Fuming inside—the power's been out since now. Road construction along the highway knocked out the line. First update; I'll keep working.
************** When Yang Kai asked, the woman managed a wretched smile. "I've been wondering why Miao Huacheng treats a widow and orphan like this. After pestering them for answers, I finally learned that the root of it all traces back to something the Master and Miao Huacheng obtained years ago."
"What thing?"
"A turtle shell!" the woman replied. "Back when the Master and Miao Huacheng were traveling near Haicheng, they came across a peculiar turtle shell. On it was an island map—quite old, even then. At the time they checked every nearby island, but not a single one matched the map on the shell. They figured it wasn't real. Still, to be cautious, they split it in half and each kept a piece."
She drew a soft breath and continued the tale. "Later, the Master left for Tongzhou and built a name for himself there, while Miao Huacheng settled in Haicheng. For years he must have been studying that half of the shell, and only recently did he finally find some clues. Rather than share them with the Master, he hired killers instead, then sent word telling me to bring the whole family to Haicheng. I had seen the Master's half of the turtle shell myself, so I knew how valuable it was. That's why I brought it along when we came here."
"Young Hero, do you remember the night the guard Zhang Ding turned on us?"
"Was that Miao Huacheng's doing as well?" Yang Kai narrowed his eyes.
"Yes." The woman nodded slightly. "After all, Miao Huacheng and the Master were close friends—or so it seemed. He probably didn't want to get his own hands dirty against us, so he set Zhang Ding on us. If it hadn't been for you that night, Huan'er, Cu'er, and I would have followed the Master to the grave long ago."
"What a 'close friend' indeed," Yang Kai scoffed with a bitter smile. Then, frowning, he added, "But you three are just ordinary people. Once you were inside the Miao household, getting whatever he wanted from you would have been effortless. Why treat you well at first?"
The woman gave a bitter laugh. "I couldn't figure it out either, at first. But later I realized it was all thanks to you, Young Hero."
"Me?"
"Yes." She nodded. "The day Miao Huacheng came to receive us, I did as you had instructed and mentioned that a powerful expert had been helping us along the way—one who had killed Zhang Ding. That was why we'd arrived safe and sound. Miao Huacheng is a cautious man. He treated us decently at the beginning because he feared that the 'expert' might still be lurking nearby, and didn't dare make a move. Only when I tried to leave did he finally show his true colors."
Yang Kai nodded inwardly. That did make sense.
"What happened after that?"
"After that… the nightmare began." The woman broke into soft sobs again, tears streaming down her cheeks, and continued, "To save our lives, I handed over my half of the turtle shell. But Miao Huacheng had no intention of letting us go."
As she spoke, her body trembled, both fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles went white.
"One night, Miao Huacheng sent men to drag Huan'er away, saying she was to be married to his son. Huan'er refused with her life. Cu'er stepped in to help. But that Miao Huacheng—utterly heartless and sadistic—had his men beat Cu'er to death right before my eyes…"
Yang Kai's body flinched.
Through her tears the woman went on, "The next day, Miao Huacheng came to tell me that Huan'er, unwilling to suffer such humiliation, had bitten off her own tongue and died!"
Yang Kai felt ice flood through his veins, a surge of murderous fury surging almost beyond his control.
The playful, lovely little maid had been beaten to death. The shy, innocent young miss had taken her own life.
Only two months ago, he had been riding in the same carriage with them on a leisurely outing. And now, two short months later, they were separated—dead and alive—never to meet again.
"Miao Huacheng even tried to violate me!" the woman choked out between sobs, the words coming in broken fragments. "But after what happened to Huan'er and Cu'er, he didn't dare go too far. He locked me up for days but couldn't have his way. In the end, consumed by shame and rage, he sold me into the Qianjin Zuijiu Lou."
There was no need to ask further—Yang Kai knew it was a pleasure house.
"They beat me and tried to force me to submit. When I refused, I took a pair of scissors and cut my own face. Heh… a woman looking like this—who would be interested?" She let out a bleak, self-mocking laugh. "Later I was sold again, this time to the Yunxia Sect."
"I should have died too. The Master is gone, Huan'er and Cu'er are gone—what reason do I have to keep breathing? But I can't die. If I do, no one will ever know the injustice they suffered. So I have to stay alive. I'm just a weak woman, but I have to see justice done for them—I have to avenge them!"
Yang Kai's heart bled. He let out a long breath and said gently, "Madam, you are the most beautiful woman under heaven, and the strongest mother in the world."
Sometimes, dying is easy. Living is infinitely harder.
"Youong Hero, could I ask you to help me one more time?" The woman raised her tear-filled eyes and looked at Yang Kai with desperate hope.
Atop the hill, the wind howled. Yang Kai's expression was cold and severe.
"My strength is too low," he sighed.
A shadow of disappointment crossed the woman's face.
"But… I will grow. Perhaps it will take a few years, or perhaps longer. The Miao family of Haicheng—I will pay them a visit."
Not for the woman's sake, but for Cu'er, who had always shared her little snacks with him!
The woman stared, stunned for a moment, then her face lit up with wild joy. She dropped to her knees and pressed her forehead to the ground. "Thank you, Young Hero!"
A long while passed before she slowly straightened up and spoke again. "There is something you should know, Young Hero. While Miao Huacheng was the one who orchestrated all of this, the higher-ups of the Yunxia Sect were pulling the strings behind the scenes."
"Hmm?" Yang Kai's brow furrowed.