Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 66

Dali?"

"Yes, Dali has abundant sunshine all year round, not as humid as the south of the Yangtze River, and even warmer than Suzhou in winter. It will be good for you and Uncle Jin's health. Moreover, southern Yunnan is under my grandfather's influence, so neither the court nor... will bother you anymore. You will be safe there. I have arranged everything, and you will live in Dali from now on. I will spend most of my time there with you."

"Su Yin..."

"Have you heard of Que Siming? He is the adopted son of the divine physician Que Linpei, and I am somewhat acquainted with him. He has already rushed from the Central Plains to Dali. He can surely cure the cold poison in your body."

Xiao Bao's eyes lit up for a moment, but then quickly dimmed.

Although Su Yin was always so reliable, Xiao Bao was still afraid to hope, because the taste of disappointment was too painfully memorable. He would rather believe he would end up disabled than fantasize about the slim chance of avoiding that fate. The cruelty of reality doesn’t become any more bearable with experience.

Xiao Bao nodded blankly and said, "I've heard that not only is he skilled in medicine, but his martial arts are also formidable, and he always wears a mask. It will be quite an opportunity to meet such a mysterious person."

Su Yin kept putting food into his bowl without a pause, saying as he did, "He's bad-tempered and extremely arrogant, difficult to get along with. But there's no question about his medical skills. Just don’t show any curiosity about his mask to his face."

Xiao Bao swallowed the questions he wanted to ask along with his meal, and he ate as quickly as he could. After a thorough wash, he emerged just as a servant came to inform them that Elder Jin had woken up.

Xiao Bao and Su Yin hurried over.

Indeed, they found Elder Jin lying on the couch, with Mrs. Jin sitting on the edge of the bed. The old couple immediately showed an excited expression upon seeing them.

"Dad! Mom!" Seeing his parents looking so worn made Xiao Bao's heart ache, and he rushed to them.

"Xiao Bao! Xiao Bao!! Are you hurt? Are you?? Oh?? You scared your father to death!!" Elder Jin fussed over Xiao Bao’s arms and legs, bombarding him with worried questions.

Xiao Bao and Su Yin exchanged glances, each seeing the hidden pain in the other’s eyes. Xiao Bao soothed Elder Jin's arm, "Dad, Mom, I'm fine. That day, Qi Xiaobin beat me up, but he padded me with thick books because he was afraid of leaving marks on my body. It hurt at the time, but it’s all healed now thanks to the medicine Su Yin gave me. Look, I don’t have a scratch on me now." Although he tried to appear casual by rolling up his sleeves, the memory of those cold needles shimmering with dull silver light made his body tremble uncontrollably.

The elderly couple looked at Xiao Bao skeptically as he rolled up his sleeves and opened his shirt, but seeing no scars and only his gaunt appearance, they were reassured.

Apart from Mrs. Jin's eyes brimming with cold tears, Elder Jin also couldn't hold back his tears, "Xiao Bao, Dad is sorry. It's all Dad's fault for harming you. Dad was too greedy. You and your mother... have suffered because of me." As he spoke, tears of guilt streamed down his face.

Mrs. Jin buried her face in Elder Jin's shoulder, her voice muffled as she cried, "My lord, how can this all be your fault? I was also blinded by greed. All these years, you have devoted yourself to this family... It's just that Xiao Bao... Xiao Bao... has suffered with us..."

Xiao Bao's heart was sour, but he didn't want to dwell on the past. He only hoped to bury all bygone troubles. He didn’t want to remember how his parents made their fortune or what they had done to Little Rain. Now that the three of them could still embrace and cry together, he asked for nothing more. He wrapped his arms around his parents and whispered, "Dad, Mom, I’ve never blamed you. Let's forget the past, let's not talk about it anymore. It's fortunate that we are all still alive. Su Yin is taking us to Dali, let's start anew there, forgetting all that has happened before..."

As the family embraced, filled with a mix of emotions, Su Yin quietly watched them for a moment before silently stepping out.

His bodyguard stood quietly outside, immediately looking up as Su Yin emerged, awaiting orders.

"Have you tracked down the position of Zong Zheng Huai En's subordinates?"

"Yes, young master, they are not far from us. We've cut off the trail, but with their tracking skills, they will likely find us within three days."

"We will start moving after sunset today. Send someone to lead them to the Twin Temples. You will escort the Jin family to Dali as quickly as possible with Zhao Cai and Jin Bao, while I will personally handle them." Su Yin's eyes flashed with a fierce determination, causing his longtime attendant to break out in a cold sweat.

As the setting sun cast its final glow, the frenzied preparations began. Zuo ying had been relentlessly pursuing for nearly three days. He was certain that Xiao Bao and Su Yin were within three hundred li of the mountain. However, finding them in such a vast area, especially someone as skilled as Su Yin, was no easy task. He feared that if he delayed any longer, his young master, in a fit of rage, might truly harm his brother. The more urgent he felt, the more chaotic his thoughts became.

Yet, three hours earlier, someone deliberately led them in a certain direction. Even knowing it was likely a trap, it was the only lead he had, and he had no choice but to follow.

After chasing for over two hours, the person who had been leaving traces finally revealed themselves and began leading them in a specific direction. Zuo ying, knowing it was likely a point of no return, gritted his teeth and followed.

This person wasn't particularly fast, merely matching pace with him, but because the distance was still great, Zuo ying couldn't catch up, only watching helplessly as he led them to a desolate location. A decrepit temple loomed ahead, the figure darting into it and disappearing.

Zuo ying signaled with a hand gesture, and his seven followers scattered in different directions, disappearing into the darkness. He himself approached the temple using a unique, floating yet rapid step technique.

Circling the temple twice, he detected no presence of anyone.

Pulling a small, hollow wooden cylinder from around his neck, thinner than a finger and only an inch long, he blew gently into it. Though silent to most, this device was a special signaling tool of the Unified Sect, audible only to those trained in their unique mental disciplines.

Soon, the hidden shadows of his seven followers flickered under the moonlight, moving closer to the temple.

Zuo ying silently drew his sword, taking the lead and leaping quietly through a window into the temple.

His animal instincts sensed the imminent threat, triggering an internal alarm, but his body couldn't keep up with the speed of his nerves. Zuo ying barely managed to turn his head as a figure, clothed in moonlit ink-blue with gold threads just visible to him, appeared in his peripheral vision. The sight of blood soon blurred his vision...