Chapter 105 - Hatred (Part Eight) (2/2)

The woman whispered, “A-Yao, A-Yao…”

From the kick, Meng Yao wasn’t able to get up for a long time, still lying on the ground. The lady grabbed one with each hand and dragged away both mother and son.

A client beside AnXin inquired, “Who’s the pretty one?”

AnXin spat out two sunflower seed shells, “A famous vixen. She’s quite scary.”

Someone sighed in disappointment, “This is the talented Meng Shi from back then? How did she end up like this?”

AnXin switched up a grin, “She sure did. She was set on bearing a child. Could a woman keep up her looks after she gives birth? If not because she could manage to live off her past name of being ‘talented’, there might not be any who comes to her. I say it’s all because of the books.”

A client showed his deep understanding, “Of course. Those who’ve touched ink always have that inexplicable pride with them. They don’t want to give up the notion.”

AnXin, “If she could feed herself with the books she’s read, then I wouldn’t be saying anything, but it’s just a gimmick to attract men after all. I’m gonna be blunt here—we’re all bitches, and you’re better just because you’ve read some books? What’s the pride for? Not only do the people outside look down on her, do you think our other sisters here like her either? The clients here sometimes choose to see a young maiden keep up her modesty as a change of pace but who’d pay for an old, ugly one? It’s long since her fame dwindled. Everyone knows, and she’s the only one who doesn’t understand…”

At this point, someone patted AnXin from behind. As AnXin turned around, she saw the lady from back then stand behind her, raising her hand to slap. With a pah, AnXin took the slap. She was blank for a moment before she raged, “You whore!!!”

The lady, “You whore!!! Chit-chatting every single day—does that tongue of yours have nothing else to do?!”

AnXin screamed, “The fuck does what I say have to do with you?!”

The two women fought on the first floor of the hall, using both their nails and their teeth, pulling on each other’s hair as they cursed with “I’ll cut apart your face sooner or later” or “nobody will want you even if you give him money.” The vulgarity of their words were almost intolerable to the ear.

Many of the prostitutes came to stop them, “SiSi! Stop it!”

SiSi? Wei WuXian finally realized why he felt familiarity when he saw the lady’s face. If seven or eight scars criss-crossed over the face, wouldn’t it be SiSi, the woman who came to Lotus Pier to expose the secret?!

Suddenly, he felt a wave of heat crash into his face. The entire hall had at once sunken into an ocean of fiery red. Wei WuXian immediately pulled himself out of Empathy!

As he opened his eyes, Lan WangJi asked, “How was it?”

Lan XiChen spoke up as well, “Young Master Wei, what did you see?”

Wei WuXian drew in a breath to calm himself before replying, “I’m guessing that the Guanyin Temple was where Sect Leader Jin grew up.”

Jin GuangYao remained collected. Jiang Cheng, “Where he grew up? Didn’t he…” He was just about to say ‘didn’t he grew up at a brothel’ when he suddenly understood as well, “This Guanyin Temple used to be a brothel. He burned the place down and built a Guanyin Temple on top of it!”

Lan XiChen, “You really started the fire?”

Jin GuangYao, “Yes.”

Jiang Cheng laughed coldly, “You’re acknowledging it quite well, aren’t you?”

Jin GuangYao, “At this point, is there any difference between one thing more and one thing less?”

After a moment of silence, Lan XiChen asked, “Was it to remove the traces?”

Although many knew that LianFang-Zun grew up at a brothel, through all these years, nobody knew which exact brothel he was from. This was quite strange indeed. Everyone understood that LianFang-Zun was pulling the strings behind the scenes but not many would have expected that he burned down the whole place at which he was born and grew up.

Jin GuangYao, “Not entirely.”

Lan XiChen sighed and didn’t continue. Jin GuangYao, “Aren’t you going to ask me why?”

Lan XiChen shook his head. A moment later, he spoke, but without answering the question, “In the past, it was not that I did not know what you did, but that I believed you had your reasons behind doing them.”

He continued, “But, you have done too much. And I… no longer know if I should believe you.”

Fatigue and disappointment sunk heavily into his tone.

The storm raged on outside. Wind seeped through the slit between the temple’s doors. Amid the shrill wails, Jin GuangYao suddenly collapsed onto the ground.

Everyone paused in surprise. Wei WuXian, who’d just confiscated the sword at his waist, was surprised as well. Weakly, Jin GuangYao began, “Brother, I’m sorry.”

“…” Hearing this, even Wei WuXian felt embarrassed for him. He couldn’t help from saying, “Um, I mean, let’s fight nicely instead of talking. Can’t we just fight?”

His face changed just like that, and his legs gave out just like that. There was no dignity or whatsoever. Lan XiChen’s face was a mixture of emotions as well.

Jin GuangYao continued, “Brother, you’ve known me for many years. No matter what, you know how I treat you. I no longer want the position of Chief Cultivator, and I’ve completely destroyed the Stygian Tiger Seal as well. After tonight, I’ll be travelling to Dongying without returning ever again. For the sake of this, let me live, won’t you?”

Travelling to Dongying, in simpler terms, would be to make a run for it. It sounded quite shameless but Jin GuangYao had always been known for flexibility—if he could soften, he’d never face steel with steel. With its forces, the LanlingJin Sect could surpass just a few sects, but if all of the sects joined together to crusade against it, walking the paths of the QishanWen Sect’s destruction, it was only a matter of time. Compared to lingering until then, it was much better to retreat this moment to lie low and conserve energy. In the future, there might be a chance to make a comeback and rise again.

Wei WuXian, “Sect Leader Jin, you said the Tiger Seal had been completely destroyed. Could you take it out for me to take a look at it?”

Jin GuangYao, “Young Master Wei, the restored version isn’t the original one after all. There’s a limit on how many times it can be used. It’s become completely useless already. Besides, you know best just how much dark energy it hosts. Do you think I’d carry with me a piece of scrap that’s lost its use and could only bring disaster?”

Wei WuXian, “I wouldn’t know. Perhaps you could find another Xue Yang?”

Jin GuangYao, “Brother, every word of what I say is true.”

His tone was more than earnest. Ever since he captured Lan XiChen, he’d indeed been treating him with respect. At this point, Lan XiChen wasn’t able to turn against him yet. He could only sigh, “Sect Leader Jin, I have already said, when you went your own way to scheme such havoc at Burial Mound, that there was no longer the need to call me ‘Brother.’”

Jin GuangYao, “What happened at Burial Mound was an accident, a mistake. But, I can’t go back anymore.”

Lan XiChen, “What do you mean you cannot go back?”

Lan WangJi frowned slightly, his voice cold, “Brother, do not engage in excessive conversation with him.”

Wei WuXian reminded him as well, “Sect Leader Lan, do you remember what you said to Sect Leader Jiang? Don’t spend too long talking to him.”

Lan XiChen knew as well just how much Jin GuangYao could do when he opened his mouth. But whenever he heard there might hidden reasons, he just had to hear it. This was exactly what Jin GuangYao aimed at. He lowered his voice, “I received a letter.”