The Gate of Opening

Ning Chang'an stared at the woman who had already dressed, and suddenly asked, "What exactly is your purpose? How could a maid who knows no martial arts sneak into the heavily guarded Yang Manor so quietly?"

The woman gave a sad smile, "A woman always has a woman's advantage, doesn't she? I can only blame myself for not being ugly. My appearance is my greatest sin, the root of all misfortune in my life. Yang Wudou, that beast, defiled me brutally, kept me by his side, and then kicked me aside like trash when he was tired of me, driving me out of Yang Manor. Do you know, I already knew I was pregnant then, but I couldn't let him know. No one in Yang Manor would ever allow such a thing to happen. I am also a woman. Some women are called Princess, called Young Lady, but I can only be called a slut, a harlot. I gave birth to the child with great difficulty. The child is almost two years old now, but how can I raise him without any support? Weak women are always objects of abuse. I just want to raise my child safely, and have him kill that heartless beast for me in the future..."

Ning Chang'an hit the nail on the head, "You need money?"

The woman nodded.

Ning Chang'an sighed, "You are just a lamb, yet you want to scheme with a tiger. Don't you know how dangerous that is?! You probably want to use the child as a threat, get Yang Wudou to give you money, and then you and the child can flee far away, right?"

The woman nodded silently, admitting to this blackmailing intention.

Ning Chang'an scoffed without reservation, "You're stupid, a stupid woman! This will not only harm you, but also your child."

The woman said, "No one knows where my child is!"

Ning Chang'an sneered, "Unless you never reunite with your child, it's impossible to escape the eyes of the Yang family."

The woman suddenly laughed, a tragic laugh, "I really am a slut! Haha... Actually, I've already entrusted the child to someone else. I just want to take a gamble. If I don't die, I'll leave with the child and the money. If I die, the child will grow up, and he will know where his mother died, and he will still avenge me in the future. In my heart, I hate that beast, but I also love that beast. Without love, how could my hatred be so intense..."

Ning Chang'an was slightly stunned, unable to comprehend the love born from such humiliation and the contradictory intertwining of love and hate. He had never imagined a woman's heart could be so complex and chaotic. But he knew one thing: this woman's appearance here meant she was ready to die. Perhaps she wasn't just after money, but wanted to die in front of Yang Wudou, because of love, and even more because of hate.

Behind even the most ordinary person, there are unexpected stories.

Ning Chang'an slowly stood up straight, putting away the dagger in his hand, "You can go! Perhaps if he dies, your love and your hate will vanish. I'm not killing you because I pity the child who carries such an inexplicable hatred. I want him to grow up well! Remember, my name is Soul Severing..."

The woman got up from the ground, her voice trembling slightly, "You're not killing me? What are you going to do?"

Ning Chang'an said, "I'm not killing you because I pity you and your child. As for me, of course, I'm going to do what I should be doing!"

The woman suddenly screamed, "I don't need anyone's pity! Why should I need your pity... Do you think you can change anything? What do you think you are, to pity this person, pity that person? Who isn't pitiful? Who is truly pitiful... We are all just pitiful creatures struggling endlessly, only to die in the end... Haha, pitiful creatures pity pitiful creatures..."

The woman howled hysterically, her voice filled with almost insane pessimism and despair, echoing throughout.

Her words struck Ning Chang'an's heart fiercely.

No one needs anyone's pity. A person can only completely control themselves. Being able to do one's best and return to dust without regret is already a miracle. Pity is merely a pastime of the mind.

"Is pity hypocrisy?"

Ning Chang'an murmured. There was no time for him to delve deeper into this question, because the entire Yang Manor had lit up with lights following the woman's screams. He had to leave before the Yang Manor's servants and guards arrived.

The moment he pushed the door open, Ning Chang'an glanced at the woman's face in the darkness by the faint light outside. It was a delicate, beautiful, pale face, with outstanding features, but now it was utterly pale, her pupils filled with the dead silence of despair. She had been driven mad, shouting wildly, calling out incoherently, but her eyes showed no emotion, like a stagnant pool, turbid and deep.

Ning Chang'an's heart pounded wildly. He closed the door and went along the wing towards the back courtyard.

The entire Yang Manor had been alerted by the woman's screams, but the back courtyard remained quiet, without the slightest stir.

Ning Chang'an leaped over the wall along the corner into the back courtyard, only to be met by three gleaming sabers. Three burly men lunged at Ning Chang'an without hesitation, pinning him tightly in the corner.

Ning Chang'an dodged to the side, evading two sabers. The third saber came straight for his face. Ning Chang'an's eyes flickered, and the dagger flashed into his hand. The dagger thrust out, then met the saber's edge and deflected it. He then used the momentum to thrust forward, burying it in the big man's chest. The burly man let out a scream and stumbled backward. Ning Chang'an's figure was like a ghost. He took a sudden step forward, spun around, and with a fluid motion, the dagger sliced towards the second big man's waist. Seeing the danger, the big man blocked with his saber. Ning Chang'an's dagger continued its path unchanged. His left hand suddenly threw a punch. The heavy fist broke through the air with a whoosh, hitting the big man directly in the face. With a crack, the man's entire face twisted to the side, spitting out broken teeth and saliva. His body twisted and spun, swayed twice, and then he fainted. The remaining man's face was filled with panic as he turned to flee, intending to report. Ning Chang'an merely watched as the man swung his saber in a feigned attack. He turned and retreated, a cold smile appearing on his face.

"Assassin..."

The burly man took three steps forward, about to call for help, when he could no longer make a sound. A hand suddenly reached out from behind him and gripped his throat. Then he heard a cracking sound, crisp and short. His consciousness began to blur, and then he knew nothing, slumping to the ground.

Ning Chang'an dared not linger. He glanced at the row of tall houses ahead, two stories high with lights faintly visible on the second floor. He moved swiftly, darting towards the rockery in front of the house, intending to pause there briefly to gain momentum and then infiltrate the house.

He could already smell alcohol.

If what the woman said was true, then Yang Wudou should be drunk by now.

Whoosh!

Unexpectedly, a whistling sound broke the air. Hidden weapons shot towards him from all directions. Ning Chang'an moved even faster, leaping onto the rockery and straight to the summit. With a push of his toes, his entire body flew up.

In mid-air, he suddenly heard a scream. His heartstrings twitched, and the image of those desperate eyes flashed in his mind.

The scream was from the woman in the woodshed, shrill and long, making one's scalp tingle.

Ning Chang'an's heart trembled. He sighed inwardly, knowing the woman would die after all, and likely wouldn't die as she wished, not in front of Yang Wudou.

Ning Chang'an ultimately felt that the woman was quite pitiful, a woman driven to despair and madness.

Humans are fragile, yet also tenacious. The woman's heart-wrenching screams had not yet stopped.

Ning Chang'an's body, tightly wrapped in his night-blooming cereus suit, traced an upward arc in the air. Reaching its apex, he suddenly made his move. He had dared to catch hidden weapons before, let alone now. His hearing and sight were sharp, and his agility was more than double what it used to be. His eyes swept over the scene, and he saw more than a dozen cold glints, all falling into his sight. The sound of hidden weapons breaking through the air was like a roaring gale to Ning Chang'an's ears. Ning Chang'an's hands shot out repeatedly. Each cold star was like an iron needle encountering a magnet, falling into his hands. He connected them, and dozens of flying darts reversed their course, flying back along the original path.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

As Ning Chang'an descended, seven or eight muffled groans sounded from the rooftops and tree branches. Thump, thump, thump, a series of dull thuds announced the elimination of hidden sentries.

Ning Chang'an grabbed the railing with both hands, pulling himself up like a swallow, landing on the second-floor railing. As soon as he reached the second floor, the people who had thrown the hidden weapons stopped, lurking in the shadows, watching Ning Chang'an vigilantly.

Ning Chang'an strode towards the brightly lit room. Just as he was about to push the door open, a burst of applause suddenly came from inside.

The room was filled with laughter, and the rich aroma of wine wafted out continuously.

"Which friend visits so late at night? Come, come, come, come in for a drink!"

A rough, hearty voice boomed from inside, very jovial. There was also a chorus of soft, melodious giggles from women. The scene suggested that the people inside were drunk. The drunk person was likely Yang Wudou. At this moment, Yang Wudou was indeed as the woman had said; after drinking, he no longer saw enemies in his eyes.

Because of that woman, Ning Chang'an's plan to infiltrate Yang Manor tonight and assassinate Yang Wudou had failed. It had failed the moment he encountered the three sword-wielding guards in the back courtyard. He no longer thought about how to kill Yang Wudou, but simply wanted to see what kind of person he was. He was very curious, so he hadn't retreated yet.

Just as Ning Chang'an was about to push the door, he suddenly heard an ethereal, cold laugh. The laughter was continuous, like layers of pine wind, never ceasing as long as the wind blew.

The laughter spread despair and temptation, echoing throughout Yang Manor, like the wailing of night ghosts, like the mournful cries of resentful souls.

Ning Chang'an's heart leaped. He froze in place, turning to look at the night sky behind him. A white, spectral shadow was actually roaming back and forth high in the night sky, enveloped in a layer of frost-like mist. Its appearance was obscured, mysterious and unfathomable, neither human nor ghost, like a Netherling or a demon, possessing the ability to fly.

All the lights in Yang Manor were lit. Everyone heard this eerie laughter. Those who were asleep could not sleep, and those who were awake were filled with anxiety. The entire Yang Manor was plunged into chaos and fear.

"Come, child, come to my side. I will lead you to dance on a knife-edge of despair; I will let you sleep in a sea of deathly silence; I will help you fulfill all your unfulfilled wishes, and I will lead you to cut off all karmic ties in the mortal world; I will give you a knife to sever the shackles of a pathetic fate; I will give you a pair of hands to crush the terrifying cage of the mundane world... As long as you follow me... and wander with me through the sea of suffering, crossing to the other shore..."