Chapter 43: Within the Cycle of Reincarnation

Rong Jing and Rong Miao both looked at him. Rong Miao said, “You don’t like the name Chengming? Didn’t your mother give you that name? How can you dislike it?”

Qin Chengming looked curiously at his uncles. “Don’t you know? The name my mother gave me was taken by someone else. My name was just something Aunt Wan came up with casually. I only found out because I overheard Zhang Ma and Li Auntie in the kitchen talking about it!” Something so important—how could his mother not tell her family? Even if she didn’t, shouldn’t her family have asked? How could the Jiang family get away with giving him this name?

Rong Miao, feeling a bit uneasy, asked, “Who is Aunt Wan? I don’t recall ever hearing of a Wan Aunt in the Jiang family. Rong Jing, have you heard of her?”

Rong Jing shook his head. “I only heard that when Sister Yun married into the Jiang family, they swore an oath to treat her well. Jiang’s second son even said he’d be devoted to her alone, and after marrying her, he’d never take a concubine.”

Qin Chengming replied, “He didn’t take a concubine. Aunt Wan was actually my father’s childhood companion, his cousin. She entered the household as the second wife, so she wouldn’t settle for being a mere concubine. But something must have happened, because people started calling her Aunt Wan. I heard my father’s current wife was chosen to resemble Aunt Wan. A-gen’s access is limited, so I only know this much. The rest, I’m not sure!”

That Aunt Wan must be gone now. Otherwise, with the real thing present, who would seek out a copy?

It was truly unexpected. Rong Jing and Rong Miao exchanged a speechless glance. If they disliked Sister Yun so much, why did they desperately seek her hand in marriage in the first place?

Their Qin family had little power in Eastern Zhou. Even marrying a Qin did nothing to benefit the Jiang family. The only possible advantage was the hope that Sister Yun’s unique constitution might be passed to the next generation.

That explained everything. Before Chengming turned five, he’d heard his family treated him well enough. After he turned five and it was confirmed he didn’t inherit the pure yang body, they became neglectful. Now, with certainty he hadn’t inherited even a single spiritual root, they began to bully the child without restraint. If not for the initial hope, this fatherless, motherless child would have been tormented to death long ago.

Having figured it out, the two now looked at Qin Chengming with pity, as if he were a poor orphan. The look made Qin Chengming shiver, and he dared not talk to his uncles anymore.

The journey was smooth, and even at a leisurely pace, it took just over a month to arrive at Sword City.

The houses here were very different from those in Eastern Zhou. There, Chen Qiang’s home was of the ordinary sort—most houses in town were wooden, lavishly decorated. Streams and bridges, rock gardens and winding corridors were the hallmarks of the wealthy.

In Sword City, the city walls were unusually tall and broad. Green climbing vines covered the exterior, making the walls vibrant with life. The houses within—though the interiors were unknown—each had a high stone wall around them, also covered in those vines. The purpose was unclear. The gates, material unknown, looked much the same across households. To tell who was rich and who wasn’t, one could only judge by the size of the enclosed grounds and the width of the gate.

The Qin family was certainly wealthy—their wall connected directly to the city wall, enclosing an area so vast it was like a city within a city.

Yet something odd stood out. From outside, there were no steps visible, but once inside, it was clear the ground within the wall was much higher than the street outside. Was this the case for every house, to prevent floodwater from entering during heavy rain? If so, why not add a step at the main gate to make it look even more grand?

But now they were to see the Qin family’s patriarch. Such details could be learned later, once there was more leisure.

Having passed through the main gate, the uncles said they would see the patriarch. Qin Chengming thought he’d arrive soon, but after winding left and right for nearly half an hour, they finally stopped.

Rong Miao looked at the house before them and said, “Chengming, the patriarch is inside. Go straight in; someone will guide you. We have to report on our task and won’t accompany you. You’ll be fine alone, right?”

Qin Chengming, not truly a child, nodded and stepped inside. This house had no name plaque, but its threshold was set high; though not short himself, Qin Chengming nearly stumbled. Luckily, someone inside helped him, sparing him embarrassment.

He hadn’t time to thank his benefactor before another person arrived to guide him. He managed only a nod and a smile before following, barely able to see the person’s face.

A long, quiet corridor stretched ahead. Along both sides stood memorial tablets, most with portraits behind them. The guide walked briskly, and Qin Chengming, not wanting to be rude, hurried to keep up.

They passed through the corridor into a vast training ground, empty at the moment. Weapons of every kind—sabers, spears, swords, halberds—were arrayed along the sides. Crossing the training ground and another bridge, they entered a courtyard.

The entrance felt more like a back door, and after winding around a partition, they reached the main hall.

As soon as they entered, a gruff voice rang out, “Those Jiang people are no good! Years ago, I said we should send someone to steal Yun’s child, but none of you listened! And now you’re all pitying him? If I’d known he’d suffer so much, I wouldn’t have listened to you. Endure, endure, endure—endure what? There’s just one Jiang family, what’s there to fear?”

A refined, handsome man replied gently, “That’s not entirely fair. Everyone believed his father, Jiang Huaixing, was a good man. With his father nearby, how could the boy come to harm? No one anticipated Jiang Huaixing’s depravity behind closed doors. The Jiang family head made guarantees at the time, but who could have known those promises meant nothing? Besides, our Qin family was in such a state then…”

Silence fell in the hall.

The man who had guided Qin Chengming was quite the character; he let them eavesdrop openly, without sending word to those inside.

Only when the hall was quiet did he announce loudly, “Young Master Chengming has arrived!” Without waiting for a reply, he led Qin Chengming straight inside.