37: Chapter 37 Drinking Alone Under the Moon

At the Yunlan County Zhenwu Division, the murderous aura in Zhao Feng's courtyard only began to dissipate slightly after the dust settled on the Wang Family case.

The poisoning of the Wang Family's direct son, a case that had caused a sensation throughout the county seat, had finally come to light after several days of investigation, interrogation, and evidence gathering. The chain of evidence was complete, with both human and material evidence being irrefutable; there was no longer any room for a reversal.

The mastermind, Wang Huaian, was a man of deep schemes and sinister cruelty. To seize the Wang Family's power and resources, he had not hesitated to strike down his own direct Bloodline, stirring up a storm in the county seat. His crimes were unforgivable.

As for Lin Qing's casual mention during the earlier interrogation about a possible lenient sentence, it was merely a psychological tactic used to break down Wang Huaian's mental defenses and pry open his mouth. He had never intended to follow through with it.

The Zhenwu Division handled cases with impartial justice, determining guilt according to the law. Merits and punishments were governed by established rules; how could they allow a false promise to lead to a perversion of justice?

Zhao Feng and Shen strong sentenced the three people involved one by one according to the law. Among them, Wang Huaian's crimes were heinous, and with multiple offenses combined, he was to await execution after the autumn.

The Wang Family, once a prominent and illustrious first-class Family that had occupied Yunlan County for centuries, had completely collapsed after this ordeal.

The direct son Wang Xiaolong was dead, and the pillar of the side branch, Wang Huaian, had been brought to justice. In the vast Wang Family, only the elderly and dying Clan Chief Wang remained as a third-rank Martial Artist struggling to hold things together.

Clan Chief Wang was already over seventy years old, and his Qi and blood had long since begun to decay; he no longer possessed the courage of his youth. The Family clan that once stood at the top of Yunlan County would eventually step-by-step decline and fade completely from the vision of the county seat's nobility following this storm.

The ups and downs of the world, the rise and fall of fortunes, can change in a single day.

As night first descended and the evening breeze turned slightly cool, Wang Qingwan, dressed in plain robes, arrived alone at the gate of Lin Qing's small courtyard.

She had shed the exquisite luxury of a former Young Miss; her hair was styled simply, her dress was plain, and there was no longer any brightness in her eyes, leaving only the exhaustion and loneliness of one who had seen through the world's vanity.

Holding an exquisite red sandalwood box in her hands, she lightly knocked on the courtyard gate with a respectful and upright posture.

The courtyard gate opened, and Lin Qing stood quietly inside.

After several days of running about for the investigation, his expression remained calm and composed. Dressed in clean and efficient green martial attire, his eyes were as calm as still water, as if the major Wang Family case that had shocked the city and the waves that had overturned a great Family were, to him, nothing more than an ordinary task.

“Lord Xie Chen.” Wang Qingwan bowed slightly, her tone earnest and filled with respect from the bottom of her heart. “I have come today specifically to express my gratitude. Without your impartial judgment, my brother Wang Xiaolong would not have been able to rest in peace. This is a small token of my appreciation; please accept it.”

After saying this, she handed over the red sandalwood box with both hands.

Lin Qing raised his hand to take the box. As his fingertips touched it, he could feel its warm and heavy texture. He casually opened it; inside were no rare treasures, only a stack of neat, brand-new gold-leafed notes. The patterns were exquisite and the ink was fresh—they were official Gold Notes circulating in the Great Xia Kingdom.

“It was a small matter, and part of my duty. You need not be so formal.” Lin Qing’s tone was flat as he calmly accepted the box.

Wang Qingwan looked at his handsome and indifferent profile, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

The youth before her was young, yet his Heart-Nature was terrifyingly stable. His intellect, courage, insight, and composure far exceeded those of his peers in the county seat. It was he who, by his own strength, had pierced through the layers of mist, exposed the conspiracy of the side branch, and restored the truth for Wang Xiaolong.

But the Wang Family was no longer able to repay this kindness. The great Family was teetering in the wind and rain, and its future was bleak.

She remained silent for a long time, eventually letting out a soft sigh. After bowing in thanks once more, she turned and quietly departed. Her slender back blended into the deep night, lonely and desolate, carrying the endless sorrow of a Family's end.

Lin Qing suddenly spoke up: “Young Miss Wang, what do you think of Ye Lingchuan?”

Having said that, he closed the courtyard gate without waiting for Wang Qingwan's reply.

From then on, the Wang Family case was completely concluded. The grievances, rights and wrongs, and the rise and fall were all turned over like a finished page.

While others sighed and discussed it fervently, all these ups and downs ultimately had nothing to do with Lin Qing anymore.

Time flowed quietly, and several days passed in the blink of an eye. The calendar quietly moved into the fifteenth day of the eighth month.

The autumn wind grew stronger, and the sky was high and clear. The osmanthus tree in the courtyard was already covered in tiny, dense blossoms.

Layers of petals like golden grains hung from the branches, tiny and delicate, with a rich fragrance. As the breeze passed, the scent of osmanthus overflowed the entire courtyard, sweet and lingering, scattering broken gold throughout the court and filling the ground with fragrance.

Lin Qing stood in the courtyard, looking up at the blossoms filling the space.

The fifteenth day of the eighth month, the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In his past life, this was a traditional holiday for Family reunions. But today, he was alone in a foreign world.

In Yunlan County, in this unfamiliar Mortal World, he had no relatives, no friends, and no companions.

On this night, Lin Qing made an exception and stopped the cultivation he practiced daily without fail.

At dusk, he walked out of the small courtyard alone to the market wine shops in the county seat. He carefully chose a few plates of exquisite and refreshing cold dishes, a portion of richly fragrant and spicy Mapo Tofu, and bought a pot of clear brewed wine that had been stored for several years before bringing them back to the courtyard.

Night slowly unfolded as a bright moon rose in the east, hanging high in the ink-colored sky.

The moonlight was as clear as water, transparent and bright, spilling its radiance over the world and making the small courtyard as bright as day. The bluestones on the ground were like frost, and the blossoms on the branches were like snow. Light and shadow were scattered, creating a tranquility that was almost cold.

Lin Qing laid out the dishes and fine wine one by one on the bluestone table in the courtyard and sat down alone.

The stone table was slightly cool, the evening breeze was gentle, the osmanthus fragrance came in waves, and the moonlight was boundless.

He picked up the wine cup and poured a drink for himself.

The wine was crisp and fragrant, going down smoothly with a faint, lingering sweetness.

Everything around was silent, though the faint sounds of laughter and the warmth of a myriad of lights drifted from the distant parts of the county seat.

After a few cups of clear wine, the tipsiness grew, and a slight intoxication rose in his heart. The sealed memories of his past life surged forth, and familiar faces flashed through his mind, clear yet distant.

The events of years past, the mountains and rivers of his homeland, and the warmth of old friends were all like passing clouds, no longer reachable.

As the wine took hold and his emotions surged, Lin Qing slowly put down his wine cup, leaned back, and lay face up on the cool bluestone table.

He kept his eyes open, quietly gazing at the Perfection of the bright moon hanging in the sky.

The evening breeze brushed his sleeves and blew down dots of osmanthus petals from the branches. The tiny golden petals fell onto his shoulders, hair, and the stone table, silently.

A myriad of emotions settled in the depths of his heart, finally turning into a very soft murmur that drifted away in the evening breeze.

“Among the flowers, a jug of wine; I drink alone, with no one to share.”

“Raising my cup, I invite the bright moon; facing my shadow, we become three.”

After softly reciting the poem, there was neither sorrow nor joy in his eyes, only a vast and boundless emptiness.

He just lay there quietly, looking at the bright moon hanging high in the sky.

He let the evening breeze brush his face, the osmanthus fragrance surround him, and the moonlight cover his body. His mind was empty; he no longer thought of his past homeland or his future path in this life. He simply looked at that round moon, in silence and loneliness.

Time flowed slowly, and after an unknown amount of time, a tipsy weariness swept through his body.

The bluestone table was slightly cool, the moonlight was as gentle as water, and the courtyard was heavy with the scent of osmanthus. The youth, alone in a foreign land, pillowed himself on the moonlight and the tiny floral fragrance, quietly falling asleep in the endless, lonely night.

The world was silent, and the moonlight was speechless.