Quand je reviendrai avec toi

Chapitre 95

A sliver of light, a butterfly kite, martial arts beyond one's years, a body that never grows old, the Snow Envoy of the Heavenly Mountains, the female skeleton in the Jade Altar...

The person inside the coffin was completely bloodless, deathly pale like a wax figure…

How could something so graceful have turned out like this?

He thought she was doing well, and no one would have the heart to mistreat that lovely little girl...

She should be carefree and laughing, not lifeless, disheveled, and calmly and indifferently facing death.

My sister, whom I've been searching for for sixteen years...

If my father were still alive...

Flipping through the secret reports from the Western Regions was like reviewing her journey. It was as if she had walked barefoot through a long, thorny path, each step dripping with blood. She had honed those dangerous secret techniques to their peak; he could guess the price she had paid.

I remember the butterfly kite, its sleeve concealing a glimmer of light, yet it vehemently denied everything, determined to sever all ties with the past. She truly didn't care, didn't care who she had once been, didn't care if she still had family.

They forgot their identity, abandoned their name, and gave up their future.

Dark, bright eyes, cold and hard.

He had never asked her a single question about anything that had happened in the past; he knew he had no right to.

They didn't even have the right to ask her to abandon her martial arts skills and cooperate with Doctor Fu Tian in administering medicine and treating patients.

He had witnessed the backlash, the prolonged and excruciating pain, yet he endured it silently, patiently, and without uttering a sound.

The precious instrument her father cherished, even when practicing the piano, was so dear to him that he couldn't bear to part with it. Now, amidst the relentless winds and bitter cold of the desert, she will never shed another tear.

If possible... he wanted to give everything to redeem those sixteen years.

His proud, beautiful, lonely, and solitary sister struggled to survive.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the long review on Tianya. I'm so happy, I'm moved to tears.

I've been putting off writing this for so long, I didn't even dare to hope for it to be finished, and you've actually written so much, 555~~~~ *pounces on you and gives you a passionate French kiss*

Side Story - Metamorphosis

The silver candle burned quietly, and a drop of candle wax silently slid down, slowly solidifying on the gleaming candlestick.

The girl felt cold, woke up from her daze, rubbed her eyes, and snuggled closer to her mother.

The beautiful woman lay limply on the bed, her dark gaze fixed for a long time.

The girl tucked the blanket in tightly and looked at her expectantly. Seeing that her mother's lips were pale and dry, she thoughtfully jumped off the bed, climbed onto a stool, poured a glass of water, and shakily brought it to her.

"Mother, water."

The woman's icy gaze flickered, softening with a gentle warmth. "My dear Pianxian, Mother isn't thirsty."

The girl paused for a moment, then obediently put down her cup and snuggled back to her mother's side to share the warmth.

"Mother, when can we leave here?"

The woman remained silent, tilting her head slightly and resting her head on her daughter's soft hair.

"It's so cold here," the little one complained, pouting. "I miss home."

The girl glanced at her mother's face and asked softly, "Can I really not see Dad again?"

"Do you regret it after you've been so graceful?" The woman's voice was soft as she looked down at her youthful face.

The girl remembered her mother's question before she left and shook her head. "Pianxian wants to stay with Mom. Dad is a man, after all. Mom can't be without someone to keep her company." As she said this, her bright black eyes blinked, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. "But I miss Dad very much."

"It's all my fault," the woman murmured, overwhelmed with deep regret. "I should have left you in Yangzhou."

“Mother…” The girl was stunned, seeing the tears rolling down her mother’s face, and hurriedly wiped them away with her small hands. “Why are you crying, Mother? It’s my fault. I don’t miss Father anymore. Mother, don’t cry…”

Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, she gazed at the jade-like little figure through her teary eyes, not daring to imagine what fate awaited her child. Although she was extremely loved, Pianxian was very sensible. She had suffered a lot during the year of wandering with her mother, and often comforted her mother. To avoid upsetting her, she always put on a smiling face and never mentioned her most beloved father.

It was her fault. Out of selfish reluctance, she was taken away from the meticulous protection and left to wander in the harsh winds and sands of the borderlands, where she was captured and brought to this godforsaken place with no way to escape.

She didn't care about her own life or death, but... what about Pianxian?

The cult leader made it very clear: if you insist on not obeying, you will encounter terrible fates, but... what if you obey?

A sliver of cold light flickered in his bright, clear eyes.

Even if she endures all the humiliation, she still cannot protect her daughter. Her martial arts skills have long been ruined and there is no possibility of regaining them. Without power, she is destined for a tragic end in this den of iniquity. Pianxian... her beauty is too great; once she grows up, she will inevitably be coveted and will have no chance of escaping the clutches of lewdness.

As long as she lives, Pianxian will become a pawn controlling her... Her cold gaze seemed to pierce through the wall, revealing the scenery of another garden.

If she dies… Pianxian will probably be kept here and raised, growing up to be a tool for their pleasure, just like the other women in this garden. But… given time and opportunity, perhaps she can escape…

Pianxian is only five years old, living alone in this detestable environment...

She gently stroked her daughter's soft cheek, reluctant to part with her.

That man… if he knew his daughter was in such a place, he would be heartbroken. What is he doing right now? Is he still searching hopelessly? When he left, should he have left a few words to tell him that he had no regrets?

Even though he lied to her.

He concealed the fact that he had a wife and children, yet he gave her several years of dreamlike happiness and such a lovely baby. She truly doesn't hate him.

It was like she was fleeing when she left. She dared not take anything that reminded her of him, except... her young child.

I'm sorry, I'm going to die.

I'm sorry for making you sad.

I'm sorry, I took away your beloved Pianxian and then abandoned her in this hellish abyss.

"Pianxian," a soft voice whispered.

"mother?"

"Promise Mother one thing."

"What?"

"No matter what happens in the future, you must not destroy yourself, hurt yourself, or commit suicide."

"What does suicide mean?" The innocent child did not yet understand.

"Yes, Mother."

"Um."

"Apart from being absorbed into the sacred lake, people of Cangwu Kingdom are not allowed to commit suicide. Otherwise, their souls will be eternally burned by fire after death. If you commit suicide, your mother will go to the fire hell in your place. Remember that."

“Mother…” The girl timidly didn’t quite understand, but she became afraid.

“Pianxian, don’t be afraid.” The woman kissed her daughter’s forehead, her face pale and calm. “Mother will temporarily seal your memories. If you remember too much, you won’t be able to bear the suffering.”

She recited the mantras of the exercise one by one, explained them in detail, and made her daughter repeat them again and again until she was sure she knew them perfectly before giving her further instructions.

"This skill is very dangerous. You must be careful when you practice it in the future. Unless absolutely necessary, do not practice it at high altitudes. After you escape danger and are sure you are safe, do not hesitate to immediately abandon it, otherwise it will harm you instead... When you go back, your father will protect you."

The girl nodded as if she understood, looking at her mother's loving yet reluctant face.

The silver candle was about to burn out, and a faint morning light shone through the window paper. The woman glanced at it and then lowered her head again.

"Pianxian, forgive your mother for making you suffer so much." Her tender eyes were filled with reluctance to part with her beloved daughter. "You will definitely feel very sad when you think about it in the future, but you must remember that this was your mother's wish. Your mother used your hand to commit suicide so that she wouldn't go to hell. You helped your mother. No matter what others say, you did nothing wrong."

Watching her daughter grow increasingly flustered, she felt both concern and affection.

"Pianqian, dear Mother."

The little boy obediently leaned in and kissed his mother's face. Just as he was about to say something, his beautiful eyes suddenly shone brightly, and he was instantly stunned.

*Crack*

She sprang up abruptly, beads of cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

The silver candle thorn pierced his chest in an instant, and there seemed to be warm blood on his hand.

My heart is pounding.

My heart was in turmoil, countless images burst forth, and memories sealed for many years surged forth like a tide, causing my body to tremble involuntarily.

"Jia Ye!" The boy held her shoulder, calling out softly in slight surprise. "What's wrong?"

Her thin shoulders trembled like falling leaves, and her face was frighteningly pale. I had never seen her so distraught.

I pressed my throbbing forehead against the wall, my ears ringing so loudly I could hear nothing but my mother's serene face. Her bright eyes had lost their sparkle, like a white flower fallen from its branch, her hand hanging limply at her sides.

"Jia Ye!" It seemed as if someone was calling from the darkness.

Jia Ye?

No, she is Pianxian.

Mingming... lowered his eyes blankly, and in front of him were a pair of slender hands with thin calluses on their fingers, and... a shocking bright red.

Whose blood is it?

She jumped up and ran out of the cave where she was hiding. She rushed to a tree and vomited until she was empty of bile, and she could still smell the lingering stench of blood.

"Gaye!"

Water… Water…

Lost in thought, she found a mountain spring and frantically washed her hands and face. Strands of blood spread and vanished in the water. Finally, she stopped. The calm water was like a mirror, reflecting a girl's face.

Who is it?

Who is this girl who looks to be around ten years old?

Who is that worried-looking boy behind me?

She was clearly only five years old... her mother...

Unable to think any further, she was engulfed by the heavy darkness.

"Jia Ye, wake up, you've been sleeping all day." Someone was patting her face.

Finally, I broke free from the deep weariness and vaguely remembered fragments of memories.

She... used those hands to kill her mother.

She... is Jia Ye.