The Night is Still Young

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Cry With Grace

She pleaded him. She urged him as if she were insane.

"Jiang Wanyin!"

The entirety of her body was covered with grime.

"Jiang-gongzi, please..."

Tired and fairly weak.

"Help A-Ning!"

With pale lips and blank red eyes, she was worn to a shadow.

"Please save him!"

Right now, Wen Qing reminded Jiang Cheng of himself and his siblings when they were on the run.

She sobbed. "I knew I shouldn't have left... but I didn't have a choice. They forced me to go to a different city. When I came back, A-Ning and the rest of the group were gone! I knew I shouldn't have left him alone!"

When Jiang Cheng said goodbye to Wen Qing, this was what she said: 'From now on, regardless of what the outcome of this campaign is, we owe each other no more. It's all settled.'

Jiang Cheng could still remember her proud expression in his mind. Yet... today, she refused to let go of his hand, almost kneeling in front of him as she begged, "I really can't find anyone else to help me. You really have to help me find A-Ning! I have no other choice besides you!"

There was no trace of previous pride.

He promised, "I'll definitely bring back Wen Ning."

Nighttime.

Against the dark veil, curtains of rain quivered in the air.

"A... A..." She spoke with involuntary pauses, "A-Ning!"

His blanched face was reminiscent of a wax. His pupils were dilated. The blood at the edge of his mouth had already dried to a dark brown. His chest did not rise and fall. Clearly, half of his rib cage had been broken.

With such an image, nobody would believe he was still alive after witnessing it, but Wen Qing didn't give up, grabbing for his pulse with her hands trembling.

"..."

Clutching onto him for a few moments, she finally burst into tears.

Jiang Cheng clenched his jaw, his hold on Chenqing tightening as he did.

She'd been terrified. Agitated. Frantically running around the Qiongqi Path.

But... she arrived...

She couldn't even see her brother one last time.

...too late.

Two tragedies exist in this world. One, not getting what they want. Two, the other does. The last is much the worst.

Wen Qing wailed as she touched Wen Ning's ribs, as though she wanted to reassemble them. She clung to the nonexistent possibility in vain.

"A-Ning!" Her lovely features were wrung contorted, becoming unappealing.

Ugly, even.

However, when someone was in the depths of their grief, they would 'never' be able to cry with grace.

In front of the stiff corpse of her only younger brother, not a shred of the pride she'd worked so hard to maintain remained.

Thud!

The shock that Wen Qing received was too strong that she passed out.

Jiang Cheng shut his eyes closed, briefly, before reopening them. He asked, "Who killed him?"

The lead inspector answered in denial, "Jiang-gongzi, you must not say such a thing!" he explained, "We would never kill a single person in this place! He's the one who was careless while working. Fell off the valley walls, and died!"

Nobody would dare kill a single person?

Is that true?

"Oh..."

False.

Jiang Cheng scoffed, his verbal irony identifiable, "I understand."

It's because they are 'Wen-dogs'.

Wen-dogs are not 'people'.

Even if they killed them, it doesn't count as 'killing people'.

Isn't that what he means?

The man paled when his thoughts were read effortlessly.

Did they really think Jiang Cheng wouldn't know of how someone died?

The group of inspectors shrank backward as they caught his resentful energy thickening. Hugging his whole person.

Complexion turning pallid, the lead inspector imparted, "The Yunmeng Jiang Clan and the Lanling Jin Clan have been getting along with each other... you mustn't..."

Perceiving this, Jiang Cheng glanced at him.

He's quite brave, isn't he?

"Are you threatening me?" Jiang Cheng asks, his inflection amused.

"Of course not, of course not!" The lead inspector replied quickly.

"Since you don't want to say anything..."

He's exhausted Jiang Cheng's patience.

"...I'll let 'him' respond on his own."

Now, perish.

As if it had been waiting for his words for a considerable time, Wen Ning's frozen corpse suddenly reacted. He elevated his head.

Before the two closest inspectors could even scream, each of their throats was gripped by a hand as firm as iron.

Expressionless, Wen Ning lifted the two short-legged inspectors high in the air.

The lead inspector alarmingly yelled: "Jiang-gongzi! Jiang-gongzi! Please go easy on us! Doing so in the heat of the moment would have unintended consequences!"

The rain became increasingly heavy. Drops of water kept trickling down Jiang Cheng's cheeks.

He abruptly pivoted around, placing his palm on Wen Ning's shoulder before shouting, "Wen Qionglin!"

Wen Ning let out a long, thunderous roar, as though in response. Everyone in the valley had their ears ringing as a result.

"Whoever caused all of you to be like this, let them meet the same end," Jiang Cheng enunciated. One word at a time. "I give you my permission. Settle everything!"

When Wen Ning learned this, he immediately slammed the two inspectors he was holding together. The two heads crashed with a loud 'bang!', sending red and white flying everywhere, analogous to exploding watermelons.

The scene was hauntingly grotesque. Shrieks reverberated all throughout the valley. Horses neighed. Prisoners fled. It was more than chaotic.

Everything looks like shit.