Chapter 106 (1/2)

Chapter 106: Hatred (Part Nine)

Translated by K of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Lan XiChen, ”What letter?”

Jin GuangYao, ”A letter of threat. The letter said… those things would be publicized for the world to see in seven days. They wanted me to either turn myself in and apologize, or… wait for the day of my death.”

Everyone understood. Of course, Jin GuangYao couldn't just wait for his death to come. Instead of having his name be ruined and his sect be overthrown by the mockery of all the sects, he'd be the one to strike first. At that time, even if the opponent really spread the rumors of all his past deeds everywhere, after the siege, the sects would be drained of the energy to bother him.

Unfortunately, it was all wrecked by Wei WuXian and Lan w.a.n.gJi.

Lan XiChen, ”Even so, you cannot go the entire way and settle on murder! Like this, you…”

He didn't even give Lan XiChen a reason to speak in favor of him! Jin GuangYao, ”Or else what could I do? Wait until everything's been exposed, wait until the rumors soar above the cities, wait until I've become the laughing stock of all the world of cultivation before I kneel down and apologize, begging for their pardon by placing my face under their feet for them to step on? Brother! There is no third path. It is either their death or mine.”

Anger began to appear over Lan XiChen's face. He stepped away, ”Is this not all because you… because you did the things in the letter?! If you never did those things, how could anyone come across the evidence to hold against you?”

Jin GuangYao, ”Brother, listen to me. I don't deny that I did those things…”

Lan XiChen, ”How could you deny them? There are both witnesses and proof!”

Jin GuangYao, ”And so I said I don't deny them! But to have killed my father, my wife, my son, my brother—if not because I had no other choice, why would I have done those things? Could it be that I'm really so out of my mind in your eyes?!”

Lan XiChen's expression calmed somewhat, ”Fine. I will ask you a few questions. You can explain one by one.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”Brother!”

He unsheathed b.i.+.c.hen. Seeing how he seemed like he was about to end Jin GuangYao right there, Lan XiChen hurried, ”Do not worry. He is injured, and his weapon is confiscated as well. He is at a great disadvantage. With so many people here, he cannot do anything.” On the other side, Wei WuXian gave Su She a kick, stopping his intention to move in secrecy. Lan XiChen, ”Go deal with things over there. I will stay here.”

Hearing Su She's enraged roar, Lan w.a.n.gJi walked over. Wei WuXian knew that Lan XiChen still had some feelings towards this sworn brother of his. He had some inexplicable expectations of him and just had to give him this chance to speak. Similarly, Wei WuXian wanted to hear a few words from Jin GuangYao's perspective as well, and so he listened. Lan XiChen, ”First, your father, Former Sect Leader Jin, did you really use such a method to…”

Jin GuangYao spoke carefully, ”I'd like to answer this question last.”

Lan XiChen shook his head before continuing, ”Second, your… wife…” As though he couldn't say it, he immediately changed his phrasing, ”Your sister, Qin Su, did you really marry her while knowing what blood relations.h.i.+p you had with her?”

Jin GuangYao stared blankly at him. Suddenly, tears rolled down his eyes. He answered with pain, ”… Yes.” Lan XiChen took in a deep breath. His face was almost ashen. Jin GuangYao whispered, ”But I really had no choice.”

Lan XiChen scolded, ”How could you have no choice?! It was your marriage! Would it not have been fine as long as you chose not to marry her? Even if you hurt Qin Su's heart because of it, it would have been better than destroying a woman who loved you and respected you with all her heart. A woman who had never treated you badly!”

Jin GuangYao, ”Did I not love her with all my heart?! But I had no choice, that's all there is to it! Yes! It was my marriage, but could I really not have married her with just my word?! Brother, there has to be a bottom line to your naivety—I spent so much effort, went through such lengths for Qin CangYe to answer my proposal, and as the wedding day approached, I finally satisfied both Qin CangYe and Jin GuangShan, but now you're telling me I should have called off the wedding just like that? What reason should I have used? What should I have told the two of them?!

”Brother, do you know how I felt when Madam Qin came to me to secretly reveal the truth, just as I thought everything was perfect?! It wouldn't have scared me more if a streak of lighting sliced through my skull! Do you know why she didn't go to Jin GuangShan and instead begged me in secrecy? It was because she was raped by Jin GuangShan! That good father of mine, he didn't even let the wife of the a subordinate who's been with him for so long go. He didn't even remember he had a new daughter! For so many years, she didn't dare tell this to her husband, Qin CangYe. If I suddenly broke off the engagement, they would have noticed what was going on and Jin GuangShan and Qin CangYe would have fallen out with each other. Who do you think would be the one that was shunned by both sides and met the worst end?!”

Although it wasn't the first time they heard of Jin GuangShan's shameless acts in this realm, the people present still felt some disgusted chills, whichever emotion was greater. Lan XiChen, ”Then… Then even though you married Qin Su with no choice, you could have treated her coldly. Why did you… And why did you have to kill your own son with your own hands, after Song was born?!”

Jin GuangYao hugged his head, his voice bitter, ”… I never touched Su again after our marriage. Song… we had him before we married. Back then, I was afraid of further delay and additional issues…”

So he and Qin Su consummated their marriage beforehand. If not because of this, he wouldn't have somehow ended up engaging in incest with his younger sister. At this point, he didn't know which to detest more—his father who wasn't like a father at all or himself who was so suspicious of others!

With a sigh, Lan XiChen continued, ”Third, do not try to avoid it and answer me—did you plan the death of Jin ZiXuan on purpose?!”

Hearing his father's name, Jin Ling, who'd been holding Jiang Cheng, widened his eyes.

Lan w.a.n.gJi raised his voice somewhat, ”Brother, you believe him?”

Lan XiChen's expression was complicated, ”Of course I do not believe that Jin ZiXuan ran into the attack at Qiongqi Path by accident, but… let him speak first.”

Jin GuangYao knew he wouldn't be believed if he denied it no matter what. He clenched his teeth, ”… I indeed didn't run into Jin ZiXuan by accident.”

Jin Ling immediately clenched his fists.

Jin GuangYao continued, ”But I've never thought of planning everything that happened afterward either. You don't have to think of me as so clever and faultless. Many things can't be controlled at all. How could I have known that he'd definitely die by Wei WuXian's hands together with Jin ZiXun? How could I have predicted that Wei WuXian would definitely lose control and the Ghost General would definitely run riot?”

Wei WuXian's voice was harsh, ”And you said you didn't run into him by accident? Isn't that self-contradiction?!”

Jin GuangYao, ”I don't deny that I told him about the attack at Qiongqi Path on purpose, but I only thought that he'd encounter some difficulties if he ran into you when you were being troubled by his cousin since he'd never been on good terms with you. How could I have known that you would simply kill everyone present, Mr. Wei?”

Wei WuXian laughed, enraged, ”You're really…”

Suddenly, Jin Ling screamed, ”Why?!” He stood up from beside Jiang Cheng. Eyes red, he rushed toward Jin GuangYao as he shouted, ”Why did you have to do this?!”

Nie HuaiSang hurried to pull back Jin Ling, who seemed as though he wanted to fight with Jin GuangYao. Jin GuangYao returned the question, ”Why?” He turned to Jin Ling, ”Ling, then could you tell me why? Why is it that even if I face everyone with a smile, I might not even receive the lowest form of respect, while even though your father was extremely arrogant, people flocked to him? Could you tell me why we were born from the same person but your father could relax at home with the love of his life playing with his child, while I never even dared be alone for long with my wife, s.h.i.+vering out of fright at first glance of my son? And I was ordered to do such a thing by my father as if it was natural—to kill an extremely dangerous figure who could flip out and conjure up a b.l.o.o.d.y ma.s.sacre with his corpses anytime!

”Why is it that even though we were born on the same day, Jin GuangShan could host a grand banquet for one son, and watch with his own eyes how his subordinate kicked his other son down Koi Tower, from the first stair to the last!”

He finally revealed the hatred hidden deep within him. It wasn't directed at neither Jin ZiXuan nor Wei WuXian, but rather his own father.

Wei WuXian, ”Stop making excuses! Kill whomever you want dead—why touch Jin ZiXuan?!”

Jin GuangYao responded calmly, ”As you've seen, I killed all of them.”

Lan XiChen, ”And even in such a way.”

Tears rested at the corners of Jin GuangYao's eyes. He kneeled on the ground, back straight as he smiled, ”Yes. An old stallion that gets in a rut wherever it goes really deserves such a death, doesn't it?”

Lan XiChen shouted, ”Yao!”

Only after the word came out did he remember that he'd already one-sidedly broke off with Jin GuangYao, and thus he shouldn't call him like this. However, Jin GuangYao seemed as if he didn't notice it, his expression collected, ”Brother, don't be surprised that I can call him such dirty things. To this father of mine, I once had hopes as well. In the past, as long as it was his command, whether it be to betray Sect Leader Wen or protect Xue Yang or remove anyone who disagreed, no matter how foolish it was, how hated I'd be, I'd obey regardlessly. But do you know what it was that made me lose hope completely? I'll answer your first question now. It wasn't that I'd never be worth a single hair on Jin ZiXuan or one of the holes in Jin ZiXun, it wasn't that he took back Mo XuanYu, it wasn't that he tried every possible way to make me a mere figurehead either. It was the truth he once told the maid beside me when he was out indulging himself again.

”Why was a sect leader who spent money like water unwilling to do the smallest favor and buy my mother's freedom? Simple—it was too much trouble. My mother waited for so many years, weaving together so many difficult circ.u.mstances when she talked to me, imagining for his sake so many hards.h.i.+ps. And the real reason was only a single word: trouble.

”This is what he said, 'It's especially women who've read some books who think they're a level higher than other women. They're the most troublesome, with so many demands and unrealistic thoughts. If I bought her freedom and took her back to Lanling, who knows how much fuss she'd make. It was best that I let her stay where she was just like that. With her conditions, she'd probably be popular for a few more years. She wouldn't have to worry about her spendings for the rest of her life.'