast, empty snowfield. She felt cold all over and trembled uncontrollably... She couldn't sleep at all that night.
When Lin Xu finally opened his eyes, it was still pitch black all around.
She opened her mouth, only to feel a sharp pain in her throat. This pain gave her a sense of foreboding. She sat up abruptly, only to find that the nightlight on the small table beside the bed, which should have been on as usual, was out.
She couldn't see anything clearly in the darkness.
“Zhu Ling… Rong Wei…”
The room, which was always guarded, was now unresponsive. Lin Xu's brow twitched suddenly. She groped her way off the bed in the darkness and staggered to the small bed where Mianxue was fast asleep. However, by the meager moonlight filtering through the window, the small elm bed was completely empty!
Her Mianxue, her Mianxue is gone!
Ignoring the dull pain in her throat, she cried out in alarm, finally waking Zhu Ling, who was slumped on the ground outside the room. Zhu Ling and another maid were supposed to keep watch tonight, but unexpectedly, they had both collapsed on the ground, fast asleep!
When Zhu Ling woke up, she hurriedly lit a lamp, only to find that Mian Xue was nowhere to be seen. Filled with remorse, she burst into tears, wishing she could immediately kneel down and beg for forgiveness, "This servant deserves to die, how could I have fallen into such a deep sleep..."
Lin Xu's expression was terrifyingly cold. She raised her hand to stop them, her gaze instantly falling on the window frame. There, she saw a hole the size of a fingernail.
“It’s not your fault.” Her voice was low and chilling. “Someone drugged us.”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ling and the others paled and felt a chill run down their spines. They rushed out of the courtyard, only to find that all the guards who were supposed to be on duty inside had collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
A night breeze swept by, and the courtyard gate, ajar, creaked open. A chilling wind swept through, bringing an eerie silence. Lin Xu's face was deathly pale, and his heart felt as if it were about to burst.
"Go after them!" she shouted sharply, but she was only barely managing to stay calm. Her fingertips were trembling, and she had to use all her strength to stand up. "...They haven't gone far!"
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