As spring deepens and the clouds warm the air, a solitary lamp casts its glow, deepening my sorrow. Leaning against the railing, I gaze at the moon and sigh endlessly. Nothing is more tragic than this separation from my loved one. My beloved is fading; with whom can I now find solace? With whom can I share the candlelight by the west window? Do you know the hatred in my heart? Half a lifetime of fleeting existence, half a lifetime of dreams.
That night, Long Enlong, the leader of the Xiaolong Society, stood tall and imposing with an extraordinary air, gazing out the window at the alluring, hazy moonlight.
In the dim light of a candle in his room, the figure was reflected on the latticework window paper in the attic, looking as if he was deep in thought, lost in a myriad of sorrowful thoughts.
Looking back on this half of my life, I too have experienced romance and beauty. Now, all that remains is the clash of swords, the bloodshed, and the sword pointing to the ends of the earth. My only fear is that my heroic spirit will falter, that I will suffer a crushing defeat, and that one day the victor will be king and the loser a bandit. In the end, I will not escape the bitter tears that will be buried in the dust.
This life's endless, helpless longing, may the moon goddess invite us to meet again in the next life. I will certainly not let this life pass by in vain.
"Knock knock knock"
Suddenly, an urgent knock on the door interrupted all his thoughts. He reluctantly composed himself, sighed heavily, and said, "Come in."
Suddenly, a man not much younger than him entered, swaggering in. He wore a royal blue brocade robe, his black hair was half-tied up, and he had a small, monkey-like appearance with a pointed mouth, a monkey-like face, and eyes that didn't look like noses or eyes.
As if he had suffered a great injustice, he walked in with a fierce look on his face and walked to a round table in the room. He snorted and sat down, then glared at the empty space on the other side, angrily saying, "Brother, what do you mean by doing this in broad daylight?"
Upon hearing this, Long En slowly walked over and sat down beside him, looking quite puzzled. He said seriously, "Second brother, what do you mean by that? What do you mean? If you have something to say, just say it."
It turns out that this person was Long Ye, the second-in-command who co-founded the Xiaolong Society with Long En, and now the deputy leader of the Xiaolong Society. He was extremely lecherous, skilled at inciting people to cause trouble, ruthless, and fond of playing petty tricks.
"Brother, don't play dumb with me. Why do you have to embarrass me in broad daylight, in front of our brothers? It's just two girls, what's the big deal? I've worked tirelessly for you all these years, doing so much for the Xiaolong Society. Without me, would the Xiaolong Society be as powerful as it is today? Besides, didn't you also deceive one innocent woman after another back then, and even..." Long Ye said, his anger rising but unable to finish his sentence.
As Long En listened to his angry complaints, his hand, which had been calmly pouring tea, suddenly paused just before he finished speaking, and Long Ye stopped talking.
Long En personally handed him a cup of freshly poured mountain tea, his face serious as he said, "I know that over the years, you've poured all your life savings into establishing the Xiaolong Society, and led your brothers through countless life-or-death situations. You've indeed sacrificed a great deal. But... let me reiterate, the Xiaolong Society is not a bandit gang that robs, steals, commits all sorts of evil deeds, and rapes women. What we aim to do is overthrow this brutal and inhumane court. Therefore, never lay a hand on any innocent person outside the Xuanyuan royal family, never. Remember, never!"
Upon hearing this, Long Ye immediately turned his head and stared blankly at Long En.
After a short rest, Long En continued his warning, "If you want a woman, either spend money to marry a respectable woman, or, apart from the Wanjiao Pavilion, the most famous establishment in Western Qin, which was just shut down by the King of Qin, there are countless brothels all over the south of the city. I don't need to take you there myself, do I? Also... never try to take advantage of me or test my limits. You know the consequences, don't you?"
Unexpectedly, Long Ye couldn't hold back any longer. His brows furrowed into a deep frown, and he slammed his hand heavily on the round table between them, shattering the small ceramic teacup. He then stood up angrily and shouted at him, "Why? Why can you do it, but I can't? Back then in the south of the city..."
Before he could finish speaking again, Long En suddenly stood up and, as if guided by a ghost, quickly moved in front of Long Ye, reaching out and grabbing Long Ye's neck tightly.
Instantly, his face turned bright red, even his ears seemed to turn bright red, and he was almost unable to breathe from being choked. He struggled desperately to pry open the large, powerful hands that were gripping his neck, but he couldn't budge them at all.
For a moment, the two of them stared at each other, their eyes wide with determination.
After a long while, Long Ye finally gave up and could no longer hold on. He then pleaded for mercy with a ferocious expression, "Big brother, let go, let go quickly. I...I was wrong, I will never...never dare to do it again."
Only then did Long En finally restrain his power and stop. He put one hand behind his back, turned to face his brother, and spoke to him earnestly in a slightly gentler tone, "Second brother, you must know that 'the people can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it.' At any time, only the common people of the world truly possess the greatest power. In the past, because I had no choice, I made many mistakes, creating regrets that I can never undo. I cannot stand by and watch you repeat my mistakes. Now, we still have a choice. We are both well past forty, and we must always prioritize the greater good! Look at those two women today; they could be our daughters, yet they are still just children. How could you bear to harm them?!"
Long Ye seemed genuinely moved by Long En's words. Then, with a hint of curiosity, he quietly asked, "Brother, over the years, no woman has ever caught your eye. The brothers even speculate that you're impotent... Could it be... that you're still hung up on those two women from before?"
Seeing that he remained silent and looked lost in thought, Long Ye suddenly became even more curious and hurriedly stepped forward to ask anxiously, "Brother, since you can't let go of them so much, why don't you let the brothers help you inquire around and look for them?"
Long En gave a cold laugh and said, "Find them? How can I find them? I've already searched every place I could think of. They must be deliberately avoiding me, utterly disappointed in me, and never want to see me again in this life. Now, even if I find them, what can I say to them? What can I salvage? As women, they entrusted me with everything they had as women, and yet I... Now, how can I face them again?"
"As the saying goes, 'A prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold.' If you truly can't let go, why worry about not having the face to face others? Women in this world are always easy to coax and deceive with a few sweet words, and all grudges will vanish like smoke." Long Ye spoke with an arrogant air, as if he were extremely experienced.
"Hmph... Even if all women in this world are the same, these two are different... One is the woman I love most deeply, yet for the sake of my great cause, I cruelly abandoned her and her daughter like trash... The other... suffered the destruction of her family and death because of me; she is the woman I have wronged most in this life. If we were to meet again, it would only add to my sorrow. It would be better for them to believe I am dead. Fighting against the court is a perilous journey, perhaps this is better for them. I hope that the debt I owe in this life can be repaid in the next. I only hope that in the next life, we can meet again..." Long En finally sighed, shook his head, and hesitated, his eyes filled with endless sorrow.
The room fell silent after these words were spoken.
After a long while, Long En slowly placed a hand on Long Ye's shoulder and said, "Second brother, since you are willing to share my surname for life, then we are each other's closest relatives in this world. To be honest, that sharp-tongued child I met today, for some reason, I felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to her the moment I saw her. But it's not what you think. I was just thinking, if my daughter were still alive, she would be about this age!"
Watching Long En withdraw his hand with a look of melancholy as he spoke, and slowly turn his back, Long Ye helplessly called out softly, "Big Brother..."
With his back to him, Long En half-raised his hand and said, "I'm fine!"
To ease the heavy atmosphere, Long Ye finally changed his mind and said, "By the way, elder brother, the brothers are almost ready. I wonder when we can finally set foot in the capital, take the head of that cruel and tyrannical Emperor Jing, and then you, elder brother, will ascend the throne?"
Upon hearing this, Long En finally let out a heavy sigh and said quietly, "The current Western Qin court is already beset by internal and external troubles, barely clinging to life, surrounded by enemies on all sides. However, to be on the safe side, we should wait a little longer."
Upon hearing this, Long Ye immediately jumped up impatiently and said, "Wait a little longer? The brothers can't wait to take that dog emperor's head right now and use it as a football. Could it be... that Big Brother is also terrified and worried about that Spirit Void War God, Prince Qin Xuanyuan Han?"
"Hmph, what's the harm in a mere brat who only knows some fancy moves? Am I waiting for the appearance of the guardian of Western Qin?" Long En said coldly.
Long Ye asked in bewilderment, "'Guardian of Western Qin'? Brother, are you referring to that guardian who supposedly possesses miraculous powers, capable of ensuring the peace and prosperity of Western Qin? But isn't it widely believed that the guardian's orphan died 20 years ago..."
Before he could finish speaking, Long En interrupted him, saying, "Hmph, the reason why the guardians of Western Qin have been able to take it upon themselves to protect the emperor of Western Qin for generations is because the guardians themselves are protected by the divine power of the phoenix, which is why they can live on forever. How could they die so easily?"
"I see. But how can we get the truth about the Guardians? There are so many conflicting opinions about it these days." Long Ye suddenly realized.
Long En said, "I have my own way of handling this matter. You don't need to worry about it. You just need to manage your brothers well."
Upon hearing this, Long Ye was extremely curious, while Long En half-closed his eyes and stared intently at the dim candlelight in the room, thinking to himself, "It's time to go and meet an old friend!"
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