Chapter Sixty-Two: Choices

Mo Lan wandered aimlessly along the street, a chill seeping into her heart. How many people, she wondered, never utter a word of thanks when helped by others? And how many repay kindness with malice? It seemed as if a corner of this world had been tainted by darkness.

Qianyin squeezed Mo Lan’s hand, as if to reassure her that there were still good people here. Though evil existed, it was only a small part—the darkness was real, yet not overwhelming.

An Feng understood as well. His coldness was never meant for the innocent, but for those who deserved it. He knew just how detestable some people could be, and so, he never showed a pleasant face to the wicked.

Lengxue had long since become indifferent to such matters. He felt no urge to help those who feigned pitifulness. What pained him was seeing his own woman give her kindness, only to receive not so much as a word of gratitude, making her seem meddlesome in the eyes of others.

He should go back, drag those two girls here, and give them a good beating—only then would his anger subside.

At this thought, An Feng and Lengxue exchanged glances, nearly turning back to search for the girls.

“What are you two doing?” Mo Lan and Qianyin glanced back at them. Though those girls hadn’t been grateful, neither of them felt they’d done anything wrong, so there was no reason to return.

“Let’s go to the lakeside and clear our minds. The other day, I saw a large lake over there. It looked so quiet and peaceful,” Mo Lan suggested, pointing toward another street that led to the mountain behind them. It was a place they’d discovered by chance.

The three nodded in agreement, not wanting to dwell any longer on those ungrateful girls. The more they thought about it, the more it irked them.

Under the interplay of night and lamplight, the four of them seemed to glow with a celestial radiance—two messengers from heaven, and two demons from hell, walking side by side. Together, they shone with an aura of righteousness.

Choosing separate paths, they walked with steady steps, as if embracing the future with joy. Perhaps none of them had ever regretted choosing this road.

At the lakeside, Mo Lan and Qianyin sat on a stone bench, with the two men on either side. They gazed in silence at the night reflected on the surface of the water.

“Lengxue and I are assassins—ranked first and second in our field. I have principles and have never killed anyone who didn’t deserve it. Everyone I killed had it coming. If you wish to arrest me, you can take me away now.” Qianyin quietly lifted her head, gazing at the full moon hanging high in the sky.

What a beautiful, round moon. There must be someone up there, still chopping at a tree. She wondered, after all this time, if the woman ever grew weary.

“I have no such principles. I’ve killed many who didn’t deserve to die. So, you can take me away as well. But if I ever get the chance, I’ll send you straight to hell.” Lengxue’s voice was devoid of emotion. He said this only for Qianyin’s sake—not for anyone else.

An Feng bowed his head in silence. Many people couldn’t grasp the true meaning of justice. Hearing their frank, almost righteous confessions, he couldn’t help but find it a little amusing. Since when did evil become so brazen and justified?

Perhaps he was laughing at others’ limits from the vantage of his own morality. After all, in all these years, he’d never truly felt at peace. He’d solved countless cases, arrested countless people. But if asked whether these things brought him happiness—well, the answer was truly no.

He’d seen too many innocent people die, which once inspired him to become a police officer and bring the guilty to justice. But looking back, many he arrested were pitiable souls, burdened with family responsibilities—some were robbers, some forced to kill. Who would truly choose a life of violence, if given a choice?

He’d also seen teammates die, and all that remained was a medal and an official explanation. Some of their families wept for them; others couldn’t bear the loss and ended up in the hospital. Life was so precious! Some hurt others out of selfishness, but some truly had no choice.

“An Feng, if you try to arrest them, I might have to stop you. I can’t stand to see my friends sent to that kind of place. Maybe you think I’m selfish. In my heart, very few people compare to Qianyin. She’s as evil as a demon, yet she does the work of an angel.” Mo Lan had mulled over these words for a long time. Throughout their journey, she’d struggled with this decision.

After all, the only one who could truly hurt Qianyin was herself. The scars on her body were her own doing; the wounds in her heart were gifts from the wicked.

So, Mo Lan would protect this girl—evil yet pure—because the stars still shone in her eyes.

“I won’t take you away. Right now, we’re allies, and I need your help with many things. I’m sure you know who’s behind the recent trouble.” An Feng, having regained his composure, decided that some things could be spoken plainly, dispelling the need for conflict.

Upon hearing this, all three paused for a moment, and then broke into gentle smiles.

This was, perhaps, the outcome they each desired—to coexist in harmony, how wonderful that would be.

Qianyin walked closer to the lake, splashing the cool water with her hand. It felt crisp and refreshing. She drew a deep breath of fresh air—if they all agreed to stand together, then she would dedicate herself to guarding what was hers. She no longer needed to earn money; once this was over, she would withdraw from this world.

She could bring Elder Immortal with her to Nanjing, or perhaps somewhere else—that might be a good choice. The more Qianyin thought about it, the happier she felt, though in truth, her greatest concern was the boss. What would be their next move? Why had they suddenly retreated—what was their aim?

“We should turn in early. Tomorrow we set out for the mines, to do a little work for Boss Jin. We’ve already taken enough from him,” Qianyin said with a meaningful glance at the others—though, in truth, she had benefited most.

Lengxue nodded, and the four of them strolled through the night toward Boss Jin’s jade shop.

Suddenly, they saw four girls in revealing clothes heading toward the shop, each clinging to a grown man. The girls themselves looked very young.

These were, in fact, the very same girls they had saved earlier that evening. The four exchanged glances, their brows tightly knit, and walked straight into the shop without so much as a glance for the girls.

One of the girls tugged another’s hand, lowering her head to gesture silently in their direction. The other girl, seeing this, simply pressed closer to the man at her side, her head bowed.

The four girls each picked something they liked, then left, their earlier enthusiasm clearly gone.

“These people are ridiculous—serves them right,” Qianyin grumbled, displeased. While everyone made their own choices, she found it hard to stomach such self-degradation.

“Let’s get some rest,” the others said, and headed off to bed. Outsiders were just that—outsiders. There was no need to meddle in others’ affairs, nor to trouble themselves over things beyond their concern.