Chapter 57 Past Lives: Each Person's Scheme
When Yu Xijun and Yao Guang returned to Xibao after finishing their tofu pudding, Xi Ling was standing alone in the shadows of the lobby.
His tears had completely dried, but traces of them were still visible on his face.
From his gray eyes, a downward slash cleaved his face, his heart, and his soul.
Yu Xijun lagged behind Yao Guang by a step and did not see Xi Ling's deathly expression.
Yao Guang saw it clearly and almost thought the person in front of him was just a walking corpse.
Upon seeing Yao Guang Yu Xi Jun, Xi Ling finally regained her composure amidst her chaotic thoughts and found a anchor for her soul.
Yes, he wanted to resurrect Zhiying, and he wanted Zhiying to live forever innocent, vibrant, and carefree.
His imagined self reappeared, and he whispered in Xi Ling's ear, "If the grand plan is to succeed, why bother thinking about 'The Butterfly Lovers'?"
A mad glint flashed in Xi Ling's eyes, and he said, "Yao Guang, the Cloud Rainbow Scissors are lost. Go and find them immediately."
"I command you, I must see Yun Ni Jian again before the fifteenth!"
Yao Guang's expression was complicated, and she lowered her head in agreement.
Yu Xijun then stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Yao Guang, and naturally missed Xi Ling's moment of confusion and despair.
She asked, "What should we do if we don't get the Cloud Rainbow Scissors before the fifteenth?"
Xi Ling sneered: "If it weren't for the Cloud Rainbow Scissors, Yao Guang would have brought his head to me."
Yu Xijun frowned. Although she disapproved of Xi Ling's ruthless and arbitrary actions, she also understood that now was the most urgent moment.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something to comfort Yao Guang, but the words stuck in her throat and finally turned into a sigh.
"But even if Yaoguang were to offer his head in surrender, without the Cloud Rainbow Scissors, what could Zhiying possibly do..."
Yu Xijun subtly implied that killing Yao Guang would be pointless.
Xi Ling sneered: "If I don't have the Cloud Rainbow Scissors, I naturally have a backup plan."
“Jie Fenglian stole more than one treasure back then. That scoundrel of his almost emptied the Holy Mountain when he finally found an opportunity.”
"It's just that the Cloud Rainbow Scissors are the best at ensuring the integrity of Zhou Ziheng's soul. If other treasures were used, he would suffer more."
As she spoke, Xi Ling took out a small mirror from her bosom.
"This mirror is called the Mirror of Past Lives. In reality, it doesn't have the function of 'cutting' things; it can only reflect a person's past life." Xi Ling played with the mirror, letting it spin between her fingertips, like a whirlpool of fate.
"At that time, I can use some means to expose Zhou Ziheng's past, extract his memories and emotions... and more importantly, extract his soul."
"How can one not feel pain when one's soul is forcibly torn away?"
"How can one not feel sorrow as the past fades away before one's eyes?"
A look of pity flashed in Xi Ling's eyes. He held the small mirror in his hand, as if trapping Zhou Ziheng's life.
"I didn't want to do this..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yao Guang suddenly raised her head and glared at Xi Ling. She gritted her teeth, and the word "hypocritical" almost slipped out of her mouth!
It's practically... a cargo haul!!
Yu Xijun seemed to understand what she wanted to say, and gripped her hand tightly. Her expression wasn't good either, but she still advised, "Don't say anything more. You should go find Yun Nijian as soon as possible to avoid any trouble."
Yao Guang angrily shook off Yu Xijun's hand and sneered, "Then why do I need to go find the Cloud Rainbow Scissors? You always have your own methods!"
Xi Ling gave her a pitying yet utterly disgusting look.
"That is naturally the case... Only the soul cut off by the Cloud Rainbow Scissors is perfect and worthy of Zhiying's soul...!"
Yao Guang was so angry that her face turned pale, but she knew that she couldn't persuade Xi Ling and Yu Xijun.
Yu Xijun might feel sorry for Zhou Ziheng and wonder if he suffered when he died, but Xi Ling couldn't care less about that.
She was still thinking of finding an opportunity to reveal the matter of the Mirror of Past Lives to Zhou Ziheng, but Xi Ling seemed to see through what she was thinking, and also seemed to have been prepared all along.
He said, "It's getting late, Yaoguang, you should set off as soon as possible."
Yu Xijun also nudged her: "Hurry up and don't delay. Find the Cloud Rainbow Scissors, and Xiao Zhou will suffer less, and you can also save your own life."
Yao Guang sighed silently and left under Xi Ling's threatening gaze.
After she left, Yu Xijun whispered, "Actually, I also bear some responsibility for the loss of the Cloud Rainbow Scissors..."
"So... there's no need to kill Yao Guang, is there?"
Xi Ling turned her head away, and her face disappeared from Yu Xijun's sight again.
She felt uneasy.
Much later, Xi Ling's words drifted back like a ghost:
“If she has no ulterior motives, I will naturally not touch her.”
"If she has ulterior motives..."
Xi Ling gave a short laugh, but didn't finish her sentence.
Yu Xijun lowered her head, understanding what he wanted to say.
She always knew that among the three-person team that was in dire straits, only she and Xi Ling truly wanted to revive Mei Zhiying.
Why did Yao Guang keep following Xi Ling?
Does Xi Ling have any means to threaten her?
...
Having made up his mind again, Xi Ling suddenly felt an urgent desire to see Mei Zhiying.
When Zhou Ziheng said, "Xi Ling, perhaps you have never thought about why Mei Zhiying gave you 'The Butterfly Lovers'", Xi Ling was terrified.
He could vaguely guess Mei Zhiying's wishes, both before and after her death.
But he refused to think about it in detail, deceiving himself as he clung to his obsession with reviving his lover.
Now, he desperately wants to see Mei Zhiying; only by seeing her can his soul find peace.
As Xi Ling walked through the courtyard toward the East Garden, Zhang Yuanqian and his entourage were just leaving, and he naturally did not notice the group of uninvited guests who had arrived at Xi Fort.
But when he arrived at Dongyuan, he still noticed something unusual.
The furnishings in the East Garden had been moved, and even though it seemed like the other party had tried their best to restore them, they were still not in their original places.
Xi Ling frowned, her heart pounding, but she stopped in her tracks.
He was anxious, fearing there might be problems with Mei Zhiying's body, but he was even more worried about who had entered the East Garden.
He was more worried that the person was Xi Bingyi...
Just then, Xi Bingyi finished settling Zhang Yuanqian and Xu Yi and was walking towards the East Garden.
"Father."
Xi Bingyi's voice came from behind.
Xi Ling's body trembled, and she almost dared not turn around to look.
"Father, what are you doing standing here?"
Xi Ling didn't dare to turn around, and it took her a long time to find her voice: "...I came to find a storybook that your mother liked to read."
What are you doing here again?
The implication of "turning away customers" was too obvious, leaving Xi Bingyi bewildered: "Just browsing around."
She muttered, "Isn't this my home? Why am I being questioned like this..."
Xi Ling remained silent. He straightened his face and his voice became serious: "It's so cold. Don't leave your room if you have nothing to do."
"Go back quickly."
Xi Bingyi looked at the cloak she was wearing, then at Xi Ling's back.
Thinking of her mother's remains in the underground of the East Garden, she immediately understood Xi Ling's worries.
Xi Bingyi paid no heed to Xi Ling's pitiful concern. She sneered and cut to the chase: "Father, are you wondering who has visited the East Garden?"
"Yes, that person is me, so what?"
"you--"
Before Xi Bingyi could finish speaking, Xi Ling suddenly turned around!
Only then did she see clearly her father's terrifying, devilish face!
She originally wanted to say, "You hid your mother's body underground, did you think I didn't know?" But a strange intuition prompted Xi Bingyi to swallow her words.
She changed her question to: "You...you've entertained guests at the East Garden?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xi Ling's expression relaxed instantly.
However, Xi Bingyi felt a chill!
What was Xi Ling thinking at that moment? Was she even considering killing her own daughter to prevent Mei Zhiying's secret from being exposed?!
Xi Bingyi couldn't help but take a step back; even with the warm cloak on her body, she still felt cold.
Xi Ling then spoke up, admitting without any hesitation, "That's right, a guest came to the East Garden earlier."
Xi Bingyi previously believed that her father could still be saved, that he had just temporarily gone astray, which is why she wanted to "save" him.
But Xi Ling is clearly insane right now.
Xi Bingyi even harbored murderous intent, wanting to kill her father completely at this moment!
But Xi Ling said nostalgically, "These past few days, I've been thinking about Liang Zhu... about how your mother, before she died, despite her frail body, insisted on staying in front of the forge to create this broken sword."
"it must have been Love."
Xi Bingyi: "..."
A flash of inspiration crossed her mind, but it was too fleeting to grasp. Before she could even think about it, Xi Ling walked into the East Garden and locked the door.
Xi Bingyi frowned deeply as she looked at the tightly closed wooden door.
Her senior brother had once subtly hinted to her: was Liang Zhu truly a "sword of love"?
When her mother was on her deathbed, she clearly didn't want to see Xi Ling again, so why did she still give him the sword?
Xi Bingyi intuitively felt that as long as she understood the essence of "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai", she might be able to understand her mother's last wish and perhaps persuade her father to let go.
The only one who could answer her questions was Yao Guang.
Inside the room, Xi Ling silently watched Xi Bingyi until she left.
An indescribable emotion enveloped him. Perhaps he didn't want his innocent daughter to discover that he had become like this, or perhaps he wanted to use his last bit of conscience to build a false world of love for his daughter.
As long as Mei Zhiying is alive, the three of them will live happily again.
Xi Ling thought to herself.
He picked up an oil lamp and activated the mechanism in the East Garden.
A hidden door splits open from the middle of the huge bookshelf, leading underground, just like the mechanisms in the study.
Xi Ling knew the way well, carrying an oil lamp, and ran downhill.
...
As Xi Bingyi left the East Garden and prepared to return to her room, she happened to see Zhou Ziheng coming out of Zhang Yuanqian's room and Huo Qin coming out of Ning Hanshuang's room.
She looked up at the sky—
The moonlight hangs high, the cold night is deep.
She glanced again at the two people who were harboring secrets.
"Why are you two still out so late?"
Huo Qin: "..."
Zhou Ziheng, however, showed no embarrassment and said calmly, "What a coincidence, I just happened to have something to discuss with you."
Xi Bingyi pouted, "You're just trying to change the subject because I caught you red-handed!"
However, Huo Qin, who was equally guilty, naturally replied, "What is it?"
Zhou Ziheng decisively ignored Xi Bingyi's humming and said in a low voice, "Walls have ears, let's find a place first."
"The night of the fifteenth, two days from now, is of great importance. I have a plan."
Huo Qin and Xi Bingyi narrowed their eyes at the same time.
Although they didn't quite believe his claim of "I have a plan," the situation was dire and they chose to believe him anyway, given the impending storm and the bleak outlook.
After several detours, the three of them arrived at the back mountain of Shibau under the cover of night.
This back hill is where Mei Zhiying's "grave" is located. Xi Bingyi sighed and also mentioned that her father was in the East Garden tonight, probably looking at her mother's real body.
Zhou Ziheng offered Xi Bingyi some simple words of comfort before revealing his true intentions: "That's exactly what I was thinking about."
"On the fifteenth, I would like to ask you to keep a close eye on Mei Zhiying's body and not let Xi Ling have a chance to come across it."
"I will meet with Xi Ling alone and stall him—"
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