She Holds the World After Being Reborn-Chapter 46 The Road Not Taken, She Travels

Even tigers do not eat their young, so why would the Governor’s Office Pass resort to an unsolvable poison against Yan Wanqing...

A trace of profound grief flashed in Yan Wanqing’s eyes, but she quickly mocked herself, "Perhaps father thinks I am inherently rebellious, that without proper discipline, I would surely make grave mistakes."

Indeed, she had given many that impression.

Yan Lingzhen couldn’t bear to see her elder sister so emotionally depressed. She wrinkled her little nose and stretched out her arms to hug Yan Wanqing, "Elder sister, don’t be afraid. Xiaoliu will definitely cure you."

Yan Wanqing hugged her back, her thoughts sinking slightly.

In her youth, she had become crippled overnight; even at that time, she had never resented her father, knowing that every family must have someone make sacrifices. Father and elder brother had done so, and as the legitimate eldest daughter of the Yan Family, she should as well.

Now, she had betrayed the principles of the Yan Family, as well as the loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness that father had taught her since childhood. If her family at Governor’s Office Pass were to know, she wondered what they would think...

Would they be disappointed that she had tarnished the Yan Family’s century-old reputation, accuse her of sullying the bloodline of the Yan Family? Yan Wanqing dared not think about it. She only didn’t want to relive the past life, didn’t want to see her dearly beloved fall before her again, didn’t want to hate her own helplessness anymore.

If this was a path no one had ever taken, then let her be the one to walk it.

The road is long and obstructed, fraught with mud and perilous traps, yet she could accept them all with a smile.

What of infamy? Using her own tainted self to preserve the lives of the entire Yan Family was naturally worth it!

"Xiaoliu, can you promise elder sister one thing?"

Yan Wanqing stroked Yan Lingzhen’s little head, feeling the bun in the palm of her hand, soft and soothing.

Yan Lingzhen couldn’t see Yan Wanqing’s expression; only the consistent fragrance lingered at her nose, her voice sounded somewhat muffled as she replied, "I can do ten thousand things for elder sister."

After she finished speaking, she heard Yan Wanqing’s voice at her ear.

"...If, I mean if, that day really comes, little sister, don’t blame yourself—"

"Elder sister!" Yan Lingzhen didn’t wait for Yan Wanqing to finish. She pushed her away, and only then did Yan Wanqing notice that Xiaoliu’s eyes were already red-rimmed, tearfully looking at her, filled with grievance.

She shouted at her, "Don’t talk nonsense! No one can take elder sister away! No one can! If elder sister talks nonsense again, I won’t pay attention to you anymore!" After saying this, she turned and ran straight out, knocking down Cong Huan who had come to deliver the clothes.

Cong Huan was knocked painfully and wanted to scold, but considering Yan Wanqing, she could only hold her breath and got up by herself, patting the dust off her clothes.

"What’s wrong with Miss Xiaoliu?" Cong Huan couldn’t help but ask as she watched Yan Xiaoliu’s retreating figure.

Yan Wanqing’s eyes were downcast on the chessboard, silent.

Cong Huan took it as sadness and comforted, "Miss Xiaoliu is just a child at heart; she’ll be alright in a couple of days."

Yan Wanqing held the chess container in both hands, her knuckles turning white.

"Child at heart... maybe she really was hurt by me."

The last few words lingered on her lips, so soft that only she could hear them.

The weather in the first lunar month is always unpredictable, with only a few days of good weather, and then heavy snow seals the city once again.

One only saw goose feather-like snow fluttering down from the sky. Overnight, the red walls and black tiles of the Capital City had been covered, and even the usually bustling Back Street was left with only a few taverns sporadically open. The tall "Tavern" banners, heavily encased in snow, couldn’t flutter in the wind.

Occasionally, a traveler braved the wind and snow, leaving a shallow, gray shadow in the white expanse, soon to be further buried by the relentless snow, as if they had never set foot in this world.

Every household gathered around the stove, chatting about domestic trifles, brewing tea, and roasting sweet potatoes, living days full of warmth and comfort, truly enjoyable.

Everything relished the silence of the moment; yet at this very moment, at the city gate, a black horse suddenly appeared. On its back lay a figure covered in snow, as the horse breathed steaming breaths. It managed to carry its burden to just below the city gate, before collapsing under the weight with a loud thud. The figure on the horse’s back fell to the ground, and the falling snow scattered, revealing a wind-burnt face, black and red from frostbite ...

Man and horse lay on the ground, quickly covered by the snow driven by the north wind, leaving behind only two small snowdrifts, one tall and one short, at the city gate, unnoticed by the guards inside who were drinking and eating meat.

...

The colder it became, the worse Yan Wanqing’s condition got.

She had not left her bed for several days in a row, lying there wrapped in her blankets all day, feeling like a useless person. She couldn’t even make the slightest noise, not even a gentle cough, for fear of alarming those around her.

So even coughing was a struggle for Yan Wanqing, itched desperately against the roaring fire in the room, her cheeks flushed with heat until her eyes watered with the effort of keeping it in.

When she could bear it no longer, she asked Cong Ge to pour her water, using the act of drinking and choking as an excuse to cough violently and relieve herself.

After the coughing fit and drinking some hot water, Yan Wanqing felt much better. In the past few days, she had been drowsy and sleepy, probably because the Thousand Mechanisms Poison had worsened.

Tired, she rubbed her forehead and, with Cong Ge’s help, lay back down, her mind starting to fog over again.

In these days, plagued by the poison from Thousand Mechanism, she spent more time unconscious than awake, with little energy to spare for anything else.

After Cong Ge extinguished the light and closed the door ...

In the darkness, Yan Wanqing opened her eyes again. She propped herself up with her hands and slowly leaned against the bedstead, her voice much steadier now.

"Hong Wu, Piji, has anything happened these past few days?"

Two figures suddenly appeared in the shadows, kneeling on one knee.

"The wealthy merchants that our master instructed us to make contact with are mostly under the control of Money Leopard. A small portion belongs to other forces; we are still investigating. It’s very likely that the influence comes from the Eighteenth Hell."

"Eighteenth Hell?" Yan Wanqing chewed over these words. "Capital City’s influence, reaching into South of the River?"

In her previous life, she had heard of this power, but it was too well hidden and not much involved with her, so she never delved into it.

"It is said that the master of the Eighteenth Hell is a young man who enjoys wearing a mask with black features and fangs. He is always shrouded in a black robe, and no one knows his true face ... since, it is said, all who learn of it are already dead," Piji added, frowning.

Having heard this, Yan Wanqing frowned slightly, "It seems to be an extremely difficult person to deal with. We are not fully strong yet, so let’s not clash with them head-on."

"Understood," they said in unison.

"How did Mr. Chai’s situation turn out? Was his sister ransomed as planned?" Yan Wanqing continued to inquire.

This had been weighing on her mind during her bouts of stupor these past days.

Chai You was an important chess piece on her path of vengeance.

"Following the master’s sachet plans, we have rescued Mr. Chai’s sister. However, when we arrived, she was beaten to the brink of death by a patron. In the days you were sick, she passed away," Hong Wu reported.

Yan Wanqing’s frown deepened: "What?! Weren’t they not supposed to let her see any clients during this time? What the hell happened?"

Hong Wu looked troubled: "It was the young master of the Sun Family ..."

Yan Wanqing’s eyes grew colder: "Sun Wenxing?"