Chapter 218
As the sun sets, the sky glows with vibrant red light, bathing the tranquil valley in a warm glow. The afterglow of the setting sun casts a warm light on the eaves and windows, as if they were adorned with a layer of colorful frost.
The courtyard was noisy and bustling, as if many people had arrived. Young Master Fan was awakened by the commotion and glanced out the window to see that it was already evening. He was surprised to find that he had slept until this time and couldn't help but be a little stunned. He got out of bed, put on his clothes, and slowly walked to the door to look outside. In the center of the courtyard, two figures were sparring with swords, and more than ten disciples stood by, watching intently and clapping and cheering.
"Senior Brother, it looks like you're going to lose!"
"Keep up the good work, don't let our Brahma Valley down!"
"Oh dear, she's a guest. It's no big deal if she loses. Senior Brother should let the girl have her way!"
...
The pear blossoms, bathed in the glow of the sunset, were a vibrant red against their white petals. Amidst the falling petals, Yin Qiu, wielding the Zhubing sword, clashed with Shen Wang. Her every move was effortless, her advances and retreats fluid and graceful. Shen Wang, having been injured by Meng Wugui's formidable power in Jin Huai City, had only recently recovered and was currently struggling. Heeding his disciples' advice, and considering Yin Qiu a guest, he wished to maintain his composure and avoid a direct confrontation. After exchanging over a hundred blows, much to the delight of the disciples, who were thoroughly entertained, Yin Qiu caught a glimpse of Gongzi Fan standing by the door. Not wanting the fight to drag on, she seized an opportunity, drew Shen Wang's sword, and ended the sparring session.
The longsword soared through the air and then plummeted back down. Yin Qiu flicked the hilt lightly with two fingers together, and Shen Wang caught it without hesitation, laughing, "Your skill is truly superb, Miss. Yunhua swordsmanship is indeed well-deserved. I am inferior in skill, and I am convinced of my defeat. Please enlighten me."
Yin Qiu landed, clasped his hands in a fist salute to him, and smiled back, "You flatter me. Young Hero Shen, there's no need to be modest. Your injuries have just healed, and you can't use your true energy very well yet. I took advantage of you, and my victory was not honorable."
The young man was full of energy and found himself facing a worthy opponent. Shen Wang could not hide his joy and made an appointment with Yin Qiu to play another match the next day. Yin Qiu readily agreed. Shen Wang turned his head and saw Gongzi Fan, and immediately bowed and said, "Godfather, you're awake?"
The disciples all stood up and followed Shen Wang in bowing. Gongzi Fan asked, "Why did you stop fighting?"
Shen Wang hesitated for a moment, glanced at Yin Qiu, and said helplessly, "I can't beat her. I didn't expect Miss Yin to be so good at martial arts." He touched the seal on his waist and said with a wry smile, "My godfather passed on the position of young master to me. I really feel unworthy of it. Since you're here, I think it would be better to return the seal to you. It would be a waste for me to keep it."
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu quickly waved his hand and said, "Young Master Shen, there's no need to belittle yourself. If we were to fight, we would be evenly matched. You are already the Young Valley Master, how can you easily relinquish this position? I have no interest in this either, so please take back what you said."
Shen Wang smiled shyly, and Gongzi Fan waved for them to leave. The disciples then took their leave one after another, leaving the courtyard and walking onto the small bridge. Yin Qiu had been feeling unwell from the bumpy carriage rides these past few days, but after her fight with Shen Wang, she felt refreshed. She folded Zhu Bing into a dagger and hung it back at her waist, asking, "How do you feel now that you've woken up?"
Gongzi Fan said, "I don't feel anything. I can't detect the poison, so I don't know whether it's been cured or not."
Yin Qiu said, "Before I came here, Young Hero Shen mentioned that there is a divine doctor in the valley. Why don't we ask him to take a look?"
“He’s not here; he’s gone back to the temple,” said Gongzi Fan. “I’ll go find him in a few days, and we’ll talk then.”
Yin Qiu nodded, lifted her robe and went up the steps, helping Gongzi Fan into the hall, saying, "Then please sit down first, I'll go and bring the food."
After she finished speaking, without waiting for Gongzi Fan's reaction, she ran to the kitchen, quickly heated up a few side dishes, packed them into a food box, and brought them back. Gongzi Fan looked at her as she placed the food on the table, seemed taken aback, and asked, "Did you make all of this?"
Yin Qiu served him rice and soup, then sat down at the table and said, "I'm not familiar with this place, so I only made some simple dishes. They may not look very appealing, but they should taste pretty good. Just eat them as is. I'll make a few of my specialties for you to try tomorrow."
Gongzi Fan had intended to cook a meal for her himself, but to his surprise, Yin Qiu had already prepared everything when he woke up. As she had said, the dishes were all very simple, reheated after they had cooled down. They didn't look very appealing, but they smelled delicious. Gongzi Fan held his chopsticks, looking at the plain table in front of him, and hesitated to start eating.
Yin Qiu's stomach was empty; she hadn't eaten all day. She ate quickly, almost wolfing it down. When Gongzi Fan saw her like this, a sudden wave of bitterness washed over him. He pushed the soup in front of him to Yin Qiu and said with concern, "Eat slowly. No one's going to take it from you. Don't choke."
Yin Qiu took a couple of sips of soup, then held the bowl and asked, "Why aren't you eating?"
Gongzi Fan's lips curved into a smile, tinged with an inexplicable melancholy. His eyes, hidden beneath the mask, were slightly red, whether from the glow of the sunset or from just waking up. Gongzi Fan smiled gently and said softly, "Once it's eaten, it's gone. I can't bear to eat it."
Yin Qiu's cheeks were puffed out. Hearing this, she paused for a moment and said, "I'll make it for you again tomorrow. If you don't eat it now, I'll have to throw it away later."
"That won't do." Upon hearing this, Gongzi Fan immediately ate all the food Yin Qiu had put on his plate and tasted the soup. Yin Qiu glanced at him casually, her face calm, but her heart was filled with anticipation. Not long after, Gongzi Fan said, "Delicious," and then added, "Better than your mother's."
Yin Qiu smiled contentedly after receiving the praise: "Isn't my mother a good cook?"
As if recalling the past, Gongzi Fan chuckled and said, "She is very good at making desserts, but she just can't cook. Every time she cooks, it makes people nervous. When we were at home, I usually cooked for her."
Yin Qiu asked curiously, "How exactly did you feel anxious?"
Gongzi Fan said, "After all, she comes from a wealthy family and has been served since she was a child. Even when she was learning to make desserts, someone had to watch her, otherwise she would break things if she wasn't careful. She can't start a fire, and she's not good with a knife either. For a while, she kept telling me that a person who wields a sword couldn't even hold a kitchen knife, saying that she was very useless. She kept pestering me to teach her. But she really has no talent for cooking and just couldn't learn it no matter what she did, so she gave up and I took over all the work in the kitchen."
Yin Qiu found it amusing, yet also felt a pang of sadness; these were all aspects of Shen Mandong she had never heard from anyone else. Yin Qiu asked, "Then how did you learn it?"
Yin Qiu asked this question casually, but Gongzi Fan seemed to find it difficult to say. After a long while, he replied, "Your aunt must have mentioned it to you. When I was young, I spent some time in a restaurant. That's when I learned."
Although his words sounded quite nonchalant, Yin Qiu quickly realized that Nangong Min had recounted his experiences after leaving Ruyi Sect, which she still remembered. She paused for a moment, then tried to sound relaxed, saying, "Speaking of which, I'm actually in a similar situation. I also worked in many restaurants when I was young; we're the same." She smiled, "However, I stayed longer than you. When I was ten, I went to the Su family as a maid, and later my martial uncle took me back to Yunhua Palace. You and my aunt both looked for me, as did Nangong Min and the sect leader. Thinking about it now, my martial uncle was quite quick; he managed to take me away before so many others."
Gongzi Fan listened quietly and said, "Apart from Xie Yijun, it would be a good thing if anyone else found you, but compared to that, it is still safest to stay by Man Jiangxue's side."
“That’s why I say I’m lucky,” Yin Qiu said. “If I had followed my aunt and uncle, I would definitely be on the opposite side of my martial uncle. Sometimes I think life is really unpredictable, and fate is predetermined. My martial uncle and I are destined to be together.”
Seeing that she always smiled when she mentioned Man Jiangxue, Gongzi Fan couldn't help but say, "You like her very much."
Yin Qiu finished her rice and, with a good appetite, had another bowl. She replied, "Of course I like it. My martial uncle is my favorite person."
Gongzi Fan glanced at her, put down his chopsticks and bowl, and asked casually, "What kind of liking?"
Yin Qiu was surprised by his question and immediately fell silent.
“Although I didn’t show up on the day Manzhen and Sister Nangong fought, I was watching from the shadows,” Gongzi Fan said casually as he looked Yin Qiu up and down. “I hadn’t noticed before, but I saw you and Man Jiangxue being quite intimate that day.”
Yin Qiu remained calm on the surface, but her heart was in turmoil. She didn't look at Gongzi Fan, but stared at her rice bowl, saying, "Master Aunt... Master Aunt isn't just anyone. It's not surprising that I'm close to her..."
“It’s not surprising,” Gongzi Fan said, “but the intimacy is unusual, not like the way a master and nephew should get along.”
As Yin Qiu picked at her rice, she secretly recalled the events of that day, not feeling that she and Man Jiangxue were anything more intimate.
Gongzi Fan smiled knowingly and asked again, "You said you like her, what kind of liking is it?"
Yin Qiu avoided eye contact for a moment, then asked in return, "So what kind of liking do you think it is?"
"Well, I can't say for sure, that's why I had to ask you," said Gongzi Fan. "A person's eyes can convey a lot of information, and I have never seen Man Jiangxue look at you with the same expression she has shown to anyone else."
Yin Qiu stammered, unable to give a proper answer.
Gongzi Fan suddenly sighed, "Perhaps I owed Man Jiangxue some favor in my past life, which is why my wife and daughter both love her so much in this life."
Yin Qiu's chopsticks fell to the table with a "thud".
Seeing her embarrassed expression and shifty gaze, Gongzi Fan smiled and said, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Yin Qiu wanted to bury her head in the bowl, and mumbled, "Then... how did you know my mother liked my martial uncle?"
“She’s just like you, she can’t stop talking about Man Jiangxue,” Gongzi Fan said. “I’m not stupid, and besides, as I just said, the way your mother looks at Man Jiangxue is different from how she looks at others.”
Recalling their early days together, Yin Qiu had always assumed he was in unrequited love for Shen Mandong, a case of unrequited affection that led him to watch her marry someone else while remaining unmarried himself. Now, however, Yin Qiu realized the truth was far more complex. She put herself in his shoes; if she and her martial uncle were to marry, but he loved someone else, she would certainly choose to withdraw and offer her silent blessings. So Yin Qiu asked, "If that's the case, why did you still choose to marry my mother?"
Gongzi Fan's answer was simple: "Because I like her," and then added, "More importantly, before we got married, I didn't know she already had someone else in her heart."
He always believed that Shen Mandong genuinely liked him and truly wanted to marry him.
However, this is not the case.
"Then when did you fall in love with my mother?" Yin Qiu continued to ask.
Gongzi Fan shifted his gaze to her, his smile undiminished, but his voice had become much lower. Gongzi Fan said, "Even your mother doesn't know the answer to this question. I've never told her," he took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and continued, "I already liked her before I left Ruyi Sect, but she didn't know."
Yin Qiu's eyes widened in surprise, and she was about to ask again when Gongzi Fan stood up, cleared away the dishes, and smiled at Yin Qiu, saying, "Go wash the dishes."
He carried the food box to the courtyard, drew water from the well to wash the dishes, and Yin Qiu walked to his side, hesitating to speak. Gongzi Fan said, "The night sky in Cangzhou is very clear. Let's digest our food. I'll take you to the mountain to see the stars when it gets dark."
Yin Qiu responded with an "okay," and didn't continue the previous topic. Gongzi Fan washed the dishes, brought out the box of candy, and the two sat under the eaves watching the pear and apricot blossoms intertwine in the wind, remaining silent for a long time. When it was completely dark, Gongzi Fan put on his cloak, took a lantern, wrapped some candy in paper and put it in his pocket, and led Yin Qiu through the night to the pear grove behind the courtyard.
A long ladder had been built there, leading straight to the mountaintop. Gongzi Fan held Yin Qiu's hand and shone a lantern in front of her. The night wind was cold and sharp, sending chills down their spines. Gongzi Fan's hands remained icy, and Yin Qiu couldn't warm them up no matter what she did. After climbing the ladder for a while, Gongzi Fan asked, "Are you tired?"
Yin Qiu looked back and could no longer see the path they had come from. Only their spot on the mountainside was lit by a faint light; below, it was pitch black and nothing could be seen. Yin Qiu panted and said, "It's not that tiring. Yunhua Mountain also has such a ladder. When I was a child, I was weak and sickly, and my uncle would often take me up and down it to exercise. I'm used to it."
Gongzi Fan smiled and said, "Young people are in good health. I'm old and my legs aren't as nimble as they used to be. I couldn't keep up after climbing only halfway."
Hearing him say that, Yin Qiu couldn't help but sigh.
If it weren't for curing her poison, Gongzi Fan wouldn't have expended his life's worth of cultivation. The two could have easily used their lightness skills to ascend, so why walk? Yin Qiu wanted to say that they shouldn't look at the stars and should go back as soon as possible, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She took the lantern from Gongzi Fan's hand and helped him continue walking uphill. After a few steps, she saw that Gongzi Fan had stopped again.
"What's wrong?" Yin Qiu asked. "Can't walk anymore?"
Gongzi Fan shook his head and said, "I can walk."
He reached out and took off his cloak, draping it over Yin Qiu's shoulders. Just as Yin Qiu was about to refuse, Gongzi Fan bent down in front of her and said, "Get on, I'll carry you."
Yin Qiu stood still.
“Exercise,” Gongzi Fan said, turning his head to look at her. The night blurred his features into an inky blur. “You’ve walked the path you’ve already walked on your own. I want to walk the rest of the path for you.”
Suddenly, Yin Qiu felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears.
She had been holding back all day, suppressing all her emotions. At this moment, she was incredibly grateful that she was in such a deep night, allowing her to continue pretending and suppressing all the emotions that were about to burst forth.
“I’m very heavy,” Yin Qiu said calmly, biting her lip. “I’ve already come so far, I can walk the rest of the way on my own.”
Gongzi Fan couldn't see her face clearly, nor could he detect anything unusual about her. He maintained his bent-over posture and said gently, "Now you have the opportunity to rely on others, so you don't have to rely on yourself anymore. Consider it giving me an opportunity as well, okay?"
Tears welled up in her eyes, but Yin Qiu forced them back. After a moment of silence, she didn't insist and leaned close to Gongzi Fan. Gongzi Fan steadily carried her on his back, step by step, up the damp steps, slowly making his way up the mountain.
The cloak still retained some warmth. Yin Qiu had one arm around Gongzi Fan's neck and the other hand holding a lantern for light. She smelled the medicinal scent on Gongzi Fan and her gaze fell on his silver mask.
The two fell silent simultaneously until they reached the summit, at which point Gongzi Fan said breathlessly, "Xiao Qiu, look up."
Yin Qiu looked up, and a dazzling array of bright stars filled her eyes.
The night sky was vast and boundless, with countless stars scattered across the heavens. There was no moon, yet the starlight shone even brighter than the moonlight, illuminating the deep forest atop the mountain and casting a cool, serene glow upon it.
Yin Qiu unconsciously widened her eyes, her lips slightly parted, her vision blurred with tears as she gazed at the vast starry sky. Gongzi Fan gently set her down, wiping the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief, and asked, "Is it beautiful?"
nice.
Yin Qiu answered in her heart.
“When I was little, I often looked at the stars with your grandparents,” Gongzi Fan said. “I wasn’t very good at studying, but I was diligent and studied late into the night every day. But no matter when I rested, my parents would stay with me. After I finished my studies, my mother would cook a bowl of plain noodles for my father and me and fry two eggs. We would sit in the yard, and as long as the weather was good, we could see the stars every night.”
Yin Qiu tilted her head back forcefully, forcing back the tears that were about to spill. Gongzi Fan clearly didn't look at her, but as if sensing something, he wiped Yin Qiu's eyes with a handkerchief and continued, "Your mother comes occasionally. She's been groomed as the successor since she was little, and she's very busy every day. I read at night, and she practices swordsmanship at night. Sometimes, on her way back to her room, she passes by our courtyard and comes in by the smell."
·
At that time, Yin Xuan looked forward to seeing Shen Mandong every day.
After she arrived, Madam Yin would cook her a bowl of noodles. Since she didn't like fried eggs, Madam Yin would specially cook her a bowl of poached eggs with fermented rice. The four of them sat side by side on the steps under the veranda—two elders and two children—looking just like a family.
During the day, Yin Xuan and Shen Mandong were in the same school and classroom. Yin Xuan was diligent and always the best student, consistently ranking first in the monthly exams without a doubt. Shen Mandong always sought his advice, and would show him her essays before submitting them to the teacher. One day, Yin Xuan passed by Ruyi Hall and overheard Master Shen mentioning his name, saying that he was excellent in every way, a hundred times better than those young masters from noble families outside. Madam Shen jokingly said that they were a good match for their Mandong, and if the two of them were interested in each other, it would be a double blessing.
Yin Xuan was overjoyed to hear this, and for the next few days he was all smiles. When others asked him if he had something good to say, he would not say anything, but would just quietly look at Shen Mandong in the crowd.
That night, Yin Xuan had a slight headache and fever, and instead of reading until midnight as usual, he took his clothes to the bathhouse after midnight. On the way, he met a girl who was a little older than him; she was a stranger. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yin Xuan learned that a caravan had delivered goods to the sect that night, and the girl was the daughter of the caravan owner, surnamed Xie.
The two exchanged glances but didn't say much. Yin Xuanmu returned to his room after his bath and fell asleep in the middle of the night. He then heard many people outside shouting "Fire!" He ran out with his parents and saw that the courtyard where the caravan was staying was on fire. The fire was not extinguished until dawn.
The Xie family's escort team members were all drunk and died in the fire; none of them survived.
During those two days, Mr. and Mrs. Yin were particularly worried and preoccupied. When Yin Xuan asked them about it, they wouldn't say anything, only telling him to study hard and not think about anything else.
However, less than two days later, when Yin Xuan returned home from school, the yard was pitch black, and there was no sign of his parents. He searched around in confusion for a while before finally finding them in the house. The couple were bleeding from all seven orifices and lying unconscious on the ground. Yin Xuan was terrified and at a loss. He called a doctor and learned that they had been poisoned. When they woke up, they had both developed eye problems and muteness overnight, unable to see or speak.
Yin Xuan felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him from the sky, hitting him squarely.
For young Yin Xuan, those days were like the sky falling and the earth collapsing; it was a time of despair and pain.
Soon, Shen Mandong was transferred to another classroom by the teacher. She was so busy that Yin Xuan couldn't see her for several days. At first, Shen Mandong came to see him a few times after hearing about the Yin couple's situation, and she would accompany him and comfort him each time. But gradually, she stopped coming. Even after the Yin couple hanged themselves and Yin Xuan was driven down the mountain, Shen Mandong never showed her face again.
He was homeless and destitute, forced to take a job as a handyman in a restaurant to earn a living. Because of his good looks, the owner took a liking to him and kept him around. Sometimes customers would see him and their eyes would light up, touching his face and holding his hand. Yin Xuan resisted, but the owner would sternly reprimand him, and he dared not disobey, so he could only endure it. A few months later, a new girl arrived in the kitchen. Yin Xuan felt she looked familiar, but he didn't have a chance to speak to her until one day the girl approached him, and only then did Yin Xuan remember who she was.
Xie Yijun was determined to take revenge and went to Shangyuan City to become an apprentice at Yunhua Palace. Yin Xuan, thinking of Shen Mandong, hesitated to go with her. Xie Yijun lost patience and, not wanting to care about him anymore, left with her meager wages. Yin Xuan was in a daze for several days, losing a lot of weight. Two days later, he encountered the Nangong father and daughter holding a grand banquet in the building, inviting leaders of other sects to discuss matters. Yin Xuan followed the boss around, busy with various tasks, until he was dizzy and exhausted.
With something on his mind, he was bound to make mistakes. While serving food, he accidentally knocked over a wine pot and was scolded by the boss in front of everyone. However, an old man at the table took exceptional care of him, neither blaming him nor demanding compensation. Instead, he kindly inquired about his well-being and gave him a small tip.
But then, for some unknown reason, the old man was suddenly killed by the leader of the Nangong Sect with a single sword. Yin Xuan happened to be carrying a new wine pot when the scalding blood splattered all over him. He was so frightened that his vision went black, and he tripped and fell, breaking his head and bleeding profusely.
But a pair of hands helped him up. Nangong Min, waving his father's fan, lifted his chin and asked with a smile, "What a handsome little brother! I see that you are very polite in your words and deeds. You must have a good family background. How did you end up in this place as a male prostitute?"
Yin Xuan looked at her blankly and said, "What is a male prostitute...?"
Upon hearing this, Nangong Min put away his fan, scrutinized him, and said, "You don't know? Aren't male prostitutes like you?" After saying this, he glanced at his father and sighed, "How pitiful. This place isn't some brothel, there's no need to redeem him. Why don't we take him back?"
The leader of the Nangong Sect chuckled and said, "Are you treating your home like a refuge? You just rescued a seriously ill person from the clinic last month, and now you're going to rescue another one?"
Nangong Min said, "Then why didn't you give me a younger brother or sister? I stay in the garden all day long, with no one to keep me company. If it weren't for you treating me to dinner today, I wouldn't have had a chance to come out for some fresh air. It would be nice to save a few more people to play with me. It's just a matter of having an extra set of chopsticks and bowls."
“I would like to have a child, but your mother died early, and you are too strict to let me remarry,” said the leader of the Nangong Sect. “Let’s ask about your background first. Don’t bring back people of unknown origin. I don’t want to do business that invites wolves into the house.”
At that time, Yin Xuan had no idea who the father and daughter in front of him were, only that they were of noble birth and not ordinary people. He had just learned the truth about his parents' murder and was in a state of fear, confusion, and helplessness. So when Nangong Min asked about his background, he naturally worried that if the two had any dealings with the Ruyi Sect, they would hand him over to Sect Leader Shen for complete eradication. Therefore, Yin Xuan lied and didn't tell them about his family's affairs, only fabricating a tragic story, which Nangong Min believed.
After that, he went to the Ziwei Sect, found a stable place to live, and resumed his studies and martial arts training. He also met Wen Chaoyu. A year later, the old sect leader adopted him as his godson, and he finally understood what the Ziwei Sect was all about. During that year, he gradually lowered his guard and told Nangong Min about his true identity. Several more years passed, and the old sect leader passed away. To protect himself, Nangong Min sent Wen Chaoyu to Yunhua Palace as an undercover agent, and also sent him to Ruyi Sect to get close to Shen Mandong, hoping to use Shen Mandong to bring down Ruyi Sect.
At first, Yin Xuan didn't want revenge, but as he grew older, he gradually developed a desire for it. Furthermore, Nangong Min was in a difficult situation at the time, so even if it wasn't for personal revenge, but simply to repay a debt of gratitude, Yin Xuan had to obey Nangong Min's arrangements. He originally thought he could be ruthless, but when he appeared before Shen Mandong again, when Shen Mandong treated his injuries and showed him meticulous care, he realized he still loved Shen Mandong, and his heart softened.
Even though Shen Mandong no longer recognized him.
Everyone thought he was just pretending, but only he knew that he had liked Shen Mandong since he was a child, and he was never being fake in his feelings.
At the same time, he knew that Shen Mandong's kindness towards him stemmed from her kind nature; she would have treated anyone else with the same patience. She didn't love him; it wasn't the love at first sight or mutual affection that outsiders talked about. Later, he thought Shen Mandong had also fallen for him and was willing to marry him. But after the marriage, he belatedly realized that Shen Mandong's heart belonged to someone else, and their marriage was merely to fulfill the expectations of their elders and to prevent the Ruyi Sect from changing its name.
Yin Xuan regretted it. He didn't want to see Shen Mandong forced to marry and then face the despair of her family being slaughtered. This regret intensified when he learned that Xie Yijun had become the senior disciple of Yunhua Palace.
Xie Yijun spoke sweetly, claiming that she and Shen Mandong were deeply sisters and that she had long since let go of her obsession. However, Yin Xuan could see the suppressed resentment and bitterness in her eyes, and he did not believe her. When Shen Mandong became six months pregnant, Nangong Min conceived a plan to attack Ruyi Sect. Yin Xuan received her message by carrier pigeon, and after much deliberation, he returned to Ziwei Sect, proactively stating that he would no longer help her deal with Ruyi Sect.
“I can’t bear it. I can’t stand by and watch the Shen family face annihilation. Man Dong still knows nothing about it,” Yin Xuan knelt down, looking at Nangong Min. “I dare not forget the life-saving grace of my elder sister, and I have no way to repay it. If I have to choose between you and Man Dong, I really don’t want to hurt either of you. So the only thing I can do right now is to tell you that there are underground mechanisms in Liucang Mountain. If you lead people to attack, you will be the one who suffers, and that is not what I want to see. Since that’s the case, can you stop, elder sister? I can assure you that with me here, I will not let Ruyi Sect continue to fight against Ziwei Sect with Yunhua Palace. If you want to attack Liucang Mountain, I don’t have the blueprints and I can’t help you. In this stalemate, I can only do my best to protect Ziwei Sect. If elder sister is willing, I will find a way to get the position of sect leader as soon as possible. When that time comes, your only enemy will be Yunhua Palace, and Ruyi Sect will no longer exist.”
To be fair, there was nothing wrong with what he said. He and Shen Mandong were married. No matter who would become the sect leader, as long as the Shen couple stepped down, once Shen Mandong learned the truth about the Yin family's murder, given her character, she might be able to coexist peacefully with the Ziwei Sect. But Nangong Min sneered upon hearing this: "You're too naive. Do you really think I'm that easy to talk to? You know what kind of life I've been living these past few years. The Shen couple are in their prime, and who knows how many more years it will be before they can step down. Even if Shen Mandong is willing to spare me out of consideration for you, how could the Shen couple let it go? As long as they don't step down, you have no say. Your guarantee doesn't count. I can't entrust an uncertain future to you. You're willing to tell me about the underground mechanism, which shows you have a conscience. But listen carefully: just because you don't have the blueprints doesn't mean others don't. If I manage to get them, I'll still attack. Let me make this clear to you first: I understand you want to protect your wife and children, but when that day comes, I'll kill you too. You'd better be prepared."
The conversation ended unhappily for the two.
Yin Xuan was torn between abandoning his wife and children and turning against his savior. Both were his flesh and blood; he only regretted that he had brought this upon himself and hadn't distanced himself sooner. His mistake was his deep affection for Shen Mandong; he had been too naive, failing to consider the consequences. He had only thought of getting close to Shen Mandong and being with her, never anticipating the thorny situation that would follow.
After tossing and turning for several days and nights, with Shen Mandong's due date approaching, Yin Xuan felt uneasy and finally mustered up the courage to tell Shen Mandong everything. But she didn't expect that Shen Mandong already knew. Not long before, she returned to Yunhua Palace to celebrate her birthday, and Xie Yijun told her about what happened back then, but she didn't mention a word of it after returning to Ruyi Gate, as if nothing had happened.
The two talked frankly for a long time. Shen Mandong said, "The Ziwei Sect doesn't have the blueprints, so even if Ren Nangong Min has a thousand troops, he can't get through. As for Senior Sister Xie, I made an agreement with her. If she still wants revenge in the future, she only needs to kill me and won't hurt anyone else. She has already agreed to that."
Yin Xuan remained silent for a long time before asking, "Do you believe her?"
Shen Mandong smiled bitterly, "You have to believe it whether you want to or not. Compared to my parents, what is my life? If I die, I can save the Shen family and everyone in the Ruyi Sect. I'm willing."
“What if she’s lying to you?” Yin Xuan said. “I don’t believe her.”
Shen Mandong sighed and asked in return, "If you don't believe her, how can I believe you?"
Yin Xuan said, "I have made myself very clear to you just now. I will not hurt you or your parents, otherwise I would not be so honest with you today."
Shen Mandong clutched her stomach, where the unborn Yin Qiu was kicking. She smiled, then tears streamed down her face. She said sorrowfully, "Senior Sister Xie is isolated and helpless. Even if she wanted to take revenge on her own, it wouldn't be easy. Compared to her, you are far more unfathomable. You want me to believe you, but I can't. You have the entire Ziwei Sect behind you, and Nangong Min saved your life. They, father and daughter, have raised you. You and Nangong Min are closer than siblings. We can come up with a plan now, but what will happen in the future, neither of us can say for sure, can we?"
At that moment, Yin Xuan understood her situation more deeply.
Nangong Min believed he couldn't ignore his wife and children, while Shen Mandong questioned whether he could break off his relationship with Nangong Min so easily. He was caught in a dilemma between these two people, or rather, between two forces. No one could fully convince him, and no one was willing to listen to what he said.
If Nangong Min and Shen Mandong were willing to compromise, Ruyi Sect and Ziwei Sect would not come to blows. But the difficulty lies in the fact that they each have their own concerns and plans, and neither of them can give up appropriately because of Yin Xuan's mediation.
Yin Xuan was at her wit's end.
Seeing that he remained silent, Shen Mandong couldn't help but burst into tears, lamenting, "I feel so guilty about my uncle and aunt's deaths. I know you've suffered a lot, and I admire you from the bottom of my heart that you're willing to let go of your hatred. But Xuan-ge, you have to understand my difficulties. Although I want to make amends for my parents' mistakes, I can't withstand such a huge storm on my own. I can keep things stable with Senior Sister Xie for now, and I won't resist if she wants to kill me for revenge in the future. But you... I don't know what to do about you. You want me to trust you, but what makes you think I should trust you?"
Yin Xuan asked, "Then what do I have to do for you to believe me?"
Shen Mandong pleaded, "After returning from the palace, I've thought a lot. Now that you've been honest with me, there's only one way. If Nangong Min can't get the blueprints, she can't attack. But as she herself said, what if she gets them someday? Even so, even if she breaks through the underground mechanisms and attacks Liucang Mountain, Ruyi Sect isn't that fragile. Her chances of winning depend more on that Holy Sword. If... if you can hide the Holy Sword, it will restrain her a lot. We also have Yunhua Palace to help us. She might not be able to win this battle."
These words greatly surprised Yin Xuan: "You want me to steal the Holy Sword?"
“I can’t think of any other way,” Shen Mandong said. “Everyone dreams of that sword, and Nangong Min herself must value it highly. If you can get the Holy Sword, we can use it to threaten her not to act rashly. In that case, even if she gets the blueprints, as long as she dares to bring troops, with my skills and the Holy Sword, I am confident that I can force her to retreat.”
Yin Xuan did not agree to the proposal that day.
As the days went by, Shen Mandong was about to give birth. Yin Xuan could foresee that Nangong Min would choose the time of her delivery to have an attack, so he returned to the Ziwei Sect again in hopes of making peace with Nangong Min. But this time, Nangong Min refused to even see him.
The fact that the siblings could not meet demonstrated Nangong Min's determination to destroy the Ruyi Sect, leaving almost no room for retreat. After struggling for a long time, Yin Xuan finally stole the Holy Sword in the dark. When he left the Ziwei Sect that night, Nangong Min was waiting for him ahead.
“I was completely unprepared and guessed you would do this,” Nangong Min said with a smile, but the warmth of the past was gone. “You were willing to steal the Holy Sword and betray me for the daughter of the man who killed your family. What were you thinking? Father said he didn’t want to invite trouble into the house. I was young then and didn’t listen to him. Now I know how true his words were. Did you think that by taking the Holy Sword, I couldn’t deal with the Ruyi Sect?”
Just like when they were children, Yin Xuan knelt down in front of her and said respectfully, "With the Holy Sword, Man Dong can trust me and she will agree to stop siding with Yunhua Palace and continue to suppress Ziwei Sect. Why can't you listen to me just this once, elder sister? Why do you have to start a war?"
“You’re willing to obey her every word in order to gain her trust,” Nangong Min said. “Then what makes you think I should trust you?”
Yin Xuan's lips moved slightly, and Nangong Min chuckled again: "Don't forget how your parents died. You can actually tolerate such hatred. If it were me, I would have killed that old dog surnamed Shen the day I entered Ruyi Sect to avenge my parents. You want to put aside past grievances and hope that both sides can coexist peacefully? Do you really think you can do that on your own?"
Yin Xuan said, "My elder sister has never loved anyone, so she wouldn't understand."
“I don’t care to understand,” Nangong Min sneered. “I’ve never been the kind of person who values romantic love above all else. Since you’ve done this, fine, I can let you go.”
She stepped aside, looking down at Yin Xuan: "Just wait and see, even without the Holy Sword, I'll still be able to wipe out the Ruyi Sect in one fell swoop!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
