Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 207

"Why?"

Li Ying asked. Qing Jianyue looked at him and saw the contempt and suspicion flashing in his eyes.

"You racked your brains, schemed and plotted, and even offered yourself to Lu Qingcheng, all for this day, wasn't it?"

These insulting words immediately enraged everyone in Lujiabao.

Qing Jianyue's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Sect Leader Li, you overestimate me. In terms of winning or losing, you didn't lose to me, nor to Lu Family Fortress, Tianlong Fortress, or Fengyue Manor; you lost to yourself. Let's use an analogy: it's like playing a game. To continue playing this game, you must follow certain rules, otherwise, you'll be eliminated. Your actions violated the rules, making you a victim of the game. This analogy is rather cruel, but that's life."

Li Ying frowned deeply, trying hard to process what Kiyomi Tsuki had just said.

“Why don’t you kill us? You had every reason to kill us.” This time, it was Luo Xiang who spoke. “No one will say you’re wrong. You don’t need to be so hypocritical.”

Qingjian Yue smiled faintly, a smile as brilliant and mysterious as starlight in the night sky. "Li Tieying died, not from my revenge, but from his brutality and ruthlessness. Zhao Wuyang and Lu Baoquan died, not from my revenge, but from their insatiable greed. As for your father, he had to pay for his sins. I didn't kill you because these are grudges from a past life, matters of the past. They have nothing to do with you or them. Young Master Luo, don't let those so-called hatreds bind your heart. What we need to do is prevent hatred from continuing. Aren't the mistakes made by people in the past enough to warn us in the next life? Don't repeat the same mistakes, causing the tragedy of the past to be repeated in our lives."

With just one sentence, he completely won over his enemies.

Li Ying bowed respectfully, "Today I have finally experienced the charm of Young Master Jian Yue."

"There's nothing more to say. Young Master's magnanimity is boundless, and Buqun accepts defeat wholeheartedly. Whatever punishment he faces, Buqun will accept it willingly." Luo Buqun looked at his children and instructed them, "You, remember Young Master's words well. Don't let hatred continue. Don't let the mistakes of the past life happen to you."

Luo Xiang, Lu Zhi, Luo Lan, and Lu Xuemei nodded with tears in their eyes.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: I Am a Woman

The rain had stopped sometime earlier. Kiyomi Tsuki stopped and looked up at the sky. The dark clouds had dispersed, and a bright moon, like a crystal-clear silver plate, hung high in the sky. After a gust of wind, the bamboo grove resonated with a verdant, ethereal sound, and the rich fragrance of flowers filled the air. Who could have imagined that a fierce battle had taken place in this beautiful garden not long ago? The bloodstains on the ground had not yet been washed away. Kiyomi Tsuki sighed softly.

Huang Chong bowed and said, "Young master, let's go."

Qingjian Yue glanced at the guards following him, then patted the white fox that had climbed onto his shoulder. The fox grumbled and scurried back into Qingjian Yue's arms. Qingjian Yue strode towards the garden gate, surrounded by attendants on all sides. A figure came running towards him, but was stopped by Zhang Lang as it approached. Qingjian Yue recognized her immediately—it was Hongxiu, the maidservant Long Fengming had assigned to him.

"What's up?"

Kiyoshi asked gently, while Hongxiu trembled, clearly frightened by Zhang Lang's shout.

"Reporting to you, young master, a man who calls himself Li Lin wants to see you. I invited him to the front hall, but he insists on waiting here."

Kiyomi Tsuki was quite surprised. I was wondering why I hadn't seen him in the front hall, but here he was, waiting for me. But what did he want with me?

Huang Chong asked suspiciously, "What does Young Master Li want to see the master for?"

Qing Jianyue said calmly, "Go and invite Qingcheng over, but don't disturb outsiders."

Huang Chong said, "Yes." He turned around and instructed Zhang Lang, Mao Ying, and Guo Guo, "Take good care of them."

The three nodded.

Qing Jianyue stepped into the garden, but stopped abruptly at the gate. Zhang Lang, Mao Ying, and Guo Guo also stopped. Qing Jianyue thought for a moment and said, "You wait outside." The three men looked worried. Qing Jianyue stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. The three men looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

Inside the luxurious and elegant bedroom, pale yellow gauze curtains fluttered in the breeze. A young man dressed in black robes stood before a large birdcage by the window, sword in hand, squinting as he watched the white-headed bulbul hopping and chirping inside. Kiyomi entered the room, and Kiyomi turned around. Their eyes met, and a spark seemed to fly between them.

Li Lin smiled slightly, his smile cold and ruthless in the lamplight. "Congratulations, young master, on finally avenging your great grudge."

Why doesn't Young Master Li meet me in the front hall?

Kiyomizuki seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally stroking the white fox's beautiful head, looking at Li Lin with a wary expression, just like a little rabbit guarding against a big bad wolf.

“I’ve been waiting, waiting to see the show today, but I never expected that you would only sentence Luo Buqun to commit suicide. Young master, you are truly magnanimous. You seem to have forgotten that Li Tieying killed your father, Luo Buqun seized your mother, Zhao Wuyang seized your family property, and that lackey Lu Baoquan killed more than three hundred members of your entire family.” Li Lin slowly walked to Qing Jianyue, a strange smile appearing on his face. “You’re just going to let the descendants of Luo Buqun, Li Tieying, and Zhao Wuyang go so easily?”

Qing Jian Yue slowly retreated a few steps towards the door, raising his hand to grasp the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist. A white fox suddenly leaped onto his shoulder, looking down at Li Lin. Qing Jian Yue coldly said, "Young Master Li, why don't you just say what you have to say?"

Li Lin coldly laughed and said, "Young master, won't you invite me for a cup of tea?" After saying that, he turned around and sat down steadily at the table.

Qingjian Yue was completely bewildered by his words and couldn't understand what was going on. She loosened her grip on the hilt of the knife, put the white fox on the ground, turned around and opened the door. Zhang Lang, Mao Ying, and Guo Guo, who were guarding outside, immediately bowed in respect. Zhang Lang said, "Please give your orders, young master."

"Serve tea to the guests."

After closing the door, Kiyomi Tsuki turned around. The white fox nimbly leaped onto the round stool and then onto the table, wagging its fluffy tail and staring at Li Lin with considerable arrogance. Kiyomi Tsuki also sat down at the table, looking at Li Lin with a questioning gaze.

“I know that you harbor hostility towards me, young master.”

"Not at all."

"Haven't you been suspicious all along? Why would I willingly help Lord Lu and you destroy the Sky Eagle Sect? If I were to speak of upholding righteousness, I might fool others, but I certainly wouldn't fool you."

"In that case, please stop with your high-sounding words."

"My late mother was a very beautiful woman. Wherever she went, she illuminated the surroundings like the morning light."

The door opened, and Hongxiu brought in exquisite tea and snacks. Qingjian Yue glanced at Li Lin, who was lost in his memories, and instructed, "Put down the tea and snacks, and leave." Hongxiu put down the fragrant tea and quickly retreated. Qingjian Yue hurriedly poured two cups of tea, handing one to Li Lin and one to herself. Then, she slapped the white fox's head open, picked up a piece of pastry from the snow-white plate, and stuffed it into her mouth, urging indistinctly, "Continue, continue."

Li Lin smiled, though his smile remained cold, his eyes shimmering with a gentle light.

"My maternal grandfather came from a scholarly family, possessing vast wealth and thousands of acres of fertile land. My maternal grandmother passed away early, and my late mother was exceptionally beautiful, so my grandfather doted on her. Therefore, he rejected all marriage proposals and instead married a scholar surnamed Hu. Sadly, three days after the wedding, the scholar Hu accompanied my grandfather on a visit to a friend's house, where they encountered bandits. The bandits sent a message to my late mother, saying that if she didn't come to redeem him within five days, she could expect to receive his head. My late mother reported the matter to the authorities, and that very night, the scholar's head was delivered. At this time, Li Tieying came to our door, offering a condition: if my late mother was willing to marry him, he would guarantee to rescue my grandfather."

Kiyoshi said sarcastically, "That really sounds like Li Tieying's style."

"Under those circumstances, my mother, a weak woman, had no choice but to agree. The next day, my maternal grandfather was rescued, but he passed away a month later. Before he died, he entrusted my five-year-old uncle to my mother, asking her to live on no matter how much pain and humiliation she endured. With no other option, my mother married Li Tieying with shame and humiliation, and gave birth to me nine months later. Because of my mother's beauty, she was quite favored by Li Tieying at that time. This naturally aroused the jealousy of his first wife, and rumors began to circulate when my mother was pregnant, saying that she was carrying the scholar's illegitimate child. Li Tieying did not believe it at first, but as the rumors spread, he inevitably became suspicious and even plotted to kill her."

Li Lin picked up the tea on the table and took a few sips.

Qingjian Yue was impatient. "Can you finish the story in one go before drinking tea? I hate listening to stories when the storyteller says 'To be continued' at the crucial moment. It's so frustrating! How could Li Tieying let you go? How could someone as cruel as him keep you alive and bring trouble upon himself?"

Over there, the white fox jumped off the table out of boredom, swishing its fluffy tail and frolicking around the room, occasionally running to its owner's legs and letting out a happy meow.

"Uncle He saved me."

Who is Uncle He?