avenge
Upon hearing this, Madam Bai smiled faintly, maintaining her usual dignified demeanor as the matriarch, her indifferent voice carried away by the wind:
"You must be so anxious for your child that you lost your mind and committed such a terrible act of disturbing the peace in the middle of the night. But now that you are a mother and have left my Dou family, how could I possibly know whether your child is safe or not?"
Lin Xu could no longer bear to look at Bai Shi's hypocritical face; her heart was ice-cold. She merely glanced at the two guards behind her, and they immediately understood, both striding forward. One of them held a long knife, from which Fu Zhen's blood continued to drip onto the ground.
Seeing this, Madam Bai shouted coldly, "Where did this villain come from? It wasn't enough that he hurt my maid, did he have to scare this old man like me? Guards!"
Before she finished speaking, several Dou family guards, who had arrived at the agreed time, stepped in from the east courtyard gate. Each of them was a trusted confidant of the Bai family, trained over many years. Lin Xu scanned the faces of these guards one by one, including some who had served by her side in the other courtyard. It seemed that the Bai family had long been wary of her and could not tolerate her at all.
For a moment, the two sides faced each other, neither willing to give way. Aunt Guo, unable to bear the sight of bloodshed, was so frightened that her legs went weak. She could only say to Lin Xu in a trembling voice, "Second wife, since you've come all this way, why don't we sit down and have a proper talk? Why must we resort to swords and spears..."
She was ordered by Madam Bai to act tonight, but she dared not disturb Dou Huaisheng. If things got out of hand and he woke up drunk and asleep after returning from his social engagements, things would be terrible. Just as she was getting anxious, a gentle breeze drifted in through the door, carrying with it a familiar, light scent of mountain pine.
But it was Dou Yanxun with a murderous look on his face.
Behind him followed a man dressed in black with his face covered by a black veil, whose appearance was obscured, but whose agility was exceptional.
Dou Yanxun glanced at Lin Xu quickly. She rarely looked so bewildered, and the tear stains in the corners of her eyes instantly broke his heart.
"Don't be afraid." Dou Yanxun strode to her side, bent down and placed a light kiss on her cold and trembling forehead. "I'm here."
"Don't be afraid." After saying that, he gently stroked the hair by her ear, but then whispered in her ear, "Don't look."
Madam Bai was taken aback by how quickly Dou Yanxun had learned of the news. She sneered and said sternly, "What a good-for-nothing brat! You never follow the rules of etiquette, barging in like this in the middle of the night. I've raised you for over twenty years, and now you don't even know the slightest bit of manners?"
Lin Xu felt his hand cover her eyes. His palm was warm and gathered all the tears from the corners of her eyes into his hand. She could not see anything, but she could still clearly hear the sound of a long sword being drawn, accompanied by the cold night wind.
"You dare—?"
Before Bai could finish speaking, a long knife suddenly pierced her chest. With a soft thud, blood splattered everywhere. She stared in disbelief at the knife piercing her chest, and before she could finish speaking, she staggered and fell to the ground.
The courtyard was instantly filled with astonishment, and Aunt Guo's eyes rolled back as she fainted.
Dou Yanxun's eyes were pitch black, yet they seemed to burn with an endless rage. He slowly stepped forward, looking down at Bai Shi, who lay in a pool of blood with her eyes wide open. This was the matriarch of the Dou family, the stepmother who had treated him harshly since childhood and had never given him a shred of warmth. She was also the one who had cruelly murdered his mother and his own younger brother, and now she wanted to eliminate the person he loved most in his life, as well as his daughter.
He was kind and compassionate, and did not like killing, but now he not only killed her with his own hands, but also wished that she would bleed to death and suffer endless torment before she could die.
He lowered his head, looking at Bai Shi's trembling body, struggling to utter a single word. A mix of emotions welled up in his heart, and countless indescribable feelings surged up, but in the end, he only felt a sense of relief.
That winter, Xia, who had recently given birth, was washing clothes by the river with her infant brother when they suddenly disappeared. He searched the icy riverbank but couldn't find him, and could only weep helplessly. Countless servants in the manor refused to help him search; they all watched him cry and tremble, but no one spoke to him. He had no other choice. His small, thin body trudged through the ice and snow, running downstream. The wind and snow lashed at his face, the cold biting like knives; he stumbled and nearly died.
When he finally returned to the Dou residence, barely clinging to life and covered in wounds, he found Madam Bai standing before him in the hall, looking down at him as if he were a stranger. She calmly instructed the servants, "The illegitimate son, Yi Huai, is unruly and unambitious, neglecting his studies. Punish him by making him kneel in the ancestral hall all night."
From then on, he feared water, winter, and endless snow the most. But the Bai family wouldn't give up; they even gave him the courtesy name Yi Huai. Following the path upstream, the journey was long and arduous. After enduring so many years, he finally took his revenge.
He had finally waited for this day, and finally, he had done it with his own hands.
Although Lin Xu couldn't see what was happening, the surroundings finally quieted down, and he naturally guessed what had happened from Dou Yanxun's cold voice.
However, finding Mianxue was her primary concern right now. Without Bai Shi, the remaining guards dared not stop her anymore and knelt down to beg for mercy. Even so, Yan Ya leaped into the air and, with a single turn, the guards who had been following Bai Shi were all beheaded.
Inside the room, Zhu Ling finally found Mian Xue, her mouth gagged, her face flushed from crying, and she was almost breathless. Lin Xu was naturally heartbroken and held Mian Xue in her arms, unwilling to let go for even a moment longer. She never wanted to let Mian Xue down again. Never again.
The moonlight remained unchanged, yet the courtyard was now a river of blood. For some reason, the strong stench of blood reminded Lin Xu of the horrific scene of her family's massacre in her past life. The once-powerful family had fallen, leaving behind a trail of bloodshed. Bai Shi had repeatedly plotted against her, and now she was even willing to lay a hand on Mianxue. Even if Dou Yanxun hadn't arrived today, she had no intention of letting Bai Shi off the hook.
Since someone has died, this place is no longer safe to stay. Dou Yanxun gave a few instructions in a low voice, and soon a carriage stopped in front of the door. He helped Lin Xu and Mianxue, who was in her arms, into the carriage, his eyes as deep as the Milky Way. "Your current residence has been discovered. Although Bai Shi is dead, it is not safe anymore. Go find Liao Yan. She will know what to do."
Lin Xu looked at Dou Yanxun in front of the carriage. His handsome face now had a more profound look, and there were still a few drops of bright red blood on his chin.
For some reason, a pang of pain welled up in her heart. "...And what about you?"
Dou Yanxun remained silent for a moment, then took her hand and held it tightly in his palm. His palm was still warm, but it was faintly damp with sweat. He had killed someone in front of her once again, and it was his own stepmother. From now on, the stigma of being unfilial and matricide would never easily leave him.
His reputation has never been good; it's already a complete mess. How much worse could it get?
Dou Yanxun gave a bitter smile, but a deep, unfathomable mist welled up in his eyes. "Yan Ya has been the most reliable person by my side for many years. From now on, he will protect you and your daughter every step of the way. Don't be afraid."
Yan Ya was taken aback upon hearing this, naturally knowing what Dou Yanxun meant, but he dared not refute it and could only nod in agreement.
Looking into those eyes, Lin Xu felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. Why did he say that? Did he still want to separate from her even now? Before she could get an answer, the coachman, having received a signal from Dou Yanxun, nodded and pulled on the reins. The clatter of hooves echoed in the quiet night. Lin Xu turned around, only to see the figure growing smaller and smaller, standing still in the same spot.
.
The waning moon hangs high, cold as frost and snow.
Dou Huaisheng couldn't sleep soundly for some reason. Despite a dull ache in his forehead, he put on his coat and went out of the room.
The courtyard was pitch black, except for what appeared to be a tall figure under the tree. Dou Huaisheng composed himself, assuming it was Steward Qi on night duty. Before he could speak, the figure slowly turned around, and through the shadows of the trees, he could only see a pair of dark but bright eyes.
It was clearly very familiar.
He is his second son.
Dou Huaisheng was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "Yi Huai, why didn't you say anything when you came back in the middle of the night?"
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Dou Yanxun's icy voice.
"Father."
Dou Huaisheng's smile froze as the dark clouds obscuring the moon dispersed. In the bright moonlight, his second son clearly held a long knife, its tip dripping with bright red liquid.
Dou Huaisheng then smelled the strong stench of blood wafting from somewhere. His brow trembled for a moment, but he pretended to be nonchalant and glanced around a few times.
“Father, there’s no need to come. The guards at home are either dead or crippled, so no one will come. Oh, by the way, Mother just passed away. I should let you know.”
These few cold words were no less chilling than those of a ghost, causing Dou Huaisheng to turn pale with fright. He pointed at Dou Yanxun in disbelief, but could not utter a complete sentence for a long time, "You...you wretched child, what have you done!"
Dou Yanxun, however, remained unmoved and stepped forward, the blade in his hand gleaming coldly in the moonlight. His eyes were as deep as an abyss, and his words were like chilling blades:
"It's just that he did something similar to what his father did... For many years, his father outwardly relied on the imperial son-in-law, but in reality, he secretly colluded with civil officials like Qiu Shanhai, forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. He also curried favor with Prime Minister Zhao and joined forces with local gentry, which allowed his political achievements to rise steadily to his current position, didn't he?"
He sneered, ignoring Dou Huaisheng's pale face, his eyes filled with deep mockery:
"...Even in the Laining incident that year, the Qiu Shanhai family, who had dominated the area for many years, managed to remain unscathed from the Zheng family case. Without Father's secret help, how could they have succeeded so smoothly and flawlessly? Over the years, Father has done countless dirty and despicable things with his hands. This is the so-called way of being an official. Yet you insist on teaching people to be honest and upright, setting an example for them—no wonder my elder brother and I have become like this..."
Dou Huaisheng, still hungover, became even more agitated upon hearing this, coughing violently. His chest heaved uncontrollably, and he was clearly furious.
"You traitor, what nonsense are you spouting! I've gotten to where I am today all for you and your elder brother! Without my connections, could you have fought your way back from the north all by yourself? Without my connections, would the emperor have given you such an important position?"
“Father is absolutely right. By the same token, if it weren’t for Father, my mother and brother wouldn’t have died so young, nor would they have ended up with no remains.”
Dou Huaisheng stared wide-eyed at Dou Yanxun's indifferent expression, but was speechless for a moment. Xia Shi…
"That year, my father kept saying that he loved my mother the most, and that my eyes looked just like hers when she was young. That's why I've endured so much and survived in the Dou family and my ancestral home all these years, until today. Does my father still remember?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
