Chapter 126: Falling into the Scheme
Chapter 126: Chapter 126: Falling into the Scheme
Qiuxi helped her down from the carriage and into the small courtyard. The doors to the house were shut tight, and the entire courtyard was deathly quiet.
Liang Wan’s legs were incredibly weak. Standing at the door, she simply could not step over the threshold. She wanted to ask a question, but her throat choked up so much she could not utter a single word. She didn’t understand why, despite the intense hatred and resentment in her heart, she felt even worse than if she had died herself.
Liang Wan was half-supported, half-dragged inside by Qiuxi and Yao Jinse.
In the inner room, someone lay stiffly on the bed.
She had barely taken a step when the door slammed shut behind her with a loud BANG. Startled, Liang Wan looked over through tear-blurred eyes, only to see that Qiuxi had been knocked unconscious by someone hiding behind the door. Two other people lunged straight at her, covering her mouth and nose while pinning down her limbs. Before she could even get a clear look at the person on the bed, a sharp pain struck the back of her neck, and she lost consciousness.
Amidst bumps and sways, Liang Wan slowly opened her eyes. This time, it wasn’t just the back of her neck that hurt; with a slight movement, her entire body ached.
"Awan, I am doing this for your own good."
The voice was bone-chillingly cold, devoid of any emotion.
Lying on the floor unable to make a sound, Liang Wan stared blankly. It was her mother, the Madam of the He Family, who was supposed to have died by hanging. She was sitting right beside her. Her mother had actually teamed up with Yao Jinse to trick her!
Liang Wan’s throat hurt terribly. Her eyes widened in disbelief as tears streamed down, turning her eyes bloodshot.
However, the Madam of the He Family turned her head away, refusing to look at her. The absolute resolve on her profile was like a sharp knife, stabbing into Liang Wan’s heart again and again, making her tremble from the pain and instinctively struggle. But with her hands and feet bound and her mouth gagged, all her efforts dissolved into the most powerless whimpers.
Liang Wan stared fixedly at her, desperate to ask why. Was she not her biological daughter? Why treat her like this? Was it just because of her astrological birth data? But how could she be blamed for that? Had she asked to be brought into this world?
Liang Wan didn’t know how long she struggled, stopping only when her heart turned to ash and her body felt like a corpse, drained of every last ounce of strength. She closed her eyes. Whether she lived or died, so be it. If not for the thought of revenge, what else in this world was worth holding on to? What else could support her will to live?
Perhaps, she really should have died on that snowy night.
After a long time, she finally heard the dry voice of the Madam of the He Family.
"I am simply sending you to a temple to become a nun.
"Deceiving you was just an expedient measure.
"I cannot watch you continue down the wrong path. I hope you will retreat into the Buddhist life. This is for your own good, to wash away all your sins.
"You don’t need to worry. I will accompany you.
"I could never harden my heart before. I always thought we could find another way out, that as long as you obediently followed my arrangements, you could avoid everything. But I never expected that I was wrong. I watched helplessly as you ruined Ajiao, ruined Ashang, and brought complete ruin to the entire Liang Family. Originally, I just wanted to end my own life, and even thought about taking you with me. But having given birth to and raised such a disaster like you, how could I have the face to meet your Father and Awen in the afterlife!
"How could I have the face to meet them..." As she spoke, she covered her face and began to cry with suppressed sobs.
"So, I have thought it over," she continued. "I will accompany you in reciting scriptures and chanting to Buddha every day. I will help you beg Buddha for forgiveness for your evil deeds, and chant for the souls of those you killed to help them find peace. We will wash away your sins as soon as possible, so that one day in the underworld, we will have the face to meet them."
Liang Wan just lay there quietly, not knowing whether to cry or laugh. Everything was still supposedly "for her own good," making her look like the ungrateful one...
"As long as you listen to me, you’ll suffer less," the Madam of the He Family added. "Once you are shaved and ordained, I will have them untie you."
After that, the Madam of the He Family said no more. The only sounds were the galloping of horse hooves accompanied by the rolling wheels. They were likely traveling on a small road, moving fast and bumpy. They traveled for a very, very long time, and the carriage showed no signs of stopping. The temples around Jinye were absolutely not this far away, unless she was being sent away from Jinye entirely.
It wasn’t until the light inside the carriage dimmed that it finally stopped.
Yao Jinse lifted the curtain, poked her head in, and smiled faintly. "Mrs. Liang, Awan, we’ve arrived."
Seeing the gleam flashing in Yao Jinse’s eyes, Liang Wan’s heart sank to the bottom.
As Yao Jinse lifted the curtain and stepped aside, one of the burly men from earlier reached out his large hand. Lifting Liang Wan up like a little chick, he dragged her out of the carriage and threw her over his shoulder.
The Madam of the He Family followed numbly. It wasn’t until she saw the scene before her that she realized something was terribly wrong, the color instantly draining from her face.
Deep in the dense mountain forest stood an unfamiliar stronghold. Around the wooden palisades gathered a group of rugged, rough, bandit-like men. Upon seeing the man carrying Liang Wan, they immediately erupted into a flurry of excited commotion and shouts.
The Madam of the He Family grabbed Yao Jinse, who was just about to follow them.
"Jinse, this... this isn’t right! This isn’t the Purple Cloud Temple we were heading to—"
Yao Jinse glanced toward the stronghold’s gate, then turned back to give the Madam of the He Family an unusually sweet smile. "You are right, Mrs. Liang. This is indeed not the Purple Cloud Temple."
She was like a carnivorous plant brimming with venom, greeting her prey with the brightest, most beautiful appearance, waiting to swallow them whole.
Her lips pale, the Madam of the He Family gripped Yao Jinse’s arm tightly, unable to stop her mounting terror. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
"What am I trying to do?" Yao Jinse covered her mouth and laughed out loud. "Weren’t you regretting having given birth to Awan, Mrs. Liang? Since you couldn’t harden your heart, I will share the burden and do it for you."
With a wave of her hand, someone immediately stepped forward and yanked away the Madam of the He Family, who kept screaming and struggling. Frowning in disgust, Yao Jinse gave a signal, and the men promptly gagged and tied her up.
Yao Jinse shook her head, looking the Madam of the He Family up and down. "Awan is cursed with eight lifetimes of bad luck to have a mother like you. I was just worrying about how to make my move against her, but you actually helped me. If it wasn’t for you, she might not have willingly come with me. Don’t worry, Mrs. Liang, now that you’re here, I definitely won’t mistreat you!"
The Madam of the He Family’s eyes reddened as she let out muffled whimpers. She simply could not believe that this normally gentle and submissive daughter-in-law had suddenly changed her tune, let alone colluded with mountain bandits.
Seeing the Madam of the He Family in such a state, Yao Jinse shook with uncontrollable laughter. "Let me guess what you want to ask, Mrs. Liang.
"Are you wondering why we captured you?
"Oh, right, you just asked me what exactly I’m trying to do.
"It’s very simple. I want every single member of the Liang Family to die a horrible death!
"Especially Liang Wan!"
Yao Jinse glared at her viciously, then turned and walked away.
Liang Wan was carried deep into the compound. It wasn’t until they reached a dilapidated house that the bandit finally unloaded her and threw her onto the ground.
The mountains were chilly, and the house was damp and ruined, radiating a cold, musty stench.
The bandit pinched her chin, holding it as if grasping a piece of smooth, white jade, reluctant to let go. He grinned widely. "Do you know how long it’s been since the boys had a taste of a woman? Later on, you’re gonna have a hell of a time!"
"You’ve dropped her off, so why haven’t you left yet?" A figure stepped through the doorway, her eyebrows raised and her eyes sharp.
The bandit’s expression stiffened, and he had no choice but to stand up.
Yao Jinse cast a sideways glance at him. "It’s not even dark yet. What’s the rush? Go help out."
The bandit bowed and scraped his way out the door.
Yao Jinse blinked her bright, watery eyes, walked forward, and bared her teeth in a smile. "Awan, do you find it very strange?"