Chapter 50: Old Matters Revisited

"What do you mean?" Ziyu demanded sharply.

"He cannot die yet!" Princess Yue pressed her sword against Xu Jin's throat. She leaned close, locking eyes with him, and suddenly let out a cold, mocking laugh. "With you here, I refuse to believe he won't come!"

"Kill! Kill!" Roars mingled with the thunderous pounding of drums. In the distance, a vast swath of crimson slowly advanced toward them. The crowd was startled; Midnight reacted first, casting a hateful, despairing glance at Chen Yage before turning and leaving.

Chen Yage felt a chill deep within her. Midnight's look before he left—a gaze of hatred and hopelessness—branded itself onto her heart.

In that moment, guilt overwhelmed her. It was as if her whole being was stained with blood, as if countless hands of vengeful spirits were reaching out to her. Her head throbbed painfully; she clutched it tightly and ran, moaning and wailing, blood dripping continuously like long, winding scarlet ribbons.

She darted through the crowd. The wide, terrified eyes of the dead seemed to fix upon her, demanding her life.

They say blades and swords are blind, that on the battlefield, the weapons slash indiscriminately. As Chen Yage moved among the fighting masses, injury was unavoidable. Her arm was cut; blood gushed forth, yet she felt nothing. At that moment, guilt was all she knew, and a profound repentance.

She wandered among the throng for an unknown time, until the crowd dwindled, leaving only the soldiers in red. The sight of the blood-soaked corpses lying on the ground stabbed at her eyes. She pressed her head fiercely, and finally lost consciousness.

Just as Chen Yage collapsed, Li Bai caught her around the waist, his gaze full of tenderness and concern. If not for saving him, she would never have led the officials into Peach Blossom Island, nor would there have been such slaughter. Guilty or not, watching so many vibrant lives fall before his eyes, even Li Bai felt it was unbearable.

Looking at the woman lying quietly in his arms, Li Bai felt a peace he'd never known before. When he saw her wounded, worry and tension seized his heart. He wondered how Chen Yage had found her way into his heart. She entered without warning, disrupting his world, and now he found himself floundering.

"Yage, Yage, are you all right?" As Li Bai carried her to the group, Buffalo rushed forward, his face filled with concern.

Midnight glanced over, then quickly looked away. He was supposed to hate, but he could not. He was a thief, a robber, but he was only the island lord of Peach Blossom, the young master who led villagers in their struggle for survival. He acted to ensure his people had food and drink, a happy life, and so he believed he had not erred.

For a while, silence reigned.

Finally, Xu Jin broke it, for he saw his father, Master Xu Yu, approaching. Behind Xu Yu were the surviving soldiers from the battle.

"Father, why are you here?" Xu Jin's voice trembled, whether from excitement or injury.

"You mobilized so many troops; how could I not come? If I hadn't, who knows what chaos would have erupted?" Xu Yu's expression was stern, his tone reproachful. Yet when his gaze fell upon Princess Yue in her red robes, it flickered, and anger marked his features. "You!" His voice shook.

Princess Yue stepped forward from the crowd, pacing back and forth as she sized up Xu Yu in his official attire. Suddenly, she threw back her head and laughed, wild and tinged with sorrow.

Xu Yu calmed himself and said, "After all these years, you haven't changed."

"But you have!" Princess Yue immediately retorted. "You've grown old and useless. Everything depends on your son now. Look at those wrinkles—how weathered you are!"

Xu Yu's expression shifted. He lowered his voice and said, "After all these years, you're still the same. If Heaven granted me another chance to choose, I would unhesitatingly walk the same path."

"Was Qin truly so wonderful? Even after all these years, you can't forget her?" Princess Yue's voice grew agitated.

"Yes!" Xu Yu replied frankly and directly. "Where is my daughter? What have you done with her?"

Princess Yue moved like lightning, seizing Dujuan by the throat. Step by step, she advanced toward Xu Yu, sneering, "Your daughter—look, isn't this your daughter? She resembles Qin exactly. Does seeing her remind you of Qin's tragic death? Do nightmares haunt you? Is your rest troubled?"

"Mother, what are you saying?" Dujuan asked in terror. Princess Yue's expression frightened her, and the man's gaze frightened her even more.

"I am not your mother. Your mother died fifteen years ago. Look—this man before you is your father!"

Tears welled in Dujuan's eyes. Princess Yue's words were like a blade, stabbing deep into her heart. She shook her head, unable to believe it, while Xu Yu stared at her in stunned silence.

"Mother, what are you saying? How could Dujuan be his daughter?" Buffalo, full of pity for Dujuan, came to Princess Yue's side and asked softly.

Compared to Dujuan's reaction, Xu Yu was even more shocked by Buffalo's words. He pointed at Buffalo, speechless for a long moment, then finally stammered, "You are... you are... Tang An!"

"I'm not Tang An, I'm Buffalo!" Buffalo looked at Xu Yu in confusion, thinking he must have mistaken him for someone else.

Princess Yue sneered, "What’s wrong? Are you afraid? Afraid Tang An's vengeful soul will claim your miserable life? Or fear Heaven’s wrath? He may not be Tang An, but he is the only child Tang An left in this world!"

Xu Yu took a deep breath. "Tell me—what must I do for you to let my daughter go?"

Princess Yue laughed even louder at this, her laughter laced with mockery. "Let your daughter go? Why didn't you spare my son ten years ago? It's a bit late to negotiate now, isn't it?"

Her words left Xu Yu speechless. "I'm sorry," he said, remorse heavy in his voice.

"Sorry? Do you think a single 'sorry' can bring back my son? Can it heal the wounds you've inflicted on me? Do you believe your apology will resurrect the innocent lives lost?"

"That year, you weren't the only one who lost a son. I lost mine too. And I lost Qin." Xu Yu shouted, his eyes reddening.

"A son? How ridiculous!" Princess Yue mocked. "If you had acknowledged him as your son back then, he would not have died. None of this would have happened. Every evil consequence is of your own making. You want me to let your daughter go? Fine, but you must take your own life before me first. Otherwise, I'll send your daughter to join her mother."