books44 Chapter 297: The Head of the Yin Family
Chapter 297: The Head of the Yin Family
Chapter 297: The Head of the Yin Family
Just as Yin Lie was about to seize the throne, the Yin family was massacred overnight, with no one surviving. Yin Lie returned to the mansion that very night and saw piles of corpses and rivers of blood on the ground.
But among all the corpses he saw, he couldn't find his fifteen-year-old daughter. He was both worried and overjoyed, and later he found his daughter, Yin Ling, in a cabinet.
Seeing that his only daughter was still alive, Yin Lie said excitedly, "Ling'er, Father will take you away from here and live in seclusion in the mountains."
But as soon as they stepped outside, men in black shot poisoned needles. It was hard to guard against a hidden arrow, and that's when Yin Lie's eyes were injured. Yin Ling was also ambushed. Yin Lie fled the Yin family with Yin Ling and stopped in the wilderness.
Yin Ling collapsed to the ground and couldn't get up. Yin Lie wanted to take her to find a doctor, but Yin Ling grabbed Yin Lie's hand and said, "Father, you must stay away from the martial world, otherwise I will not die in peace."
Seeing the pain on his daughter's face, Yin Lie said, "Ling'er, I promise you, if you live well, I will take you to live with me." He died right after saying this. Then Yin Lie disappeared.
Tang Yao's death reminded him of Yin Ling. In the first half of his life, he neglected his family for the sake of status in the martial arts world, and in doing so, he caused their deaths. He lived a lonely and desolate life in his later years, and Tang Yao's kindness to him may have just filled the void of that lost family affection.
Lu Yu told Ji Meiqing some things about Yin Lie. Ji Meiqing also felt sorry for Yin Lie. Yin Lie was a martial artist, and recruiting him might not be a bad idea.
“Uncle Yin, Brother Lu and I are both businessmen, always traveling all over the country. Why don’t you come and do business with us? It’s better than staying in this desolate place.” Ji Meiqing walked towards Yin Lie and looked at him sincerely.
Yin Lie stood there, somewhat dazed, staring at Ji Meiqing. After a long while, he said, "If Ling'er were still alive, she would probably be about your age now." Looking at Ji Meiqing, he thought of his deceased daughter, and his heart was filled with emotion.
“The dead cannot be brought back to life, Uncle Yin. You still have to live your life. You must be lonely here all by yourself,” Ji Meiqing kindly advised, and Yin Lie finally agreed.
Last night, Tang Yao also went to the coachman's room. The coachman had been unconscious all night before waking up. When he came downstairs, he saw Lu Yu and Ji Meiqing waiting for him. He smiled awkwardly.
Yin Lie packed his things and got into the carriage. As soon as he got in, he fell asleep, and Lu Yu and Ji Meiqing could only smile helplessly.
Because of Tang Yao's matter, they had been delayed quite a bit at the border of Rongcheng, so the coachman continued their journey through the night. By evening, Ji Meiqing was quite hungry, and there wasn't much food in her bundle. She had only brought a few hard flatbreads with her when she left home, but they were enough to fill her stomach.
Ji Meiqing took out three cakes, giving one to Yin Lie and one to the coachman, while she and Lu Yu shared one. Yin Lie watched, then looked at the cake in his hand and felt embarrassed to be eating food meant for young people. He wanted to return the cake to Ji Meiqing, but she stopped him, saying, "Uncle Yin, please have some. The journey to Jiangnan is long; you can't go without eating something."
Hearing Ji Meiqing's words, Yin Lie could only eat the cake in his hand. After finishing, he told the driver to stop the carriage, got off, and disappeared into the night with a light-footed movement. Ji Meiqing was a little confused, wondering if she had done something wrong to anger him. She looked at Lu Yu with a distressed expression, and Lu Yu patted her head, indicating that she shouldn't think too much about it.
Yin Lie left, and it was unknown whether he would return. Ji Meiqing said, "Driver, stop the carriage for a moment and wait for Uncle Yin."
Sure enough, after a while, Yin Lie returned, carrying a prepared pheasant, a tree stump, and a few sticks. Ji Meiqing knew from this that she was in for a treat that night.
Yin Lie used his internal strength to split the tree stump, then used a stick to prop up the pheasant. Lu Yu got off the carriage to help start a fire, and soon the darkness was finally illuminated, and the air was filled with the aroma of meat. Ji Meiqing got off the carriage and sat down by the fire, and the others followed suit. In this way, the group gathered around the fire, watching the pheasant slowly roast.
Although it was spring, it was still a bit chilly at night. Ji Meiqing looked at Lu Yu beside her, leaned closer to him, and rubbed his shoulders. Lu Yu then pulled her into his arms.
Perhaps because the night was slightly cool, and the fire wasn't very strong, the pheasant took a long time to cook. Ji Meiqing had fallen asleep in Lu Yu's arms early in the morning. Looking at the person in his arms, he didn't want to disturb her rest, but he was also worried that she was hungry, so he gently called her name.
After a while, Ji Meiqing heard Lu Yu calling her. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked at Lu Yu. Lu Yu gestured for her to get up and then handed her a chicken leg. Ji Meiqing saw the golden-brown roasted chicken leg, immediately sat up, and took a bite. She almost spat it out; it wasn't salted, which was really unusual. But her stomach was growling with hunger, so she had no choice but to eat it.
Seeing her like this, Lu Yu felt a pang of heartache and patted her back, saying, "Eat slowly, don't choke."
After the group finished the whole chicken, they sat around the fire. Ji Meiqing looked at Yin Lie, smiled, and thanked him. Yin Lie appeared unmoved, but Ji Meiqing could tell from the change in his expression that he accepted her thanks.
Two days later, Ji Meiqing and her group arrived at the border of Jiangnan. The border was sparsely populated, but unlike Rongcheng, it wasn't desolate. The Jiangnan border had flowers, grass, and mountains.
The grass wasn't too dense, nor too sparse; from a distance, it was lush and verdant, refreshing the mind and spirit. I didn't know what kind of flowers they were, as it was only early spring, and they were all buds.
Red, yellow, and purple flowers mingled among the grass, disappearing in the wind. The mountain stream flowed slowly down, disappearing into the valley below like a small waterfall. In summer, when the flowers bloom and birds flock, this place will be a paradise of birdsong and fragrant blossoms, a veritable fairyland.
Ji Meiqing, Lu Yu, and Yin Lie all alighted from the carriage. "Brother Lu, let's come here in the summer; the scenery will be beautiful then," Ji Meiqing said to Lu Yu, admiring the view. Lu Yu put his arm around Ji Meiqing's waist and replied, "Okay!"