Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 82: Why Did You Betray Me?

　　The final battle still came in the end.

　　That morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the three of them left the house.

　　The agreed location was deep in Wuyi Mountain, on a deserted cliff. The area was high up, with a fairly flat surface. There were no trees around, only a stretch of yellow dirt and scattered rocks, making it a perfect natural arena.

　　This place had been chosen long ago. They made their way there in silence. You Qianhe hadn’t arrived yet, but plenty of martial artists were already waiting nearby to watch the show.

　　When the three of them appeared, all eyes turned to them.

　　But everyone understood this wasn’t the time for chatting, so no one came forward to greet them. They simply watched from the side.

　　He Ziqing walked straight to the center of the platform, crossed his arms, and stood there without moving.

　　His eyes were lowered, not looking at anyone, as if saving his strength.

　　An Jiu glanced around, then pulled Lin Qingyan to a spot that was good for watching but not easy to get caught up in the fight. It was a tall rock. Since An Jiu didn’t know martial arts, she asked Lin Qingyan to help her climb up. The two of them quietly sat on top of the rock.

　　At this moment, Lin Qingyan’s mood was surprisingly calm. After An Jiu’s repeated reassurance and a heartfelt talk with He Ziqing the day before, she no longer believed he would die. In fact, she was now full of confidence in him.

　　Maybe this was what people meant when they said ‘love is blind.’

　　The way Lin Qingyan looked at He Ziqing now was like looking at a great hero who could hold up the sky.

　　Her eyes were full of hope, hoping that her hero would win and that the two of them would become a perfect couple.

　　An Jiu quietly observed the changes between them and said nothing.

　　Time slipped by quickly. Soon, the sky was fully bright, and more and more people arrived. The open space around the platform was packed, and even the distant cliffs were filled with all sorts of martial artists.

　　An Jiu even spotted a few familiar faces, like several young heroes from Huashan Sect she had met in Pinglan City and exchanged a few words with.

　　There was also Mu Lei, the swordsman she saw back in Jinshe Town. This time, he wasn’t alone. Standing beside him was a female swordsman, who looked familiar.

　　Looking closely, it turned out to be the girl from the martial arts tournament to find a husband.

　　But Jin Yanwan wasn’t here, probably still busy with affairs at Jinshe Villa and didn’t have time to come and watch.

　　When An Jiu glanced over, those who recognized her gave a small nod in greeting.

　　Without realizing it, she had come to know quite a few people in this world.

　　Time kept ticking away, and the sun slowly climbed higher in the sky. As the agreed time approached, You Qianhe was still nowhere to be seen.

　　The crowd grew restless. It was June, and as soon as the sun came out, it burned hot enough to drench everyone in sweat. Most of the onlookers were average martial artists who couldn’t keep calm and cool, so the longer they waited, the more annoyed they became.

　　Those from prestigious sects and the highly skilled martial artists were much more patient. They didn’t whisper and murmur like the others. Some meditated quietly, some adjusted their breathing, and some simply remained silent.

　　Someone in the crowd finally couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Young Hero He, are you sure the person you’re challenging is really the Sword Saint, You Qianhe? What if he’s just some nobody pretending to be him and now doesn’t even dare to show up?”

　　He Ziqing had been standing there the whole time with his sword in his arms. No matter what happened around him, he stayed as still and silent as the mountains behind him.

　　Even when someone spoke up to complain, he didn’t react at all. It was like he had sunk deep into his thoughts, as if he was meditating on the spot. He didn’t even lift his eyelids.

　　The man who shouted felt embarrassed by the lack of response and was about to keep pushing the issue when a sharp sound suddenly cut through the air, like a blade slicing the sky. Even the air seemed to scream as it was split apart.

　　Everyone quickly turned their heads toward the sound. They saw an old man in a simple hemp robe, floating ghost-like as he flew over from the distant treetops.

　　The platform where they were standing was dozens of meters above the forest below. Yet this old man lightly stepped on the treetops as if he weighed nothing, like a feather barely brushing the leaves. Then, with a movement that completely defied logic, he leaped up the cliff and easily landed on the high platform.

　　Seeing this, the whole crowd instantly fell silent.

　　Just from this ghostly and elegant display of light footwork, it was clear that his martial arts were anything but ordinary.

　　An Jiu noticed that Lin Qingyan had turned pale again.

　　She was about to comfort her when she suddenly felt someone’s gaze land on her.

　　A gaze has no shape, no weight, but people often can tell when they’re being watched. Maybe it’s proof that some kind of power comes with being looked at.

　　This gaze felt especially heavy.

　　An Jiu was sitting up high, and with her striking appearance, she was used to attracting attention. Normally, those glances were light, like a breeze passing by. She never really cared.

　　But this one was different. It was like an invisible hook or sticky spider silk that came out of nowhere and clung to her, refusing to let go.

　　She looked around, but the crowd was too big. She just couldn’t find where it was coming from.

　　That person seemed to realize she was searching and purposely let his gaze wander over her again and again with a cruel sense of playfulness. The feeling of being watched grew stronger and stronger, until An Jiu even felt like she’d been licked all over without anyone touching her.

　　Of course, An Jiu understood very well who was watching her.

　　She had already prepared herself to meet Pei Ji here. She just didn’t expect that he would really come.　

　　Wasn’t he afraid of being discovered?

　　In the original story, he didn’t show up at the duel. You Qianhe was a master who had already reached the pinnacle of his cultivation. Pei Ji knew he wasn’t confident enough to beat him, so there was no way he would come to a place like this.

　　Early on, Pei Ji was always extremely cautious and careful, practically living like a coward.

　　An Jiu’s feelings were complicated. She had a vague guess why he would show up here.

　　He still hadn’t given up on taking her back.

　　There was no way Pei Ji would let something that had slipped out of his control continue to walk around freely. He would definitely try to drag her back to Qiansha Pavilion, either by drugging her or locking her up, waiting until he found the Twin-soul Gu to swap their lives.

　　After all, she had already betrayed him. In his eyes, she was a useless, discarded pawn now.

　　But there was no way An Jiu would leave with him. At least not now.

　　It seemed like from now on, she’d better stick close to He Ziqing, preferably not even a step away from him.

　　While An Jiu was quietly making plans, You Qianhe had already taken his place, standing across from He Ziqing.

　　The two faced each other, one old, one young. He Ziqing slowly drew his sword.

　　It was just an ordinary sword, and it had even broken once before. Later, Lin Qingyan reforged it with great care, adding precious meteorite steel to strengthen it. When the blade left its sheath, it shone with a sharp, snowy light.

　　Hanging on the sword’s scabbard was a handmade tassel Lin Qingyan had added. The simple, plain scabbard now had a bit of life to it.

　　Compared to that, You Qianhe’s sword was completely different.

　　His sword was kept in a rotting wooden scabbard. When he drew it, the blade was covered in patches of rust. He hadn’t even bothered to sharpen it. He just held that rusty sword as he faced He Ziqing.

　　He Ziqing gritted his teeth and said, “Senior, please give me your guidance.”

　　It had only been a little over ten days since they last met, but You Qianhe already looked much older, like a man truly reaching the end of his days.

　　You Qianhe lowered his head, his white hair swaying in the wind. He gently stroked the edge of his sword and said in a distant, nostalgic tone, “This sword of mine hasn’t been drawn in many years. Its name is Han Shang.”

　　He Ziqing replied, “This sword is named Qingying.”

　　Originally, the sword didn’t have a name. He Ziqing wasn’t the type of swordsman who was obsessed with his weapon. It was just a random sword he picked up from a blacksmith shop, bought with a few taels of silver. He had thought that when he became famous, he’d spend more money to get a proper sword forged at Zhùjiàn Villa.

　　Later, when the sword was broken, Lin Qingyan had poured her heart into reforging it for him overnight. So He Ziqing gave this newly forged sword a name.

　　The reason he named it Qingying was because on the day he first held the sword, the brand-new, snow-white blade reflected the figure of a young girl. In that moment, the name just came to him.

　　You Qianhe suddenly said, “You’ve broken through.”

　　As fellow sword cultivators, You Qianhe was naturally sensitive to the aura surrounding He Ziqing. He had vaguely sensed it earlier, but now it was completely confirmed.

　　The young swordsman’s energy was no longer the same as the last time they met. It had become more steady, more grounded. The once directionless sword path had now found its way forward.

　　You Qianhe carefully studied He Ziqing and asked, “What is the core of your sword path?”

　　He Ziqing replied, “It’s love.”

　　You Qianhe was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Love? You actually walk the path of love in your sword cultivation!”

　　He laughed so hard that tears almost came out of his eyes. His white hair shimmered under the blazing sun, making him look even more weathered and aged.

　　“I never thought there would be such a thing as a sword of love... Fine, fine. Show me then. Let me see what this sword of love looks like!”

　　As soon as he finished speaking, his sword was already in motion. With a single strike, the duel began.

　　When top-level experts face off, sometimes one move is enough to decide life or death.

　　When He Ziqing left the mountains, he was already one of the best in the martial world. Now that he had found his own path and advanced even further, he was already a peak-level master, though he was still a step behind You Qianhe.

　　That gap wasn’t in skill but in the weight of years and experience.

　　You Qianhe understood this very well, so he deliberately restrained his internal strength, choosing to only compete in swordsmanship.

　　His sword strike was simple and unadorned, completely unlike the flashy sword techniques the legends of the Sword Saint described. Yet He Ziqing saw countless swords within that single move.

　　What looked like a single strike actually contained the culmination of You Qianhe’s decades of sword mastery. It was by no means as simple as it appeared to outsiders.

　　Among the spectators, those with average skills couldn’t see much, but the more accomplished swordsmen caught a hint of something profound. The stronger their sword cultivation, the more they were drawn in, even to the point where a few sword masters on the spot fell into deep meditation, already gaining insights from the fight.

　　He Ziqing’s expression was serious. He tightly gripped Qingying and swung his sword dozens of times in rapid succession. His movements were lightning fast, those dozens of strikes completed in just a blink.

　　Qingying’s blade was forged with rare bright sand from the Southern Sea, the bright sand fused into the cold iron’s surface, glimmering like transparent crystals. Under the scorching sunlight, it reflected sharp, snowy rays of light.

　　For a moment, the sword shadows on the field shone like heavenly light, wrapping around the young swordsman as if he were a divine being.

　　The fierce sword aura surrounded both fighters, kicking up flying sand and rocks as a burst of white light exploded around them.

　　An Jiu was just an ordinary person. Forget understanding what was happening — even just looking at it made her eyes sting from the wind and sand.

　　She rubbed her eyes, which had gotten sand in them, while all around her she could hear people gasping in shock, unable to hold back their exclamations. The sound of rapid clashes filled the air. She really didn’t understand how a simple sword fight could cause such a commotion.

　　Honestly, this martial arts world really didn’t make sense, did it?

　　Before she could finish rubbing her eyes, an old voice slowly spoke, “I see now. So this is what the sword of love looks like.”

　　“Kid, I’ll leave this sword to you. Please… bury it alongside your master’s sword. That’s my final wish.”

　　As he spoke, his voice gradually faded, and then there was a heavy thud, the sound of something falling to the ground.

　　Even without seeing, An Jiu knew He Ziqing had won.

　　It seemed simple, and it really was.

　　After all, that’s how it was written in the novel. Since he was the male lead, they couldn’t just hand him a golden finger so openly. They had to do it in a roundabout way like this.

　　“An Jiu, Brother He won! Brother He won!”

　　Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm. An Jiu blinked, and the tears must have flushed the sand out of her eyes.

　　When she opened them, she saw Lin Qingyan’s joyful face. Seeing her so happy, An Jiu couldn’t help but smile too.

　　“Yeah, Brother He won. That’s really great.”

　　The stronger He Ziqing became, the better he could protect her.

　　An Jiu meant those words from the bottom of her heart. (T/N: Haha 🤣)

　　Just as the words left her mouth, a gaze locked tightly onto her face, like someone wanted to peel her skin and swallow her whole. Even though the person was far away, the burning anger in that stare was something An Jiu could faintly feel.

　　She instinctively wanted to tone it down, but then she remembered something and lifted her lips into an even brighter smile, her face blooming like a flower.

　　He Ziqing had won his duel with the Sword Saint, You Qianhe!

　　The news spread through the martial world like it had wings. His reputation skyrocketed, and he quickly became a famous hero, the kind people would mention in the same breath as the legendary Bishui Sword Master of Huashan Mountain, almost at the level of the number one swordsman.

　　But all the fame and buzz outside didn’t seem to affect He Ziqing much.

　　After the duel, he quietly brought Lin Qingyan and An Jiu to You Qianhe’s little hut.

　　The crowd had already dispersed, though a few lingered, hoping to challenge He Ziqing to a spar or ask him for guidance. He ignored them all and quietly led the two girls away from the public eye, escaping the center of attention.

　　Even though he had won against You Qianhe, he didn’t look very happy.

　　Others couldn’t tell, but He Ziqing knew very well. You Qianhe had long decided to die.

　　He didn’t feel like this was a victory he could be proud of, so the sense of achievement just wasn’t there.

　　Lin Qingyan softly comforted him along the way. With such a gentle beauty by his side, his mood naturally improved. By the time they reached the hut, He Ziqing had gone back to his usual self, no longer walking around with a cold, blank face.

　　He had come here to gather You Qianhe’s personal belongings and bury his body.

　　No matter what, You Qianhe was still his master’s master in name. That connection couldn’t just be brushed aside.

　　He Ziqing dug a pit behind the little hut, buried You Qianhe there, and set up a simple gravestone. A Sword Saint’s final resting place ended up being just this — a small, plain dirt grave.

　　When he dug the pit, he insisted on doing it alone.

　　Seeing that it was already noon, Lin Qingyan called An Jiu to go out with her. She planned to go hunting, and asked An Jiu to gather some firewood nearby so they could prepare lunch.

　　An Jiu could feel that scorching gaze on her back, like it was about to burn right through her, but she still smiled and agreed cheerfully.

　　She walked into the dense forest. Lin Qingyan and He Ziqing were nowhere in sight now. She bent down, pretending to gather firewood, but from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a black piece of clothing.

　　An Jiu quickly looked up and immediately locked eyes with a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes.

　　Those eyes were so dark, like bottomless pools. Just one glance, and you could fall right in, never to see the light again.

　　The danger was clear as day.

　　An Jiu instinctively opened her mouth, about to scream, but the man swiftly closed the distance between them. In the next second, her body suddenly lost all strength, going completely limp, her limbs no longer listening to her mind.

　　That bastard! He used drugs again!

　　The original book was right. Pei Ji, this cunning, despicable man—no matter how skilled he was in martial arts—still liked to rely on these dirty tricks.

　　An Jiu cursed him furiously in her heart as she collapsed straight into his arms. A pair of strong arms caught her waist and pulled her into a solid chest.

　　“You…” She struggled to open her mouth, forcing out a weak breath of sound.

　　The man holding her was dressed in black, wearing a silver mask. His dark hair trailed down his back, and his long, narrow black eyes narrowed dangerously.

　　His fingers were long and warm as they pinched her chin and lifted her face, leaving faint red marks on her pale, delicate skin.

　　Looking at those red marks, he suddenly remembered the last time he had left imprints on her body. But those marks had been too shallow, and within just a few days, they had completely faded.

　　He wished he could leave a mark on her that would never fade.

　　That thought flashed across his mind. His fingers tightened slightly, deepening the red marks on her skin. An Jiu’s delicate brows furrowed, and a faint glimmer of tears appeared in her beautiful eyes.

　　He was hurting her.

　　Almost by instinct, the man quickly eased his grip.

　　When he saw her brows relax just a little, a trace of regret flickered across his eyes.

　　But right after the regret came an even stronger wave of frustration and anger.

　　It wasn’t even clear who he was angry at.

　　The man didn’t have time to think it over. His warm fingertips brushed across the corner of her eye, where a faint redness still lingered. Those were tears she had shed for He Ziqing not long ago.

　　Ignoring her trembling eyelashes, he firmly rubbed that soft, pinkish skin, leaning down to whisper in her ear, his voice low and dangerous.

　　“I saw it. You were crying for He Ziqing just now, weren’t you? Worried about him? Afraid he’d die?”

　　Right now, An Jiu couldn’t speak or move. She was like a lifeless doll in his arms. There was a big tree behind them, and they weren’t actually that far from where He Ziqing was. That was why the man didn’t dare to make any rash moves.

　　He Ziqing had grown even stronger in his martial arts, while Pei Ji had only just absorbed the Bodhi Seed. Even if he fully absorbed it, he still couldn’t match He Ziqing, who was a natural martial arts genius with the legendary sword bones. There was no way he could take her away now.

　　Pei Ji himself didn’t even know why he took such a risk to show up in front of her.

　　There was just this urge in his chest, pushing him to do something so reckless, something that made no sense.

　　His rational mind knew it was a stupid move, but here he was anyway.

　　The girl’s lashes trembled. Maybe it was because his rubbing had made her uncomfortable, or maybe she was just scared. Her eyes gradually filled with tears, sparkling as they welled up.

　　She was trapped in his arms, pinned against the tree behind her, and not far away, He Ziqing was still digging the grave.

　　Pei Ji suddenly felt a strange, secret joy rising in his heart.

　　The girl’s lips trembled, and with great effort, she managed to let out a faint whisper. “No…”

　　No, what? No, don’t? Or no, that’s not true?

　　How could it not be true? He saw it with his own eyes. The moment He Ziqing looked like he might lose, her eyes had turned red, and she covered her face, too afraid to keep watching.

　　When He Ziqing won, her joy was written all over her face.

　　“Still trying to lie to me? You fickle little woman. Just a few days ago, you were flirting with that monk from Wuyin Temple. Now you’re sticking so close to He Ziqing, like you just can’t live without men, can you?”

　　His voice was low, and though his tone sounded mocking and full of contempt, his dark eyes were blazing with uncontrollable anger.

　　Pei Ji didn’t even realize it himself, but his words were soaked in jealousy. He sounded exactly like some bitter, petty spouse. A grumpy husband, maybe?

　　An Jiu actually wanted to laugh when she heard him, but her face stayed pale as she shook her head over and over. Tears rolled down her cheeks like falling pearls.

　　A beautiful girl crying like this, with teardrops clinging to her lashes and her flushed face, could easily stir pity in any man.

　　But Pei Ji felt nothing but satisfaction.

　　Still, this wasn’t enough for him.

　　The man pinched her chin again and turned her face toward a gap in the leaves, forcing her to look at the young man still digging the grave nearby.

　　“Do you see him? Are you hoping he’ll come and save you?”

　　His voice was so low it was almost a whisper in her ear. The deep, rough edge of his voice scratched like sandpaper, the kind of sound that carried a dangerous and seductive pull.

　　An Jiu’s ears instantly turned red, clear and bright like a drop of blood-red jade.

　　The man’s dark eyes deepened as he stared at her flushed, delicate earlobe. His mind drifted to a memory from long ago, when he had once caught that same ear between his lips, biting and savoring it over and over.

　　A wave of heat rushed through his chest, and a sly smile tugged at the corner of his thin lips. A wicked glint flashed between his brows.

　　Too bad the silver mask covered most of his face, leaving only his lips visible. 

　　All An Jiu could see was that faint curl of his lips, right before he suddenly lowered his head toward her.

　　At the same time, he lightly tapped a few pressure points on her body.

　　That familiar hypersensitive feeling hit her again, and right after, a scorching hot palm covered her mouth.

　　The man wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, locking her tightly in his embrace, forcing her to face He Ziqing's direction.

　　Ahead of them, He Ziqing was still digging, completely unaware of what was happening behind him.

　　Behind her, the man’s burning body heat was like it was about to scorch her alive.

　　His fiery lips and tongue trailed along the sensitive skin near her ear, stirring up waves so overwhelming they threatened to drown her completely in this sea of desire.

　　She couldn’t call out. Even those shaky, uncontrollable whimpers were stuck in her throat, unable to escape.

　　The crashing waves inside her seemed to melt into something else, seeping out in another form, while her eyes reddened like peach blossoms blooming at their fullest, tears spilling endlessly, sliding down her cheeks and soaking the pale, slender fingers that were still covering her lips.

　　The man behind her didn’t flinch at all.

　　His heart was like iron, cold and unyielding.

　　His breath, hot and heavy, brushed against her ear as his low, husky voice sank deep into her eardrums. “So what if you found someone to back you up? Let's see how he plans to save you now.”

　　As if proving his point, his lips pressed harder, pulling another wave of trembling from her.

　　“Does he even know what you're going through right now? He doesn't.”

　　The man played with that soft little ruby earlobe between his lips and tongue, while his fingers never left her chin, forcing her to keep her gaze fixed on the young swordsman not far away.

　　Every now and then, he would glance at He Ziqing too, especially when the girl trembled helplessly in his arms. Watching her like this while the man she liked had no idea made that dark anger in his chest feel a little less suffocating.

　　“Why can't you just behave? Look at the men you choose. Can you really rely on them? Have I ever treated you badly? And you still want to betray me?”

　　His voice grew even lower and rougher, like he was venting his frustration. He bit down on her now red and swollen earlobe, soft and shiny like a ripe berry, making her tremble violently, like a little bird losing its feathers in the cold wind. Her tears kept falling, soaking his palm completely.

　　Seeing that if he kept this up, her delicate skin might actually break, he finally, though reluctantly, pulled back.

　　An Jiu managed to gather a little strength at last. Seizing her chance, she stepped back, right onto a dry twig on the ground.

　　You filthy man, pervert, go to hell!

　　She really had no strength left, but her body still had weight. When she stepped on it, the twig snapped with a loud crack.

　　Up ahead, He Ziqing, who was still digging, suddenly paused. He instinctively turned around.

　　“An Jiu?”

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Author's Note:

I can’t bear to truly torture the female lead. This is already the most I can do—just making her all shaky and extra sensitive after the Gu poison is activated. It doesn’t even hurt at all!!! So don’t say I’m being cruel to the female lead, okay? I’m really not like those authors who wipe out the female lead’s entire family, kill all her loved ones, break her limbs, make her miscarry, blind her, or force her to jump off a building. I’m seriously different, okay? sobs QAQ

…..

T/N: Two updates today. Don’t come crying about the cliffhanger later, haha. 😝

　　

　　

　　

 

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