Chapter 90 Tang Sect Ghost Side Story: Tang Yuan
The once pampered and innocent third young lady of the Tang family is now completely dead.
What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it?
People are always moved by the epic and passionate love stories in the martial arts world. But they forget that the martial arts world also has so many entanglements of love and hate, and so many tragic stories of misplaced sincerity.
In the end, whether love brings fortune or misfortune, right or wrong, no one knows...
*
Tang Yuan has been sneaking out of the Tang Clan for two days.
During this period, the Tang Clan was in a state of utter chaos due to the love-hate entanglement between her second sister and the so-called "prodigy" of the Tianji Sect. Feeling extremely bored, she decided to venture into the martial world herself.
Although she was the third young lady of the Tang Clan, the downside of being the youngest was that she was strictly controlled by her eldest brother and second sister.
They hold it in their hands for fear of dropping it, and keep it in their mouths for fear of melting it.
In the past, she was never allowed to leave Sichuan. Even when she went out, she was always surrounded by a large group of people, for fear that she might encounter some bad people.
She had been wandering the world for two days, yet she felt no danger. On the contrary, everything seemed new and interesting; everything tasted delicious and special.
The city was bustling with activity, and the aroma of fried pancakes wafted into her nostrils, stirring up a subtle craving in her stomach.
He weighed his bulging money bag, took out a few copper coins, and went up to the stall owner to buy two fried dough cakes.
The stall owner warmly wrapped it up and handed it to her, praising her beauty. Tang Yuan generously gave him two more copper coins.
She thought she was starving, but to her surprise, after just one stroll around the streets and eating a piece of bread, she was full.
I was looking for a teahouse to sit down and rest when I happened to see a little beggar huddled in a corner on the street.
He was filthy, his clothes and shoes were tattered, and he was so thin that he looked as if a gust of wind could blow him away. He kowtowed to each person who passed by, his eyes filled with fear and pleading.
Tang Yuan's heart softened, and she casually tossed a few pieces of silver into the broken bowl, making a few crisp, clear "clinking" sounds.
The little beggar couldn't believe it, but was immediately overwhelmed with joy. His eyes, looking up at Tang Yuan, were filled with gratitude.
She suddenly realized that this world of martial arts was quite enjoyable.
He turned and went into the teahouse. Just as he ordered his tea and food, he heard a commotion of crying and shouting coming from outside the window.
Several Beggar Clan members were seen pushing and shoving the little beggar boy around the doorway.
The already chipped bowl shattered completely, and the silver clutched tightly in the little beggar's hand was snatched away by a skinny, monkey-like beggar. He weighed it in his hand and said in a rough voice, "You little bastard, you've got some nerve, daring to steal our money!"
"It wasn't stolen...it wasn't..." The little beggar cried so hard he could barely breathe, but he didn't dare to snatch it.
The skinny monkey sneered, "Hmph, who saw it? All the money in this area has to be offered to our Beggars' Sect first!"
Tang Yuan was furious. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up. In an instant, she leaped downstairs, her sword still sheathed, and stood in front of the group.
"I gave you the money. What, now the Beggars' Sect doesn't rely on begging anymore, but on outright robbery?" Her voice was clear and bright, carrying a unique arrogance.
The men turned around and saw that it was a beautifully dressed and pretty girl. Their initial stunned expressions quickly turned into lewd smiles.
"Oh, here comes a beautiful young lady."
“My beauty, even if you gave him the money, it’s against the rules if it falls into his hands.”
"We have to pay protection money and site fees on our territory!"
"This money, hehe, it's going to end up in our pockets."
The group chatted amongst themselves, laughing heartily as they stared at the woman with flirtatious intent.
Tang Yuan had never suffered such humiliation before. Her pretty face flushed red with anger, and she snapped, "Want money? Then ask the sword in my hand first!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she drew her sword and a few more cold stars shot out from her sleeve.
The Beggars' Sect disciples were clearly not expecting that this delicate young lady would actually use a hidden weapon to launch a sneak attack, and two of them immediately fell to the ground after being hit.
The remaining men, enraged, charged forward with their clubs and engaged Tang Yuan in battle.
Although Tang Yuan was agile and skilled with hidden weapons, she was still a novice in the martial arts world and lacked experience, so she was only concerned with dealing with the people in front of her.
Unexpectedly, there were members of the Beggars' Sect in the crowd. They secretly circled around behind her and smashed her left shoulder hard with a stick!
The excruciating pain was unbearable; she groaned softly, and everything went black before her eyes.
Seizing an opening, the person in front of her struck her wrist again with a stick. She cried out in pain, her longsword slipping from her grasp and being swiftly kicked away by someone.
After a few stumbles, Tang Yuan fell straight to the ground, dust immediately covering the hem of her expensive emerald green skirt.
"Strike while the iron is hot and kill her!"
The lead beggar approached with a sinister grin, his eyes lingering on her.
The men around him swore and excitedly said, "Boss, if we get this hot chick, we can sell the brothel and make a lot of money!"
"How dare you!" Tang Yuan shouted in disbelief.
The men ignored her and, with wicked grins, reached out their filthy hands towards her.
Her left shoulder ached so much she couldn't lift it, and a chilling fear gripped Tang Yuan's heart. She closed her eyes in terror.
I should have listened to my brother!
The hand that was expected didn't touch her; instead, several painful cries were heard.
She opened her eyes and saw a white figure moving like a gentle breeze across the mountain stream, effortlessly dispatching the Beggar Clan disciples with a few moves.
The man with his back to her held a sword, protecting her in front of her. He was dressed in white, his figure upright and graceful.
Tang Yuan stared blankly, feeling that he was not fighting an enemy, but rather wielding a sword, with an extraordinary calmness.
"In broad daylight, you humiliate a woman! How could the Beggars' Sect have such scum?" The man's voice was clear and gentle, yet it was cold and authoritative.
The Beggars' Sect disciples lying on the ground looked frightened, exchanged glances, hurriedly knelt down, and kowtowed to beg for mercy.
"If I happen to meet you again, it won't be just a simple lesson like today," the man in white sneered.
The beggars nodded frantically in agreement and helped each other escape in a disheveled state.
Only after the matter was over did he slowly turn around.
The soft light of the warm sun fell perfectly on his face, outlining his handsome profile.
Although his features were somewhat plain, his eyes and brows were gentle and his temperament was refined; he could be described as handsome.
He sheathed his sword, reached out his hand to Tang Yuan on the ground, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Young lady, are you still able to stand up?"
Tang Yuan looked at his outstretched hand, long and clean, a stark contrast to her own dusty body.
My left shoulder was still burning with pain, but my heart skipped a beat for no reason.
In this world of martial arts, there really are encounters like those described in folk tales, where "a gentle breeze carries a sword, and I come to you under the moonlight."
“With me here, young lady, you no longer need to be afraid.”
From that moment on, the sword that protected her, the words that protected her, and the person protecting her before her eyes all entered Tang Yuan's heart so easily.
The aftereffects lingered, causing her to remain intoxicated for months afterward in a self-righteous reverie of romance and fleeting pleasures.
*
The man who saved Tang Yuan was named Lin Feng.
An ordinary and mediocre name. And compared to the Tang family, one of the nine powerful clans in the martial arts world, his status was utterly unremarkable.
Lin Feng came from a little-known sect, the Taiqing Sect.
His teachers were ordinary, his family background was ordinary, and even his martial arts talent was only "average." His only extraordinary quality was his upright and honest temperament and the appearance of a gentleman.
Tang Yuan, immersed in the illusion of love, did not care about the world's judgment of people and was completely lost in the gentle embrace woven by men.
They even angrily denounced the injustice of the world, accusing it of betraying a swordsman who was devoted to martial arts and full of chivalry.
Fortunately, she not only has a lot of money, but also a lot of resources.
After all, the Tang Clan has no shortage of unparalleled hidden weapons and miraculous elixirs.
Thus, she casually gifted him the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle, a rare and highly sought-after item in the martial arts world. She also secretly gave him the elixir her brother had meticulously prepared to aid his internal energy cultivation.
Tang Yuan could do anything he wanted.
For her, it was nothing more than going home, acting cute, and begging—that simple.
Lin Feng was overjoyed and showered her with sweet words, his eyes filled with tender smiles when he looked at her.
Tang Yuan felt that she couldn't find anyone better than him in the entire martial arts world.
The Tang Clan members weren't fools. Tang Chen eventually discovered the affair between the two and, after further investigation, became even more suspicious of the man.
Out of concern for Tang Yuan, he was only quite polite, preventing him from having private contact with his younger sister, and even refraining from pursuing the past.
In front of the sect leader, Lin Feng appeared so awkward and insignificant, even feeling humiliated and ashamed.
But he still held Tang Yuan's hand, speaking with deep affection: "Yuan'er, you should come home with Brother Tang first. Once I have improved my martial arts and made a name for myself in the martial world, I will definitely come to ask for your hand in marriage and will never betray your true feelings."
Tang Yuan believed his solemn vows.
But what happened next?
In the months that followed, she poured all her longing and hope into that empty promise.
From early spring to late autumn, the paulownia trees in the courtyard were about to shed all their leaves, but Tang Yuan never heard a word from Lin Feng again, let alone saw the figure she longed for.
Meanwhile, another major event occurred within the Tang Sect:
The second sister's beloved, in order to be with her, cut off his own arm and resolutely left the Tianji Sect.
From then on, the two decided to never get involved in the affairs of the martial world again. They went deep into Yunling Mountain, built a house, and retired from public life.
This event struck Tang Yuan like a thunderbolt, shattering her chaotic thoughts.
Compared to her second sister's almost tragic journey to marrying her beloved, and her resolute willingness to abandon everything, she couldn't help but recall Lin Feng's casual "Wait for me."
A boundless chill and panic crept into Tang Yuan's heart.
Will Lin Feng do anything dangerous in order to be worthy of her?
If he fails to make a name for himself and has no chance of getting married, will he also do something foolish to hurt himself?
He must have been held back by something...
Once these thoughts arose, they could no longer be suppressed, and even gave Tang Yuan an absurd courage.
She couldn't bear to put her beloved in a difficult position, much less risk his life for her.
So Tang Yuan decided to go find him.
On that dimly lit night, the third young lady of the Tang family left another hastily written letter and, relying on her familiarity with the Tang Clan's layout, secretly slipped out.
Carrying countless hidden weapons and abundant elixirs, and harboring blind fantasies about love, she headed towards what she believed to be her final destination.
Little did she know that what awaited her ahead was not the man's bitterness and tenderness.
Instead, it was the cold reality that shattered all her illusions.
*
Tang Yuan had fantasized countless times about their reunion.
Whether it's a sorrowful one, a beautiful one, or a destiny or destiny as it seemed when the two first met.
In short, it won't be indifferent or bewildered.
A tear suddenly streamed down her face. The grand scene of red silk hanging before her eyes burned her eyes.
Her appearance stunned the people who were smiling and welcoming the guests.
Perhaps, there are indeed many spirited and dashing young men in the martial arts world.
However, as time and reality wear and tear, most people gradually lose their former brilliance and spirit.
There's nothing to blame for accepting ordinariness and being content with it.
Lin Feng naturally didn't think he had done anything wrong.
How could he possibly become famous throughout the martial arts world in his lifetime?
How can one gain a place in the prestigious Tang Clan and be respected by others?
He was so ordinary that he clearly knew where he truly belonged.
Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
Rather than living a life of subservience and dependence on others as a son-in-law in the Tang Sect, it's better to marry the elder's only daughter in this small sect. She'll surely become a pride of the sect, receiving its full support and cultivation.
But he forgot that his achievements today, and the respect he receives from others, are all thanks to the countless pills, hidden weapons, and secret manuals that Tang Yuan gave him.
If you ask why I lied to her when I had already decided not to look for her, then why did I lie to her?
Lin Feng was unaware of this either.
Perhaps it's simply so that in the future, there will be another opportunity to gain some benefits from her ignorance.
"Don't you love me?" Tang Yuan asked him with tears in her eyes.
Lin Feng gently cupped her face and whispered, "Of course I love you."
A woman who has your whole heart and soul and treats you well with all her heart will always make you feel attracted.
That little bit of attraction is really cheap.
Some people find solace in love that even water is enough, while others can discard love like worn-out shoes at any time.
Those who are affectionate often suffer because of those who are heartless.
A heartless person will never understand the other person in this life, nor will they feel any remorse. They will only coldly watch you wallow in your painful despair.
Tang Yuan may truly not know how to define love.
Because of those words, she ended up staying at Taiqing Gate.
Perhaps there is still resentment and obsession in one's heart, perhaps one is yearning for an answer, or perhaps, one still foolishly harbors a sliver of fantasy deep in one's heart.
Everyone in the Taiqing Sect looked at her with venom.
The gossip that said she was "persistent" and "shameless" hurt her deeply.
She endured it all.
As long as Lin Feng occasionally comes to see her, he will use the tenderness she once adored to say a few ambiguous words to her.
Tang Yuan then felt that there might really be a "difficult reason" behind all of this.
She either never saw, or didn't want to see, the annoyance and scheming in Lin Feng's eyes when he turned away.
Therefore, she drank the "soothing soup" that he personally served her that night without any suspicion, and fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up again, she was naked and lying in bed with a man she didn't know.
What happened last night is self-evident.
The door was suddenly kicked open, and Lin Feng appeared "coincidentally" with the elders inside.
"Tang Yuan!" His face showed genuine shock and heartache as he pointed at her and Xiao Xunian, his voice filled with deep sorrow.
"I kept you here out of old friendship, yet you have acted so shamelessly, disgracing the Taiqing family!"
She tried to explain.
The crowd laughed and pointed out that the man beside her had long since lost all his martial arts skills and had all his meridians severed.
"How can I force someone who can't even lift a bucket to do anything to you?"
Therefore, it could only be Tang Yuan who "forced" him, forcing a useless person who was regarded as a disgrace by all her disciples.
Lin Feng was truly pleased with himself.
This time, it can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
Not only could he steal all of Tang Yuan's secret treasures and pills, thus getting rid of her completely, but he could also severely humiliate the former prodigy of the sect.
Tang Yuan felt ice-cold all over; even if she wanted to defend herself, she couldn't withstand the overwhelming force of public opinion.
She stared intently at Lin Feng, watching how this man she had once loved and admired would use the most vicious words to nail her to the pillar of shame.
Even more absurdly, he then adopted a tolerant stance.
He sighed and said, "Since things have come to this, to preserve your reputation, I will officiate your wedding. That would be... the most benevolent and righteous thing I could do."
She was placed under house arrest.
Taiqing Sect was afraid of being found by Tang Sect, so they dared not kill her openly. So they planned to use this humiliating marriage to bind her, and then find an opportunity to make her "die of illness" or "die in an accident".
The "useless man" named Xiao Xunian turned around and told her about these vicious plans, and pointed out a way for her to escape.
But the grievances, resentment, and pain brought about by her obsessive love had already shattered her former self and completely destroyed her hope of living.
I have sorrow but cannot weep, and tears have nowhere to fall; it would be better to die like this.
"You shouldn't have died here, it's too filthy here."
Yes, it's so filthy.
In the end, she still managed to escape.
Nothing is more tragic than a broken heart. She hated her own foolishness so much that she had no face to return to the Tang Clan.
Just as she was thinking of finding a place to end her days, she discovered that she was pregnant.
Despite the pain and struggle, she ultimately decided to give birth to the child.
In the two years after giving birth, Tang Yuan's suicidal thoughts subsided considerably.
Perhaps, this truly is a new hope given to her by heaven.
Just when she thought life was going to get better, fate never let her go.
Lin Feng discovered her before the Tang Clan.
The sword that initially protected her is now pointed at her and her child.
She can die, but the child cannot.
Lin Feng discovered her weakness, and the sword in his hand transformed into streaks of sinister cold light, piercing towards the innocent child.
Fortunately, her Shadowless Steps were as elusive as a ghost, and she eventually escaped into the forest in a sorry state.
I don't know how long I ran, but I didn't dare to stop until my lungs felt like they were being burned.
She lowered her head, trembling, to check on the child's safety, but her fingertips touched something warm and sticky.
On her delicate left shoulder, a deep wound, revealing bone, was oozing blood that had even stained her clothes. The child's face was deathly pale, her eyes tightly closed, and she didn't cry out, as if she had already fainted from the pain.
All the strength and support were completely crushed at this moment.
She held her child tightly and finally burst into tears.
In that cry, there was her dead love, her trampled dignity, and her helplessness as a mother.
She cried for an unknown amount of time, until her voice became hoarse and she could no longer shed a single tear.
*
Tang Yuan returned the child, the only courage she had left to live but was unable to protect, to the Tang Clan.
Then, she found an unnamed cliff and jumped off.
And so, the once pampered and innocent third young lady of the Tang family died completely.
The girl rescued by the elderly man from the charity shop by the river was a girl who had forgotten her past and whose mind was damaged.
Because she had been soaking in the icy lake water for a long time, the silly girl's memories were fragmented, chaotic, and unreal.
So the old woman named her Wangshui (meaning "forgetful water").
For the first few years, Wangshui was entangled with fragmented memories every day. Then, one spring, the old woman went to the mountain to dig bamboo shoots and fell. Wangshui, who had been waiting for two days, miraculously found her and carried her back.
She seems to have become a bit smarter.
Unfortunately, the old woman soon fell ill again.
The person who forgot the water was so anxious that they didn't know what to do.
At this moment, her neighbor told her that a very skilled doctor had recently come to town, and if she could ask the doctor to take a look at her mother-in-law, everything would be fine.
Thus, Wangshui encountered Sihuo.
The silly girl didn't recognize the other person, but he recognized her at a glance.
We met again in the martial world, but everything had changed.
Wang Shui felt that this miracle doctor was a bit strange.
She kept rambling on, saying she owed him a favor and that if he wanted to recall the past, she would definitely help him.
How could Wang Shui possibly understand?
So Si Huo stayed there, waiting for her to figure things out.
With the martial arts tournament approaching, Si Huo claimed to have personal matters to attend to and planned to leave for a while.
Worried that she wouldn't come back, her mother-in-law urged Wangshui, "You have to remember."
"Otherwise, how can you call it living if you're always acting like this, so foolishly?"
So, the obedient Wang Shui rushed off to find her.
There, Wang Shui met a flamboyant and mischievous little boy.
For some reason, she wanted to touch the boy.
She wanted to remember the connection between her and the boy.
Life, at times, is truly an absurd tragedy.
When you remember, you want to forget; when you forget, you try to remember.
But the water of forgetfulness will eventually be forgotten.
Forgetting might be her only chance to survive.
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