Chapter 111 Epilogue (The End) My wish has been fulfilled…
Why...why?
Lin Chengye murmured to herself as she frantically reached out to stop the blood gushing from Bian Yi's chest, but the man simply tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear.
"Don't blame... Jingchen, I made her do it."
Bian Yi looked relaxed, her eyes full of laughter, as if she didn't realize she was about to die, and that she must be in a lot of pain.
"What you said to Jingchen that day... was this?"
Lin Chengye looked into her eyes, but after a while, she dared not look anymore. She used her outstretched hand to catch her scalding tears.
Bian Yi said softly.
"This was my suggestion. Jingchen originally just wanted to ask some questions about her master."
...
"So that's how it is."
Wei Jingchen listened to Bian Yi's recollections and nodded. Gradually, the outline of her mother appeared in her mind; she was the world's number one healer, the master of Qingluan Medicine Valley. She looked at Bian Yi and suddenly said.
"...Lin Chengye once asked me if I would still have the surname Wei if I had a choice. My answer was that I would definitely have the surname Wei."
"No wonder you asked that. You probably already knew about my birth mother back then, didn't you?"
“Yes,” Bian Yi said with a smile.
Actually, Wei Jingchen looks very similar to her master; otherwise, she wouldn't have recognized her at a glance. Looking at her makes her miss her master a little.
"My answer remains the same, but perhaps..."
Wei Jingchen suddenly smiled very faintly.
“Calling him Chen Chen isn’t bad.”
This was the best thing she had ever heard. Bian Yi relaxed completely; it seemed like she had just asked casually.
"...How good are your archery skills?"
But then she pointed to her chest.
"If I win, shoot an arrow at me, make sure it's accurate, don't miss too much."
"What are you going to do?" Wei Jingchen frowned.
“I am an assassin, Your Highness.” Bian Yi shook his head with a smile.
"So what? You should at least pretend. I'll dodge, or get shot and then run away."
Wei Jingchen immediately sensed something was amiss and frowned. Indeed, if an assassin were to cause such a huge commotion and leave unscathed, where would the prestige of Lai Kingdom be? How could the people feel at ease? There would likely be widespread panic.
"Remember to avoid fatal wounds. I don't want Lin Chengye to hold a grudge against me."
"Chengye would never do that."
The desolate shadows of the trees under the moonlight fell on Bian Yi's face. Her eyes curved into crescents as she answered with a smile.
...
"Why...why...it was over, we had already killed our enemies..."
Everything should be alright.
Amidst the blood-soaked mess, only Lin Chengye's eyes shed clear tears. Yet, she felt most pathetic. Bian Yi's clear eyes reflected a profound detachment from the world; why did she only understand this now?
“Chengye… I look at you… I see you forging a new bond with this world, and I know that the day you succeed in your revenge will be your rebirth, your beginning, not your end.”
"You won't leave easily because you have friends and ideals, so you're bound to the mortal world and the martial arts world."
Bian Yi began to have difficulty speaking, but her eyes and voice remained gentle. It was as if she were coaxing a child not to cry, but the more gentle she became, the more tears Lin Chengye shed, and the hotter they became.
She was crying, crying her heart out. Lin Chengye didn't remember that she was in the center of the altar, surrounded by countless eyes watching her and them. But she couldn't care less about that now.
“If I live, Qin Ruoliu will die. You should understand that.”
"You're still young, and your future... will be incredibly long and beautiful. I can see it, and I can hear the praise people give you. They call you the Goddess of Spring, which is the most beautiful and best title I've ever heard."
From then on, Lin Chengye could enter the imperial court whenever she wanted, and return to the martial world whenever she wished. Nowhere could confine her.
"Chengye, your future life will also be like spring."
Bian Yi looked at Lin Chengye and realized she could no longer speak. She opened her mouth, but found she could no longer utter a word. Her body grew heavier and heavier, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
There was a messy score between her and Qin Ruoliu, but she didn't want to let it go. They'd both probably had enough of this world, but she could finally leave. Let Qin Ruoliu live on alone; that was already punishment enough.
She had also stumbled and fallen as she grew up, making many terrible mistakes, but she had no mentor or elder to tell her what was right.
But she was thankful that someone like her had finally put Lin Chengye back on Yangkang Avenue. This child, though his past was just as tragic as her own.
But the future will surely be smooth sailing.
Now she was finally able to hide back with her master. She wanted to ask how she could make amends if she came back to the human world in her next life.
Or... never come back again, she felt that life was so bitter, so bitter.
...
The moment Bian Yi closed his eyes, Lin Chengye suddenly found his voice again. His almost hoarse wailing, along with the rain that had fallen at some unknown time, washed away all the blood on Bian Yi's body.
She seemed to have returned to the beginning, completely alone. But gradually, she was filled with the beautiful scenery along the way; she gained a mother and friends.
But that's not how it is; Bian Yi was never quite the same person in her heart. After all, her desire to come to the martial world was merely to pursue the innocent aspirations she had when she was seven years old.
"...But from the very beginning, all I ever wanted was to travel the world with you."
Lin Chengye knew that Bian Yi could no longer hear him, and the body in her arms had grown cold.
She looked up blankly, spring rain falling into her eyes, mingling with her tears like raindrops falling into a lake. She didn't know who she was talking to, her voice very soft.
"But I didn't want to enter the martial arts world like this."
...
Not far away is Yulin City.
Standing atop the mountain peak, Tuoba Sui's hand trembled, and the arrow she had been holding taut shot out, grazing Qin Ruoliu's cheek but only landing near her feet.
The sharpshooter, who was known for never missing a shot, stared blankly into the distance, then turned back dejectedly, muttering to himself.
Let's go.
Two words have already revealed everything.
Chu Wuding nodded, put away his long staff, and walked into the spring rain without saying a word.
This turmoil, which originated in the martial arts world, ultimately ended with the martial arts practitioners themselves.
...
Chengjing first year, spring.
The new emperor, Wei Jingchen, ascended the throne.
With thunderous force, the court was purged, and the reign title reflected the auspiciousness of receiving the mandate of heaven; thus, the two characters Chengjing were chosen.
He then issued an edict to the world, saying:
The late emperor secretly colluded with the traitor Wuma Yi, murdering his mother, father, and brothers. The crown prince was an accomplice and has already been punished by Heaven.
Lin Daiqiao's daughter, Chengye, was posthumously honored for her meritorious service in protecting the emperor.
...
At this time last year, the streets and alleys were buzzing with gossip and rumors.
Some say that a woman in black took away the body of the assassin from the cholera spring festival, and that she saw it with her own eyes.
Some say she heard the woman in black tell the Third Prince that she would never enter the court again in this lifetime.
Some say that the Third Prince shot and killed the assassin with an arrow, displaying a majestic and awe-inspiring presence befitting an emperor.
Whether the rumors are true or false remains to be seen, but they have certainly added a few new stories featuring women in black as the main characters to this year's publications.
But within a few months, even the biggest problems will disappear.
The people continued to live their lives, continuing to drink a pot of tea that had already lost its flavor.
Human affairs remain chaotic.
(End of article)
Author's note: The main text is finished. Thank you all for reading this far and for accompanying Cheng Ye on this journey.
Here are some things I wanted to say, feel free to skip them, they're just my random thoughts!
My wish has been fulfilled.
Lin Chengye returned to the martial world, Jing Chen ascended the throne, and Bian Yi passed away. This was the ending predetermined from the very beginning.
I don't think it's a tragedy. Cheng Ye will become the leader of the righteous path, and Jing Chen will become a wise ruler. These past two years have been far too short for these two young people. Their lives are vibrant and far from being confined here.
Actually, the whole article isn't really sad, just regrettable. Everyone has their own ending. Good or bad, nothing seems perfect; everything has its flaws.
But it is always their own life journey that they must face.
Cheng Ye and Bian Yi are more like a contrast and a legacy; one's path leads upward, the other downward, destined to be important figures on each other's journeys. But sometimes I feel regret and melancholy, wondering how it could have been this way.
People come and go in the world, new faces replace old ones; perhaps this is the story I'm telling.
There will be an extra chapter; consider it a sweet dream.
Okay, now that I've talked about the characters in the article, let me talk about myself! (Mind if you disagree, run away!)
This article has been both praised and criticized, but I truly cherish every person in it. The endings I wrote and the endings I gave them were all carefully considered.
I probably haven't had a full night's sleep since I started reading this novel, haha. I often wake up in a fright from a dream and then jot down some inspirations in the middle of the night—it's a bittersweet experience.
I will continue to work on some issues in the next book. [Cat paw]
Goodbye. [Cat paw]
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