Chapter 31: Darkness, Planning

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Darkness, Planning

’That coward, Qian Yiqing. He’s gone, found his peace, ended it all. But what about the parents, wife, and child he left behind? What will happen to them now?’

’While they suffer this inhumane treatment, they must also endure the pain of losing a son, a husband, and a father.’

’Qian Yiqing, you’re a coward. Even in the afterlife, don’t you dare claim to be my, Hua Yusen’s, friend. It’s too disgraceful.’

"Ma, please take care of yourself. Eat more. I’ll come see you again tomorrow." Hua Yusen didn’t explain that he wasn’t Qian Yiqing. Now that his good friend was gone, he had to take good care of the two elders in his place.

Hearing Hua Yusen call his wife "Ma" brought tears streaming down Qian Zhengying’s face once more.

’His son’s life had been short, but at least he had a good friend who would remember him forever. His life hadn’t been a complete waste.’

"Yes, yes!" Old Madam Qian resumed sipping her congee. Hua Yusen used the moment to find some dry straw and two straw mats to fashion a windbreak. Once the wind was blocked, it was at least a little less cold inside.

Just as Hua Yusen was about to leave, he noticed the ashen-faced middle-aged man lying in the corner. He walked over and prodded his leg a few times.

The probing was extremely painful, causing the man’s emaciated muscles to twitch uncontrollably, but he didn’t cry out. He knew his leg wasn’t the source of his greatest pain; his broken heart hurt far more.

Hua Yusen had learned some bone-setting techniques from a former captain. After resetting the bone, he took out a small knife, whittled a few pieces of wood into splints, and bound them to the man’s leg.

"It’s better to live a hard life than to die an easy death. Don’t just give up," Hua Yusen said. "Only by staying alive is there hope. Once you’re dead, everything is gone!"

Upon hearing Hua Yusen’s words, a flicker of life returned to the man’s apathetic gaze, only to vanish an instant later.

’What’s the use of going on? My whole family is dead.’

’I’m just a painter, someone who depicts the world with a brush. I never offended anyone, never hurt a soul. Why have I met such a fate?’

"Thank you for the encouragement." The middle-aged man’s voice was low and feeble, but not entirely hopeless. "Having endured all this, the fact that I’m still alive must mean I’m still attached to this world. I guess I won’t die so easily after all."

"Young man, if us old-timers aren’t thinking about dying, you shouldn’t be either," Sun Haoran said gravely.

The others remained silent. They all felt that while they might not be perfect saints, they were certainly not unforgivable sinners.

Hua Yusen diligently treated everyone’s wounds and gave a few instructions before finally heading out.

But out in the darkness, Hua Yusen’s keen sixth sense told him he was being watched.

He turned to look at the river, and in the faint moonlight, he saw a woman’s face emerge on the water’s surface.

’Is that a ghost?’

Hua Yusen couldn’t believe it, but he trusted his own eyes.

The woman’s face was familiar—it was the sharp-tongued Zhao Nuanyue.

’Am I dreaming of her because I was thinking about her?’

’At a time like this, my mind still drifts to Zhao Nuanyue. Have I really started to fall for her?’

Hua Yusen closed his eyes and shook his head.

Trying to clear the illusion from his mind, he opened his eyes again, but Zhao Nuanyue was gone.

’I’m a highly trained man with immense willpower. I can’t let a woman or a single incident sway my thoughts and intuition.’

Muttering to himself while scanning his surroundings, Hua Yusen quietly slipped away from Nianqiao Village.

Zhao Nuanyue’s underwater consciousness shadow patted her chest, her heart still pounding from the close call.

’Heavens, that man almost discovered me again!’

’I have to admit, Hua Yusen’s awareness is incredible. I was just watching him secretly, without making a sound, and he still sensed me.’

Zhao Nuanyue knew she couldn’t be careless. If a similar situation arose, she would have to stay hidden underwater and not reveal herself at all.

Now, Zhao Nuanyue was even more curious about the identities of those five people, especially the elderly couple Hua Yusen treated so deferentially.

Zhao Nuanyue pitied them, but she currently lacked the power to help them openly.

She decided to wait until her own situation was more stable. If an opportunity arose, perhaps she would lend them a hand.

The next night, Hua Yusen came again to deliver some food to the elders.

This time, when Hua Yusen emerged from the shack, he didn’t have the feeling of being watched.

Coming every night wasn’t an effective way to protect the people his superiors had entrusted to him, so Hua Yusen knew he had to find another method.

After a secret arrangement with his superiors, Hua Yusen transformed his identity. He became a youth assigned to support the development of Nianqiao Village, which would allow him to openly get close to the people he was protecting.

When Miao Dahai led Hua Yusen to the Dragon King Temple, Zhao Nuanyue recognized him at a glance, even though he was in disguise—his hairstyle was different, his face had been altered, and he now sported a full beard.

Miao Dahai and the other youths didn’t notice a thing, which made Zhao Nuanyue marvel at her own powers of observation. ’When did I become so perceptive?’

There was a spare room in the Dragon King Temple, which was just right for Hua Yusen.

Yang Guanghui was an outgoing young man. Thrilled to have another man his age around, he eagerly helped Hua Yusen clean out the room.

There were three women and two men living there, but Zhao Nuan Yang wasn’t much of a talker, which had been driving the sociable Yang Guanghui crazy.

Since Hua Yusen was on a mission, he made an effort to get along with everyone. Within half a day, he had already become friendly with the group.

In the middle of the night, Hua Yusen slipped out and vaulted the wall alone.

He went to a patch of grass at the village entrance, retrieved a bundle hidden there, and hurried toward the shack.

Zhao Nuanyue realized anew just how important the elders in the shack must be for Hua Yusen to go to such lengths to protect them in secret.

Seeing this gave her an idea. ’In my past life, I was trampled on, passed around like a gift! It was my stepfather’s shamelessness, yes, but it was also because I had no power, no backing, and no one to protect me.’

’If I can make friends now and help them, maybe I can turn to them for help when I’m in danger in the future.’