fight back
"Thirty strokes... those old bastards in the Discipline Hall... and that damned Nameless! And Xie Lanchen! If it weren't for them, how could I have ended up like this!" Zhao Changsheng cursed under his breath.
He had been hit thirty times, his buttocks were torn and bleeding, and he was now staggering as he pushed open the door, hissing and gasping for breath.
After a long while, he struggled to raise his head, and his gaze fell on the small wooden statue on the table that his parents had solemnly given him and that he had knelt and worshipped every day in gratitude—Yun Wei, the former senior sister of the Guiyun Sect.
Zhao Changsheng grabbed the wooden statue in his hand, and many memories flooded his mind.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He suddenly turned around and threw the wooden statue out the door.
But instead of crashing to the ground as expected, it was caught steadily by a slender, white hand.
Yun lowered her eyes and looked at the old statue in her hand.
Six years ago, the Huai River breached its banks, leaving the victims homeless. Zhao Changsheng's parents knelt with him outside the Guiyun Sect gate in the wind and rain, pleading desperately.
She passed by and saw that although he was dressed in rags, his eyes still showed a will to live. She felt a pang of pity and said to the disciple on duty, "This boy is still strong. Let's give him a chance."
With just this one sentence, he was able to enter the field.
Unexpectedly, the kindness he showed in the past was not met with gratitude, but with repeated slander and belittling after her "death," sabotage in the forbidden area, and even serious injury to Xie Lanchen.
She will not let such ungrateful people off easily today.
Thinking of this, Yunwei looked up at Zhao Changsheng, who was sitting in the room in astonishment. "It seems that the thirty strokes of the cane in the Discipline Hall did not teach you what rules are."
Upon seeing the person outside the door, Zhao Changsheng blurted out, "Yun Wei..." But he immediately shook his head, his face turning deathly pale as he took two steps back. "No! That's not right! You're not her! She's long dead! You're that nameless one!"
"Who I am is unimportant," Yun Wei said coldly. "I've come today on behalf of your deceased Senior Sister Yun Wei, your benefactor, to ask you a question." She slowly stepped into the room. "I'm asking you, why did you repay kindness with enmity?"
She felt a chill in her heart; indeed, not all people in this world harbored good intentions.
What was once a casual act has sown the seeds of such terrible consequences.
Unless you experience it firsthand, it's hard to imagine how dark and twisted the human heart can be.
Since that's the case, she will personally end this ill-fated relationship today.
"You... what do you want to do? I warn you, if you dare to hurt me! I will report to the elders right now and have you kicked out of Guiyun Sect!" Zhao Changsheng roared fiercely, but was actually afraid. He then tried to rush out.
Seeing him stumble past her in a disheveled state, she watched him coldly and even tactfully stepped aside to make way for him.
Because she knew in her heart that he couldn't escape.
Sure enough, as soon as Zhao Changsheng rushed to the door, he was bounced back by an invisible barrier with a "bang" and fell heavily to the ground, wincing in pain.
Yun Wei stood still, coldly watching his futile struggle.
He had already set up a barrier outside the door, so no one outside could detect any movement here.
Now that he's here, we won't give him any chance to escape or ask for help.
"A barrier? You...when did you set up a barrier..." Zhao Changsheng was horrified and scrambled backward, trying to get away from her.
She approached step by step with her hands behind her back, her voice icy: "Did Senior Sister Yunwei ever mistreat you after she accepted you as her disciple? Did she ever deprive you of food or clothing? Did she ever show favoritism in her teaching? Why is it that after her death, you not only show no gratitude but also repeatedly slander her?"
"And even within the forbidden zone, they used a spirit-suppressing talisman to ambush me, intending to kill me?" she silently added in her mind.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Changsheng seemed to have been hit where it hurt, pointing at her face and cursing, "Huh? What kind of kindness is that! If she really wanted to help, why did she only let me join the sect back then? Why didn't she take my parents in as well! Just because of her casual remark, my parents could only stay outside and wait to die!"
He gasped for breath, then continued his accusations: "Where was Yunwei when they died of illness in the dilapidated temple? I wish she were dead! As for you... you're just like her! Pretentious! Disgusting!"
Yunwei listened quietly, and the last ripple in her heart subsided.
I see.
They blame their misfortunes entirely on others, resent those who did not give their all, forgetting that it was simply an extra act of kindness from others.
She felt that what she had done was particularly ridiculous, and that the little bit of compassion she had back then now seemed so superfluous and foolish.
Not everyone in this world deserves a helping hand.
She remembered this lesson.
Yun Wei said no more, her eyes flashed with a sharp light, and she raised her right hand, her index and middle fingers together, and pointed at Zhao Changsheng's forehead.
She wasn't incapable of killing him with her own hands, but she found it disgusting to taint her Duanchen sword with such human blood.
Zhao Changsheng froze, his eyes widening in shock, pupils dilating as if he were witnessing something utterly terrifying. "Ah! Don't come any closer! Senior Sister Yunwei! I didn't do this to you! Don't kill me! It wasn't me! Ah—!"
He screamed shrilly, tumbling and crawling wildly around the room, tears streaming down his face, acting like a madman, as if trying to escape something unseen. Finally, he slammed his head against the bedpost and passed out.
Yun Wei watched expressionlessly, her thin lips barely moving as she uttered a few words: "He only has himself to blame."
The knot in his heart has been planted, and even if he wakes up in the future, he will likely be haunted by nightmares, and his path of cultivation will probably be cut off.
For Zhao Changsheng, this outcome was worse than death.
She held the small wooden statue, turned and left, a dull pain suddenly spreading through her chest.
I should have remained indifferent, but that lingering pain just wouldn't go away. Was it regret for the kindness I had misplaced in the past? Or was it a sense of melancholy at the unpredictability of human nature?
She couldn't see clearly.
Yun walked to a secluded lake and tossed the wooden statue into the water.
The wooden statue sank to the bottom of the water, and the ripples gradually dispersed, as if it had never existed.
All that has passed is as good as dead.
Good karma and bad karma have both been resolved.
From this day forward, her sword will be drawn only for revenge and to seek the truth, and so will her heart.
She wanted to banish those distracting thoughts, but Xie Lanchen's words, filled with grievance and urgency, suddenly rang in her ears: "Can't you... can't you care about me a little more? Even just half as much as you do for others, no, even a tenth would be fine... Stop pushing me away, stop ignoring me, making me feel like I'm the only one trapped in the quagmire of the past, okay?"
He spoke with such accusation, yet he did so with extreme caution, as if the slightest frown from her would cause him to immediately withdraw all his emotions and feign indifference.
She frowned slightly, suppressing the strange feeling, and stopped thinking about it.
"Nameless girl?" A gentle voice called from behind.
Yun turned her head slightly and saw Ning Xihe standing on the path not far away, looking at her with a slightly surprised expression.
She nodded in acknowledgment: "Senior Sister Ning."
Ning Xihe's gaze was gentle: "Miss, are you troubled by something here alone? You seem to be feeling down. There is a small pavilion ahead with a pleasant view. If you don't mind, would you do me the honor of playing a game of chess? Chess can calm the mind and perhaps relieve some of your worries."
Yun Wei hesitated for a moment.
Playing chess? She knew absolutely nothing about chess.
In the past, when she was the senior sister, she was immersed in swordsmanship all day long. Her father often said that "chess is a pastime for idle people and is of no benefit to swordsmanship," so she never got distracted by it.
Looking back now, it seems that apart from the sword, she had nothing, and had never even experienced the usual pastimes of ordinary women.
When Ning Xihe invited her, she nodded as if possessed: "Okay. But... I'm not very good at chess, I'm afraid I'll spoil Senior Sister Ning's enjoyment."
Upon hearing this, Ning Xihe was not disappointed at all; instead, her smile deepened. She led her toward the lakeside pavilion and said, "Playing chess is meant to cultivate one's temperament and character, not to compete for victory. It is already my good fortune to be able to sit and play chess with you, Miss. You may simply follow your heart."
The two entered the pavilion and sat down facing each other.
A high-quality white jade chessboard had already been set up on the stone table.
"Although chess is a minor art, it can reveal one's heart. Miss, you may place your pieces as you please, there's no need to be bound by rules." Ning Xihe picked up a handful of white pieces, held them in his palm, and looked at her with a smile. "Please guess first, Miss."
Yunwei remembered some of the rules, took two black pieces from the chess jar, placed them on the chessboard, and indicated that she was guessing an even number.
Ning Xihe opened her palm, revealing a total of seventeen white jade beads, an odd number. She smiled slightly: "In that case, Xihe will go first with the white ones."
Ning Xihe held a white stone between her two fingers and gently placed it on the lower right star point, saying softly, "This is to occupy the corner, the beginning of taking territory." Yun Wei followed suit and placed a black stone on the opposite star point.
Ning Xihe then said, "This is 'Xiao Fei,' which is intended to subdue the enemy while also taking advantage of external forces."
Yunwei focused her mind and, as instructed, made a small knight's move on the other side of the black star point, finding it quite novel.
In the past, she held a sword in her hand, but now she held a round chess piece in her hand, and the chaotic thoughts that had just arisen because of Zhao Changsheng gradually calmed down.
A few steps later, Ning Xihe suddenly placed a white piece in the center, her voice still gentle: "The central position, though seemingly empty, is also real, and it concerns the overall situation." She looked up at Yun Wei, seemingly mentioning it unintentionally, "Speaking of which, the way you placed your piece reminded me of an old friend."
Yunwei paused, her hand holding the chess piece nearly slipping from her fingertips.
Old friend?
Ning Xihe didn't press further. Bai Zi nodded and continued, "Blocking this place will solidify the edges. If that old friend were to come down here, she would probably do the same. She has always been good at defending herself and not revealing any flaws."
Yun Wei became even more certain: Ning Xihe was probably referring to her past self.
In her past sword practice, she emphasized the foundation and guarded against weaknesses, and she unconsciously brought out the same habit when playing chess.
She remained silent, focused solely on the chessboard, unaware that she had slowed down her move.
"Such a terrible move is an insult to this white jade chessboard." A familiar voice, filled with undisguised disdain, suddenly came from outside the pavilion.
Yunwei turned around and saw Xie Lanchen had arrived at some point. He was leaning against a pavilion pillar with his arms crossed, his face still somewhat pale, but the wound on his waist and abdomen had obviously been re-bandaged, and he had changed into a clean black and gold robe.
Seeing that he was unharmed, she felt a sense of relief and immediately asked, "How did you find me?"
"Of course I came here following someone's reckless and impulsive nature." The boy replied irritably, but in his heart he thought: If I hadn't sensed your intense emotional fluctuations and worried that you would cause trouble when you dealt with Zhao Changsheng, why would I have dragged my injured body here?
Thinking of this, he stepped into the pavilion and stood behind Yun Wei, his brows slightly furrowed and a hint of lingering melancholy in his eyes.
Ning Xihe said softly, "Junior Brother Xie also understands the way of chess? You've come at the right time. Miss Wuming seems to be a beginner. Junior Brother, you might as well give her some pointers."
Xie Lanchen snorted, his gaze sweeping across the chessboard, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Guides? What's there to guide in this dead end game? The black pieces are completely surrounded; continuing to play is a waste of effort, a mere disgrace to this jade chessboard."
Seeing her leisurely playing chess with Ning Xihe, he felt inexplicably angry. He had rushed to find her as soon as he had calmed down, which was a waste of his time.
Yunwei was displeased. She knew that her chess skills were not good, but it was not his place to scold her like this.
She was playing chess with Ning Xihe not because she wanted to win or lose, but simply to enjoy a rare moment of peace and some of the usual pastimes of a woman. However, he disturbed her and became so aggressive.
She turned away from him and said to Ning Xihe, "Is the outcome of the competition that important? It's just Senior Sister Ning's kindness in keeping me company."
“This isn’t how you have fun.” The boy said, walking directly behind her, bending down, placing one hand on the stone table, and reaching over her right shoulder with the other, pointing to a spot on the chessboard. “Look here. If you had made a move here earlier, you wouldn’t have been forced into this situation. And here, why didn’t you just stick to it? You’re so stupid.”
He was very close, his warm breath brushing against her ear, carrying a faint scent of herbs.
Yun Wei's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
He was too close.
The scent of herbs mixed with his unique, refreshing aura distracted her somewhat.
“A true gentleman observes chess without speaking,” Yunwei retorted.
Xie Lanchen seemed not to hear him and pointed to another spot: "Playing chess without thinking is no different from a brute wielding a sword. What a waste of her excellent 'Five Cranes Dispersing Clouds' formation to feed you moves..." He paused halfway through his sentence, the playfulness on his face fading away, and he returned to his usual coldness.
The young man straightened up, glanced coldly at Ning Xihe who was still calmly smiling opposite him, and scoffed: "Senior Sister Ning has quite the refined taste, still having the mind to set up the 'Five Cranes Dispersing Clouds' formation. It's just a pity that she probably can't understand the deeper meaning of your formation."
Five cranes parting the clouds? The clouds are faint and I cannot understand.
Ning Xihe placed a piece and changed the subject with a smile: "Junior Brother Xie is joking. It was just an ordinary game of chess, nothing profound. But you are really concerned about Miss Wuming, coming to find her even before your injuries have healed."
Xie Lanchen's face darkened, and his tone became displeased: "You know that's not what I want to hear."
Yunwei turned her head to look at him, a hint of confusion on her face: "What is 'Five Cranes Parting the Clouds'?"
The boy leaned close to her ear, his tone unusually cold, like frost: "Want to know? Then come with me."
As he finished speaking, his fingertips brushed against the strands of hair by her ear, then quickly withdrew, his hand hanging at his side subtly curling up.
Ning Xihe looked at the two of them, her smile deepening, and said softly, "The two of you are quite in sync." She placed a piece on the board, seemingly casually mentioning, "Junior Brother Xie's concern for the nameless girl reminds me of the past. Although you often argued with Senior Sister Yunwei, you were always the one who cared the most when Senior Sister Yunwei went down the mountain for training."
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