Chapter 85 A Fool and a Fig Leaf Wouldn't that immediately expose this fool...?
Seeing her approach step by step, Red Boy was so frightened that he gritted his teeth. He hid his left arm behind his back, and with a flick of his wrist, the hidden weapon in his sleeve was ready to be fired!
However, the dart hidden in his sleeve never got a chance to be fired! A pair of dark blue ankle boots had already ground against his elbows.
She chuckled softly, then suddenly exerted force with her toes, the force like a rolling stone crushing everything in her path.
Red Boy suddenly screamed in agony as his ulna cracked inch by inch beneath his skin. The thin wire on the dart pierced deep into his flesh, and the gurgling of blood mixed with the cracking of bones finally brought her some relief.
How could she be satisfied without skinning him alive?
Li Xunhuan's facial muscles were taut; this Red Boy was too vicious, every move was a deadly strike.
He who kills will be killed in return. The so-called Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) is a place of tit-for-tat, an eye for an eye. But Nian Nian is narrow-minded, always seeking revenge for the smallest grievance, and acts too ruthlessly. To let her go would be to harm her.
Li Xunhuan moved swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, he had already struck her Tanzhong acupoint. Niannian's body suddenly went limp, and she could only watch as he helped her sit down on the ground.
Red Boy, his eyes still filled with resentment, glared at Nian Nian and roared, "If you don't kill me today, I'll have my father and mother kill you! If you dare break my arm, I'll tear you apart!"
Li Xunhuan was no longer willing to listen, and struck him squarely in the chest with a palm strike.
He turned to look at Niannian and saw that her eyes were filled with resentment and she was still holding a grudge. He could only sigh and say, "One should be forgiving when one can."
If it were anyone else who wanted to kill her to vent their anger, Li Xunhuan might not have stopped them. But it was Nian Nian, and he was afraid that a moment's hesitation would make her even more unruly.
Realizing that this palm strike had completely destroyed his learned skills, Red Boy suddenly burst into tears.
He's used to being arrogant and domineering, how could he accept being a useless person from now on?
The sharp, piercing cry stabbed into her ears as she stared intently at his fair little face.
This face was meticulously dissected and reshaped in her eyes, suddenly forming a face that was six or seven parts similar.
Her eyes lit up, and a slight tremor suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart, making her blood feel hot. A strong destructive urge made her clench the crossbow bolt in her hand.
She opened her mouth, took a deep breath, then gritted her teeth and pounced on him like a jackal.
She gripped the arrow tightly, and with a swift motion, she dropped it from his forehead, the three-edged tip embedding deeply into his flesh.
Even though she was completely limp, the black iron crossbow bolt was incredibly sharp. In the blink of an eye, it had slashed her annoying face to pieces.
Hot blood splattered onto her cheeks, and she finally exhaled a sigh of relief. The blood droplets that had congealed on her long eyelashes trembled slightly with her smile, and then rolled down from the corners of her eyes like beads.
"ah--!!"
The Red Boy, disfigured by the arrow, was nearly driven mad and was cursing her incoherently, every word filled with hatred and a desire to kill.
Li Xunhuan hadn't expected her to do this, and immediately frowned as he grabbed her wrist, saying in a deep voice, "Why are you so persistent?"
The child's martial arts have already been crippled, and he's lost an arm; the punishment is severe enough. Why go and further disfigure him?
Nian Nian lowered her eyes and remained silent.
He wants to kill her, so why should she spare him?
She refused to speak, but Red Boy began to roar madly, "My father is Long Xiaoyun, the master of Xingyun Manor! You just wait! You all just wait! I'm going to tear your bones apart and feed them to the dogs!"
"What—what did you say!"
Upon hearing his words, Li Xunhuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. All he could hear was the deafening sound of a bell, which made his ears ring and his body sway precariously.
The Red Boy thought he was scared and said viciously, "My father is Long Xiaoyun and my mother is Lin Shiyin. If you don't kill me today, I will personally rip your bones out one day."
His words were extremely malicious.
However, Li Xunhuan could no longer hear it; all that remained in his mind was the sentence, "My father is Long Xiaoyun, and my mother is Lin Shiyin."
Li Xunhuan was pinned to the spot, his face deathly pale, sweat beading on his forehead, and each breath he took was almost a sob.
Poetic Sounds —
He was the one who brought his elder brother and Shiyin together back then, so how could he now harm their child with his own hands?
How could he...?
The excruciating pain churned in his stomach, almost making him vomit.
Hearing the commotion, the two burly men accompanying him outside finally burst in. Upon seeing the miserable state of Young Master Long, they were instantly horrified and broke out in a cold sweat.
Inside the stone house, voices of questioning, cursing, and explanations mingled together, creating quite a lively scene.
Niannian lay prostrate on the ground, looking at Li Xunhuan amidst the noise.
Those emerald green eyes trembled with sorrow and pain, and that light pierced her heart like a sword. A familiar, sharp pain surged in her heart again, but instead of frowning, she subtly curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
She knew this piece of broken wood carving was interesting.
"Young Master..." Tie Chuanjia called out sadly from outside the carriage.
He didn't know how to bring up this place of sorrow.
No one understood the bond between the young master, Fourth Master Long, and Lin Shiyin better than him. After ten peaceful years beyond the Great Wall, the young master suddenly wanted to return—wasn't it all for Lin Shiyin?
Fate is cruel; why did it have to be her son who was hurt? How is the young master supposed to face this in the future?
Li Xunhuan, of course, knew that he had arrived at the place where he had to apologize with thorns on his back.
He was here when he first learned to walk, and here when he first fell in love with a young girl. He achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations here, hosted a banquet for his guests, and also lost his parents and brothers, lost his beloved, and gave away a vast fortune here.
Ten years have passed, and he still returns to this place in his dreams every day. Even with his eyes closed, he can still depict every brick and tile of this place.
Li Xunhuan looked somber and was about to get out of the car when he saw Niannian suddenly grip his hand tightly.
She suddenly became focused and said, "I hurt him, it has nothing to do with you. If you're afraid they'll blame you, then let them take my life."
Li Xunhuan's mouth felt as bitter as if he were eating bitter herbs, and all sorts of sorrow and grief mixed together, leaving him unable to utter a single word.
It has nothing to do with him? How can it have nothing to do with him? He personally crippled that child's martial arts.
He smiled bitterly, feeling that his very existence was nothing more than a means to harm Shion and his elder brother. But to harm them would be worse than being torn to pieces.
Seeing his face as pale as paper, Nian Nian felt a little sorry for him and could only try to comfort him.
She buried her face in his cold palm and nuzzled against him like a cat, saying, "Don't be upset. I know I was wrong; I shouldn't have scratched his face. Please don't blame me, okay?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, and her hot face pressed against his palm, the heat instantly bringing him back to his senses.
Looking at the moist cat eyes in front of him, Li Xunhuan wanted to teach her, "If you have done something wrong, you must repent; if you have done something bad, you must fear it."[1] But the three crossbow bolts were not aimed at her. If she had no martial arts skills, she would have already become a dead soul under the arrows.
Even if he can be magnanimous, he cannot be magnanimous for Niannian.
How could he possibly resent her? He wasn't her father after all; how could he be magnanimous on her behalf?
“This is none of your business, get off the bus,” he said sadly.
From beginning to end, he was the only sinner.
But who would have thought that this sinner was originally the owner of this place? Everything has changed, and Li Garden has long since become Xingyun Manor.
Li Xunhuan was only distracted at the door for a moment when a middle-aged man in brocade robes suddenly ran out of the manor.
Upon seeing Li Xunhuan, the man quickly stepped forward, tears welling in his eyes, and said in a hoarse voice, "Xunhuan, it's been ten years! It really is you!"
Upon hearing the voice of his old friend, Li Xunhuan burst into tears, "Brother..."
Yes, it's been ten years. These ten years have been longer than a lifetime.
After not seeing each other for years, Long Xiaoyun hugged his neck, overwhelmed with excitement and joy. But when the past was mentioned, both of them were moved to tears.
Niannian stood behind Li Xunhuan, staring at the old man with unfriendly eyes.
Why resort to physical violence when you can just talk?
She hasn't even put her arms around his neck yet. That old bastard, shameless.
A surge of frustration welled up in her chest, and she couldn't help but purse her lips. Even though she thought Li Xunhuan looked handsome when he cried, why did he always cry?
Long Xiaoyun wasn't blind; of course he could see a child staring at him without blinking.
He suddenly looked up, grabbed Li Xunhuan's arm, and laughed, "This must be my niece! Good brother, I didn't expect you to be married already. You didn't even offer me a cup of wedding wine! Why didn't you bring your wife along?"
Li Xunhuan was speechless, and said with a wry smile, "Where would I get a home like Ke Cheng?"
Li Xunhuan had long since lost his home.
But as soon as he said it, he regretted it. Fearing that his elder brother would misunderstand, even though his eyes were already brimming with tears, he could only pretend to be frivolous and say, "I'm afraid I would have to meet the one and only beauty in the world before I, a playboy, would have the thought of settling down."
Long Xiaoyun laughed loudly, patted his shoulder, and exclaimed, "...Haha, a man isn't a man if he's not a bit of a womanizer! Brother, you haven't changed a bit. And this kid is......"
Seeing a glint of darkness in his eyes, Niannian found it amusing and obediently said, "Hello, Uncle."
He laughed and nodded, pretending to pat Niannian's head, but she subtly dodged it.
Li Xunhuan fell silent, unsure how to introduce Nian Nian. Normally, he would tell his elder brother the truth about Nian Nian's background.
But it was precisely at this critical moment that Nian Nian broke Long Xiaoyun's arm and disfigured the child's face.
Countless thoughts swirled together, making his breathing grow heavier and heavier. After a long while, he could only lower his eyes and say guiltily, "This child is considered my goddaughter. I only just found out that Xiaoyun is my elder brother's child. I... it's all my fault."
He knew that Long Xiaoyun must have told him everything, and given the child's personality, she would inevitably embellish the story and might even try to frame him.
But he refused to defend himself, not even uttering a single word.
He desperately wanted Long Xiaoyun to berate him, even if it meant he had to pay with his life, he would never complain.
But Long Xiaoyun's eyes widened, and he said sternly, "My son is your son! This child is good-for-nothing, and you're disciplining this beast for me. Is that wrong of you?!"
He took a breath, softened his voice, and said, "Your adopted daughter is also my daughter! This little beast dared to kill his own sister. Even if you don't intervene, I will beat him half to death."
After hearing this, Li Xunhuan was so moved that he couldn't speak.
Long Xiaoyun wasn't finished yet. He bent down and said gently to Niannian, "Good child, treat this place as your own home. If anyone dares to bully you, tell your uncle, and your uncle will teach them a lesson for you."
He showed such tenderness towards the stranger who had harmed his son. Who wouldn't marvel at the depth of their brotherly love?
She stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said sweetly, "Thank you, Uncle."
She glanced at Li Xunhuan, secretly amused. How could someone only grow wrinkles but not have any discernment?
Li Xunhuan told her he wanted to teach her to read and write, but she had no desire to learn at all. However, after seeing this old man today, she suddenly felt quite eager to learn.
Once she learns this affected manner, and then acts pitiful, wouldn't she be able to easily fool this fool?
Nian Nian followed Li Xunhuan leisurely into the hall, feeling more joyful than ever before.
As soon as Long Xiaoyun saw her, she instinctively hid in her mother's arms.
His face was wrapped in strips of cloth, and his arms were draped around his neck. He was still very young, and he looked pitiful when he wasn't doing anything wrong.
Seeing him like this, Niannian really wanted to scare the little beast, but she had just learned from his father the benefits of pretending, so she had to give up.
Li Xunhuan, however, had already lost his soul and could no longer see anything else; his eyes were only fixed on that purple figure.
Lin Shiyin was beautiful and delicate, with a pale complexion and a hint of indifference and sorrow in her eyes, like a purple iris battered by rain, making her seem pitiful.
This purple iris took root in the first half of his life, and after hiding in that old dream, it never wanted to come out again.
He was drunk every night in his dreams, and when he found the purple iris with tears in his eyes, he would always wake up suddenly in self-loathing. He could only lie in bed, letting the pitch-black night engulf his mouth and nose, drowning him alive.
But these things are no longer something that can be said, nothing that can be said.
Seeing the purple iris on his heart again, he could only force himself to suppress the bitterness in his heart and smile, "Sister-in-law."
Every word of that sentence pierced the heart.
Long Xiaoyun's eyes flickered slightly as he spoke gently to Niannian, "My dear niece, this is your aunt."
Niannian was already planning to do something bad, but she didn't expect this person to directly hand her the blade.
How could she not accept such a timely and obedient help?
Niannian stared at Lin Shiyin's face with a smile, then said sweetly, "Auntie is so beautiful."
Her smile was sweeter than honey, but Lin Shiyin's face instantly turned ashen.
This blow struck her so hard that she couldn't even speak.
Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "You..."
After a long silence, she curled her fingertips and said with a pale face, "Hello."
As soon as she finished speaking, she stopped looking at everyone, took Long Xiaoyun's hand, and said coldly, "I'll take Xiaoyun to rest first."
Watching her leave, Long Xiaoyun sighed, "Don't blame her, mothers spoil their sons too much. She just loves her son too much."
Li Xunhuan could only manage a bitter smile.
Long Xiaoyun patted his back, "You must be tired from the journey, so let the boy rest. We brothers won't leave until we're drunk!"
Over the past decade, Li Xunhuan has practically immersed himself in alcohol, making it extremely difficult to get him drunk.
The more one tries to get drunk, the less likely one is to get drunk, like right now. He walked back to Tingzhu Pavilion, and all he saw along the way were not flowers, plants, or pavilions, but all sorts of things from the past.
He walked into the courtyard in the darkness, feeling his feet sinking deeper and deeper with each step. Everyone was half-paralyzed in the swamp, and there was no one to lend him a hand.
The cold wind blew into his throat, and he coughed so hard he almost collapsed in the deserted night.
He had become an isolated island long ago, though he didn't know when it happened.
Such a lonely night is actually quite ordinary.
He pushed open the door, reeking of alcohol, his eyes still filled with emptiness and grief, and suddenly frowned and shouted, "Who is it!"
The throwing knife was already in his fingertips, ready to be thrown, when suddenly a bright red rotten apple crawled out from under the covers.
Li Xunhuan breathed a sigh of relief, but the icy chill of the throwing knife between his fingers reminded him of how dangerous it had been. If he had just raised his hand to throw that knife, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
He said in a deep voice, "Who taught you to lie in my bed?"
His tone was somewhat stern as he spoke, but Nian Nian remained calmly huddled under the covers, asking instead of answering, "Uncle Li, why do you know how to carve Auntie's wood carving?"
Her tone carried a hint of naivety and a touch of unspoken suspicion.
Those cat-like eyes, which were originally as clear as jewels, now seemed to Li Xunhuan like flickering will-o'-the-wisps, suddenly burning away his fig leaf and leaving him naked, exposing all his dirty, disgusting, and inappropriate thoughts in front of a child who admired and adored him.
What should she think of him?
Long Xiaoyun treated him like a brother, but he coveted his wife every night.
Li Xunhuan was already out of breath, and as if he had been slapped, he weakly stammered, "I..."
She pressed on, staring at him intently, and said, "Although I can't read, I still think this isn't right. What if Uncle sees this and gets angry?"
She went against her conscience and said, "No, he's been so good to you, he definitely won't be angry. He should just be very sad, right?"
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The author says: "One must repent for one's mistakes and be fearful of one's wrongdoings" comes from "Guoyu: Chu Yu Xia". It roughly means: one must correct one's mistakes and be fearful of one's wrongdoings.
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