Chapter 490: 497: Another Purpose

Han Yu had just left Liu Xiu and immediately rode out of the city at a gallop. He didn’t want to waste any more time returning home again; he had already arranged to meet his subordinates outside the city. Every moment he was late, his wife would suffer more. However, he had barely reached the city gate when his brother-in-law stopped him.

Although Han Yu was extremely impatient in his heart, the man before him was his brother-in-law, not a stranger. He could only suppress his impatience and look at Su Hengxuan, feeling somewhat guilty inside. He hadn’t protected his wife well, which had led to this incident.

“Second Brother, do you have something urgent for me? If it’s not urgent, let’s discuss it later. I have an emergency that I need to handle right now.”

“What’s the emergency? You’re going to find Lady Yue, aren’t you?” Su Hengxuan, though posing it as a question, spoke with certainty. It was also because Han Yu’s subordinates sensed something wrong and went to inform Su Hengxuan.

Of course, Han Yu wouldn’t keep Su Hengxuan in the dark. He admitted frankly, “Yes, my wife met with trouble. She was forced by Zhao Fan’s scoundrels to jump off a cliff, and I must hurry to rescue her now.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Han Yu’s tone carried a bit of urgency, and Su Hengxuan, fully aware of the situation at that time, realistically understood that his younger sister’s chances of survival were slim. Jumping off such a high cliff, she could only survive by a miracle, yet Han Yu spoke with such conviction as if he was certain his younger sister hadn’t died.

Su Hengxuan’s eyes suddenly lit up with hope as he looked at Han Yu, “Xiu Qi, have you received some news that Lady Yue isn’t dead?”

“No.” Han Yu replied without much fluctuation in his voice, extinguishing the flicker of hope that had just arisen in Su Hengxuan.

“But my wife is blessed. When she gave birth, she was at death’s door, having already stepped one foot through the Ghost Gate, yet she still survived. This time she will definitely come back safe and sound. She promised to be with me for a lifetime; she cannot break her word!” Han Yu, seeing Su Hengxuan’s reaction, spoke again. The certainty in his words sounded rather heartbreaking, clearly revealing a man in denial, unwilling to accept the truth about Su Wenyue’s accident, and thus grasping at straws to deceive himself.

There had never been a moment where Su Hengxuan had so fully accepted the fact that Han Yu was his brother-in-law. Han Yu’s deep affection had truly moved him. Which man would go to such lengths for his wife, abandoning all to seek her out, even aware that hope was faint and the consequences could be severe?

“Brother-in-law, I am deeply distressed by what has happened to Lady Yue. She is my dearly cherished younger sister, the treasure of our family, but however sad I may feel, I must accept this reality. I cannot believe that you are not aware of how slim Lady Yue’s chances of survival are, and even that…” Unable to bear to complete the thought, Su Hengxuan’s eyes reddened as he struggled to hold back his grief.

“When I heard the news, I too wanted nothing more than to immediately go search for Lady Yue and bring her home, even if she truly was no more. But I cannot do that, not for any other reason than for Lady Yue herself, for her loyal devotion. She would rather die than have those people use her to threaten you. As her brother, I naturally must fulfill her wishes, so I cannot leave, and neither can you. We must not let Lady Yue’s sacrifice be in vain.”

Han Yu saw that his brother-in-law was using the same argument, feeling somewhat helpless inside. Although his brother-in-law’s words were more heartfelt than others’, it couldn’t stop him. Moreover, Han Yu had weighed the risks, which he couldn’t disclose to Liu Xiu and the others. Now that his brother-in-law had come, it would be better to make things clear.

Thinking this, Han Yu had people wait farther away and took his brother-in-law to a secluded spot.

Han Yu and Su Hengxuan, having collaborated frequently, had developed an understanding. Seeing Han Yu’s actions, Su Hengxuan knew there was likely more to this than simply finding his younger sister. Indeed, as he thought this, Han Yu opened his mouth to speak.

“I can’t tell others, and I can’t fully trust them, but I don’t need to hide it from you. Although my primary purpose in leaving is to find Lady Yue, there’s another intention…”

Upon hearing Han Yu’s words, Su Hengxuan’s face became even more worried: “Has it really come to the point where you need to take such a drastic step? There’s great risk in doing so.”

“It was Lady Yue’s incident that made me realize the seriousness of the situation. That Liu Kuan could pass on the message so quietly, without even my men noticing anything amiss, speaks volumes. Liu Kuan doesn’t have such formidable ability; the only possibility is a traitor within the army, not just Liu Kuan and Chen Chu, but possibly more than we can imagine.”

“You’re going to ‘cut off the arm to save the body’, isn’t that too great a loss?” Su Hengxuan frowned and said.

The fact that Han Yu was leaving not only for his younger sister did not bother Su Hengxuan. If Han Yu had completely lost his wits and acted recklessly, Su Hengxuan would have been disappointed. Besides, if it weren’t for his sister, even if things were as Han Yu described, with Han Yu’s wit and strategy, he could surely come up with a better solution without causing such great loss, without resorting to such a simplistic and self-damaging method. Clearly, it was out of a desire for revenge for his sister.

“Indeed, this time around, our side will likely suffer greatly and won’t be able to oppose the Imperial Army for some time, perhaps with even more severe consequences. I couldn’t make a decision before, but now that Lady Yue has been targeted, those who dare to harm her must pay the price. I won’t let them off!”

As Han Yu spoke, his presence was filled with an intense murderous aura and a coldness, resembling the King of Hell, showing how much he detested those who had harmed Su Wenyue. No matter whether they were directly or indirectly involved, as long as it concerned his wife, he would never forgive them—never!

“Alright, since you’ve decided to proceed in this way, I will support you unconditionally. Just tell me how I can assist you, and not a single person who hurt my sister will be spared!” Su Hengxuan agreed with Han Yu’s approach without any hesitation, driven by his own desire for vengeance. Previously, he had considered his sister’s feelings and had kept his fury contained for her sake, but now that Han Yu had plans, he was free to act fully.

On Zhao Fan’s side, receiving the message from his subordinate, his expression darkened: “These idiots; they couldn’t handle such a simple matter, allowing Su Wenyue to escape and even jumping off a cliff. They are truly more harm than good. This way, instead of threatening Han Yu, it might actually enrage him. Who knows what Han Yu will do after learning this news!”

Zhao Fan said furiously, his anger growing as he spoke.

Zhang Meng, having heard the news, also felt a sense of regret. It had been so close; they almost captured her without expecting Su Wenyue’s chaste and determined act of jumping from the cliff.

“General, please calm down. This time, they indeed botched the job, but perhaps the situation isn’t as bad as you imagine,” he said.