The Bitter Truth in the Graveyard

The pent-up emotions of so many days exploded with overwhelming intensity. Ji Ning stood to one side, silently watching the anguished Blacktooth, not saying a word.

“Since you already know, Young Master, I won’t hide it any longer. Young Master, come with me.” Blacktooth rose and walked out of the house.

Ji Ning and Qiuye followed.

Blacktooth led them to the very rear of the entire tribe. There was a small gate in the wooden fence at the back. They passed through it and walked further away… it was a graveyard. Row upon row of graves, many of them new, clearly recently dug.

“Young Master?” Qiuye looked at Ji Ning, a hint of unease in her eyes.

Ji Ning held his breath. He understood where Blacktooth was taking him.

“Here.” Blacktooth pointed at an ordinary-looking grave. In front of it stood a tall stone slab, carved with just a few words: Daughter, Miwa. Erected by her father, Blacktooth.

“Chuncao.” Ji Ning silently looked at the grave.

The person sleeping in this grave was one of the most important people in his life.

Intense, earth-shattering emotions were rare in life. In truth, compared to such violent passions, Ji Ning preferred the quiet, nourishing feelings that seeped into the heart day by day with each passing year.

The ordinary was the true!

Day after day, year after year, they became part of each other’s lives. At the very least, during the span from his infancy to his youth, Chuncao had spent more time with him than even his parents. When she was alive, he hadn’t felt it strongly, but the moment he realized she was dead, it felt as if a part of his heart had been cut away.

It hurt.

“Blacktooth.” Ji Ning stood before the gravestone and said slowly, “Tell me everything. Tell me everything that happened to Chuncao after she returned.”

Blacktooth nodded.

“When I brought her back, she was very sad on the journey, sad to leave you, Young Master,” Blacktooth said with a sigh. “But once we returned to the tribe and she saw her two younger brothers, Miwa was noticeably happier. She often played with them… life was quite joyful. At the time, she was also hoping you would come visit her someday.”

“But then!”

Blacktooth’s voice dropped. “One day, the Winged Serpent great demon came. It was like a nightmare, killing and wounding countless people in our tribe. Among the dead was my son, Linshui.”

“Miwa was heartbroken by Linshui’s death.”

Ji Ning recalled the beast-hide letter. In it, Chuncao had written about many small things from her life back in the Blacktooth tribe, and many of them were about her two younger brothers. It was clear that Miwa doted on her little brothers. This silently hardened Ji Ning’s resolve. He had to help this last surviving younger brother, if only to comfort Chuncao’s spirit in the heavens.

“The attack of the Winged Serpent great demon plunged the entire Blacktooth tribe into pain and panic! The tribesmen were terrified, afraid it would attack again. Some even left the tribe in secret to join other, larger ones.”

“The tribe was in turmoil,” Blacktooth said quickly. “People were leaving all the time. After that first attack, our population was already below a thousand. Seeing people flee… at this rate, the Blacktooth tribe wouldn’t last long before it disbanded.”

Ji Ning nodded.

“I had gone through endless hardship to rebuild this tribe; I couldn’t bear to see it fall apart,” Blacktooth said. “Miwa felt sorry for me, so she swallowed her pride and wrote a letter. She asked a tribesman to deliver it to the Young Master when he went to West Prefecture City, hoping you could help our tribe.”

“But soon, the news came back… the Young Master had already left to train and explore.” Blacktooth shook his head.

Ji Ning gritted his teeth.

That was right. He had left to train long before the Winged Serpent had reached its Xiantian perfection. Of course they couldn’t find him.

“The tribesmen suggested we seek the protection of the super-large tribe, the Riverside Tribe,” Blacktooth said, his voice low. “If we could gain their庇护 (refuge) and live within Riverside City for a while, we would be safe.”

“Riverside City?” Ji Ning murmured to himself.

The Ji Clan, as one of the overlords of the Yan Mountain territory, naturally controlled the countless tribes under its dominion. No tribe was permitted a population exceeding fifty thousand. Any that did might threaten the Ji Clan’s rule, and would be dealt with harshly to warn all others.

A tribe of fifty thousand was a super-large tribe. The Riverside Tribe was one such. Because of its size, its protective walls were made of massive boulders, like a small city. While it couldn’t compare to the great West Prefecture City with its hundreds of thousands of residents, it was still very strong among the countless tribes.

A tribe like this usually had a Xiantian lifeform as its leader.

“Riverside City has two great Xiantian lifeforms. The great demon wouldn’t dare enter,” Blacktooth said. “Our Blacktooth tribe has only a few hundred people. If we could just move into Riverside City… once the Ji Clan dealt with the Winged Serpent, everything would be fine.”

“We went to see a powerful figure in Riverside City, a man named Jiang He. We offered treasures, begging him to take in our tribe and let us escape this calamity.” Blacktooth gritted his teeth. “But that Jiang He had high standards and thought little of the treasures we offered. However, he did take a liking to Miwa.”

“He said if Miwa would become his woman, he would help the Blacktooth tribe. Miwa was far too proud for that and tried to leave at once!” A savage light flickered in Blacktooth’s eyes. “But that Jiang He ordered his men to seize her.”

“Miwa was very strong, and her swordplay was superb. Jiang He’s servants were beaten half to death. Miwa said, ‘My master is Young Master Ji Ning of the Ji Clan. Jiang He, do not go too far!’”

“Jiang He just laughed loudly and said, ‘Even if you are the maidservant of a Young Master of the Ji Clan, you are still just a slave. If you could have invited your master here, you wouldn’t have come begging to me. Besides, why would a maidservant of a Ji Clan young master be in a tiny tribe like this?’” Blacktooth gnashed his teeth. “Then Jiang He said, ‘Become my woman and I will protect the Blacktooth tribe. Otherwise, just wait to die.’ After that, we left Riverside City.”

Qiuye was furious. “Chuncao would never agree to that!”

“No, she wouldn’t.” Ji Ning shook his head, his gaze fixed on Blacktooth.

“Right. Chuncao was unwilling.” Blacktooth shook his head in pain. “But seeing the tribe in chaos, with people leaving every day… seeing my pain… for the sake of her father, she struggled with herself for three days, then finally agreed.”

“Chuncao, how could you be so foolish!” Qiuye cried out in distress.

Ji Ning closed his eyes.

He could imagine Chuncao’s internal struggle over those three days. Was it worth it for her father?

“Miwa became Jiang He’s woman.” Blacktooth’s voice trembled. “But when she was off guard, Jiang He shattered her dantian with a single palm strike, dispersing all her internal energy. He sneered at her, ‘You stupid woman. There are plenty of tribes begging for my protection. Do you think that just because you become my woman, I have to help you? Hah, what a dream!’”

“Bastard!” Qiuye was shaking with rage.

Ji Ning gritted his teeth.

Chuncao, oh, Chuncao!

Why did you believe that bastard? Why did you have to sacrifice yourself for your father? Why?

“The matter of the Winged Serpent great demon was quickly settled. The Ji Clan soon suppressed it to Serpentwing Lake, making it afraid to come out,” Blacktooth said. “Once the Ji Clan’s announcement spread, the tribes calmed down. Our Blacktooth tribe’s people settled as well, and some who had fled even returned.”

“I was worried about Miwa, so I went to find her.” Blacktooth’s voice was heavy. “When I did, I learned something had gone wrong. I managed to meet her in private. The moment she saw me, she burst into tears! Bitter, wracking sobs!”

Ji Ning closed his eyes.

He could picture Chuncao’s pain, regret, unwillingness, and sorrow in that moment.

“She said it was her own mistake, her own stupidity. She said she didn’t blame me, that it was all her choice.” Blacktooth’s voice was filled with anguish. “She also said… she didn’t want you, Young Master, to know. She didn’t want you to be sad. That’s why she made up the story about marrying a traveling merchant and left a letter for you.”

“After she gave me the letter, Miwa died. She took poison.” Blacktooth’s voice was barely a whisper. “I know my daughter’s heart was in too much pain. Death… was probably a release. When she died, she was still calling your name. She didn’t want you to know the truth.”

Ji Ning nodded gently.

He understood.

Yes, he understood.

Growing up together day by day, how could he not understand Chuncao’s heart?

She wanted the happy, joyful Chuncao to live on in his memory. She didn’t want him to know about this humiliation!

“Every woman has her fated man. The first time I saw him, I knew he was that person. Seeing him smile made me happy; seeing him frown made me worry. When I saw him training so hard with his sword, I would just watch from the side. Just watching him was heaven’s gift to me…”

“I was truly, truly happy. Chuncao was just a maidservant, but the Young Master came to the Blacktooth tribe to see her. At least… that means Chuncao occupies a small place in the Young Master’s heart… Chuncao is very, very happy. Truly, very happy.”

Ji Ning opened his eyes. Tears gleamed within them.

He walked slowly to the grave and sat down before it. Taking out a bamboo tube, he said softly, “Chuncao, you always poured the wine for me. This time, let me pour some for you.” He sprinkled the fruit wine onto the ground before the gravestone.

“I know. I understand it all. I know you were always a happy Chuncao. Always.”

“Your foolishness was so endearing.”

He smiled, tears in his eyes. “I know what happened to you. I don’t think any less of you. How could a younger brother despise his older sister? You might have been a bit foolish, but you will always be my sister, Ji Ning’s sister.”

At the word ‘sister’, Qiuye covered her mouth, letting out a choked sob.

“Sister must be very tired. Sleep now. Sleep well,” Ji Ning said softly. “Those who bullied you, those who caused you pain… I won’t let a single one of them off. Not a single one.”

“Let’s go.”

Ji Ning put down the bamboo tube and rose. “To the Riverside Tribe. I want to see this Jiang He.”