Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 822

Chapter 822: Drizzle

Xu Yaocai desperately wanted to live.

He felt he was still young, in his twenties, the prime of his life. He could forget the Xu family’s past. Given a second chance, he was sure he could rise again.

Xu Yaocai gripped his sword tightly. To be honest, he hesitated to kill him, but faced with a life-or-death decision, he chose to live.

“Xu Yaocai, even if you survive, are you not afraid we will come after you in the dead of night?” one of them roared.

“Then come find me again at midnight, Brother Cheng. You’ve supported me for so many years; please grant me this last wish. Besides, no matter what, you’re all going to die anyway, so why worry about how you die!” Xu Yaocai spoke with a crazed tone, glaring at the other man as he approached step by step.

In truth, those who followed him to Linshan were all willing to risk their lives for the Xu family. But these five, having hesitated a little longer, were abandoned by their master. Their hearts were chilled to the bone, and resentment surged within them.

If Xu Yaocai had spoken a few words in their defense, things would not be like this now.

Everyone abandoned their families and followed them to Linshan because of the Xu family’s past kindness and their protection.

But when faced with a life-or-death situation, how many could remain fearless and willing to sacrifice themselves?

Being willing to die for you did not mean not being afraid.

Being called “Brother Cheng” by Xu Yaocai and forced to retreat step by step, shaking his head and weeping as Xu Yaocai did so, despite countless grievances in his heart, he still could not bring himself to strike.

Xu Yaocai, however, showed no mercy, charging directly at Brother Cheng. Brother Cheng did not resist, and after taking Xu Yaocai’s sword, he coughed up blood, saying, “I hope my life can truly bring you peace of mind in the future.”

With that, Brother Cheng fell straight down, landing with a “plop” in the mud, his bright red blood splattering onto the grass, strikingly visible.

Pei Que stood not far away, watching Xu Yaocai and his men fight. Three men remained. Xu Yaocai still needed to deal with one, but the remaining three had already joined forces against him.

A servant beside him whispered, “Master, should we make our move now?”

The fire at the main gate of the mountain stronghold was getting closer, the towering flames swallowing countless lives.

Pei Que turned to look at the fire, saying there was no rush, “Wait a while; now is not the time.”

“But if we delay any longer, I’m afraid the Seventh Prince’s men will infiltrate the bamboo forest. If we encounter them, it will be troublesome.” The servant was still worried.

The longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for Pei Que, but he could not make a move now.

Xu Yaocai was young and strong and could still withstand a few blows from the three men, but after seriously injuring one, he began to struggle and started to retreat.

“Pei…Pei Que, there are only two left. You take care of them for me; I will not take any of them. We will go down the mountain right now!” Xu Yaocai shouted.

The two men exchanged a glance. One turned to Pei Que and said, “Fourth Master Pei, if you let Xu Yaocai go, it will only bring you harm. We brothers are destined to die today, so we will do you a favor. Xu Yaocai abandoned his brothers of decades to survive, and he will turn around and harm you later. As long as you do not interfere now, we will take our own lives after killing Xu Yaocai.”

From the moment they entered Linshan, everyone knew they could die at any moment.

But no one expected them to die so ignominiously.

At this moment, the two remaining loyal followers of the Xu family no longer hated Pei Que; they only regretted having been blind to having served someone like Xu Yaocai.

They wanted to use Xu Yaocai’s blood to atone for the brothers who died in Linshan.

Pei Que did not speak. He took two steps back, making his stance clear. He did not have to deal with Xu Yaocai personally, and he had not broken his promise—this was the result he had been waiting for.

Xu Yaocai had sustained injuries to his arms and waist, making a two-on-one fight impossible. He could only frantically run towards Pei Que but tripped over a stone. “Pei Que, save me! If you save me, I will work my ass off for you. You promised to save me; how could you watch them kill me?”

“Pei Que, you’ve broken your promise! You will die a horrible death!”

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Yaocai’s two trusted henchmen were almost upon him.

But just then, Xu Wenjuan, who had been silent all along, picked up the bloodstained sword from the ground and walked to her brother.

Xu Yaocai saw hope again. Although his sister did not know martial arts, Pei Que would not watch her die. As long as she stood in front of him, Pei Que would definitely help. “Wenjuan, quickly help your second brother! Yes, that’s it. We really are family. At this point, only you are still thinking of your second brother.”

Xu Wenjuan was very weak. She weakly raised the sword in her hand, her eyes blankly looking at her second brother lying on the ground. Tears streamed down her face. “Second brother, our Xu family has been a family for centuries. At this last moment, for the sake of the Xu family, for the sake of your son, please have some dignity.”

“Wenjuan, what are you saying?” Xu Yaocai did not understand his sister’s words, but when he heard her say she was tired, he was about to speak again when the sword in her hand fell towards him. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief. “Wen…Wenjuan, I am…your second brother!”

Everyone was shocked. No one expected that Xu Wenjuan would be the one to end Xu Yaocai’s life.

“I know you’re my second brother, but from the moment we entered Linshan, we were destined not to leave alive.” Xu Wenjuan slumped weakly to the ground, looking at her dying second brother. She suddenly smiled. “Second brother is right. I’m also a member of the Xu family. This is my inescapable fate.”

Xu Yaocai still clung to life. He struggled to open his eyes, looking at his sister beside him. One hand gripped her skirt tightly, and he asked weakly, “Why…why did you do this to me? I just wanted to live. Wh…why? Why…why? You’re my…my own sister!”

Xu Wenjuan could not answer. Her heart was shattered. In truth, this ending had been destined long ago.

Having killed her second brother with her own hands, she had no intention of living. This was her inescapable fate.

Pulling the sword from her second brother’s chest, without hesitation, Xu Wenjuan plunged it into her own abdomen.

She could not let her second brother leave Linshan, so she personally saw him off, hoping Pei Que would truly leave her nephew a way to live. The child was innocent; this was the last thing she could do for the Xu family.

She really…really wanted to go back to the past, when she was arrogant and domineering, spoiled and pampered by her parents and brothers. She did not know the world’s relationships could be so complicated, and she would not have suffered the betrayal and abandonment that followed.

But her hands were stained with her second brother’s blood; the sword pierced her abdomen, a sharp, agonizing pain.

Everything was gone forever.

“Thud!”

A dull thud, and Xu Wenjuan fell backward.

A light drizzle began to fall, landing on her face, cool and refreshing, like the spring days of her life in the Xu family before her marriage.

She seemed to see her parents, her eldest brother and sister-in-law, and He Xun and her child.

Before setting off from Jiuyi, He Xun had not agreed to her coming, but she knew that if she did not come, how could her second brother easily trust others, and how could he speak to An Zhi?

Her life, in the first half, had been spoiled and willful, receiving kindness from many and wronging many.

Now it was for the best; she had repaid the Xu family’s favor and made up for her guilt towards An Zhi, only feeling sorry for her child far away in Jiuyi.

She saw Pei Que running towards her, slowly taking out the letters she had prepared beforehand from her sleeve, and slowly holding them up, “Pei… Pei Que, please help me… take these back.”