Chapter 1509 – Defeating Nie Liang and Attacking Yang Tao, Sword Pointing to the World (Part 48)
“What… what do you mean by that?”
Nie Yang’s voice trembled, akin to sandpaper scraping glass, carrying a hint of resistance.
But the System was too lazy to parley with Nie Yang; after all, how dark could this kid’s heart be? The System knew all too well!
Now that he couldn’t feign benevolence, where had that act been before?
The System sarcastically remarked, “Host, don’t you think pretending to be a saint is too late and just disgusting? You don’t know what a ‘saint’ is, do you? A ‘saint’ is just a goody two-shoes, while Nie Qing comes close. You? You and that term are worlds apart. In the realm of darkness, the System dares not compete. What I said earlier, do you dare touch your nonexistent conscience and say you don’t understand?”
The System’s words were a mix of mockery and barbed critiques, causing Nie Yang’s face to turn a shade of blue and then white.
To be honest, Nie Yang didn’t harbor much affection for Nie Qing, but he wasn’t cruel enough to go that far; he intended to spare the other’s life. However, the System was far more ruthless, planning to swap their identities. In such a case, Nie Qing would take the fall and die at the hands of their father Nie Liang and father-in-law Wei Ying. That kind of death… both Nie Qing and Nie Liang would surely be enraged enough to rise from hell!
Nie Yang sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, finally wearily asking, “Aside from that, is there no other way?”
The System replied, “This is the only method I’ve got, heh, whether you use it or not is up to you, but it will expire.”
Watching the flickering candlelight, Nie Yang suddenly chuckled softly, as if shedding a burden, sinking deeper into a darker abyss.
“I see now, what do you want me to do?”
He clearly should have known by now that the System was not benign; it would soon drag him into an irretrievable abyss—regret was too late now.
Nie Yang was already cornered by Nie Liang. Without the System’s suggestion, he couldn’t break out of the deadlock.
If he showed Nie Qing kindness, he would be cruel to himself; years of scheming and efforts would amount to nothing. After much contemplation, Nie Yang still chose himself. Those who achieve great things don’t fixate on trivial matters; if necessary, not just a cousin but even one’s biological parents or siblings could be discarded.
Nie Liang secretly slaughtered several uncles and drugged the Old Patriarch Nie to induce paralysis and dementia—how ruthless was that?
Just as these thoughts swirled, a faint noise from outside made Nie Yang’s alarm bells ring, and his gaze darkened with ferocity.
“A-Yang, you’re still awake?”
Familiar footsteps approached, and Nie Qing’s previously clear voice had turned hoarse from weeping, yet the joy in his words remained unchanged.
Nie Yang quickly composed himself, adopting a gentle and harmless demeanor as he stepped forward to greet him.
“Brother, why are you here?”
Nie Qing replied, “A soldier told me you haven’t eaten much for the past two days, so I had the kitchen prepare some light vegetarian dishes for you. You’ve been keeping vigil for father; you must be exhausted. Even if you have no appetite, you need to eat a little to line your stomach… A-Yang?”
He was a nagging older brother who never stopped talking; when he noticed Nie Yang dazed, concern crept into his expression.
“It’s… nothing… I just really have no appetite right now…”
Nie Yang secretly grinned; it wasn’t a lack of appetite from the vigil; it was that Nie Liang was secretly plotting to take his life!
Nie Qing said earnestly, “Even if you’re not hungry, you should eat a few bites. I can see you’ve lost some weight.”
Unable to resist him, Nie Yang reluctantly ate a few bites, tasting the food as bland as chewing wax.
Seeing Nie Qing’s utterly unguarded demeanor made his emotions even more complicated.
Nie Qing was studying military books, while Nie Yang quietly asked the System, “What is your plan? Is it like the body-snatching tales in stories?”
The System chuckled lazily, “No, the method you mentioned is doable for me, but it’s too laborious. For a soul, the body brought from the womb is the most compatible. If you swap souls with Nie Qing, the highest possibility is that both of you become frail and die young due to unstable soul exchange. My method is disguise; this transformation can entirely alter your appearance to that of each other.”
The System was in a good mood, thus becoming quite chatty.
“You and Nie Qing are inseparable; you know his preferences, relationships, habits, and manner of speech… you know it all. Dressing up won’t be hard, and the chance of being found out is low. Although Wei Ying is Nie Qing’s father-in-law, their interactions are minimal, so his understanding is limited. As long as you don’t make any fatal blunders, he might just think it’s because of losing his father. Don’t you think this plan is simply brilliant? Assuming Nie Qing’s identity, you’ll be the rightful Young Master, and everything will be at your fingertips.”
When thought of in this manner, Nie Yang’s previous machinations seemed futile.
If only Nie Yang had seized Nie Qing’s identity when he was younger and more impressionable, he wouldn’t need to scheme against Nie Liang!
The System’s tactics could easily smooth out what would otherwise be treacherous paths—mere mortals couldn’t achieve that.
Nie Yang displayed a hint of bitter amusement.
It was indeed within reach, while his wariness of the System only grew. For Nie Yang, both the System and Nie Liang dangled over him like blades, but unlike Nie Liang, that sword was about to fall, and death was just around the corner, while the System remained oblivious.
They were all enemies!
Nie Yang was not one to willingly submit to others; even if the System used force to coerce him, his rebellious spirit remained.
After an hour, as Nie Qing prepared to leave, Nie Yang urged him to stay.
“The day is getting late; brother might as well rest here.”
Nie Qing laughed, “That works; it’s been a while since we’ve had a night chat.”
The bond between them as brothers was deep, whereas Wei Ying was the most troublesome, fully aware of Nie Yang’s issues yet unable to inform his son-in-law at this moment.
Fortunately, there were eyes everywhere around Nie Yang; if he dared to move even a little, he’d meet a gruesome end.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the seven days since Nie Liang’s passing had passed. Nie Qing, as the Eldest Legitimate Son, was to take the spirit back home, allowing Nie Liang to rest…
Wei Ying said, “The front can still be delayed for a day or two; Young Master needn’t worry. We will take care of the late affairs of the previous master first and then avenge him.”
Nie Qing hesitated, “With father gone, who knows what turmoil lies within the clan… returning now might lead to a bloody storm…”
Wei Ying assured him, “The previous master made careful arrangements before passing, Young Master needn’t fret.”
Nie Qing didn’t expect his father would be so considerate about this too, and a wave of unwieldy sadness washed over him, causing his eyes to redden.
“By the way, I’d like to borrow someone from the Young Master.”
“Who?”
Wei Ying replied, “Nie Yang.”
“What does father-in-law want to borrow A-Yang for? He’s usually quite lazy and relaxed, so if you need him to do something, don’t set your hopes too high,” Nie Qing laughed, “Thankfully, he’s still young and has decent potential; with more practice, he could become someone capable in the future. Father-in-law should guide him more.”
Wei Ying felt a twinge of discomfort while also increasing his guard. This Nie Yang was indeed deeply scheming; although Nie Qing appeared somewhat innocent and romantic, he saw through it all. If Nie Yang could fool Nie Qing and maintain their relationship so well, it showed how adept he was at acting.
“It’s just some trivial matters…” Wei Ying chuckled, “Since the Young Master values him so much, I’ll have to take extra care to ‘treat’ him well.”
