novelraw Chapter 828: The Three Great Fiends Renowned in Their Time
Chapter 828: The Three Great Fiends Renowned in Their Time
Seeing Han Yan being so kind to the old man, the surrounding merchants believed in Han Yunyun and that person’s words a bit more, their eyes full of gratitude."Elder, there’s no need for such courtesy." Han Yan quickly helped the elder up, and curiously asked, "By the way, Heishi City is considered prosperous nowadays, why travel thousands of miles to the Capital to do business?"
"Young master, you might not know, my ancestral home is originally in Songbai Ridge, south of Heishi City. Since childhood, I’ve been venturing out with my father, doing small business. Later, I settled in the Capital. However, friends and relatives from the clan stayed in Songbai Ridge, and these Golden Orchid Fruits were brought back when I went home to visit family a few days ago. Originally, I wanted to sell them as a novelty, but I didn’t expect to encounter such an incident." The old man said with a bitter smile.
"So that’s how it is." Han Yan suddenly realized.
"Songbai Ridge, you’ve been to Songbo Ridge recently?" Zirong suddenly grabbed the elder, asking excitedly.
"Yes, what’s the matter?" The old man looked at Zirong oddly.
"My fiancee, who hasn’t married yet, lives in Songbo Ridge, and her name is Yu Qingwan." Zirong explained. Before leaving, he entrusted Yu Qingwan to his confidant Uncle Wang’s care. That family was reliable and had always been good to Zirong. Later, after Zirong worked at the Mu Residence, he supplemented that family’s finances considerably, allowing them to live much better than before.
"Yu Qingwan." The old man thought for a moment, slapped his forehead and said, "I remember now, it seems I heard the girl’s husband works at the Mu Residence, so it was you. But..." At this point, the old man hesitated, his expression becoming somewhat strange.
"By the way, elder, have you seen my fiancee who hasn’t married yet? How is she doing, is her illness better?" Zirong asked expectantly, not noticing the old man’s strange expression.
"You don’t know?" The old man’s expression became even stranger.
"What’s the matter?" Zirong looked at the old man inexplicably.
Han Yan, however, noticed the old man’s strange expression, and suddenly had a bad premonition.
She knew about the matter between Zirong and Yu Qingwan; the two had been childhood sweethearts and had gotten engaged early on. However, because of Yu Wanqing’s illness, they had not married for a long time. When Zirong came to the Mu Residence to work as a guard, it was mainly to treat Yu Wanqing’s illness.
She had asked Zirong a few times about Yu Wanqing’s condition, and heard that the illness had improved significantly, so she hadn’t thought much about it afterward.
Seeing the elder hesitant to speak, Han Yan couldn’t help but speculate: could it be that her condition has worsened again?
"Elder, has Wanqing’s illness worsened again?" Zirong also noticed the elder’s abnormality by this time, and asked worriedly.
"Her illness has improved a lot, the last time I saw her, her complexion was normal... but, but just a few days before I left Songbai Ridge, your fiancee went to the city to get medicine and never returned. The little maid and driver accompanying her also disappeared, and your father-in-law’s family is searching everywhere for them." The elder hesitated for a moment but finally confessed. The elder evidently thought the family Zirong entrusted was Yu Qingwan’s own family, thinking that the confidant uncle was Yu Qingwan’s father.
"What!" Zirong’s entire body shook, his face ashen, his eyes immediately welling up with tears.
Han Yan’s face also darkened.
She understood more than anyone the depth of Zirong’s feelings for Yu Qingwan. The Yu Family was once a prominent family, though later it declined, it was also a well-known gentry family under Heishi City’s jurisdiction. Zirong, however, came from a fallen family, and with the Yu Family, there was no match either in social standing or in a match. Their marriage wasn’t dissolved, on the one hand, because the marriage was arranged before the Zi Family’s decline, more importantly because of Yu Qingwan’s unwavering fidelity. Later, when Yu Qingwan fell seriously ill, she exhausted the family’s finances in treating her illness. Unable to bear it, the family one day entrusted Yu Qingwan to Zirong and disappeared completely. Where they went, no one knew.
So Zirong’s deep affection for Yu Qingwan was understandable. He came to the Mu Residence to work as a guard not only to make money to treat her illness but also with the intention to make something out of himself.
Yu Qingwan’s misfortune, the anxiety and worry in Zirong’s heart could be well imagined.
"Young master, I would like to take leave and return to Songbo Ridge immediately." Zirong said with red eyes, urgently to Han Yan. Knowing of Yu Qingwan’s accident, he wanted nothing more than to sprout wings and fly back to Songbo Ridge right away.
Han Yan wanted to agree without a second thought, but seeing Zirong’s bloodshot eyes, his body unable to conceal the sharp killing intent, she suddenly hesitated.
At this moment, Zirong’s mind was clearly in chaos, even if he returned, what could he accomplish? Moreover, the Capital was tens of thousands of miles from Heishi City, the journey was far from safe, with that hostility about him, who knows how much trouble he would stir up before reaching Heishi City.
"What can you do by returning to Songbo Ridge?" Han Yan asked solemnly.
Zirong was already very restless, didn’t think too deeply, and was caught off guard by Han Yan’s question.
Considering the time, Yu Qingwan’s incident happened quite some time ago, just that the distance was so far that the news hadn’t reached. If there were any clues to be found, Uncle Wang would have surely found them already, and if not, his return would be no different.
"Maybe I’d return to find I can’t do anything, but I can’t just wait bitterly in the Capital." Zirong said with a bitter smile. However, his expression seemed to have calmed down all of a sudden.
Don’t be fooled by Zirong’s usual nonchalance; in truth, among the three guards of Han Yan, he was the most meticulous and cunning. The later reputation of the Demon Sword was not without cause.
It was simply because it concerned his fiancée that he momentarily lost his composure.
"If you trust me, let me handle this matter. You shouldn’t go anywhere, just stay by my side for now." Han Yan said, the reason needed Zirong to stay by her side was obviously to prevent him from causing trouble in his chaotic state of mind.
In her previous life, Zirong, with Hua Yue Jiang Yuzhe, was among the three killing stars of Anyun Country, known for vicious and ruthless methods, terrifying all who heard their names. However, after a year of acquaintance and observation, Han Yan discovered the three were inherently kind, not the merciless killers they were believed to be. It must have been a mishap that altered their nature.
The change in Hua Yue, Han Yan could surmise, was mostly linked to Yue Ji’s death.
However, due to her own rebirth, many things’ trajectories had also changed. The death of Yue Ji, though inflicted a heavy blow to Hua Yue, also exposed the temple, and Hua Yue placed all his hatred on the temple, so his disposition hadn’t changed dramatically.
As for the change in Zirong from that other time, could it be related to Yu Qingwan?
In any case, Han Yan hoped the same tragic fate wouldn’t befall Zirong again. The three killing stars, though renowned for a time, ultimately met no good end.
"Rest assured, young master, I will not lose my rationality." Zirong took a deep breath and said to Han Yan.