Yin Wuxiao sensed something was wrong and was about to step forward when Qiao Fenglang stopped him, saying, "He's not that fragile."
As if refuting his words, Baili Qingyi's body trembled, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Bai Li Qingyi!" Yin Wuxiao couldn't help but exclaim.
A moment later, Baili Qingyi slowly turned around, his face slightly pale. He flew down the mountain, his movements fluid and graceful without any hesitation.
“Baili…” Yin Wuxiao’s heart pounded.
Baili Qingyi glanced at her indifferently, then at Qiao Fenglang, who was tightly embracing her possessively, and walked past them step by step.
"Young Master in Blue," Qiao Fenglang called out to him.
"I am very grateful to you for extending a helping hand to Xiao'er."
Baili Qingyi stopped.
Qiao Fenglang continued, "The Qiao Clan will be holding a wedding next month. I would like to invite the young master in blue to come to the Qiao Clan to drink my and Xiao'er's wedding wine."
Yin Wuxiao's face turned deathly pale.
She knew that Qiao Fenglang's actions were clearly a show of defiance; although the methods were childish, they thoroughly satisfied his ego.
But all of this seemed like a joke to Baili Qingyi, and she herself became a joke in his eyes as well.
Baili Qingyi turned around, and a gentle, harmless smile had returned to his face.
"Brothers of the Qiao Gang, you must all be excellent at horse stance."
"Huh?" Qiao Fenglang was taken aback by his unexpected remark.
Following Baili Qingyi's gaze, Yin Wuxiao looked at the large bamboo forest behind him. They had been standing there so arrogantly for so long, but none of them had been of any use.
Everyone, including Qiao Fenglang, looked at each other blankly.
Suddenly, a gasp was heard.
Yin Wuxiao gently bit her red lips with her pearly teeth and chuckled.
Chapter Sixteen: The Green Mountains Reflect My Dreams of Home (Part One)
Every time Cui Shenghan saw this man, she couldn't help but tremble all over.
This man made her feel so close to death, yet not entirely without hope of survival. He was like a demon from hell, slaughtering all life, yet also like a bodhisattva descending to earth to save all beings.
"Owner."
Cui Shenghan said this.
"Master, are you satisfied?"
The owner of "Wuhen" examined the translucent blood jade pendant in his palm and slowly said, "Mimeng, you are more capable than I imagined."
Cui Shenghan suppressed the urge to look up and examine his face, and lowered her head to say, "It is Mi Meng's blessing to be able to serve her master."
The owner of "Wuhen" snorted. This snort caused him to cough.
"Master!" Cui Shenghan cried out in alarm, "Has Master not recovered yet? Is that Baili Qingyi really that powerful?"
A thin trickle of blood seeped from the lips of the "Traceless" master as he sneered, "He's powerful, but you, who escaped from him three times, aren't you even more powerful?"
Cui Shenghan was greatly alarmed and was speechless for a moment.
The owner of "Traceless" calmed his agitation slightly and waved his hand: "You did a very good job this time. What reward do you want? Just say it."
Cui Shenghan trembled again. She thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Dreamy Dream... I beg Master to expel Dreamy Dream from 'Traceless'."
The owner of "Wuhen" was taken aback upon hearing this.
Are you begging me to kill you?
Cui Shenghan hurriedly knelt down: "Master once said that whoever can retrieve this item for Master will be granted all his requests. Mi Meng has no other request, but only asks Master to let Mi Meng leave 'Wu Hen' alive, and from then on, it will be as if Mi Meng no longer exists in 'Wu Hen'."
The owner of "Wuhen" fell silent.
After a long silence, he suddenly spoke up: "Misty Dream, how could you be so naive as to think that anyone could escape 'Traceless'?"
Cui Shenghan felt ice-cold all over.
But a sliver of hope remained in her heart, so she refused to yield and said, "Master, doesn't your promise count?"
"..."
The owner of "Wuhen" suddenly burst into laughter.
“Mimeng, you’re very good, very good.” He said slowly, his tone unreadable, neither happy nor angry. “I ordered you to stay by Bai Can’s side and use him as much as possible, and you did a good job. But I never expected that you would fall in love with him. And you’re even pregnant with his child?”
Cui Shenghan prostrated herself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "Please grant my request, Master!" She had no idea whether this capricious man would grant her request. But she had to try.
The heartbeat of her unborn child reminded her: if she couldn't give this child a clean mother, it would be better not to let it be born.
The owner of "Traceless" sighed helplessly: "Alright, since I made a promise, how can I go back on my word? You can leave now. From now on, the third assassin, Dream, will only be one person."
Cui Shenghan was both surprised and delighted, and could hardly believe her ears.
"Owner……"
“Dreamy,” the “Traceless” master interrupted her, “No, Cui Shenghan. You are the first person to leave ‘Traceless’ alive. Cherish the rest of your time, cherish it. Do you understand?”
Cui Shenghan looked up at the master of "Wuhen" with a puzzled expression. His face was hidden in deep shadows as usual, like an unknown venomous snake lurking in a deep pool.
She touched her slightly protruding belly, trying to find some peace of mind, but suddenly shivered.
Mu Wanfeng awoke seven days later.
During this time, first Zhang Baitong viciously grabbed Qiao Fenglang's collar, almost punching him, and then Wu Guo, who had barely escaped with his life, dragged his tattered body and brandished his broadsword, about to chop at Qiao Fenglang's head. After things finally calmed down, the remaining three brothers of the Baili family, along with Yuwen Cuiyu and others, arrived at Baiwen Manor. Even Qin Qiyun, who was far away in the capital, and Yuwen Hongying of the Yuwen family, arrived quickly a few days later after hearing the news.
When Mu Wanfeng regained consciousness, she was still not quite clear-headed. As soon as she opened her eyes, she grabbed Qin Qiyun, who was standing by her bed, and cried out, "Lang'er!" Then she grabbed the real Qiao Fenglang and cried out, "Lang'er, Lang'er, do you know where Ali is now?" At that time, Qiao Fenglang's face was extremely ugly, and everyone present finally understood another layer of connection between the Qiong Sect and the Qiao Gang.
Mu Wanfeng is Qiao Fenglang's biological mother. Everyone knew that Qiao Fenglang's father, Qiao Baiyue's, first wife was dead, but no one expected it to be Mu Wanfeng!
Twenty-six years ago, Qiao Baiyue was a rising star in the martial arts world. He met Mu Wanfeng, who had come from the northern deserts to the Central Plains. The two fell in love and secretly pledged their lives to each other. Later, Qiao Baiyue discovered that his beloved was actually a member of a heretical cult from the northern deserts. The righteous values instilled in him from childhood filled him with shame and anger. Mu Wanfeng was also unwilling to leave the Qiong Cult to conform to Qiao Baiyue's prejudices. In a fit of rage, Qiao Baiyue, following his parents' wishes, became engaged to Ruan Yun, the second daughter of the Ruan family of the Hengshan Sect. At that time, the Ruan family was quite famous in the martial arts world, and Ruan Yun's eldest sister was the renowned heroine Ruan Wuyou. This marriage greatly helped Qiao Baiyue, ultimately enabling him to successfully ascend to the position of leader of the Qiao Clan.
As for Mu Wanfeng, she was already pregnant at the time and soon gave birth to twin boys. Upon learning this, Qiao Baiyue, unwilling to let his own flesh and blood wander, sent people to demand the children back. Mu Wanfeng was weak after childbirth and alone, but fortunately, with the help of Zhang Baitong, she deceived Qiao Baiyue into believing she only had one child. Thus, that boy was taken back to the Qiao Gang and raised, becoming the later Qiao Fenglang, while the other boy was taken back to the Northern Desert Qiong Sect by Mu Wanfeng and named Mu Li.
The mother and son endured countless humiliations within the Qiong Sect. When Mu Li was ten years old, he escaped the Qiong Sect and sneaked into the Central Plains to search for his father and brothers. Mu Wanfeng wanted to go to the Central Plains to find him, but the Qiong Sect's rules were too strict, forbidding her from entering again. Until a few years ago, she finally gained power within the sect, her status rising rapidly, and she was finally able to send people to the Central Plains to secretly investigate, but she still could not find any trace of Mu Li.
"Lang'er, I know Li'er must have come looking for you. I don't ask you to acknowledge me, but tell me where he is, where he is!"
Yin Wuxiao stared at all of this in disbelief.
She remembered that when she was six or seven years old, her brother Fenglang had taken her to play in the Yunshan area. They vaguely remembered entering a large garden, with fragrant grasses and colorful fruit trees, but no one was there. There were even uncles from the Qiao gang guarding the entrance. It was Fenglang who cleverly managed to sneak her in. She had a great time playing inside, but she always felt someone was watching her. She quietly turned her head and saw two identical boys…
"You must be seeing things," Fenglang said later.
Perhaps she wasn't seeing things.
Seeing Mu Wanfeng like this, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Mu Wanfeng was also a pitiful woman. She was too strong-willed, yet she encountered such a heartless man.
"Lang'er, if you hate me, then kill me to vent your anger, but Ali... Ali is your own brother, you must find him and bring him back!" Mu Wanfeng clutched Qiao Fenglang's clothes, crying like a child.
Qiao Fenglang stood there blankly, like a statue.
Yin Wuxiao felt a pang of pity, so he stepped forward and took her hand, saying, "Don't worry, even if we have to use all the resources of the Qiao Gang, we will find Brother Ali. You should rest first and recover, and Brother Ali will come back soon."
Mu Wanfeng stubbornly refused to let go, staring at Qiao Fenglang as if waiting for his promise.
After a long silence, Qiao Fenglang finally asked, "In your heart, who is more important, me or Mu Li?"
Yin Wuxiao glared at him fiercely. Was he stupid to ask such a question under these circumstances?
Mu Wanfeng was stunned for a moment, tears still glistening on her cheeks. After a long while, she said bitterly, "Ali and you are both my precious children, but... but you've been away from me since you were little. Every time I think of you, my heart aches terribly." She looked at Qiao Fenglang sadly, "Lang'er, your father is a heartless man. If he were to do anything to Ali, then Ali... I... I can't bear to think about it, I can't bear to think about it..."
Qiao Fenglang said coldly, "Why did you only think of looking for him now after all these years? Why didn't you come looking for him when he left sixteen years ago?"
“I…” Mu Wanfeng was speechless.
"That damned Jiang Li sees me as a thorn in his side. It's already difficult enough for me to survive, let alone leave. Over the past twenty years, I've painstakingly built up my own power and ascended to the position of sect leader. How could you possibly understand the hardships I've endured?"
"In the end, you're nothing more than someone who craves power," Qiao Fenglang snorted.
Tears streamed down Mu Wanfeng's face again: "Lang'er!" She wanted to argue, but could those reasons really justify abandoning her own son's safety? If she had to choose again, would she give up her position as the leader of the Qiong Sect and abandon everything to come to the Central Plains to find her son?
No, she couldn't give up everything for Qiao Baiyue back then, so how could she give up everything for her son later?
Mu Wanfeng wiped away her tears and gasped, "I did all this for you!" She grabbed Qiao Fenglang's hand again and held it tightly. "Lang'er, as long as you find Ali and bring him back to the Qiong Sect with me to inherit the position of sect leader, from now on he will be in the north and you will be in the south. Won't this entire martial world belong to you two brothers? Just imagine it, just imagine it! With the power of the Qiao Gang and the power of the Qiong Sect combined, who in this world can be our opponent!" She seemed to be gripped by extreme excitement, and her eyes radiated an arrogant red light.
Yin Wuxiao felt a chill run down her spine. She turned to look at Qiao Fenglang, only to see that Qiao Fenglang's face also showed disbelief and surprise.
"Lang'er, look, I've planned out your future. From now on, the world is yours! And you," she grabbed Yin Wuxiao's hand again, "you are the wife of the martial arts alliance leader, do you know that!"
"..." Yin Wuxiao stared blankly at her. This woman, who had just planned to kill her not long ago!
"Enough!" Qiao Fenglang said in a low voice, "You...you should rest well!" He pulled his hand away from Mu Wanfeng's hand, "I will send someone to look for Ali, we will definitely find him." He pulled Yin Wuxiao up and walked out of the room without looking back.
Chapter Sixteen: The Green Mountains Return to My Dream Home (Part Two)
Qiao Fenglang pulled Yin Wuxiao along until they arrived at the rockery in the back garden.
Qiao Fenglang remained silent throughout the journey, but his expression was grim.
Yin Wuxiao then slowly said, "She is, after all, your mother."
Qiao Fenglang slammed his fist on the artificial hill: "Have you ever seen a mother like this?"
Yin Wuxiao smiled and said, "No. I've never even met my mother."
Qiao Fenglang then realized he had misspoke and called out apologetically, "Xiao'er."
Yin Wuxiao nodded: "I understand how you feel. But Brother Fenglang, you're already incredibly fortunate to be able to see your mother again." She patted his arm reassuringly: "Brother Fenglang, will you send someone to find Brother Ali?"
Qiao Fenglang glanced at her, his pupils filled with endless thoughts.
"Xiao'er, you have actually met him before. When you were six years old, at the villa in Yunshan, do you remember?"
Yin Wuxiao was stunned. It turned out that the two Fenglang brothers she remembered were actually real.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Qiao Fenglang assumed she had no recollection of it and patiently explained it to her in detail.
It turns out that Mu Li found Qiao Baiyue as soon as he arrived in the Central Plains. However, Mu Li had lived in the evil cult in the northern desert for many years and his personality had become quite wicked. Qiao Baiyue could not tame him and was afraid that he would reveal his affair with Mu Wanfeng. So he put him under house arrest in a secluded garden in the Yunshan Mountains and left only two ignorant servants to look after him.