Chapter 1506 – Defeating Nie Liang, Attacking Yang Tao, Sword Pointing to the World (Part 45)
Back at the tent, Wei Ying wiped the sorrow from his face, his eyes regaining warmth.
Nie Liang, who should have been lying in a coffin, was lightly sleeping on his couch.
Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, Nie Liang slowly opened his eyes, confirmed the identity of the visitor, and breathed a sigh of relief.
“How’s the situation outside?”
Wei Ying whispered, “Everything is progressing smoothly. We’ve secretly sent people back, and those obstacles will surely be eliminated one by one.”
Thinking of that day’s perilous events made Wei Ying break into a cold sweat.
Nie Liang had fainted, and after the Young Doctor checked his pulse, he confirmed that his breathing and heartbeat had stopped. Wei Ying cried for a long time, and he and Fan Chen dressed the late lord, not expecting that Nie Liang would softly cough and slowly awaken. Although Nie Liang had crawled back from the gates of Hell, his body was already on the verge of collapse.
He finally made up his mind to pave the way for Nie Qing; those hindering Nie Qing and the Nie Clan must die!
Even the corpse in the coffin would be easy to deal with. Nie Liang had shadow guards by his side, whose appearances and builds closely resembled his own. With just a little disguise, they could easily be mistaken for him, keeping the ruse intact. Unless one was a close family member or someone who had been in constant contact, it would be hard to notice that the corpse in the coffin was a fake.
Once Nie Liang had truly died, they could swap it out with the corpse in the coffin.
Even if Wei Ci had been reborn, his encounters with Nie Liang had been few and far between, and he wouldn’t have noticed the discrepancy.
To keep the secret, only Wei Ying and Fan Chen knew of it; even Nie Qing was kept in the dark. Keeping it from his son wasn’t out of Nie Liang’s cold-heartedness but simply because he knew Jiang Pengji would send someone to pay respects, testing whether he truly had died. If Nie Qing knew the truth, the chance of exposure would be too high. Better to keep it hidden and let Wei Ying reveal the truth once it was all settled.
Nie Liang scoffed, “They must be throwing a banquet, celebrating that I’ve finally been taken by the King of Hell.”
Wei Ying suppressed his heartache, his expression filled with a hint of coldness, “Those people won’t live much longer.”
Nie Liang chuckled, “True enough, the ones sent out should move quickly; they might even beat me to it.”
Seeing his dear friend’s frail and emaciated appearance, Wei Ying felt incredibly suppressed.
Looking at how Nie Liang was now, who could imagine he had once been a celebrated scion of an aristocratic family, unmatched in elegance and grace?
Noticing the restraint in Wei Ying’s expression, Nie Liang suddenly smiled faintly.
“It’s not that I’ve forgotten the promises made with Zishun; it’s just that fate does not favor us, mere mortals. How can we go against heaven’s will?” Nie Liang comforted him, “Ancients say that man can conquer heaven—who knows whether one’s life is destined to align with fate? Perhaps, Nie Liang was simply born short-lived. When the day comes that I truly pass, Zishun shouldn’t grieve too much. If there are spirits after death, seeing you burdened because of me would trouble my heart.”
Wei Ying replied, “If it weren’t for those petty people’s schemes, poisoning you, how could this have happened?”
“In the end, the symptoms lie with the Nie Clan’s descendants. As long as I bear this identity, I can never escape in this life,” Nie Liang said, “If there’s a next life, I wish to be a commoner, living in seclusion outside the mundane world, making friends here and there, attending banquets at leisure, unbound by worldly affairs…”
Even without this petty poisoner, another would eventually arise to assassinate him.
Ever since the Old Patriarch of the Nie Clan held power and stirred up the infighting within, Nie Liang had seen this clearly.
Unless the root issue was resolved, what was destined to happen would still unfold.
Wei Ying’s eyes were filled with red veins and haze.
Nie Liang understood his friend’s temperament; words wouldn’t alleviate his worries. If just a few words could do so, Wei Ying wouldn’t be Wei Ying anymore.
“If there is a next life, I would still be your dear friend, the two of us looking at the wind and the moon, serving tea and brewing wine, discussing the world—enough.”
Nie Liang laughed, “You truly are thick-headed. Being burdened by me for a lifetime isn’t enough, you want to repay it in the next life too?”
If Nie Liang hadn’t actively made friends, Wei Ying would likely still be that scholar peacefully reading poetry under the window, where he would never have been caught up in the intrigues of the Nie Clan and the strife for the world. Mentioning this made Nie Liang feel guilt. He owed everyone, but he owed Wei Ying the most.
If Wei Ying harbored lingering regrets because of his death, it would indeed keep him tossing and turning.
Yet, Wei Ying didn’t feel it was wrong; if this life’s regrets could be fulfilled in the next, that would be a blessing.
After saying so much, Nie Liang was mentally and physically exhausted and succumbed to fatigue, sinking into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, after completing the memorial rites, Wei Ci returned, maintaining a reflective expression until Zhanshui Pass came into view.
Jiang Pengji saw that Wei Ci had returned safely and began to inquire about serious matters.
“Did Nie Guangshan really die?”
Wei Ci replied, “The corpse in the coffin is indeed him, and the behavior of the crowd showed no signs of flaw.”
Jiang Pengji sighed, “This brother of mine passed so quickly, just a few acts in, and he’s done for… Quite beyond my expectation. Now I don’t know whether to continue bullying his son; it feels a bit too much. By the way, did they give you any trouble?”
Wei Ci had already learned to filter out incomprehensible terms like “done for” and “pass away.”
“Not really any trouble, but their morale didn’t collapse with Nie Liang’s death; instead, it feels like they’re more united in vengeance.”
Wei Ci was clever; it would take real skill for outsiders to trouble him.
“Nie Liang’s dead, so be it; he just adds to my woes,” Jiang Pengji folded her arms and said, “Did they have anything for you to bring?”
The morale that had been at odds due to grief and anger was now on the brink of being forcibly revived.
Wei Ci recounted Wei Ying’s words completely.
Jiang Pengji sneered, “What do they mean by that? Waiting for Nie Liang’s death rites to invite revenge?”
Wei Ci sighed, “That’s most likely what it means.”
“Then let them have it; I hope by then Nie Liang’s coffin has already been buried, otherwise, it would look bad if someone dug it up.”
Jiang Pengji’s skill in drawing hatred truly surpasses that of ordinary people.
If Wei Ying and the others knew this, they would rush to draw their swords and fight her immediately.
What does she mean?
She’s just a step away from openly saying she’d have Nie Liang’s remains dug up or displayed as a warning.
The corner of Wei Ci’s mouth twitched; he felt that his dear lord had drawn enough ire already, and there was indeed reason behind it.
As her enemies, not only did their bodies suffer, but their spirits ought to be struck repeatedly.
Nie Liang’s mental fortitude was high enough. Unfortunately, his lord was just too irritating, with a series of actions capable of driving someone to their demise.
Due to Nie Liang’s funeral, both armies went about their business without major conflicts.
At the same time, the first news of Nie Liang’s death reached the Nie Clan in Zhong Zhao. Suddenly, unease surged through the hearts of the people, and secret tides began to swell.
“Good, Nie Guangshan dying was truly wonderful!”
“With him gone, how could that little Nie Qing possibly maintain the Nie Clan’s wealth? In the end, won’t we have to take action? Otherwise, wouldn’t the Nie Clan be devoured alive by the feudal lords of the world?”
No one could imagine that this sentiment came from the mouth of Nie Liang’s own uncle.
