149: Chapter 29 Yang Kang

Although he agreed to go to the Zhao King's Manor with Yang Kang and the others, Meng Li didn't set off immediately, but first washed up and ate breakfast.

After finishing breakfast, Meng Li took a look and found that everyone was present.

Besides the main family involved—Yang Kang, Bao Xiruo, and Yang Tiexin—there were also Mu Nianci, Guo Jing, and Huang Rong.

There was no need to say much about Mu Nianci and Guo Jing.

Huang Rong was clearly going because of Guo Jing, just as Meng Li was for Mu Nianci.

Furthermore, according to Guo Jing, Iron Foot Master also wanted to help out after learning about it, but unfortunately, he had just received medicine and his body hadn't recovered yet. Worried that he wouldn't be able to help and might instead become a burden, he decided to call for backup instead, writing letters to Qiu Chuji and other Senior Brothers, asking them to meet them at the border of the Great Song.

To this, Meng Li said nothing.

Because this was a wise action that any normal person would take.

If one knew they might be a burden yet still insisted on going, that would be irrational and abnormal.

Soon, the group arrived at the Zhao King's Manor.

When the guards at the gate saw them, they immediately went inside to report.

Before long, Wanyan Honglie hurried out to meet them, with Ouyang Ke, Peng Lianhu, and others following behind.

Seeing Yang Tiexin, Meng Li, and the others, Wanyan Honglie was momentarily stunned, but he quickly ignored them and said with a face full of joy to Yang Kang and Bao Xiruo, "Xiruo, Kanger, you're back. I knew you would return. Come, let's all go inside together."

After saying that, he reached out to pull Bao Xiruo and Yang Kang, but they both dodged him.

Wanyan Honglie's expression froze.

Yang Kang looked at him, knelt down on the spot, and kowtowed three times to him.

Wanyan Honglie was stunned and hurriedly tried to help him up with his hands, but was still dodged.

Then, Yang Kang stood up and said, "Over these eighteen years, you have taken great care of us, mother and son, and my mother and I are very grateful. But in the end, I am a man of Song, and I have a grudge against the Jin state. Therefore, my mother and I intend to leave; we have come this time to bid farewell."

As soon as these words came out, Wanyan Honglie's expression immediately darkened.

Ouyang Ke, Peng Lianhu, and the others were very surprised.

Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo felt greatly relieved.

Guo Jing nodded secretly.

Huang Rong whispered in his ear, "Brother Jing, you really guessed right."

This was because they had previously discussed Yang Kang's attitude in private; Guo Jing believed Yang Kang would choose his biological father, Yang Tiexin, while Huang Rong was not optimistic.

Hearing Huang Rong's words, Guo Jing smiled and said nothing.

Mu Nianci glanced at Meng Li, and seeing his calm demeanor, she couldn't help but lean in and whisper, "You don't seem surprised at all?"

Meng Li smiled and asked back softly, "What's there to be surprised about?"

Mu Nianci was speechless.

Meng Li smiled without saying a word.

In the original story, after learning about his background and considering it, Yang Kang also made the choice to leave.

How should one describe this decision?

Looking at Yang Kang's performance throughout the entire story, Meng Li felt that the components were somewhat complex, just like the man himself.

Throughout the story, Meng Li felt there were many labels that could be attached to Yang Kang, such as tragic, clever, proud, admirer of the strong, youthful spirit, sensitive, and suspicious.

The label of "tragic" was actually the underlying tone of Yang Kang's life.

Before he was even born, his family met with a huge upheaval. Although he lived in luxury after birth, he lived within the giant lie of his "background." From his birth until he met Yang Tiexin, for nearly eighteen years, no one told him his true background.

Therefore, he always thought Wanyan Honglie was his biological father and regarded him as a role model.

Influenced by Wanyan Honglie, he had a psychology of admiring the strong, hoping he could become a powerhouse like the other man, and took pride in being a Jin person, looking down on the people of Song.

When he was about to turn eighteen, Wanyan Honglie even told him that he would give him a Princely Title as a coming-of-age gift.

Not only that, Bao Xiruo also decided to let go of the past and choose to accept Wanyan Honglie.

For Yang Kang, this was simply perfect in both career and family.

Then, suddenly someone told him—all of this was an illusion!

He wasn't Wanyan Honglie's biological son, nor was he some Little Prince of the Jin, but a person of Song whom he looked down upon.

His biological father was just a rough man who made a living as a street performer!

Even worse, the man he thought was his father, Wanyan Honglie, was actually the enemy who caused his family to break apart.

Then, this matter was confirmed!

This joke of fate undoubtedly caused a subversive impact on him.

Afterward, Yang Kang resolutely decided to draw a clear line with Wanyan Honglie along with Bao Xiruo.

He did this perhaps because their grievances were so entangled and difficult to resolve that he simply made a clean break.

Or perhaps he considered the wishes of his biological mother, Bao Xiruo.

But Meng Li felt that Yang Kang himself also had many reasons; for example, he was very smart, sensitive, and suspicious, and he was at an age of youthful spirit.

That Yang Kang was smart was beyond doubt.

In the original story, even Huang Rong had suffered at his hands.

Similarly obtaining Wu Mu's Testament and putting it into practice, Guo Jing was completely no match for him.

Smart as he was, it wasn't hard to see that Wanyan Honglie's love for him stemmed from Bao Xiruo, and Bao Xiruo was determined to leave with Yang Tiexin. In this way, if he chose to stay in the Zhao King's Manor, he would inevitably conflict with Bao Xiruo.

Once he lost Bao Xiruo, not only would he lose the bond between mother and son, but even if he stayed, it would be impossible for things to be the same as before.

Once his background was spread, others would inevitably look at him through colored glasses.

For the sensitive and suspicious Yang Kang, this was unbearable.

Finally, there was the youthful spirit.

It's true that Wanyan Honglie pampered Yang Kang, but it was precisely because he pampered him too much that he always treated him like a child.

This inevitably gave Yang Kang the idea of wanting to prove himself.

Combining all these factors, it was normal for Yang Kang to resolutely choose to leave the Zhao King's Manor. Even if the current situation had changed and Yang Kang, Bao Xiruo, and even Yang Tiexin didn't know that Wanyan Honglie was the mastermind behind the events of that year, it wouldn't affect Yang Kang making the same decision.

Meng Li's thoughts whirled as he quietly watched the scene unfold.

Wanyan Honglie, however, found it hard to accept.

"Why?" He looked at Yang Kang and Bao Xiruo, his gaze lingering on the latter, and then said with deep sincerity, "Xiruo, I saved you..."

"Heh~"

Just as these words were spoken, Meng Li couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, interrupting Wanyan Honglie and drawing the attention of everyone present.

A flash of dissatisfaction crossed Wanyan Honglie's eyes, but he recognized Meng Li by his voice. Thinking of his methods from yesterday, he felt wary and did not lash out, only asking in a low voice, "Young hero, what are you laughing at?"

"You saved her?" Meng Li murmured, asking back instead of answering, "You don't really think that no one knows about how you set up the Guo and Yang families back then, do you?"

Wanyan Honglie's heart skipped a beat, having a bad premonition.

Yang Tiexin had reviewed the events afterward and already had doubts about what happened back then. Hearing this now, he was immediately startled and suspicious, "Could it be that there was more to the events of that year?"

Meng Li smiled and said, "Of course."

"Duan Tiande is indeed not a good person, but he is greedy for life and fears death. Qiu Chuji is not only highly skilled in Martial Arts but also dares to kill imperial officials. With Duan Tiande's character, if he knew that Qiu Chuji had stayed with the Guo and Yang families, normally he would at most have questioned you."

"He would never have gone to such lengths to exterminate you at the risk of being assassinated in retaliation by Qiu Chuji."

"But he did it anyway, so naturally there was another reason."

"The reason was that he was acting under the instructions of Wanyan Honglie."

Wanyan Honglie interrupted directly, "Enough!"

Meng Li raised an eyebrow. Was he getting anxious?

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