Chapter 115

Chapter 115

◎Achieving the False Yin Scripture◎

The sound of a blade slicing through flesh echoed in the room, and the air filled with the scent of blood.

Xie Heng retreated into the shadows.

People surged in like a tide and then receded just as swiftly.

Once he had fully distanced himself from her, Luo Wanqing's mind settled somewhat.

She knew that earlier he had deliberately remained silent to lure her closer, and now he was only slightly more lucid.

Aware that she had disobeyed Xie Heng and made a mistake, she dared not linger or make a sound. She hurriedly returned to her corner and sat down, pretending she did not exist.

However, Xie Heng did not let her off easily. He said, "Remember my words; our lives depend on your judgment."

"Understood, sir."

Luo Wanqing quickly responded, but after a moment, she could not help asking, "But Young Master, how can I tell if you are in trouble?"

"I won't be in trouble."

Xie Heng spoke with certainty, and Luo Wanqing felt reassured.

Xie Heng was more familiar with the mandala incense than she was, and he always had his ways of enduring it without her interference.

Her earlier act of disobeying Xie Heng to check on him was a mistake.

Fortunately, Xie Heng still retained some clarity, otherwise, they might have ended up fighting each other to mutual destruction tonight without Ji Ruifang even needing to intervene.

She resolved to ignore what was happening with him, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tried to enter a meditative state.

Yet the sounds around her continued to linger in her ears.

His heavy breathing, the scraping of a blade against flesh, the thuds against the wall...

Eventually, he grew quiet, and Luo Wanqing faintly heard him call out, "Xiniang."

Luo Wanqing froze, then realized she had misheard.

He softly called out again, "Mother."

Luo Wanqing relaxed and sat quietly.

She suddenly realized how much she missed him.

When Xie Heng called out to her earlier, for a split second, she thought he had returned.

But then she immediately realized it was Xie Heng.

She wished for him to live, yet feared that he was Xie Heng.

Fortunately, he did not give her any room for doubt and soon made her realize her mistake.

She chuckled softly, put aside her thoughts, closed her eyes, and entered a meditative state, ignoring everything around her.

Xie Heng struggled throughout the night. As dawn approached, he seemed to reach his limit and silently leaned against the corner, silent.

After enduring the long night, Luo Wanqing finally heard the distant bell tolling, signaling the arrival of the morning hour. Xie Heng had not spoken, seemingly asleep. Luo Wanqing did not disturb him and sat alone for a while before taking out the short flute Cui Heng had given her and gently played a tune.

In his half-awake state, Xie Heng heard the flute music.

He slowly opened his eyes, finding the melody clearer.

He did not interrupt, listening until Luo Wanqing finished playing a complete tune filled with sorrow and longing. When she finished, he said, "You might attract Ji Ruifang's attention."

Luo Wanqing paused, but Xie Heng added, "But she is usually lenient towards women in love. Later, explain to her that you were trying to alleviate your worries, and she won't make things difficult for you."

Hearing Xie Heng's words, Luo Wanqing knew he was lucid.

She put away the flute and asked, "Do you feel better now, sir?"

"Mm." Xie Heng, his voice hoarse, said with his eyes closed, "Come here."

Luo Wanqing stood up and walked to Xie Heng.

Having learned from her earlier mistake, she did not dare act rashly. She knelt on one knee and listened as Xie Heng said, "Give me your hand."

Luo Wanqing lowered her gaze and extended her hand. Soon, she felt a hand full of scars grasp hers.

The new and old wounds overlapped, creating a rough texture. In the darkness, Luo Wanqing could not discern its appearance and did not dare touch it closely. She felt Xie Heng hold her hand and then heard him say, "Try to control your true qi and draw mine out."

Following his instructions, Luo Wanqing focused on her true qi, forming a small vortex within her meridians and attempting to draw out Xie Heng's inner strength.

At first, there was no movement, but after several attempts, she managed to draw out a small thread.

Xie Heng guided her in adjusting her control over the inner strength. Soon, Luo Wanqing could smoothly draw out bits of Xie Heng's inner strength.

Not wanting her to overdo it, Xie Heng whispered, "Now that you know how to do it, let me handle the rest."

Luo Wanqing, unsure of herself, stopped and allowed Xie Heng to slowly transfer his true qi to her.

Xie Heng's hand was very warm, the heat unrelenting. Holding his hand, Luo Wanqing worried he might have a fever. She softly said, "Sir, you might have a high fever. Should I check your pulse?"

"The effects of the drug haven't completely worn off," Xie Heng coughed lightly, explaining, "It's just temporarily subsided, giving me some clarity. Don't touch me unnecessarily."

"But..." Luo Wanqing hesitated, "Have you treated your wounds?"

Xie Heng remained silent for a moment before he couldn't help but say, "Do you treat everyone this well?"

Luo Wanqing looked somewhat bewildered as she heard Xie Heng say, "Even knowing that I might harm you, you still come to care for me. Aren't you afraid I might hurt you?"

"Have you heard a story, Young Master?"

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment and gently said, "Once there was a corrupt official whose daughter went missing. From then on, whenever he encountered slave girls around his daughter's age, he would pardon them from their slave status because he feared one of them might be his daughter."

Hearing this, Xie Heng understood her meaning. His fingers under his sleeve trembled slightly, but he tried to restrain himself, saying, "That's because he couldn't find his daughter. If his daughter had already died, there would be no need to pardon anyone else."

"But what if there's a chance?"

Luo Wanqing pursed her lips and said, "Not seeing the body is one thing, but even if we did see it, it could be fake. Even with a million-to-one chance, it's still a possibility, isn't it?"

Xie Heng remained silent. Luo Wanqing lifted her eyes to look at him, but in the darkness, she couldn't make out his face. She cautiously asked, "Young Master, if you hear any news about him, could you tell me?"

"I don't have any."

"I won't pester you," Luo Wanqing continued, probing, "I just want to confirm that he's alive and well."

Xie Heng didn't say much more.

He calmly transferred the last bit of true qi into Luo Wanqing's body and then withdrew his hand. "Go back and integrate this true qi into your body. Ji Ruifang will be here soon."

Luo Wanqing understood that Xie Heng didn't want to discuss this further. She realized how absurd she sounded and knew that dealing with Ji Ruifang was the priority. She sat back in her position and began meditating as Xie Heng had instructed.

The bit of true qi Xie Heng gave her wasn't much, and she quickly integrated it into her own inner strength.

It seemed Xie Heng had been observing her all along. As soon as she opened her eyes, she heard him ask, "Done?"

"Yes."

"Just now..." Xie Heng hesitated, but before he could finish, voices came from outside.

Both became instantly alert. Moments later, the iron door was suddenly pulled open, revealing the mandala flowers on Ji Ruifang's waist.

"Liu Xiniang, are you going to reach your hand out, or should I come in and check on you?"

Ji Ruifang spoke, and Luo Wanqing hesitated for a moment before Ji Ruifang laughed, "What, do you miss me?"

"No."

Luo Wanqing's voice was hoarse and low.

A moment later, an arm with blood-stained jade bracelets reached through the iron bars.

Ji Ruifang glanced at it indifferently, raising an eyebrow in jest, "Xie Heng seems quite protective. I thought you wouldn't want to show yourself."

"Cut the crap!"

Luo Wanqing snapped, but Ji Ruifang didn't make things difficult for her. She placed her hand on Luo Wanqing's pulse, checking it for a moment before seemingly satisfied, she let go and said, "Not bad. Xie Lingshu," Ji Ruifang smiled as she flicked a pill into the room. The pill rolled onto the ground, and Luo Wanqing frowned. Ji Ruifang added coolly, "It's for you."

With that, Ji Ruifang left with her people.

Someone outside pushed in some food and then slid the iron door shut.

After the small iron door closed, the room returned to complete darkness. It was then that Luo Wanqing saw Xie Heng stand up. He walked over to where Ji Ruifang had dropped the pill and bent down to pick it up.

It seemed he was willing to do this only in the dark, but his movements were unmistakable.

Seeing him bend down to pick up the pill, Luo Wanqing felt a pang of sadness.

She didn't say anything, waiting until Xie Heng finished taking the pill. Then, thinking about Ji Ruifang's attitude towards Xie Heng, she couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, did you know Ji Ruifang before?"

Xie Heng didn't hide it, and Luo Wanqing asked curiously, "How did you meet her?"

"It was a long time ago when I was still traveling with my uncle."

Xie Heng recalled, "We met her when she first came to the Central Plains. She was highly skilled and challenged many famous schools, eventually losing to my uncle. She fell in love with him at first sight, but my uncle was already married to his childhood sweetheart and even had children older than me. She refused to accept it and stayed in East Capital, constantly pursuing him."

"That's when she met Xie Minran?"

Luo Wanqing understood, and Xie Heng confirmed, "Yes."

The Western demoness had no regard for rules. The first time she met Xie Minran was at a family banquet. Xie Minran woke up halfway through and, upon opening his eyes, his father recognized him and quickly sent servants to take him away.

But this act angered Xie Minran, and he immediately demanded, "Why can't I attend the banquet? Why can Xie Minsheng participate, but not me?"

In front of everyone, his father was enraged and shouted, "How dare you compare yourself to Minsheng! Go back!"

Xie Minran's temper wouldn't tolerate such words, and he went berserk right there at the banquet.

Everyone hated him, cursed him, and feared him, except for one person who sat on the roof and clapped for him.

"Well done!" the girl laughed heartily. "Finally, someone in the Central Plains I like. Excellent!"

This was the first time someone liked Xie Minran, so he followed her without hesitation.

"But she didn't truly care for Xie Minran; she always pursued my uncle. At that time, my uncle was promoting the Great Xia Law and had many enemies. One day, my aunt was returning from praying. My uncle was supposed to pick her up, but Ji Ruifang insisted it was her birthday and kept him entangled in a fight on the street. After hundreds of rounds, news came that my aunt had been assassinated."

Luo Wanqing was stunned, and Xie Heng spoke with a mocking tone, "From that day on, she left East Capital, and Xie Minran rebelled against the Xie family, killed Wei Xiao'e, and followed her out of East Capital."

"So..." Luo Wanqing furrowed her brow, "Was everything Xie Minran did her doing, or did he do it on his own?"

"In the past, I always believed she incited Xie Minran. But then I learned something."

"What was it?"

"Six years ago, I was trapped in the imperial prison."

Luo Wanqing knew about this; she wasn't surprised: "And then what?"

"My mother died, my clan members were imprisoned, and my meridians were severed—I was a cripple. It was then that someone appeared in the prison. She told me that if I could save the Cui family, she would take me out to see them once."

Luo Wanqing listened and understood.

When she met Zhang Chunzi in the imperial prison, Zhang Chunzi had mentioned that when Xie Heng first entered the prison, he didn't intend to learn bone sculpting from him. He still harbored a glimmer of hope, waiting for someone else to rescue him. Later, someone took him out of the prison once, and when he returned, his face was wet with tears as he begged Zhang Chunzi to teach him bone sculpting.

"She was the one who took you out of the prison to see the Cui family?"

"Yes."

Xie Heng lowered his eyes: "I promised her, but then I broke that promise."

At eighteen, he thought he could do anything. He believed he could definitely save his family.

So when Ji Ruifang said to him, "I want you to protect Cui Qingping's family; not another member of his family should die," he boasted without hesitation.

"I am the eldest son of the Xie family. My uncle is a key minister of the state, and I have been by the emperor's side since childhood, educated in the court. If you take me to see them, as long as I see my brother and figure out what happened, I can save them!"

But in the end, it was he who personally sent away Cui Qingping's family.

"So," Luo Wanqing understood, "Ji Ruifang bears a grudge against you, which is why she has been tormenting you these days? And she isn't entirely a bad person; you think Wei Xiao'e wasn't killed at her command?"

"Yes."

Xie Heng spoke, closing his eyes wearily, but he corrected himself: "She's not just not a bad person; she still has some goodness in her. She feels guilty towards my aunt, towards Wei Xiao'e, so... she also feels guilty towards you."

Luo Wanqing was taken aback, then heard Xie Heng continue: "This room was changed yesterday."

Yesterday was when she arrived, meaning this room was specially arranged for her by Ji Ruifang.

What made this room different from the other prison cells was that it had an independent washroom and a hot spring with running water.

Although the water was cold, having a place to clean herself was important. If she really had to cultivate the Yin Meridian Sutra with Xie Heng here, this would be her last line of dignity.

Luo Wanqing couldn't quite express her feelings towards Ji Ruifang. Xie Heng seemed to know what she was thinking and reminded her: "Her pity for you is a weakness you can exploit."

"Young Master."

Luo Wanqing replied solemnly: "I won't exploit such things."

Leaning against the wall, Xie Heng's tone was neither approving nor disapproving; he simply said: "Just telling you, survival is more important than anything else."

"Yes."

Luo Wanqing knew Xie Heng's temper and didn't want to argue with him, so she remained silent.

After a moment of silence, Xie Heng seemed somewhat dazed, as if the effects of the medicine were starting to kick in. His voice came from the corner, slightly bewildered: "Liu Xiniang."

"Here, sir."

"Do you think... will they forgive me?"

Luo Wanqing paused.

She knew whom Xie Heng was referring to.

As an observer, she understood that Xie Heng had his reasons, but she couldn't forgive on behalf of the victims or speak of their pain.

She could only relay what Cui Heng had told her.

"Guan Lan once told me that he said, 'I will never forgive Young Master.'"

Hearing this, Xie Heng chuckled softly in the darkness.

Of course, how could he be forgiven?

It was he who proposed the Great Xia Law, it was his arrogance and ignorance that encouraged Cui Qingping and the Cui family to persist in implementing the perfect Great Xia Law.

It was he who brought disaster upon the Cui family, and when disaster struck, he could only kneel on the ground, sobbing and pleading, "No... brother, sister, I'll go with you, I don't want to do this..."

It was he who led the ambush at Qingyun Ferry;

It was he who gave the order to "execute" on the execution grounds.

How could he be forgiven? How could he deserve forgiveness?

Ji Ruifang hating him was justified.

The world hating him was well-deserved.

He deserved to suffer, how dare he even talk about forgiveness?

A sharp pain pierced his heart, yet he felt a strange sense of relief, as if this pain was his rightful state.

He laughed softly, making Luo Wanqing uneasy, feeling that perhaps she had spoken too harshly. She wanted to comfort him but didn't want to contradict Cui Heng's words.

Was Cui Heng wrong?

Those were Cui Heng's family members. If killing could be justified, there wouldn't be any pain for the victims. Why did Zhang Jiuran have to die?

Perhaps Zhang Jiuran sought revenge, and Xie Heng might have done it to bring closure or even to save lives.

But ultimately, they both had their hands in it. How could she say Cui Heng was wrong?

If she had to choose between Cui Heng and Xie Heng, she would choose Cui Heng, and she would only choose Cui Heng.

So she could only remain silent amidst Xie Heng's laughter. After a long while, she said, "Earlier, Young Master, did you want to say something to me?"

"Nothing," Xie Heng replied with a smile. "Just some trivial matters."

Luo Wanqing frowned upon hearing this.

She had a hunch that it wasn't a small matter, but since Xie Heng didn't elaborate, she didn't know what else to say.

Xie Heng closed his eyes, seeming somewhat weary as he said, "Before the hour of Chen tomorrow, don't come near me, and don't believe anything I say. If you come over, I'll assume you no longer care about Cui Heng and want to follow me."

Luo Wanqing furrowed her brows at his words. Xie Heng continued in a low murmur, "You can't be my wife; I can only keep you in the house without any status..."

"Young Master."

Luo Wanqing understood Xie Heng's intentions. He was merely afraid that she would disobey him again, just like last night.

She interrupted him coldly, "I won't make the same mistake again. You don't need to provoke me like this."

Xie Heng fell silent for a moment before continuing, "If you want to do something, your flute playing is very soothing."

Luo Wanqing was taken aback, then responded, "Yes."

For the next few days, they interacted much like they did on the first day.

They always sat as far apart as possible. Luo Wanqing remembered the lesson from the first day and dared not approach him or speak to him.

She only occasionally heard Xie Heng's voice from the corner.

The sounds of impact, the sound of a blade slicing through wounds, and sometimes faint sobs. When he lost consciousness, he would call out her name repeatedly.

She didn't dare to go closer, fearing it might be a trick. Instead, she played a tune on her flute as he suggested.

Strangely, whenever she played, he would calm down, as if regaining consciousness.

Ji Ruifang knew she was playing the flute and scolded her once, saying that there was a tight security outside and no one could get in no matter how much she played.

But she didn't take away her flute because Luo Wanqing said it was a memento from her beloved.

Ji Ruifang seemed to recall someone and ultimately said nothing, leaving the short flute with her.

On the final day, Ji Ruifang brought people early and waited by the door.

It seemed that Xie Minran's injuries couldn't be delayed any longer, and Ji Ruifang appeared quite anxious, stating explicitly that she would open the door at the hour of Mao and take her away.

Because of this, Xie Heng finally broke the rule of not approaching him before the hour of Chen and instructed her to go to the bathing room to wash up and wait in the room.

Xie Heng seemed increasingly weak these past few days. She heard him washing in the bathing room for a long time before returning.

Then he sat cross-legged opposite her, reached out his hand, and said hoarsely, "Sit on me."

This made Luo Wanqing stiffen. Then she heard Xie Heng say, "The final true qi is different. Don't be afraid; it's nothing."

Luo Wanqing suppressed her unease and said, "Yes."

Guided by Xie Heng, she straddled him, and he took her hands, teaching her to form seals in the darkness.

"For the final seal, you must deceive Xie Minran, so you need to follow all the practices of the Yin Meridian. Since we aren't directly touching, we need to form seals to achieve the same effect. The seal you're forming now is the Kun Seal," Xie Heng placed two fingers on Luo Wanqing's fingers and said calmly, "I will form the Qian Seal. With Kun above and Qian below, the earth's energy rises while the heaven's energy descends, creating harmony between yin and yang, and unity between heaven and earth, ensuring smooth flow."

As Xie Heng spoke, Luo Wanqing felt a warm current flowing from his meridians, nourishing her own.

Sitting on him, she gradually relaxed.

In the darkness, Xie Heng lowered his eyes and whispered, "The true qi should be introduced during the woman's most yin state. According to the Yin Meridian practice, a woman's most yin state occurs at the peak of pleasure. Since we can't achieve that today, we'll have to find a close approximation."

Luo Wanqing tensed up. Xie Heng raised his eyes and stared into hers, asking, "Have you been intimate with Cui Heng?"

"What does Young Master want to ask?" Luo Wanqing asked in a hoarse voice.

Xie Heng seemed to be asking the simplest question, speaking calmly, "Dual cultivation naturally arouses desire. Think back to the past or find a way. When the water drops, I will infuse all my true qi. At that moment, using my blood as a catalyst, the technique will be complete."

Xie Heng's tone was unusually calm, yet Luo Wanqing's breathing became erratic.

Hearing his words, she felt embarrassed.

Xie Heng thought for a moment and comforted her softly, "Yin and yang are part of the natural order, Xiniang. There's no need to feel uneasy."

Hearing such comfort, Luo Wanqing was momentarily stunned.

Cui Heng also liked to speak this way.

In that instant, she couldn't tell who the person in front of her was.

She trembled slightly and said, "Young Master..."

"Yes?"

"Can... Can you call me once in Cui Heng's voice?"

Xie Heng fell silent for a moment. Then, he spoke gently, "Xiniang."

Hearing that voice, she suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

Seeming to understand her intention, Xie Heng used his free hand to lift her closer, imitating Cui Heng's tone, as he had done in the past, saying, "Xiniang, hold me."

With that, his hand slipped under her dress.

Luo Wanqing breathed rapidly, leaning entirely against him.

He closed his eyes calmly, like an indifferent deity, a Bodhi tree.

His fingers were as long as she remembered.

But they were scarred, and she couldn't see their appearance, unable to distinguish them.

His back was covered in scars. She couldn't find the old ones, as new injuries overlapped the old, and the rotten flesh had long been cut away.

Was it him?

She couldn't tell for a moment.

She knew it was Xie Heng trying to comfort her, but he looked too similar.

It was him.

A thought flashed through her mind.

Just like when she first met Cui Heng, she knew with certainty that it wasn't him.

At this moment, as she clung to him, being taken to the peak by him, his gentle yet calm demeanor instantly made her sure—it was him, it had to be him.

"Lingshu..."

Luo Wanqing murmured, and drops of water fell onto Xie Heng's clothes, soaking them and clinging to his skin.

In that instant, Xie Heng grabbed her hair and pulled her away, then leaned down to kiss her.

Powerful true qi surged in, breaking through her meridians and flowing throughout her body.

Luo Wanqing let out a muffled groan, instantly realizing what was happening.

She hurriedly accepted the internal energy Xie Heng was transferring, enduring his almost biting kiss, and using the metallic taste on his tongue to guide the energy through several cycles before calming it down.

When everything was over, Xie Heng slowly released her.

Luo Wanqing lay on the ground, staring blankly at the young man above her.

In the darkness, she couldn't see his face, only hearing his rapid breathing mingling with hers.

"Why did you...?"

"Your Yin meridian is now complete," Xie Heng said, his voice somewhat weak and lacking vigor. He interrupted Luo Wanqing, panting, "But it can only deceive Xie Minran for a third of the time. Once you obtain Xie Minran's internal energy, you'll have the power to protect yourself and can find Cui Junye and Xuanshan. Together, you can eliminate the remaining two hundred people."

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing's heart trembled.

She lifted her gaze, looking at the figure in the darkness whose expression she couldn't discern, about to ask something when she heard Ji Ruifang's voice from outside: "Xie Lingshu, it's dawn, I'm going to open the door."

"Young Master!" Luo Wanqing reacted quickly, "You..."

"Do not make any decisions or assumptions." Xie Heng seemed to know what she was about to do. He interrupted her calmly, "Do not judge anything while you're not fully awake. Follow the plan, go out, kill them, do the most urgent and important thing. Xiniang, you are a smart person."

Luo Wanqing gradually regained her composure under his words. Hearing her breathing stabilize, Xie Heng straightened up, took her Qianji hairpin, and said calmly, "Go, I'll wait for you."

Luo Wanqing slowly sat up. Outside, Ji Ruifang urged, "Xie Lingshu?"

"Get dressed."

Xie Heng spoke coldly, and Ji Ruifang finally quieted down.

Luo Wanqing forced herself to put on her clothes with reason, but her mind kept replaying her questions.

What was the most urgent and important thing?

Following the plan to kill those two hundred people...

Following the plan...

"What if killing these two hundred people would get you killed?"

Luo Wanqing suddenly spoke, lifting her gaze to the figure in the darkness, frowning. "Do you want to kill them too?"

"Why do you always ask me such questions?"

Xie Heng sensed something.

This wasn't the first time Luo Wanqing had asked Xie Heng this.

She had asked him when they were killing the Crown Prince, when they were accusing The Eastern Palace's Six Armies, and now again.

"Because I had a dream," Luo Wanqing stared intently at the shadow in the darkness. "I dreamed that Young Master died because of all this."

Xie Heng paused, then chuckled, as if she were joking, "How did I die in your dream?"

"You were accused of many crimes, and eventually executed by a thousand cuts." Luo Wanqing's voice trembled.

Xie Heng was nonchalant, "Oh? What crimes?"

"The first crime was assassinating the Crown Prince, the second was framing The Eastern Palace's Six Armies, the third was massacring five hundred people on Xueling Mountain," Luo Wanqing said, growing increasingly anxious. "Even so, do you still want to kill these two hundred people?"

Hearing this, Xie Heng laughed lightly.

His tone was casual yet decisive: "Kill."