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Lan Qi turned her head to look at him, her green eyes slightly shimmering, a hint of a smile on her face, yet her expression was deep and unfathomable.

"Ning Lang, the story I'm about to tell you happened a long time ago, and I only fully understood it after I became the head of the Lan family. Many people died during that time, and most of those who knew this story are no longer alive. Those who do know it will never tell anyone else. And you are the first person I'll tell this story to, and you will also be the last person to know it. Do you understand?"

"Huh?" Ning Lang was taken aback, then realized what he meant and said, "You mean I shouldn't tell anyone else?"

"Hmm." Lan Qi nodded, turned around, and gazed into the distance. "I'm telling you this so you'll understand." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Ning Lang, this is the first time I've seen someone like you in this world. I... don't want to hurt you."

"Huh?" Ning Lang looked at Lan Qi in confusion.

Lan Qi didn't look at him, her gaze fixed ahead. After a long while, she spoke in a low voice: "More than twenty years ago, there was a man in the martial arts world named Lan Danning."

Ning Lang didn't react much to the name, only vaguely thinking that the person's surname was Lan, and that he was probably from the Lan family.

But if Yuwen Luo heard this, he would definitely jump up and shout: "Lan Danning?! The same Lan Danning who was the number one handsome man in the martial arts world, on par with Dong Weiming, more than twenty years ago?!"

"Under the dawn, bloodshed is stirred; in the stillness, the storm subsides." Lan Qi recited softly, "More than twenty years ago, everyone in the martial arts world knew this phrase, which referred to Dong Weiming and Lan Danning."

"Huh?" Ning Lang was slightly surprised. He already knew that Dong Weiming was Lan Qi's master, and that she was a great beauty who had been admired by heroes all over the world more than twenty years ago. Could Lan Danning be listed with her as a beauty as well?

Lan Qi glanced at him sideways, knowing what he was thinking. She smiled and said, "The martial arts world compares Lan Danning to my master, which means that their beauty is unparalleled. However, my master is a woman, while Lan Danning is a man."

"Oh." Ning Lang nodded to indicate that he understood.

Lan Qi turned his head back, his gaze falling into the void. "I can no longer remember what Lan Danning looks like."

Huh? Ning Lang was puzzled. Could it be that she had seen this person before?

"However, since he is as famous as my master, he must be very handsome. He comes from a prestigious family, has superb martial arts skills, and is so good-looking that he became famous as soon as he entered the martial arts world. What is most admirable is his skill in playing the xiao (vertical flute). My master caused bloodshed in the martial arts world because of his appearance, but Lan Danning... whether male or female, everyone who meets and interacts with him is happy and relaxed. It is said in the martial arts world that his xiao is as clear as heavenly music, and all who hear it are impressed. He is known as 'Lan Xiao Heavenly Music'."

Upon hearing this, Ning Lang couldn't help but wonder, if Lan Danning was such a person, he should be revered like Senior ? and Senior Qiu, so why did he disappear from the martial arts world like Dong Weiming, and why is he almost unknown to later generations?

"Such a person naturally has many admirers, but he was betrothed since childhood to the daughter of a family friend, a woman of exceptional beauty and character, and they were childhood sweethearts with a deep bond. Therefore, no matter how many beautiful women in the martial world were attracted to him, Lan Danning remained unmoved. Among these women he met, there was one who was the most perceptive. He and this woman did not become lovers, but they became confidantes." As he spoke, Lan Qi turned to look at Ning Lang meaningfully, "This woman's name is Jian Weilan."

"Huh?" Ning Lang's eyes widened. "My mother?"

"Mm." Lan Qi nodded.

“Then…” Ning Lang thought for a moment, then suddenly understood, “This Lan Danning is your father?”

"Hmm." Lan Qi nodded almost imperceptibly and said, "Lan Danning entered the martial arts world at the age of eighteen, and by the age of nineteen he was already famous throughout the land. At the age of twenty, he met Jian Weilan, and the two recognized each other as kindred spirits and agreed to become in-laws in the future. At the age of twenty-one, he returned home and married Yan Zixi."

"Oh, and then what happened?" Ning Lang asked. Was the marriage arranged back then?

Lan Qi remained silent for a moment before sighing, "Perhaps it would be better if he stayed at home."

"Hmm?" Ning Lang looked at her.

“A year after his marriage, he went out to travel the world again, and this time, he…” Lan Qi stopped speaking again, and after a while, he said softly, “This time he met someone. In the years he had been in the world, he had seen all kinds of women, each with their own charm. He had always treated them with respect and composure, and he had always prided himself on his fidelity. But when he met that person, he was unable to keep his promise.”

"Who did he run into?" Ning Lang asked curiously.

“He met a woman.” A mocking smile appeared on Lan Qi’s lips. “His encounter with that woman…” He raised his hand and plucked a dry blade of grass, twirling it between his fingers. He lowered his head, his expression unreadable. After a long while, he slowly said, “It was told to us countless times when we were children, like a story, and we still remember it today.”

Lan Qi smiled wistfully, her emerald eyes momentarily misty and deep.

"He met her on a long street, amidst the bustling crowd. It seemed that with just a glance, he saw her holding Du Ruo, and she saw him in white robes as white as snow and bamboo flutes as green as jade. It was both ordinary and extraordinary. On the long street, amidst the bustling crowd, it was as if she (he) had been born in front of him (her), so naturally as flowing water and flying flowers."

As he spoke, he unconsciously tugged at the dry grass between his fingers, tearing it off piece by piece.

"Gazing blankly down the long street, he was suddenly confronted by a woman who reached out her delicate hand and offered him a sprig of *Du Ruo* (a type of fragrant herb). He took it, but before he could react, she had vanished, leaving him holding the *Du Ruo* and gazing longingly, her fragrance fading away. That moment felt like a dream. Yet, a month later, he encountered the woman again at a bustling temple fair, still adorned with *Du Ruo*, its fragrance wafting through the air. This time, their encounter surprised them both, yet felt perfectly natural. The woman again offered him a sprig of *Du Ruo*, and even spoke to him."

Twisting the broken grass between his fingertips, it gradually turned into powder and fell down.

"'If we meet again, it will be our destiny, and I will pledge my life to you.'" Lan Qi raised his head. "After saying these words, the woman drifted away again. Lan Danning looked at the Du Ruo in his hand, surprised and speechless, yet his heart was already rippling. After that, day by day, he felt a mixture of anticipation and curiosity. Of course, he remained confident that he would never fall in love. However, several months passed, and he did not encounter that woman again. From initial expectation, he slowly became disappointed, and then the feelings faded. Almost another year passed in this way. He thought he had been forgotten by the world, and even secretly rejoiced. Because his little bit of 'memory' had made him understand that it was an ominous sign."

"And then what? Did you really never see him again?" Ning Lang pressed.

Lan Qi smiled, a hint of coldness in her eyes. "It would have been better if we had never met again, but alas... humph."

Ning Lang stared at her longingly.

One snowy winter night, Lan Danning missed his lodging and was looking for a place to spend the night when he heard the sound of weapons clashing ahead. He rushed over to investigate. When he arrived, he saw four corpses lying in the snow, and among them stood a lone figure, her green clothes stained with blood, still exuding a murderous aura, yet like a red plum blossom in the snow, possessing a captivating and soul-stirring beauty. Hearing someone approach, the person turned around, and both of them were startled. At that moment, looking at this woman who had just killed someone yet still smelled of Du Ruo fragrance, Lan Danning felt more than just bad luck; he felt a great calamity was about to befall him.

Lan Qi turned to look at Ning Lang, a half-smile on her face. "This is their third encounter. Don't you think they're quite destined for each other?"

Ning Lang nodded. "It's fate."

"Heh..." Lan Qi chuckled softly, but without joy or sorrow. "That night's reunion, I think even Lan Danning herself couldn't tell whether she was more shocked or more surprised, but in any case, it was their third meeting in a very strange way, and... they fell in love with each other."

“This… he’s already married, how can he like another woman?” Ning Lang frowned.

Lan Qi nodded and said, "Yes, he is already married, and he promised his wife that he would only love her and have her as his only woman for the rest of his life. However... falling in love is not something that can be promised, nor can he control it. The woman believed that their third meeting was a blessing from heaven, and that it was the place of her heart, so she gave herself to him. But Lan Danning refused because he already had a family. Who knew that the woman would say, 'I give myself to you because I love you. What does it have to do with your family or your wife?'"

"Huh?" Ning Lang was surprised. But looking at Lan Qi, he suddenly realized that she could say such strange things.

Lan Qi looked at Ning Lang and said, "Lan Danning probably had the same reaction as you when he heard those words—surprise and disbelief. However, he didn't refuse the woman's invitation and went to visit her at the small manor on the banks of the Wuyun River. After only a few days, he couldn't bear to leave. This woman was unlike anyone he had ever met or known before. She did everything as she pleased; she could go and do whatever she liked. So she could stand in the garden for a whole day and night in the rain, just to shelter her favorite red plum tree from the rain, afraid that the petals would be knocked off by the heavy rain. So she could wipe out the bandits' den on the Wuyun River in one night, not to be a chivalrous hero, but because she lived on the banks of the Wuyun River and wouldn't tolerate others running rampant."

"This person is so willful," Ning Lang thought to himself.

"And she knew so much. She knew the strengths and weaknesses of martial arts from every sect in the martial world, could compose poems and essays with him, and her pipa rendition of 'The Phoenix's Lingering Melody' captivated him. She even understood the art of divination and escape. Moreover, she was so beautiful and mysterious. No one in the martial world knew her identity or knew her. She never asked who he was, his name, his family background, where he came from, or where he was going. She never mentioned his wife. It seemed that she had no interest in anything except the person in front of her. She simply liked him and wanted to be with him. There was no such thing as restraint or etiquette. She expressed her love and affection so clearly, intensely, and genuinely. Lan Danning refused and struggled, but... how could he resist such a person? In the end, he succumbed."

Lan Qi suddenly turned to look at Ning Lang and said, "Ning Lang, do you know what the use of promises and oaths is?"

Ning Lang was taken aback by her question, paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and replied, "It means that if you promise something, you have to do it."

"Wrong." Lan Qi scoffed coldly, her emerald eyes shining brightly, like stars reflected in a cold pool, icy and clear. "The only use of promises and vows is—to betray!"

“But…” Ning Lang disagreed and wanted to refute, but Ke Lanqi clearly didn’t want to listen and turned back to continue.

"Lan Danning forgot his promise to his wife; one could even say he forgot his home, his wife, and the martial world. His entire being revolved around the woman who called herself Amei. They spent every day together, never tiring of each other's company, and every month felt too short. In the blink of an eye, a year had passed. He and Amei stayed by the banks of the Wuyun River, and Amei even gave birth to twins. They were overjoyed to have two children, but when the children opened their eyes, they discovered that the firstborn's eyes were black." Then the next child was born with incredibly green eyes! Staring at those strange, never-before-seen green eyes, Lan Danning was stunned. But A-Mei reassured him, saying that her brother's pupils were also green, and that nephews often resembled their uncles; this child probably looked like his uncle. Lan Danning didn't say much, but a sense of unease settled in his heart. Soon after, he received a letter from home. His wife, worried about his prolonged absence, had sent him through Xueying. Only then did he remember he had a wife.

“These two children…” Ning Lang looked at Lan Qi in surprise.

"Yes, these two children are us," Lan Qi readily admitted. "Lan Danning wanted to go home to visit, and although Amei was reluctant, she didn't stop him. Instead, she prepared his luggage. He finally returned home and saw his wife, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. However, he only stayed at home for half a month before leaving again. The harmonious family life at home could no longer hold him back; his heart was always with Amei. So he couldn't wait to return to the banks of the Wuyun River and to Amei's side. After that, he would return home every few months. His wife was naturally overjoyed, and Amei never said much. After a while, Lan Danning understood Amei's meaning. They were in love, so as long as he was devoted to her on the banks of the Wuyun River, that was enough. Where he went or what he did outside the manor was none of her business. And so, life went on like this. With a virtuous wife at home and a beautiful woman and children on the riverbank, Lan Danning's life was better than that of a god."

"Won't he feel guilty?" Ning Lang asked.

"Heh...good question." Lan Qi chuckled. "If Lan Danning had truly lost all conscience, that would be fine. But he still retains a trace of that worthless quality, so he's uneasy, so he feels guilty. And the child's emerald green eyes are a heavy weight on his heart, making him never dare to forget his deception and betrayal of his wife. So, several years passed in this state of half happiness and half guilt. That winter, Lan Danning returned home for a month and left after the New Year. But soon after returning to the banks of the Wuyun River, he received a letter from home summoning him back. It turned out that his wife was pregnant. He was the eldest son of the family, but after several years of marriage, he had no children. His elders were very anxious. This time, the pregnancy was a great joy for the whole family, so they summoned him back to stay home and accompany his wife, waiting for the birth of their first child."

Lan Qi paused, took a slight breath, and then said, "He returned home, but missed the people by the Wuyun River. Seeing the joy of his family anticipating the birth of their child reminded him of his twins, who were nearly five years old. Looking at his gentle wife, he thought of Amei, who had given him everything... He wanted to be honest with his family, but he dared not. He wanted to tell his wife, but he couldn't bear to. So he was conflicted, distressed, and restless. His wife, Yan Zixi, was not foolish. In recent years, her husband had been away from home for most of the year, and each time he returned, he would leave quickly. Now, with the child's arrival, she saw no joy in him, but rather a furrowed brow and a heavy heart. She couldn't help but have doubts. Lan Danning stayed at home for a month, but finally couldn't bear it any longer, because the twins' birthday was approaching, and he wanted to go back and celebrate with them. So he used the excuse that a friend in the martial arts world urgently summoned him and hurriedly left home for the Wuyun River, thinking that the round trip would only take half a month, and he would return immediately after the children's birthday."

Lan Qi stopped speaking there. Ning Lang looked at her and saw her fingertips trembling slightly. He couldn't help but reach out and grasp them. They were icy cold to the bone, like holding jade. The warmth in her hand surprised Lan Qi, who turned to look at Ning Lang. She hadn't expected him to do this. Ning Lang, however, immediately realized what was happening when Lan Qi looked at him, and his face flushed.

Lan Qi withdrew her hand, flicked Ning Lang's forehead with her finger, smiled gently, shook her head, and said, "When Lan Danning arrived at the banks of the Wuyun River, Yan Zixi secretly followed. When she saw Amei, so tender and affectionate with her husband, and their twin children, she was not just shocked, but utterly devastated! She couldn't believe that her childhood sweetheart, the man she had sworn to be devoted to until the end, had secretly had someone else, and even had two children so big! The anger of being deceived and the grief of being betrayed completely overwhelmed her. In her delirium, she couldn't hear a word Lan Danning said; she closed her eyes, refusing to look at that woman." She covered her head and ran frantically, with Lan Danning chasing after her. Although Yan Zixi's martial arts skills were mediocre, she possessed exceptional lightness skills; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to track him this far. Now, in her frenzied and irrational state, she ran even faster, running erratically without any strategy. No matter how hard Lan Danning tried, he could only keep a distance of several meters. He didn't know how long they ran before finally stopping, because there was no path ahead—a precipice. Unbeknownst to them, they had unknowingly reached the top of a mountain. Looking at the bottomless abyss ahead, Yan Zixi seemed to regain some clarity. She turned back to look at the terrified Lan Danning who was chasing after her, and said, "Your heart is like the sky, my heart is like jade; the sky changes in a day, jade shatters, tile remains." Then she jumped.

"Ah!" Ning Lang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Lan Dan...did your father catch up with her? Did he stop her?" Chapter 76, Part 29: A Vow Not to be Taken Lightly (Part 2)

Updated: [2008-11-28 14:08:07.0]

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“No.” Lan Qi shook his head, a cool smile playing on his lips. “I didn’t have time. I could only watch helplessly as Yan Zixi jumped off the cliff. At that moment, Lan Danning was also stunned. He stood on the edge of the cliff for who knows how long until Amei found him. But what did it matter? Although the beauty was still by his side, two lives had just been lost at the bottom of the cliff. It was his wife, whom he had known and loved for over twenty years, and the unborn child in her womb. For him, who still had a conscience, the pain and regret in his heart were unimaginable. When he returned to the manor and saw the two children, and saw their strange green eyes, the unease and suspicion that had been lingering in his heart finally burst out. ‘This is all my sin, so these green eyes are the punishment. I hate that I was unaware of it and ended up making such a terrible mistake today!’ At that moment, Amei’s face turned pale instantly, staring blankly at him. Lan Danning, on the other hand, couldn’t care less at this moment and locked himself in his room for several days.”

Upon hearing this, Ning Lang couldn't help but look at Lan Qi with concern, but Lan Qi's expression remained unreadable.

"Yan Zixi's disappearance was bound to be noticed by the Lan family, so they came looking for her. After investigating the whole story, they also discovered A-Mei's identity—Sui Qingrong, the younger sister of Sui Qinghan, the leader of the Sui Sect. Lan Danning was shocked. He never imagined that the person he had been with day and night for so many years was actually a member of the Demonic Sect! Since being with her, he had revealed his family background to her, but A-Mei had remained silent. He felt deceived and played, and overwhelmed with pain, hatred, and anger, he stormed out of the manor. At that moment, he couldn't face it all. And then, he encountered his confidante Jian Weilan, who was traveling the world with her husband. Facing his long-lost confidante, he poured out his heart about the past few years, finally saying, 'If I had known this would happen, I would have regretted it!' All of this was overheard by Sui Qingrong, who had been following him out of concern."

Ning Lang was speechless upon hearing this, and could only stare blankly at Lan Qi.

“If Lan Danning had fallen for another woman and wanted to leave, perhaps Sui Qingrong wouldn’t have been angry. In her eyes, their being together was because they loved each other deeply, and their separation must have been because they no longer loved each other, which would have been a willing decision. Therefore, she couldn’t tolerate a single word of ‘regret’! She returned to the manor, picked up the two children, and headed straight for the Lan family in Yunzhou.” Lan Qi looked up, her emerald eyes gazing at the sky. The winter sun shone in her eyes, yet it couldn’t bring in a trace of warmth. “She arrived at the Lan family on March 16th, which was our birthday. She gave us a birthday we will never forget.”

Her emerald eyes closed gently, then opened again after a moment. Lan Qi continued, "She lit a fire in front of the Lan family ancestral hall, drawing all the Lan family members there. In front of everyone, she said to the Lan family patriarch, 'These two children are Lan Danning's bloodline, your grandsons. They should be enshrined in the Lan family ancestral hall and listed in the Lan family genealogy.' Facing this vixen who had seduced his eldest son, the Lan patriarch, remembering the death of his eldest daughter-in-law and the loss of his grandson, felt a burning hatred in his heart, yet instead of anger, he laughed and said, 'If you are reduced to ashes, I will acknowledge him.'" "They." Before Old Master Lan could finish speaking, Sui Qingrong readily agreed with a "Good!" She turned to look at the two children, patted their heads one last time, and said, "With you two here, he'll regret it day and night, hate it year after year, and suffer a pain he can never escape for the rest of his life, hahaha…" She laughed loudly, stood up, pulled a bottle from her bosom, poured the contents into her mouth, and then leaped into the fire. Then, with a loud bang… Hehe… The Hua family's fire-thunder bombs are truly incredibly powerful; they truly grind bones to ashes!"

"Ah!" Ning Lang gasped in surprise, a chill running from head to toe.

Ke Lanqi still had a faint sneer on her face and continued, "When Lan Danning arrived home, what he saw was a huge fire, with burning debris flying everywhere. So... he crashed his head into the stone pillar in front of the ancestral hall, and blood gushed out and his brains spilled all over the ground. Tsk tsk..." Lanqi shook her head, "The handsome young man who was so charming in life is not beautiful at all after death. He's ugly as hell."

Ning Lang was so shocked he could barely breathe. He could only stare wide-eyed at Lan Qi as she calmly recounted the tragic deaths of her parents with a smile. Suddenly, a piercing pain gripped him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

After a moment of silence, Lan Qi turned to look at him and said, "What a cliché story, Ning Lang, don't you think?"

Ning Lang shook his head, looking at her with heartache. After a long while, he asked, "Did you and Brother Fengyi stay at the Lan family later? Did Brother Fengyi later go to the Fengwu Sect to study martial arts?"

"Hahaha..." Upon hearing this, Lan Qi suddenly burst into laughter, then abruptly stopped. "Stay in the Lan family? How could that be! Seeing his beloved son die so tragically, how could Old Master Lan tolerate us two troublemakers, these two bastards! But as the head of the family, he made a promise in front of everyone, so he can't go back on his word. That's why he didn't kick us out; he just pretended not to see us, and then the entire Lan family pretended not to see us. Ning Lang, do you know what 'pretending not to see' means?"

"Turning a blind eye? What's wrong with the Lan family?" Ning Lang asked anxiously.

“Turning a blind eye means stepping right in front of you, as if you were trampling on dirt. Yes, we are like dirt, dirt that anyone in the Lan family, from top to bottom, can trample on and even complain about.” Lan Qi sneered. “Old Master Lan walked past us, and my brother was knocked to the ground by him, his forehead was even scraped, but he didn’t even glance at us, as if we didn’t exist at all. Then the Lan family members left one after another, and when they passed by us, they did the same thing, as if we didn’t exist, knocking us down and stepping on us. After all those people left, only my brother and I were lying on the ground, covered in dirt and blood.”

"That's outrageous!" Ning Lang shouted angrily, clenching his fist. "How could they treat you like this! You're so young! I...I..." His fist clenched so tightly he cried out, wishing he could punch each of them!

Lan Qi just smiled indifferently. "From the moment that woman put us in the ancestral hall, we stayed there, motionless. Because the Lan family was so big and unfamiliar, we didn't know where to go, and no one paid any attention to us. Day and night passed, and people from the Lan family came and went, but no one even glanced at us. We were less than a blade of grass or a dog in the Lan family. At least the grass was watered, and the dog was fed, but we had nothing. No food, no clothes, no bed, no house, and no one cared about us... We were so hungry and cold, but we couldn't eat a single thing. We didn't even have a roof over our heads... I've forgotten how long we stayed in front of that ancestral hall. Later, my brother took my hand and said, 'Let's go home.' Then we left that place and walked out of the Lan family. Of course, no one noticed and no one stopped us."

"And then?" Ning Lang asked with concern.

"Later... how could two five-year-old children know to go home? At that time, they didn't even know where the Wuyun River was, let alone where their home was." Lan Qi gently closed her eyes, seemingly extremely tired.

"Two five-year-old children... children who knew nothing and understood nothing, actually survived instead of dying. I don't know whether to say it was luck or sheer good fortune. There was no food, and we didn't know how to get food, so we stuffed anything we could find into our mouths: leaves, grass, insects, half a piece of bread covered in dust left on the road, bones chewed by dogs, rice bran pecked at by chickens, rotten fruit on the ground, dead and stinking rats... Ning Lang, you can never imagine what we ate in those years. We survived on those things, and then slowly learned what we could and couldn't eat. We also learned that we could climb trees to pick wild fruit, and when there were houses, we would squat at the door and wait for people to find us dirty and smelly. They would then give us a bowl of spoiled rice or half a black steamed bun, or even pour pig feed all over us."

Ning Lang was stunned.

Lan Qi opened her eyes, calmly gazing ahead, her voice slow and clear.

"As we grew up, the clothes we wore back then were long since torn and tattered, so we would scavenge for scraps of cloth to wrap around ourselves, or sometimes we could find a ragged old garment. We had no home; caves, under piles of firewood, dilapidated temples, and empty, deserted rooms were all places to sleep. When we were cold, when the wind blew, when it rained, or when it snowed, we would huddle together and hide under the eaves or in the corners of other people's houses. We wandered around like this, searching for food. We would fight with a group of beggars for a piece of bread, be beaten by beggars bigger than us for a moldy bun, be kicked out by waiters for a bowl of hot noodle soup, and be beaten and insulted for begging for a meal. We stole, we robbed, we cheated... That's how we survived."

Hearing this, Ning Lang felt a surge of emotion, his heart aching and throbbing. His eyes welled up with tears, and he finally couldn't hold back his tears. He grabbed Lan Qi's hand and held it tightly, blurting out, "Don't be afraid. I will treat you well from now on. I will never let you suffer from cold or hunger. I will protect you and never let anyone scold or beat you! I will definitely do it!"

But Lan Qi didn't react at all. Her gaze was fixed on the front, as if she were looking at her past self, or as if she was lost in her memories and couldn't wake up.

"Yinyin..." Ning Lang called out softly as he looked at her.

Lan Qi didn't hear her, and slowly spoke again, "We spent seven years like that, but looking back today, I never felt that those seven years were bitter, nor did I ever feel pain." Her voice was soft, like a dream, "Those seven years were the best and happiest days of my life. Even as the head of the Lan family today, even if I stand at the pinnacle of the martial arts world in the future, it will never be better than those seven years. But I can never go back to that time, I can never have that time again. Everything in my life was in those seven years, and I have lost it forever."

Upon hearing this, Ning Lang was immediately overcome with grief. A profound and inexplicable sorrow welled up from the bottom of his heart, gripping him completely, as if he could never escape its weight.

"Yinyin..." he called out her name, hoping to wake her with his call and pull away the grief, but Lan Qi did not respond to him; she was still in her memories.

Seven years have passed, and we're twelve now. It's winter again. I remember it snowed several times that winter, and that day it snowed heavily too. My brother and I huddled in a dilapidated temple, cuddling each other for warmth as we always did, until we fell asleep. But the next morning, I woke up feeling very cold and realized my brother wasn't beside me. I panicked and ran out of the temple to find him sitting in the snow, hugging his knees. I called to him, and he looked up at me with that strange, unfamiliar gaze. All day long, my brother remained silent, while I felt terrified. That same night, an old man came to the temple. He had only been passing by and planned to spend the night there. He saw… When it was our turn, their eyes lit up, and they stared at us for a long time, nodding and muttering something under their breath. Then, the old man said that my brother had exceptional talent and was a martial arts prodigy. He wanted to take my brother as his disciple and asked if my brother was willing to go with him. I asked him what he thought. The old man said that I had a malevolent aura between my brows, and if I practiced martial arts, I would surely cause bloodshed, which would be a misfortune for the martial arts world, so he could not accept me. My brother did not answer him. That night, I was too scared to sleep. I held onto my brother tightly, afraid that he would leave, but my brother just held me and didn't say anything. But the next morning, my brother told the old man that he was willing to be his disciple and go with him.

"Hehe..." Lan Qi chuckled softly, but her laughter sounded like a sob. "The old man left some money and dry food, then pulled my brother away. I clung to my brother tightly, refusing to let go, but the old man merely waved his sleeve, and my brother slipped from my grasp. He pulled my brother and flew out of the dilapidated temple. I chased after them, but in the snow, I could only see them flying and flying. I chased and shouted, but I couldn't catch up no matter what. My brother didn't answer me either. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared. I didn't give up, and I kept chasing and shouting... chasing and shouting... until I had no strength left to run and no more shouting."

"I lay in the snow, waiting. I couldn't believe my brother would abandon me." Lan Qi shook her head as she spoke, as if she were reliving that day, or as if she still couldn't believe it. "My brother and I have been inseparable since birth, for twelve years. We've never been apart. During the years we wandered, a kind aunt was willing to take my brother in, but she was afraid of my eyes and didn't want to keep me. So my brother refused to stay and continued to take me everywhere, where we were beaten and starved. I couldn't believe my brother would go with that old woman this time. I couldn't believe it... I kept waiting and waiting, until the snow fell, until it got dark, until the wind rose, until I fell asleep, until I woke up... But my brother never came back. He never came back. He really abandoned me and left."

"..." Ning Lang opened his mouth, but could only choke out a sob. His vision was blurry, and he only knew to reach out and tightly grasp Lan Qi.

"Later, I don't know if I fell asleep or what, but I was unconscious for a long time. When I woke up again, I was already at Pear Blossom Tomb. Then I learned martial arts, and after mastering them, I went to the Lan family. I used every means to kill many people and got everything I wanted. But I don't understand..." Lan Qi said blankly, "I've never understood, and I still don't understand to this day, why did my brother abandon me? We depended on each other for survival, we were born together... In those years, once after eating a wild fruit, my whole body swelled up and ached. From then on, no matter what I ate, my brother would taste a little first, and then give it to me after he was alright. When others beat or scolded me, my brother would always hold me in his arms and use his thin back to face and protect me. Even though we were born on the same day, he said he was born first and was the older one, so when we couldn't walk, he carried me on his back. When we were starving, he would put his hand to my mouth and let me bite on it to suck blood to fill my stomach... You see how much he loved and protected me, but why?"

She suddenly turned her head, grabbed Ning Lang's shoulders, and asked him, "Ning Lang, do you know why? Why did things change in the blink of an eye? Why did my brother abandon me that day? Why? Why?"

On that face, there was only the bewilderment and helplessness of a lost child who couldn't find his way home. There was no trace of evil in those blue eyes; they were filled with tears, and there was deep sorrow and grief.

Ning Lang was in tears, his chest aching with a suffocating pain, but he was powerless and could not answer her.

"Yinyin..." he called out.

"Yinyin...Yinyin...Yinyin..."