EWRN - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Side Story 1: Hua Ying & Di An

My name is Hua Ying, and I am the Young Mistress of Minghua Pavilion, the most famous assassin organization in the jianghu.

My mother passed away early, and my father raised me all by himself.

My life was very ordinary, and also very full. Every day I practiced my skills, took on missions, killed people, and earned some silver. Life was comfortable. Although I was one of the youngest in the Pavilion, I was ranked third. You could say I was the hope of Minghua Pavilion.

Originally, my days were pleasant, filled with fighting and killing, earning a little private spending money. But I never expected that everything would change in my sixteenth year, and my life would turn in another direction.

That event completely destroyed my peaceful and wonderful little life.

On my sixteenth birthday, my father told me that over a decade ago, the matriarch of the Sheng family had been good friends with my mother. The two of them had arranged a marriage for their unborn children, promising them to each other. As it happened, the Sheng matriarch's second child was a young master, while the child my mother, the lady of Minghua Pavilion, gave birth to was a girl—me. The two families hit it off and finalized the engagement, just waiting for me and that second young master of the Sheng family, Sheng Wanze, to reach the age of sixteen to be married.

I was shocked that day. I didn't hear a single word of the instructions my father gave me afterward. I was only sixteen! I still had the best years of my youth ahead of me! I had endless missions to complete, endless silver to earn. I had no desire to be forced into marriage so early, just as my life was beginning, to bear children for a man I didn't know and become a worn-out housewife. I didn't want to be in a man's rear courtyard, bickering with a bunch of concubines! The thought that after marrying I might have two children in one year, or three in two, was enough to give me goosebumps.

The wedding was to be seven days after my birthday. I didn't tell my father I didn't want to get married. If I had, he might have placed me under strict watch, which would have been inconvenient for my plans.

So my uncharacteristically obedient behavior didn't arouse my father's suspicion. He probably just thought I had resigned myself to my fate.

But was I, Hua Ying, the kind of person to resign myself to fate?

This young lady couldn't be bothered with some second young master of the Sheng family. There are few good things to be said about stinking men. Except, of course, for my own devoted old dad.

I secretly prepared for several days, and on the night before the wedding, I successfully packed up my gold, silver, and valuables and fled from Minghua Pavilion.

As for how my father would explain things to the Sheng family, or how angry my father and the Sheng family would be, that was outside the scope of my consideration. I couldn't be bothered to think about it that much. I, Hua Ying, have always been lazy… oh, no, I mean free-spirited.

Minghua Pavilion is in the southeastern region of the Great Yuan Kingdom. I crossed rivers and mountains, heading straight for the north.

The news of my escape spread faster than I had anticipated. In just a few days, I heard talk in the central regions about the Young Mistress of Minghua Pavilion jilting the second young master of the Sheng family. Just a day later, my whereabouts were discovered by my father's men. The sight of a dozen burly men surrounding me, yet not daring to strike a fatal blow, was truly laughable.

I didn't linger in battle. I easily broke through their encirclement and flew away with a flourish, using my light-body technique, which was among the best in the Pavilion. They couldn't catch up to me.

I started playing a game of cat and mouse with the men my father sent. Though in my eyes, I was the cat, running a group of black-clothed mice in circles.

But at some point, the mice multiplied, and they learned how to bite. It was only when one of the men in black slashed my shoulder with his sword that I realized I might have taken the game too far.

This time, the men in black were aiming to kill. I managed to break through their encirclement, but not without getting wounded. I, Hua Ying, had always been proud. When had I ever suffered such pain and attack? But the other party was after my head, so I couldn't let my guard down. Sure enough, I don't know which family sent these people seeking revenge, but their intelligence network was truly formidable. In just three days, my hiding place where I was recuperating was discovered. It was a dark and windy night. If I weren't such a light sleeper, my life might have ended then and there.

More than twenty people came that night, intending to not let me leave the house alive. They surrounded the building three layers deep inside and out. That night was the first time I ever felt the existence of the word "despair."

I fought bitterly for over two hours that night, finally escaping at the cost of my left arm. Even with my genius-level, profound inner energy, I barely had enough strength to get away.

That night was truly harrowing.

I forced my body onward, clutching my injured arm and desperately running north. I had long heard of a city in the north called Jiang City, famous for its numerous brothels and pleasure houses. So I headed in the direction of Jiang City.

On the way, I was lucky enough to come across a post station and buy a horse, which allowed me to travel toward Jiang City at a much faster speed.

After days and nights of fleeing for my life, as soon as I reached Jiang City, I abandoned the horse and headed for the tallest brothel in the city. The most dangerous place is the safest place. Even if those people found out I had come to Jiang City, they wouldn't necessarily be able to track down where I had gone. No one would ever think that I had gone to the nationally renowned brothel, Jade Spring Pavilion.

Under the cover of night, I used the last of my inner energy to leap up to the third floor of Jade Spring Pavilion with my light-body technique. I randomly chose a room and slipped in through an open window.

The room was decorated in a warm and refreshing style, without the sordid feeling I had imagined a brothel would have. It was no less elegant than the room of a high-born lady. It seemed the owner of the room was a girl who loved cleanliness.

Days and nights on the run were about to crush me. I curled up behind a screen, hoping not to be discovered for a while, or better yet, not at all. Just let me sleep peacefully.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on the bed in that cozy room. A beautiful woman with delicate features was sitting by the bed, reading a book. Seeing that I was awake, her soft voice emerged from her lips. Her single word, "Miss," made my heart melt. So such a beauty truly existed in this world; even I, a fellow woman, could not escape her charm.

Looking back from the future, I certainly didn't escape. Instead, I fell into the vortex named "Di An," unable to extricate myself.

This stunning woman was named Di An.

If you ask me, Miss Di An was truly magnanimous, daring to take in a blood-soaked woman of unknown origin like me. Unexpectedly, Di An said that I didn't look like a bad person.

I suddenly found it amusing. I, Hua Ying, had been killing since I was ten. What kind of person hadn't I killed? And now someone was telling me I wasn't a bad person. A member of the famous assassin organization Minghua Pavilion, with hands stained with blood, could actually not be a bad person. You must know, Minghua Pavilion was an existence that most people both feared and hated.

I was surprised by Miss Di An's boldness and kindness, and also by her attentiveness. So there really were such gentle and meticulous women in the world. She took very good care of me.

The various wounds on my body all healed, except for the one on my left arm. It had injured the bone and wouldn't heal so quickly. I clearly saw the pained look on Miss Di An's face when she saw my injuries. For some reason, my heart fluttered.

Miss Di An was wonderful in every way, but it was a pity she was a brothel girl, and the head courtesan at that. Although she was still a virgin courtesan for now, she was about to turn eighteen. I had heard that the madam was already scheming how to sell her for a good price on her birthday.

The women of this world truly suffered. Whether it was me from Minghua Pavilion or her from the brothel, it was difficult for us to choose our own destinies. Our fates always seemed to be held in the hands of others. Both of us faced a birthday: I was to be married off to a stranger I didn't know or like, even to consummate the marriage and perform the duties of a wife; while Miss Di An was to have her first night auctioned off by the madam, to be available to any man thereafter. It was truly tragic.

Three months passed in a flash. To my horror, I discovered that I could no longer leave Miss Di An. It wasn't that she was controlling me, but that I couldn't control myself.

For some reason, my heart and my eyes always followed her. When she danced or played the qin downstairs, I would secretly hide on the less crowded third floor, watching her intently, observing her every move, every frown, every smile. Although she always wore a veil, in her room, she could show her true self to me. I was fortunate enough to see her face and hear her laughter before anyone else.

Unconsciously, by the time I realized it, I had already fallen deeply in love with her.

I, Hua Ying, had actually fallen in love with a fellow woman, Miss Di An!

This wasn't entirely unacceptable, because I accepted it very quickly.

I even wanted to take her and run away, far from the brothel and other sordid places.

I hinted at it to her many times, both overtly and covertly, but she was very stubborn. For some reason, she was just unwilling to leave with me. Her birthday was only a few days away. People only knew that the head courtesan Di An was about to offer her first night; few knew it was her birthday. Perhaps some knew but didn't care much; they were all crazed over Di An's first night.

I suddenly felt a little nauseous. Perhaps the men of this world were beyond saving. Their eyes were filled with lust and desire. They disgusted me.

How could I accept the wonderful Miss Di An being defiled by those men?!

These past few days, I had repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Di An to leave with me, but she was unwilling. She said she had already resigned herself to her fate. I knew in my heart that she just didn't believe a woman could protect her.

Damn it, if I had known, I would have met her in men's clothing that day. Maybe then she would have been willing to leave with me. On the day of her birthday, she was constantly looking at the obscene booklet the madam had given her. My heart was filled with sorrow and pain, the kind of pain that made me want to cry. I, Hua Ying, had never shed a single tear since I was a child, no matter how hard the training, no matter how severe the injury. But now, I wanted to cry. The tears welled up in my eyes, but I stubbornly refused to let them fall. I turned and went back behind the screen, not wanting to look at her anymore.

The madam soon came up to call for her. She put on her white veil again and went out with the madam. I knew in my heart that once she went out, she might, "never come back."

The pure her would be gone forever.

My heart ached so much I could barely breathe. I knew that if I wanted to leave, now was the best chance. Out of sight, out of mind. At least the undefiled Di An would live on deep inside my heart.

My mind was in a frantic struggle, but in the end, I didn't leave. Later, I was glad I didn't, otherwise An'er and I might never have crossed paths again in this lifetime.

I didn't know why I stayed. Was it to watch how An'er would be defiled? To watch how those men would take An'er away? No! I couldn't allow it! I decided that even if I had to risk my life and kill all those stinking men, I would not watch An'er be defiled!

It was noisy outside. Soon, An'er led a man into the room. My anger was about to burn away my reason. My right hand was already on my sword. If that stinking man made any improper moves, my blade would be unsheathed!

To my surprise, the man actually stopped An'er from undressing, saying he wanted to listen to a song.

So, with the screen between us, the man and I listened to An'er's song.

Miss Di An's songs could indeed soothe the soul. I was captivated.

I didn't clearly hear what they said afterward, only that the two of them actually started drinking. In all the time I had been at Jade Spring Pavilion, I had never seen Di An drink. Sure enough, after just a few cups, An'er couldn't hold her liquor and fell asleep on the table. Just as that man was about to touch Di An, I sneered inwardly. So this man liked it this way!

I was furious. I quickly drew my sword and thrust it at the man. I hadn't expected this man to know martial arts, and good ones at that. My left arm hadn't fully healed, and for a moment I was at a disadvantage, constrained at every turn. During the fight, I was shocked to discover that this man was actually a woman in disguise!

Somewhat surprised, I retracted my sword and jumped to Di An's side to protect her, preventing this cross-dressing person from touching her. We exchanged some words.

The atmosphere became a bit stagnant for a moment. Then, my big mouth blurted out her identity, asking why she was dressed as a man. To my surprise, she flew into a rage, pinning me down and trying to strangle me, even spouting conspiracy theories that I was investigating her.

I just wanted to get up! This position of being pinned down was truly indecent! My left arm knocked against the ground, and the pain made me panic.

Fortunately, she stopped trying to strangle me, otherwise I would have died just like that, with nowhere to plead my case!

Able to breathe again, I quickly yielded to her, promising not to reveal her identity. Only then did she let me go. As she got up, I saw the jade-inlaid gold medallion on her. I was secretly astonished; this was actually a member of the imperial family.

I explained how I could tell she was a woman, revealed her imperial status, and finally made a solemn vow never to speak of it.

In truth, it was all to ask her to redeem Di An.

After some haggling and pleading, the royal person finally agreed to redeem Di An.

The next morning, Di An was redeemed by that woman. Knowing I owed her a great debt, I decided I would definitely repay her well in the future.

I also successfully obtained An'er's veil, which I kept close to my body like a treasure, more carefully than I kept my silver notes.

Unfortunately, An'er thought that the cross-dressing woman had redeemed her because she liked her, and her expression of utter devotion was suffocating to watch. But I couldn't say anything. It was like a mute eating bitter herbs—I had to suffer in silence.

We traveled all the way to the imperial city and entered the imperial palace. Only then did I learn that the cross-dressing woman was actually the reigning Emperor! I had truly learned a massive secret.

Life in the palace was actually quite cheerful, because I could be with Di An every day.

But the Emperor even made Di An a Noble Consort. Every time An'er saw the Emperor, she would look shy and bashful, which was enough to make me die of anger!

The other Noble Consort in the palace was Princess Yan of the former Northern Kingdom's imperial clan. She seemed to have a close relationship with the Emperor. As an observer, I could see their feelings for each other most clearly, but alas, they were both too deep in the situation to see it themselves.

The annual Rite of Heaven of the Great Yuan Kingdom arrived again. During the Rite of Heaven, I pestered An'er, wanting to go out and stroll around, but unfortunately, An'er just wouldn't go. We could only simply release sky lanterns in the palace. On my sky lantern, I only wrote the character "An." Di An clearly didn't understand my feelings, so I had to let it go. After releasing the lanterns and lingering for a while, it was time for the Rite of Heaven banquet. The atmosphere at the banquet was a bit strange, as if everyone had their own ulterior motives.

Sure enough, an attack occurred at the banquet. Someone wanted to assassinate the Emperor. For a moment, the banquet hall was filled with the clash of swords and the flow of blood. Di An had never seen such a scene. I quickly pressed her head into my chest, not letting her see the bloody spectacle.

However, I didn't expect that the assassins were not from the same group! Two assassins disguised as maids dodged over to where we were, then suddenly drew swords from their robes and thrust at me. I was stunned for a moment, only reacting instinctively to turn and shield Di An with my body, determined to protect her to the death!

The sword tip stopped abruptly. It was the Emperor who had killed the assassins for us. But in the next instant, a sword pierced through the Emperor's shoulder from behind. This time, I was truly dumbfounded.

Fortunately, at the last critical moment, Princess Yan, who had come to her senses, killed the assassin.

A short while later, the assassins were all captured. Unfortunately, before their jaws could be dislocated, they all committed suicide by swallowing poison.

The banquet hall became noisy again, with ministers shouting "Summon the imperial physician!" However, I knew that the Emperor's identity could not be revealed. Fortunately, I knew some medicine and pharmacology, so I stayed in the Hall of the Slumbering Dragon to treat the Emperor's wound. It was just that Princess Yan's gaze towards me was not very friendly; she must have misunderstood something.

But with life and identity at stake, neither the Emperor nor I had time to say much, and we both focused on treating the wound.

For the next few days, I carefully tended to the Emperor's injuries, brewing medicine and so on, and had no time to spare for An'er. I wondered if An'er felt something was missing without me to accompany her.

When I calmed down and had time to think, I was shocked to realize that those damn pests had actually chased me all the way to the imperial palace! They must have spotted me when I showed my face before leaving Jiang City!

However, the imperial palace was usually heavily guarded, so I didn't have to worry too much about safety. The Rite of Heaven banquet was probably just an accident.

I never thought that accidents would come one after another, nor did I ever think that parting would come so quickly.

Not long after the Rite of Heaven banquet was the Autumn Hunt. As a Noble Consort, Di An naturally had to attend. But that Emperor, whose brain probably wasn't working right, actually had her own woman and Di An ride in the same carriage. A few women crammed together, each with their own thoughts, made for a not-so-pleasant journey.

During the Autumn Hunt, I was too arrogant. Eager to show off my superb archery skills to An'er, I actually ran into the Jiangbei Old Forest and was ambushed. I had already sent An'er away, telling her to light a signal flare and wait for rescue. Who knew she would actually ride back on her own, and foolishly light the signal flare right there beside me. Such a huge commotion naturally attracted the assassins' attention, and I could only do my best to hold them off.

I don't know when a sword struck my back. I was already numb, only thinking of stalling for as long as I could. Reinforcements would arrive soon!

Reinforcements did arrive, but that damn assassin actually made a vicious move against the defenseless Di An, injuring her with a hidden weapon!

I was about to go mad with rage! The person I protected at the center of my heart was injured by an assassin just like that!

Despite my anger, I quickly treated her wound with slightly trembling hands. The Emperor also arrived with her people. Leaving them to clean up the battlefield, I quickly scooped Di An onto a horse and galloped towards the villa.

Halfway there, my vision had already started to blur. I don't know how I made it to the villa or how I settled Di An. After that, I passed out.

When I woke up again, only a short while had passed. I was lying on a soft couch, and my wounds had been properly treated. It took me a while to recover.

Looking at Di An lying on the bed again, I had already made my decision to leave.

I leaned down gently and kissed her.

Something I had dreamed of doing, I finally did in secret.

Even if it was just one unreciprocated kiss, it was enough.

Before leaving, I wrote a letter and left it behind. I went to see the Emperor one last time, then left the villa, left Di An.

I had figured it out. I was not strong enough now. I didn't have the ability to protect the person I wanted to protect. Living under someone else's roof was not a long-term solution!

I, Hua Ying, must seize control of Minghua Pavilion! Only with Minghua Pavilion would I not fear the malice from all sides. Only then would I have the power to protect the one I love!

Back then, I had fled from the southeast all the way to the northwest. Now, I was rolling back from the northwest to my southeast. I had to return to Minghua Pavilion as soon as possible!

I galloped on horseback, encountering three more assassination attempts along the way. Even later, I felt that it was truly a great fortune that I managed to survive.

It wasn't until I reached Minghua Pavilion and saw my father that I finally allowed myself to faint. These past few months, I had been truly exhausted.

They said I was unconscious for a full seven days that time. My father was so worried his hair almost turned white.

Unexpectedly, my father didn't scold me harshly for running away from the marriage. Perhaps he was frightened by my severe injuries and coma this time. He should be able to guess how much I had suffered outside these past few months.

I also told my father that I already had someone I loved, and that I had returned this time to gain the power to protect my beloved.

My father was silent for a long time, then sighed, saying something about a daughter not staying with her family when she grows up. Before I had gained control, I couldn't bear to tell the old man that the person I loved was a woman. And the Noble Consort of the current Emperor of the Great Yuan Kingdom at that.

Seizing control of Minghua Pavilion was not as difficult as I had imagined. I was already the Young Master; Minghua Pavilion would be mine sooner or later. I was just taking it over ahead of schedule. According to tradition, the Young Master only needed to become the number one "flower" in the Pavilion.

After months of real combat tempering, my inner energy was more profound, and my martial arts had greatly improved. I took the top spot with almost no effort.

Next was learning to manage the affairs of Minghua Pavilion. During the time I studied with my father, I stole moments of leisure to secretly miss my An'er.

Later, I heard that the Emperor Huo Jinyu's throne had been usurped by her imperial brother. I was terrified for a moment. My An'er was still in that imperial palace!

It was Emperor Huo Jinyu herself who went to a branch of Minghua Pavilion to deliver the news that An'er was safe and sound. Only then did I feel relieved. Emperor Huo Jinyu was indeed not to be trifled with; she actually still possessed a large number of followers.

I spent over a year truly mastering Minghua Pavilion. The hardships involved are hard to describe. I dealt with everyone who tried to obstruct me. It took an iron fist to suppress those in the Pavilion with ill intentions.

After taking control of Minghua Pavilion, the first thing I investigated was the people who had hunted me down back then, who had nearly killed me several times. I didn't expect that following the clues would lead me to the true culprit—the second young master of the Sheng family, Sheng Wanze!

I, Hua Ying, have always been one to avenge every wrong. This time, I personally took action and fought with that scumbag Sheng Wanze. Although Sheng Wanze's skills were profound, his practical combat experience was lacking, and he was soon defeated. Out of respect for my late mother's old friendship, I only crippled his hands and feet, turning him into a cripple for life. Naturally, the person who inherited the Sheng family would not be a cripple.

With this matter settled, I could finally go see my An'er.

Not long after, I heard that Huo Jinyu had fought her way back as a woman and reclaimed the throne. To repay her kindness, my Minghua Pavilion mobilized all its jianghu forces to fully support Empress Huo Jinyu in everything. I, Hua Ying, never forget a promise I've made.

According to the intelligence from Emperor Huo Jinyu, ever since Emperor Yuanye, Huo Jinye, usurped the throne, An'er had been living in the Star-Plucking Tower that Huo Jinyu had built on Qianzu Mountain.

So I packed my belongings, took my guards, and went to find my An'er. We hadn't seen each other for over a year. I wondered if An'er had missed me?

After several days of travel, I finally arrived at the foot of Qianzu Mountain. A feeling of apprehension, like returning home after a long absence, arose in my heart. It turned out that at some point, wherever Di An was, that was Hua Ying's place of comfort and tenderness.

I approached the door step by step, my heart pounding with excitement. I wondered if Di An would be surprised or something else when she saw me.

Finally, I pushed open that door. The figure sitting in the main seat reading a book was so serene. She was still graceful and elegant, her figure exquisite. Hearing the sound, she finally looked up and met my eyes. She froze, and the book fell from her hand.

"An'er, Hua Ying has come to get you," I said softly, unable to stop myself. I was nervous, afraid of hearing words of rejection.

Fortunately, Di An replied to me, "Miss Hua Ying, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

At that moment, I was truly about to cry with joy. An'er stood up, walked towards me step by step, and then kissed my lips.

I stood there stunned for a long while before I suddenly came to my senses! An'er had kissed me! She had finally accepted me! She had me in her heart!

I parted my lips, my tongue intertwining with hers. After a long moment, the kiss ended, and my face was already streaked with tears.

Having found such a beauty, what more could a woman ask for???

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