As soon as these words were spoken, it was like water being poured into boiling oil, immediately causing an uproar.
Even the disciples of Cixin Valley showed a moment of astonishment on their faces.
Admitting this in front of everyone was tantamount to making Nian Yi the target of everyone’s ire.
However, that person’s questioning was not yet finished. Hua Yan could see that he was merely a pawn being pushed to the forefront. Seeing the crowd’s reaction, he almost shrank back, licking his lips nervously before swallowing and continuing, “Valley Master Nian, was the massacre of the Yin family, known for their medical skills, caused by the Blood Phantom poison your doing?”
If the previous question was a mere test, this one was like a blade laid bare.
There might have been room for evasion before, but not now.
Xue Tingshan wanted to stop Nian Yi from speaking, but somehow a guard blocked his path, forcibly restraining him.
Nian Yi slowly lifted his gaze from his palms. The bright morning light shone on his face, yet it couldn’t evoke any sign of life. As the sun rose higher, he looked at the clear blue sky, his expression as calm as water, and said in a quiet voice, “I did it.”
In an instant, the crowd fell silent.
No one had expected him to admit it so directly. This was, after all, the massacre of an entire family!
Immediately, someone shouted, “But that demonic cult forced you to make the poison!”
“You are indeed in collusion with the demonic cult! Tell us now, where is the cult leader?”
The disciples of Cixin Valley seemed to be in disarray. Some were spreading alarming rumors, while others refused to believe it no matter what.
“Valley Master, this can’t be something you did! Why are you saying this?”
“Valley Master, there must be a reason, right? Explain it to us! Were you forced by someone…”
Hua Yan couldn’t help but look around. She didn’t see Yu Ye but spotted Xi Wu.
Not far from the high platform, she clenched one hand tightly, her eyes fixed on Nian Yi, her lower lip bitten so hard it was almost bleeding. It wasn’t worry that showed on her face, but a deep-seated hatred that had reached its peak. Her body was trembling silently.
Recalling what Xi Wu had said before, Hua Yan suddenly realized—she was from the Yin family!
No wonder she burned paper money for the two peasant women who died from the Blood Phantom poison, as the Yin family also perished from this poison!
Such a deep-seated hatred was now understandable.
But… since she knew, why hadn’t she directly killed Nian Yi? Why had she stayed by his side all these years?
Hua Yan felt somewhat confused.
However, what Nian Yi said next shocked everyone even more.
As if no longer afraid after speaking out, he paused only briefly before continuing. His voice remained calm and steady, without a hint of panic, as if he had rehearsed for a long time, waiting for this day to speak: “This matter was entirely my doing. I acted alone, without any collusion or coercion. The guilt of this crime has weighed on my heart for years, never letting me forget, causing me to live in constant fear day and night. Now that the truth has been revealed, I shall repay with my life. As for collaborating with the demonic cult to harm others, I have never done so. The disciples and physicians of my valley were unaware of my actions. I hope you will not blame them harshly. From now on, all valley affairs will be handled by Steward Xi Wu. Any disciple or physician wishing to leave may do so freely.”
After speaking, he coughed a bit, then took a short blade from his sleeve. With a swift turn of the blade, he aimed it at his heart, about to plunge it in.
But just at that moment, a sharp female voice rang out: “Who gave you permission to die so easily! You haven’t even explained why you massacred the entire Yin family!”
Xi Wu’s voice was nearly hysterical as she shouted, her delicate face flushed with anger.
Nian Yi’s hand paused, his gaze slowly shifting toward her.
“Do you think you can just die without pain! Jiang Nian, you’re dreaming! Why don’t you explain everything you’ve done clearly? What did my Yin family ever do to you to deserve such harm?”
Her words further astonished everyone.
Xi Wu’s face was bright red, speaking through gritted teeth, as if she hated him to the core, her teeth visibly trembling: “Jiang Nian, before I was known as Xi Wu, I had another name, Yin Xi. Do you remember that name? I used to call you brother-in-law. When my sister married you, you were all smiles, appearing as a loving couple. But who knew it was bringing a wolf into the house. Not long after, just not long after…”
Scenes that had haunted her nightmares for years resurfaced in her mind.
That day, she was just a little girl. Because she stayed out playing and couldn’t make it home in time, she spent the night at a nearby relative’s house. At dawn, she pushed open the gate to find her family lying dead in horrifying postures. Their bodies were twisted, unable to escape the house. Among them were her strict father, loving mother, and beautiful sister. Each one had died in extreme pain, their eyes wide open in death. Some had scratched at their throats, some had bashed their heads against the walls, and some had even stabbed themselves. She collapsed at the doorway, terrified and freezing, feeling her heart break. All her family had died there, except for her brother-in-law Jiang Nian, who was nowhere to be found.
She had never wanted to believe that Jiang Nian had killed her entire family.
The Yin family died from a poison no one had ever seen before. They were deeply knowledgeable about both medicines and poisons. Not a single poisonous dish could escape their notice. Only an extremely well-crafted poison could silently kill them all without anyone knowing.
And those who could achieve such a feat were very few.
Nian Yi remained silent.
Hua Yan was also stunned.
The people below the stage continued to ask questions, and those who knew the truth began to speak.
“So there are still surviving members of the Yin family?”
“I heard there was a young daughter who survived, but shortly after, she disappeared, and no one knew where she went…”
“So Nian Yi was actually the son-in-law of the Yin family? This was never mentioned before.”
“The Yin family did have two daughters. I heard the elder daughter married a live-in son-in-law, but she was in poor health and rarely seen by guests. Few people knew her. Everyone thought she died when the Yin family perished… So it wasn’t the demonic cult’s doing?”
“Wait a minute, wasn’t there a rumor that Nian Yi abandoned his wife and child to marry someone else and then killed his own wife? Could it be true? I wondered how Cixin Valley was established; it turns out the Yin family was the foundation.”
In just a few words, the truth seemed to be pieced together.
“Nian Yi is truly heartless and cruel, as vicious as the demonic cult!”
“Indeed, letting him die so easily would be too lenient!”
Xi Wu was furious at his calm demeanor and shouted, “Speak! Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Nian Yi lowered his head and looked at his hands again, saying, “I have nothing to say.”
She was enraged, “Do you have no remorse or repentance at all? That was the lives of more than a dozen people in my family! Jiang Nian, do you remember what you told me? You said studying medicine was to cure and save people! Yet you used it to kill! Look at the hanging gourd behind you!”
His body trembled as he looked behind him. The large stone-carved gourd hanging high could be seen with a glance, almost a symbol of the valley.
“To heal the world and save people.”
Finally, a hint of pain appeared in Nian Yi’s eyes. He pressed his hand to his chest, his body swaying slightly.
Hua Yan also felt a bit dazed. It wasn’t that she believed Nian Yi was a good person, but her intuition told her something was off. She remembered a woman named Huai Yi. Nian Yi was deeply affectionate towards her. If Huai Yi was part of the Yin family, it didn’t make sense.
When Nian Yi reminisced about Huai Yi, he spoke of her with extreme tenderness and used all sorts of compliments, often feeling unworthy of her.
Hua Yan had never heard or seen anything related to the Yin family from Nian Yi. When he mourned his deceased wife, he never mentioned anyone else, as if he had only ever married one woman.
Thoughts swirled in Hua Yan’s mind, almost forming a coherent idea.
Xi Wu, or rather Yin Xi, strode forward. Nian Yi still looked deathly pale, his white robes outlining his emaciated frame. He used the railing of the high platform to support himself, preventing him from collapsing.
The first time she saw him, he hadn’t looked like this.
Back then, Jiang Nian was just over twenty years old, far from the current haggard state. He had a dignified appearance, standing quietly like an elegant tree, with melancholy yet captivating eyes. He had a gentle but firm demeanor, speaking softly and slowly, with a certain unspoken nobility. If one didn’t know he came from a humble background and was a widower, they might have mistaken him for a young noble.
Her sister liked him very much, following him everywhere and talking non-stop. Even her usual reckless nature would be restrained in his presence.
Yin Xi curiously observed him. Her sister, with a proud lift of her chin, said to her, “This is your future brother-in-law.”
Jiang Nian gave her a polite smile, softening his aloofness and becoming more approachable. Yin Xi inexplicably felt honored.
She later learned that Jiang Nian also studied medicine, though he was just a wandering physician and not a suitable match for her sister, especially being a remarriage. However, anyone who met Jiang Nian in person would not think this way.
They had a grand and lively wedding, with Yin Xi accompanying them to see her sister off.
Her sister was overjoyed, and the young Yin Xi was happy too, holding celebratory sweets and offering blessings. She secretly regarded Jiang Nian as part of the family, despite his reserved nature. Her sister told her that he was just naturally quiet and not to mind it. Yin Xi nodded vigorously, too shy to admit she liked this dedicated physician brother-in-law.
Jiang Nian stayed with the Yin family.
Every day, he did nothing but read medical books and study herbs. Dressed in white, he looked like a figure from a painting.
Yin Xi had once boldly approached Jiang Nian with questions from medical books she didn’t understand, and to her surprise, he patiently answered each one. He didn’t seem as cold as he appeared. Her sister’s affection for him was almost unabashed. In the past, it took multiple pleas to get her sister to read medical books, but for Jiang Nian, she not only read them willingly but also went to great lengths to find any book he desired, always filled with joy. Yin Xi envied her deeply, dreaming of one day finding a husband she liked just as much, and then…
There was no “then.”
Yin Xi threw the string of bells she held at Nian Yi with all her strength. He neither dodged nor avoided it, only letting out a muffled groan.
The worn string of bells fell to the ground, finally shattering along its cracks.
This was a gift from him on her birthday when the whole family had given her presents. Jiang Nian, claiming to have nothing of value, gave her this, wishing her a future of benevolence and medical practice.
Sadly, by her next birthday, she was the only one left.
Nian Yi handed her the short blade, his voice growing faint: “If you wish to take your revenge personally, go ahead.”
Yin Xi glanced at the blade in his hand, her hatred flaring. How could he be so hypocritical, even now trying to maintain his dignity?
She coldly replied, “How do you know I haven’t been taking my revenge? I’ve waited all these years just to see you fall from grace, to see you suffer and die in agony…”
She didn’t want this. She wanted him to be in pain, to repent, not to calmly admit his guilt or to die peacefully.
Hua Yan, standing below the platform, suddenly slapped her forehead as she finally understood.
The crowd’s discussions had reached a fever pitch, but everyone was watching Nian Yi and Yin Xi on the stage, waiting to see how they would resolve their feud.
After all, this was ultimately a matter between the Yin family and Nian Yi.
The disciples of Cixin Valley were in complete disarray, unable to fathom the connection between Nian Yi and Xi Wu, panicking and chattering anxiously.
“How could Auntie Xi be so fierce to the Valley Master if… But how could the Valley Master be…”
“I always thought Auntie Xi and the Valley Master were…”
Hua Yan could no longer hold back. She shouted, “Valley Master Nian, was Huai Yi’s death…?”
Nian Yi suddenly looked over.
The crowd below was puzzled. Who was this Huai Yi?
Even Yin Xi turned her head in anger, “What are you talking about? Who is Huai Yi?”
She didn’t know.
In that moment, Hua Yan pieced everything together, linking all the recent events and realizing another truth.