Chapter 321: 321. What can you do to me

Translator: 549690339

Nangong Lin’s piercing words did not change Che Yun’s expression.

“What was Master’s purpose in teaching Gu Ling martial arts? And why teach me martial arts?” Che Yun asked Nangong Lin, “Don’t say it’s because of Gu Ling’s mother and my mother. If Master really cares about the friendship between them, he wouldn’t have separated Gu Ling and Su Liang, and he would have forcibly taken me away from the Che Family long ago.”

Upon hearing this, Nangong Lin slowly smiled, “Jingjing, have I not told you that although you are not my son, your character is quite similar to mine.” Che Yun shook his head, “I don’t think so.”

Nangong Lin looked melancholic for a moment before recounting the past when he interacted with Situ Ning and Situ Xiang, as well as how he secretly instigated Gu Yuan to rebel, ruining Situ Ning’s chosen husband and her family.

“Of course, I dislike Gu Ling, and he is the one I hate the most.” Nangong Lin smiled faintly, “Teaching him martial arts back then was just to win over Situ Ning’s favor. I thought Gu Ling would choose to save people after the Gu

Family encountered trouble, and in that case, I would help Duanmu Yi kill both Gu Ling and the others. Who would have thought that he would let go of the Gu

Family and run away? He’s really cold-blooded.”

This was the reason why Nangong Lin hadn’t looked for Gu Ling in recent years. In his original plan, Gu Ling should have been dead long ago.

“If you didn’t love my mother, why did you stay with her?” Che Yun asked coldly.

“I loved her.” Nangong Lin sighed softly, “From the beginning, she liked me, and I didn’t expect something to go wrong when I left her that time. We were best friends, family, and lovers. You are young and won’t understand. What I did to Situ Ning afterwards was simply to take revenge on her.”

Che Yun snorted coldly, ‘You ruined her husband, cultivated her son, hoping she would change her mind about you, but unfortunately, you failed.”

Nangong Lin’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Jingjing, I don’t like the tone of your voice when you talk to me right now.” It resembled Gu Ling too much…

“Did Master want me to stay in the Che Family and be manipulated by Situ Xie in order to make use of me for greater ambitions?” Che Yun asked Nangong Lin.

Nangong Lin shook his head, “I’m not interested in power, but I am very interested in helping you gain the throne of Liang Country. By gaining Situ Xie’s trust and control, he can vouch for your true identity and help you return to the royal family of Liang Country. Situ Han hurt your mother, and there is no better way to take revenge than to seize the throne from his hands. This is also what your grandfather meant, don’t you think?”

“Originally I had a chance. But now, my identity has been exposed, and wherever I go, as long as I show my face, Gu Ling and Su Liang will definitely kill me.” Che Yun’s face was somber.

Nangong Lin shook his head, “You haven’t done anything unforgivable. You can make them believe that you have a hard time, tell them that everything you did was out of necessity, and besides, didn’t you try your best to save the Lin’s Family members?”

Che Yun’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Yuan Ye is dead, and they will blame me for it.”

“I thought you and Su Liang had a good relationship, and she would understand your difficulties.” Nangong Lin said.

Che Yun shook his head, “The one who truly has a good relationship with her is Lian Shun. She is just polite to me, and Gu Ling has always regarded me as non-existent.”

Hearing this, Nangong Lin patted Che Yun’s shoulder, “It feels terrible, doesn’t it? Just like when I pursued Situ Ning back then, she treated me as a friend, but there was always a barrier between us, and she was devoted to Gu Yuan whenever she saw him.”

“Su Liang won’t stand up for me just because we were friends. On the contrary, I think she will despise me even more, especially after last night when you let her know that I am on the same side as you, and that you did such a thing before.” Che Yun took a deep breath, “I am very clear that she will never love me, even if Gu Ling had never appeared, or if he had died.”

Nangong Lin looked somewhat surprised, “Jingjing, do you really think like this? I thought you would stop at nothing to get Su Liang.”

Che Yun shook his head, “If I can’t get her heart, I don’t want her either.”

Nangong Lin clapped his hands, “That’s great, Jingjing, so you won’t have any weakness when facing their husband-and-wife team! In terms of strength, you are on par with Gu Ling, and when it comes to identity, you are the prince of Liang Country, while he is just a servant regarded with suspicion by Emperor Qian. The real competition lies ahead.”

“I want to defeat Gu Ling more than winning Su Liang.” Finally, Che Yun revealed his true thoughts. From the beginning, he knew about Gu Ling’s relationship with him and secretly compared them.

He was Situ Xie’s grandson, while Gu Ling was his step-grandson, and they were both Nangong Lin’s disciples, with their mothers being once close sisters.

But Situ Xie treated him as a pawn, allowing him to grow up beside his adoptive parents, yet never controlling what Gu Ling did.

It was he who met Su Liang first, and Su Liang was more than polite but had no feelings for him, yet she fell in love with Gu Ling at first sight.

Lian Shun also quickly fell for Gu Ling after meeting him, always talking about Gu Xiaoling with his well-pitched voice.

Everyone liked Gu Ling, as if he was the chosen son, like a fairy who had come to experience mortal life.

On the other hand, Che Yun, a bastard born of his father’s forcible lust for his mother, knew nothing of his father’s existence. His mother never raised him, but instead had a daughter with the man she loved. His grandfather sent him to an enemy country when he was young, and it was only years later that he learned his parents were actually his adoptive parents. While Che mother might have had some real affection for him, the other seventy-percent was of resentment. Che father’s feelings for him were a mix of respect and disgust, which he tried to hide but still involuntarily revealed.

The once-believed loving Che Family was, behind closed doors, like hell for Che Yun. The endless coldness hidden beneath his adoptive parents’ flesh and blood soaked into Che Yun’s marrow. He once tried hard to be their good son, to ignore and forget the unhappiness, to believe that love was more important than blood, but all failed because they didn’t want to cooperate with him, even in a deceptive manner.

Che Yun’s understanding of the world began with manipulation and false feelings. The first time he felt genuinely treated was the friendship and brotherhood Lian Shun gave him, showing unrestrained concern and trust.

But when he saw Lian Shan looking at him with terrified eyes that day, Che Yun knew he would undoubtedly lose Lian Shun as a friend, even though he had protected their entire family in his own way. To prevent Si Yun from silencing Lian Shan, Che Yun changed the time Situ Xie had originally set for the action. He knew it was not insignificant. But it was all in vain.

The moment Nangong Lin spoke his mind, Che Yun felt an enormous relief. Wearing a mask for a long time was truly exhausting, and now, he finally didn’t have to pretend anymore.

If the goal was to deal with Qian Country, why not control and use Gu Ling?

Why must it be him… Che Yun hated Situ Xie and was even more jealous of Gu Ling’s ability to remain detached from Liang Country’s imperial palace schemes.

“I want to see my grandfather,” Che Yun said to Nangong Lin.

Nangong Lin smiled, “Your grandfather is old and doesn’t want to get involved in these matters. If there’s anything you need, just talk to me.”

“Is Master afraid of something if I meet with my grandfather?” Che Yun asked.

Nangong Lin’s smile faded, “If you insist, of course, you can. But let me remind you, be careful what you say- your grandfather may vent his anger on you because of Situ Han.”

Che Yun looked down, “Thank you for the reminder, Master.”

Jiaye City.

Gu Ling and Su Liang sat together, joined by Nian Jincheng and Lian Shun.

“What should we do now? How long can we keep defending?” Lian Shun was still somewhat confused, and everything seemed to have changed overnight.

Nian Jincheng frowned, “After Che Yun’s identity is exposed, he will surely return to Liang Country’s imperial family.”

Su Liang’s expression suddenly changed, “How is the marriage alliance?” She had been too busy and tense to consider this issue. After she and Gu Ling got married, Xing Ji’s daughter was to marry Liang Country’s prince as a part of the alliance. If it followed the original schedule, Duke Qin’s son would have already sent Xing Yuyan to Liang Country.

“Marquis Zhong Xin sent a letter earlier because you guys were in trouble soon after you appeared, and I didn’t hand it to you,” Nian Jincheng said, “After Qin’s crown prince sent Miss Xing to Xuanbei City, both stayed behind due to Miss Xing’s illness.”

Upon hearing this, Su Liang said, “At that time, the war in the south had already started. Perhaps my foster father had anticipated that it was Liang Country that was fanning the flames in the background, foreseeing that it would no longer be possible to maintain peace with Liang Country.”

Even if Xing Ji didn’t know that Situ Xie was responsible for what happened in Jiaye City, he understood very well that after the war between Yin Country and Qian Country began, Liang Country would no longer be peaceful. In such circumstances, he could not afford to marry his daughter there. It could be the case that Xing Yuyan would arrive in Liang Country and be detained along with Qin Yuheng, who had accompanied her as part of the marriage delegation. Meanwhile, Situ Yao would no longer marry Qian Country’s prince.

Nian Jincheng nodded, “Yes, Marquis Zhong Xin mentioned in the letter that Yue King’s crown prince is also ill, and they have stayed in Xuanbei City to recuperate. ”

Su Liang’s face relaxed, “That’s good news.” Regardless, it was crucial to control Situ Xie’s eldest grandson first, use him as a hostage if needed, release him if not necessary, and not break relations on the surface.

“Because of Lian Shan, Yin Country advanced the timing of their attack.” Gu Ling began.

Lian Shun was stunned, “What do you mean? What does it have to do with my little sister?”

Su Liang understood immediately and explained, “The marriage alliance had been set long ago. Since Yin Country’s attack on Jiaye City was planned by Situ Xie, I suspect that in his original plan, his grandson would have already escorted the princess for the marriage alliance back to Liang Country when Yin Country made their move.”

Lian Shun frowned, “In that case, if Liang Country wanted to go to war, they would still have Marquis Zhong Xin’s daughter as a hostage, which could threaten the main generals in the northern part of Qian Country!”

“That’s right.” Su Liang nodded. “But Situ Xie is far away, and the news he receives is naturally delayed. The people who work for him have to listen to him while also not daring to go against Che Yun. To Situ Xie, he may be a pawn, but for those below him, he is their master.”

“You mean…” Lian Shun’s face looked even worse. “It’s because my little sister accidentally overheard Che Yun’s secret conversation, so in order to silence her and cover up the truth, he decided to act earlier and capture my entire family as hostages?”

“If it weren’t for this, they could have waited half a month later to make their move, waiting for Situ Jing to bring his father-in-law’s daughter to Liang Country. Instead of the current situation, Xing Yuyan did not go to Liang Country, and Situ Xie’s grandson was detained.” Su Liang said.

Since it was a premeditated operation, timing was crucial.

Now it seems that the timing of Yin Country’s attack was wrong. The problem couldn’t possibly lie with the mastermind Situ Xie. Since the beginning was due to Lian Shan, her unexpected discovery of Che Yun’s secret had an impact on the subsequent events. That means the accident caused Che Yun and his group to advance their plans.

Obviously, Situ Xie only gave commands to Che Yun and his group without informing them of the overall plan. Perhaps he felt it was unnecessary, as long as they acted according to his commands.

As for the spy in Jiaye City, they did indeed carry out Situ Xie’s orders but changed the timing of their actions on their own accord.

After a moment of silence, Lian Shun spoke again, “Su Xiaoliang, do you think Che Yun acted early without knowing the consequences, or did he know them and still acted anyway?”

Su Liang told the truth, “He should have known.” The timing was advanced, and instead of just capturing Yuan Pei as a hostage, they captured Lian’s entire family… These actions increased the difficulty and might even directly lead to failure. This was definitely not Situ Xie’s intention, but Che Yun’s decision.

Lian Shun bitterly smiled, “During the process of being an insider, he protected my family’s lives with the methods that hurt us.” He was very clear about the difference between personal emotions and greater righteousness.

“If you don’t know how to explain it to your little sister, I can talk to her.” Su Liang said. She didn’t realize that Lian Shan was poisoned at the time, so she didn’t know how to cure it. Moreover, the damage caused by such poison could be irreversible and incurable.

Lian Shun sighed deeply, “No need. I’ll explain everything to her.”

“Alright.” Su Liang nodded.

“What should we do next?” Nian Jincheng asked helplessly. He initially thought that when Gu Ling and Su Liang returned, he could leave for home. But now, the situation became even more complicated.

“Wait for three days.” Gu Ling said.

Su Liang continued, “If no one attempts to assassinate us within three days, it means that they have left Jiaye City.”

Since Che Yun had released Lian’s family members earlier, he would not target them again, at least not when there were other options available.

In the evening, Nian Jincheng set out with two followers, galloping to the South City Gate for inspection.

Previously working with him, Che Yun was a spy who had a good understanding of Jiaye City’s military strength and defense. In order to be cautious, it was necessary to adjust the defenses as soon as possible. There had been too much happening lately, so he needed to sort out his thoughts quickly

and discuss further with Su Llang and Gu Ling.

Halfway there, as the sky darkened, a cry for help suddenly came from a nearby alley.

Nian Jincheng rushed over on his horse, only to see two figures in the dim alley, one of whom was swinging a knife at the person lying on the ground.

“Stop!” Nian Jincheng shouted and jumped off his horse, ready to rush over.

One of the followers, however, was quicker in stopping the attacker.

The knife-wielding assailant turned and saw that Nian Jincheng had not advanced into the alley. He then leaped towards him!

Nian Jincheng sighed and retreated two steps back, hiding behind his other follower.

Meanwhile, the person on the ground who had been shouting for help, jumped up and drew his sword, attacking the person who had just tried to save him.

About a quarter of an hour later, the alley returned to calm. One follower embraced the other, checking for injuries with intimate movements.

One of the followers spoke, revealing Su Liang’s voice, “Nian, I told you that as Gu Ling’s best friend and my best sister’s husband, you are now the most dangerous.”

It’s all his fault for being too weak. Gu Ling pulled Su Liang out of the alley.

Nian Jincheng said gloomily, “I really want the world to know that I have not been Gu Ling’s best friend for a long time.”

“I know, your best friend now is me, but it won’t make you any less dangerous.” Su Liang said, kicking the tied-up man on the ground, “Che Xiao, are you planning to kidnap Nian Jincheng and use him as a bargaining chip for Situ Xie?”

Si Yun and Che Xiao, who had thought they set a trap to lure Nian Jincheng into the alley and then capture him, were now lying on the ground.

Si Yun was a professional spy with rich experience and above- average martial arts but not top-notch. His greatest talent was deception and manipulation. Che Xiao, his disciple, had even weaker martial arts skills than him.

The two of them must have investigated and knew that Nian Jincheng had a strong sense of justice and was far inferior to Gu Ling in martial arts. Therefore, they set up an ambush and worked together, hoping to succeed with the element of surprise.

That was indeed the case. However, they didn’t expect that Gu Ling and Su

Liang would know that the most valuable “hostage” besides Su Liang, Nian Jincheng, a military commander of Qian Country and Gu Ling’s friend, would never be allowed to go out alone. For safety reasons, they stayed close and protected him.

The reason Che Yun’s identity was exposed was because Che Xiao tried to capture Nian Jincheng as a hostage before meeting him. Now that the

“brothers” were separated, Che Xiao still didn’t want to let Nian Jincheng go.

In Nanshan City.

Che Yun looked at the seemingly meditative old man opposite him and called out, “Grandfather.”

The old man opened his eyes but didn’t open them fully, still exuding an intimidating aura. “What do you want?”

“I haven’t seen my sister yet, but my master told me that her health is not good.” Che Yun said.

Upon hearing about Nangong Qian, the old man’s eyes opened slightly wider, and he coldly snorted, “So what?”

“The best doctor in the world today is Su Liang.” Che Yun’s eyes were calm.

“Grandfather, why not ask her to treat my sister again?”

“What are your intentions toward her?” The old man eyed Che Yun coldly.

Che Yun shook his head, “I don’t have any intentions toward her. I just want to see, without her, what Gu Ling can do to me..”