During the interrogation, Ye Lihen had been cautious, knowing that if he pressed too hard, Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng might suspect him of leading the witness. So, he had only hinted, leaving them with the impression that the mastermind might not be from Huolian Sect. He had hoped that Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng would take his hint seriously and uncover more of the truth from the assassin. But instead of acting on it, they had let the assassin escape, and Bai Jinshu had even thought Ye Lihen was too cold-hearted for not showing sympathy during the torture.
Previously, Bai Jinshu had suspected Ye Lihen because their whereabouts had been leaked despite careful precautions. But in reality, it was Lin Ling who had unwittingly betrayed them.
Even now, Bai Jinshu refused to believe that Lin Ling was complicit. That was the one point on which he and Ye Lihen differed. From a logical standpoint, Ye Lihen had assumed that Lin Ling’s first appearance, which disrupted their attempt to capture the three assassins, had been intentional. But Bai Jinshu, having known Lin Ling for nearly ten years, was certain that she was innocent and had merely been used. Looking back, Lin Ling had indeed leaked the location of the abandoned mansion, but she had likely been deceived into doing so.
Afterward, when Lin Ling left without a word, the Lin family could no longer track Bai Jinshu and his group. At that point, Lin Congyuan had been forced to abandon the assassination plan. Unable to stop Ye Lihen from speaking the truth, Lin Congyuan chose to discredit him instead.
Ye Lihen must have anticipated that Lin Congyuan would change tactics. From Ye Lihen’s perspective, he had feared that Lin Congyuan might kill someone and frame him for it. To avoid involving any innocent lives, Ye Lihen had suggested returning to Renwang Sect, knowing that the disciples there were particularly vigilant against sneak attacks. He believed that Lin Congyuan wouldn’t dare to act recklessly within the well-guarded Renwang Sect. Even so, Ye Lihen had continued to worry about Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng’s safety. His concern had blinded him to their martial skills, and all he could see was the danger they might face. That was why he had tested Bai Jinshu and even orchestrated the fake attack on Jiang Cheng.
After convincing himself that Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng were safe, Ye Lihen began to prepare for the possibility that Lin Congyuan would frame him. To prove his innocence, Ye Lihen had devised a plan with Mo Feixiao. Knowing that Mo Feixiao was a gambler, he had deliberately beaten him in a bet as soon as they arrived at Renwang Sect, leading Mo Feixiao to accept a second, more important wager.
When Bai Jinshu restrained Ye Lihen, and Jiang Cheng questioned him, Ye Lihen had asked for time to prove himself. But Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng had pressed him too hard. Ye Lihen had probably anticipated this scenario as well, but it didn’t help. No matter how clever or resourceful he was, he was still just a young man without much life experience. He had likely never endured such injustice before, and facing hostility from the two people he cared about most had been too much to bear. In the end, he had lashed out, breaking through the acupoint lock to escape.
He hadn’t expected Bai Jinshu to mislead him, trapping him in the cave instead.
… Trapped for four whole days.
Filled with disappointment, bitterness, and heartache.
All because Bai Jinshu had thoughtlessly declared his trust in Lin Ling, Ye Lihen had swallowed his pride and kept silent until Bai Jinshu once again placed baseless accusations upon him.
From the moment they had encountered those bandits in Feng City, Bai Jinshu had believed that Ye Lihen was capable of such cruel slaughter. Ye Lihen had known that this lie was Lin Congyuan’s first attempt at framing him. He had swallowed his pride and worked hard to defend himself, hoping Bai Jinshu would believe him, but Bai Jinshu hadn’t taken his words seriously.
Later, when Ye Lihen had been subjected to harsh questioning by Jiang Cheng and Bai Jinshu, he had warned them that they would regret their actions, that they would live with guilt and pain for the rest of their lives.
And now, in his final moments, he had left them with no words, not even a single character on the piece of silk by his side.
Bai Jinshu choked on his breath, unsure if the tightness in his throat was from sobs or screams, until blood surged up from his chest and spilled from his mouth.
… But what about Ye Lihen?
What about the blood he had coughed up in his own heart?
At that moment, when Ye Lihen had chosen to break through the acupoint lock, he had likely preferred to be trapped in the cave rather than face Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng, who had treated him with nothing but distrust and cruelty.
For four days, trapped in that cave, what had he been thinking? Had his disappointment in Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng only deepened?
He had told Bai Jinshu, “That time, when you rode back and smiled at the bandits, asking, ‘Can’t I just take a look?’ That was the moment. You’re the most unique person I’ve ever met.”
Now, did he regret meeting Bai Jinshu in Qingjiu Mountain? Did he wish Bai Jinshu had never turned back to smile and ask those bandits, “Can’t I just take a look?”
A shout rang out from the cave entrance.
“It’s finally open!”
Without waiting for confirmation, Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng shot towards the cave like arrows. At that moment, Bai Jinshu had no time to consider respecting his Martial Uncle or being considerate of his feelings. He was terrified of being even a step too slow, so without thinking, he squeezed past Jiang Cheng and into the passageway.
Inside the cave, Bai Jinshu realized it was pitch dark, and he had brought no source of light. Fortunately, Jiang Cheng produced a small firestarter, and the two of them used its dim light to search deeper into the cave.
In the depths of the cave…
Bai Jinshu’s body suddenly froze.
This time, Jiang Cheng was quicker, rushing to the side of the person lying on the ground.
“Ye…”
Jiang Cheng’s voice trembled violently, and when his hands touched Ye Lihen’s body, he recoiled as though burned. His hands began to shake uncontrollably, and with great difficulty, he reached out to check for a breath.
All Bai Jinshu could feel was overwhelming fear. He wanted to move forward, but his body was frozen in place.
Jiang Cheng seemed to age decades in an instant. His body collapsed weakly beside Ye Lihen.
“Little Ye… Wanzui…”
“Martial Uncle, let’s take Little Li outside. We’ll find a doctor.”
“It’s too late…” Jiang Cheng was sobbing uncontrollably.
Bai Jinshu felt like he couldn’t understand what his Martial Uncle was saying. He forced himself to move closer, inch by inch, towards Ye Lihen.
He saw that beside Ye Lihen’s hand was a piece of white silk torn from his robe. It was clear that Ye Lihen had tried to write something, as his fingers had been bitten through, with blood staining the silk a shocking red.
But in the end, he hadn’t written a single word.
In the end, he didn’t leave Bai Jinshu or Jiang Cheng even one word.
Bai Jinshu stumbled and finally knelt down beside Ye Lihen.
“Little Li… is this what you wanted to tell me?”
Did you want to tell me that you no longer had anything to say to me?
The person lying on the ground, eyes closed, had an expression as cold as his body. Once, he had always responded so earnestly to everything Bai Jinshu said, every playful jest. But from now on, he would never respond to Bai Jinshu again.
No matter how much Bai Jinshu wanted answers, Ye Lihen would never reply again.
Or rather, he already had.
At that moment, he had been so scared, so hurt, so bitter, so angry.
He had told Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng that he would make them regret it for the rest of their lives, feel guilty for the rest of their lives, suffer for the rest of their lives.
He had already answered Bai Jinshu.
In those final moments, before he could no longer speak, he had left his last answer for Bai Jinshu and Jiang Cheng.
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