Ignoring the deafening roar of the cannons, Lin Qingge led Leng Ningyue back to the other side of the back mountain of Dalin Village.
With no one around, Lin Qingge finally voiced the doubts that had been weighing on her heart.
"Sister Ningyue, my elder brother Lin Jingxing, was it you..."
The remaining two words, which had come to Lin Qingge's lips, felt as if their throats were being forcibly choked; no matter what, they refused to be spoken.
Their eyes met.
This time, Leng Ningyue was the first to avert her gaze.
After a long pause, her dry, chapped lips slowly parted, uttering a few dry, yet cautious syllables:
"It was me, but it also wasn't me."
"What do you mean?"
What was originally an accusatory question, spoken from Lin Qingge's mouth, transformed into a bewildered inquiry.
Even if all the truth were laid out before Lin Qingge, she still wanted the other person to explain it to her personally.
What if she had guessed wrong...
But in the next moment, Leng Ningyue provided a definitive answer:
"Lin Jingxing was indeed killed by me.
To be precise, he was killed by Shangguan Wan'er."
"Shangguan Wan'er?"
Leng Ningyue nodded, explaining in a low voice:
"I told you before that I inherited all of Shangguan Wan'er's memories from childhood to adulthood, but I had no idea why she was severely injured.
Not long ago, I finally remembered everything."
Lin Qingge, suddenly enlightened, slapped her thigh and blurted out without thinking:
"Is that why you, Sister Ningyue, suddenly fainted at Wolong Villa?"
"Exactly."
As if the memories were too tormenting and painful for Leng Ningyue, the blood drained from her beautiful and moving face, leaving it deathly pale.
She dared not look at the person before her, doing her best to maintain her usual cool voice, and said word by word:
"Back then, your elder brother Lin Jingxing threatened Shangguan Wan'er with Lin Ziming's safety, forcing her to meet him.
He chose the meeting place to be on the way to his official post in Changzhou County.
He specifically waited for you to leave before calling out Shangguan Wan'er, who had been tailing them all along.
Then, he told Shangguan Wan'er that Lin Ziming was the child who was taken and drowned by Madam Xiahou.
Mother and son's hearts are connected.
Even if there wasn't enough time to understand why the supposedly stillborn child was alive,
Shangguan Wan'er was certain, after just one glance, that the infant who had filled her with warmth was her own flesh and blood, born of her ten months of pregnancy.
However, she looked around the carriage but did not see the soft little person.
She asked your elder brother Lin Jingxing about Lin Ziming's whereabouts.
But your elder brother Lin Jingxing smiled and said he was an accomplice of Madam Xiahou, the mistress of Prime Minister Shangguan.
Lin Ziming was merely bait to lure Shangguan Wan'er out.
In order to ensure that Shangguan Yuyan, Madam Xiahou's daughter, could become empress and her future imperial offspring would smoothly become the crown prince,
Shangguan Wan'er and her son Lin Ziming both had to die.
And just as they left the post station, he had already dealt with that scoundrel Lin Ziming.
Therefore, Lin Ziming naturally could not be in the carriage.
Your elder brother Lin Jingxing's story was so convincing, coupled with Shangguan Wan'er's apprehension towards your brother Lin Jingxing's 'wife,' she didn't follow too closely.
Thus, she didn't notice that Lin Ziming had actually run off to the outhouse himself and never emerged.
Therefore, she believed him completely.
She, who had moments before been immersed in the immense joy of her son's return, instantly fell from heaven to hell.
The child who had been lively moments ago was now separated from her by death...
Forced to face the pain of losing her son again, she was driven to madness.
With all reason lost, her sole desire was to avenge her son, and she did not hesitate to swing her sword at the murderer of her son.
However, Lin Jingxing not only dodged but also pushed away the 'wife' who came to protect him, and willingly met Shangguan Wan'er's blade.
Allowing the sharp blade to pierce him, he smiled and told Shangguan Wan'er that her son Lin Ziming was not dead.
He also said that since Shangguan Wan'er had taken his life, she should take care of his only remaining relative, his twin sister, Lin Qingge, who looked identical to him.
Shangguan Wan'er fell into confusion; on one hand, she didn't believe Lin Jingxing, but on the other, she clung to the hope that Lin Jingxing was telling the truth and that her child was still alive.
As Shangguan Wan'er hesitated, Lin Jingxing's 'wife' rushed over with her eyes burning red.
Shangguan Wan'er hastily drew her sword to defend herself but was forced to retreat, being pushed back with every exchange.
Within a mere dozen moves, Shangguan Wan'er was killed by Lin Jingxing's 'wife.'
It was precisely because Shangguan Wan'er died that I, who had been lurking within Shangguan Wan'er's body, awakened from my deep slumber.
Taking over this body again, I opened my eyes in confusion.
Although I didn't know what had happened, instinctively, I counterattacked with my severely injured body.
The opponent's moves felt vaguely familiar.
But I didn't think much of it at the time, nor did I have the leisure to do so.
I intended to quickly resolve the dangerous person before me and escape to a relatively safe place before I completely lost consciousness.
And I expected a fierce battle, but for some reason, the other party suddenly gave up the will to live midway and died by my sword.
At this moment, footsteps could be heard from a distance, and my injured self had to leave in a hurry.
I hid in the post station, but Shangguan Wan'er's injuries were more severe than I had imagined.
Exhausted, I discovered you, who were also staying at the post station, before I fell unconscious.
Although I had no memory of killing Lin Jingxing, the moment I saw you, I felt that I should protect you.
Thinking about it now, it must have been Shangguan Wan'er's guilt at play."
"Wait, let me process this!"
Feeling like she had missed out on a fortune by going to the outhouse, Lin Qingge irritably scratched her head.
"Initially, my cheap elder brother Lin Jingxing, in order to return, designed a trap to make Shangguan Wan'er kill him willingly.
After my brother Lin Jingxing died, my clueless sister-in-law was furious.
To avenge my good-for-nothing cheap elder brother, he directly killed Shangguan Wan'er.
And Sister Ningyue, you transmigrated years ago.
For some unknown reason, after helping Shangguan Wan'er out of a predicament, you fell into a deep sleep.
Only when Shangguan Wan'er died did you fully gain control of this body.
And you, Sister Ningyue, who returned like a king, took care of my sister-in-law?"
Leng Ningyue nodded again.
Lin Qingge couldn't help but gasp:
"So, the one who killed my cheap elder brother was actually Shangguan Wan'er, not you, Sister Ningyue!
Or rather, my cheap elder brother was just looking for death himself!"
"But your brother's wife did die by my hand."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingge shrugged dismissively:
"Sister Ningyue, you also said that my brother-in-law gave up his will to live and sought death.
Transmigration is so popular now, it's possible that after my sister-in-law was killed by your sword, Sister Ningyue, as the female lead, transmigrated back to settle accounts with my foul-mouthed brother!"