Небо над реками и озерами очень чистое

Глава 70

She paused, her words trailing off.

He gently persuaded her, trying to calm her vaguely frantic eyes.

"The Pope is dead, you have succeeded. You have done nothing wrong, stop blaming yourself, they all want you to live well."

He regretted asking about a topic that should have been buried. Carrying such a dark past and wounds that would never heal, the only thing he could do was never mention it again. How much emotional and physical pain could a person endure?

Jia Ye had reached her limit, like a taut string struggling under immense pressure, repeatedly pulled by a leaden fate, and would eventually break if things continued this way.

"...Don't overthink it, you've done enough...and you haven't wronged anyone."

When the conviction to kill her enemy consumed her entire being, what would she have left after success? In that instant, the person beside him seemed so vulnerable, filling him with worry and unease, and he desperately wanted to hold her in his arms and comfort her. Just then, Qinglan's call rang out, and a clamor of people taking their seats and bowing filled the air. The banquet had begun, and according to etiquette, he had to go with his brothers to toast and accompany them.

Jia Ye snapped out of her daze, calmed herself down, and pushed away the hand that was pressing on her shoulder.

"Go ahead, I'm fine."

"You promised you wouldn't leave without my permission." He scrutinized him with concern.

"Mmm." She gave a weak reply, then added under his gaze, "I promise you... I'll tell you if I leave."

He still didn't let go of her hand, and pulled her closer to the main hall, which was full of guests. "You can sit with my mother for now."

"No need." She stopped, her brow furrowing slightly. "I want to be alone."

She was very insistent, and he had no choice but to compromise.

He took her to a secluded garden where there were few people, instructed the servants to prepare exquisite food, and reluctantly went to the main hall to fulfill his duties as a son, hoping that the grand banquet would end soon.

Jia Ye was emotionally unstable, and he was worried about her, so he summoned Mo Yao, the most skilled in stealth among the four wings, to keep a close watch on her.

Piercing

After staring blankly for a while, she rubbed her temples, picked up the wine pot on the stone table, poured herself a full cup, and slowly swallowed it. Her chaotic thoughts seemed to calm down a little.

The clear, sweet wine was smooth and mellow on the palate. For the first time, I indulged myself in a blank mind, savoring one cup after another. After drinking alone for a while, I finished a whole pot of wine. A surge of heat rose up, so I washed my face in the flower spring in the garden. The cool water instantly sobered me up.

Footsteps sounded behind her. She turned around and glanced back, then froze, her fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly.

A refined and scholarly young man with a clean, shy smile…

The person from years ago stood before her again, smiling as he clutched his injured arm… Don't be afraid, we made it through… You won't die…

The grey sunset suddenly transformed into a moonlit night, and he reached out his hand to her under the flowering tree… Jia Ye… Let’s go together, let’s leave this awful place…

In an instant, he transformed into a dying figure, enduring inhuman pain, even his forced smile distorted, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth, each cough bringing forth copious amounts of blood… I'm sorry, I couldn't help you… Instead, I made you sad…

She stared blankly at the person in front of her, fragments of the past she dared not recall flashing before her eyes, forgetting where she was.

"Miss Ye." The other person called out hesitantly, unsure of what to do.

The illusion shattered, and she took a step back, gently closing her eyes.

“Miss Ye, please forgive my rudeness that day. I really did not know that you were the one who had traveled a long way to bring my elder brother back. The Shen family is deeply grateful and requests that you accept our bow from Huaiyang.”

Before she could even bow down, a blur appeared before her eyes, and her slender figure had already gracefully dodged away.

“No need.” Her cool voice trembled, and she didn’t look at him again. “…Huaiyi…has been kind to me…I should send him back.”

Without her weakness, the girl in front of him had an unapproachable aura, and he spoke with slight embarrassment.

“I nearly caused the girl’s death, and I offended her first. My guilt is grave. If there is any way to make amends, I will gladly die for her.”

She glanced indifferently at the awkward person, then her gaze fell on the flower stand in the distance.

"It doesn't matter, I didn't die anyway."

The boy choked for a moment, unsure of what to do, and then spoke again after a moment's thought.

"Is Miss Ye an old acquaintance of my elder brother in the Tianshan Mountains?"

"Um."

"How is he doing there...?"

The boy's eyes shone with anticipation for an answer. Jia Ye paused for a moment, finding it somewhat difficult to speak.

"The training in the Demonic Sect is very tough... but he does very well, his martial arts skills and willpower are both very strong... outstanding... he always manages to pass the trials..."

Chewing on every word she uttered, pride welled in the boy's eyes. After a long pause, he asked his next question: "How did my older brother die?"

After a long silence, the girl said briefly, "He encountered a very formidable opponent."

"My elder brother is..."

“He died in battle.” His dark eyes flickered for a moment, then gleamed. “He was upright, strong, brave, and decisive. He never retreated until his death and never disgraced the Shen family in the slightest.”

The boy's eyes reddened, yet he couldn't help feeling proud.

"Brother... did you die in pain?"

Her temples throbbed, but she tried to sound natural. "No, it was over in a flash."

The naive boy didn't notice anything amiss and only felt comforted.

"Thank you for informing me, Miss Ye. My parents can now feel some comfort."

Too exhausted to say anything more, she nodded and tried to escape.

"Miss Ye." The young man called out hurriedly, then hesitated for a moment. "May I make a request?"

Jia Ye stopped and listened.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Shen Huaiyang's handsome face.

"Please spare Shalin's life, young lady. Although she has harmed you before..."

Xie Yunshu had given a brief mention of the mastermind behind it all, but she hadn't paid much attention. Having made countless enemies, she had long since given up on figuring out who the avenger was.

"How is she?"

"She was handed over to Brother Xie by the Prince of Nanjun and is being held in the Xie family's dungeon awaiting her fate. I know she offended Miss Ye, but please consider her hardships and suffering after leaving her country, and how hatred has clouded her mind. She is not inherently bad. Punish her however you wish, but do not take her life. That would be doing a good deed."

“It’s fine to let her go. Since you’re so kind, you can take her out and look after her. It’s better than sending her back to the Prince of Nan’s mansion.” Jia Ye casually agreed. Shen Huaiyang was overjoyed that she was so easy to talk to.

"The young lady doesn't hold her rudeness against her?"

"Offend? You mean you want to kill me? What's that? Considering her cunning and experience, it's truly remarkable that she managed to go this far. She almost succeeded; I should give her a thumbs up."

Shen Huaiyang listened with his eyes wide open.

"If she still wants revenge, it's fine to try again; with a bit of luck, it might be possible."

She didn't seem to care at all, but Shen Huaiyang became nervous. "No, no, I will definitely persuade Shalin to give up her delusions and never let her disturb you again."

Watching the boy's relaxed figure recede into the distance, she thought of that person again, and subconsciously looked at her palms. Years of wielding a sword had given her fair fingers and palms thin calluses. Someone had once traced the lines on her palms and jokingly advised… “These calluses need to be fixed so they won't hinder your sword grip… It's such a pity that your hands are deformed… One day… you will lay down your sword and become an ordinary young woman…”

What was my answer at the time?

There seemed to be only silence.

Once you pick up a sword at the age of five, there's no turning back. The day you truly have to put it down is probably the day you die.

The sword she couldn't put down, the world of martial arts she couldn't leave behind—this long road had no end. Those who tried to save her died before her, leaving only poignant memories.

And how long can those who stubbornly stay by your side and refuse to let go hold on?

"Please let him go." Her thoughts were interrupted by the fact that she desperately didn't want to see anyone.

Her sweet voice had a sharp edge caused by excessive tension; her forced composure couldn't hide the distance and resentment within. Bai Fengge stood by the moon gate, as if she had mustered all her courage.

With a silent sigh, Jia Ye ignored him and poured out the remaining wine.

“It’s a bit rude to say that, but… you’ll ruin him.” Bai Fengge forced herself to take a few steps closer, gazing at the unpredictable, plain-faced man. Beneath his childlike appearance lay a terrifying power. She felt disgusted but had no choice but to continue.

"Uncle Xie would never allow him to marry a woman from a demonic sect, especially since he stubbornly mobilized a large number of his subordinates for you, arousing much suspicion from He Binke and causing a great uproar throughout the city. You don't understand how angry Uncle Xie was; he berated Brother Xie and Qinglan so badly they couldn't even lift their heads..."

"The Central Plains has its own rules. A clean family background is more important than anything else. You can't get into the Xie family. No one will accept you. He might even be ostracized because of your identity... He is the person Uncle Xie has the most faith in. He has a bright future and will definitely become a leading figure in the martial arts world... You will make him lose everything."

Jia Ye rested her chin on her hand, idly sipping her wine, as if she hadn't heard the resentful accusations.

“You don’t like him, otherwise why would you treat him like that? You’re using his infatuation to torment him and taking pleasure in it… It’s only because of his special status, coming from a prominent family in Jiangnan, that you hope to get more from him. After leaving the Demonic Sect, you want to gain more power and status in the Central Plains, which is why you won’t let him go…” Tears welled up in Bai Fengge’s beautiful eyes, and she choked up as she spoke. “But if this continues, you’ll end up with nothing. You’ll ruin his reputation and leave him with nothing.”

She fell in love with him at first sight.

The handsome man pulling the kite had an infinitely gentle smile on his lips.

She secretly flicked her blue bee needle, hoping to meet her by chance, but her hopes were dashed by the harsh words of a willful and rude girl, leaving her feeling disappointed for a long time.

To her surprise, when they met again, he turned out to be her sister's long-lost fiancé, the third young master of the Xie family. Overwhelmed with joy, she knew that this was the man heaven had sent her.

The man who caused her sister so much heartache, a man she couldn't forget even after marriage; the man she fell in love with at first sight. A scion of the most renowned martial arts family in Jiangnan. Both families were delighted with the union, encouraging it, and everyone awaited the perfect ending to this beautiful story.

If... without the person in front of me, all of this would be perfectly logical.

But because of this witch, his eyes can't see anything, and he can't see anyone.

No matter how beautiful or wonderful she is, he treats her as if she doesn't exist.

His dark, cold eyes glanced at the beautiful woman who was on the verge of tears, and the gaze made Bai Fengge tremble, so she straightened her back.

"What do you want? If it's money, I can give it to you... as long as you leave... otherwise he will eventually see through your true colors, and then you will get nothing."

The person who had remained silent let out an unsettling, mocking laugh. Unable to bear the unseen provocation, Bai Fengge blurted out.

“You are not good enough for him at all. Look at yourself. Apart from your face, you are not a normal person at all. You will only make him a laughing stock. Who would accept a monster like you, especially one from such a filthy and evil place…”

"Miss Bai!"

A gentle male voice interrupted her excitement. Yu Sui had appeared in the garden at some point, seemingly oblivious to the awkward situation. "Madam Xie is looking for you."

Bai Fengge choked on her words, momentarily frozen in place. Her out-of-control demeanor was unacceptable to outsiders, a consequence of her upbringing, yet she was unwilling to leave like this. After a brief pause, Yu Sui, oblivious to the situation, urged her on.

"Madam Xie said that Miss Bai left the banquet midway and was very worried. Please ask Miss Bai to go quickly so as not to worry Madam."

"you……"

She stared at the man in bewilderment, then looked at Jia Ye, and suddenly burst into tears. She covered her face and rushed out of the small courtyard. As her faint sobs gradually faded, Jia Ye drank the last drop of wine.

Echoes

The garden has returned to tranquility.