Chapter 200
The night was filled with a light rain, and after midnight, the rain intensified.
Meng Wugui closed the window, and Qin Zheng watched helplessly as she left heartlessly. She dared not speak out in anger, and could only endure the pain, avoid being seen and heard, climb over the wall, and escape from Mingyue Tower.
Looking around, Qin Zheng saw no one in the streets. Of course, she wouldn't be foolish enough to walk into a trap and return to the Ziwei Sect. She walked through the secluded alleys in the rain to the nearest city wall, intending to leave Jinhuai City immediately. However, just as she was about to climb up, someone suddenly reached out a hand to her from the edge of the wall.
That hand was slender and delicate, with fingertips adorned with vermilion nail polish, and a wrist as white as cold jade. It was beautiful, but in the dim light of the stormy weather, it inexplicably instilled a sense of fear in anyone who looked at it.
Qin Zheng's limbs immediately stiffened, and the hairs on her body stood on end. Nangong Min's gentle, smiling face peeked out from above, his gaze looking down at her with tenderness.
The two stared at each other silently in the cold rain.
"Where are you headed?" Nangong Min asked in a gentle, concerned voice, "Would you like me, the sect leader, to give you a ride?"
Seeing the murderous intent hidden beneath that smiling face, Qin Zheng shuddered violently, her lips trembling as she stammered, "Sect... Sect Leader..."
"Shh—" Nangong Min withdrew his hand, put his index finger to his lips to make a shushing gesture, "You don't need to say anything, I'll tell you first, okay?"
Qin Zheng clung to the city wall, hanging in mid-air. Exhausted by fear and pain, she could only grip the slippery blue bricks tightly, blood slowly seeping from under her fingernails.
Nangong Min watched her with great interest, as if admiring something interesting. A cultist stood expressionlessly behind her, holding an umbrella for her. The umbrella was also red, and she was completely enveloped in a red mist that resembled blood.
"Do you remember what I said to you while we were playing chess?" Nangong Min said softly. "Chess is like life; once a move is made, there's no going back. I can't make you take back your move, but I can give you a chance to escape death. I explained it so clearly, but you still couldn't seize it. What should we do now?"
Qin Zheng struggled to steady herself. She couldn't open her eyes in the rain, and dared not bury her head. She could only squint and look up at Nangong Min, asking, "Master... when did you find out?"
Instead of answering, Nangong Min asked, "And when did you betray me?"
Qin Zheng suddenly realized.
It turns out that her supposedly successful deception and insubordination had actually been seen through by this person long ago.
“After Fu Xiang got into a murder case, I rushed from Cang County to Jinhuai City to stop Meng Wugui from killing Fu Cen and seizing Mingyue Tower,” Nangong Min straightened up and stood with his hands behind his back. “We arrived a few days in advance and kept an eye on her for several days, but you only told me that Meng Wugui would make a move that night after Fu Cen had already died in the suburbs. She acted so swiftly and ruthlessly, obviously knowing that someone would stop her. If there hadn’t been a traitor in the sect, how would she have known what I was going to do?”
Qin Zheng's eyes were dry, and rain blurred her face. As Nangong Min finished speaking, she suddenly sneered and gritted her teeth, saying, "That's right, it was I who informed Meng Wugui! Including when you asked me to capture Afu, it was I who secretly informed her! You always say that Wen Chaoyu has both merit and hard work, but haven't I, Qin Zheng, done the same? I've even shed more blood and suffered more for you than she has, but in your eyes you only see her as good as a thousand times, while I am seen as bad as a thousand times!"
The smile on Nangong Min's face faded.
Qin Zheng coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and continued, "Let's count it up. Since Wen Chaoyu went to infiltrate Yunhua Palace, how many decent things has she done? She refused to destroy Ruyi Sect, so she secretly exposed her identity and returned to Ziwei Sect. After that, she repeatedly opposed you for Ji Wanshu, betraying your own side and secretly helping Yunhua Palace a lot! You say you especially can't stand anyone not taking your words seriously, but these rules are only used to restrain us! As fellow members of the sect, why does Wen Chaoyu receive such preferential treatment? Why did she survive even after entering the Blazing Fire Pool? And why did she receive your pardon after leaving the Blazing Fire Pool, becoming the first person in the history of Ziwei Sect to escape unscathed? I'm not convinced... I'm not convinced!"
She spoke sternly, her voice low but every word dripping with blood and tears.
Years of pent-up jealousy and resentment erupted on the night Wen Chaoyu was pardoned and left the Ziwei Sect. Qin Zheng had initially thought that after Wen Chaoyu was taken away by Man Jiangxue, she had exposed Xiao Qi's identity and committed such an unforgivable crime that Nangong Min would spare her from further leniency due to the sect's members. Even though Wen Chaoyu didn't know at the time that Seventh Young Master wasn't Lu Huaiwei but Ye Zhilan, no matter who she mentioned, once she spoke, she was undeniably a traitor, a crime that could not be forgiven.
Qin Zheng never expected that even after things had come to this, Nangong Min would still protect her. Even after Wen Chaoyu voluntarily brought Xue Tan back to Cang County, Nangong Min summoned her to Wangchuan Palace and gave her a thorough dressing-down, subtly implying that she shouldn't make things difficult for Wen Chaoyu. In the end, Nangong Min not only released Wen Chaoyu but also provided her with a safe future, gifting her ten thousand taels of gold and promising her a peaceful life.
Could Qin Zheng possibly receive such treatment?
She, Qin Zheng, can never have that in her wildest dreams!
"I was not favored at home, and I committed a crime in my former sect, which led to my expulsion. I joined the Ziwei Sect when I was around ten years old, full of ambition and eager to make a name for myself. So I risked my life to serve you, and through countless battles, I finally gained your favor and became the youngest protector in the sect. I thought I had a bright future and had come to the right place, but soon I realized that no matter what I did or how well I did it, I couldn't compare to Wen Chaoyu, who only knew how to drink and smile! Compared to her, my sacrifices and selfless dedication seemed so ridiculous. What I had to exchange with my blood and my life, she obtained with ease!"
Having said all that in one breath, Qin Zheng coughed violently again, the blood spurting out splashing into the rain, silently and without a trace.
She was no longer obsequious, nor did she show the slightest fear. Her eyes flashed sharply as she looked at Nangong Min, and she sneered, "At first, I didn't understand why you treated her so differently. Later, I suddenly realized how arrogant you, Master Nangong, are. On the surface, you're glamorous, but in reality, you're just a rootless weed with no one to rely on! In your childhood, you were favored by the old master, but he died, and you became a rat in the street, hated and hunted by everyone in the martial world. Those hypocritical heroes want to get rid of you, this menace. You have no relatives or friends in the Ziwei Sect. You've saved so many people, yet not one is willing to befriend you! Man Jiangxue doesn't remember your life-saving grace; she only recognizes that bunch of hypocritical villains in Yunhua Palace. Yin Xuan is the same; he disregarded his parents' revenge and turned against you for Shen Mandong. Wen Chaoyu did stay, but she also betrayed you because of Ji Wanshu and doesn't take you seriously at all!"
"How pathetic you are, Nangong Min! You've spent your entire life watching the Ziwei Sect decline under your leadership, losing all the prestige it once held when the old leader was alive. You couldn't even defend the main altar, letting someone burn it to the ground! What are you so proud of? What are you so smug about? I am an insignificant nobody, and you are just a nobody floating on the water! The martial world is about to descend into chaos. When the storm comes, without the Holy Sword by your side, how long can you live?"
"You'll be pierced through the heart by Meng Wugui's sword sooner or later, do you believe it? When the conflict ends, you will definitely not have a good ending!"
The rain suddenly intensified, pounding heavily on the blue bricks. Qin Zheng was so agitated that her hand slipped, and she was about to fall when Nangong Min suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, hanging her from the edge of the high city wall.
The torches that had been standing all around were already soaked through by the rain, and Jin Huai City was shrouded in darkness, with only a few houses in the distance lit by scattered lights. The cultist holding the umbrella stepped forward, took the oiled lantern coated with paraffin wax from his subordinate, and used it to illuminate Nangong Min.
Nangong Min laughed lightly and cheerfully, appearing so calm as if unmoved by Qin Zheng's words. She looked down at Qin Zheng and whispered, "Finished?"
"Let me go!" Qin Zheng struggled violently. "I only have half a life left. If I fall, I'll die. I'm not afraid!"
"You think you can just die after being insulted?" Nangong Min said. "I can't stand being insulted. Let me at least say something back to make myself feel better."
Qin Zheng chuckled: "Did I say anything wrong?"
“Of course not, all of it is wrong,” Nangong Min said. “But even if you spout so much nonsense, I will remain completely unmoved. You just need to understand that who I favor and who I don’t favor depends entirely on my mood. As the saying goes, money can’t buy my happiness, and there must be a reason why you are not among my happy ones. So you can’t blame others, and you certainly can’t blame me. Who told you to be so disliked by me?”
Before Qin Zheng could retort sarcastically, Nangong Min continued, "I once said that the biggest difference between you and Wen Chaoyu is that you never really know who you are. I reminded you of this last year, but you immediately wanted to send someone to kill Wen Chaoyu. So I'll say it again now: to compete with someone you can't even compare to is to court death. Very well, you did it. Wen Chaoyu may have made some mistakes, but she never truly intended to help outsiders against me. That's the difference between you and her. You think she received special treatment from me, but you might want to think about it again. I cut off one of her hands, made her suffer in the Fiery Pool for five years, and forced her to do so many things against her will to the person she loved. Are these preferential treatments you see truly preferential treatments?"
Qin Zheng was breathing rapidly, her chest felt like it was on fire, and her wrists were so tight they felt like they were about to break. She couldn't speak, and could only look back at Nangong Min with resentment.
“I grew up in the Ziwei Sect, and I can tell what kind of people are under my command at a glance,” Nangong Min said. “Although I’m in such an environment, I haven’t become heartless. I know Wen Chaoyu is pure and untainted; she’s a rare good person. Why is the Ziwei Sect seen as a demonic sect by the world? It’s because my father disdained to associate with those scoundrels. He used that holy sword to kill many so-called righteous people, which is why he gradually earned the reputation of being vicious and ruthless. After I ascended to the position, I cared even less about reputation in the martial arts world. I’m willing to be a villain rather than a good person, but that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize good people. Just as I can see, you’re a wicked person who has never had a kind heart. You want me to give you an important position, but do you deserve it?”
"I don't deserve it... I don't deserve it!" Qin Zheng cried out hoarsely, "Kill me! Let me die!"
"Wait, I haven't finished yet," Nangong Min said, holding her hand tightly. "Speaking of the main altar, why don't I rebuild it? And why did I abandon Hezhou City and move to Cang County? Look at Yunhua Palace, they've been ruling the mountains their whole lives, guarding that place to the death. Now that Meng Wugui is going to attack, Yunhua Palace will only be waiting to be beaten. I've already learned my lesson once, and I won't repeat it. If Meng Wugui really takes Yunhua Palace, I only have one manor in Cang County. She can burn it down or destroy it as she pleases. I can come and go freely in this world. She wants revenge? Where can she find me for revenge? You're so eloquent, why don't you analyze for me before you die whether there's any need to rebuild my main altar?"
Qin Zheng didn't reply and struggled desperately. Nangong Min's eyes were sharp, and he used a clever force. With a crisp "crack", Qin Zheng immediately screamed.
"Try it," Nangong Min said with a smug smile. "Try the feeling of a severed hand. Don't you want the preferential treatment that Wen Chaoyu once received? I'll give it to you."
Qin Zheng was in so much pain that she was covered in cold sweat and was trembling uncontrollably in the wind and rain. Just as she was about to curse Nangong Min, Nangong Min gently released her. Qin Zheng was too weak to use her lightness skill anymore and fell off the city wall, crashing hard onto the cold, hard ground.
A shrill scream rang out, then quickly vanished without a trace. Nangong Min looked down and could only see a motionless black shadow.
"What is a traitor?" Nangong Min said, seemingly oblivious to everyone else. "This is the real traitor."
The believers remained silent, standing behind her without daring to make the slightest sound.
A moment later, Nangong Min urged his longsword to attack the figure below. When the sword returned, there were a few streaks of blood on its blade, but in the blink of an eye, the bloodstains were washed away by the rain, and the sharp blade became clean again.
“We can’t stop Wen Chaoyu and Ji Wanshu, but we can’t just leave them alone,” Nangong Min sheathed his sword and turned to face the crowd. “At first, I didn’t want Meng Wugui to take revenge so quickly, but now I’ve figured it out. Since we’re going to fight anyway, what is Meng Wugui to fear? Even if she takes Yunhua Palace under her control, I won’t be afraid of her. This is also the turning point for me to get back the Holy Sword, but we can’t let Man Jiangxue and Xie Yijun find out too early.”
The cultist holding the umbrella immediately said, "Master, rest assured, I have already sent men to follow them. We will definitely not let those two reach Yunhua Palace smoothly. In this way, Meng Wugui can catch them off guard, and that person will not have time to escape. Our Ziwei Sect's Holy Sword will return to the Master's hands sooner or later!"
“A sword has been lost for twenty years,” Nangong Min took the umbrella from the believer, stroking the smooth ribs, seemingly speaking to someone, “He can’t use that sword, nor can he show it off in public. What use is it to him?”
The follower wasn't sure if she was asking him, but he replied, "Probably they're sleeping together! Some people just love doing these sneaky, shady things, like rats in the gutter! Of course, the leader can't truly understand what those kinds of people are thinking."
Nangong Min chuckled softly, "I can't understand, but the Holy Sword is of great significance to me, and I must get it back."
As she spoke, she turned slightly to glance down at the city wall and said ambiguously, "Actually, to some extent, what she said tonight wasn't entirely wrong."
Author's Note: This chapter is about the right word count, so I'll hold it back a bit. I originally wanted to add more later plot elements, but my keyboard is broken, making typing very difficult. Also, without holding back the word count, this chapter would be over 10,000 words, which is really unnecessary.
Before I knew it, I had written a million-word novel, already two hundred chapters long. I really didn't expect it to be this long.
The next two chapters will probably kick off the story, and thank you to everyone who has followed us to chapter 200 for your support. Besides trying my best to write well, all I can do is send you some red envelopes.
Everyone who leaves a comment before tomorrow's update will get one! (:D)
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