Chapter 600: Qian Ying’s Past (2)

"By the time my parents saw my grandfather, he was already under house arrest." Qian Ying’s eyes narrowed slightly as she quietly recounted the past. "Those people restricted his freedom, even forbidding him from contacting anyone. My parents and I were brought to Hua Country to be used as leverage against him."

Hearing this, Su Qing asked, "Those people wanted your grandfather to participate in experiments?"

"Yes." Qian Ying nodded. "I imagine you know something about that period of history."

Su Qing didn’t reply, only nodding slightly. As someone from Hua Country, there was almost no one who didn’t know about that period of history. The people of Japan had committed countless atrocities in Hua Country, and those experiments were just one of them.

Qian Ying continued, "My grandfather was a doctor, a kind and compassionate man. He always insisted that the medical skills he’d learned were for saving lives, not for harming them. So, after being brought to Hua Country, he refused to participate in those experiments, even on pain of death. No matter how they threatened or tried to entice him, my grandfather refused to have any part in their work, denouncing them as worse than beasts."

"Perhaps my grandfather’s medical skills were truly exceptional. Although they were unhappy with his actions, they didn’t harm him at first—they just kept trying to persuade him. But when they saw that he wouldn’t yield to either threats or rewards and was even trying to escape, they placed him under house arrest. At the same time, they brought my parents and me to Hua Country to threaten him with our lives."

"What happened then?" Su Qing knew the outcome was unlikely to be good.

Qian Ying gave a tragic smile. "I’m sure you’ve already guessed. The outcome was brutal. When my grandfather saw them using my parents and me as a threat, he was so furious he coughed up blood. But to protect our lives, he agreed to participate in the experiments. At the same time, he secretly plotted with a close friend—despite their age difference—to help my parents and me escape. The man agreed to my grandfather’s plan because my grandfather had once saved his life and he held him in the highest regard."

"On the third day of my grandfather’s participation, a massive fire suddenly engulfed the entire research facility. Taking advantage of the blaze, my grandfather’s friend tried to escape with my parents and me." Qian Ying’s eyes filled with sorrow. "My grandfather set that fire. To lull them into complacency, he used himself as bait, burning three-fifths of the people at the site to death with him. But unfortunately, my parents couldn’t escape. They were killed by their pursuers. My grandfather’s friend fought with his life to get me out, finally reaching a small village. After entrusting me to a local farming family, he could hold on no longer and died."

Qian Ying looked at Su Qing and said softly, "I was raised by people from Hua Country. I was only a little over six months old then; if it wasn’t for that family, I never would have survived. So, the people of Hua Country are my benefactors, while the people of Japan are the enemies who killed my grandfather and my parents. If it weren’t for them, my family could still be living happily in our little hometown. I might have had cute younger brothers and sisters, and I wouldn’t have been an orphan. So, do you understand my feelings now?"

Su Qing pressed her lips together gently before asking, "Then how did you learn about your past? Also, you’re an Onmyoji, aren’t you? How did you become one? It seems you have a grudge against both the Ye Yue Family and the Shengchuan Family, correct?"

"Yes. The Ye Yue Family and the Shengchuan Family are both my enemies. That research facility was orchestrated by them. They weren’t just conducting experiments there; they were also laying a foundation for their own family members’ training. The resentment there was the most abundant and heaviest, making it perfectly suited for the practices of those two families." Qian Ying did not deny it, adding, "As for my past, before my grandfather’s friend died, he told my story to that family. He pleaded with them to adopt me and to tell me the truth when I grew up, so that if I ever had the chance, I could avenge my grandfather and parents."

Qian Ying took a deep breath, the sorrow in her eyes deepening. "I suppose good people don’t always get a happy ending. The family that adopted me was ultimately killed in the chaos of war. Before they died, they told me about my past. I was still so young, and after losing my only shelter, I nearly starved to death by the side of the road. Later, an Onmyoji traveling through Hua Country rescued me. He brought me back to Japan and taught me the Yin Yang Technique. Maybe I had a knack for it, as I became quite proficient."

Su Qing was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, you participated in this plan to sabotage it from within?"

Qian Ying nodded. "My greatest strength is Array Technique. This time, I’ve been working with Shengchuan Gong to inscribe runes on the Array Stones. They want to use this Array against Hua Country, and naturally, I won’t let them succeed. I’ve secretly sabotaged the runes on those Array Stones. Even if they complete the grand Array, it won’t work. I came here tonight mainly to take the talismans created by Ye Yue Taidou. I’m not very skilled with talismans, so taking them was the only way to guarantee complete failure. I just didn’t expect to run into you."

Qian Ying sized up Su Qing and gave a faint smile. "You’ve awakened the Wood Spirit and can control the plants of the forest. That’s truly amazing. No wonder Ye Yue Taidou sensed something was wrong the other day but couldn’t find any trace of you."

"But you sensed me too, didn’t you?" Su Qing retorted. "Otherwise, you wouldn’t have deliberately leaked the plan to me that night."

Qian Ying smiled faintly. "I’ve had a perception of auras far beyond that of a normal person since I was a child. So, you could say it’s one of my innate talents."

"No wonder you found me so easily today," Su Qing said, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Qian Ying looked at Su Qing earnestly. "So, do you believe me now? I truly mean you no harm. Our goals are aligned. If you still don’t trust me, I’ll submit to whatever you decide."

Su Qing shook her head slowly. "I’m not some bloodthirsty killer. You can go. I’ve already taken care of the talismans here. But I’m warning you—if you leak my whereabouts or my appearance, I absolutely will not spare you."

Su Qing knew Qian Ying wasn’t lying to her and wouldn’t move against her. Still, the warning was necessary. If Qian Ying did expose her, Su Qing would show no mercy.

"You’re so fast." Qian Ying was a little surprised, then quickly added, "Forgive me for being presumptuous, but do you also want to take on the Ye Yue Family and the Shengchuan Family? If you do, maybe we could work together."