The improved female villains regained their memories.

Page 859

Your presence is abundant, waiting for me in the alley. I regret not seeing you off.

My son is prosperous, waiting for me in the hall. I regret that I did not come.

Wearing a brocade undergarment, and a brocade skirt, I ride with my uncles and elder brothers.

I wear a brocade robe, a brocade undergarment. My uncles and elder brothers, let us go home together. —From the Book of Songs, "Feng"

Qi Pengju heard the sound; it was the sound of somewhat heavy footsteps.

A putrid stench permeated the dungeon, and only a few meager rays of dim light pierced through the narrow exit. The walls were damp, and water droplets dripped incessantly onto the scratched floor, making a "drip-drip" sound like the tolling of death's countdown.

He was locked in a corner by a heavy magical artifact, his body curled up. His once magnificent clothes were now tattered and covered with dried blood and grime. His hair was a mess, with a few strands covering his scarred face. His lips were cracked and peeling, with bloodstains still remaining at the corners of his mouth. His eyes were sunken, but when he saw that the person who came was Yang Pingsheng, a defiant glint appeared in them.

Yang Pingsheng stood before him, his black clothes blending into the surrounding darkness, transforming into the fire of revenge.

Their eyes met quickly, neither willing to give in.

“Qi Pengju, you disguised yourself as a woman and infiltrated the young master’s residence with Nangong Qingyang, and you fooled my senior brother.” Yang Pingsheng said.

Qi Pengju laughed a few times, his voice was very unpleasant. He probably knew that his laughter was unpleasant, so he quickly stopped laughing and said, "I should just kill you and Ye Buxin."

Yang Pingsheng asked, "If you wanted to kill him, why didn't you?"

Qi Pengju sneered, "Do I need to answer you?"

Yang Pingsheng then asked, "Qi Pengju, you attacked the parade, launched a rebellion, plotted to murder Prince Fusu, and committed countless killings. What was the purpose of all this?"

Qi Pengju retorted, "The Qin state invaded the six states and committed a thousand times, ten thousand times, more bloodshed than I have. You ask me why? I would like to ask you, why did the Qin state do this?"

Yang Pingsheng looked at him in silence.

"For the people? For the unification of the world? Or for lasting peace?" he continued to press.

This statement was full of sarcasm. Even though Qi Pengju was the prisoner, he still stood there arrogantly, questioning Yang Pingsheng.

This guy isn't afraid of death.

Yang Pingsheng understood this, and he even suspected that the guy was seeking death.

So he stopped beating around the bush and asked, "Who arranged this for you? Who's behind it?"

Qi Pengju said, "My real name is Xiang Ju, and I am a member of the Xiang family. The hatred for the destruction of our country is irreconcilable. Why would I need someone else to arrange things for me?"

He flashed that ugly smile again: "Have you not heard that even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin?"

Yang Pingsheng slammed his fist on the railing.

He reached out, wanting to extract the other's memories, but was stopped by a phoenix's cry. He wanted Qi Pengju to speak for himself, but this man had already resolved to die.

He came here with the intention of dying.

What exactly is this guy after? Yang Pingsheng looked at the man. Was he really here for national and personal vendettas, just as he claimed?

The Xiang family... that was a top clan in the Chu Kingdom. Thinking about it, he did indeed have a strong sense of belonging to the Chu Kingdom.

"Where is Wang Jingxing?" Although he knew he wouldn't get the answer, Yang Pingsheng still asked.

Qi Pengju grinned and said, "She's a member of the Mo family, how would I know where she went? You can ask Li Zhujun, maybe he knows."

Yang Pingsheng said, "Treason is a capital offense; you won't live."

He nodded: "You decide what to do."

Then the man lay down in the corner, losing interest in communicating.

He heard Yang Pingsheng's footsteps fade into the distance, eventually disappearing into the silent darkness.

Am I going to die?

He felt extremely tired, so he closed his eyes and lay quietly, as if in his elder sister's arms. The things that happened in the Xiang family were too sad, so sad that he did not want to recall them. So he could only recall the things about Nangong Qingyang.

He knew very well that his death was inevitable, because otherwise his older sister would not survive.

He died. He was the only one who plotted the rebellion. It had nothing to do with the academy or Nangong Qingyang in the capital. He brought all the hidden forces of the academy and fought with all his might. All grudges were severed with him. As long as my sister was willing, she could choose to live in seclusion. Yang Pingsheng and Fusu would have no reason to cause her any more trouble.

With these worldly affairs gone, her fate was sealed.

Then he smiled happily again. Whether it was Xiang Ju or Qi Pengju, he smiled from the bottom of his heart, both memories residing in the same body.

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However, he dared not dream of his elder sister.

He originally thought that no matter what happened to the parade, as long as he could take this opportunity to kill the First Emperor, kill Fusu, kill those Guigu Sect members, and dismantle this brutal empire, then his sister could truly be at ease.

A large amount of manpower in the north was wasted on building the dragon vein, while the war between the Baiyue in the south was dragging on. If something were to happen to the First Emperor, this so-called unification would fall apart in an instant.

The elder sister's desire for the restoration of her kingdom and the peace of mind she desires will both come true.

The world is in chaos, so be it; people die, so be it. Although he was a member of the Xiang family, he had never paid attention to the matter of restoring the country. He was completely satisfied, only for that beautiful figure.

So, he once again used the name of the palace master to gather all the power of the academy, intending to start a rebellion.

In the county where the rebellion broke out, the magistrate was still asleep when he was beheaded with a single stroke. The entire county was thrown into chaos, filled with the sounds of killing and shouting.

Those men in black, filled with hatred for their country and family, hacked at the Qin people with their blades, staining the night red with blood, their eyes bloodshot with rage.

Soon, the shouts of killing stopped, and he stood in the middle of the street, watching as the world turned into hell.

He heard the sound of a spirited steed galloping.

He watched in surprise as the beautiful figure rushed towards him and stood right in front of him.

The slap came swiftly, and he didn't feel much pain, but deep inside, a drop of blood still flowed.

He saw his older sister with red eyes, and for the first time, she lost control of her emotions.

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"Qi Pengju, have you gone mad?!"

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He laughed, but after changing back into men's clothing, his laugh remained ugly.

“I’m not crazy, sister. Like I said before, I saw the divination, so I acted on my own, just like contacting Wang Jingxing in the young master’s mansion to assassinate Yang Pingsheng and Ye Buxin.” He coughed and straightened up.

It was only then that he realized that his elder sister also had a vulnerable side. Perhaps she had always been afraid, and every night she was troubled by the calamity of death and the hatred of the country. In order to compete with Fusu in terms of fate, she even risked her own life. She was constantly wavering between borrowing life and gambling with life.

He wasn't crazy. He had made all the decisions before coming here, and he ran away without telling his sister. He thought his sister would chase after him, but he didn't expect her to be so quick.

He looked up and saw that there was another person on the spirit horse, it was his junior sister.

It turns out someone tipped them off.

His eyes swept over Nangong Qingyang again, and he said in a calm tone, "Sister, I am the one who is doing this. It has nothing to do with you or the academy."

Nangong Qingyang trembled with anger and slapped him again, but Qi Pengju caught her.

She angrily rebuked him: "If you want to die, don't bring yourself to the academy. Look at yourself now, covered in the blood of innocent people. Qi Pengju, is this how I taught you?"

Qi Pengju lowered his head and looked away from her, saying softly, "Sister is very good to me and teaches me very well. It's my own choice. Sister, don't worry, I will handle everything. The people who follow me are also prepared."

As soon as he finished speaking, the men in black responded one after another, expressing their determination to follow Qi Pengju to Nangong Qingyang.

Nangong Qingyang stared at this scene in disbelief, only then realizing that she had been sidelined without her knowledge.

The Palace Master's Decree is just a facade; whether it exists or not, Qi Pengju can still mobilize the power of the academy.

She trembled all over and said painfully, "Qi Pengju, I have spoiled you too much over the years, which has made you lawless. Look at yourselves, look at all of you. The way of Heaven is eternal. You are not afraid of divine retribution for killing innocent people indiscriminately."

Qi Pengju stared wide-eyed at her, "Divine retribution? Sister, hasn't the Qin Kingdom committed enough atrocities? Why doesn't divine retribution target them? Besides, if there really is divine retribution, why would Heaven send down a calamity upon you?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Qingyang seemed to have all his strength drained away: "You...you..."

Qi Pengju said, "Yes, I know. I know that my sister deliberately approached me and took care of me so that I could withstand the calamity. It's fine, no problem."

"I was prepared to die for you."

He was truly prepared.

If he succeeds, then nothing can threaten Nangong Qingyang; if he fails, he will have fulfilled his destiny, and Nangong Qingyang will be safe and sound.

This is his choice; this is the path Qi Pengju is choosing to take.

He only prayed for Nangong Qingyang's safety.

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Nangong Qingyang lost his strength and fell to the ground.

She trembled more violently, tears streaming down her face. Qi Pengju couldn't bear it and let go of her hand. She covered her face and wept.

The wind blew through the blood-soaked county town. She cried for a long, long time before slowly speaking in a hoarse voice: "Perhaps, I was wrong from the very beginning."

She stood up and looked at Qi Pengju: "Perhaps we shouldn't have met in the first place."

These words struck Qi Pengju like a heavy hammer, almost knocking him unconscious.

"Sister, you..."

Qi Pengju.

She said some heartless words.

“From now on, I am no longer your elder sister.”

"You don't need to shield me from this fate."

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What did he do wrong?

Shouldn't the Qin people have been killed?

Shouldn't a rebellion have started?

Shouldn't we block this calamity of fate?