Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 439 I like you
Yan Hengyu shoved her away, staggered back two steps, and muttered to himself like a madman.

“I would rather die than submit to Li Baizhou. I actually thought she was having an affair with Li Baizhou. I even caused the death of Aci. I killed my own daughter.”

He staggered out.

The scene before her changed again. Yan Ciwan arrived at the mausoleum, where a familiar tomb stood before her—the tomb of her mother, Ning Qingyang.

Yan Hengyu had traveled an unknown distance; he was covered in dust and his face was weathered.

He staggered and knelt before the tombstone, his eyes bloodshot and his voice hoarse.

“Ah Yang, I promised you I would take good care of Ah Ci, but Ah Ci is dead. I killed her…”

The tombstone stood there motionless, offering no response.

Yan Hengyu hugged the tombstone and sobbed uncontrollably: "I'm sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn't have disbelieved you."

Yan Ciwan watched this scene quietly, her heart unmoved.

A belated confession is meaningless.

“I rose up in rebellion at all costs to seize power, all to kill Li Baizhou. He killed my best brother and defiled the woman I loved most…” Yan Hengyu said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Now I have finally succeeded, the world is mine, but what is the point? Family, friends, wife, daughter… I have nothing left.”

A snowflake drifted down and dampened the tombstone.

Yan Hengyu looked up at the gray sky, his expression becoming dazed.

"It's snowing! I didn't expect it to snow in Xizhou. Ah Yang, you're not well and you're most afraid of the cold. Will you get cold underground? Is there anyone to shelter you from the wind and snow?"

More and more snowflakes fell, swirling and fluttering down.

He slowly drew the sword from his waist; the blade was wet with snowflakes, reflecting his empty, wooden eyes.

“Aci, it was Father who harmed you. Father will pay with his life.”

Yan Ciwan closed her eyes.

The cold wind howled, as if someone was crying out in sorrow.

A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Yan Hengyu leaning against the tombstone, with a deep wound on his neck that exposed bone, from which blood flowed continuously, staining his clothes red.

He tossed aside the knife, reached out and hugged the tombstone as if it were his most cherished treasure.

More and more snowflakes fell, covering the bright red blood and freezing his face.

Familiar piano music drifted from afar.

Yan Ciwan was a little surprised; it was Li Wang playing "The Returning Man".

She took one last look at Yan Hengyu. It was impossible for her to be completely unmoved. She and Yan Hengyu had been father and daughter for fifteen years. She used to regard him as a hero and sincerely respected and loved him. But after experiencing many things, she resented him and hated him.

Now, all the grudges have fallen silent with Yan Hengyu's death.

Yan Ciwan withdrew her gaze and turned to walk in the direction from which the sound of the zither came.

The journey was extremely long; she walked for a very long time before she finally saw Li Wang.

He sat on the veranda playing the zither, the night behind him as dark as ink, a full moon hanging in the night sky, its gentle light shining on him, making him seem to glow in the darkness.

Yan Ciwan was drawn to him and walked over.

The night wind rises, and the music stops.

Li Wang seemed to sense something and looked up, but could only see an empty space.

He smiled slightly: "Aci, I knew you were here."

Yan Ciwan stopped in front of him and reached out to touch his face.

Her fingertips pierced his face. A pang of regret shot through her, and she silently withdrew her hand. Thinking that he couldn't hear her anyway, she didn't need to hold back and spoke directly.

"Liulang, I like you."

Li Wang said, "Take good care of yourself. I will wait for you until the end of the year. If I haven't received any news from you by New Year's Eve, I will personally lead troops to Xizhou to demand your return."

"Liulang, I miss you so much."

Li Wang said, "You need to come back soon, I miss you very much."

Yan Ciwan laughed: "Okay."

……

When Yan Ciwan woke up, it was already the next morning.

She got up, dressed, and went out to meet her companions. They had a simple breakfast and then continued on their way.

Time was of the essence, and they had no time for sightseeing, rushing to Mi City as quickly as possible.

Mi City, as the capital of Xizhou, is the largest town in the entire Xizhou, and the Xizhou Royal Palace is located here.

The city of Mi is under martial law; entry is permitted but exit is not. Furthermore, everyone entering the city must be strictly checked to prevent spies from infiltrating and gathering information.

Yan Ciwan said, "The four of you stay outside the city. I'll go in alone and check the situation."

Chaolu asked worriedly, "What if you encounter danger while you're alone?"

"I'm better able to act alone, don't worry. With my martial arts skills, no one in the entire Secret City is my match."

Li Chengge glanced at the soldiers stationed near the city gate and asked, "Won't you be recognized when you enter the city?"

“Yes, I used to accompany the King of Xizhou to and from the military camp, and almost everyone in the Zhenxi Army has seen me. They will definitely recognize me at a glance,” Yan Ciwan said calmly. “Although the King of Xizhou wanted to kill me, only a very few people knew about it. In the eyes of the Zhenxi Army and all the people of Xizhou, I am still Princess Leyou. The reason the King of Xizhou raised an army was to avenge Princess Leyou, but now that I have returned safely, he has no reason to send troops again.”

Du Lingzhou stroked his chin: "The method is good, but in doing so, you will be exposed to the King of Xizhou, and he may very well kill you."

"Will not."

Du Lingzhou looked her up and down: "Why are you so confident? Do you have some trump card that none of us know about?"

“I just know him better than you do. The reason he raised an army was twofold: first, for the sake of Crown Prince Renxian, and second, for the sake of my mother. If I can resolve his hatred by addressing these two issues, he should back down.”

Chaolu was still very worried: "What if he suddenly becomes vicious and doesn't recognize his own family? No matter how good your martial arts are, you can't fight against four people with two fists. We can't let you take the risk alone."

Yan Ciwan calmly said, "Since I have decided to return to Xizhou, I have already prepared for the worst. It would be best if he could listen to my advice and stop, but if not, then I will kill him."

Li Chengge frowned: "If you kill the King of Xizhou, you will definitely not be able to get away with it."

"If I could exchange my life for peace in the world, it would be worth it."

Yan Ciwan's words caused all four people present to fall silent.

After a moment, Li Chengge broke the silence first.

"Since you've made up your mind, then go for it. We'll do everything we can to help you. Here's a pack of explosives we got from Si Buping. Take it with you; it might save your life in a pinch."

Chaolu now understood that the situation was pressing and she had no time to hesitate. She took out a small sachet from her bosom.

"This contains a special blend of spices that I made myself. As long as it touches a person's skin, it will cause unbearable itching all over their body. Ah Ci, take this just in case."

Uncle Nine took out a pipe from his bundle: "This is something Sixth Brother specially prepared for you. If you encounter danger, light it. Once we see the smoke, we will try our best to get into the city to help you."

Du Lingzhou raised his chin: "I don't have anything to give you, but if you need it, I'm willing to risk my life to help you."

(End of this chapter)