Апрель

Глава 136

Behind the stone was a small boat, barely big enough for three people. Mo Yun pushed the boat out, lit a torch, and handed it to Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan was still puzzled, but she didn't ask any more questions and got on the small boat with him.

Mo Yun took the long pole, pushed off in the small boat, and headed into the cave.

Holding the torch, Zhao Yan gazed at the dark road ahead, feeling a mix of trepidation and calm. The water beside the small boat gently lapped against its hull, flowing softly.

After walking for about half an hour, the road ahead suddenly opened up. It turned out that the deep pool in the cave was an underground river. After the darkness passed, the river emerged from the cave and revealed a village with small bridges, flowing water, and flowers and trees everywhere. It was nearly August, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, slowly permeating the air.

Mo Yun stopped punting, allowing the small boat to slowly drift towards the shore with the current.

He leaped lightly ashore, then reached out and pulled Zhao Yan ashore as well.

Zhao Yan stopped resisting and reached out to use the leverage to get ashore.

As soon as the two stood still, several villagers came to greet them. Upon seeing Mo Yun, they smiled and said, "Young Master, you're finally back."

Mo Yun nodded, then turned to Zhao Yan and said, "I'll take you to see your master."

When the villagers saw Zhao Yan, their expressions became slightly mocking. "Young Master, who is this?"

Mo Yun glanced at Zhao Yan and told her the truth.

The villagers were all astonished when they heard this.

Mo Yun offered no further explanation, and instead pulled Zhao Yan toward the main house in the village.

Once inside the hall, Mo Yun pulled Zhao Yan to sit down and said, "Wait a moment, I'll go inform Master."

Seeing his smile, Zhao Yan felt a little worried. She gripped his hand tightly, hesitant to speak.

Mo Yun squatted down and said, "Now that you're here, what are you afraid of?"

Zhao Yan slowly loosened her grip and nodded.

As she watched him leave, her unease deepened.

Even if, as Mo Yun said, Qi Han has been looking for her, what will happen when they finally meet? What will she say? ...And if everything is different from what Mo Yun said, what should she do?

These questions swirled in her mind, making her restless. Her hand nervously fiddled with her clothes, and then her fingertips touched the rouge box in her bosom.

She carefully took out the rouge, placed it in her palm, and examined it closely. After a moment's thought, she opened the box and lightly touched her finger with it. She smiled, about to apply the rouge to her cheek, when she heard a commotion outside the door.

Zhao Yan was slightly startled. Just as she stood up, she saw several villagers fall in, their injuries quite severe.

She took a few steps back in surprise, only to see someone leisurely walk into the hall.

When she saw who it was, the rouge in her hand fell to the ground, and her heart suddenly raced.

"Wei Qi!"

The one who called out that name was not Zhao Yan, but Mo Yun.

Zhao Yan turned her head in surprise and saw Mo Yun had already come out, accompanied by a man. The man was dressed in a light blue robe, looked to be no more than thirty-five or thirty-six years old, and had no beard. He was tall and handsome, with an imposing arrogance between his brows. Judging from his appearance, he should be Qi Han, the head of the Qi family.

Qi Han looked at the injured villagers lying on the ground in the hall, and without saying a word, he drew the long whip from his waist and lashed it directly at Wei Qi at the door.

Wei Qi retreated several steps, avoiding the attack.

Only then did everyone realize that the long whip in Qi Han's hand was actually made of blades. Although the force of this strike did not injure Wei Qi, it did lift the floor of the hall. The stone slab, which was about an inch thick, shattered into several pieces, demonstrating that the power of the blades was extraordinary.

Wei Qi stopped, cupped his hands, and said, "Master Qi, I have long admired you."

Qi Han did not reply and was about to attack again. Suddenly, the door behind Wei Qi opened wide, and when they looked again, the village was filled with Wei Qi's men. All the villagers had been subdued and trapped in the open space in the village.

"I have long admired the Qi family's elegance, and today I have the honor of meeting you in person. Indeed, seeing is believing." Wei Qi smiled leisurely.

"Wei Qi, you..." Mo Yun felt angry when he saw the situation before him.

Wei Qi glanced at Zhao Yan and said, "This time, I am very grateful for Yan'er's introduction. Otherwise, how could I have found such a hidden place?"

When Zhao Yan heard those words, her mind went blank, and her thoughts were thrown into chaos. She looked up at Mo Yun, feeling only fear.

Mo Yun was shocked by Wei Qi's words. She and Wei Qi had broken ties; he had tried to kill her, but hadn't used his full strength. Then, she somehow obtained the "softening-bone powder." Contrary to her usual behavior, she demanded he take her back to the Qi family. The mountain village was massacred overnight, yet she remained unharmed. He recalled the ambush that night; after he inhaled the powder, those attackers clearly had a chance to win, but they stopped attacking and fled. Then, he encountered Zhao Yan… Had he been deceived? Was it all just her usual performance?

He looked at the trapped villagers, then at Zhao Yan, wanting to ask, but unable to bring himself to ask.

"Yan'er, what do you want me to do now?" Wei Qi slowly walked to Zhao Yan's side and said, "Although I promised you that I would wipe out the Qi family and avenge you and your mother, he is still your father after all..."

Zhao Yan looked up at Wei Qi, about to say something, when she heard someone speak coldly.

"She is not my daughter."

Zhao Yan turned around abruptly and saw Qi Han with a cold expression, her eyes filled with disgust as she looked at her.

Qi Han gripped the bladed whip in his hand and said, "Mo Yun, who gave you the right to bring outsiders in on your own initiative?"

outsider……

Zhao Yan felt a chill in her heart as she recalled Mo Yun's words: "It was my own decision to take you back to the Qi family to reunite with him."

The person before her had never considered acknowledging her as family; from the very beginning, she shouldn't have trusted them. If she hadn't trusted them, she wouldn't have been disappointed. She was utterly foolish. Hadn't she suffered enough deception and abandonment in this world?

"Master..." Mo Yun was anxious upon hearing this and was about to explain.

"Why bother, Master Qi? Yan'er's mother is Yan Ji, the most beautiful woman in the world. If she's not your daughter, then whose daughter is she?" Wei Qi's tone was sincere, but also tinged with helplessness.

"These matters are none of your business!" As Qi Han spoke, he lashed out at Wei Qi with his whip again.

Wei Qi helped Zhao Yan up, leaped out of the hall, and stood in the village.

Qi Han chased after him, about to attack again.

Wei Qi said loudly, "Master Qi, it's fine if you don't acknowledge your daughter, but are you also disregarding the lives of your disciples?"

Qi Han frowned and stopped.

"Yan'er, are you happy now?" Wei Qi held Zhao Yan's wrist and smiled as he looked down.

Zhao Yan felt a sharp pain in her wrist. She tried to break free, but couldn't muster any strength.

Seeing the two so intimately connected, Qi Han said coldly, "Despicable."

Upon hearing those two words, Zhao Yan instantly calmed down. She stopped struggling, and her previously fearful eyes became sharp and piercing.

She suddenly laughed, turned her head, and looked at Qi Han, "I may be despicable, but I won! The Qi family was famous throughout the martial arts world, but it was still destroyed by my hands!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Han flicked his whip and lashed out at Zhao Yan.

Wei Qi released his grip, stepped aside, and ignored the situation.

Seeing this, Mo Yun hurriedly drew his sword and stepped forward to block Qi Han's attack. "Master!"

Seeing this, Qi Han became even angrier, "You bastard! Fine, you brought this little bitch back, then you and she shall die together!"

Mo Yun dared not offend him and only focused on defense.

Qi Han's anger intensified. He shoved Mo Yun aside, and with a gust of wind, he launched a fierce attack on Zhao Yan with his bladed whip.

Zhao Yan smiled, neither flinching nor avoiding. Her eyes held no fear, only mockery.

As the bladed whip drew nearer, her smile widened, her mind already empty.

However, the next moment, someone stepped in front of her. In an instant, the splattered blood warmly stained her cheeks.

“Mo Yun…” she looked at the person in front of her, her voice hoarse.

Qi Han's blade whip lashed out, drawing blood and flesh; at that moment, his astonishment was written all over his face.

Mo Yun collapsed to the ground, unable to get up again.

Zhao Yan's heart skipped a beat, and she knelt down. "You..." She wanted to be sarcastic, but couldn't bring herself to say anything hurtful. Though her heart was filled with concern, she couldn't utter a single gentle word. She just watched, terrified, and remained silent.

Mo Yun looked at her and smiled bitterly, "Was I wrong...?"

He was too weak to say anything more and fainted.

Zhao Yan was stunned, unable to react.

Qi Han was also stunned. He looked at the blood-stained blade and whip, and the cold arrogance in his eyes dimmed.

Wei Qi watched these changes with great interest, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

“Master Qi, why bother with this…” he said with a smile.

Qi Han glanced at him, a hint of dejection in her voice, "What exactly do you want?"

Wei Qi stepped forward with a smile and said, "'Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts'."

Qi Han burst into laughter, threw the bladed whip in his hand at Wei Qi's feet, and said disdainfully, "This is the 'Nine Emperors' Divine Weapon'."

Wei Qi frowned as he looked at the blood-stained whip. "Master Qi, you must be joking."

"You know I'm the head of the Qi family. If I say it is, then it is! Believe it or not!" Qi Han replied indifferently.

Wei Qi was displeased, but his smile returned. He nodded and said, "Since Chief Qi has said so, how could I not believe him? However, there are still many things I don't understand, and I would like to ask Chief Qi for guidance." He waved his hand, and his subordinate drew his sword, facing the group of Qi clan members, "I'll trouble Chief Qi to come with me..."

Qi Han still looked disdainful. He glanced at Zhao Yan and Mo Yun, put his hands behind his back, and strode forward.

...

An hour later, the Qi family members were taken to the nearby Hero's Fortress branch and imprisoned.

Zhao Yan, however, was still treated as an honored guest and was placed in a side room.

This day felt far too long.

Zhao Yan felt she had experienced too much, too much to make sense of. Everything seemed like a dream. She suddenly wasn't sure if she had really been to the Qi family, met her biological father... and whether everything that followed was real.

In her daze, she seemed to hear Mo Yun's words again: Was I wrong...?

She covered her ears and closed her eyes tightly, unwilling to think about it anymore.

Just then, someone opened the door and came in with a smile, calling out, "Yan'er."

Zhao Yan suddenly looked up, and when she saw who it was, she felt only anger, sorrow, hatred, and despair... all these emotions surged up at once, tangling in her heart. She stared straight at him, without saying a word.

"Yan'er, what's wrong?" Wei Qi smiled gently. "I've already ruined the Qi family. I thought you would be happy."

Zhao Yan tried to calm herself down and asked, "What...what exactly do you want?"

Wei Qi looked puzzled. "Huh, why are so many people asking me the same question today? What do I want? That's strange. Didn't you cooperate with me to get revenge on the Qi family for you? Pretending to break ties with me and inducing Mo Yun to reveal the Qi family's whereabouts—wasn't that your idea too?"

Zhao Yan's body was completely cold. Suddenly, she understood many things. This understanding made her fear seem bottomless…

"...You're not cooperating with me at all, you're just using me..." she said, trembling.

Wei Qi laughed, "Yan'er, didn't you tell me before that you had some use? Otherwise, why would I spare your life?"