Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: 350. On the way, go meet that person called Su Liang

Chapter 350: 350. On the way, go meet that person called Su Liang

Translator: 549690339

Su Liang sighed, “Grand Master, you can’t force feelings. Yue Mei has the right to like you, and you have the right to reject her. You don’t have to feel guilty about it.”

Old Bai shook his head, “Coming here was an accident, and meeting you was an accident too. I’m just worried that Yue Mei will fixate on you because of me. She will surely go crazy after seeing your face. If she hurts you, I won’t be able to forgive myself.”

Su Liang knew that Old Bai had reached this age without getting married or having children and was already living a life of drunken oblivion, waiting for the end to come.

Old Bai’s words about ending his life along with Yue Mei’s were due to his concern about Yue Mei targeting Su Liang. The grudges of their older generation were affecting Su Liang.

Upon hearing this, Su Liang shook her head, “Grand Master doesn’t need to worry too much. Even without you, perhaps Yue Mei and I would inevitably confront each other sooner or later.”

Old Bai frowned, “Although you look a lot like my junior sister, as long as she hasn’t seen you, she knows nothing. But now that she thinks you’re my disciple, she will come after you sooner or later.”

“I know, but what I want to talk about is another matter.” Su Liang said, “I not only know Yue Mei’s granddaughter, but we are also good friends.”

Old Bai was stunned, “Her granddaughter? Who is she?”

“Her name is Ying Ying. Although Yue Mei claimed to Grand Master that she had a son born out of Shen Zhong’s violation, it is uncertain whether that’s true or if Ying Ying is that son’s daughter. After all, her surname is Ying, and I think there must be a reason behind that.” Su Liang said thoughtfully, “What I can be sure of is that Yue Mei is indeed crazy, unable to treat even her own grandchildren kindly, her mind completely twisted.”

Old Bai was deeply moved to learn that Gu Ling and Su Liang had already met Ying Ying long ago, and that Ying Ying also had a younger brother named Ying Ye. He sighed deeply, “After so many years, my understanding of Yue Mei is still stuck in our youth, and I have no idea where she went or what she has done since then.”

“That’s why, Grand Master, even now, you shouldn’t feel that the harm she suffered then is your responsibility. The truth is, you have no responsibility, you once loved her and cared for her, but the harm was caused by others. If anything, you are also a victim of Shen Zhong’s evil deeds. And the harm Yue Mei has suffered does not give her the right to hurt innocent people.” Su Liang said seriously, “If Grand Master is afraid to face her, it will only make her think that you truly feel guilty and wronged her, and she will torture you, and me, even more.”

Old Bai’s face darkened, “How dare she?”

“Don’t you think your Junior Sister was also wronged? Does she also owe Yue Mei an apology?” Su Liang asked.

Without hesitation, Old Bai replied, “Of course not!”

“Exactly. In their dealings with Shen Zhong and Yue Mei, Grand Master, you and Shen Qingxue are exactly the same. Shen Qingxue is innocent, so of course, you are as well. But think about what Yue Mei has done to Shen Qingxue? If you still feel a sense of old affection for Yue Mei, what about Shen Qingxue? She may have been tormented and humiliated; she may still be alive; she is your true sister.” Su Liang said.

Ever since that incident, Old Bai had been living in a daze, constantly evading the past, the future, and the complicated relationship and feelings between him and Shen Qingxue.

At this moment, hearing Su Liang’s words, Old Bai’s face was filled with pain, “Is she… still possibly alive?”

“Unless you have confirmed her death. If Yue Mei is still alive, why can’t Shen Qingxue be?” Su Liang countered.

For a brief moment, Old Bai’s eyes lit up, and his expression became excited, “You’re right. I’ve wasted so much time, I should have been looking for my Junior Sister earlier. Even if we can’t be together, I am her elder brother, and I should save her. I’ve been so confused, it’s been a lifetime of confusion!”

As he spoke, Old Bai shed tears again, “But it has been so many years, where can I find her now?”

Su Liang sighed softly, “Fate is indeed a game. All I want to say is, some problems will not fade away with time, and evasion is even more futile, only tormenting yourself day by day. Finding Shen Qingxue or facing Yue Mei are issues Grand Master should resolve.”

“I’ve lived for most of my life, and I’m not as clear-minded as you, a girl in her teens.” Old Bai’s expression was filled with shame.

Su Liang shook her head, “There’s no need for such a comparison; our experiences are different. Besides, I’m an outsider, so I can see things more clearly. It’s just that you, Master, have been immersed in the pain of the past and haven’t been able to get out. Yue Mei made her choices in life, and now it’s time for Grand Master to look ahead.”

Old Bai took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, suddenly slapping the table and standing up, “You’re right! I’m going to Liang Country to settle accounts with Yue Mei!”

Su Liang coughed lightly, pulling Old Bai’s arm down and gesturing for him to sit down, “Grand Master, rest assured, you will surely meet her again. There’s no need to travel thousands of miles to find her. What if she’s not in Yao City anymore? I need Grand Master to teach me poison techniques.”

Old Bai nodded immediately, “You’re right. I should teach you all the poison techniques. That’s the most important thing right now, or else I wouldn’t deserve to be called your Grand Master. I also need to stay and protect my disciple.”

Su Liang: …Protecting my disciple? Alright, the baby comes first.

As for the matter of Old Bai possibly being Su Liang’s uncle-in-law, she felt it was best to ignore it for now. Firstly, aside from their looks, there was no other evidence proving her connection to Shen Qingxue. Even if there was, it might not necessarily be a granddaughter or a granddaughter-in-law. Secondly, Old Bai’s love affair with Shen Qingxue and her brother was still a thorn in his heart.

Although Su Liang believed that Old Bai initially stayed and taught her poison techniques because of her appearance, their current master-disciple relationship had nothing to do with Shen Qingxue.

That day, Old Bai carefully planned Su Liang’s poison technique learning progress with her. As for the needed medicinal materials, the list had been given to Su Liang at the beginning, and she had Song Qi gathering them. Over the three months she had been away from home, the materials had been continuously collected and sent over, and there was now quite a large medicine store in the mansion.

That night, before bedtime, Su Liang talked to Gu Ling about Old Bai and Yue Mei.

Gu Ling looked into Su Liang’s eyes, “Don’t worry about your origin.”

Su Liang nodded, “I’m just a little curious.” The original master’s mother’s identity was unknown, but after so many years, she wondered if there would be anyone from her mother’s clan looking for her, and if it really had anything to do with Shen Qingxue.

Compared to Shen Qingxue, Su Liang was even more curious about the mysterious and powerful force that Old Bai mentioned had kidnapped her, which even made the Shen Zhong couple so eager to join.

Gu Ling narrowed his eyes slightly, “The legendary Immortal Island?”

Su Liang became interested, “The Immortal Island you mentioned before, Great God? What’s the legend?”

Back when Su Liang was kidnapped, Gu Ling had sent her to the riverside, talking about wanting a child, and later going out to sea together to find the legendary Immortal Island.

It was a legend circulating in the coastal areas of Yin Country and the northern part of Qian Country, which Su Liang didn’t know much about. Gu Ling had traveled to many places and heard some old people mentioning it.

But the legend was simply about a fairy island in the sea that only the destined could see, filled with heavenly treasures, where everyone was beautiful and powerful.

Su Liang laughed after listening, “Is it true or false? I thought there was only one fairy in this world.”

Gu Ling blinked, and Su Liang leaned over to give him a kiss, “It’s my Great God, the most beautiful and powerful.”

Gu Ling’s eyes suddenly deepened, he reached out to hold Su Liang, allowing her to lie on his chest, “If you like me so much, you can kiss me freely.”

Su Liang, smiling, leaned on Gu Ling’s chest, “I was thinking if there really is such a mysterious force hidden from the world that even a scumbag like Shen Zhong wants to join, it must not be a good place.”

If it were a peaceful utopia, what would Shen Zhong gain from it? It didn’t make sense.

“Ah,” Su Liang suddenly remembered another thing, looking up at Gu Ling, “Do you remember that an old man once sent me a note, saying he knew my secret?”

Of course, Gu Ling remembered.

They had speculated what the so-called secret on the note could be, whether it was about Su Liang being a Transmigrator. If that was the case, it would mean that there were other Transmigrators in this world.

But nothing similar had happened since then, Su Liang couldn’t confirm it, so she yawned, got off Gu Ling, hugged his arm, and closed her eyes, “Let’s sleep, just leave what we don’t understand for now.”

Ever since Su Liang had opened up to Old Bai that day, his mental state had improved significantly. Old Mu secretly asked Su Liang what she had talked to Old Bai about, and Su Liang said, “I just told my grandmaster that if he’s too depressed, it will have a bad effect on the baby.”

Knowing that Su Liang was talking nonsense, Old Mu didn’t ask any further, as he was also quite busy recently. Besides teaching Gu Ling the mechanism technique, Old Mu was doing another thing.

Previously when Su Liang wasn’t home, Qi Jun and Ren Dong had dug a secret chamber under the Yuanming Pavilion to store the poisons made by Old Bai.

Upon returning and inspecting it, Old Mu despised it so much that he caught Qi Jun and demanded a proper makeover of the secret chamber, while also expanding it.

Old Mu took action, naturally incorporating some powerful mechanisms. This was something he was good at and enjoyed doing, but he previously had no opportunity to use it. Now, for the sake of his disciple and unborn grand-disciple, he was bursting with inspiration and enthusiasm.

Qi Jun was very willing to listen to Old Mu’s orders, as this was a great opportunity to learn new skills.

As for Old Mu’s previous disciple, Mu Yu, he was now living in the capital city with no worries about food or clothing. Old Mu told him to see the world first and think about how he wanted to live his life before coming back to him.

In the meantime, Su Liang wanted to go and see what Old Mu was working on, but was stopped.

Old Mu said he wanted to surprise Su Liang and would not allow her to watch it in advance, nor allow Gu Ling and Qi Jun to reveal it beforehand.

Su Liang said she was looking forward to it.

At the end of May, the envoy sent to Liang Country returned, bringing back “good news.”

Situ Xie and Situ Han had agreed to continue the marriage alliance, sending Situ Yao to marry into Qian Country, while taking back the “sick” Situ Jing.

At the same time, the Royal Family of Yin Country also sent an envoy to Qian Country, proposing a marriage alliance.

Qian Country had no princesses of marriageable age to marry out, so Yin Country would send a princess to marry the new emperor, Duanmu Chen. His imperial harem was currently quite empty, and the selection of scholars had just begun.

For a moment, it seemed as if both Liang and Yin countries were trying to please Qian Country.

However, this was not really the case. When Su Liang met Duanmu Chen again, he mentioned it himself, saying that they must not be deceived by the superficial peace and still be on guard against an alliance between Yin and Liang countries.

As for the marriage alliance, it was mostly symbolic.

To suggest that the princess would be used as a hostage to force the other side to withdraw troops during a war was absurd.

On this day, Su Liang and Gu Ling went to the palace together, with Gu Ling going to give Duanmu Yi acupuncture.

Duanmu Chen asked Su Liang what she thought about the upcoming situation.

Su Liang replied, “Stabilize Yin Country and deal with Liang Country first.”

Duanmu Chen smiled, “That’s what I think as well.” In fact, he had discussed it with Qin Kang and Lin Shuzhi’s father, and they all believed that the biggest threat among the two was Liang Country.

Although the most recent war was fought against Yin Country, Liang Country had been scheming behind the scenes.

For many years, it has been said that Yin Country’s royal family is treacherous, but that is from Liang Country’s perspective. From Qian Country’s royal family’s point of view, they would prefer that Yin Country continue to be two-faced towards Liang Country.

Both upfront and hidden tactics were used by both sides, but the Liang royal family tended to be more warlike, while the Yin royal family preferred to gain benefits in other ways.

Thus, if Qian Country were to wage war against Yin Country, Liang Country would certainly take the opportunity to launch an attack, joining forces with Yin Country. It was because Liang Country had always hoped to fight Qian Country with Yin Country.

But, if Qian Country were to fight Liang Country, Yin Country might wait a long time before intervening, waiting for both sides to be injured and then reaping the benefits. As long as Qian Country could maintain an advantage when facing Liang Country, minimizing consumption and not giving Yin Country any chances, they would be fine.

It is difficult for Qian Country to genuinely befriend Yin Country, but stabilizing Yin Country and focusing on dealing with Liang Country first seems more feasible.

“So, do you think we’re ready for war now?” Duanmu Chen asked.

Su Liang shook her head, “No. Qian Country needs more time to train troops and select generals.”

As the old saying goes, as long as there is no war, Qian Country still has a chance to grow. Once the war begins, the situation is likely to become unfavorable for Qian Country.

Duanmu Chen sighed, “You’re right. But I’m worried that after these two years, Liang and Yin countries have truly allied.”

“Well, we could hope that Yin Country betrays Liang Country again.” Su Liang said calmly.

Duanmu Chen chuckled, “Since you think so too, I can rest assured.”

On the other hand, after Gu Ling’s acupuncture, Duanmu Yi clearly said, “What do you want?”

Gu Ling asked, “Where has Shaoyao gone? Where is Bai Yang?” Bai Yang was Ren Dong’s younger brother.

Duanmu Yi’s face regained some composure and sneered at Gu Ling, “If you want me to tell you, kneel down and kowtow first, then I’ll consider it.”

Gu Ling’s expression was indifferent, “The poison doesn’t harm the brain.”

Duanmu Yi’s face stiffened, as he heard Gu Ling continue, “Shaoyao has disappeared. If you hope that she sides with Liang or Yin Country and assassinates your only son who could become the emperor someday, you can keep silent. If Duanmu Chen dies, who do you think will take the throne?”

Duanmu Yi gritted his teeth, “You’re really bold!”

“Where are Shaoyao and Bai Yang?” Gu Ling asked again.

Duanmu Yi stared intensely at Gu Ling, “You swear to be loyal to Chen’er for the rest of your life!”

Gu Ling shook his head, “No.”

Duanmu Yi was so angry that he almost spit blood, but he still had some sense left in him. He knew that Shaoyao’s defection was a significant threat, and as much as he hated Su Liang and Gu Ling, he had to admit that they were still on the same side when it came to the bigger picture.

Moreover, what Gu Ling said about who would inherit the throne if Duanmu Chen died caused Duanmu Yi great internal pain. He knew that Gu Ling and Su Liang supported Duanmu Chen and that he was the best son of Duanmu Yi, the backbone of the Duanmu Royal Family. If something happened to Duanmu Chen, the Duanmu royal family would be finished.

In the end, Duanmu Yi told Gu Ling about Bai Yang’s whereabouts. As for where Shaoyao had run off to, he didn’t know.

After listening, Gu Ling gave Duanmu Yi another cup of tea, restoring him to his “original state.”

Anger overtook Duanmu Yi, and he passed out from fury.

Gu Ling found Su Liang and took her out of the palace and back home with him.

“Bai Yang is in Xiangyue City? That’s perfect, Sister Ying said her location is also near Xiangyue City. Let’s go home and discuss who will accompany Ren Dong on the trip.” Su Liang said.

Yao City.

Situ Xie looked at Madam Yue with a gloomy expression, “Your favorite granddaughter has not come back yet?”

Madam Yue’s eyes were cold, “I need to go back. Rest assured, my lord, once I find Ying Ying, I will bring her to you for disposal as you wish! I will also meet this Su Liang on the way!”