Chapter 115: Grandma Tang's Past

Another night. Wen Mubai once again sought out his dear "doggy," primarily to ask about the wolves descending from the mountain.

The bald doggy made it clear: he was not welcome! However, unable to do anything about this persistent pest, he could only sulk as he watched the man strut about his territory, eating and taking things without a shred of shame.

"You know the rules. I really can't tell you." A large, burly man with a shaved head, curled up in a chair, looking incredibly small and pitiful.

Wen Mubai picked at his fingernails. "I know that, of course. I just wanted to ask about the reason for the wolves coming down."

The bald doggy’s eyes welled with tears. "I can't say."

"Thanks anyway, doggy." Wen Mubai didn't press him. Even though the doggy refused, he had already hinted at the truth.

The bald doggy feigned ignorance. "Thanks for what?"

"Nothing." Wen Mubai didn't elaborate. "I'm off." He waved his hand and shouldered his basket, ready to leave.

"Wait." The bald doggy leaped down and blocked Wen Mubai’s path. "Wolf-cub, let me show you something good." He mysteriously produced a thumb-sized transparent glass bottle filled with white powder. "Look, this is from home. It’s a rare item." He dangled it in front of Wen Mubai, looking quite smug. "If you change your mind, I can put in a good word for you with the elders. You know how much the head of the family appreciates you."

"No, thank you." Wen Mubai refused flatly. "I just want a simple life. Fighting and killing have nothing to do with me." The Dragon Group was a past he preferred not to revisit. Besides, looking at the doggy’s smug expression, he hadn't the heart to tell him that he could have as much of this stuff as he wanted, anytime he liked, unlike the doggy, who had to break his head just to get a tiny bit. Thinking of the large jar he had at home, he decided to be kind, given that the doggy had just helped him.

"Goodbye." This time, he truly left.

On the other side, Tang Banxia spent half a month considering the matter. It wasn't until Tang Xinyi brought news after returning from the county town that she visited Zhao Xin and her nephew once again.

Lu Xun and Zhao Xin were very happy to see Tang Banxia. During the past half-month, they had been in agony, fearing both that Tang Banxia would refuse and that she would report them. But the legacy of the Bai family could not be broken, and Lu Xun lacked the talent in this field. Without hope of rehabilitation, she could only pin her expectations on a protégé. In this remote area, finding such a promising talent was rare indeed. Having lost their composure, they were overjoyed to see her now.

They took her to the backyard, served tea, and sat down.

Tang Banxia went straight to the point. "Do you know Cheng Xiao?"

Zhao Xin was startled. "Auntie Cheng?"

"Yes, that's my grandmother." Tang Banxia produced a bamboo-patterned jade pendant. "This is my grandmother's. She said that if I showed it to you, you would believe me."

Zhao Xin took the pendant, studied it for a moment, and her eyes reddened. "It is Auntie Cheng’s." Years ago, the grandfather had four direct disciples, categorized by Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum, each holding a jade pendant of a different design. The pendant represented their identity and could not be forged.

"So you are the granddaughter of Auntie Cheng. No wonder, no wonder you have such talent." Zhao Xin’s hands trembled as she held the piece. "Lu Xun, come here, this is your junior sister."

Tang Banxia and Lu Xun exchanged a glance and stood up simultaneously, performing a formal traditional bow.

"Senior Brother."

"Junior Sister."

Zhao Xin explained, "Lu Xun’s surname is also Bai; he is my sister's son." The head of the Bai family was a woman—Zhao Xin’s own sister—which was one of the reasons the second branch of the Bai family had defected. Cheng Xiao, Tang’s grandmother, had been the junior apprentice sister of the two Zhao sisters and the final disciple of their grandfather. After the grandfather passed away, the four junior sisters had scattered. By their generation, they only knew of the "Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum" legacy, not the specific names. Yet, thinking of how she and Lu Xun were able to successfully change their names and identities, Zhao Xin knew the aunts must have exerted their influence.

Upon hearing news of her old friend, Zhao Xin was overcome with emotion and remained silent for a long time. Lu Xun’s feelings were equally turbulent. He looked at Tang Banxia with a hint of closeness, but mostly with vigilance. It was too much of a coincidence. His experiences over the years forced him to act with caution.

Tang Banxia could sense this, but she didn't mind. She said, "Grandmother was very happy to hear of your current situation. This is a letter she wrote to you." She handed a letter to Zhao Xin. "Grandmother also said that everything she wants to say is in the letter."

Having delivered the message and the letter, she took her leave without overstaying. She could feel Lu Xun’s guardedness; since she wanted nothing from them, there was no reason to invite suspicion.

After she left, Zhao Xin opened the letter. She scanned it, and tears streamed down her face. Seeing this, Lu Xun snatched the letter and read it, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes. "They dared to..."

Zhao Xin couldn't help but sob. The century-old reputation of the Bai family had been trampled by these people, and yet she could only cower here, barely surviving. How could she face the ancestors of the Bai family?

"Aunt, I want to go back." Lu Xun kept his head down, his expression unreadable.

Zhao Xin’s heart skipped a beat. "No, you cannot. Auntie Cheng’s letter warns repeatedly that the capital is the center of the vortex; we must hide our identities." Lu Xun was the rightful heir of the Bai family, and the future of the family rested on him. Wouldn't returning to the capital be walking straight into a trap?

Lu Xun said calmly, "I cannot wait any longer." Even if the capital was a whirlpool, it was also full of opportunities. If they followed the letter's advice, when would they ever clear his mother’s name? His mother had spent her life saving others, only to end up cursed and trampled by thousands. The sight of his mother’s eyes, unable to close even in death, was something Lu Xun would never forget. "Aunt, I must go back." If he delayed any longer and his enemies died of old age, he would never find peace.

Zhao Xin stammered, "But, but..." She regretted bringing up the past. Lu Xun was the last of the Bai bloodline; how could she watch him walk into that vortex? The situation in the capital was complex, with enemies both visible and hidden. How could Lu Xun handle it alone? But seeing his firm expression, she swallowed her protests and said instead, "I will go with you."

Lu Xun was taken aback and moved, but he still refused. "Aunt, stay here. If I fail, at least there will be a retreat." The Bai family only had the two of them left; they could not both be wiped out. Moreover, if the worst happened, the century-old medical knowledge of the Bai family could not end with their generation.

Zhao Xin tried to speak, but Lu Xun raised a hand to stop her. He even produced the family head's token. "Bai Xin, obey the order."

Zhao Xin’s expression shifted several times before she finally agreed. "Ah Ji, you must prioritize your own safety. Revenge can be plotted slowly. If you are in danger, take this jade pendant and find Auntie Cheng; her address is inside."

Lu Xun listened patiently to her instructions. "I will remember."

Zhao Xin’s eyes filled with tears, her heart aching. She blamed herself for her incompetence; she couldn't help her sister back then, and now she could only watch as Ah Ji walked into danger alone.

Tang Banxia knew nothing of their decision. She only noticed that when she went to the commune, the pharmacy was already closed. She found it a bit strange. She didn't know the contents of her grandmother's letter, nor the future path of Zhao Xin and Lu Xun.

For a time, she kept an eye on the pharmacy and even asked Lin Yu about it, but Lin Yu said she didn't know anything either. Tang Banxia wrote to her grandmother, and only after receiving a reply did she learn that Lu Xun had returned to the capital and was currently working in the procurement department of the military hospital.

It seemed it wasn't an accident, but their own choice, so Tang Banxia stopped paying it much mind. She was currently more concerned about the recruitment for the infirmary...