Hua Yan was suddenly reminded of the severed limbs she had seen in the underground chamber of the Jiang residence. She was stunned for a moment, thinking, could it be that their leader had brought back the real Jiang Louyue—she’s not dead yet!
On further thought, this seemed quite astonishing.
Originally, with her hands and legs severed and having endured such torment, Hua Yan had thought the real Jiang Louyue would have long met her end.
If they found the real Jiang Louyue, wouldn’t that solve all their problems?
With this in mind, even before Xie Yingxian returned, Hua Yan found herself eagerly awaiting his return, often glancing toward the entrance of their sect with anticipation, much to the annoyance of Lu Chengsha, who grew more and more sullen.
The day Xie Yingxian returned, Hua Yan immediately rushed to ask him. Xie Yingxian openly admitted, “It is indeed Jiang Louyue.”
The fake Jiang Louyue had imprisoned her for over ten years, with very few knowing the truth. Even Xie Yingxian had thought she was long dead. However, since she was alive and still a person, someone had to take care of her basic needs. A mute, elderly servant had been caring for her over the years, developing a sense of pity for the disabled woman. He wanted to save her but was powerless.
Coincidentally, he mistook Yu Ye’s appearance for that of a kind person and mustered the courage to ask him for help.
Unfortunately, this mute servant was illiterate, unable to speak, and even his ears had been pierced deaf. He risked it once, using gestures, but Yu Ye paid no attention, merely noting it as a suspicious incident.
Xie Yingxian, after pressing the servant for details, sensed something was amiss and sent people to investigate. To his surprise, they discovered Jiang Louyue was indeed alive, and after some effort, managed to rescue her.
Hua Yan soon met the woman—the real Jiang Louyue.
It was clear she had received better care on the way here. She was clean, wearing a fresh green dress, looking very tidy. However, her clothes couldn’t hide her emaciated frame, sunken cheeks, graying hair, and haggard complexion. Her once delicate features now bore the deep marks of premature aging, making her look very worn.
She was tall and thin, brought in sitting in a wheelchair, with a long blanket covering her lap. One leg was missing from the knee down, and one arm was in the same condition, which was quite heartbreaking to see.
Upon seeing Hua Yan, she nodded slightly.
“Greetings, Holy Maiden,” Jiang Louyue’s voice was hoarse, as if it had been wrung dry.
Hua Yan felt a bit awkward, “No need to be so polite… um, can I ask what exactly happened?”
Jiang Louyue nodded. Her skin was an unhealthy, deathly white, her long imprisonment making her eyes cloudy and her reactions slow, “I was deceived by the wrong people.”
She spoke very slowly, her words not very clear.
Xie Yingxian, standing beside Hua Yan, said, “Let me explain. I already asked her about this. She and the fake Jiang Louyue knew each other first and became close friends. Because of this, she didn’t guard against him and disclosed some secrets about the Dongfeng Buye Tower, even helping him multiple times. Unexpectedly, he harbored malicious intent and turned on her, imprisoning her and eventually assuming her identity. He then controlled the Dongfeng Buye Tower and ruthlessly killed her family members one by one.”
Hua Yan paused and asked, “Was the Miyin Dragon Cave case his doing?”
Xie Yingxian replied, “She said she was already imprisoned at that time, but she believes it was highly likely done by the fake Jiang Louyue. He often exhibited insane behavior, like a madman, acting very terrifyingly in front of her. When he used a knife to carve her flesh and break her bones, it was him. Furthermore, we weren’t wrong; whenever he killed someone, he would come to her, tell her about it, and show her the personal belongings of her family members to drive her mad like him. She ignored him, so he poisoned her throat to make it like this.”
That level of madness was indeed extreme.
Hua Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Why does the fake Jiang Louyue hate her so much? Why create such a horrifying case as the Miyin Dragon Cave and frame us? Or was he always this insane?”
Xie Yingxian gestured toward Jiang Louyue and said, “I asked, but she doesn’t know either. She said that when she first met him, he was very normal, gentle, and always smiling, easygoing and kind. She never expected him to become like this. Perhaps, like Yu Ye, it was all an act.”
Hua Yan felt a deep sympathy.
But she quickly realized something and became excited, “So, can we expose the fake Jiang Louyue now? And also clear our name for the things we didn’t do?”
Xie Yingxian, unhurried, replied, “I have arranged for a death warrior to take her place inside. I don’t know when the fake Jiang Louyue will find out. However, to expose him, we need an opportunity, one that ensures his downfall.”
The opportunity he referred to needed to guarantee Jiang Louyue’s appearance and have enough witnesses, preferably the leaders of various sects, to confront the real Jiang Louyue with him.
Otherwise, relying solely on their sect’s words would never be enough to convict Jiang Louyue. Even using public opinion, it would be difficult to defeat the Dongfeng Buye Tower.
Hua Yan thought for a while and said, “The Sword-seeking Tournament?”
Xie Yingxian looked at her with a “teachable child” expression and said, “Before that, we can still look for more evidence. Relying solely on Jiang Louyue is still a bit thin. Speaking of which…” He deliberately drew out his voice.
Before Hua Yan could react, Xie Yingxian suddenly leaned in and flicked her forehead.
She immediately covered her head and yelled, “Why!”
A chilling killing intent suddenly filled the air.
Xie Yingxian laughed, “He really followed us.”
Hua Yan felt a bit speechless, “If you want to know if he’s here, you can just ask me directly. There’s no need to tease him every time!”
Xie Yingxian’s smile was mischievous, “This way is more fun… There’s a place you two can go and check out. I’ll give you the address later.”
“Us? What place?” Hua Yan was suspicious.
But Xie Yingxian didn’t say more.
Trusting Xie Yingxian, Hua Yan took the address and planned to set off to see the place. Lu Chengsha seemed slightly unhappy, so Hua Yan said, “You’re being unreasonable! We’ve known each other since we were kids and always interacted like this! It’s different from how I am with you.”
Lu Chengsha mumbled, “I…”
He wanted to say he wasn’t jealous, but it didn’t seem realistic.
Rather than being jealous of their closeness, he felt regret—regret for meeting her too late, for being unable to join their conversations despite his efforts.
These days, he often heard her talk about her childhood with excitement and nostalgia, even mentioning her pigtails…
Imagining it, Lu Chengsha…really wanted to see it.
He knew feeling this way wasn’t good; missing out was unfixable, and thinking about it only brought more troubles, but he still felt a vague discontent.
Hua Yan decided to just break the tension, “I’m not going to have kids with him, so what are you worried about!”
Lu Chengsha: “…”
Though he couldn’t see it, Hua Yan felt as if Lu Chengsha’s mood instantly lifted, and then he started to get nervous again. After stuttering for a while, he only managed to say, “Oh.”
But there was a hint of…happiness in his tone.
Actually, he was pretty easy to cheer up, Hua Yan thought, trying not to laugh.
The address Xie Yingxian gave was quite remote. When Hua Yan took a carriage there, she could see vast farmlands from afar, with scattered thatched huts and a few wisps of smoke rising, faintly visible farmers working the fields, and crisscrossing paths—a very peaceful and ordinary village. Hua Yan almost doubted if Xie Yingxian had given her the wrong address.
But on closer inspection, it was indeed the right place.
Full of curiosity, Hua Yan got off the carriage and entered the village. The narrow paths weren’t convenient for carriages. As soon as she walked in, people started glancing at her, which wasn’t surprising given her attire and appearance were completely out of place in this small village.
She still had no idea what Xie Yingxian wanted her to see.
Before long, a woman in her thirties approached with a friendly smile and said, “You must be Young Master Xie’s friend. He said his friend would recognize the place and asked me to bring you over. My mother-in-law isn’t feeling well and can’t come to meet you, I’m really sorry.”
Though it was a bit strange, Hua Yan followed her.
The woman seemed a bit nervous and asked, “Is that young man in black behind you also your friend?”
The farmland was vast, and even if he could leap across rooftops, there wasn’t much place to hide here.
Hua Yan laughed, “Yes, he is, but don’t worry about him. He’ll follow on his own.”
The woman led her to a farmhouse. In the yard, a few flowers were blooming, their petals dancing in the wind and exuding a faint fragrance. After a quick glance, Hua Yan walked in and saw the elderly woman she mentioned, lying weakly on a couch. Her temples were graying, and her face was full of wrinkles, showing her age beyond sixty.
Seeing Hua Yan enter, the elderly woman’s eyes moved, and she tried to sit up. The woman quickly went to help her.
The elderly woman coughed a few times and, with difficulty, slowly sat up and said, “I don’t know how much longer this sick body can hold on. Young Master Xie asked me to tell you again…” She looked around, “Where’s the young man?”
Lu Chengsha answered from above.
The elderly woman looked around but couldn’t see him. Hua Yan said, “Just come down; I won’t look at you!”
Lu Chengsha landed shortly after.
The elderly woman was about to speak when her eyes suddenly focused on Lu Chengsha’s face. She squinted, trying to see clearly, and couldn’t help but ask, “Young man, could you come closer so I can see you better?”
Lu Chengsha restrained his killing intent in front of the elderly woman and, hearing her request, moved a bit closer.
The elderly woman stared at Lu Chengsha’s face intently, and if it weren’t for the age difference, Hua Yan would have thought she had taken a fancy to him. Then the elderly woman’s lips started to tremble, and her eyes reddened as she said, “You are…you…”
Hua Yan hurriedly asked, “What is he?”
The elderly woman wiped her eyes and, after a few breaths, said, “Let me start from the beginning. Over twenty years ago, a young girl came to our village. She was as beautiful as a fairy and didn’t look very old, but her body was covered in injuries. She was being chased, and out of pity, I hid her. She was always protecting her belly, and I later found out she was a few months pregnant. She said she had nowhere to go, so I took her in. She mentioned she knew some medical skills and didn’t let me call a doctor or look at her wounds… But, oh… how could I not see that her injuries were…”
The elderly woman wiped her eyes again and continued, “She said the child was from someone she loved dearly and wanted to give birth no matter what. I didn’t dare ask why she didn’t seek out the child’s father; I just assumed she was a pitiful soul. She settled down here, helped with farm work, wrote letters for others, and even planted those flowers at the entrance. She was more capable than most men. She always smiled during the day, but at night, I often heard her haunted by nightmares or silently crying. I felt sorry for her and treated her like my own daughter, hoping she would forget the past. After giving birth to a baby boy, she said she wanted to take him back to her family. That’s when I learned her father was still alive. I hoped she could reunite with her family, but not long after she sent the child away, she took her own life.”
As the elderly woman spoke, Hua Yan gradually realized who she was talking about and felt a faint sense of anticipation. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Ah!”
The elderly woman sighed, “She used to write every day, but I couldn’t read, so I didn’t pay much attention. Later, I learned how much she suffered. If not for the child, she might have given up long before. If I had known, I would have done everything to stop her from doing such a foolish thing.”
She then looked at Lu Chengsha with trembling lips and said, “Is it you, child…the one who was sent away?”
Lu Chengsha was stunned; he hadn’t expected to hear such things here.
He had no memory of his mother. There was nothing about her at Tingjian Manor except for what the old nanny had told him—that his mother was a good person and must have had an accident that led her to leave him at the manor’s gate.
Lu Chengsha had been too young to understand at the time and hadn’t thought much about it as he grew older.
Hua Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Where are the things she wrote?”
The elderly woman shook her head, “They were taken away.”
Hua Yan blinked and asked, “Who took them?”
The elderly woman replied, “About ten years ago, a young man found this place. I thought he was the heartless one and scolded him harshly. Later, I realized he wasn’t. I told him everything, and after seeing her writings, he cried bitterly and told me what they said. Then he begged me, so I let him take them.”
Hua Yan’s heart skipped a beat, “What did this young man look like?”
The elderly woman said, “It’s been too long, I can’t remember clearly… I just recall he wore a bamboo-green robe, had a very proper appearance, and insisted on leaving me a large sum of money when he left. I told him we couldn’t use it and it would only bring trouble, so he finally gave up. I told him where she was buried, and he went to pay his respects. Since then, every year, I’ve seen many flowers on her grave, which I guess must be from him.”
Hua Yan was stunned for a while after hearing this.
At first, she didn’t understand why Xie Yingxian, who was investigating Jiang Louyue, suddenly sent them here.
Now, she had a vague guess.
Hua Yan noticed Lu Chengsha’s silence and thought it was a bit impolite, so she spoke up for him, “Granny, he doesn’t like to talk much, so… he doesn’t mean to be rude. The woman you mentioned… she is very likely his mother. He never met her, so he doesn’t know what to say.”
The elderly woman’s eyes filled with tears as she said, “I can’t be mistaken. Although this young man has a different temperament, his features resemble hers by seven or eight parts. I personally delivered that child. When she held him right after giving birth and smiled, I thought… I thought everything would be okay.”
Hua Yan didn’t know how to comfort her, so she gently patted the elderly woman’s back.
Finally, Lu Chengsha spoke, his voice a bit hesitant, “She…” He didn’t know what he wanted to ask, feeling that anything he said would sound strange. This feeling was unfamiliar to him.
He had long been accustomed to the fact that he had no parents.
The elderly woman sighed deeply, placing her old hand on Hua Yan’s, “But knowing you are well now, and married to such a beautiful wife, your mother would be comforted if she knew.”
Hua Yan immediately nodded vigorously, finding the elderly woman even more endearing.