Finest Servant
Chapter 664

Chapter 664 One Condition

The young girl lay limply in his arms, her face deathly pale, bereft of breath, and her last warmth slowly fading away. Lin Wanrong never expected that Yilian, always so gentle, would exhibit such stubbornness. She had chosen such a drastic method to declare her unyielding love.

"Yilian, Yilian, wake up, you can't die like this—" Overwhelmed with deep guilt and boundless pain, Lin Wanrong's heart shattered. Holding Yilian’s cold body, he let out an angry howl to the heavens.

A captivating figure swiftly approached, and the anxious voice of the Holy Maiden echoed in his ears, "What happened? I was only gone for a moment, how did things go awry?!"

Hearing Sister An's voice, Lin Wanrong snapped back to reality, grasping her hand in urgency, "Master Sister, please, save Yilian—"

Without waiting for his instruction, the Holy Maiden extended her hand to lift the girl's eyelids, observing silently for a moment before shaking her head with a soft sigh.

Lin Wanrong felt a thunderous blow in his mind, barely able to stand upright, "Sister, what's wrong with Yilian? I beg you, you must save her! Otherwise, I'll never find peace in this lifetime!"

An Biru glared at him, annoyed, "Our Miao women are famous for two things. Do you know what they are?"

Lin Wanrong shook his head in despair.

"No wonder little Yilian didn't want to live," the Holy Maiden sighed, looking at him, "With someone as dense as you, she would be annoyed to death even if she wasn't angry! Our Miao women are renowned for two traits: deep love and the use of poison."

These traits were fully embodied in Yilian, and Lin Wanrong smacked his forehead in regret, "Right, how could I not have thought of that!"

An Biru snorted, "What difference would it have made if you had? I ask you, what exactly did you say to Yilian that drove her to take such a heartbreak poison?"

"Heartbreak poison?" Just hearing the name was terrifying enough. Lin Wanrong's face turned ashen, "Yilian asked if I liked her—"

"And how did you respond?" Master Sister stared at him sternly.

"What else could I say," Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, "You know the situation at home, Sister. Yilian is a pure Miao girl. Our kind of life isn't suited for her. I'm not confident I can make her happy or give her a blissful life. How could I delay her future—"

"What's unsuitable? What can't make her happy? Excuses! All excuses!" Sister An glared at him in anger, "You are not a fish, how can you know the joy of a fish? Happiness or joy, Yilian knows better than you. Her own choice, why would you erase it so brutally?"

Lin Wanrong, in no mood to argue, pleaded helplessly, "Master Sister, let's talk about this later, please save Yilian first!"

"These matters must be clarified first," the Holy Maiden shook her head and hummed, "Death of the body is not fearful, it's the death of the heart that is incurable. Today, I must seek justice for our Miao village's little Yilian! Answer me honestly, do you love Yilian or not?!"

Rather than saving the girl, Master Sister interrogated Lin Wanrong on behalf of Yilian. Pressured, Lin Wanrong managed a strained smile, "Yilian is gentle, mischievous, lively, and adorable. Who wouldn't like her? But Qingxuan and the others had already laid down their commands. Shouldn't I respect them? If I flirted with every girl I met, wouldn't I be no better than a stud horse?"

An Biru let out a snort of laughter, but quickly composed herself with the seriousness of the situation, "At least you have some self-awareness. A stud horse? That's too kind for you. You're more like a breeding pig!"

"Whether a stud horse or a breeding pig, Sister, please save Yilian first!" Lin Wanrong pleaded with his hands clasped together in anxiety.

Master Sister, without a smile or a word, stared intently at him, "So, you do like Yilian?!"

Lin Wanrong clenched his teeth and made up his mind, "Yes, I like her—ow!" Before he could finish, he winced in pain from the fierce pinch An Biru gave him.

"Little brother, you're quite bold," Sister An sneered, leaning close to his ear with a cold laugh, "To declare your love for another woman right in front of me?!"

'You forced me to say it, and now you're the one getting jealous. What do you want from me?' Lin Wanrong thought ruefully, then sighed heavily, "Being fickle is an incurable disease I suffer from, with no remedy. But all the faults are mine alone, unrelated to Yilian. Please, Master Sister, you must save her!"

"This is a heartbreak poison. It's not so easily cured," An Biru shook her head. Seeing Lin Wanrong's pale face, she pondered for a moment, then said softly, "However, it's not entirely hopeless—"

"Really?" Lin Wanrong, who was in the depths of despair, suddenly looked up, his face bright with joy.

An Biru nodded slightly, "But you must agree to one condition!"

A condition? Since Master Sister said so, there must still be hope for Yilian. Lin Wanrong, filled with joy, nodded eagerly, "Sister, why speak of conditions between us? What's our relationship? Whatever you ask, I'll agree!"

"You said it yourself. Don't regret it later!" An Biru smiled sweetly, "My condition is simple—if I save this little Yilian, no matter how I deal with her in the future, you must not interfere."

"Ah?!" Lin Wanrong was momentarily stunned. There was something strange in the Holy Maiden's words. Why would she want to deal with Yilian? Was it out of jealousy? But if she were to harm Yilian, could he really stand by and do nothing?

Master Sister, ever so shrewd, saw the hesitation in his eyes and knew his thoughts, she couldn't help but hum, "What? Worried I'll harm her?"

The Holy Maiden, who had endured countless hardships and wandered alone for the happiness of the Miao people, how could she possibly harm a Miao village girl?

Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, holding her hand tightly, "How could I think that way? Yilian is a good girl. I'm the one who wronged her. I genuinely hope she can be happy and joyous! Sister, if you're angry with me, just stab me with a few needles. I won't cry out in pain, but I don't want to see Yilian suffer."

An Biru said nothing, staring at him with wide eyes, her gaze piercing into his heart like arrows.

Lin Wanrong felt a chill down his spine, involuntarily stepping back two paces. He hurriedly said, "Sister, please be gentle when you do it. Actually, I am still a bit afraid of needles."

The Holy Maiden couldn't help but burst into laughter, her annoyance melting away as a blush crept onto her cheeks. She chided softly, "What nonsense about needles! You worry about little Yilian, yet you make others worry about you—you fool!"

Even the dullest of men would understand the Holy Maiden's meaning now. Seeing her lovely red face, Lin Wanrong was overjoyed, "Then I'll be more careful in the future, so as not to make you worry!"

"Who's worried about you? Don't be so shameless!" An Biru's ears burned red as she glanced at him with mild annoyance.

She took the cold body of the girl from Lin Wanrong's arms, looking at the pale cheeks of the young girl. Gently, she brushed Yilian's disheveled hair from her ears, sighing softly, "This little Yilian, so clever and bold, her temperament and character are exactly like me many years ago!"

"You're absolutely right. The first time I saw her, it was as if I saw Master Sister from those years!" Lin Wanrong nodded in agreement, deeply moved.

"Really?!" A surge of surprise and delight flashed in An Biru's eyes, followed by a sigh, "Our Miao women are all wonderful, but their deep love is both a curse and a blessing. The most unfortunate thing is to meet a heartless man from the Hua people, leading to a heartbroken and devastated state. Despite being separated by a generation, both Yilian and I cannot escape the cycle of fate, taken advantage of by an ungrateful brute."

Her eyes tender and warm, she smiled lightly, observing him. Even if Lin Wanrong was not that brute, he had to accept the label.

"Master Sister, how is Yilian now?" Lin Wanrong grew anxious as the Holy Maiden didn't seem hurried about Yilian's condition.

"Just leave her to me! But remember our agreement—if Yilian is saved, you must not object to how I handle her. Do you agree or not?"

At such a moment, how could he not agree? Lin Wanrong nodded helplessly.

Seeing his dejected look, the Holy Maiden spoke gently, "Don't worry. My own little Yilian, I am too fond of her to harm her. As for whether she can achieve the happiness she desires, that will be up to her!"

The Holy Maiden's words were like a riddle, leaving Lin Wanrong in a fog of confusion. However, one thing was clear—as long as Master Sister intervened, little Yilian would surely be safe.

An Biru didn't elaborate further, smiling as she patted his cheek gently, "I'm off to save your little Yilian. You're not to follow me! Go down the mountain early, for tomorrow awaits a dream you've longed for—"

As she spoke, her face turned red to the roots of her neck. Lin Wanrong's heart leaped with joy, exclaiming, "You mean—the bridal chamber?!"

Sister An didn't respond to him, playfully kicking him on the knee and huffing in embarrassment.

Before Lin Wanrong could react, she had already taken Yilian, vanishing into the vast night like a wisp of faint green smoke.

Lin Wanrong felt a mix of joy and worry. Coming to the Miao village to marry Sister An, and the consummation of their marriage tomorrow, was a cause for great happiness. However, Yilian's life hanging by a thread, leaving him with endless guilt, weighed heavily on his heart.

Could Yilian ever recover? And how would Master Sister deal with little Yilian? These mysteries tightly coiled around Lin Wanrong's heart, leaving him restless. After much hesitation, he finally left the mountain with a heavy heart.

Far off on a distant peak, the Holy Maiden stood still, silently watching his forlorn figure retreat, a smile mixed with a shake of her head, "What a silly little brother!"

Yilian lay quietly beneath the stone, bathed in the moon's silvery glow. Her once rosy lips, now devoid of their charming color, were as pale as snow. There was no breath, no warmth, as if she were dead.

An Biru jumped down from the large rock, drawing clear water from the stream with a bamboo tube. She then took out a medicinal pill from her bosom, crushed it, and fed it into Yilian's mouth.

Strangely, within the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Yilian's deathly pale cheeks gradually flushed with a faint rosiness, her color visibly improving. A barely perceptible breath fluttered in her chest, followed by a slight movement of her fingers, signifying the return of life. Had Lin Wanrong witnessed this scene, he surely would have cheered aloud.

Yilian's long eyelashes trembled silently as her eyes slowly opened. She looked around, murmuring, "Where am I? Ah Lin Ge—"

"You're awake?!" A melodious voice sounded beside her. Yilian turned her head quickly, finding a bewitchingly beautiful Miao woman standing beside her, smiling softly.

Stunned, Yilian gasped in surprise, "—You, you are the Holy Maiden?!"

An Biru nodded with a smile. Overwhelmed with excitement, Yilian's face turned bright red, her eyes filled with reverence and admiration. Struggling to stand, she knelt before the Holy Maiden, bowing respectfully, "Holy Maiden, I am so grateful to see you!"

Her graceful and adorable demeanor evoked affection, her resolute eyes reminiscent of the Holy Maiden in her younger years. Watching her with delight, the Holy Maiden quickly helped her up, "Stand up, Yilian!"

The girl's eyes widened in shock, holding onto her arm, "Holy Maiden, how do you know my name?!"

An Biru chuckled, "Of course, I recognize you, the most famous Oriole of Miao, little Yilian! Not only do I know your name, but I've also heard that you are the most learned mi cai in our Miao village. You sing beautifully, possess great knowledge and insight, and have a kind heart. Everyone admires you, right?"

Yilian's cheeks blushed deeply as she looked up, stammering, "I'm just a little girl from Yingyue Hamlet, not as good as you say!"

The Holy Maiden gave her a sly smile, "Not good? Then why does Ah Lin Ge like you?"

Ah Lin Ge likes me? A bitter realization struck Yilian's heart. She suddenly awoke and fell to her knees, tears falling like rain, "No, it's not like that! It's not Ah Lin Ge's fault, I clung to him. Please, Holy Maiden, punish me! Ah Lin Ge is innocent!"

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