Chapter 1033 - Young And Old
Yan Sanniang’s eyes were filled with pain when she turned around to glance at Yang Gongming. “What else could I do? My brother and sister have found me. At least it’ll be worth it since I could help smooth things over.”
Yang Chen sighed. It wasn’t his decision if she stayed or left.
He retracted the Kui Water in his hand before walking to Yan Feiyun and Yan Feiyu.
Yan Feiyun was already recovering due to his cultivation base. He struggled to stand still as he met his gaze with a fearful and venomus one.
Yang Chen ignored his gaze and said, “I’ve always known that I would have to rely on my own strength to survive. You will fall if you continue to rely on someone else to survive. So, even if I were to die in your hands, I will never let Granny Yan save me. However, things are different for you two. For the sake of Granny Yan, I will let you guys go. But if you wish to die, I can arrange for it to happen.”
Yang Chen’s voice was flat but he didn’t sound threatening at all.
They could feel the sense of reality in his nonchalant tone of voice and it occurred to them that they would really die if they refused to be saved by their sister!
Even if they felt that their father would avenge their deaths, how would they appreciate it if they were dead?!
Therefore, they had to live! Even if they were filled with resentment, there would always be a chance to seek revenge!
“You got me,” Yan Feiyun said with a pale face. “I admit my defeat but I have to know something, how did you see through my mirror image?”
He couldn’t accept his defeat.
His Kongming Sword had failed?!
Yang Chen chuckled. “I didn’t see it.”
He pointed at his head while saying, “I felt it.”
“Felt?”
“That’s right,” Yang Chen said. “You might not understand it but no matter how good you’re at concealing yourself, you can never hide from Heaven and Earth. Ripples will be formed in the energy of Heaven and Earth every time you move, so all I did was to track down the ripples.”
This was an idea that had popped up in Yang Chen’s mind when he first mastered the Kui Water. Yan Feiyun would have spat out blood if he knew Yang Chen figured out the way to crack his secret with a random thought.
Yan Feiyun gave up thinking about it. Instead, he turned around to tell Yan Feiling, “Feiling, let’s go back since you’ve promised us.”
Yan Sanniang nodded. “You guys can go ahead without me. I need to bid goodbye to Sir.”
“Feiling, are you…”
“I won’t go back on my word,” Yan Sanniang said with a stern face.
Yan Feiyu nodded her head in a resentful manner and she gestured to her brother with her eyes before leaving together.
Even before they departed, Yan Feiyu glared at Yang Chen which the latter ignored.
The backyard turned silent once again after they had left.
Yang Gongming commanded the servants to clean up the corpses and to pass their ashes to their families after cremating their bodies.
Once these matters had been taken care of, only then Yang Gongming walked towards Yan Sanniang with a warm smile. “Sanniang, let’s talk somewhere else.
Yan Sanniang was waiting for this moment. Even though she felt downhearted, she still nodded with a smile before following after him.
Yang Chen left the backyard with Lin Ruoxi. Once they returned to their place, he asked her, “Ruoxi, where’s mom? Why didn’t I see her?”
Lin Ruoxi finally recovered from the strenuous situation and she answered with a haggard expression, “It was very dangerous earlier and Grandfather was afraid Mom would be injured so he sent her away. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”
Yang Chen nodded, complimenting Yang Gongming for being able to act so calmly in a dire situation.
Suddenly, Lin Ruoxi bit her lip and she wrapped her arms around Yang Chen’s waist tightly.
Yang Chen was startled and a bitter smile formed on his lips. “What’s wrong? You’re making advances on me today? I still have blood on me, I don’t want to get it on you…”
Yang Chen couldn’t finish his sentence when he realized she was crying.
She tried to hold in her tears like a helpless child but tears kept falling no matter how hard she tried. Yang Chen’s shirt was drenched as she sobbed with her head against his chest.
Her shoulders trembled along with her sobbing. The mixture of her body scent and blood smelled like an irresistible tear forming drug.
Yang Chen tried his best to smile as he patted on her back gently. “Dear, it doesn’t feel like I’ve won when you’re acting like this.”
He was trying to make her laugh but it was a weak attempt.
“I thought…I thought you…you were going to…”
“Die?”
Yang Chen finished the question for her.
Lin Ruoxi sobbed instead of answering.
Yang Chen felt helpless and ashamed at the same time.
How was he going to face his subordinates if they ever heard about this?
“I will work hard.” Lin Ruoxi looked up and wiped her tears. Thank goodness she hardly put on makeup or else her face would have been completely smudged.
“You can’t rush these things. They have to be cultivated with time.” Yang Chen caressed his lover’s hair. “I want to improve my cultivation base too so that I will reach new realms and learn about the mysteries of the world. However, hard work doesn’t always lead to success. You just need to cultivate according to the plan which I’ve set for you.”
Lin Ruoxi nodded. She blinked at him and under the night sky, she looked especially mesmerizing.
“I’m really bad at these things. You can’t look down at me even if I’m weaker than others.”
Yang Chen chuckled. “Why would I do that? If that’s really the case, Ning’er and Rose are much stronger than you and it’s not like I was biased towards them.”
“I knew it, you do think that they’re much better than me!” Lin Ruoxi pouted.
Yang Chen’s eyes twitched. “I’m talking about cultivation…”
“You’re lying…”
“I…eh, you were fine just now. Why are you getting jealous again?” Yang Chen scratched his hair out of frustration.
Well, they were actually just trying to lighten the mood by joking with each other.
Just as Yang Chen was about to hold Lin Ruoxi’s hand before they entered their room, he was shocked to realize something when he touched her Fengxiang bracelet.
Lin Ruoxi thought something had happened again when she noticed the look on his face. “Hubby, what’s wrong?”
Yang Chen raised her arm and he stared at the jade bangle with a confused gaze.
At the same time, in the backyard, Yang Gongming was sitting on a stone stool by the lake.
Next to him was Yan Sanniang who was still in her true form.
With a peaceful expression on his face, he stared at Yan Sanniang for a long time.
She blushed and after a long pause, she said, “Sir…I’m leaving.”
“Yeah, I know I kept telling you it was time but now that it is really happening, I can’t help but think it’s too soon.” Yang Gongming let out a faint smile.
Yan Sanniang’s eyes reddened slightly as she looked at her surroundings with a longing gaze.
“I really can’t bear to leave this place. I still remember when Madam was still around and the time when Young Master Pojun was born. It was so lively at that time…”
“It’s lively now too. It’s just that Yang Chen acts like a brat sometimes.” Yang Gongming smiled.
Yan Sanniang gave a knowing smile. “Yeah, you won’t be bored with Young Master Chen around you. It’s a pity that he’s mostly in Zhonghai but at least it’s easy for him to come here. The most important thing is that you’ll have someone to protect you even when I’m not around…”
Silence filled the air again as though they were reminiscing on the past or waiting for something.
Finally, Yang Gongming spoke up. “Sanniang, thank you.”
Yan Sanniang’s body trembled and with a bitter voice, she said, “Sir…why would you thank me?”
“Thank you for being willing to turn into an old woman to protect me without arousing any suspicion. Thank you for doing a maid’s work for me and our clan. It’s also all thanks to you that my wife could pass away peacefully…”
Tears fell from her eyes. “Sir, it’s what I had to do.”
“No, it’s not.” Yang Gongming shook his head with a bitter smile. “I’m shameless and thick-skinned. I’m heartless for doing this to you.”
Yan Sanniang shook her head. “Sir, please don’t say this, I’m happy to be here.”
Yang Gongming struggled to speak. “Sanniang, my only wish is that you won’t hate me. I know why you chose to stay here for so many years, but I could never betray her. I couldn’t accept you the last time and I still can’t despite being so old…”
Yan Sanniang closed her eyes from the pain she was feeling.
Yang Gongming felt relieved when he could finally share his deepest thoughts.
“Luckily you’re still as pretty as ever.” Yang Gongming smiled. “I doubt we will ever see each other again. I don’t have many years left in me but you still have a lot of time. You’ve wasted too many years on an old man like me. You have to be yourself when you return home and forget about this place.”
Yan Sanniang could no longer hold her tears in.
Yang Gongming clenched his teeth. It sounded as if he had spent every last bit of his energy when he said the last two words. “Take care!”
Time seemed to have frozen under the night sky.
The time that they had shared together felt as if it were a lifetime ago.