Mo Sigui had never ruled out walking the path of revenge with her. However, he had too many unfinished tasks. Call it cowardice or selfishness, but he refused to waste his life and time on vengeance.
In this world, only a handful of people could truly understand him. Lou Mingyue was one of them.
They could have been a match made in heaven, but alas, he couldn’t let go of his medical pursuits, and she couldn’t abandon her thirst for revenge.
“Tomorrow…” Lou Mingyue began.
Mo Sigui interrupted her, “Leave three days from now. A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. Surely you can wait three more days?”
“Understood,” Lou Mingyue didn’t argue.
The embers in Mo Sigui’s pipe had died out. He tapped it on the table. “Remember when we were children? You were more rambunctious than the boys—catching birds, fishing—always leading the charge. I always covered for you when you got into trouble.”
Lou Mingyue didn’t understand why he suddenly brought this up. Her heart ached as she listened, and a thin film of tears glazed her eyes. She quickly lowered her gaze to hide this rare display of emotion.
Mo Sigui continued slowly, “I always thought you were a person who cried freely when sad and laughed heartily when happy—someone with an open and generous nature.”
Lou Mingyue held back her tears, her eyes tinged with faint red. “Since you know I’m not like that anymore, why say such things?”
“May I ask then, how did you get injured this time?” Mo Sigui put down his pipe and looked at her.
“I tried to assassinate Yelü Huangwu,” Lou Mingyue pressed her lips together, a hint of unwillingness in her stubborn expression.
Mo Sigui said, “I’ve heard the Yelü clan suffers from a disease that limits their lifespan to middle age. Yelü Huangwu is already nearing his end. Wouldn’t it be quicker to assassinate Ning Yanli instead?”
“You don’t understand.” Lou Mingyue stood up and walked to the window, opening it. The starry sky, veiled by a thin mist, came into view. “How carefree and happy I was as a child. Now my suffering is tenfold. Though the Ning couple weren’t my birth parents, they were no different to me. Because of Liao’s schemes, my family was destroyed. My father died protecting me…”
Lou Mingyue’s voice suddenly choked. Her brows furrowed tightly, and despite her efforts to hold them back, tears began to fall.
She vividly remembered her father, riddled with arrows, carrying her as they fled for over ten miles. When the pursuers caught up, he hurriedly threw her into the river, saying, “I’ve left you a letter in the fake mountain cave where you like to hide. If you survive, my child, retrieve and read it. Don’t seek revenge for your parents.”
Those few words carried a mountain of fatherly love. She often hid in that cave for days when upset, not even bringing her maid. Only a kitchen girl knew and brought her food. But it turned out…
Floating in the river, she watched helplessly as her father was brutally killed by two men in black.
Before this, Lou Mingyue had been well-protected by the Ning couple and had never seen death, let alone witnessed her beloved father’s brutal murder. The shock left her terrified and devastated.
Whenever she recalled that scene, she felt that even tearing those two black-clad men to pieces wouldn’t quench her hatred.
Lou Mingyue’s birth mother was a stern and intelligent woman who had high expectations of her. But her love for her daughter was evident. To Lou Mingyue, she was both a mother and a teacher, even something of a close friend.
And yet, she had to burn her birth mother alive!
She couldn’t forget her mother’s slightly open eyes amidst the flames. Though it was likely an unconscious action, in her dreams it took on countless meanings—questioning, resentment, confusion, pain… It woke her from nightmares night after night.
Twice her family was destroyed, yet Lou Mingyue didn’t falter. Instead, she grew stronger, all because of this burning hatred!
She stood by the window, letting the night breeze dry her tears.
Mo Sigui approached and embraced her from behind. This was the first time in ten years they had been so close.
“Ning Yu,” Mo Sigui’s voice was hoarse as he gazed at her lonely silhouette. He felt an urge to follow her to life or death, but in the end, he only said, “You don’t need to distance yourself from me. Though I can’t be by your side through thick and thin, I wish to be your support.”
Lou Mingyue felt his warmth from behind but didn’t push him away.
Sometimes she resented him a little, but upon reflection, she realized he owed her nothing. How could she ask him to abandon his life’s pursuit for a vendetta that wasn’t his?
If she could let go, she could be with him, wandering freely among mountains and waters. But alas, as long as her enemies lived, she couldn’t find peace!
Compared to lifelong ambitions and deep-seated vengeance, Lou Mingyue and Mo Sigui’s feelings seemed faint. It wasn’t an all-consuming passion, but rather a bond difficult to sever.
Childhood sweethearts—how much was familial affection and how much was romantic love?
As her chaotic thoughts gradually calmed, Lou Mingyue simply said, “Thank you.”
Outside the window, starlight cascaded from the night sky, falling into the lake and transforming into faint, fragmented ripples, much like their emotions at that moment.
The night was quiet, the candle flickering softly.
The next day, as dawn approached, An Jiu went to survey the layout of Caishi Kou, while the others busied themselves with preparations.
The weapons Gao Dazhuang had delivered were insufficient. Whether or not the rescue succeeded, they couldn’t return here, so there was much to prepare.
An Jiu returned to the island before noon. As soon as the small boat docked, a thunderous boom shook the air. A flock of startled birds took flight, soaring towards the clouds. Immediately after, thick smoke billowed from the forest.
Everyone on the island temporarily abandoned their tasks and rushed to Lou Xiaowu’s courtyard.
An Jiu was the last to arrive. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, a soot-covered figure pounced on him, flashing a bright smile. “Fourteen, Fourteen, did you see that?”
“Quick, help put out the fire!” Sui Yunzhu urgently tugged at An Jiu.
The surrounding trees were charred black. What had started as small flames had grown unchecked and was now spreading rapidly.
The dry autumn weather made fires easy to start, especially with the thick layer of dead leaves on the ground!
As An Jiu rolled up his sleeves to fetch water, he asked Lou Xiaowu, “What happened?”
“I was making bullets, you see. I hadn’t finished, but I accidentally created a kind of fire bomb. How about that? Pretty powerful, right?” Lou Xiaowu said proudly.
Mo Sigui raised his pipe and smacked the back of her head, shouting, “Put out the fire! I’ll deal with you later!”
Lou Xiaowu’s soot-covered face made her almond-shaped eyes appear even clearer and brighter. They seemed to speak, conveying her grievance as she reluctantly took a ladle to splash water. This earned her another smack from Mo Sigui. “Are you watering flowers? Get a bigger bucket!”
Mo Sigui had put great effort into setting up the island’s defenses. He wasn’t about to give them up easily. The first line of defense, the Dream Flowers, had already bloomed. The second line, the Poison Orchids, had just matured. The herbs to isolate the poison were still tender shoots. If the fire spread, months of his hard work would be destroyed in an instant.
Lou Xiaowu pouted and went to fetch water to extinguish the fire.
After half an hour of frantic efforts, they managed to contain the fire just before it reached the medicinal herb garden.
Lou Xiaowu quietly sidled up to An Jiu again, gently poking him with her finger. Her eyes sparkled as she asked, “So, what do you think?”