052 Love and Hate, Passion and Vengeance

Chen Yage did not know when she had awoken, but she was much calmer now. She had overheard their conversation in its entirety. Although she held no special affection for Ziyu, she bore him no hatred either. With a swift palm to the back of his head, Ziyu fell unconscious.

Chen Yage strode boldly to stand before Yue Ji, locking eyes with her. After a brief silence, Chen Yage asked, "Why did you kill Chaoyun?" She was uncertain whether Yue Ji would answer, but she wished to prove her innocence.

"Why waste so many words with her? Guards, seize her!" Xu Jinyang, full of righteous indignation, barked his order, and the soldiers immediately rushed toward Yue Ji.

"Stop!" Xu Yushi commanded, and the soldiers halted. "Let her go!"

"Father, they are dangerous criminals. We finally caught them—how can we release them and risk future trouble?"

"I said, let her go!" Xu Yushi overruled his son's protest with a roar, turning away, unwilling to face Yue Ji any longer.

Sixteen years ago, Xu Yushi had been the young master of his household, already of age to marry. His father, Xu He, had arranged a suitable match for him: Qin Niang, Jinyang’s mother. Not only was Qin Niang his equal in status, but the two had known each other since childhood; their affection was deep, a classic tale of childhood sweethearts. One evening after the formal proposal, Xu Yushi, in high spirits, drank more than he should and ended up thoroughly drunk. That night, Yue Ji, a dancer hired to perform in their home, was mistaken by the drunken Xu Yushi for Qin Niang. At the time, he was handsome, wealthy, and his family prosperous. Yue Ji fell in love with him at first sight. After a brief struggle, she yielded to him, and on that fateful night, she conceived his child.

Out of guilt, Xu Yushi promised to marry Yue Ji, but his family vehemently opposed the idea. His was a household of officials, with reputation and status—how could they allow a courtesan to enter their family? Xu Yushi pleaded with his parents repeatedly, but ultimately they confined him, forbidding any contact with Yue Ji. Later, when Qin Niang learned of the matter, she fell seriously ill. Xu Yushi, deeply devoted to Qin Niang, after much deliberation, decided he could only let down Yue Ji. In the end, he sought his parents’ forgiveness and married Qin Niang.

After their marriage, he gave Yue Ji a large sum of silver as compensation. From that point forward, Yue Ji vanished without a trace, and Xu Yushi gradually forgot the woman he had once wronged. Yet, nine months later, on a snowy winter night, Yue Ji returned to the Xu residence, carrying a child in her arms. Qin Niang was also pregnant at the time. Xu Yushi’s parents, fearing for Qin Niang’s wellbeing, chased Yue Ji away. But Yue Ji refused to give up so easily. She begged the servants to let her in, and one agreed—Tang An, Shui Niu's father. During her time at the Xu residence, Yue Ji had interacted with Tang An on several occasions. Her beauty captivated every man who saw her, and Tang An was no exception. Knowing he was only a servant, he could only watch over her silently, satisfied with merely seeing her. He allowed Yue Ji into the residence, and she successfully met with Xu Yushi.

Things did not go as hoped. Xu Yushi’s parents soon discovered what had happened and hurried over, slapping Yue Ji repeatedly and accusing her of trying to extort money with an illegitimate child. Xu Yushi, constrained by Qin Niang’s presence, remained silent. Though he knew the child was his, he dared not admit it.

Yue Ji was eventually thrown out of the Xu residence. She was ragged, penniless, freezing and starving, and the child in her arms cried incessantly. After some time, the child developed a high fever. Yue Ji considered seeking help from the Xu household but was rejected at the door. Tang An, for allowing her in, was severely punished—thirty lashes, as Xu He highly valued the family’s reputation. Tang An fell ill from the beating and never recovered, leaving his only son, Shui Niu, behind. Out of gratitude, Yue Ji took Shui Niu in and raised him as her own.

As for Yue Ji, in the bitter wind and snow, her child’s fever would not subside. She ran back and forth between clinics, but without money, the doctors turned her away. Tragically, the child, deprived of timely treatment, gradually lost warmth and breath amidst the swirling snow.

With nowhere left to turn, Yue Ji joined the outlaws of Midnight, becoming a bandit specializing in robbing government convoys and opposing Xu Yushi at every turn.

Years later, Yue Ji was reborn. To take revenge on Xu Yushi, she stole Dujuan, who had just been born. The loss of her beloved daughter plunged Qin Niang into deep sorrow and illness, and soon after, she passed away.

In the realm of love, there is no true right or wrong—only who falls for whom, and who becomes whose lifelong entanglement. If not for that drunken night sixteen years ago, perhaps none of these grievances and entanglements would exist today.

Suddenly, Yue Ji appeared before Xu Yushi in a flash, snatching a broadsword from a nearby soldier. Her voice was cold: "I do not need your pity!"

Xu Jin reacted swiftly, pushing Xu Yushi aside and plunging his blade into Yue Ji’s abdomen. Xu Yushi was stunned, unable to process what had happened, standing frozen in place.

Seeing Xu Jin stab Yue Ji, Shui Niu charged at him like a maddened lion, but ultimately died beneath the soldiers’ flurry of blades.

Chen Yage watched Shui Niu fall, unable even to attempt a rescue. Blood splattered across her, and she stared in shock, unable to believe what she had seen.

Yue Ji, seeing Shui Niu killed, struggled to her feet, supporting him tenderly. "Shui Niu, how are you? It’s your mother who has wronged you, and your father, Tang An. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Don’t die—your mother won’t let you die. Hold on, I’ll find you a doctor now."

After walking a few steps with Shui Niu, he collapsed to the ground.

With a sudden roar, Yue Ji pulled the blade from her abdomen, blood trickling endlessly from the corner of her mouth. "Xu Yushi, you are the one who deserves death most among these people. If not for you, I would never have contracted that strange illness, needing the Purple Umbrella flower to heal myself three days around each full moon. It was you. You caused Chaoyun’s death. If not for you, she would never have discovered all my secrets, and I wouldn’t have had to kill her to silence her. It was you. All these hundreds of lives are your fault. Even if I die, I will return as a vengeful ghost and haunt you for all eternity, never letting you know peace!"

"A secret? You would kill someone just for a secret?" Chen Yage found it laughable—these people were so selfish. She acknowledged Yue Ji’s tragic fate, but that did not justify taking others’ lives. A human life is precious—how can it be created or destroyed at will?

"Leaving Peach Blossom Spring is a capital crime. That place, filled with Purple Umbrella flowers, is the exit. Chaoyun saw me leave there repeatedly, and saw me drinking blood during my illness. She thought I had killed someone, and wanted to report me. I did not kill anyone—I was drinking rabbit’s blood. She refused to listen to my explanation, so I was forced to make her feeble-minded. Who knew she was only pretending? When you all arrived, you tried to expose me, and I had no choice but to kill her!"