Chapter 117: The Reason
In the afternoon, Lin Dong went to the clothing store alone with Lin Shuang, without inviting Yang Ling or Yang Qingting. They bought a few new outfits and strolled around for a while before returning to the inn in the evening.
Dinner was eaten in the courtyard, and with Yang Ling and Yang Qingting present, it was much more lively than before.
Normally, Lin Shuang would chatter on about her studies at Qiushui Academy and her achievements from running a small stall, but due to Yang Qingting’s lingering influence, plus the rule against talking during meals having only been changed half a year ago, everyone ate quietly for once.
After dinner, Lin Dong still gave no clear answer to Yang Qingting’s questions. It wasn’t until midnight that he went up to the dormitory building alone and knocked on Yang Ling’s door.
“Lin Dong?”
Yang Ling was surprised to see Lin Dong outside.
“Does the Sixth Young Master have time? I’d like to talk to you,” Lin Dong said with a smile.
“Hmm, come in!” Yang Ling nodded and stepped aside.
Lin Dong glanced around casually. The room was tidy, with fresh bedding that hadn’t been touched. If Yang Ling hadn’t spent the whole night sitting in the room, it seemed he must have been practicing cultivation.
When Lin Dong sat down at the desk, Yang Ling said helplessly, “It’s been ten years—you’ve become more decisive and sharp. You didn’t refuse right away. Is it because of me?”
Lin Dong nodded and got straight to the point. “Sixth Young Master, I want to know why you returned to the Yang family.”
Yang Ling hesitated for a moment before saying with a bitter smile, “I don’t know. Can I still trust you…”
Lin Dong remained silent. If Yang Ling didn’t want to talk, he couldn’t force him.
Sighing, Yang Ling suddenly asked, “Are the bandits in Xilan County rampant?”
Lin Dong frowned slightly and looked straight at Yang Ling. “Is the Sixth Young Master a bandit?”
Yang Ling smiled bitterly again. Ten years apart had brought about huge changes. It was unbelievable that Lin Dong could guess his identity just from one sentence. In the past, that would have been impossible.
After a brief silence, Yang Ling asked, “If I were a bandit, what would you do?”
Lin Dong replied calmly, “Bandits act recklessly, committing every kind of evil—raping and plundering. Ninety-nine out of a hundred of them deserve death. But… if I haven’t seen them commit evil with my own eyes, they have nothing to do with me.”
Yang Ling laughed bitterly. “It’s been ten years—your heart has changed the most. In the past, though you might not have dared judge bandits, you would have despised those who committed every kind of evil the most.”
Lin Dong said softly, “At thirteen, I had to fend for myself alone. I suffered a lot, so my heart became harder, and my courage grew.”
Yang Ling hesitated for a moment before asking, “Is it out of resentment that I abandoned you back then?”
Lin Dong shook his head. Whether it was his predecessor or himself, they could understand Yang Ling’s decision at that time.
Back then, Yang Ling was only fourteen or fifteen years old, his mind filled with hatred yet lost and without a way out. He left his predecessor behind not because he wanted to, but to spare them from a life of hardship.
Moreover, the fact that he turned all the jewelry left by his mother into money and gave it all to his predecessor without keeping anything for himself was already enough.
“Ten years ago, I left the city alone, thinking that with my talent, I could enter a major sect to learn martial arts and then return to the Yang family to avenge myself,” Yang Ling said with a confused look in his eyes. “But once I left Qiufeng City, I realized how helpless I was. To survive and reach a major sect, I stole, robbed, and even killed people. Eventually, I arrived in Lingnan Commandery, only to kill the second young master of the Feng family there. The Feng family issued a warrant for my arrest, and with no other choice, I joined bandits in the mountains. After that, I became a minor leader, then a senior leader, and finally the chief… The more people I killed—traders, local landlords, passersby—gradually, I stopped caring about human lives and only focused on wealth.”
He paused, a fierce hatred flashing in his eyes as he gritted his teeth. “What kept me going was the Yang family. I want to bring chaos to their household and ensure Yang Huailiang’s family is wiped out!”
Lin Dong was shocked. Chaos and extermination?
He knew Yang Ling hated the Yang family, but he didn’t expect the hatred to be so extreme, to the point of wanting to destroy the entire family.
“Why do you want to do this?”
“Do you know how my mother died?”
Lin Dong slowly shook his head. In his memory, his predecessor had never met Yang Ling’s mother; he only knew she was the fourth wife and had died of illness before his predecessor entered the Yang family.
Yang Ling sneered. “I saw with my own eyes as Yang Huailiang beat her to death just because I fought with Yang Chi. Since Yang Chi couldn’t defeat me, he went back to Peng Zhenfeng for help. To protect me from punishment, my mother hid me. At that time, Yang Huailiang seemed to have some request of the Peng family, so to prove his loyalty, he beat her to death. They probably never imagined that my mother had hidden me in a bookshelf. I was only five years old that year. As for what happened after that, you probably already know.”
Lin Dong remained silent.
The murderous intent gradually faded, and a faint smile returned to Yang Ling’s face, as if he had reverted to the kind and approachable sixth young master of old.
“With just me and a bunch of bandits, we’re nowhere near strong enough to destroy the Yang family. That’s why I hope you can help me.”
Lin Dong asked slowly, “How can I help you?”
Yang Ling looked surprised. “Are you willing to help me?”
Lin Dong nodded. No matter what kind of person Yang Ling had become now, no matter how vile, the fact that he could justify his actions to himself meant he still regarded himself as the most trustworthy person. For this reason alone, the debt owed by his predecessor had to be repaid.
Yang Ling’s expression brightened briefly before he sighed again. “You shouldn’t have allowed Tian Hao to join the Gu Huan Sect.”
Lin Dong replied calmly, “Whether it’s a large sect or a small one! If Tian Hao truly has talent, even in a small sect, he can eventually turn it into a large one.”
Yang Ling shook his head. “That’s true, but a higher starting point leads to greater achievements. Small sects simply don’t have the resources to nurture Tian Hao properly. But since things have come to this, there’s little we can do. Although the Yang family is powerful, it’s not yet strong enough to force a sect to abandon its heir.”
After a pause, Yang Ling continued, “Fortunately, with Tian Hao’s talent, even without the full support of a large sect, he’s destined to become one of the strong. This means that just with Tian Hao’s strength, the Gu Huan Sect could become a mid-sized sect. As long as you marry into the Yang family, Tian Hao will also be part of the Yang family. Although various sects have rules forbidding them from getting involved in worldly conflicts, with Tian Hao’s strength, his status within the Gu Huan Sect will naturally be high. Even if they can’t fully support the Yang family, they can sell them any excess spirit stones, pills, spiritual artifacts, etc., at low prices. They can also descend from the mountains to help when the Yang family is in trouble. With such support, combined with the Yang family’s own strength, they can become one of the most prominent families in the region within a decade or two after Tian Hao becomes strong.”
Lin Dong nodded. There’s a big difference between having a descendant who is a sect elder and one who is the sect leader. The former is at most a source of support for the family, offering help in times of crisis. The latter, however, is a tremendous asset, able to exploit sect rules to provide substantial help and support to the family.
If this descendant is not only the sect leader but also a strong person, the support becomes even more immense. Just the fact that such a strong person isn’t even willing to destroy a family, let alone cross the limits set by the Tian Wei Pavilion, ensures that their family remains invincible.