"Girl, not bad."
"You've been utterly sincere to me. I, Old Zheng, shouldn't bite the hand that feeds me. But unfortunately, our paths diverge, and we're bound to go separate ways."
"Just think of your whole - hearted devotion as wasted on a dog."
Zheng Ji didn't want to look at her. His tone was even colder than usual.
Li Ying frowned tightly. However, Concubine Lian seemed to be in high spirits and laughed smugly.
"Brother Zheng is so decisive. I'm truly impressed."
"In the past, I was too suspicious. Please forgive me for my youthfulness, brother."
She swaggered up to Li Ying and looked down at her haughtily.
"Li Ying, I know what's on your mind."
"You think Brother Zheng was just putting on an act with me? Well, today I'll tell you clearly."
"Brother Zheng has long been mine. Back then, feigning loyalty to you, sending that black donkey hide, and playing those little tricks were all just to hook you in."
Getting more and more excited, she spared no details in revealing how Old Zheng had sent the red - maned horse to scout Lu Xunguang's whereabouts, intercepted the falcon secretly, and lured Li Ying to Yan Island to plot against the Yan Mansion. In the end, she looked at Li Ying nonchalantly.
"Are you wondering why the pirates were fine even though you drugged them? It's because Brother Zheng and I are in cahoots. This sleeping drug has been in my hands for over a decade, and I've had the antidote all along!"
The more she talked, the more excited she became. There was a fierce fire in her eyes, and her thin, scarlet lips moved tirelessly, pouring out all her grudges.
"Do you think I'm stupid? No, Li Ying, you're doomed. Brother Zheng knew you'd come to confront us today. Do you think you can walk out of this donkey stable alive after learning so much?"
Concubine Lian advanced on Li Ying step by step. With a wave of her hand, several ax - wielding guards immediately emerged from behind and surrounded Li Ying menacingly.
All of Li Ying's last glimmers of hope vanished in an instant.
"Uncle Zheng, why?"
She was still trying to figure out the best escape route in her mind when suddenly everything before her eyes blurred, and she smelled a faint scent of Chinese honeylocust.
Lu Xunguang was standing in front of her. His back was as rigid as an iron plate, and only a barely perceptible tremor could be detected in his voice.
She instinctively reached out and gently grabbed his hand.
Concubine Lian recognized him too. She clapped her hands, sneered, and took two steps forward.
"Lu Xunguang, it really is you."
"Back then, Brother Zheng suspected you'd survived, but I didn't believe it. I never thought you'd be hiding in this little fishing village, eking out a living until now?"
This man had been with Li Ying day and night. Just thinking that he'd had dozens of chances to strut right in front of her and her husband in the past few months made Concubine Lian break out in a cold sweat.
Lu Xunguang ignored her and just stared fixedly at Old Zheng, asking in a deep voice, "Uncle Zheng, why?"
Zheng Ji just rubbed his tobacco pipe in silence. It was hard to tell whether he was too ashamed to speak or simply disdainful.
"Master Lu, your useless mother really raised you to be a simple - minded fool. You know nothing about the dirty secrets of your Lu family."
Concubine Lian chuckled softly. She stepped past Zheng Ji, walked up to Lu Xunguang, and looked down at him condescendingly. Her voice even carried a hint of mockery and pity.
"Your mother was quite a beauty back then. Both my husband and Brother Zheng were willing to bow down to her. But in the end, this woman chose the big boss of the Ping'an Bank and lived a life of luxury."
"Brother Zheng, being a gentleman, gave up the love of his life. But he never expected to be betrayed by his brother. His beloved took the blame for him and died miserably. He himself lost a leg and became a beggar, neither human nor ghost."
"Tell me, if this happened to you, wouldn't you want to raze the Lu family to the ground?"
Zheng Ji didn't refute, which showed that what Concubine Lian said was probably true.
"Alright, A Xun, I'm your step - mother after all. I failed to see you off on your last journey that day. Today, I'll do it myself. On the road to the netherworld, you won't be lonely with a beauty by your side."
Concubine Lian lost her interest in chatting. With a wave of her hand, several killers were about to rush forward.
Lu Xunguang pulled Li Ying tightly into his arms.
She understood his intention and quietly took out two coconut - shell smoke bombs from her space. As soon as Lu Xunguang took a deep breath and leaped into the treetops, she lit the bombs in one smooth motion and threw them at Concubine Lian!
By the time Concubine Lian's people managed to break through the thick fog, the two had already disappeared without a trace. How could they catch up?
Zheng Ji snorted coldly, his face ashen. He turned around and went back into the house.
Lu Xunguang carried Li Ying and ran all the way. He whistled, and the red - maned horse galloped through the clouds and the moon towards them.
He nimbly mounted the horse, held her in front of him, and headed straight for the deserted beach.
Seeing that there were no pursuers behind them, Lu Xunguang finally loosened the reins and gently helped her off the horse.
"Lu Lang?"
Li Ying carefully observed his expression, hesitating to speak.
"A Ying, Concubine Lian is ruthless. Since you knew she'd colluded with the pirates, why did you go there alone and hide it from me?"
Under his questioning, Li Ying had no choice but to lower her head honestly. Her voice was rarely lacking in confidence.
"I... I didn't mean to hide it from you. It's just... You and Uncle Zheng are like father and son. I didn't want to encourage you to doubt him, nor did I want you to be kept in the dark. So I had to make my own decision..."
How could Lu Xunguang not see through her thoughts? He sighed and said, "A Ying, am I such a weakling in your eyes that I can't handle the storm?"
He'd grown up beside Zheng Ji. This sleeping drug was a long - kept secret of the horse caravan in the past.
As soon as Li Ying took it out, he smelled it immediately. He also knew that only Zheng Ji could possess such a thing now.
"So... you've suspected Uncle Zheng for a long time?"
Lu Xunguang nodded and said in a deep voice, "I really didn't know he'd become lame because of my parents' affairs. The former leader of the feared horse caravan in the jianghu has ended up in such a desolate state. It's only natural for him to hold a grudge."
Although his words were calm, a faint look of disappointment still flashed across his eyes.
Li Ying couldn't imagine how painful it must be to be stabbed in the back by someone you regarded as a father. She could only obediently nestle in his arms and comfort him softly, "Lu Lang, you still have me."
"Even if the whole world betrays you, my heart is not a stone that can be turned."