Jun Ye’an burst into laughter, “Silly child… it seems Yin Hai might have taken a liking to you too.”
Chuxia just smiled but turned to Su Fenghua and asked, “Where is your master? He must be here for such an occasion, right?” Su Fenghua coughed lightly, not responding.
“Actually, I’ve guessed who he is, but right now, I just want to know one thing, so I can die without regrets.”
“Oh, what do you want to know?” Jun Ye’an wrapped his arm around her shoulders, sighing softly, “Girl, are you still not letting go of the sibling matter?”
Chuxia glared at him, angrily saying, “I’m not like you, Jun Ye’an. Even in death, I want to know the truth.”
Su Fenghua laughed heartily, “Alright! Alright! Then I’ll ask the master to come out and explain everything!”
Chapter Forty (Part One)
The man finally entered the room, dressed in black, standing quietly, his expression as impassive as ever, like a piece of wood, just like every time Chuxia saw him. This time, however, he did not bow to Jun Ye’an but stood arrogantly to the side, a hint of smugness in his demeanor. Cang Qianlang.
Chuxia, although she had guessed part of it, still gasped softly when she saw him, “It really is you.”
Cang Qianlang looked at Jun Ye’an, “You don’t seem very surprised.”
Jun Ye’an did not reply but looked at Chuxia with gentle eyes, “What do you want to ask? The steward is here, just ask.”
Chuxia nodded, her face pale as she looked at Cang Qianlang, her voice trembling despite her efforts to stay composed, “Are we… really siblings?”
Cang Qianlang pondered for a moment, “No.”
“You’ve finally told the truth.” Chuxia exhaled in relief. In that brief moment of waiting for his answer, she had broken out in a cold sweat. She smiled, “Cang Qianlang, although I hate you for destroying Huan Sha Men, killing Qinglong, and separating me from him for two years, thank you for telling us the truth.”
“Little girl, you actually have quite some intelligence. Together with Jun Ye’an, you make quite a pair.” Cang Qianlang’s lips curved slightly as he said to Chuxia, “You two can go to the underworld to be a pair of star-crossed lovers, it’s not too late.”
“Then… the iron box we found in the secret chamber at Mount Jun, the letters inside, must be related to my father and Huan Sha Men.” Jun Ye’an looked at Cang Qianlang with piercing eyes, pondering.
Cang Qianlang squinted, “Jun Ye’an, you’re easier to deal with than I expected. Over these two years, Chuxia has never given up, always wanting to find out who was behind everything. But you, drifting around like a lone ghost, your spirit so low, I really look down on you.”
Chuxia gave a cold snort, her heart filled with indignation. She wouldn’t let herself be outdone verbally, “Your tricks are nothing special. Do you think I can’t see through them?”
“Oh? Do tell.”
“Jun Ye’an retired from the martial world, yet the Jun family estate remains under your full control. Who benefits the most from all this? Naturally, it’s you. Even a fool could guess that.”
“Oh, and what about this fool? I’ve been by his side for over a decade… yet he knew nothing.” Cang Qianlang smiled at Jun Ye’an, “What do you say, my lord?”
“Qianlang, I never doubted you—until this pigeon message.” Jun Ye’an played with a thin piece of paper between his fingers, speaking softly, “You were too impatient.”
Cang Qianlang’s face stiffened slightly.
“You warned me to be wary of the Di family. At that time, I thought, could the mastermind be hiding in the Di family? Later, Chuxue injured me with a hidden weapon… it seemed like the Di family was behind everything, but upon closer inspection, it was you who overlooked something.”
Chuxia turned her curious gaze to him.
Jun Ye’an smiled leisurely, “Qianlang, you still don’t understand love. If she wanted my life, why would she need to use someone else’s hands? This logic, I understand, and the little girl naturally does too.”
His words were natural, and Chuxia, hearing this, was taken aback, her eyes slightly red. She quietly extended her hand, intertwining her fingers with his, feeling an immense warmth in her heart.
“And Jun Tianyou brought me into the Jun Mansion, ostensibly to keep you company, but in reality, to hold me as a hostage. Over the three years, he worked for others, lost his right foot, and went blind in his left eye, until Jun Tianyou finally trusted him wholeheartedly. That was until one day—the day of the Green Willow Alley massacre, when your father sensed there was something amiss.”
“According to the intelligence, the Heavenly Ax Gang was supposed to kill a fugitive hiding in Green Willow Alley. However, in the end, they killed everyone in the alley without finding the fugitive. Your father initially kept his composure but secretly investigated, discovering that the Heavenly Ax Gang was no longer the organization it was three years ago.” Jun Ye’an slightly furrowed his brows, finishing the thought for him: “I guess your father had long been tired of being under someone else, and the Heavenly Ax Gang was no longer what it once was. It had become your father’s killing machine, while he secretly amassed countless fortunes and martial arts manuals obtained through annihilation. Is that right?”
“Indeed,” Cang Qianlang said solemnly, “That was his due.” Jun Ye’an silently looked at him, his gaze tinged with a hint of pity.
“Master Hui Feng was the first to uncover all this and was killed by the Heavenly Ax Gang. Your father feigned regret, forced my father to commit suicide, and locked away the wealth and martial arts manuals my father had acquired into a secret chamber on Mount Jun, leaving only a landscape painting as a sign. Of course, my father’s death did not mean the end of the Heavenly Ax Gang. He didn’t know… I still held something in my hand. —He left me a list of those killers. Thus, ten years later, I was able to find them one by one and rebuild the Heavenly Ax Gang.”
“You are indeed reserved and patient… I hadn’t thought of this,” Jun Ye’an said after a long silence, “So, what is the connection between the Huansha Sect and my father?”
“The Huansha Sect actually has no significant relation to your father. Initially, it was just a woman in Green Willow Alley who was pregnant and narrowly escaped the massacre. Your father felt guilty and gave her a lot of money, even promising that if the child she bore was a girl, she would marry into the Jun family. Later, the woman went south to find her clan and used that money to help some unfortunate women, gradually forming a sect.”
“I… was the child in her womb?” Chu Xia’s voice trembled with disbelief, “That woman, is she my mother?”
“Your mother passed away early and entrusted you to the sect leader,” Su Feng Hua interjected softly, “Your betrothal to Jun Ye’an is indeed true.”
Chu Xia’s eyes and brows were brimming with joy; she couldn’t help but softly say to Jun Ye’an, “See, I didn’t lie to you.” He then reached out to stroke her hair, gently saying, “Yes, I wrongly blamed you earlier; it was my fault.”
“Now that you know everything, you can die in peace, right?” Cang Qianlang laughed, “Young Master, should I do it, or will you?”
Chu Xia freed herself from Jun Ye’an’s hand, stood up, and said calmly, “Kill me first.” She turned back to smile at Jun Ye’an, showing no fear, “Young Master, I’m sorry… I can’t bear to watch you die in front of me, so I can only… let you watch me go first.”
Jun Ye’an stood up with her, hands behind his back, his demeanor calm as the wind, “Silly girl, who said we would die?” Chu Xia was stunned.
“When you were my sister, I couldn’t bear to let you die… Now that you’re not, I certainly can’t talk about death so lightly.” A slight smile played at the corner of his lips, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, exuding an undeniable confidence and charm.
