Chapter 14 Standoff (Part 2)
"...No need for that, I should have done my best anyway."
Lin Chengye felt all her previous anxiety and hesitation vanish, leaving only a surge of anger. She looked down at the mastermind in front of her, feeling a mix of emotions she couldn't quite describe, but a nauseating soreness in her very being.
Why bother? But it must be done.
She stood up and ran wildly toward the west gate, ignoring the fact that her body was nearing its limit. She barely swallowed the metallic taste in her throat, her chest aching as if being cut by a knife.
As he reached the fork in the road, Lin Chengye glanced back in the moonlight.
Chess Master's figure remained kneeling there, facing the direction he had left. He was even shorter than the haystack next to him, and it was almost impossible to tell that he was a person.
Like a stone statue abandoned by the roadside, battered by wind and rain for a hundred years, it still remembers that it may have received kindness when it came, and that little bit of sweetness is enough for it to stay here for the rest of its life.
...
"Huang Qindong!"
Lin Chengye ran until he was breathless, and finally saw that thin figure at the west gate of the Xie residence. The assassins who should have been by her side had all been dismissed, and the grand scene of revenge he had imagined did not appear.
"How is it you? You're not..."
Huang Qindong turned around in surprise, but her hands didn't stop moving. Lin Chengye's heart sank; she knew she was too late.
The dark red smoke rose into the air as a candle flame ignited, then trembled and was dispersed by the wind. In just a few breaths, the entire Love Red Mansion was engulfed in flames, floor after floor. Before the wails and screams could even resound, they were swallowed up by the flames that were only meant to kill.
The sky seemed to have fallen into a sea of fire, and the bright moon was obscured by thick smoke.
She truly hadn't expected this. Lin Chengye clenched his hands at his sides, then let them fall limply to his sides.
The plan was to have the man deliberately act suspiciously to give the impression of ill intent, thus attracting the patrolling officers to the vicinity of the Love and Red Mansion. The idea was to then take the opportunity to check for any suspicious individuals planning arson and warn the officers accordingly.
When Qi Si said those words, Lin Chengye realized that this fire was inevitable. In this hatred, everyone was sacrificing themselves, like moths to a flame, burning themselves in this place. She couldn't even figure out how many people were involved.
They could only hope that the person could find a way to reduce casualties. Chai Hu Nan was already at Qing Hong Lou at this time. Both of them were highly skilled in martial arts, and they could save some people by working together.
Lin Chengye raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose; she didn't have time to think about that anymore.
"...The alliance leader sent you? When did she find out?"
Huang Qindong chuckled self-deprecatingly, deciding that it wasn't really important why Lin Chengye hadn't been drugged. She sighed deeply, half of her face illuminated by the candlelight in her hand.
Lin Chengye stood five steps away and looked into her eyes, but there was no hatred in his eyes.
"You also sent those dead servants outside the city to pick up the children. You should know that some poisons are not so effective against people with profound internal strength, at least they won't kill Xie Xiyuan."
Lin Chengye did not answer Huang Qindong's question and continued speaking.
"That's why we had to use Deadpool to infiltrate and ensure everything went smoothly. So what are you doing now? Six years... no, more than six years, why have you given up now?"
"Hmm, you guessed right. I underestimated you. I really thought you were some kind of person the Alliance Leader brought back... When did she get a daughter?"
Huang Qindong's emotions were calmer than ever before. She had even lost the harshness she had shown on the way to Yicheng. Her eyes were calm and still, and she seemed to have a sense of relief that everything was over.
But her vendetta was clearly not over yet. Huang Qin raised her head and continued walking towards the west gate of the house. In her hand, besides a lit candle, she also carried a sword, and she spoke as she walked.
"It's not about giving up. I only have one enemy, Xie Xiyuan's son, Xie Shengmin. He's not strong enough and is probably about to be poisoned to death. I just suddenly feel... it seems like too many people have died. It's not worth it, not worth it. It's too much of a loss to use the lives of Qi Si and those children to settle my grudges."
Moreover, it seems she really did kill a lot of unrelated people, so it wouldn't be right to say she had no regrets. Over the years, she had told herself countless times that those people deserved to die, but when the Red Mansion was actually engulfed in flames, she felt somewhat dazed.
"You really know how to make a big deal out of a failed attempt. With your skills, even if Xie Xiyuan were poisoned, you wouldn't be able to kill her, and you'd kill her son too. What, you're going in now to risk your life for her?"
"It doesn't matter who kills me, I have to die here. That way it will all be over. No matter how angry Xie Xiyuan is, I, the culprit, am dead."
"I should have given my life to resolve this feud, which has dragged in so many innocent children and others. It's my fault."
This is such a huge mess, how can one person handle it? Huang Qindong has such a deep connection with Jiang Jinmeng, being one of the four elders. Even if he dies, Xie Xiyuan will not let it go and will create a situation of endless conflict with Jiang Jinmeng.
Lin Chengye watched as the person nearly clung to life, her breath caught in the grip of hatred almost dissipating. He rubbed his forehead, deciding not to reason with her for now. Her face turned completely cold, the young man's dark eyes like ice caves, as he spoke, word by word.
"Huang Qindong, stop! Someone can cure this poison, you don't need to worry about the rest."
These words made the resolute figure pause. Huang Qindong turned around in disbelief, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
"Lin Chengye, I think you're the one who's gone mad. What are you talking about? Detoxification? I never said Xie Shengmin wouldn't have to die."
Even if he deserved to die, he shouldn't have dragged you into it, and you didn't deserve to die either. You and Qi Si were chattering away, and it seems you both really wanted to die. Lin Chengye gritted his teeth, pulled something out of his pocket, held it high in front of his eyes, and shouted.
"Huang Qindong! I order you to stop!"
The simple white jade ring with red tassels dangled in it, dazzling Huang Qindong's eyes. She nearly lost her voice, screaming in astonishment.
"The Alliance Leader's Decree?!"
Commanding the entire alliance, receiving their orders was as if seeing the alliance leader himself. Huang Qindong's throat tightened, a sour feeling welling up unexpectedly, almost bringing tears to his eyes.
She tried to forget that person, but this little brat insisted on reminding her. Huang Qindong knew she had wronged too many people along the way, but after thinking it over, she realized that the person she had wronged the most was still the Alliance Leader.
Back then, the alliance leader was just a wandering divine physician who rescued her when she was exiled to the Jiangjin Realm.
Not only that, but he saved many, many people. But Bian Yi's Jiangjin Medical Clinic at that time was only a small place, with two rooms, one for sleeping and the other for storing medicinal herbs.
If there's nowhere else to pick up the person, they'll rescue them by the roadside. If the person wakes up, they'll still be lying by the roadside. At most, they'll leave two pancakes so the person won't starve to death.
However, everyone always wants to thank their benefactor. After Huang Qindong recovered, he started a business in Jiangjinjie and made a fortune. He would visit the Jiangjin Medical Clinic on the outskirts of the city every few days.
As a young man, Huang Qindong had lofty ambitions. Though hatred was buried deep in her heart, she always strived for improvement. Over time, she met three other people from Bian Yi who shared her thoughts: to establish a new martial arts organization in Jiangjinjie so that the people there would no longer suffer from the ravages of war.
From then on, the four of them unanimously used the name of Jiangjin Medical Hall when they did good deeds and helped the people. When the time was right, they all knelt down in front of Bian Yi. The woman listened to their conversation in confusion, and finally understood that they meant for her to become the leader of the Jiangjin Alliance.
"I'm not cut out for this. I can barely keep up with the patients at this clinic! You guys... sigh, you're just young people... never mind, never mind."
The legendary healer, who was always dressed in white and surrounded by snow, frowned for once, sighed, pounded his thigh, and added a sentence.
"If you encounter something you can't solve, remember to come to me. Don't try to tough it out."
In the ninth year of Yongjing, the Jiangjin Alliance was established, but the name of its leader was never announced.
The hatred he couldn't forget surged up again, and Huang Qindong realized in his heart that he was beginning to fall, heading down a path that went against his youthful ideals.
Even though she was only twenty years old.
Huang Qindong was keenly aware that he now possessed sufficient power to scheme and to rekindle past grudges.
"Sister, why haven't you avenged me yet?"
...
Huang Qindong grew up with his parents running a wine stall on the street in Yicheng. They weren't wealthy, but the neighbors were friendly and they helped each other out, so they managed to get by. Back then, there weren't any natural disasters or man-made calamities. It was just that Hua Rong Lou and Xie's residence dominated the area, and the common people were oppressed and lived in fear, but they could still barely make ends meet.
Everyone solemnly declared that any beautiful children in the family should be hidden away, lest the eldest son of the Flower Beauty Pavilion see them. Rumor had it that Xie Shengmin was a monster, sometimes male, sometimes female, fond of walking barefoot with disheveled hair, and spending his days indulging in debauchery at the Love Red Pavilion, living a life of debauchery and immorality. Moreover, every year the Xie family would arrange a marriage for this eldest son, but the girl would always die suddenly within the year, never even leaving a trace of her body.
Not to mention, sometimes I heard that the eldest son was cruel and murderous, torturing people to death and leaving them by the roadside, then defiantly writing down his murder in the blood of the dead. But the officials in the yamen never paid any attention to it and just gave him a hasty burial fee.
So Huang Qindong did her best to hide her younger sister, who was three years younger than her, very well. The younger sister looked almost exactly like her, lively and cute, and loved the color pale yellow, like the forsythia in spring. She was both proud and anxious. Although she and her parents couldn't bear to keep such a young child confined to this dilapidated liquor stall, they had to harden their hearts.
Days passed by, year after year, and before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve of the fourth year of Yongjing.
At that time, Huang Qindong was fifteen years old, and his younger sister was twelve.
"Why can't I go out! You always talk about some young master, but where in a place like this can I find such a young master! I've never even had the chance to stand at the door since I was a child, let alone go to the temple fair with you!"
It should have been a day for them to go out together to the temple fair and pray for blessings, but instead she was locked up in this house.
The younger sister glared angrily at her elder sister and slammed the porcelain bowl of hot soup in her hand to the ground. Huang Qindong couldn't dodge in time and got splashed with hot soup on his ankles, and his new green clothes for the New Year were also stained.
"Have I ever gone to a temple fair alone? I've always been home with you!"
Huang Qindong was suddenly provoked by these words and raised her voice. She wasn't without resentment; her mother had told her to take good care of her younger sister, but wasn't she also trapped here, unable to go far, and having to endure her sister's growing temper every day?
"You...you resent me? If you resent me, then stop staring at me! Who told you to stare at me all day long!"
Tears welled up in the younger sister's eyes. Huang Qindong felt a pang of regret, but she wasn't one to back down easily. She pursed her lips, then resolutely turned away, locked the door, and left.
Despite her younger sister banging on the windows and kicking the door, babbling incoherently and cursing her as a bad sister who would never be friends with her again, she was determined to go out today. She had promised Min'er that she would go to the temple fair with her.
Once she calms down, Huang Qindong covered her ears, grabbed the keys from her pocket, and ran away. She was annoyed by the "Sister Min'er" that the younger sister had mentioned. Min'er was a woman who often came to her house for drinks, usually once every five days. But since she had met the younger sister by chance half a year ago, she had been coming every three days, bringing pastries and asking Huang Qindong to give them to the younger sister.
Although the younger sister couldn't go far, she often helped out at the liquor stalls, listening to the woman named Min'er chat and talk, which made her yearn to go out even more.
"Pah! Anyone who didn't know better would think this Min'er was her real older sister." Huang Qindong felt a little wronged, and inwardly cursed her younger sister for being ungrateful, even though she was clearly doing it for her own good.
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