Chapter 133: Did You Kill Them?
“One matter is separate from another. The past hatred will never disappear. Right now, we are merely grasshoppers tied to the same rope. Besides, I don’t think you need to burden yourself with so much guilt—because your indifference did, in fact, exist.”
With that, Yu Haojie strode away toward his wife and daughter, leaving behind a cold and distant silhouette.
Yu Zhengqing watched him leave, taking a deep breath.
“Yes, wrong is wrong. I’ve never tried to deny that. But now… you are the only brother I have left.”
Years ago, Madam Chen had another son, younger than Yu Haojie. But he had long perished on the battlefield.
Had it not been for the downfall of the Yu family, Yu Zhengqing might never have realized how much he valued his own blood ties.
That night, they pitched tents once again in the wilderness, gathered firewood for warmth, and to ward off wild beasts.
Once everyone had settled down, Yu Zhengqing went alone back to the stone house from earlier.
In the freezing wasteland, without fire or shelter, one could freeze to death in just half an hour.
The wooden door was knocked upon with a loud “BANG! BANG!”
Inside, Old Zhuang and Yuan Xiao awoke from their sleep, exchanging glances. A flicker of understanding passed between them.
“It’s me. Brother Yuan, could you open the door?”
Hearing nothing from inside, Yu Zhengqing furrowed his brows.
But with his sharp hearing, he had already caught the sound of the bed creaking—they were awake.
“Go on. What must come will come,” Old Zhuang murmured, nudging Yuan Xiao.
Taking a deep breath, Yuan Xiao pulled on a thick fur coat, threw off his heavy bedding, and walked toward the wooden door.
The moment the wooden latch was removed and the door swung open, a frigid gust of wind rushed inside, making even Old Zhuang shiver beneath his blankets.
“Close the damn door already!” he barked.
Yuan Xiao quickly pulled Yu Zhengqing inside before securing the door again.
“What are you doing here in the middle of the night? You’re already here—just settle down and stop running back and forth!”
Huddling in his blankets, Old Zhuang muttered impatiently.
Yu Zhengqing’s heart sank slightly.
“Old Zhuang… you figured it out?”
“What’s there to figure out? It’s the middle of the night, and you’ve got inner strength, so you don’t fear the cold. But this old man? I’m not risking catching a chill—I still want to keep Yuan Lao Di company for a few more years!”
With that, Old Zhuang tightened his blanket, turned his back to Yu Zhengqing, and went back to sleep.
Seeing this, Yu Zhengqing could only shift his gaze to Yuan Xiao, waiting for an answer.
“Brother Yuan, you and Old Zhuang… you knew all along?”
Yuan Xiao sighed deeply, grabbed a wooden stool, and gestured for Yu Zhengqing to sit.
Before speaking, he went to light a fire in the brazier, warming up the stone house.
“Since we’ve already stamped the official seals, why are you here? Didn’t Liang Chao already take the documents and return? You all can stay here in peace.
“I already told you—if you want to escape, we won’t stop you. If you have the heart to abandon your families and somehow survive Jiuzhong Mountain, that’s your business. But if you make it out and live freely beyond the borders, it has nothing to do with us.”
Hearing this, Yu Zhengqing’s tense shoulders relaxed.
He stood up, cupped his hands in a deep bow, and said,
“I am deeply grateful. If either of you ever needs anything in the future, you need only say the word.”
“Bah! What do we need?”
“You clearly have some skills—able to lead such a large group through Jiuzhong Mountain alive. That alone shows you’re no ordinary man.
“If you ever enter a city again, just help us send money back home. If you can personally check on our families, we would be forever grateful.”
Hearing this, Old Zhuang sat up in bed, finally facing Yu Zhengqing.
“Agreed. If I ever have the chance to leave, I’ll make sure to stop by here first. You can give me your address then. I have light footwork, so delivering it personally would be no trouble.”
“That would be a great kindness!”
“But what about the official documents?” Yuan Xiao suddenly asked, looking concerned.
Yu Zhengqing’s eyes darkened slightly.
“You two should simply report that Liang Chao and his men successfully escorted us here and left. As for what happened to them on the way back… that has nothing to do with you.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Go back and rest,” Old Zhuang waved him off, showing no interest in discussing it further.
Seeing that, Yu Zhengqing bowed again, left the stone house, and vanished into the night with a light step.
As Yuan Xiao closed the door, he turned to Old Zhuang with a wry smile.
“Old Zhuang, you really do see things coming!”
“Hah! Even if they were truly new escorts replacing Liang Chao, how could every single officer have changed? And look at those prisoners—how many exiles have you ever seen that well-fed and healthy? Not to mention their horses and supplies—aren’t those dead giveaways?”
“True. I also felt something was off. But since it’s just the two of us here, I decided to keep quiet.mAfter all, no normal person would voluntarily come to a place like this. The fact that they needed us to stamp their documents? That alone meant something must have happened to Liang Chao.”
Hearing this, Old Zhuang snorted in amusement.
“With Liang Chao’s black heart, it was only a matter of time before he met a real opponent. Those men probably never expected they’d end up killing their own captors.”
He sighed, shaking his head.
“Oh well. We’ll just act dumb and wait. When the higher-ups eventually send someone, we just keep our mouths shut.”
When Yu Zhengqing returned to camp, everyone was asleep—unaware that he had already secured their safety.
They no longer had to fear exposure for killing the officers.
Yu Haojie, standing guard on night duty, noticed his return and quickly walked over.
“Is it done?”
“It’s settled.”
“Did you kill them?”
Hearing Yu Zhengqing’s casual tone, Yu Haojie frowned, his voice tense with urgency.
“I did not. Second Brother, do you really see me as a cold-blooded murderer?”
Yu Haojie let out a mocking chuckle, his eyes filled with indifference.
“I don’t know what kind of person you are now. But I do know that in the past—you were heartless.”
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