Pei Junwu gave a cold laugh. "Master, you've come all this way for nothing." The obvious sarcasm in his words surprised her. He never expressed his emotions so openly. "Juyuan has lost her memory due to some unforeseen events, so she can't distinguish the authenticity of this song's incantation. And we never ask her about such secrets that belong only to the Xiao family." He added sarcastically. "Even if she does remember—" he sneered, "why should we tell you the truth? Is anyone willing to tell a thief where they hide their things? Whether you find it or not depends on your own fate, get lost!"
Master Yuanjing's secret was exposed, and he neither managed to be a good person nor get any information out of him. His face stiffened, and he turned and left.
Pei Junwu sneered, "A Shaolin monk?!"
If even those outside the world are like this, it's no wonder that ordinary people in the mortal world are so mediocre! Inside and outside the world, in the martial arts world, by his side... everyone is so heartless to him!
Let them rob and search; it would be better if this troublesome, multi-generational treasure disappeared! He would be happy if all those who killed each other to seize the treasure were dead! He'd had enough of being a loyal minister of the previous dynasty, and he had no desire to play the role of a chivalrous hero who saves the world anymore!
It would be best to rob them all!
Xiao Yuan watched him laugh somewhat maniacally. No! She didn't want him to go astray! It didn't matter if he didn't become a great hero, a leader, or loyal to the Xiao family; he couldn't lose his peaceful and gentle heart!
She hugged him tightly! No! She didn't want him to become a cold-hearted person! Before, he neither smiled nor got angry, but his heart was warm. Now he smiled and got angry—no—she didn't want his heart to grow cold!
He was trembling as she held him in her arms. How long could the warmth of that small body last him?! Sooner or later, she would leave with that man too! He pushed her away, telling her not to linger! The reason he was in so much pain was because he had been indulging in the illusory beauty that fate had given him for too long!
It was destined! He sneered! Losing everything meant losing everything! Without responsibility, there were no more worries! Wasn't he also free?! With his father dead, no one would force him to be loyal and righteous anymore! With the treasure gone, he didn't have to live like a watchdog for the rest of his life! With Juyuan's betrayal, he didn't have to marry a woman he didn't love! She was gone… He glanced at her, whom he had pushed to the ground, and his heart no longer ached!
He laughed again, a manic and desperate laugh!
What a lucky person! What a darling of fate! Even with great martial arts skills, he still can't protect his family; they still die, and in the end, his family is destroyed! Even with good fortune, the woman he loves will still have her heart stolen and her body taken by someone else, leaving him with a smile! What use is unparalleled internal strength if he has to give her 30% when he marries Xiao Juyuan, living his whole life under his wife's favor!
He's so tired! He's living such a tiring life!
He laughed loudly, "Who says he can't just let go?! Who says he has to be responsible for this and that for the rest of his life?! Everyone's heartless towards him, so can't he just be heartless and act recklessly once?!"
He rushed out of the mourning hall, and everyone was so shocked by his sudden reaction that they stopped, mouths agape.
"Junwu!" Xiaoyuan was terrified and desperately tried to pull him back, barely managing to grab his calf. It was embarrassing, humiliating, but what would happen to him if she hadn't stopped him? What kind of person would he have become?!
"Let go!" he sneered. "Live a good life with Yi Chunjun!" He kicked her, the unconscious force of his kick sending a metallic taste through her throat and a sharp pain through her heart. No, she couldn't let go of him no matter what!
"Let go!" He laughed loudly, his eyes bloodshot. "They're all dead, they've looted everything, and now I'm free!"
Tears streamed down her face. Yes, he was free. His family was dead, his responsibilities were gone, and his lover was gone...
"Junwu! Junwu!" She clung tightly to his leg. "Don't go! You still have me!" she cried out.
"You?!" He laughed. "Do I still have you? Where is your heart? Forget it, why keep me here?"
"Junwu, the bodies of the two elders are still here! Your home is still here! How could you abandon us?!"
“I’m dead, what difference does it make where I’m buried? Home? Home!” He pointed at the dumbfounded servants. “You’re all grabbing too, take whatever you can! Disperse! The sun will still rise tomorrow without me, why should I care about all this?! Just pretend I’m dead! Let go!”
She could no longer utter a word; the man, who had been suppressed by the promises of responsibility, had broken down...
"Junwu..." He dragged her a few steps, and everything before her eyes began to sway. Don't let go! You can't let go!
He's become like this; the Xiao family owes him, and she owes him! If she lets him go like this, what will she do for her parents in heaven, Uncle Pei in his coffin…?
All of this is because of her family's treasure, all of this is because of... that rainy night!
"No! Don't go!" She closed her eyes in anguish, the tears that flowed from her eyes unreadable, "You still have me, I am your wife."
These words pierced her heart like a sharp blade... Yi Chunjun revealed this secret...
Blood gushed from her heart, mouth, and nose, and her limbs and bones were scattered.
Chapter 58 of "The Smiling Flower": Fate Plays a Trick
My heart aches, but it's still beating steadily.
Her lower back ached a little, and Xiao Yuan groaned and shifted, her brows furrowing. Someone pulled her hand up, and internal energy surged into her palm. She didn't open her eyes, but she knew who was holding her and giving her the energy.
This inner strength was gentle, resilient, and unhurried. Unlike his, which was fierce and surging, as if it would sweep away her internal organs.
She didn't open her eyes, and Pei Junwu didn't speak. Finally, she used her internal energy to pull her hand away; otherwise, he might have kept giving her his internal energy until his true energy was completely exhausted.
What needs to be said must be said, and what needs to be faced must be faced. This can be seen as fate's punishment for her.
She originally intended to keep it a secret for life, living as Li Yuan'er and Yi Chunjun together until the end... But if she abandoned Pei Junwu and the Xiao family's debt to the Pei family, could she still be happy? No matter where she goes, as long as she thinks about the sin she has been running away from, can she be at peace with herself?
She can't blame anyone else for not being happy.
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She had expected to meet Pei Junwu's gaze, but there was none... He was holding her as they lay half-reclined on the couch, his eyes darting around listlessly, and he showed no interest in asking about the secret she was telling him.
She sat up straight and looked at him. He must have known she was looking at him, but he didn't react.
“Junwu…” She took a deep breath, wanting to tell him everything she needed to say. Whether he resented her or cursed her, at this point, if Xiao Juyuan was the culprit, she was an accomplice. It was she who had attracted this wolf! And knowing she was a treacherous and vicious beast, she had still chosen to remain silent for self-preservation.
When the various factions of the martial arts world gathered at the foot of the mountain, hadn't she already sensed Xiao Juyuan's conspiracy? But she didn't say anything! She didn't even give Pei Junwu a hint to be wary of her.
Pei Family Village was reduced to ashes, and the two elders passed away. She understood then that from that moment on, she could no longer honestly say she was also a victim. She had originally thought Xiao Juyuan had only harmed herself, and when she realized that her schemes hadn't truly cost her anything, she was overjoyed! In front of Pei Junwu, she didn't even hide her happiness and sweetness, and even dragged him into teasing Yi Chunjun!
Cruel, cruel, and selfish!
It was Xiao Juyuan who brought Pei Junwu down, and it was that treasure that caused all the trouble—wasn't it her too?
Can she keep hiding? Can she continue to selfishly run away?
Before Pei Junwu gave up everything, she selfishly wanted to hide, to treat him as her brother, to use kinship to cover up her sins, thinking that if she sympathized with him and stayed with him, the world would be at peace.
Fate is truly fair; every mistake comes at a price!