Chapter 3: Severing Ties and Cutting Off All Relations

  It's unknown whether it was the heavens' deliberate arrangement or a coincidence, but the three people kept running into each other more and more often, and their relationship gradually improved. However, Yun Jing and Qing Yuan would constantly bicker and argue whenever they met, neither willing to give in, not even for a moment. The three of them got closer with each argument, thanks to Yun Tian's patient mediation. At some point, they became inseparable from one another. It was also unclear when Yun Jing started having feelings for Qing Yuan. But he knew clearly that Yun Tian had always liked Qing Yuan, and such emotions he couldn't have, nor did he dare to have.

  That day, he left the military and politics alone in a wine building, getting drunk and unconscious. He came to the East Lake again, wanting to see the white lotus that filled the lake that night, and see the figure that moved his heart. But it was in the midst of cold winter, the lake surface was covered with thick ice, the white lotus had long since disappeared, and there was no sign of Qingyuan's shadow. That night, he lay on the icy lake surface, crying like a child, very sad.

  A few days after the Great Cold, goose feather-like snowflakes floated in the sky, and on the thick ice surface of Donghu Lake, hundreds of white lotus flowers bloomed proudly. As people approached to observe, they found that the white lotus flowers were made of white silk, each one lifelike and vivid.

  Qingyuan saw all this without saying a word, but in his heart he understood everything, only some unclear colors flashed in his eyes.

  It's okay, a war came unexpectedly, and Yun Jing temporarily escaped from all this, but his heart never put it down. Due to being distracted during the battle, when he noticed the big knife coming towards him, everything was already too late. Just as he thought he was going to die, he only heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground. Yun Feng blocked the knife for himself and inserted his own gun into the enemy general's chest...

  "I am Yun Tian's brother! You are also a small fry who can bully me like this!" He shouted at the enemy general's corpse, and then fell to the ground unconscious.

  Although they won the battle this time, Yun Jing couldn't be happy at all, his heart was filled with guilt towards Yun Tian. After returning to the mansion, he closed the door and refused to see guests, taking care of Yun Tian without even changing his clothes, praying for him to wake up soon.

  One night, he drank the ginseng soup sent by Yun's wife. Before long, he felt as if all his strength had been drained from his body. As he was pondering what was happening, he saw Yun's wife walk in with a dagger in her hand. She glared at Yun Rong, her eyes devoid of their usual warmth and kindness, replaced by a deep-seated hatred.

  "Mother, you..."

  "Shut up! I'm not your mother! Yun Tian is my child, you're just a lowly born son of the Yun family!"

  "Mother... what nonsense are you talking about!"

  "I'm not talking nonsense, you and Yun Tian were born only a few days apart. Autumn Auntie secretly swapped you two so that you could get the status of Cloud Family's heir. Yun Tian's nanny revealed this secret to me before she died."

  "Is it because of this that you want to kill me?"

  "I'm killing you not just because you took away what my son deserved, but also because he almost lost his life because of you!" Mrs. Yun raised her dagger and stabbed Yun Jing, who was powerless to dodge, and endured the pain as Mrs. Yun struck him again and again.

  At this point, Zhi Yan's heart suddenly ached, as if she had felt the same pain and helplessness as Yun Jing. At the same time, many fragmented memories flooded her mind, and she felt these fragments, holding Ze Ran's hand and trembling uncontrollably.

  "Yan'er, you... what's wrong?" Ze Ran asked with concern.

  "It's nothing, I just suddenly feel a bit uncomfortable."

  "Your body isn't feeling too great today... are you going to continue?"

  "Of course, once a deal is made, it won't be easily stopped."

  "Never mind, Ze Ran, let's just keep watching."

  Along with the warmth that Zeran's hand brought, Xie Yan felt a little comforted. She recast her spell and once again entered Yun Jing's memories.

  Yun Jing didn't die, he was rescued by Yun Bo and his guards who followed the sound. After that night, he felt even more lonely and desolate in his heart. After recovering a bit from his injuries, Yun Jing moved out of the Yun Manor under the pretext of recuperating in peace, severing all ties with Yun Ting and the Yun family. He knew that he could never repay what he owed to Yun Ting, so it was better not to see each other again, forget about each other, and live their own lives.

  Yun Tian came to visit him, but he also made excuses not to see him and lost contact with Qing Yuan. When there was a battle, he would go to fight, and when he was idle, he would drink and have fun in the mansion or wine house, appearing carefree and happy, but actually using wine to drown his sorrows.

  The day Yun Jing didn't want to face finally arrived, and the wedding invitation of Yun Tian and Qing Yuan pulled him back from his own world into reality once again.

  He wore a mask with the most perfect smile to attend their wedding, and in the midst of congratulations and cheers from the guests, he got drunk again.

  On the night of the wedding, he sat in the garden, looking at the newlyweds' house filled with joy and happiness, his heart filled with a bitter taste.

  "How can one person drink here?" Yunfeng sat down beside him, with a warm smile on his face like sunshine.

  "Big brother?! You......"

  "If you still know I'm your elder brother, then please leave."

  “……”

  Yun Tian's expression suddenly turned cold, his words also filled with a chilling intent, as if he had become a different person. "Autumn Aunt has already taken her own life in fear of punishment, Mother has gone mad because of you, and I know your thoughts about Qingyuan. I hope you can leave."

  Yun Jing smiled wryly and said, "I've already left."

  "What I mean is to resign from office, leave the state of Qi and go to a place where no one knows you."

  "Big brother! I've lost everything and never thought of taking Qingyuan away from you, why must you be so ruthless?"

  "I just don't want to leave you with such a future trouble, how do I know what's in Qingyuan's heart, and whether you will seduce your sister-in-law and do something that violates all moral principles!"

  Listening to Yun Tian's sharp and sarcastic words, Yun Jing suppressed the sadness in his heart and forced a smile. "You've known your true identity all along, haven't you? How much of what you showed me over the years was real and how much was fake?"

  "Xiao Jing, you've been foolish for so long, but finally smartened up this once. All these years, the good I showed you was all fake. I knew my identity a long time ago. I did it just to gain your trust and get what I wanted from you sooner. That's my answer, I'm done talking. You can leave now, don't blame me for not caring about our brotherly bond."

  Yun Jing left silently with a cold smile. The next day, Yun Jing did not attend the court meeting, but instead left a letter of resignation on the emperor's desk. From that day on, the Qi state lost a great general, and the Yun family no longer had the presence of this person who had once caused headaches for everyone. No one knew where he went, nor did anyone have any news about him; it was as if he vanished into thin air, leaving behind not even a single trace on this vast continent.

  Ten years later, in a battle with an enemy country, Yun Tian suddenly defected to the enemy country with his family and led soldiers to occupy large tracts of land in Qi State. Wherever he went, blood flowed like rivers, people were miserable, and Yun Tian, who was once revered as a great hero by everyone in Qi State, became a scoundrel that people wanted to cut into pieces.

  The night before Yun Tian's massacre, someone heard a faint noise in Yun Tian's account. On the second day of dawn, the people of Qi State found that Yun Tian's head was hung on the city building, and with his head, Yun Jing's Taihe sword was also suspended on the city wall.

  Two months later, Yun Jing led three thousand Jianghu people to support the Qi army and successfully recovered the lost city, driving the enemy out of the Qi country border. Due to Yun Ting's betrayal, 231 members of the Yun family were beheaded except for Yun Jing.

  In the third year of Hezhong, Yun Jing captured Qingyuan alive in the military camp and later cut him into five pieces.

  Some people say that Yun Jing's actions were admirable, while others claim that he was inhumane and neglected his family ties. However, the inside story of this incident is rarely known to people.

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