Chapter 432: 432. The same jade pendant

Translator: 549690339

Hidden behind the door, Ji Xiaoshu listened with astonishment. “No wonder Uncle Cheng Yun was so heartbroken and didn’t say anything when asked. So it turns out that the big villain who caught Third Junior Brother last night was actually Cheng Yun’s master!”

Zhengzheng frowned, “True, we can’t judge a person by their appearance. He looked like a good person.”

“That’s called a hypocrite, a real villain!” Ji Xiaoshu huffed. “This kind of person is more hateful than those who openly do harm! They’re not only bad but also deceive people’s emotions!”

Zhengzheng let out a small sigh and gestured for Ji Xiaoshu to stop talking. He listened intently to Su Liang and Cheng Yun’s conversation, thinking that Su Liang would definitely not let Cheng Yun take his own life.

Unexpectedly, Su Liang said, “Alright, I’ve been thinking the same.”

Both kids were a bit stunned. This didn’t match their expectations.

Soon, Zhengzheng whispered, “This must be Master’s plan. It’s not as simple as it seems.”

Ji Xiaoshu immediately nodded in agreement, “Yes, yes, right! It must be the case!”

The next moment, Su Liang turned her head to look at them. The two little ones immediately retracted their heads, only to hear Su Liang ask, “Has your homework been completed?”

Ji Xiaoshu quickly pulled Zhengzheng to the desk by the window, “Was Master just asking about homework? Does Uncle Cheng Yun also have homework assigned by Master? Master is really terrifying. She doesn’t spare even the monks.”

Zhengzheng covered Ji Xiaoshu’s mouth, stopping him from speaking. His attempt to cover up his eavesdropping had been quite terrible.

Upon hearing the footsteps behind her, Su Liang saw Qiao Cong returning. Earlier, while she was questioning Nian Ruxue, Qiao Cong had been listening under the back window.

“Are you discussing how to deal with Sheng Yue? Why not go inside and talk?” Qiao Cong asked.

Su Liang shook her head slightly, “I want to chat with Cheng Yun. I will see Master later.”

“That’s fine, too. I know you’ll have a plan. I’ll go check on Nuannuan.” With that, Qiao Cong left.

Su Liang led Cheng Yun to the pavilion by the lake, where they could see two children diligently writing in the Yuanming Pavilion across the lake.

“Did Pu Cheng ever mention your background?” Su Liang asked Cheng Yun.

Cheng Yun sighed faintly, “He mentioned it once, saying I was the orphan left behind by his old friend.”

“Did he ever mention who his old friend was, or what kind of person your parents were?” Su Liang asked.

Cheng Yun shook his head, “No.”

Su Liang found it hard to believe that if Cheng Yun really was the left-behind orphan of Pu Cheng’s old friend and Pu Cheng truly wanted his nephew to return to secular life, he wouldn’t share the details about his parents with Cheng Yun.

With Cheng Yun’s personality, even if he didn’t want to return to secular life, he wouldn’t defy his elders and reject hearing about his parents. Moreover, Cheng Yun’s reluctance to return to secular life stemmed from his upbringing in the temple and his strong self-discipline, not because he despised his unknown birth parents so much that he rejected knowing about them.

As long as Pu Cheng was willing to share, Cheng Yun would not refuse to listen. However, Pu Cheng mentioned wanting Cheng Yun to return to secular life on the one hand, while on the other hand, he only brushed off Cheng Yun’s origins with the phrase “orphan of an old friend,” which made no sense.

Unless there was a hidden truth that couldn’t be revealed.

“Did Pu Cheng ever give you anything?” Su Liang asked.

Cheng Yun nodded, “A jade pendant. As a monk, I don’t wear it, but I keep it in my bundle.”

“Show it to me,” Su Liang said.

Cheng Yun immediately stood up, jumped across the lake using his martial arts skills, and entered Yuanming Pavilion through the second-floor window without using the front door.

Overnight, this highly skilled but previously passive little monk had changed a lot.

Soon, Cheng Yun brought the jade pendant back with him to the pavilion and handed it to Su Liang.

Looking at the familiar purple jade pendant in her hand, Su Liang was suddenly at a loss for words.

“What’s the matter, have you seen it before?” Cheng Yun asked, frowning.

Su Liang reached out and pulled off the jade pendant around her neck, revealing it to Cheng Yun.

Cheng Yun’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the two identical jade pendants in Su Liang’s hand. Apart from Su Liang’s pendant being tied with a red string, they were exactly the same in size and pattern!

Su Liang turned both jade pendants over, and the other side was also exactly the same!

The translucent violet color, mysterious and beautiful, reminded Su Liang of when she discovered this jade pendant in the Su Family Village shortly after she arrived in this world.

Su Liang had always suspected that the jade pendant was related to the original owner’s unidentified mother, and now she was even more certain.

Nian Ruxue said that she accidentally overheard Sheng Yue mentioning that his mother was killed by Mo Yan. And without surprise, the original owner’s mother should be Mo Yan and Shen Qingxue’s biological daughter.

Su Liang even began to suspect that Cheng Yun might be her real brother… if there was something mysterious about the death of the original owner’s mother.

However, it shouldn’t be that clichéd… Su Liang thought. Her speculation that Cheng Yun was Pu Cheng’s son and Sheng Yue’s real brother was most likely true. Maybe the original owner’s mother and Pu Cheng’s deceased wife had a similar relationship as Situ Xiang and Situ Ning, which was why the jade pendants were identical?

Although it was just speculation, Su Liang was determined to tell Cheng Yun the reality of the situation. As things stood, Cheng Yun was already involved and could not turn back. He had to move forward.

“What on earth is going on here?” Cheng Yun was obviously confused by the two jade pendants. He stared blankly at Su Liang and, hesitating for a moment, asked the question in his heart. “Could it be that I’m your brother?”

It was normal for two people of unclear backgrounds, holding the same tokens, to have thoughts like that.

Su Liang placed the two jade pendants side by side and sighed softly, “I wish it were the case, but based on what we know right now, it probably isn’t.”

Cheng Yun frowned, his eyes obviously disappointed. Just now, when the thought of being siblings occurred to him, he had felt very excited, very much looking forward to a positive response. Su Liang was his most important friend and someone he liked very much. If they were real siblings, he might have chosen to return to secular life without hesitation. For Cheng Yun, who was emotionally wounded at the moment, having such a beautiful family and a good relative was undoubtedly a great comfort.

“However,” Su Liang continued, “based on these two jade pendants, our mothers might have been sisters or had a similar relationship.”

Cheng Yun’s eyes immediately brightened, “Really? So, I’m your cousin?!”

If you are, then so is Sheng Yue… Seeing Cheng Yun’s expression, Su Liang could hardly bear to tell him the more certain truth.

Still, she had to say what needed to be said. The entanglements of the older generation had little to do with them in reality.

“Let’s keep the jade pendants here for now,” Su Liang collected the two jade pendants and said to Cheng Yun, “What I’m going to tell you next might be hard for you to accept, but I hope you can look at it calmly.”

Cheng Yun’s heart sank, and he took a deep breath, “Go ahead. After last night’s events, what else can’t I accept?”

“Pu Cheng might actually be your real father,” Su Liang dropped a bombshell.

Upon hearing Su Liang’s words, Cheng Yun seemed to have turned to stone, his expression rigid and his body even more so.

Su Liang continued, “You already know who Sheng Yue is. I suspect he is your elder brother. After your mother died, overwhelmed with grief, Pu Cheng became a monk and took you to Ping’an Temple. As for why Sheng Yue did not join you in becoming monks, based on the information I have now, it is possible that he harbored hatred, intent on avenging your mother, so he went to Xingluo Island in his youth. Now, Sheng Yue has lost a hand due to Gu Ling and no longer has any subordinates. He went to Pu Cheng for help to catch me. This is my conjecture. It may not be entirely correct, but I feel like I should tell you.”

“Impossible…” Cheng Yun shook his head repeatedly. “He… how could he be my… No! There must be some misunderstanding!” He couldn’t understand what Su Liang was saying at all.

“I know it’s hard for you to accept, but what I want to say is that even if my conjecture is true, it doesn’t mean anything. Who you are, as a son or a brother, has nothing to do with who you are as a person. You are Cheng Yun, a monk who grew up in Ping’an Temple, with a pure heart. We are your family. Just remember that.” Su Liang looked serious.

“I’ve studied Buddhist Dharma for many years, yet I don’t understand people’s hearts at all.” Cheng Yun’s face was filled with bitterness.

“As for the people who let you down, it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand.” Su Liang said, “Pu Cheng deceived you and lied to me. He is our enemy. What we need to do now is to deal with them and not let them threaten our home.”

Cheng Yun slowly nodded, “Yes, our home… we will not let them do as they please! I will protect you, Nuannuan, and Zhengzheng, and Xiaoshu…”

“You said before that if Pu Cheng comes again, and if he dares to act recklessly, you would take your own life. That’s correct, it’s a strategy.” Su Liang was explaining to Cheng Yun and also teaching him. “Last night, Pu Cheng and Sheng Yue captured Jingyun to force me to meet their demands. Perhaps they wanted to take me away or kill me on the spot. Even if Jingyun is not my child, even if they caught an unknown child in the city last night, they can still threaten me. Do you know why?”

Cheng Yun nodded, “Because you are kind.”

Su Liang scoffed, “Their tactics are called moral kidnapping. They think I am a good person, so they can use just anyone to threaten me, relying on the fact that I won’t stand idly by while they hurt innocent people.”

“It’s despicable, utterly shameless!” Cheng Yun clenched his fists.

“So, you can also use this tactic against Pu Cheng and Sheng Yue.” Su Liang said.

“You mean…” Cheng Yun looked confused. “Use my own life to… morally… no, they have no morals! To ‘kidnap’ them?”

“Yes.” Su Liang nodded, “Without Gu Ling here, I would have a hard time dealing with them. I know you are determined and can really give up your life. But don’t do that, we want you alive. Nuannuan needs you, and so do Zhengzheng and Xiaoshu. So, it’s just a threat. As long as they care about you, your threat will work. Don’t feel burdened, this is called tit-for-tat, and our means do not involve hurting others.”

“What you say makes sense.” Cheng Yun’s eyes narrowed, “Then let’s do it! The next time I see them, I’ll tell them, if they dare to hurt you or any innocent person I know about, I’ll kill myself!”

“Pu Cheng may believe you, but Sheng Yue may not, and he may suspect that this is my plan, betting that I would never let you die.” Su Liang said, “So, this must be your own plan, very determined, so much so that I can’t persuade you otherwise. Just like when you first told me that you wanted to take your own life, it has to look like that to them. Do you understand?”

Cheng Yun got it, “I understand!”

“Alright, the details will be told to you later. First, go change your clothes and eat something, then check Zhengzheng and Xiaoshu’s homework, and see where Nuannuan is, and bring her to me.” Su Liang quickly arranged everything for Cheng Yun.

Cheng Yun, hearing of so many tasks, had no time to feel sad or conflicted, and quickly left the pavilion to get to work.

Watching his retreating figure, Su Liang let out a long sigh of relief. In a way, Cheng Yun was her lucky star, always appearing when she needed him the most and being very obedient.

Su Liang sat alone in the pavilion, recalling what happened between Nian Ruxue’s disappearance and her appearance in Su Family Village as Nian Ruxue had explained not long ago.

Once upon a time, Nian Ruting had a mysterious and little-known master, from whom she secretly learned her martial arts. He was an elder on Xingluo Island, and his purpose of accepting Nian Ruting as a disciple was to secretly cultivate her. He planned to take her to Xingluo Island when she came of age and have her marry his grandson.

It was an outrageous story, but it was probably true.

Nian Ruxue said that the descendants of those old people on Xingluo Island all found their wives in this way, and there were even quite a few young men like Sheng Yue who were recruited to Xingluo Island and had marriage needs. There was not a single female martial arts master among those recruited to Xingluo Island.

There were more men than women on the island, and most marriages within the island were among relatives, so they had to go outside to find women to bring back. Nian Ruting was chosen because she was clean, talented, beautiful, and had a good martial arts aptitude. Bringing such a granddaughter-in-law back would be very prestigious, and if Nian Ruting’s martial arts could be perfected, she would bring value to her master’s family beyond carrying on the bloodline.

Nian Ruting wasn’t taken back to the island early on by her master because he feared she would be snatched away by others once she was on the island before coming of age. After all, there were different classes on the island, and he wasn’t someone with a high status.

On the day of the Military Exam, when Nian Ruting’s identity as Nian Ruxue was exposed by Su Liang in public, Nian Ruting’s master happened to arrive in the capital city, wanting to take her away.

That old man always had a mission when he left the island, and the secret mission of choosing a wife for his grandson was unknown to others on the island. Therefore, they dared not make a fuss. Knowing that Nian Ruting was in trouble, he could have saved his disciple with his strength, but he resolutely gave up, not wanting to cause trouble. Instead, he chose a substitute immediately, which was Nian Ruxue.

Looking back, this was indeed incredibly ironic.

Nian Ruting competed in the martial arts competition on behalf of Nian Ruxue and got caught. At the same time, Nian Ruxue became her stand-in and was taken to Xingluo Island. Fate had come full circle, and the proverb, “retribution will not be delayed,” held true.

From Su Liang and Gu Ling’s perspective, Nian Ruxue’s disappearance was due to her being kidnapped by a master, not because she had the ability to escape without a trace on her own.

While Nian Ruting suffered on behalf of Nian Ruxue, the calamity originally intended for Nian Ruting fell on Nian Ruxue instead. The night after arriving on Xingluo Island, she was forced to “consummate” her marriage with the old man’s grandson. For her, those days were unbearable, living without dignity or freedom; it was a fate worse than death.

Women’s status on Xingluo Island was very low, only the descendants of important figures like He Qianqian and Min Rou could have comfortable lives. Min Rou was well-protected, hardly seeing the ugly side of Xingluo Island. Other women brought from outside were just tools for men to vent their desires and bear them children, constantly beaten, humiliated, and even degraded by multiple men at once.

Nian Ruxue experienced all of this. She was humiliated in secret by her so-called husband’s brothers and could only endure it silently. If she revealed it, those beasts would not face any consequences, but her life would become even more difficult.

Nian Ruxue indeed had a son, who was now on Xingluo Island.

Nian Ruxue said she was saved by Sheng Yue. On a certain night, Sheng Yue made arrangements for her to escape Xingluo Island, and someone sent her to a place in Yin Country. Three months later, Nian Ruxue saw Sheng Yue again, and from that time on, Sheng Yue became her master.

Nian Ruxue admitted that she tried to seduce Sheng Yue, but he was unmoved, so she had no choice but to give up and let Sheng Yue manipulate her. That led to today’s events.

Nian Ruxue was initially unwilling to reveal her experiences because they were too shameful. Yet from the moment she met Su Liang, she had always harbored jealousy toward her, which persisted and even intensified, fueled by resentment and unwillingness. Therefore, she was reluctant to divulge her “dark history” to Su Liang.

However, Su Liang did not give her any room to refuse.

In the end, Nian Ruxue with tears streaming down her face, pleaded for Su Liang to show her some pity, to forgive her mistakes and give her a chance to live.

Though Su Liang sympathized with Nian Ruxue’s past experiences, she ultimately believed it was Nian Ruxue’s own karma that led to her misery. If Nian Ruxue hadn’t taken advantage of Nian Ruting in the first place, these events might have never involved her.

Furthermore, Su Liang could have forgiven Nian Ruxue if she confessed everything when they first met at the Su Mansion and genuinely repented. However, not only did she refrain from doing so, but she also spoke about how to deal with Su Liang in front of “Sheng Yue” today, even regretting not killing Su Liang sooner.

Su Liang felt pity but not sympathy for Nian Ruxue. Before Nian Ruxue confessed, she had shown her fickle, dark side to Su Liang – that was the real Nian Ruxue.

Su Liang was quite sure that her bitter experiences had not made Nian Ruxue reflect on her past mistakes but only twisted her mind even more. Given the opportunity, Nian Ruxue would still do everything in her power to kill Su Liang and take everything from her.

However, Su Liang didn’t kill Nian Ruxue just yet; she still had use for her in tonight’s plan.

A while later, Cheng Yun, who had changed his clothes, came over while holding Gu Xiaonuan. In front of the child, Cheng Yun’s eyes were always gentle, filled with a touch of warmth.

“Mom!” Gu Xiaonuan called out loudly, then giggled and shouted, “Dad!” She seemed to know that Su Liang enjoyed hearing her call for her dad, even though he wasn’t there.

Su Liang took her daughter and heard Cheng Yun say, “We have the same jade pendant. No matter what, I hope I can be your brother. Do you accept?”

Su Liang looked at Cheng Yun’s nervous yet hopeful gaze and smiled, “Of course. But I actually think you are more like a younger brother.”

Cheng Yun shook his head, “No, I’m older than you.”

Su Liang raised Gu Xiaonuan’s little hand and shook it, “Call him uncle.”

Gu Xiaonuan nodded her little head, “Uncle! Uncle!”

Cheng Yun’s eyes were warm, “Alright, I’ve made up my mind. I want to leave the monastery and make this place my home. Before Gu…my brother-in-law returns, I will protect all of you.”