WNST - 126

The earth-shattering explosions that rocked the night caused even Lidu Prefecture to tremble. 

Curious townsfolk peeked out from behind windows and doors, wondering what had happened. 

The Qi soldiers stationed in the city were thrown into chaos by this sudden turn of events. Without their commander, they scrambled like headless flies toward the riverbank, trying to figure out what had occurred. From the dark alleys, the long-prepared Yucheng Army charged out, clashing with the Qi forces in the streets. The morale of the Qi army had already collapsed, and it wasn’t long before they were routed, fleeing in disarray, abandoning their weapons and armor. 

As dawn broke, the sounds of fighting seemed to subside. It had been a nerve-wracking night for the townspeople, who dared not step outside to check the situation. Then, from somewhere, a series of exhilarating cheers rang out. 

“The Qi people have been driven away!” 

“The Qi people have been driven away!” 

Lamps lit up one by one in the small houses like a winding dragon of light. Bold citizens began stepping out of their homes. There was no curfew, no menacing blades or spears—only the spring breeze drifting through the empty streets. 

More and more people poured into the streets, leaping with joy, shouting without restraint. The oppressive gloom of months past was swept away in an instant. They finally felt a sense of triumph—the supposedly invincible Qi forces had been defeated right here in Lidu Prefecture. They didn’t know where the heroes who turned the tide were, but they cheered wholeheartedly for all the fighters. 

Prince Ling’an was openly escorted from the Buddhist shrine behind the Xie family estate to the government office. Once the southbound ships were arranged, he would set off for Jinling. 

On the lively, song-filled streets, Zhang Yuehui sat alone on the dimly lit stone steps, waiting for his men to come and pick him up. 

Nanyi had been noisily ushered back to Wangxue Lodge by Xie Sui’an and would surely be well taken care of. 

Xie Queshan’s identity could no longer be concealed; it was only a matter of time before he became a celebrated hero. 

His gaze wandered aimlessly. Across from him, the once-magnificent Huazhao Pavilion was now a blackened ruin, with a few torn silk banners fluttering weakly in the wind. 

Zhang Yuehui didn’t feel any sense of loss—he was used to losing. He had thought himself numb enough, but at this moment… he actually felt a flicker of happiness. 

He didn’t know what he was happy about. Everyone else had gained something, while he carried a mountain of grudges on his back. 

But when the flames lit up the sky… it still felt… pretty damn good. 

From start to finish, he had never believed that the frail commoners of Lidu Prefecture or the hastily assembled Bingzhu Division could shake the Qi forces. 

In this world, if vengeance could be so easily exacted, he wouldn’t have lived such a twisted life all these years. He was always deeply pessimistic about the state of affairs, yet this time, against all odds, they had succeeded. 

He found it… pretty good. Everything was pretty good. It just had nothing to do with him. 

“Master.” 

A voice pulled him from his thoughts. Luo Ci had finally found Zhang Yuehui. 

Zhang Yuehui looked up at him and smiled—a simple, faint smile. “Let’s go,” he said. 

Luo Ci helped Zhang Yuehui to his feet. “Where to, Master?” 

Zhang Yuehui didn’t answer. Step by step, deep and shallow, he walked against the flow of the jubilant crowd, disappearing into the distance. 

--- 

Wangxue Lodge was bustling like it was New Year’s Day. The maidservants were joyfully busy preparing a grand feast early in the morning. 

Tomorrow, Xie Sui’an would depart with Prince Ling’an for Jinling. Madam Gantang was hosting a farewell banquet for him, which would also serve as a victory celebration for everyone. 

While his second sister was occupied with preparations, Xie Queshan lingered hesitantly outside Nanyi’s courtyard. He wanted to see her when no one else was in her room, but he couldn’t find the right moment. 

All he could do was grab the doctor who came out and cautiously inquire about Nanyi’s condition. 

Nanyi’s injuries were severe, and her body was utterly exhausted. She needed proper rest and recuperation. 

Hearing about her solo ambush on A’jiu, Xie Queshan was both terrified and astonished by her ability to handle things on her own. Somewhere along the way, his judgment of her had started to falter. He kept thinking about pushing her away, believing that was the only way to keep her safe. Yet before this, he had trusted her to find a way out of any peril. 

It’s one thing to understand something clearly—it’s another to act on it. 

He knew how despicable his actions on the ship had been. If he had died, he wouldn’t be reflecting on it now. When facing death, one doesn’t think about the future—everything ends, everything turns to dust. But surviving the aftermath made him step back from the lofty righteousness he had embraced and confront the tangled mess of his selfishness. 

Though many obstacles from the past had disappeared, he still owed Zhang Yuehui a great debt. Nanyi had promised to leave with Zhang Yuehui—so what did that mean for them…? 

Thinking about it, Xie Queshan felt lost and uneasy. 

Just as he stood there hesitating, Xie Sui’an appeared, carrying a bowl of medicine and heading into Nanyi’s Zheyue Pavilion. The two of them collided under the corridor. 

For some reason, both their faces showed signs of being preoccupied, yet neither knew what to say. 

As Xie Queshan opened his mouth to greet him, Xie Sui’an pretended not to see him and brushed past his shoulder, walking into the courtyard. 

Xie Queshan awkwardly rubbed his nose and sighed deeply in his heart. 

He even felt that things had been simpler when he was still playing the villain. Now, it was a tangled mess—cutting ties was impossible, and sorting things out was even harder. Outside, there was jubilation everywhere, but behind closed doors, he felt utterly ashamed. 

Xie Queshan wasn’t the only one feeling at a loss—Nanyi was too. 

After a good night’s sleep and a hearty meal, her strength was slowly returning, giving her the energy to reflect on her current situation. She was no longer the young mistress of Wangxue Lodge; she was merely staying here temporarily. One day, she would have to leave. She had promised Zhang Yuehui, and she couldn’t betray that promise, even though her heart was tied to someone else.

But strangely, Zhang Yuehui hadn’t come to see her, hadn’t asked her to fulfill her promise. 

After their long separation, Xie Queshan hadn’t come to see her either. At first, she waited with a heart pounding like a drum, her nose tingling at the mere thought of him. Every moment, her mind rehearsed how to face him, what to say first, whether it would be another farewell. But as time passed, that initial flutter turned into frustration, and she silently cursed him in her heart for not coming. 

Her head began to ache from overthinking, and she realized things were getting complicated. 

Xie Sui’an came to bring her medicine, and she gulped it down quickly, wanting nothing more than to fall back asleep. 

The medicine had a calming effect, and before long, Nanyi drifted off to sleep. She didn’t notice the strange look on Xiao Liu’s face—half sulking, half lost in thought. 

After a while, Madam Gantang quietly beckoned Xiao Liu out and gave her a stern talking-to outside. 

“During tonight’s family banquet, you mustn’t give your third brother a cold shoulder. He’s had such a hard time these past years—you need to understand him.” 

Xie Sui’an was just as stubborn. The moment her second sister started saying these things, she immediately retorted loudly. 

“These are all just your guesses! Did he admit to any of it? Why should I forgive him?” 

“You’re leaving for Jinling tomorrow. Who knows when we’ll all gather again? Can’t you just have one happy evening together?” 

“No!” Xie Sui’an snapped, turning on her heel and walking away. “Some people can never be happy with us again.” 

Madam Gantang watched helplessly as Xiao Liu’s figure disappeared. Between them still loomed the memory of Pang Zixu, who was now buried in the ground. Even amidst such a great victory, where everyone rejoiced, some sorrows stubbornly clung to the hearts of the survivors, impossible to erase. 

Unable to reason with Xiao Liu, perhaps she should try persuading Xie San to endure for the night—to simply pretend he hadn’t noticed her sour expression… Just as this thought crossed her mind, a servant came to report that the master had left after noon and hadn’t returned yet. 

Madam Gantang sighed repeatedly. Xie San, always bottling up his emotions, might have avoided the banquet altogether to spare everyone discomfort. 

… 

At this moment, Xie Queshan was riding aimlessly through the mountains, as if searching for something, though not very earnestly. He eventually tethered his horse at a pavilion halfway up the mountain and stood there, gazing at the winding mountain path. 

Song Muchuan caught up from behind. He had originally gone to Wangxue Lodge to find Xie Queshan but was told he had left the city. So he followed the direction of his departure and tracked him down. 

To be honest, he was afraid Xie Chaoyun might harbor some nihilistic thoughts. Seeing him safe and sound here brought him immense relief. 

“Why did you come here alone?” 

“Boss Zhang left without a word. I wanted to see him off, but I didn’t even catch a glimpse of him.” 

Xie Queshan’s response carried a hint of guilt—it was likely just an excuse. He knew Zhang Yuehui would never bid him a sentimental farewell, nor did he expect one. He simply didn’t want to stay at Wangxue Lodge. 

Though he had been home for quite some time, he now felt an inexplicable unease, a reluctance to face familiarity. 

But Song Muchuan took his words at face value, his expression softening with a trace of guilt: “Boss Zhang truly is an unsung hero. I didn’t even get a chance to thank him in person.” 

“If that’s how you feel, it suits him just fine.” 

Xie Queshan chuckled, and Song Muchuan detected a faint note of sarcasm in his tone. 

“Why do you say that?” 

“Whatever he does, whether his intentions are good or bad, he always manages to make everyone uncomfortable.” 

Zhang Yuehui’s abrupt departure, without a single word, seemed magnanimous on the surface, as if he had let go freely. But in reality, those left behind felt like sinners, burdened by guilt toward him as they moved forward. 

Unspoken words were like thorns lodged deep within. 

Xie Queshan understood Zhang Yuehui’s tricks all too well, but he could do nothing about the thorn piercing his heart. 

He would forever owe Zhang Yuehui. 

And what about Nanyi? Would she be unable to bear this guilt and chase after him, choosing to leave as well? 

“You seem troubled,” Song Muchuan observed the heavy worry etched on Xie Queshan’s face. 

“I’m not,” Xie Queshan denied stubbornly. 

After a pause, he still felt suffocated and reluctantly confided: “I have a friend…” 

“When did you have other friends?” Song Muchuan exclaimed in surprise. 

“Just someone I know,” Xie Queshan stammered awkwardly. “He has a woman he’s fond of, but… she might be engaged to someone else.” 

“Might?” Song Muchuan found this description peculiar. 

“Maybe. But my friend still wants to be with her… Does that make him a faithless wretch?” 

Song Muchuan fell silent, deep in thought. His reply, when it came, carried an unexpected bitterness: “Did your… friend ever ask the woman how she feels?” 

“My friend… isn’t exactly skilled at matters of the heart.” 

“So he never asked?” 

Xie Queshan grew increasingly disheartened as he spoke: “His family background is complicated, to say the least… In any case, he doesn’t seem like the kind of man suited for her.” 

Song Muchuan smiled faintly, lowering his gaze to hide the loneliness in his eyes: “In this world, the most important thing between two people in love is mutual affection.” 

Xie Queshan pondered this for a long time, feeling as though he had grasped a thread of clarity, yet everything remained muddled. A man who had been clever his entire life suddenly felt like a fool when it came to facing himself honestly. 

Just then, He Ping’s distant shout broke the silence between them. 

“Master… Master! Miss Xie Liu is in trouble!” 

Xie Queshan snapped out of his thoughts, his body jolting in alarm.