Qin Qiyun gave a cold snort.
“You should know that everything I did was to deal with Qiao Fenglang,” he suddenly said, emphasizing the last three words.
Yuwen Cuiyu trembled slightly, but immediately replied calmly, "I know."
"Then why are you still cooperating with me?"
“I’m cooperating with you to deal with Yin Wuxiao. As for him, you absolutely cannot bring him down.” Yuwen Cuiyu did not turn around.
Her confident tone enraged him, and he suddenly grabbed her by the neck.
"So you still only have him in your heart, even though..."
"There is no such thing as 'even if'!" Yuwen Cuiyu shouted, her beautiful face forced to rise, meeting his intense anger. "You ugly person have no right to talk about 'even if'."
"You..." Qin Qiyun's cold eyes widened, his disfigured face radiating anger, making him look like half a Yama.
With a "smack," Yuwen Cuiyu was knocked to the ground, her cheek quickly swelling and turning red.
"Get out!" Qin Qiyun spat out a single word through gritted teeth.
She didn't look up, straightened her clothes, and turned to leave expressionlessly.
It should be so. The person she had loved for six years was now Qiao Fenglang, the leader of the Qiao Gang, while Qin Qiyun could not stir even a chord in her heart.
"Brother Qiao, Xiao'er is your cousin, so how come you're helping outsiders bully her?" Shi Mansi casually tossed peanuts into her mouth. Seriously? Things have gotten this far; wouldn't she be a fool not to guess the truth?
Glancing at her, Qin Qiyun casually uttered a startling statement: "Although I can't kill you, I wouldn't mind cutting out your tongue."
"..." Shi Mansi almost choked on the peanuts. She glared at Qin Qiyun with resentment and covered her lips.
"What do you want to see me about?" Qin Qiyun turned to Yin Wuxiao.
Having seen the Blood Jade Pendant, Qin Qiyun knew she had guessed his identity, so he did not disguise himself.
Yin Wuxiao hesitated for a while before finally saying, "Your true identity... is it Mu Li, or Qiao Fenglang?"
Qin Qiyun was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "How could someone as intelligent as Miss Yin ask such a stupid question? Isn't Qiao Fenglang currently the leader of the Qiao Gang?"
"So, you are Brother Mu Li?"
He neither shook his head nor nodded; he simply remained silent.
Why did you kill your brother and mother?
"Which one is the elder brother, and which one is the mother?" Qin Qiyun sneered.
Yin Wuxiao was at a loss for words, which was like questioning Yin Bitong about why she killed someone. If she felt no remorse for killing him, what grounds did he have to question her?
"Your personality changed so drastically because you were imprisoned in Yunshan by your uncle for many years? How did your face get injured? And how did Brother Fenglang offend you?"
"Offended? Do you want to know how your brother Fenglang offended me?" Qin Qiyun sneered.
Yin Wuxiao nodded: "I know Fenglang the best. He has been gentle and peaceful since childhood, and he only cares about his lotus pond. He would never harm you."
"Oh?" Qin Qiyun seemed very interested. "Is your brother Fenglang such a good person in your heart?"
"Yes." Yin Wuxiao clenched his fists behind his back, trying his best to suppress something.
Seeing her so determined, Qin Qiyun felt a little annoyed.
"Then you can wait to see your brother Fenglang off to his death!" He flicked his sleeve and left.
Yin Wuxiao clenched his fist.
"Brother Fenglang!" she called out from behind him.
Qin Qiyun stood frozen at the doorway.
Peanuts were sprayed out of Shi Mansi's nostrils.
"you……"
"What...did you call me?" Qin Qiyun's back trembled slightly.
"Brother Fenglang!" Yin Wuxiao gripped the back of the chair tightly, his face already streaked with tears.
"How...how did you know I was..." Qin Qiyun clenched her fist, but then gently released it.
Yin Wuxiao said sadly, "Brother Fenglang, how could I not recognize you after more than ten years of brother-sister relationship?"
Qin Qiyun sneered: "More than ten years of siblings? You and that...you and my twin brother, weren't you also good siblings for several years? Weren't you going to make your relationship even closer, and have me become his gang leader's wife?"
"..." Even with his sharp tongue, Yin Wuxiao was speechless at this moment.
"Do you hate me?" Yin Wuxiao asked in a trembling voice, somewhat afraid of his answer.
"Hate?" Qin Qiyun smiled, somewhat surprised. "How can I express hatred? Ignorance is no excuse."
"I..." Yin Wuxiao's heart tightened. It wasn't that she didn't know, but... even if she sensed something was wrong, she was subconsciously afraid to investigate, wasn't she?
“That day in Hundred Questions Valley, when you asked me…which one was true, I already vaguely sensed the truth, but I dared not be sure, much less dared to say it out loud.”
"Hmph, what difference does it make whether I say it or not?"
“If you hate me because I lied to you that day, I have nothing to say.” After a pause, she continued, “I can imagine how much suffering you endured being forgotten outside for six years. Even if you have a lot of resentment, it is understandable.”
"You can imagine?" Qin Qiyun seemed to find the words amusing, then turned back to her coldness: "How did you guess my identity?" If she could guess it, did that mean that Baili Qingyi, or even Qiao Fenglang, had also noticed it?
Yin Wuxiao calmed herself: "Our sibling relationship of over ten years is genuine. Aside from appearance, Qin Qiyun is none other than Qiao Fenglang from back then. It's just... it's just that in the capital you said you had lost your memory. I thought you might be happier forgetting everything, so I didn't want to help you regain your memories. But I never imagined you were the master of 'Traceless'." She looked ashamed, yet had to ask, "Brother Fenglang, you've never been a belligerent or bloodthirsty person, why have you come to this?"
"Oh? So you think I've frightened you, that I've made you hate me now?" Qin Qiyun's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Actually, you don't care at all, do you? You don't care whether the person bearing the name Qiao Fenglang is me or him. You, including Madam Yun, only care whether this Qiao Fenglang can lead the Qiao Gang, whether he can bring glory to your family." He touched his mutilated face with one hand. "This hideous cripple is worse off than dead to you, isn't he?"
"How could you say that?" Yin Wuxiao's eyes were filled with shock and pain. Was this really the same Qiao Fenglang who was always smiling, gentle, and kind?
"Why can't I?" Qin Qiyun took a step closer, his smile seemingly widening. "You shouldn't be surprised. After all, my mother was a cult witch, a ruthless killer; my father appeared respectable on the surface, but was a heartless and opportunistic scoundrel in private; and my twin brother..." He sneered, "to replace me, he cruelly killed me, disfigured me, and dumped my body off a cliff. Tell me, what else can I do but be bloodthirsty?"
Over twenty years ago, Mu Wanfeng gave birth to twin boys. One was taken back to the Qiao Clan by Qiao Baiyue and named Qiao Fenglang, while the other was taken back to the Northern Desert Qiong Sect by Mu Wanfeng and named Mu Li. The two grew up in different environments. Mu Li was bullied from a young age and developed a resilient and stubborn personality, while Qiao Fenglang was pampered and kind-hearted. Ten years later, Mu Li accidentally learned the secret of his birth and, behind Mu Wanfeng's back, went alone to the Central Plains to find his father.
And he did indeed find it.
When Qiao Baiyue saw Mu Li, he was both surprised and frightened, only then realizing that Mu Wanfeng had given birth to twins. However, Mu Li had grown up in a cult and had a skewed personality that Qiao Baiyue could not control. Moreover, the martial arts world of the Central Plains had never heard of Qiao Baiyue having another son. After much deliberation, in order to prevent his past affair with the cult's demoness from being exposed, Qiao Baiyue imprisoned Mu Li in a secluded place in Quyun Mountain.
However, Qiao Fenglang was a very kind-hearted young man at the time, and Qiao Baiyue did not hide the matter from him. So he often went up the mountain to meet Mu Li, and the two brothers grew closer day by day. Over time, Qiao Fenglang would even exchange clothes with Mu Li, taking his place to see the world. Mu Li never thought of actually taking his place and would always return to the garden on time to change his identity. The two repeated this many times without anyone noticing, and over time, their ability to imitate each other became quite profound.
Such clandestine operations only went wrong once. On that occasion, Qiao Fenglang brought Yin Wuxiao to the garden, but he was caught off guard and Yin Wuxiao saw two identical boys. Fortunately, Qiao Fenglang later covered it up with words.
However, Qiao Fenglang never imagined that one day, his trusted twin brother would escape from the garden when the guards were lax, lure him to the edge of a cliff, and ambush him. When he awoke, his face was covered with dozens of deep, bone-revealing cuts from a knife, and he lay on the ground at the bottom of the cliff, severely wounded and barely breathing.
"When I first recovered, I did indeed lose my memory, but a year later, my memory gradually returned. Then I discovered that a man named Qiao Fenglang had taken over the position of leader of the Qiao Gang, inheriting his father's business, and had a fiancée who was considered the most talented woman in the land. Everyone was proud of him. And me? I was just a cripple who had even lost his own face!" Qin Qiyun, the real Qiao Fenglang, stared with intense pain and hatred, his eyes burning with resentment.
Yin Wuxiao slumped in her chair, clutching her chest. Although she had already guessed all of this, hearing him confirm it with her own ears was still unbearable.
"You've suffered." She looked at Qiao Fenglang, trembling, unable to imagine what the past six years had been like. How had he managed to survive in this violent and cruel world after everything he had been taken away? "And how did you later become the master of 'Traceless'?"
"Six years ago, the previous owner of 'Wuhen' lost his successor. Knowing that his days were numbered, he had no choice but to search for a new successor in the martial arts world. And I was very fortunate to become his chosen one."
"The heir is lost?" Yin Wuxiao's heart skipped a beat. Given the coincidence of the timing, could all of this be related to Yuwen Cuiyu?
She sighed. Qiao Fenglang made it sound so easy, but to climb from nothing to his current position as the leader of "Traceless," his path must have been incredibly difficult. Looking at herself, apart from the calamity three years ago, her life had been almost entirely smooth sailing. Three years ago, she had no right to comment on the suffering of others.
But now, she suddenly understood the hatred and resentment in Qiao Fenglang's heart, and his eagerness to make everyone who had wronged him pay. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to offer him words of encouragement or even comfort. If she were in Qiao Fenglang's shoes, perhaps she would be even more ruthless than him today.
However, she couldn't let Qiao Fenglang continue like this. Was she supposed to just watch her two brothers kill each other?
"Brother Fenglang, what are you planning to do to me?"
"What am I going to do with you?" Qiao Fenglang smiled strangely, his tone suddenly becoming very gentle. He raised his hand, saw Yin Wuxiao flinch, and couldn't help but smile again, then his fingertips traced across Yin Wuxiao's eyebrows and eyes.
"Xiao'er, how could I bear to do anything to you?" he sighed softly.
His fingertips caressed her smooth cheek with varying pressure, and his husky voice lazily whispered, "Tell me, if you and I got married in front of him, how would he react?"
Yin Wuxiao was startled: "Who are you referring to?"
“Naturally, it’s the Qiao Gang leader Qiao Fenglang, whom you were originally supposed to marry.” He chuckled. “What, you’re willing to marry him, but not me? After all, I was the one originally betrothed to you.” He grabbed her chin and gently lifted it. “I can see that he values you a lot, even willing to offend Baili Qingyi for you. But do you want to know just how far he’s willing to go for you?”
"You... want him dead?" Yin Wuxiao vaguely understood.
"You want him dead?" Qiao Fenglang raised an eyebrow. "That would be too easy on him. No, I want to expose everything about him to his face. I want to possess you, enjoy you, and destroy you in front of him, until... I destroy him."
Suddenly, Chou'er reported from outside the door: "Master, the Qiao Gang members have disobeyed Baili Qingyi's orders and have taken the lead in attacking the mountain."
"Understood." Qiao Fenglang stared at Yin Wuxiao's ashen face and slowly instructed, "Arrange the hall and send over the wedding dress." He smiled and enjoyed Yin Wuxiao's reaction: "It's still the same wedding dress you wore when you came, except this time you're marrying me."
Watching Qiao Fenglang's departing figure, Shi Mansi opened her mouth, unable to utter a word for a long time, before finally saying awkwardly, "There are so many people who want to marry you lately..."
Yin Wuxiao's unfocused eyes slowly met Shi Mansi's.
Finally, Shi Mansi cried out, "Don't look at me like that! I have a way! I have a way, isn't that enough?"
Chapter Twenty-One: The Straight Path is a Karmic Predestined Connection (Part Three)
"This is the method you mentioned?" Yin Wuxiao stared blankly at the small pill in his palm, his face full of disbelief.
Shi Mansi nodded vigorously: "Don't underestimate this pill. All the essence of what I learned during the days I followed the Old Man of Tianshan is contained in this pill."
"Really? Is this a poison that won't kill or an antidote that won't save someone?" Yin Wuxiao raised an eyebrow, showing extreme distrust of this guy with a long criminal record.
Shi Mansi pouted in dissatisfaction: "This is a life-saving medicine. You just need to hide it between your teeth, and in an emergency, bite open the outer shell and let it dissolve in your throat. I guarantee you will bleed from all seven orifices and die a gruesome death." This was the result of her careful research, a miraculous medicine that even the Old Man of Tianshan could not recognize.
"And then?" Does dying a gruesome death really help in saving one's life?
"And then?" Shi Mansi was taken aback at first, then smiled with sudden realization: "Of course, it's not real death. After taking this medicine, the symptoms are like being poisoned by an incurable toxin, and you'll die instantly. In reality, it's just a six-hour period of suspended animation. After that time, you'll naturally wake up, or you can wake up immediately by using internal energy to penetrate your major acupoints. This medicine has no side effects; it's practically a perfect way to escape death!" She boasted shamelessly.
"You mean, if I die, I won't be a pawn in the struggle between Brother Fenglang and... Muli?"
“That’s right, Mu Li won’t come alone. When he leads the Qiao Gang members to attack the mountain, there will definitely be chaos here. You and I can escape in the chaos and let the two of them fight it out here.” Shi Mansi’s plan was very meticulous. Seeing that Yin Wuxiao suddenly fell silent, she comforted him, “Even if you don’t escape, what can you do? If you stay, which one are you going to help?”
Yin Wuxiao glanced at her, then hesitated before saying, "They are all my cousins. If I could persuade them to put aside their past grievances..."
Shi Mansi frowned, and unusually seriously advised, "Do you think either of them will listen to your advice? Although they are brothers, their past grudges run too deep. If one of them doesn't die, how can the other let it go? It's not something you can resolve with just a few words."
Yin Wuxiao pursed his lips and remained silent.
Shi Mansi sighed, "I know you're in a difficult position, but I advise you not to get involved in this life-or-death struggle." She looked deeply into Yin Wuxiao's eyes, piercing through the self-deceptive shell she had built for herself.
“Awu, whoever commits the sins should pay the price. Mu Li can’t escape it, and neither can Qiao Fenglang. All grievances can only be resolved by themselves. No matter the outcome, no one else has the right to interfere. You should understand this better than I do. You’ve always been smart. Don’t let your own involvement cloud your judgment.”
Yin Wuxiao's palms felt slightly cold. Was he truly an insider? Was it because he was an insider that he had been so engrossed in it, feigning ignorance?
Just like when Qiao Mu and the other person switched identities back then, did she really not notice anything at all?
She suddenly gave a bitter smile and murmured to herself, "Aunt Nan, you were wrong. Xiao'er was never a heroine. Xiao'er was just a cowardly coward." She was afraid. She was afraid that once the truth came out, she would inevitably face a dilemma of choice. So she was willing to close her eyes and not see.