Chapter 92: Former Beauties
Lu Xiaofeng thus revered Su Mengzhen as the foremost hero in the world, believing his magnanimity far surpassed that of ordinary people and that he was destined for greatness. He wished he could pay homage to him and broaden his horizons, but he would leave that aside for now, knowing that Xie Huailing would eventually ridicule him to his face. That day, the three of them chatted idly about something else, with Xie Huailing putting vegetables he didn't want into their bowls. They continued their commotion until evening, when the sun began to set. Sha Man stepped into the courtyard, bathed in the slanting sunlight.
She rudely interrupted her superior's idle chatter. After seeing Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou off, she quickly walked to Xie Huailing's side and whispered in her ear, "We've already found out about Chief Ren's situation. Please come over there, Miss."
Such an unsightly incident occurred with the distinguished guests of Jinfeng Xiyu Tower present, and the person behind it even involved those distinguished guests. Both morally and logically, someone should be sent to investigate. Xie Huailing nodded slightly, offering no comment, and asked about something else: "Has the reply arrived?"
"Not yet." Shaman's voice was even lower, as light as a spring drizzle, falling silently into the room. "Perhaps it will take another day."
This was unexpected for Xie Huailing. Her letter had been sent back to Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou when she had finalized her plan, clearly stating what she needed and what she wanted from him. She was confident that this process would proceed without any mishaps, and she trusted Su Mengzhen, believing that nothing would go wrong on his end. So why hadn't his letter arrived yet?
Xie Huailing's gaze drifted to the window, where the sky was clear and bright, the courtyard bathed in warm, clear light, without a trace of turbulent darkness. It was as if dewy powder was being applied to makeup, the trees like vines and the distant sun like a mirror.
As the sun sets, people grow ever more distant; beyond the sun lies humanity. In the twilight glow of the courtyard, where the evening breeze lingers, she is framed in a painting by the elegant shadow cast by the carved wooden window, half her face bathed in the setting sun, half her jade-like frame, and her heart cannot help but think of him. There is no lingering, poignant emotion here, but when a woman thinks of a man, it always seems to transcend the ordinary.
Su Mengzhen. She was uttering his name, which was strange. Why was she doing that?
Su Mengzhen. She read it again, wondering what he was doing right now, not replying to her letter.
She rarely pondered anyone's name, unaware that this moment of blankness often mirrored Su Mengzhen's own. One person couldn't see the other, and all she held were letters from her—letters she would only come on official business—containing words that offered little concern. Naturally, she could only read her name.
Well, it's just a matter of waiting for him, she quickly came to terms with it. Even with life and death hanging in the balance, Xie Huailing remained calm. Sometimes she understood Su Mengzhen's abilities and personality better than he did himself, and she knew he wouldn't ignore her. She also understood the situation in Bianjing; there was nothing that could threaten him in an instant. So she guessed that he was planning to make some arrangements.
Let him do it then. There's nothing wrong with it.
Xie Huailing instructed Shaman to wait another day or two, and then put on the fox fur cloak that Ye Erniang had sent back. Because of her reversed day and night, she couldn't quite grasp the evening sky. Still feeling sleepy, she walked into the sunset's painting.
.
Xie Huailing heard the sound before she got very close.
With an extremely sharp sound, someone must have finally lost control of their emotions and smashed the teacup to the ground. And the teacup, just as it could no longer contain its grief and anger, shattered and fell, its cold tears streaming into everyone's eyes.
Even without going inside, Xie Huailing knew that the scene inside wouldn't be very respectable.
She understood even better that Ren Ci and Nangong Ling were both skilled in martial arts and considered experts, especially Ren Ci, who was a first-rate martial artist. They could sense her arrival. So she stopped in front of the wooden door, not pushing it open. Only after the sounds inside had subsided, and after the woman who had endured countless long, desperate nights over the years had shed her last tear, did she gently knock on the door.
Xie Huailing had allowed enough time, so she didn't see the embarrassing scene. Only a puddle of water that hadn't dried could prove her guess. The other fragments had long been swept away, leaving only the sorrowful fragrance of a broken family: Ren Ci sat in a grand chair, his face filled with grief, holding Ye Shuzhen, who was covering her face, in his arms, and patting her back; Ye Shuzhen kept her head down, this person who was virtuous and kind was almost engraved in her beliefs, but this time she didn't even look at the guest, and occasionally trembled, clenching her fists.
Nangong Ling knelt before the grand chair, her hands bound behind her back with thick rope. Though her clothes were disheveled, there was no blood, indicating that Ren Ci had not yet punished her. Her presence made him even more reluctant to look up; her drooping hair obscured his expression, and only her posture revealed the turmoil in his heart.
Ren Ci spoke first. How could he want anyone to see his wife's embarrassment? He wanted to shield Ye Shuzhen as much as possible, and when he spoke again, his voice was already tired: "Miss Xie, please sit down."
Upon hearing this, Xie Huailing sat down. Ren Ci ordered someone to take Nangong Ling to the next room and then told a maid to pour hot tea for Xie Huailing.
Several burly beggars lifted Nangong Ling up. The once-powerful young gang leader had never been so disheveled; he was practically being dragged around. Before the door to the room closed, Nangong Ling turned to look at Xie Huailing, who was nonchalantly using a cup lid to rinse his tea, seemingly oblivious to everything that had happened.
The door slammed shut, and Ren Ci felt even worse at Xie Huailing's understanding. He was the kind of person who deserved to be called a perfect man in terms of character, living his life like a green bamboo, and deeply understanding the principles of benevolence and compassion. He often demanded much more of himself than of others. Now, having suffered such a misfortune, as if struck by a heavy blow, he first looked for his own faults and went to take care of his wife, appearing even more haggard, his heart burning with anxiety, and suddenly aged.
Fortunately, having held the position of gang leader for so many years, he understood the importance of not losing his composure at such a critical moment. He said, "You wicked son, Nangong Ling, has colluded with his birth mother, a demon from the Western Regions, and his elder brother, Wuhua, to harm the Beggars' Clan. I have been unaware of his intentions for many years, and it is only today that I have discovered them. Miss Xie has made a fool of herself."
Xie Huailing gleaned from this that Ren Ci had investigated to a certain extent and that Nangong Ling's background had been confirmed. He said, "As the saying goes, 'You can know a person's face but not their heart.' Chief Ren, don't blame yourself. No matter how much you guard against someone's ill intentions, you can't prevent them from doing so."
Ren Ci sighed deeply, his mind in turmoil.
He then went on to talk about Wu Hua's matter. The Beggars' Sect couldn't punish him, so they had already written to Master Tianfeng, asking him to come and make a decision. When he brought up the old story again, he sighed once more, as if he wanted to exhale all the anger he had accumulated over the past ten years at once.
“More than ten years ago, I fought with a Japanese samurai who came to the Central Plains martial arts world in search of his wife. At the time, I did not know that he was seriously injured, and I accidentally killed him. Before he died, he entrusted Nangong Ling to me. Feeling guilty, I treated him as my own son and raised him to adulthood,” Ren Ci said. “If I had known at the time that his wife was Shi Guanyin and that Nangong Ling’s mother was Shi Guanyin, I would never have raised him.”
He no longer calls Nangong Ling "Ling'er"; their father-son relationship has come to an end.
Ren Ci continued, "Shi Guanyin has a grudge against me, and it's true that she's jealous of beautiful women. Her martial arts are also unfathomable, so we need to discuss a good way to deal with her. But the Beggars' Sect will do everything in its power to protect Miss Xie. As long as Miss Xie is on the Beggars' Sect's territory, I will do it even if it costs me my life."
Before Xie Huailing could react, Ye Shuzhen, who was leaning on his shoulder, gripped Ren Ci's wrist tightly. She finally rallied after the violent ups and downs, raised her head, and couldn't bear to hear her husband say those words.
A small wet patch appeared on her veil, a single tear revealing the狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) marks on her face: "She doesn't hold a grudge against you, she holds a grudge against me, against me!"
After saying this, Ye Shuzhen suddenly grasped Xie Huailing's hand. Her palm was frighteningly cold, as if she were already dead, back in her old nightmare. She said, "Miss Xie, go back to Bianjing first. Go back to Bianjing city. With Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou here, Shi Guanyin won't chase after you. Don't stay here to act impulsively. I never want to see her... her methods repeated on any other girl."
To better persuade Xie Huailing, she gritted her teeth and placed her hand on her veil. After all, many years had passed, and her resolve had hardened. She knew that sorrow was useless, and with trembling hands, she tore off the veil.
The face that appeared before Xie Huailing was even more terrifying than the face of the girl named Xiao Yan that he had seen on the day he met Chu Liuxiang.
This can no longer be called a human face. Staring at this face for too long is harmful to anyone, but it is most harmful to Qiu Lingsu in the past and Ye Shuzhen in the present.
Xie Huailing was unwilling to describe that face too much, for description itself was a form of cruelty. People only know that beauty fades and tenderness grows old, but they don't know that the world is also full of impermanence, destroying flowers and ruining green. Shi Guanyin regarded her appearance as the most important thing, yet she took away the appearance of others, leaving Qiu Lingsu to live in the world as hideous as a ghost. How many times did she wish she could die, and how much faith did she have to live on?
“My face.” Ye Shuzhen reached out to touch her cheek, but stopped, not touching it, and said self-deprecatingly, “It was she who ruined it. You may have heard of my original name before; I was called Qiu Lingsu, and I once had the false title of ‘the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world.’ Fifteen years ago, she came to find me, then destroyed my appearance and injured my second mother. So many years have passed, her methods have only become more vicious, and her martial arts have only become more advanced. Miss Xie, please take my experience as a warning.”
As long as there is any possibility that the tragedy will repeat itself, she sincerely does not want to see Shi Guanyin ruin anyone's life again.
But unexpectedly, Ye Shuzhen—no, Qiu Lingsu—did not show any fear. In Xie Huailing's eyes, there was not a trace of fear or disgust for her face.
"Since he is such a vicious person, we should not avoid his sharp edge."
Xie Huailing's soft palms replaced Ye Shuzhen's hesitant hands, pressing against her scarred, demon-like face. Her gaze towards Qiu Lingsu remained unchanged; it was as if she were in a dream. How many years had passed since she last received such peaceful looks from someone else?
Qiu Lingsu even recalled the first time she met Ren Ci, the first time she met Ye Erniang. She had once been the object of admiration for all the men in the world, but now she felt a pang of sadness for the composure of a junior. She gritted her teeth and swallowed her heartache, and was about to shed a second tear for Xie Huailing.
Xie Huailing wiped away her tears and said softly, "Madam Qiu, I will not leave. It is Shi Guanyin who has committed many evils, so naturally she should not return. She has tormented you to such an extent, and her hands are covered with blood. All of this must come to an end. Don't you hate her after all these years?"
Not hate? Qiu Lingsu's nails dug into her flesh. What words could describe her expression? Her voice was squeezed from the depths of her heart: "Not a day goes by that I don't hate her... Not a day goes by that I don't want her to pay double!"
Xie Huailing softened her tone. That's right. It's best to have hatred. As long as there is hatred, people's potential and motivation are limitless: "Then you trust Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou, and you trust me too."
Qiu Lingsu grasped her hand in return. Clear tears slid out, burning Xie Huailing's hand, and the owner of the tears nodded.
Xie Huailing looked at her and said, "By the way, I wonder if I could see Nangong Ling again? I have some things I want to ask him."
Before Ren Ci could make a decision, Qiu Lingsu made the final call. She grasped Xie Huailing's finger and said, "Miss Xie, it's fine to go. There's nothing you can't see, just be careful."
A few strands of hair fell down her temples as Xie Huailing nodded, which also obscured the swirling scene in her eyes, a dark cloud looming over the city.
.
The dark clouds dispersed again, revealing the outline of a figure sitting at a table. The sky had already darkened, making it impossible to discern his expression or what he was thinking.
Another figure nimbly vaulted in through the window, avoiding the eyes and ears of the beggars' sect disciples on guard, and didn't forget to close the window behind them.
Once the disguise was removed, Wu Hua's true appearance was revealed: elegant and refined like an immortal. Judging by his appearance alone, he was a handsome man with a graceful and otherworldly demeanor, which was the best disguise for his filthy heart. After he stopped and listened carefully to the sounds outside the house, he realized that no one had noticed his arrival. Only then did he cautiously relax a little and go to look at Nangong Ling.
Nangong Ling sat motionless at the table like a stone. Wuhua spoke first: "What happened today?"
Urged and questioned by him, Nangong Ling finally spoke. He briefly explained why this trouble had occurred. Wu Hua wasn't sure if their conversation had been overheard, and he was secretly furious, but it was too late to reflect on it now. He rolled his eyes and decided to calm Nangong Ling down first: "I'll find a way to handle this. Have Ren Ci and Ye Shuzhen said anything else to you?"
"No," Nangong Ling denied immediately, saying, "It's just insults, so what?"
Wu Hua continued, “It’s just a temporary humiliation, don’t take it to heart. Mother has already come to the Beggars’ Sect and met with me. If this plan fails, there will be plenty of opportunities later. She will take us away in a few days. However, you will still need to do some things. Ren Ci won’t be too heartless towards you. After all, he has raised you for so many years. If you apologize, you will still have a chance to do something again.”
Hearing this, Nangong Ling's heart skipped a beat as he was still lost in thought. He asked, "What is it? Does Mother really want to kill Miss Xie?"
Wu Hua never expected that Nangong Ling would still be thinking about this at this moment. He cursed Nangong Ling as an idiot in his heart, but he still had to smile and act like an elder brother. However, he was worried that Nangong Ling would ruin things, so he didn't tell him the whole story or the truth about Shi Guanyin's passive situation: "Of course, you wouldn't disobey Mother for a mere woman, would you, little brother?"
Nangong Ling's hand clenched into a fist inside his sleeve. Recalling the many things he had heard during the day, and hearing Wuhua call him "brother" again, his mindset was no longer what it used to be. He was no longer thinking about Tianfeng Shisilang's death, nor about the blood ties that Wuhua and Shi Guanyin had talked about. A deep rift was at play. How was it any different for him to look at Wuhua now than he looked at Ren Ci and Qiu Lingsu now?
Finally, he said to Wuhua, "Of course not."
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