A smile can topple a city

Chapter 57

Ye Xiao didn't say anything, but simply handed her something. It was the same toy she'd bought at the stall—a wooden chick that pecked at rice.

Xiao Hanqing finally couldn't stop trembling, and stammered, "This...is this? Such a toy is meant to amuse a three-year-old. Miss Ye still has the heart of a child..."

Ye Xiao nodded slightly: "Yes. It's just something to coax a three-year-old. You probably just picked it up from a stall. Poor Qingcheng, even though he keeps saying he hates you to the bone, he's kept something like this all this time..."

Xiao Hanqing trembled even more violently: "Qingcheng? Why...why does he hate me?"

Ye Xiao lowered her head: "Although my father is extremely strict with me, my mother loves me very much. I really can't imagine what it's like to have a cold and mean mother."

“Mother…” Xiao Hanqing could no longer speak.

"Even with the mask off, you still can't recognize her?" Ye Xiao stared intently into her eyes. "Is there really no trace of your childhood self? And no feeling of connection at all?"

Xiao Hanqing slowly slumped onto the bed, her head bowing low: "He... really is..."

Ye Xiao walked over: "I just want to ask on behalf of Qingcheng, why are you so cruel to your own child? He was abandoned at birth, I can't imagine... there are mothers like this in the world."

“That’s because you can’t imagine what it’s like to be imprisoned by a man you don’t love.” Xiao Hanqing gave a bitter smile. “You don’t know what kind of person Lu Mingfei is. Arrogant, conceited, selfish, vicious… Even though you never show him any kindness, he still indulges in wishful thinking. Even though you feel disgusted just looking at him, you are forced to marry him and have to see his hateful face every day. Even though you love someone else, he goes and destroys the person you love most. Miss Ye, you are still a child and cannot understand how cruel and painful it is to share a bed with someone you hate to the core, to be together day and night. In the end, you even have to give birth to his child! When I looked at the face of that newborn child and thought of his hateful father, I just couldn’t face this child… Luckily, the defenses were lax at that time, so I escaped…”

Ye Xiao looked at her: "Even if Lu Mingfei is wicked and evil, Qingcheng is just a weak and helpless child. You've already hurt him deeply by abandoning him, so how could you use him as a hostage to blackmail Lord Lu? And even use him as bait to throw him off a cliff? No normal person could bring themselves to harm a stranger's child, let alone your own son! Madam Xiao, what is your heart made of? I really can't understand it. In Xiao Xun's words, you are beautiful, gentle, kind, and generous. I simply cannot reconcile the perfect mother in Xiao Xun's words with a venomous woman..."

"No! No..." Xiao Hanqing finally lost her usual composure. "I didn't throw him off the cliff; it was an accident! No matter how ruthless I am, I wouldn't want to take a life! Even with Lu Mingfei, I never intended to kill him! But he was just too much! After I escaped, he searched everywhere for me. I had no choice but to return to Li Zhong's side, hoping to use the strength of the Martial Alliance to intimidate Lu Mingfei. But he still wouldn't let me go, and for this, he carried out a massacre throughout the martial arts world, causing us to bear immense pressure and infamy. Later, he challenged Li Zhong to a duel. The outcome of this battle was crucial. Not only Li Zhong's life, but the fate of the entire Central Plains martial arts world was on it. We couldn't afford to lose... If we lost, we would be the eternal sinners of the entire martial arts world! I had no choice but to use the child as leverage, tricking him out of Ru Qing's hands to blackmail Lu Mingfei. But I never intended to take anyone's life..."

"But Qingcheng said you threw him off the cliff, and Lu Mingfei jumped off to save him, losing his life in the process..."

"No! No! It wasn't me! I just wanted to use the child to blackmail Lu Mingfei into losing to Li Zhong! But things got out of control. Li Zhong is an upright man, almost to the point of being pedantic, and he refused to act under those circumstances. Later... Li Zhong's men couldn't stand it anymore, and to eliminate any potential threats, he threw the child off a cliff, and Lu Mingfei jumped off. I never expected it to end like this! I feel so guilty. I always thought Lu Mingfei died with that child, and I've felt guilty for over ten years. Li Zhong didn't know anything about this. After it happened, he couldn't forgive himself, and he didn't want to face the world, let alone me. After that, he disappeared without a word! I've been looking for him all these years, but I still can't find him... I've finally lost the person I loved most. It's karma..."

"Li Zhong's subordinate? Who is he?" Ye Xiao was a little nervous. Wasn't it Xiao Hanqing who killed Lu Mingfei? Who was it? Luo Qingcheng was too young at that time and his vision was limited. He didn't even see such a crucial change.

Xiao Hanqing hesitated for a moment: "That person... is just serving different masters and has a different stance. He is a member of the Martial Alliance, so of course he only considers the interests of the Martial Alliance when he acts. This grudge has nothing to do with him. If you want to blame someone, blame me. In the end, Lu Mingfei's death was indeed due to my momentary lapse of judgment."

Ye Xiao hesitated for a moment: "Who exactly is Xiao Xun? Are he and Qingcheng brothers?"

Xiao Hanqing slowly raised her head: "Miss Ye, this doesn't seem to have anything to do with you, does it?"

Ye Xiao looked at her very seriously: "Of course it's related. Qingcheng wants to reclaim the position of Lord of Youming City. They are all my brothers, and I don't want to see them killing each other."

Xiao Hanqing gave an "oh," her face turning cold: "So he's just like his father, equally ambitious and ruthless! Xun'er isn't his brother! Nor is there such a heartless brother! Xun'er is Li Zhong's child, and he's always been exceptionally well-behaved and sensible, unlike him..."

Hearing someone slander Luo Qingcheng, especially his mother, Ye Xiao couldn't bear it any longer. Although she was also angry with Luo Qingcheng, she still didn't believe he was a heartless person. Grabbing the wooden toy chick pecking at rice, she stormed out, forgetting even to say goodbye.

Xiao Hanqing chased after him, wanting to ask Ye Xiao for some details. In the shadows of the courtyard, a person stood quietly.

Holy Gate

Xiao Hanqing's heart skipped a beat, and she hesitated before walking over: "Xun'er?"

Xiao Xun stood quietly, motionless. Only when Xiao Hanqing approached did he whisper, "Mother!"

Xiao Hanqing's heart sank. He heard everything? "Xun'er, why didn't you go and check on the situation outside? I'm really worried." Afraid of hearing things she didn't want to hear, she gently stroked his face.

Xiao Xun forced down the storm raging in his heart: "Mother. I heard your conversation just now. Although the eldest daughter is extremely intelligent, she can't hide anything. Even I can tell that she has something on her mind. I have always had profound inner strength, and I can hear everything from here."

"..." Xiao Hanqing's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Mother. I'm not actually the young master of Youming City, Qingcheng is, is that true?"

"..."

"Li Zhongcai is my father, and Lu Mingfei is Qingcheng's father?"

"Xun'er, that villain Lu Mingfei isn't even worthy of carrying your father's shoes! Although I lied to you all those years ago, I always felt ashamed and wanted to tell you the truth one day!"

“Mother, since I am not the young master, why are we here? If it belongs to Qingcheng, then return it to Qingcheng. He has been an orphan since childhood and is already very pitiful.”

Xiao Hanqing frowned: "Xun'er, we didn't come here for wealth and power. We came to stop the killing! This was your father's intention. After Lu Mingfei died, Youming City was leaderless and in chaos, clamoring to invade the Central Plains martial arts world. Alliance Leader Huang was infiltrated here at the time, but he couldn't hold the line alone. Seeing the situation was extremely critical, I brought you here, pretending to be the young master of Youming City, to help Alliance Leader Huang stabilize the situation and prevent a catastrophe! Over the years, I've always hoped that Alliance Leader Huang could take over Youming City as soon as possible so that my daughter and I could return to the Central Plains sooner, and I could tell you your true identity. Unfortunately... the time wasn't right, and it's been delayed until now. But Xun'er, Youming City and the Central Plains martial arts world have been peaceful for many years, and we deserve credit for that! However, Lu Mingfei's son didn't die; he's grown up and is about to stir up chaos again. This time, I'm afraid we won't be able to stop him, and the Central Plains martial arts world will once again be plunged into bloodshed..."

Xiao Xun shook his head: "Second brother isn't that bad. Mother, you're prejudiced against him. Did you really use Qingcheng to blackmail Lord Lu back then? In the end, in the end..."

"..." Xiao Hanqing lowered her head. For so many years, she had devoted herself to raising this child and tried her best to maintain a perfect image in front of him. She really did not want him to have any doubts or dissatisfaction with her.

"Heaven has been too unfair to Qingcheng." Xiao Xun slowly lowered his head. Many things that happened today were truly unexpected. He only felt wronged, but didn't know for whom he felt wronged; he only felt angry, but didn't know for whom he was angry.

There was a commotion at the door. Before the two could react, a large group of people rushed in and surrounded them. Madam Xiao recognized them as Sha Xiong's trusted subordinates, so she asked arrogantly, "What do you want? Are you planning a rebellion?"

The leader sneered, "Nothing much. It's just that King Sha has ordered the elimination of all spies within the Martial Alliance! We request that Madam Xiao and Young Master come with us!"

"A spy?" Xiao Hanqing hesitated.

The man sneered, "That villain Wen Yunchun is actually a spy for the Martial Alliance. Surely Madam doesn't know this? He managed to escape, thankfully he's got long legs. But King Sha said he must still have many accomplices left in the city. For the safety of Wudu City, King Sha has ordered a massive manhunt. King Sha said that it was Wen who brought Madam and the young master to Wudu back then. Many people questioned the young master's identity at the time, but Wen overruled the objections and used his prestige to dispel everyone's doubts. Now that Wen's identity has been exposed, people are remembering the old story and are starting to have doubts again. We'd like to trouble Madam to come with us. Once the young master's identity is confirmed, we will certainly escort Madam and the young master back to the mansion..."

Xiao Hanqing sneered: "What do you mean by purging spies? I think it's purging dissidents! Confirming Xun'er's identity? You couldn't even confirm it back then, how can you confirm it after so many years? If Lord Lu is watching from heaven, he will not let you off the hook."

The group's arrogance subsided, and their attitude towards the two men became more respectful. Xiao Xun neither resisted nor questioned them, but simply watched his mother quietly, finding it hard to believe that she could lie so easily. His life was in chaos, his whole world had been turned upside down…

Ye Xiao left the Xiao residence in a huff. Xiao Hanqing wasn't the venomous beauty she'd imagined. Everything she did had a perfectly valid and justifiable reason. But that only made her more upset and heartbroken. How innocent was young Luo Qingcheng! Abandoned and used by a woman she called her mother, all in the name of upholding justice. Thinking of Luo Qingcheng's face, which was usually gloomy rather than smiling, Ye Xiao suddenly felt like crying.

Unlike the chaos just moments before, Wudu City was now somewhat desolate. Gates were tightly shut everywhere, and squads of fully armed swordsmen occasionally passed through the streets. Ye Xiao was bewildered, not understanding what had happened. From not far away came a hoarse shout: "I'm not a spy! I'm not a spy for the Martial Alliance… Sha Xiong, that villain! I only disrespected him once, and he took revenge! Traitor!"

Ye Xiao stopped in her tracks. She knew that Wen Yunchun and Sha Xiong had always been at odds. Now that Wen Yunchun's forces had withdrawn from Wudu City, it must be that Sha Xiong was starting to purge Wen Yunchun's old subordinates! She suddenly jumped up! Xiao Xun! Xiao Xun had no power of his own in Wudu City, relying entirely on Wen Yunchun's protection. Now... Moreover, Sha Xiong had already made contact with Luo Qingcheng and knew about Xiao Xun's fake young master identity. He definitely wouldn't let him go easily!

She quickly turned back and ran towards the Xiao residence, only to see Xiao Xun and Madam Xiao being escorted by a large group of people a street away. Too late… Ye Xiao remembered Luo Qingcheng's warning and cursed herself for being so foolish, so focused on interrogating Madam Xiao that she'd forgotten something so important! Lately, she'd been completely blinded by greed, unable to distinguish between what was important and what wasn't!

Xiao Xun'ou looked up and saw her. His eyelids twitched, and he quickly turned his head away, pretending not to recognize her. A sharp-eyed man nearby immediately recognized Ye Xiao and shouted, "The Central Plains person the young master brought back! She's definitely a spy too! Brothers, we can't let her get away!"

Ye Xiao cursed her bad luck inwardly and wisely took off running. Her lightness skill was actually quite good, but her stamina was lacking. She had left her pursuers far behind, but her strength was clearly waning. All the shops and houses along the way were tightly shut; she couldn't find a place to hide. She ran for a while longer until she finally spotted a half-open, ornate little door and crashed inside.

The interior was dimly lit, but the room was enormous and lavishly decorated, exuding a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. A deity sat atop a lotus throne adorned with four intertwined branches, giving Ye Xiao a half-smile. Ye Xiao was stunned for a moment; in her haste, she had actually wandered into the Shimohe Temple. Ye Xiao bowed to the towering statue. She had always been lucky, deeply blessed by the gods, but now that she was far from the Central Plains, she wondered what the situation would be like. She hoped that this foreign deity wouldn't treat her with hostility.

Unfortunately, things didn't seem to be as optimistic as she had hoped. Soon, voices came from outside: "Here! I think I just saw her enter the temple! Go in and search..."

Ye Xiao was terrified. She spotted a shrine against the wall with a small statue of a deity and tried to plunge into the table beneath it. However, the space under the table was extremely cramped. Holding onto the wall with one hand, she squeezed in with all her might. Suddenly, the wall shifted, and Ye Xiao lost her grip, nearly falling over. Frustrated, she looked to the side and saw a hidden door in the wall. Her forceful push had opened it a crack. An unexpected surprise! She quickly shrank back into the hidden door.

Just as they were relieved to hear someone entering the temple, they heard someone outside shout, "Search! Under the throne, inside the table, and in the secret chamber where the scriptures are hidden—don't miss a single place! Hmph! The entire city of Udo is under martial law; let's see where she runs!"

A secret room for storing scriptures? Ye Xiao instinctively felt something was wrong. He turned around and saw countless scriptures piled up on the shelves beside him. He couldn't help but curse his bad luck again! So, the secret room was just a little dark; it was a well-lit room that everyone could see! At the very least, he could have escaped for a while, but now he had walked right into a trap!

Ye Xiao frantically searched everywhere, but couldn't find a place to hide. Hearing the voices outside growing closer, he grew increasingly anxious. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of a decoration beside a pillar in the dark room. The pattern looked familiar, so he approached and lit a tinderbox to examine it more closely. The pattern was indeed familiar: a statue of the deity Shamaha standing on a lotus flower—the very pattern from the Shamaha sacred ring he wore. There was also a small, circular metal indentation in the center, embedded in the wall beside the pillar.

Ye Xiao's heart skipped a beat. She remembered Luo Qingcheng saying that the Shmaha Sacred Ring was the key to opening the Sacred Gate. Could it be the legendary Sacred Gate? She took the Shmaha Sacred Ring out from her clothes and tried to fit it into the metal recess. Sure enough, it fit perfectly, without the slightest error. She was immediately delighted. She tried turning the ring, and a low tremor came from the wall. Suddenly, the wall and pillar parted, and a door appeared before her. Ye Xiao slipped into the door and closed it. Finally, someone had entered. He looked at the empty, dark room and scratched his head suspiciously. He seemed to have heard some sounds just now—was it a hallucination?

Ye Xiao, inside the door, finally breathed a sigh of relief and surveyed the true secret chamber. It was an extremely narrow passage. Ye Xiao followed it to the end, and suddenly her eyes lit up; she found herself in a vast stone chamber. The walls of the chamber were inlaid with numerous luminous pearls, their soft glow bathing the chamber in a dreamlike light. Even more dreamlike was the sheer volume of rare treasures piled within: several-foot-tall corals, luminous pearls the size of bowls, and countless gemstones and jade artifacts, all shimmering in the soft light. Ye Xiao sighed softly. This was the Shimohe Treasure, the Shimohe Treasure that so many people coveted. Unfortunately, this held no appeal for her. Xiao Xun and her son were now in grave danger, Wudu City was under lockdown, and she herself was trapped in this treasure vault—it was hardly a cause for celebration! If the treasure vault were exposed because of her, fulfilling Sha Xiong's ambitions, the impact on Xiao Xun of Qingcheng would be unpredictable.

Was she just going to starve to death here with all those treasures? Could there be another way out of the secret chamber? She wandered around the stone chamber in frustration for a while, and finally found a handle somewhere in the chamber. She turned the handle and opened another door.

There were several interconnected stone chambers, some piled with various weapons, others with ancient texts. Ye Xiao didn't have time to examine them closely, and continued onward, not knowing how long he walked, feeling as if he were going straight down, until he finally reached the end of the passageway. By the light of his tinderbox, Ye Xiao looked up and, sure enough, saw the same striking divine image pattern on the wall, with an identical metal indentation in the center.

As the stone gate opened, a refreshing breeze from the foot of the mountain rushed in. Ye Xiao took a deep breath, thankful for her newfound freedom. But the thought of Xiao Xun's still uncertain fate filled her with worry. She stood blankly at the foot of the mountain, unsure of where to go for the first time in her life.

After walking along the foot of the mountain for a while, something even worse happened: she realized she was lost. Wudu City, known as the Netherworld City in the Central Plains, was located in a very secluded place with complex surrounding terrain. She had come by carriage and hadn't paid attention to the direction of the road. With the secret passages winding and the exits hidden, she now couldn't even find out which way Wudu City was, let alone how to leave.

He didn't know how long he had walked, but the sky had long since turned a deep, dark blue, with a few glittering stars scattered across the canvas. The weather here turned bitterly cold at night. Ye Xiao, who had been captured by Huang Chongshan the previous night and had endured countless hardships, hadn't eaten a single grain of rice. Exhausted and starving, he was shivering with cold when suddenly his foot slipped, and he slid down the hillside…

Desperate

With a soft sigh, an arm caught her just in time.

"Qingcheng!" she cheered and looked up. It wasn't Luo Qingcheng. Before her stood a strange man, his eyes somewhat blurred in the darkness, but his stature was clearly taller and larger than Luo Qingcheng's. He stood there quietly, giving off a feeling of oppressive darkness.

Ye Xiao was startled and asked timidly, "Who... are you?"

The man did not answer her question, but asked in a deep voice, "Miss, are you lost?"

"How did you know?" Ye Xiao asked suspiciously.

“This is a desolate mountain wilderness, rarely visited by people. Ordinary people would not pass through here, and I just observed for a while that the girl wandered around in circles several times, so I guess she is lost.”

Ye Xiao breathed a sigh of relief: "This place is deserted... then... why are you here?"

"My home is nearby."

Ye Xiao was overjoyed: "Then you must know the way?"

The person in the darkness seemed to nod slightly: "Where are you going, young lady?"

Ye Xiao thought for a moment: "Do you... know how to get to Wudu City?"

The man remained silent for a long time before replying, "Miss, are you going to Wudu City? I advise you not to go; they don't welcome strangers."

Ye Xiao lowered her head. She knew no one would welcome her, but she wanted to go and find out about Xiao Xun's situation.

"Without a trustworthy guide, the city gates will not open for you. Young lady, I'd better take you back..."

"..." Ye Xiao was stunned for a long time. Yes, that narrow iron chain bridge was never easy to cross secretly, and going to Wudu City was practically a dead end. However, Xiao Xun...

The man seemed to read her mind and said in a low voice, "Miss, is there something troubling you that you need to go to Udu? The one who tied the knot must untie it. Why don't you find someone they trust and have him take you in?"

Go find Luo Qingcheng! This thought swirled and lingered in her mind, refusing to leave ever since she watched Luo Qingcheng leave Wudu. But thinking of Xiao Xun's situation, she simply couldn't act on her impulses.

The man continued, “The Shamokha is a very conservative sect. Any major move they make will take a long time to discuss and debate. I think you should have enough time to find someone to solve this problem.”

Ye Xiao was slightly taken aback. Did this man mean that Xiao Xun was not in immediate danger and that she should go to Luo Qingcheng to rescue him? Who was this man? He seemed to know a lot about Wudu City? She looked at the man suspiciously.

The man said in a low voice, "Girl, come with me. I'll take you away. It's hard to get out of this place alive without someone to guide you."

They walked all night in silence. The man's face became clearer in the gradually brightening sky. He was in his forties, with a square face, handsome features, deep and sharp eyes, and a long beard that fluttered in the wind. There was a strange sense of familiarity about him. Looking at his serious face, Ye Xiao swallowed the question that was on the tip of her tongue and continued on her way, head down. She was simply too tired; too tired to think about anything else.

Passing by another desolate mountain, the man suddenly hissed, "Who's there?" At the same time, he gently pushed Ye Xiao behind a thicket of rocks. Ye Xiao heard a familiar voice call out, "Big Brother!" He immediately ducked in fear, wishing he could dig a hole and disappear instantly.

It was Huang Chongshan. At this moment, Huang Chongshan stood very humbly before the man, hands at his sides, and said in a low voice, “Brother, things have changed in Youming City. My identity has been exposed, and Madam and Young Master have been detained. A descendant of Lu Mingfei has arrived, named Luo Qingcheng. This fellow is treacherous and cunning; I'm worried he might harm Madam and Young Master, and their safety will be in danger…”

The man seemed uninterested: "If that's the case, then it's their fate, and it has nothing to do with anyone else. Chongshan, you know I've long since retired from the martial world and no longer concern myself with worldly affairs."

Huang Chongshan hesitated for a moment, then said unwillingly, "Luo Qingcheng's martial arts are far superior to mine. In the whole world, I'm afraid only you, elder brother, can fight him. So I want to ask you to come out of seclusion. To catch the thief, catch the king. If you can deal with him, I can spare some attention to take care of the lady and the young master, and wipe out the remaining villains of Youming City..."

The man frowned: "I have made a grave mistake, an unforgivable one. I will never again kill for my own selfish reasons. Chongshan, I remember you admitted your mistake to me back then and promised to do your best to avoid conflict between the Martial Alliance and the Netherworld City, showing your compassion. Why do you always think of killing everyone?"

Huang Chongshan argued, "This is using violence to stop violence and killing to stop killing. Luo Qingcheng is just as ruthless as Lu Mingfei was back then. He hates the Martial Alliance very much. Once he gains power, he will definitely be detrimental to the Central Plains martial arts world!"

The man shook his head: "Lu Mingfei was indeed killed by us, so it's normal for his son to harbor hatred. Since he's not dead, we should apologize to him and dispel the hatred in his heart. Killing will only deepen the hatred between us."

Huang Chongshan didn't say anything more. He was unwilling, but knowing his temperament, he finally left.

Once Huang Chongshan had gone some distance, the man called out to Ye Xiao's hiding place, "Girl, you're out. You'll be out of the mountains soon. I'll see you off one more time. There will be people soon. You can also take a carriage or ride a horse."

Ye Xiao stood up from the pile of rocks and looked directly at him: "Alliance Leader Li!"

The man's body trembled slightly, and he said in a low voice, "That's right, I am Li Zhong. I am no longer the leader of the martial arts alliance. You can just call me Uncle, young lady."

Ye Xiao took a closer look and indeed found that his face resembled Xiao Xun's.