A west wind blew, obscuring the mountains. The young master stood alone on the hillside for half a day, and slowly, in the darkness, revealed a smile.
When Jiang Xiaohu was born, the Jiang family was blessed with a rare treasure. It was said that whoever obtained it could dominate the martial arts world. Now, they finally know what that treasure is. The facts are clear: the grand plan that the Lan family painstakingly planned was destined to fail. And he, along with the Lan family, fell into someone else's trap. This deal was destined to be a losing proposition.
How could I not care?
Qiu Lingling was extremely anxious. She wandered around in the mountains for an unknown amount of time before finally finding a way back to the Thousand Hands Sect headquarters. It was already past midnight.
The side hall was dimly lit, and several guardian altar masters stood respectfully to one side with solemn expressions. A man in black robes was sitting in a chair giving instructions: "Bring the blueprints of the mechanism and arrive at the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM) to await my orders."
Everyone agreed.
A figure suddenly burst through the door, and everyone turned around, with the person in the chair also raising their face.
Upon seeing the person's face clearly, Qiu Lingling froze on the spot.
He waved for everyone to leave.
It took Qiu Lingling a long time to come to her senses before she tentatively asked, "Gold, please?"
His handsome face flickered in and out of the candlelight, and Jin replied sullenly, "It's me."
"It really is you!" Qiu Lingling cheered, rushed over and hugged him, touched his face, and tugged at his hand, laughing and crying at the same time, "Ha, you're alright! You weren't captured by Shui Fengqing?"
At this moment, Jin felt as if time had turned back.
"I thought you were dead...you..." The little girl was such a softie, her tears soaking half of his shirt. Normally, he would have yelled at her long ago, but he hadn't expected to drag her into this, almost putting her in danger. If Jiang Xiaohu hadn't brought back news that she was alright, it's hard to say whether he would have gone in again.
Jin smiled and couldn't help but hug her: "Are you alright?"
Qiu Lingling wiped her eyes, her emotions gradually stabilizing: "It's okay, Brother Yi saved me."
Instantly, the arms around her froze.
Jin Huanlai was silent for a moment, then pushed her away and stood up: "Jiang Xiaohu has made many deals in order to get revenge. He promised to help people get rid of the 'Half-Moon Dew'. If he breaks his promise now, that person will kill him."
Qiu Lingling blinked: "It's the Water City Lord, right? You'll definitely help him."
Jin snorted, "That kid deliberately approached me back then; I knew he had ulterior motives."
You will help him.
"I need to borrow your fire toad."
Qiu Lingling quickly took out the fire toad and handed it over.
Jin took it and left.
Qiu Lingling called out to him, "Please... come back."
He didn't answer, and strode out the door.
.
No one knew what had happened somewhere deep in the mountains. The Lan family had been retired from the martial world for many years and had long been forgotten. People continued to live their lives as usual. However, some people soon noticed that the useless Jiang Xiaohu, who was extremely entertaining, had suddenly disappeared from the city. This topic naturally became big news and a topic of conversation. There were many different opinions about his whereabouts, but after more than a month of discussion, it gradually faded away, and it was as if nothing had happened in the martial world.
With Lunar New Year's Eve approaching, every household is starting to prepare for the holiday.
At this moment, an expected piece of news emerged: someone had redeemed Qing Si, the girl from Xin Qing Lou, and she had moved out. It was said that it was the same customer who had bought her for half a year. As for where she had settled, no one would bother to find out. At most, it was considered a romantic affair circulating among the girls, who envied her good fortune, since it was said that the customer did not yet have a wife.
Liu Bai walked in and said, "Young master, everything is ready, and the gifts for the old lady and the others have also been bought."
The young master nodded, looked out the window at the street below, and smiled: "I made quite a few deals in Jiangnan this time, but I also lost a lot. Fortunately, I stopped early. Does that count as saving some face?"
Liu Bai dared not speak.
The young master turned to speak, but then smiled and said, "Here you are."
Qiu Lingling stood by the door, lifting the curtain with one hand. She wore a white cloak, and the soft silver fox fur around her shoulders reflected on her snow-white face. "Everyone outside is packing their luggage. Are you going back?"
The young master nodded: "We will depart in three days."
Liu Bai excused himself and left.
Qiu Lingling walked over silently.
The young master reached out and pulled her: "Isn't Master Jin here?"
Qiu Lingling remained silent. Jin Huan returned to Jin Garden less and less often. Ultimately, she was a young girl, and even if she was slow to realize it, she would notice that he was deliberately avoiding her. He really didn't like her.
His casual glances captured every subtle expression on her face, and a smile appeared on his lips: "How about going back with Brother Yi?"
Qiu Lingling was surprised and quickly shook her head: "Oh, this..."
Before she could answer, the young master sighed, "I've been busy redeeming Miss Qingsi these past few days, so Master Jin must be quite busy and won't have time to look after you. It must be so boring living alone in the Jin Garden, and Brother Yi is worried about you." Then, he chuckled softly, "Anyway, you're going to marry Brother Yi after the New Year. People of the martial world don't stand on ceremony, so why don't we go back together, okay?"
Qiu Lingling lowered her eyes.
The young master stared at her coldly for a while, then suddenly laughed and said, "No rush. You can go back and discuss it with Master Jin first, and ask him what he thinks before we talk about it."
.
The garden was beautiful, but it seemed lonely because of the withered grass and trees in winter. A few winter plum blossoms outside the building were in bloom and exuded fragrance, which made the place even more desolate. Maids came and went from time to time.
Jin Huanlai stared blankly at the plum blossoms outside the window.
A pair of beautiful, soft hands rested on his shoulders, her beautiful eyes filled with a gentle and open smile, clearly without a hint of provocation, yet full of charm. Qing Si shook his arm: "It smells wonderful, would you like to pick a few branches to put in a vase?"
Jin came to her senses, frowned, and said, "Cold and boring." She walked to the table and sat down.
Qing Si smiled and said, "I thought only poor people like us were afraid of winter."
Jin's eyes flashed: "You?"
Qing Si said, "My family was originally quite well-off. I lived a life of luxury since I was a child." She smiled and said, "Later, my family fell into poverty, so I voluntarily entered a brothel to leave some money for my mother and younger brother."
Jin remained silent for a while before asking, "You want to find them?"
“Given Qingsi’s status, don’t mention her family again,” she said with a sad smile, turning to the window. “When spring comes next year and it gets warmer, there will be many better days ahead.”
Jin was bewildered by the unintentional remark. It was originally scheduled that the little girl would marry into the Yi family in the spring. Once this matter was over, all his troubles would be gone. He could then focus on being a wealthy cult leader and amass wealth from all over the world without having to wonder why he had to do these things. He could easily imagine a meaningless and idle life ahead.
Qingsi suddenly asked, "You like your junior sister?"
Jin was slightly taken aback, then his voice turned cold: "This is none of your business."
Qing Si lowered her head: "It was you who led me out of that kind of place. Qing Si is already satisfied. If you like her, you may marry her. Qing Si is willing to be a concubine."
Looking at that familiar face, Jin felt inexplicably guilty. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Don't worry, she's just my junior sister. She'll be getting married after the New Year. You're overthinking it."
Qing Si smiled and gently rested her head on his shoulder: "It's alright, you still have me. I will always be with you."
Jin remained silent.
There was a knock on the door. Qing Si let go of him and went to open it. Protector Qian, Yin Fei, walked in and glanced at her: "Miss Lingling isn't doing well. Is the sect leader...?"
Jin frowned.
According to the little girl, it has nothing to do with me. Yin Fei cautiously replied, "Miss Lingling said she is not feeling well."
Jin didn't ask any more questions and got up to leave.
.
"I didn't expect that even after so long, Master Jin still cares more about Junior Sister." Hearing the voice, Qing Si immediately turned around and found the young master standing by the window, looking at her with a half-smile.
Feeling her thoughts read, Qing Si blushed and sneered, "Qing Si has forgotten that she is Young Master Yi's woman."
The young master was not angry: "It is Miss Qingsi who has forgotten your original purpose for approaching him."
Qing Si's face turned deathly pale. She swayed before regaining her balance and gritted her teeth, saying, "It has nothing to do with you. You just want to use me to deal with him."
“I’m a businessman, so naturally I only use methods when there’s something in it for me,” the young man didn’t deny. “It was precisely because we had the same goal that I helped you in the first place, but you’ve disappointed me greatly.” Seeing her silence, he smiled and said, “Do you think he likes you, or just your face?”
Like a bucket of cold water poured over her, extinguishing all her unrealistic ideas, Qing Si glared at him coldly, her nails digging into her flesh, but she had to admit that he was right. Jin Hailai was only infatuated with her face, and could not even be considered to like her. His eyes were more filled with guilt.
"If you want something, you shouldn't be stingy with the means," the young master said casually. "The person he cherishes is already dead. Is Miss Qing Si truly content to remain someone else's shadow forever?"
silence.
Qing Si asked, "What's your idea?"
The young master sighed, "Don't you understand? You can't even compete with the living, so how can you compete with the dead? Back then, you disregarded all obstacles and risked your life to enter the brothel. What was it for? Now that the opportunity is right in front of you, you're just letting it slip away. I wonder what you'll think when you go back and see your mother and brother..." He stopped and didn't continue.
Qingsi's face turned pale.
The young master smiled and said, "The truth is never pleasant to hear; being soft-hearted will only harm you."
.
As the young master left the courtyard, a woman in a silk robe and embroidered skirt emerged from a corner in the distance, seemingly lost in thought.
"You came to see him?" A soft, alluring voice asked.
Cheng Xiaolin turned around in surprise and saw a woman in red leaning against the wall, smiling at her with great charm.
Women are naturally not fond of other women who are too beautiful. Cheng Xiaolin only felt that her behavior was frivolous, and asked indifferently, "Who are you?"
Lan Xinluo said, "I came to see him."
Cheng Xiaolin grew increasingly disgusted and sneered, "It's a pity he already has a fiancée, and now she's with Qing Si."
“You don’t need to worry, I’m leaving here tomorrow,” Lan Xinluo sighed softly, her tone revealing neither hatred nor joy. “I thought he still cared about my life or death, but I never imagined he was such a hard-hearted person.”
Cheng Xiaolin was stunned.
Lan Xinluo laughed: "He doesn't like Qing Si, you'd better give up."
Cheng Xiaolin said, "But he often comes to see her."
Lan Xinlu shook her head: "I didn't understand at first, but now I know the reason. Do you know who Qing Si is?"
Cheng Xiaolin asked in surprise, "Who?"
Lan Xinluo slowly uttered a few words.
Cheng Xiaolin thought for a long time, puzzled: "She has already been redeemed, so what does this have to do with my cousin looking for her?"
Lan Xinluo didn't answer. She smiled and turned to leave: "What's not yours is destined to be unattainable. Let him have his way. What others do is none of my business."
.
Jin Huanlai hurriedly returned to his room in Jin Yuan, only to find Qiu Lingling sitting at the table in a daze. He was taken aback.
Qiu Lingling stood up: "You're back."