Chapter 56 I've returned because I want you dead!
The courtyard gate opened and closed, and a man dressed in black blended into the night, his figure as elusive as a demon, carrying an umbrella, and strode in with an imposing air.
With an unknown amount of force, his long, slightly bent fingers broke the umbrella handle in his palm; any more force and it would have turned to dust.
Amidst the flashes of lightning and thunder, his face became even clearer, revealing deep-set brows, a furious expression, and a simmering resentment in his eyes.
A sudden downpour accompanied by strong winds.
The avengers, filled with boundless rage, arrived unexpectedly and with overwhelming force.
When the people in the courtyard saw his face clearly, they all stared wide-eyed, and even their breath caught in their throats.
Mingying felt as if she had been hit on the head with a stick, and thought she was just imagining the pain.
The face in front of her overlapped with the face that kept disturbing her sleep.
In his dream, he kept saying that she had harmed him and that he was going to find her and take revenge.
At that moment, the world fell silent.
She couldn't hear the thunder, the wind, or anything else; all she could hear was her heart pounding wildly.
Her clothes were soaked with cold sweat, and her body was so stiff and numb that she lost all feeling, as if a venomous snake was gradually coiling around her spine from the soles of her feet.
How is that possible?
She couldn't even tell whether he was a human or a ghost.
Shen Mingshu, standing to the side, was also filled with astonishment.
"Pei Xiaoyun?!" Xiao Hou took two steps back, shouting in panic, "You...you're not dead?!"
How could he not be dead? He even sent people to grind his bones to dust.
How could he possibly come back?!
Pei Xiaoyun was filled with resentment and hatred, wishing she could tear everyone present to pieces. Hatred overwhelmed her reason, and she shouted, "Fire arrows! Leave no one alive!"
His cold, icy voice reached her ears, and Mingying gasped for breath, feeling a chill run down her spine. She finally realized that he was a living, breathing person.
Through the drizzling rain, she met his gaze, disregarding the immense hatred hidden in his eyes. If their eyes met even once more, she would be melted by the terrifying heat emanating from them.
He didn't die...
Fear, helplessness, and loss swirled in her heart. She tried to pull her fingers away, but couldn't muster the strength.
The sound of a bowstring being drawn echoed all around, like a knife slicing through a person's chest, gradually disemboweling them.
Shen Mingshu was trapped in the middle and had no time to react when he saw Xiao Hou holding a knife, turning around, grabbing Mingying, and dragging her backward.
"Let her go!"
Xiao Hou held a knife to Ming Ying's neck, forcefully pulling her back against the wall: "Pei Xiaoyun, you're lucky to have survived. I can't kill you, but I won't let your woman go!"
He instinctively thought that the brother and sister were still in sync with Pei Xiaoyun and had set up such a big scheme to harm him.
But he might not be indifferent to the woman in his arms.
Mingying was so entangled in Xiao Hou's arm that she could hardly breathe, her legs went weak, and she was dragged along by him. In her desperate struggle, she even lost one of her shoes.
As soon as Xiao Hou finished speaking, she heard Pei Xiaoyun's sinister laughter echoing in the courtyard, each laugh piercing her heart.
“You killed a woman who betrayed me; it's just as well that I did it myself.”
After Pei Xiaoyun finished speaking, he pursed his thin lips, his features becoming sharp.
Mingying's teary eyes only added fuel to the fire of his anger, making it burn even more fiercely.
Looking at her pitiful expression, he couldn't help but want to applaud!
She deserves to die!
He seemed to have thought of something, his dark eyes reflecting the tumultuous waves of that night…
She betrayed his route map, leaving him isolated and helpless. His warship was overturned, and he was seriously wounded, struck by several arrows. He managed to swim ashore under cover of night.
He lived in anonymity in Hangzhou, faked his death, and laid out plans for two months, finally waiting for the perfect opportunity.
His remaining troops had already retreated to a place where Xiao Hou and his men would never find them.
The people he had them find were all just bait, such as Xing Wei, Ming Ying, and Shen Mingshu.
He had planned it all along, having Xiao Hou's men kill them. But when he heard her outside saying that he deserved to die, he felt unsatisfied and decided to kill her himself.
His eyes were still spitting fire as he glared at Mingying and coldly stretched out his hand to the side: "Bring me a bow and arrows."
"Stop!" Shen Mingshu tried to rush forward.
Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor.
Pei Xiaoyun didn't want to settle scores with him yet, so she waved her hand and ordered her men to capture him and take him away.
Mingying was still being held hostage by Xiao Hou, and was dragged along every step of the way.
The blade sliced through her neck, and warm blood gushed out continuously. Excessive blood loss blurred her vision, and with her last shred of clarity, she glared at Pei Xiaoyun with hatred.
She realized that Cuikong Manor was nothing but a trap he had set, and tonight they had all fallen into his scheme.
He was so cold-blooded that he used his own daughter as bait.
Why did he manage to come back alive? If he hadn't died, none of us would have been better off!
Without hesitation, Pei Xiaoyun drew his bow and aimed at Xiao Hou first.
Mingying realized that the arrow was aimed at her head.
She was prepared to die, gritted her teeth, and clenched her fists. If she could do it all over again, she would definitely give him another dose of poison.
Seeing that threatening him with the woman in his arms was completely ineffective, Xiao Hou's face paled, and he shouted, "Pei Xiaoyun, let me go, and I will return your regency power to you and will not fight you for anything anymore. I still have leverage over the major families, which I can offer you!"
Pei Xiaoyun remained silent, his eyes like those of a hawk, calmly staring ahead.
Mingying bled more and more, grew weaker and weaker, and could no longer hear what they were saying.
She desperately wished that Pei Xiaoyun would shoot an arrow at her and give her a quick death.
Seeing that Pei Xiaoyun remained silent, Xiao Hou assumed that he had indeed wavered and was overjoyed. He relaxed his mind and wanted to negotiate further.
"I--"
He uttered only one word before an arrow pierced his throat, blood splattering everywhere. His eyes widened as he fell backward.
Once Mingying lost Xiao Hou's grip, she collapsed to the ground like a fluttering piece of paper.
Blood kept flowing from the wound on her neck. Her consciousness was blurring, everything went black, and she couldn't lift her head. All she could see was a pair of black boots approaching her...
—
It was five days later when Mingying could feel a sliver of sunlight shining on her eyelids.
A dull pain shot through her neck. She touched it; it felt rough and was wrapped in gauze. She was lying on dry straw.
She was still wearing that dirty dress, covered in mud, but it was completely dry.
As her vision gradually cleared, she could make out the dim outlines. All around her were iron walls, with only a skylight hanging high above.
This is... a prison cell.
Instinctive fear made her curl her fingers and shrink into a ball.
She suddenly remembered what happened that night: Pei Xiaoyun hadn't died; he had returned.
He wants revenge, so he's locked her up in jail. How will he torture her even more?
She heard several sharp cracking sounds from next door, like flesh being chopped. Her heart skipped a beat, and then she heard a man's screams.
"Ah—have mercy, have mercy! I'll tell you everything!"
The pungent, fishy smell filled her nostrils, and she frowned, then clutched her stomach and gagged violently.
A moment later, the iron gate was opened, and a gust of cold wind rushed in.
She huddled in the corner, barely managing to lift her eyes to see the man's dark robes billowing out a shadow as he approached her.
Pei Xiaoyun was in the next room just now, and when she heard her movements, she knew that she had woken up.
With Xiao Hou dead, the major aristocratic families scattered like leaves in the wind. He led his troops back to the capital, killing those who deserved to die and settling scores with those who needed to be settled. Within a few days, he arrested and imprisoned a hundred remnants of the Xiao family.
And she was no exception.
A trace of the prisoner's blood splattered on his face, which he wiped away with his fingertips, as he walked towards her step by step without saying a word.
Mingying looked at him as if he were a demon rising from hell.
Unfazed by him, her pale lips moved slightly, her shoulders trembled, and she sneered, "Heaven is truly blind. How come you're still alive? How come you haven't suffered your retribution yet?"
These words completely ignited Pei Xiaoyun's temporarily suppressed anger.
His shoes crunched on the straw, breaking it one by one. He slowly squatted down in front of her, easily grabbing her neck. His scarlet eyes stared at her: "If I believed in karma, I would have died long ago when you betrayed me and my ship sank at sea. I don't believe in cause and effect; I only believe in myself."
When he discovered her betrayal, he imagined many ways she could die.
When he was critically injured and on the verge of death, he survived only because of his hatred, thinking about how to take revenge on her.
He felt her pulse throbbing in his palm, and his expression faltered slightly as he looked at the tears welling up in her eyes.
Even now, in his daze, he still can't believe that his Mian'er would betray him.
"So, are you going to kill me?" Mingying stared straight at him, urging him, "If you're going to kill me, then do it quickly."
Pei Xiaoyun ignored her words, clutching a withered flower tightly in her palm and manipulating it wantonly, "When was the poison removed? Who removed it for you?"
Looking back on his memories, he realized that she might have been pretending ever since she returned to his side, plotting all the way to boarding the ship, using raising carrier pigeons as a cover, but in reality, she was sending messages to them.
He actually trusted her completely, personally handing the letter to her, and even ridiculously fantasized about making jewelry for her and marrying her.
When the topic of removing the curse came up, Mingying became agitated and tried to break free from his control, but he tightened his grip even more.
Bloodshot veins appeared in her clear eyes as she repeated, "Why don't you just die? How can you still be alive?"
That time, she was filled with regret and resentment for not being able to deliver a fatal blow to him.
Pei Xiaoyun turned her face away, no longer looking at her, her face full of gloom.
He even foolishly thought that if she begged for forgiveness and admitted her mistake, he might be able to spare her some suffering.
But she kept saying she wanted him dead.
At this moment, just like the night he guessed she was a spy on the ship, he felt as if his chest had been ripped open and a stick had been struck his heart, causing waves of throbbing pain.
Why is that?
"Someone come here!" He practically gritted his teeth, panting heavily, and ordered his men to tie her to the rack and bring a whip soaked in salt water.
Mingying was injured and weak, and could only stand up when she was firmly bound by shackles.
She was bound to a bloodstained cross, her arms outstretched, her face as white as paper against the light from the skylight.
As he approached her step by step, holding a long whip, she felt her breath catch in her throat and shouted, "I betrayed you! I wanted you dead! I told you, if you don't kill me or let me go, we'll fight to the death! If you have the guts, just kill me! Quickly!"
"Why?" Pei Xiaoyun was stunned by her question, looking at her in bewilderment as if she were looking at the past her, the illusion and reality completely different. "Mian'er?"
"Don't call me that!" Mingying tilted her head back, moving violently, the gauze stained slightly red. "Every time you call me that, I feel disgusted!"
"Why do you feel disgusted? Didn't I always call you that before?!" Pei Xiaoyun said through gritted teeth, his face burning with anger.
Does she feel disgusted every time he touches her, besides being unwilling?
“It’s all in the past…” Mingying choked up, her eyes red.
Everything died three years ago in the mass grave where she escaped under cover of night; she, too, is dead.
She was no longer anyone's servant, and she could now look him in the eye: "In all these years, have you ever called me by my proper name? You've imprisoned me just to have a servile servant who's always fawning over me and smiling obsequiously!"
Pei Xiaoyun's pupils twitched slightly; all that could be seen was her lips opening and closing.
He used to think that he would take her back, coax her, and give her the position of a concubine.
But at some point, he also began to think about marrying her.
With each word Mingying spoke, her bandaged wound bled a little more. As she recounted the past, tears streamed down her face: "I waited anxiously for you to come back, only to be given a bowl of abortifacient medicine. You left me alone in the backyard. When I was on the verge of death, what did you take me for? A cat or a dog?"
Pei Xiaoyun's eyes darkened. These two things might indeed be untimely, but they were the best solution back then.
He assumed she didn't need to know, that he would arrange everything for her, and that she only needed to do as he said.
"I went to great lengths to escape you, but you haunt me relentlessly, refusing to let me go. Time and again you deceived and humiliated me with people I cared about, sent me to a brothel, cast a spell on me, and caused my family to be destroyed. Isn't it only natural that I want you dead? You're just a cold-blooded madman. You're ruthless to others, yet you expect everyone to be devoted to you? Being betrayed is your just deserts!"
Was he betrayed and deserved it?
Pei Xiaoyun felt a stab in his ear, but he did not get angry. Instead, he laughed softly and sinisterly, his face twisted and crazed.
Indeed, he is now deserted by everyone, and everyone wants him dead.
What did he consider her to be? He asked himself honestly. She was neither a servant, a cat or dog, nor a prostitute.
Yes, anyone can betray him, and he doesn't care about those people; he'll just kill them with a single blow.
But when she betrayed him, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, and he couldn't even hold the whip firmly.
"I—hate—you." Mingying glared at him coldly, as if afraid he wouldn't hear her clearly, each word resounding.
She wasn't afraid of angering him; facing certain death, she only wanted a quick end.
Pei Xiaoyun said nothing, staring at her for a while. Their gazes seemed to be burning with sparks, ready to ignite at any moment, or like two stones colliding, neither of them gaining the upper hand.
Immediately, veins throbbed on his forehead, and he swung the whip, bringing it down high into the air.
Mingying heard the whip slash through the air, and the resulting gust of cold wind lifted a stray strand of her hair.
She closed her eyes, waiting for her skin to tear open.
With a loud "snap," the bright sound filled the dimly lit room.
The whip struck the ground with tremendous force, even breaking in two, sending up clouds of dust and grass.
Pei Xiaoyun threw down the broken whip in her hand and left angrily, leaving behind the words: "Keep an eye on her, don't let her die."
His blood was boiling and he didn't want to look at her.
Mingying lowered her head, but her eyes were sharp and piercing as she stared intently at his back.
Kong Qing, following Pei Xiaoyun's orders, stayed behind to interrogate the criminals. Passing by Ming Ying's cell, he sighed, "Miss Ming, you almost killed your master this time. He treated you well; you really shouldn't have betrayed him."
He had followed Pei Xiaoyun since childhood, so naturally he always put his master first.
Out of consideration for the three years they had spent together in Yangzhou, he held Mingying in some respect, yet she was capable of betraying her master.
He didn't understand, nor did he know why she would do that.
“I regret it too,” Mingying said with a pale smile. “I regret not being able to strike harder, and that he came back alive.”
She was unwilling to accept it!
Kong Qing shook her head and left, her eyes filled with disappointment.
—
When Pei Xiaoyun returned to her newly opened residence, the lights were already on everywhere.
Upon entering the courtyard, I heard the sound of a child crying coming from the east courtyard.
He paused, recalling that night at Cuikong Villa.
He used his three-year-old daughter as bait to lure Xiao Hou into a trap, but he had already laid a defense, and no one could break in. Even if someone did break in, the house was full of his men, so that they could enter vertically and leave horizontally.
It was a foolproof plan, but when he heard his daughter crying, his chest throbbed with embarrassment.
Upon arriving at the east wing room, the lights were still on.
On the small couch, Pei Yu'an was kicking the blankets and tossing and turning, while several nannies surrounded the curtains to coax him.
"I want to go home...I want to go home...I don't want to be here!"
"What's wrong?" Pei Xiaoyun walked to the bedside and saw that the person was crying and making a fuss. She asked the nannies and maids who were in charge of taking care of the person.
When the servants saw him arrive, they were all caught off guard and were immediately startled, rising to their feet to pay their respects.
The older nanny said, "Perhaps the young lady isn't used to living in the newly opened mansion and keeps insisting on going back to her old place."
"Stop making a fuss." Pei Xiaoyun patiently sat down and coaxed him, looking at the little one's face, which was red from crying, on the bed. "This is your home, you're not going anywhere else."
He was often away on official business, and it was difficult for him to stay at home for even half a month at a time. Usually, the servants took care of the children, and he only occasionally taught his daughter to write a few characters.
Pei Yu'an rarely saw Pei Xiaoyun.
Upon seeing him, she recoiled as if she'd met a stranger. Only after recognizing him did her sobs subside, and she opened her round, bright eyes: "Daddy, I want to go home, I'm scared..."
Pei Xiaoyun realized that when she said she wanted to go home, she was afraid of going to Cuikong Manor.
His hand, which had been hovering in the air, froze instantly. A sense of guilt lingered in his heart. He stroked her soft hair and said, "Alright, I won't go again. Go to sleep."
He seemed to see another person through those clear eyes, telling him that she was afraid.
Soon, he realized that Mingying was a stubborn rock and would never beg for mercy.
He left her in jail and ignored her; she might really stay there until she dies.
Pei Yu'an fell asleep.
She was a little afraid of Pei Xiaoyun; the distant and oppressive feeling made her obediently close her eyes and fall asleep in no time.
The child fell asleep, the servants went out, the night wind extinguished the lamp, and darkness descended like a net.
Pei Xiaoyun suddenly realized that the surroundings were eerily quiet.
The next day, he summoned a doctor to treat Mingying's injuries.
She was uncooperative and wouldn't eat the food that was brought in. He remembered her words about fighting him to the death and felt a chill of fear in his heart, worried that she might really commit suicide in prison. So he sent people to guard her closely.
His men have brought He Lianqing back from Hangzhou.
He didn't need to think much to know that He Lianqing must have removed the curse from her, but he didn't have time to settle accounts right now.
Mingying refused to cooperate with the doctor's treatment, so he thought he should ask He Lianqing to take a look at her; perhaps she would be willing.
He Lianqing had also thought that Pei Xiaoyun was dead, and that he was now free to spend the rest of his life running a small clinic in Hangzhou.
But that morning, when he returned from his free clinic, he found two men with knives blocking his way.
He immediately realized that everyone had fallen into the trap.
He did not resist and followed those people to the capital.
Pei Xiaoyun is not dead, and he will certainly not let his old friends go. He also cares about the safety of many people.
When he heard Pei Xiaoyun give the order to go and treat Mingying, he was sincerely grateful that she was still alive.
Xingwei came in to report on her work and brushed past him. She saw him and was about to say something.
He Lianqing spoke first: "When you were lying in the clinic, did you already know he wasn't dead?"
As soon as she returned to the capital, Pei Xiaoyun faked his death and returned to massacre the Cuikong Manor.
Given her loyalty to Pei Xiaoyun, she probably already knew about the plan while recuperating in the clinic, and was just waiting for the right opportunity, deliberately lying low.
He was even worried about her safety and advised her not to leave Hangzhou.
In retrospect, it seems utterly ridiculous and unnecessary of him.
"See you later, no need for pleasantries, we're not that close." He spoke again, refusing to take back what Xingwei was about to say, and turned to leave.
She and Pei Xiaoyun are the same kind of people, cold and ruthless, capable of using anyone, truly befitting a master and servant.
He must be crazy to meddle in the affairs of people like that.
Xingwei watched his retreating figure, swallowing back the shock she felt.
The wind blew her clothes fluttering and scattering.
She pulled herself away and turned to leave.
She didn't realize how important it was that she hadn't explained things to anyone.
—
cell.
Only a sliver of light shines in each day.
Mingying ignored the wound on her neck, which slowly dried up on its own. The gauze seemed to be stuck to her skin, and even a slight turn of her head would cause a tearing pain.
There were five or six bowls by the door, containing the food from the past two days, but she hadn't touched them.
Every day I lay on that dilapidated bamboo bed, staring into the distance from dusk till dawn.
With a creak, the cell door opened from the outside.
Mingying turned to the side, ignoring the commotion. Her worst-case scenario was that Pei Xiaoyun would go berserk and rush in to slash her with a knife.
If only he had really killed her.
The man standing at the door saw the ground covered with food and water, his pupils twitched, and his face fell.
"I won't kill you," Pei Xiaoyun said solemnly, looking at her slightly heaving back.
Mingying suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
"If I want you to live, you won't die."
He approached her step by step and saw the gauze around her neck soaked in crimson. Suddenly, he raised his voice and said to the outside, "Come in and take a look at her."
When He Lianqing saw her lying there, her clothes tattered and her face covered in dust, his eyes welled up with tears.
They, brother and sister, endured all the suffering in the world.
What did one gain in the end from risking their life to break free from the curse?
“It’s me.” He walked past Pei Xiaoyun and stood in front of Mingying. “I’ve come to check your injuries.”
Upon hearing He Lianqing's voice, Mingying turned her head slightly and stood up, saying, "Doctor He."
She was not surprised to see He Lianqing.
With Pei Xiaoyun back alive, how could these people possibly have a good life?
When she turned around, Pei Xiaoyun finally saw her face clearly. Her face was ashen, covered in blood and filth, and her eyes were like a dry well that had been drained of water.
Even when she said she hated him, her expression was more vibrant than it is now.
He remained silent, consciously stepping aside to wait for He Lianqing to treat her.
"Check if there are any internal injuries."
I wonder if Xiao Hou hurt her that night at Cuikong Manor.
He Lianqing understood and told Mingying to extend her hand.
He came to treat her, and Mingying naturally wouldn't refuse. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing half of her wrist.
He Lianqing took her pulse, and when he felt her pulse, he frowned and moved his wrist away.
He met Pei Xiaoyun's deep, dark eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke: "She is already two months pregnant."
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