Sweetness Follows Bitterness, Vowing to Kill Fei Yan

Pushing open the wooden door of the inn, a wave of warmth mingled with the faint, clean scent of soap drifted out to meet him.

Inside, the hall was brightly lit, and behind the counter, his sister-in-law Liu Ying was busy clicking away at an abacus with her head bowed.

His elder brother Yang An was nearby, tidying up a stack of freshly dried bedsheets and quilts.

"Second Uncle is back!"

Xiao Hua ran in first, clutching a food box, her crisp, clear voice instantly shattering the quiet of the inn.

Hearing this, Liu Ying looked up, and the sound of the abacus came to an abrupt halt. Yang An turned around immediately as well.

When they saw Yang Ning striding in behind Xiao Hua, a look of genuine, relieved joy blossomed on the couple's faces.

"A-Ning!"

Yang An set down his work and hurried over to greet him, while Liu Ying stepped out from behind the counter, her eyes turning slightly red.

However, that joy was dampened significantly the moment they saw Yang Ning's current state.

Yang Ning's blood-stained outer robe, the unhealed wounds on his shoulder and neck, and the exhaustion he couldn't quite hide were all clearly visible to his brother and sister-in-law.

Liu Ying's footsteps faltered; her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a soft sigh.

Yang An also saw the injuries on his younger brother. The smile faded from his face, and his hands, roughened by years of hard labor, clenched tightly before relaxing.

He walked up to Yang Ning and raised his hand, as if he wanted to pat his brother's shoulder just like he did when they were children.

But in the end, he only let it rest gently on Yang Ning's uninjured right arm, conveying silent inquiry and concern.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, I'm fine."

Yang Ning spoke first, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible hoarseness, yet his tone remained calm:

"These are just superficial wounds. For someone who practices martial arts, bumps and bruises are unavoidable. I'll be fully recovered in a couple of days."

He spoke of it lightly.

It was as if the Cloudy Force that had nearly pierced his shoulder blade and the internal tremors from clashing against a Bone Forging fist were nothing more than minor bruises from routine training.

Liu Ying turned her face away, quietly wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

Yang An was silent for a moment, then nodded heavily.

"It's good that you're back. It's good that you're back."

Yang An repeated, his voice slightly choked:

"You haven't eaten yet, have you?

Ying-zi, go quickly and order some more food.

Hua'er, open your food box too. We're having a feast tonight!"

The atmosphere livened up once again.

Liu Ying wiped her face, put on a smile, and hurried out the door to order the dishes.

Xiao Hua cheered as she opened the food box, gasping in wonder at the exquisite pastries and the fragrant dishes inside.

Yang An pulled Yang Ning over to sit at the square table in the hall, and soon, the table was filled with food.

The lamps glowed warmly, the aroma of the meal filled the air, and the small square table was bathed in a cozy light.

Yang An looked at his brother sitting across from him, his posture upright and his gaze calm.

He looked at the spread of food on the table, the likes of which they might not even see during the Lunar New Year.

His heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions.

He picked up the wine pot and poured a small cup for both Yang Ning and himself.

"Brother, let me."

"I'll do it."

"A-Ning,"

Yang An raised his cup, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement:

"Brother... Brother is so happy for you! Truly!"

He downed the drink in one gulp, coughed twice from the burn of the liquor, but his face glowed with pride.

"An officer of the Patrol Bureau. A guest of the Qin Family.

Our A-Ning has become a man of status.

If Father and Mother were watching from above, they would surely be proud!"

Yang Ning also raised his cup and finished it. The fiery liquid slid down his throat, bringing a burning sensation that washed away some of his fatigue.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, don't worry. My superiors value me, and the Qin Family treats me well.

From now on, our family's life will only get better and better."

Liu Ying placed a piece of braised pork, perfectly balanced with fat and lean meat, into Yang Ning's bowl, then handed a piece of osmanthus cake to Xiao Hua. Her eyes turned red again at his words, but she was smiling:

"Good, good! With A-Ning's capability, we'll all share in the good fortune."

The inn's business was running smoothly, so there was no longer any worry about food, clothing, or daily expenses. Hua'er could finally wear new clothes and attend school...

These days were something he hadn't even dared to dream of in the past.

Xiao Hua ate a sweet pastry, snuggled up beside her mother, and listened to the adults talk. Although she didn't understand everything, she could still feel the overflowing joy.

Her little face was filled with a radiant glow of happiness.

Yang An drank a few more cups, and his words gradually became more frequent; he was no longer the steady, taciturn older brother he was on ordinary days.

He grabbed Yang Ning's hand, his voice thick with drunkenness and emotions that had been suppressed for far too long:

"A-Ning... brother's heart... is both happy and... pained!"

He pounded his chest hard, his eye sockets suddenly turning red:

"Brother is useless!

Years ago, when Mom and Dad passed away early, I couldn't provide you with a good life. You had to go to the Porter Guild to do manual labor at such a young age, pulling those carts, exposed to the wind and sun, and having to endure the cold looks of others...

Brother's heart, it hurts!"

"Your sister-in-law,"

He looked at Liu Ying, who was silently shedding tears:

"Has never enjoyed a day of comfort with me. She managed the household, scrimped and saved, and wore the same clothes for three years, patching them over and over...

And then there's Hua'er..."

He wiped his face, his voice choking with sobs:

"In this world, for ordinary folks like us, just staying alive takes every ounce of our strength.

Brother always thought, if we just endure a little longer, save a little more, maybe tomorrow would be a bit better...

But tomorrow after tomorrow...

Brother has failed you, failed your sister-in-law, and failed Hua'er!"

Scalding tears finally slid from the man's eyes, dripping onto the rough wooden table.

Yang Ning set down his chopsticks, stood up, and walked to his brother's side, pressing firmly on his trembling shoulders.

He didn't offer any hollow words of comfort; those were too light.

He simply looked into his brother's eyes and said, clearly and firmly, word by word:

"Brother, the past is in the past.

From now on, you have me.

I promise, our family will be better—ten times, a hundred times better than it is now!

No one will ever be able to make our family suffer or live a hard life again!"

Yang An looked up at his younger brother's face and nodded heavily; everything was understood without further words.

Liu Ying wiped away her tears and smiled:

"Alright, alright, it's a happy day, why talk about such things?

A-Ning has made something of himself now, we should be happy.

A-Ning, you have a high position outside now, and many people are watching you. You must be careful and stay safe.

Those thugs from the Blood Ape Gang, and..."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law,"

Yang Ning said slowly:

"The Blood Ape Gang is gone. From top to bottom, they are either dead or captured; they won't be a threat anymore.

East Street will be much more peaceful from now on, and our family won't be threatened by them again."

Yang An and Liu Ying both breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

"However,"

Yang Ning's tone shifted, his voice dropping low:

"There is one person, and one debt, that hasn't been settled yet."

His brother and sister-in-law were stunned, looking at him.

Yang Ning's gaze seemed to pierce through time, seeing that infuriating scene at Hundred Herb Hall.

His fingers unconsciously rubbed the rim of his wine cup as he said slowly:

"Fei Yan."

Liu Ying's face turned pale, while Yang An clenched his fists tightly, the veins on his arms bulging.

The humiliation and despair of that day surged back into their hearts.

"That ungrateful, dog-hearted ingrate!"

Yang Ning raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across his brother and sister-in-law's faces before finally settling on his brother's reddened eyes.

His tone was terrifyingly calm, yet it contained a resolve more intense and persistent than a volcanic eruption:

"His humiliation of my brother, his contempt for the Yang Family, his trampling of the bonds between our fathers...

I remember every single detail clearly."

"If I do not avenge this, my heart will never be at peace, and my path of martial arts will never be smooth. Brother, sister-in-law, please rest assured.

One day—

I will make Fei Yan kneel before my brother, force him to admit his baseness with his own mouth, and kowtow in apology!

I will make him pay the price for every single word he uttered!"

Back on the journey home, he had already sent people to the Hundred Herb Hall, but that slippery eel had long since vanished, reportedly having fled to the inner city.

This left Yang Ning tossing and turning, his inner rage having nowhere to be released.

"Ning..."

Yang An ultimately just patted his younger brother's shoulder heavily, a thousand words reduced to a single sigh:

"You... be careful in everything you do.

Your brother and sister-in-law don't ask for great wealth or status; we only wish for your safety."

Yang Ning nodded, his gaze turning gentle once again:

"I know.

Brother, sister-in-law, let's eat; the food is getting cold."

He picked up some food and placed it in his mouth; the home-cooked flavor was simple and warm, instantly dispelling the biting chill brought on by his previous words.

Outside the window, the night was deep, while inside, the lamplight was inviting.

The road ahead might be covered in thorns, but at least for tonight, this hard-won reunion and warmth were enough to soothe the weariness of the journey.

ps: Rest assured everyone, Fei Yan, who insulted the protagonist, will definitely meet the most brutal, soul-crushing, and cruel death.

I need to design it carefully.