Chapter 121: Which Is True, Which Is False? How Can One Discern?

“What exactly do you want from us, young lady?” Ye Wangchen suddenly narrowed his eyes, watching the woman with intense vigilance. He could sense a powerful murderous aura radiating from her, yet the hatred seemed not directed at him but rather concentrated on Yu Shang, who stood quietly beside him. Could it be that they had been too careless and fallen into a meticulously crafted trap, with the ultimate goal of taking Yu Shang’s life?

If that were true, he would be nothing more than a tragic sacrifice. But Yu Shang’s life would only be claimed by his own hand; anyone else who wished to seize it would first have to get past him, Ye Wangchen. A dark chill emanated from him, his deep eyes seeming able to swallow intruders into an endless sea of suffering. Even Yu Shang, standing nearby, felt a twinge of unease. At this moment, Ye Wangchen appeared like a malevolent spirit risen from the depths of hell. Those who dared to violate him would meet a fate worse than death. Clearly, this opponent was no ordinary challenge.

One must never underestimate anyone—even if they seemed inferior—because one never knew when they might rise again in a new, formidable form. When that day came, ignorance would breed only endless regret.

“I want you both dead!” The woman sneered contemptuously, then turned gracefully, stirring several splashes of water. The droplets flew into the air like dazzling pearls—beautiful to behold but in truth deadly weapons. As the water began to fall, she smiled coldly, gathered her energy, and swiftly struck toward the two men.

It is said that flowing water is ruthless. Yu Shang and Ye Wangchen this time truly understood the meaning behind those words. Fortunately, they had prepared well and responded with a flawless counterattack. Yu Shang summoned his inner energy, snatched a fallen leaf from the ground, and thrust it forward. The leaf, upon leaving his palm, transformed into a bloodless but lethal blade, gleaming ominously as it sliced through the water droplets, shattering them, then charged toward the woman.

Startled, the woman had not expected Yu Shang’s force. The situation was too critical for her to launch another attack, so she bent swiftly at the waist, narrowly evading the leaf’s assault. Ye Wangchen seized the moment, merging his hands to gather energy, then forcefully struck at the still-dazed woman. This time, she had no strength to resist and absorbed the blow, spitting blood before collapsing to the ground.

Ye Wangchen, his eyes blazing with rage, was unwilling to let her go. Without a hint of hesitation, he delivered a merciless palm strike. Seeing the danger, Yu Shang rushed forward, gathering his own energy to confront Ye Wangchen, who now seemed like a terrifying bloodthirsty demon. Their energies collided fiercely in midair, sending powerful gusts outward, striking all three of them and causing considerable injury.

The woman who had already fallen was hit once more. A cluster of white lotus flowers blossomed sorrowfully across her chest—both tragic and beautiful. Yu Shang, seeing the severity of her wounds, smiled helplessly and sat cross-legged to cultivate his energy for healing. Ye Wangchen, seemingly roused by the clash, clutched his head in pain. But no one had the leisure to tend to him; they could only let him fend for himself.

After some time, the three opened their eyes simultaneously. Their gazes met calmly, the earlier murderous intent vanished. Somehow, they shared a tacit understanding and chuckled coldly before rising, yet their eyes never left one another. It was as if the previous animosity had dissolved; none moved to strike, exchanging only faint looks in a strangely tense atmosphere.

“Do you still intend to silence us now? It’s useless. Doing so will only lead to mutual destruction. We do not wish to harm innocents over misunderstandings,” Yu Shang finally broke the silence softly. Though he still felt the woman’s subtle hatred, he hoped to avoid such a bitter end—after all, they had no previous ties to justify such a conclusion.

“Indeed. I want to kill you both to vent my hatred, but a good woman never suffers a loss without fighting. Sooner or later, we will meet again. Then, all old and new grudges will be settled at once!” The woman did not hide her animosity toward Yu Shang; she spoke candidly. A breeze lifted her veil gently, obscuring her face still but revealing a unique beauty beneath.

“You’re quite stubborn for such a young girl—no real power, yet such a sharp tongue. But let me tell you: only I have the right to take this boy’s life. Anyone else who dares touch a single hair on his head will pay tenfold in return!” Ye Wangchen said, a strange smile spreading across his face. His intuition warned him this woman, though beautiful, was a harbinger of disaster best not tolerated.

“After hearing that, I honestly don’t know whether to thank you or hate you. Anyway, I’ll try to live well before you claim my life. Life is short, and I have many enemies—if I don’t savor it while I can, it would be a pity. But I advise you to cherish your days too, because you never know when you might die by my hand.” Yu Shang’s seemingly carefree words carried a deadly edge, and his final cold smile sent chills down the spines of the other two.

“Fine, then. I want to see what tricks you, the lecherous scoundrel, can play!” The woman sneered disdainfully at Yu Shang, her eyes fixed on him as if willing to pierce through. Her expression suggested genuine animosity, yet Yu Shang had no memory of ever meeting her. How could such hatred exist without acquaintance? This inexplicable grudge was truly a headache.

“I’m curious though—what grudge do you hold that you’d kill him? Did he seduce and abandon you?” Ye Wangchen feigned realization with a sly grin, though he knew it was just a joke to lighten the mood. Based on what he knew, Yu Shang was incapable of such betrayal; his devotion to the woman in his heart was unquestionable.

“Stop talking nonsense, or I’ll cut your tongue out! And your treacherous deeds today are etched in my mind—I’ll make you pay for this one day!” The woman’s eyes flashed with anger as she stared at Ye Wangchen, though not with the same intense hatred she reserved for Yu Shang. Clearly, her ire today was aimed solely at Yu Shang, and Ye Wangchen was merely caught in the crossfire.

“Enough, we shouldn’t linger here. If we delay any longer, we’ll arouse suspicion. Young lady, we admit we were wrong today—please forgive us. We’re leaving now. Farewell!” With that, Yu Shang turned and strode away without looking back. Ye Wangchen snorted and followed, leaving the woman behind, bitterly cursing their departing backs.

Once they were out of sight, the woman’s expression returned to cold indifference. She waved gently over the water, and a figure emerged from beneath the surface. Dressed in black night attire, the person leapt ashore, remarkably dry despite just surfacing. She hurried anxiously to the woman’s side, silently examining her from head to toe, fearful of any mishap.

The woman smiled at the concern but soon regained her stern expression. “You must have seen clearly just now. Even with my skills, I couldn’t harm Yu Shang, especially now that he has others backing him. With your amateurish abilities, there’s no hope at all. I advise you to abandon this unrealistic obsession.”

“No! No matter how hard the path ahead, I will avenge my hatred. Until this wish is fulfilled, I will never find peace in death!” The figure in night attire spoke resolutely. Judging by the voice, it was a woman—one filled with bitter resentment. Just hearing her voice revealed the depth of her hatred for Yu Shang, though Yu Shang himself was completely unaware of her existence. How absurd that such enmity could go unnoticed by him.

“If you continue down this path of stubbornness, you’ll only follow in that man’s footsteps. I’m not trying to crush you, but with your skills, you can’t even approach him, let alone achieve such absurd revenge!” The woman persisted in her counsel. Though her tone was cold, genuine concern lay beneath her words. It was clear she truly cared for the woman in black, otherwise she wouldn’t bother speaking so earnestly.

“If I can avenge my great grudge, even at the cost of my life, so be it. I am willing. After all, there’s nothing in this world worth holding onto!” The woman in night attire said softly, a profound despair evident in her voice. She was so hopeless that she was willing to exchange her life for the sweet satisfaction of revenge. But what meaning did it hold? Once life was lost, even the greatest hatred ceased to matter.

“Hatred begets hatred with no end. Though I detest that man’s deeds, what can killing him change? Do you think it will turn back time? We both know that’s impossible. So why torment yourself with such bitterness? Better to let go, to free your heart.” The woman gazed at the night sky, sighing helplessly before speaking gently.

“You don’t understand my pain. Such torment is deeply engraved in my heart; I can never forget it. When he struck, I could only helplessly watch the blade fall, unable to stop the tragedy. Do you know how much it hurt? You could never comprehend it!” The woman in night attire spoke sorrowfully, as if haunted by a nightmare. Every time she closed her eyes, the memory returned, piercing her heart with unbearable pain.

Better to die heroically than live in such misery. If revenge required only her life, what difficulty was there? Since that night, she had been like a living corpse. For her, life and death were no different—perhaps the only difference was that she would take her enemy’s soul with her.

“I truly cannot understand your pain, but I do not want to see you fall into endless ruin, nor descend into the abyss. You say there is nothing left to cherish in this world—what of me? Am I not family to you?” The woman’s voice trembled as tears welled and soaked the thin veil covering her face, lending her a mournful, heart-rending appearance. Such a scene stirred sorrow deep within any who witnessed it.