Superfluous Explanations

"Yanying!"

Chen Sui lowered his voice. "Although the Yayu dotes on this youngest son, Hu Huan's bloodline and talent are the weakest, and his mother was merely a common snake demon; his offspring's bloodline can only be worse. The Yayu may not necessarily care. Before this matter blows up, we only need to..."

Qin Yanying interrupted him in a deep voice: "When we return to the capital, we walk through the main gate!"

Chen Sui panicked: "Yanying, why go to such lengths?"

A trace of ferocity flashed across Qin Yanying's eyes: "Chen Sui, I have had enough!"

Chen Sui: "..."

Qin Yanying took a deep breath: "You should know how much I have suffered all these years! You also know what I intend to do. Since you know, do not ask. You only need to support me!"

Chen Sui: "..."

For the first time in so many years, he wanted to cry.

He certainly knew how much Qin Yanying had suffered, because he had suffered just as much as she had.

Great Gan had endured chaotic times, and when the new emperor ascended the throne, the nation was impoverished and weak. Relying on strategic alliances, it had restored its peak territory.

At that time, the demon officials were at the height of their power, and the merits they had established were enough to cover up all their flaws.

Later, in one campaign, Great Gan recovered a lost city, only for all the children in the city to be used as supplements by the second-generation demons.

Qin Yanying and her younger brother, Qin Yanting, were in the ranks at the time. Because they were plied with alcohol at the victory banquet, the siblings did not notice the abnormal behavior of those second-generation demons. By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late.

In a fit of rage, the siblings slaughtered every one of those second-generation demons.

Once the deed was done, their intoxication faded. Knowing that in the face of the bigger picture, there was almost no room for their death sentences to be commuted—and being young and lacking the capacity to endure such a burden—they fled.

The Emperor, feeling pity and intending to let them go, ordered him to pursue them.

However, the demon officials disagreed and dispatched a powerful demon highly skilled in tracking.

The progress of both sides was neck and neck; there was no room for him to go easy on them.

He could only reach the siblings first. Qin Yanting had already guessed he would come, so he had drugged his sister beforehand.

Chen Sui would never forget the words Qin Yanting spoke that day.

"Brother-in-law! I have no regrets!"

"Even if I had to choose again, I would still slaughter those beasts."

"Push all the blame onto me, but please, you must protect my sister."

"Our Qin Family will one day prove to the world that without these demon officials, we can still defend the prosperity of Great Qian! My sister's talent is higher than mine; breaking through to become a Grandmaster is only a matter of time. She is more useful than I am."

"Besides, she has ties to this world. If she can survive, she is more likely to endure than I am."

"Please, treat her well!"

"Swear it!"

After Chen Sui swore his oath, Qin Yanting drew his sword and took his own life.

Three years later, the Yi-Expelling Army in the southwest purged all demon officials and, relying solely on human troops, repelled the various southwestern states. A few years after that, they wiped out Nanzhao, the most troublesome of them all.

Just as Qin Yanting had said, they proved that fact to the world.

It was a pity that the powerful elites did not believe it, or perhaps, they were unwilling to believe it.

Why would they not believe it?

Why!

Chen Sui certainly knew how stifled Qin Yanying felt. This choice was nothing more than a desire to see, after so many years, what kind of choices those powerful elites in the capital—including the Emperor—would make.

Regardless of the outcome!

It would be her final answer to Qin Yanting in the afterlife!

Qin Yanying smiled indifferently: "Don't worry! With my brother in the southwest, no one in the capital dares to kill me. At most, I'll spend a few decades in prison.

This time, you must enforce the law impartially. Do not let others bring you down; if you lose your position, there will be no one left to visit me in prison for our secret trysts."

Chen Sui's eyes turned red: "Yanying..."

"Aunt!"

"Yuji?"

"Aunt! You..."

Bai Yuji hurried over, and upon seeing the snake corpse being carried by the Imperial Guards behind them, her scalp went numb.

She knew she had been fast enough, yet she still hadn't changed anything.

She knew this scene meant that the plan for Nanzhao had been executed perfectly.

But she still found this outcome difficult to accept.

Qin Yanying wiped the snake blood from her hands with the corner of her sleeve and took off her waist medallion, handing it over: "It is nothing, Aunt is fine. Hurry back to the capital. Tell Muye not to go out, and tell the servants and maids in the manor to keep their mouths shut. Do not let him know about the situation outside until his condition is stable."

"But Aunt..."

"Go!"

"...Ngh!"

Bai Yuji gripped the waist token, nodded heavily, and then stepped away with swift, practiced footwork.

However, once she was out of everyone's sight, she stopped by the riverbank.

The unease in her conscience was nearly enough to break her.

The plan had gone too smoothly.

It was so smooth that even though she had done nothing, Qin Yanying had completed every part of the Nanzhao plan all on her own.

She had seen it; there were no wounds on Qin Yanying. This former renowned general had crushed the snake demon mother and child, doing so right in front of Hu Huan.

With Qin Yanying's strength, she clearly could have stalled until Chen Sui arrived, yet she had chosen to strike.

That madwoman knew Qin Yanying too well.

Bai Yuji knew she was seeking revenge.

Yet, the target of her vengeance was willing to risk everything for children and pregnant women she had never met.

The avenger, meanwhile, had used those same children and pregnant women as bait without a shred of burden.

She could not find a single shred of logic in all the principles she knew to convince herself to accept this reality.

Did I really do nothing wrong?

If I hadn't stopped there, would Qin Yanying have never discovered it?

"Princess!"

"Hmm?"

Bai Yuji looked up and saw He Xifeng's smiling face.

He Xifeng's voice trembled with excitement: "Princess, you did so well! The plan went perfectly, and Chen Sui arrived at just the right moment!"

Bai Yuji did not want to discuss this at all; she simply stood up and asked: "Have our people all retreated safely?"

He Xifeng did not notice her abnormality and replied solemnly: "Everyone has retreated safely. We are currently looking for Luo Qing."

"Luo Qing? What happened to him?"

"He had two of his Gu Puppet destroyed right away. Not wanting to be dragged down further, he left first."

"He is becoming more and more outrageous!"

Bai Yuji's expression darkened.

He Xifeng did not answer. Although she also felt that Luo Qing was getting arrogant, she could understand him.

All of this was what the Central Plains owed Nanzhao; there was truly no need for womanly kindness, nor for the women and children of the Central Plains to bear risks for no reason.

However, since the plan was a success, there was no need to upset Bai Yuji.

Bai Yuji shook her head: "I must return to Capital City as soon as possible. You all continue the search. Once you find him, you must reprimand him severely! If his arrogance is not curbed, he will surely become a disaster in the future."

"Yes!"

He Xifeng nodded heavily.

But just then.

Second Elder rushed over: "It's bad, Luo Qing... he's dead!"

"Dead?"

The two were shocked: "How did he die?"

Second Elder's voice was trembling: "When we found him, he was already dead, but that murderer wearing a bamboo hat was still hacking at him as if venting his rage; the body couldn't even touch the ground. We rushed over, but we couldn't stop that person!"

The two: "!?!?!?"

Southern Pacification Mansion.

"Damn it!"

Qin Muye cursed and sat up from his bed.

The interception had failed today, and he was filled with pent-up rage.

Those Nanzhao bastards really didn't do anything human.

After coming back, he had happened to run into that Anti-Dog!

He had no choice but to kill him while he was at it!

It had to be said, the sword techniques recorded by the Gongshu Clan were truly excellent.

The first five strikes severed the tendons of the hands, feet, and the manhood.

The following forty-four strikes hacked the Anti-Dog so he couldn't touch the ground.

If those Nanzhao experts hadn't rushed over, he would have at least hacked him eighty-one times to barely vent his anger.

Unfortunately, he only managed forty-nine.

It wasn't enough to vent his anger.

Qin Muye was filled with a seething malice that had nowhere to go, feeling that his previous thoughts were simply laughable; he had actually considered a soft approach, trying to play the emotional card with Bai Yuji.

But thinking about it now, how could the deep-seated hatred of a slaughtered clan and an exterminated lineage be so easily washed away?

He knew that from Bai Yuji's perspective, she had done nothing wrong; even if she had poisoned and slaughtered the city, it was justifiable in terms of reason and sentiment.

But understanding did not mean accepting.

Qin Yanying suddenly turning to seek out Hu Huan could not possibly have nothing to do with Bai Yuji.

As for those young boys, girls, and pregnant women, it was impossible for Bai Yuji to have been completely unaware.

Acting was enjoyable.

He had also savored that faint, ambiguous atmosphere.

But everything ended here.

He strode toward the exit of the Southern Pacification Mansion.

The maidservant saw him and was startled: "Young Master! The Young Mistress said you cannot..."

Her voice came to an abrupt halt.

Because Qin Muye's gaze was truly terrifying.

She could only watch helplessly as Qin Muye left.

About half an hour later.

Bai Yuji hurried back on horseback, intending to head straight to the inner courtyard the moment she entered the house.

But she was flusteredly intercepted by the maidservant: "Young Mistress! The Young Master left just a moment ago!"

"He left?"

Bai Yuji's heart skipped a beat: "When did he leave? Why didn't you stop him?"

The maidservant was on the verge of tears: "Half an hour ago! I—I couldn't stop him!"

Bai Yuji: "..."

She cursed silently, realizing something was wrong, and hurriedly rode back the way she came.

If only she hadn't been greedy for speed and taken the shortcut!

Along the way, she moved like a bolt of lightning.

But in the end, she was still a step too late.

When she caught up with the escort team again, there was already an extra carriage in the procession.

She scrambled onto the carriage, only to find that Qin Muye's body had become incredibly frail from the rapid pursuit.

She grew anxious: "You—your body is so weak, why..."

Qin Muye gripped her hand tightly, staring into her eyes: "Tell me, was it you who did it!"

"Qin Muye, this matter is somewhat complicated..."

"I don't want to hear any superfluous explanations! Tell me, was it you!"

"...Yes!"