The Flower Blossoms Again

With a gut-wrenching scream, "Brother Niu" was cut in half as his fellow pirates cried out in shock. The pirates drew their blades, pointing them at Yang JingTian.

Chen Ba's face twisted with malice, eyes emanating a brutal glow as he drew his weapon and charged with a feral cry.

Yang JingTian parried the pirates' onslaught with the captured sabre, and with a sudden roar, his free hand forcefully countered Chen Ba's sword strike.

"Meng auntie!" cried out Meng Lin, unable to bear the sight of the confrontation.

Chen Ba, mistakenly jubilant, channeled his full strength, his sword striking forth like a bolt of lightning.

At the moment of contact, there was a deafening blast as Chen Ba's sword shattered under the force of Yang JingTian's true Qi.

A wail like that of a mortally hurt animal followed. Chen Ba's arm, from palm to elbow, was pulverized by Yang JingTian's formidable punch. Yang JingTian, relentless, continued with a flurry of punches and hooks, targeting Chen Ba's face and groin, rendering them a blur of gore.

Then, dropping low, he hurled Chen Ba over his head. Grasping shoulder and leg with each hand, he yanked down sharply while thrusting upward with his knee. A series of cracks sounded as Chen Ba's spine was broken into countless pieces—a fate that relegated him to a life confined to a bed.

Shrieking in agony, Chen Ba was left twisting and howling on the ground as the remaining brutes, chilled to the bone, charged with a frenzied yell. Yang JingTian's lips curled into a grimace as he unleashed a bestial war cry and pounced, initiating close-quarters combat. His hands shifted between punches, slaps, and grabs—a merciless dance of destruction.

Yang JingTian's strikes whipped up the wind, swift as lightning. A sweeping leg sent a tree thick as a waist crashing down with a thunderous collapse.

If a tree didn't stand a chance, what of mere men?

In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the battle was over.

Unable to let Meng Lin witness such a bloody scene, Yang JingTian carried the still-blindfolded maiden and sped away from the carnage.

At the base of the mountain, Yang JingTian gently set Meng Lin down.

"Meng auntie, are you alright?" Yang JingTian inquired softly.

Meng Lin opened her eyes—glancing timidly at Yang JingTian before suddenly throwing herself into his embrace, breaking into uncontrollable sobs.

Yang JingTian held her close, his heart brimming with sympathy. Gently caressing her angelic face, he reassured her, "With me here, nothing will happen."

"Why did you have to kill?" Meng Lin's voice was faint.

Yang JingTian tenderly assured her, "I won't allow anyone to harm you, for you are the one I cherish most deeply."

Taken aback and flustered, Meng Lin pushed against Yang JingTian with all her might, but the aftermath of the previous night's rain had made the grass slick. She slipped, almost falling.

With quick reflexes, Yang JingTian caught her in his arms. She was a fragrant, seductive blend of feminine allure. He effortlessly swept her off her feet, indulging in the warmth of the moment.

Meng Lin struggled gently in Yang JingTian's arms.

"Stay still, or I'm going to carry you all the way back," Yang JingTian whispered in her ear jokingly.

This threat startled Meng Lin into halting her resistance; instead, she gave him a playful pinch and whispered, "You big bully, always picking on others."

Holding her, he could feel Meng Lin's body tense up in his arms. Sensing her shyness, he realized they urgently needed to find a secluded place to share tender words of love.

"Gently, Aunt Meng, let's rest over there a while," Yang JingTian suggested softly.

Meng Lin, regaining her composure, replied, "But I must gather herbs for Rui'er."

Proudly, Yang JingTian proclaimed, "If we waited for you to collect the herbs, Rui'er could well have been beyond help long ago."

"Has something happened to Rui'er?" Meng Lin called out in shock.

Yang JingTian smiled reassuringly. "She's fine now, after taking my blood as medicine."

Almost unable to believe his claim, Meng Lin listened as Yang JingTian recounted his experiences from youth that made her trust him significantly more. "Still, to be fully healed, Rui'er will need more medicinal aid," she admitted.

Intrigued, Yang JingTian pressed her, "Please don't take this the wrong way, Aunt Meng, but you and Rui'er are not truly from Haining Village—you're certainly not simple village folk."

Slightly taken aback, Meng Lin asked, "Why do you say that?"

Yang JingTian answered with a triumphant grin, "No one born and raised by the sea could possess such tender skin and beauty. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and your understanding of medicine surpasses any ordinary village maiden. Moreover, your demeanor—regardless of simplicity—betokens a lady of refined upbringing."

Meng Lin queried with a gentle laugh, "Can't Haining Village produce a lady?"

Yang JingTian shook his head. "It can't. If you were such a lady of the village, the villagers would not treat you and your daughter with such unkindness—they certainly wouldn't seek Rui'er's life. So, you must have moved here later on."

"You're right," Meng Lin murmured softly. "I came here... waiting for someone."

Yang JingTian sighed, realizing, "That person is across the sea, and searching for him is beyond your reach."

Meng Lin nodded silently.

"Has it been fifteen years?" Yang JingTian wondered.

"About that long," she confirmed with a wistful smile.

Astounded, Yang JingTian observed, "You don't seem to hold deep affection for him anymore."

"Time changes many things, including feelings," Meng Lin said. "I was young and impetuous then. These fifteen years taught me the true essence of life."

"And you still wish to wait?" he asked.

"If the flower of life can blossom a second time in my life, maybe I won't have to wait any longer," she mused.

Yang JingTian's heart raced as he blurted out, "You don't need to wait, Aunt Meng. I am willing to be the second blossoming of your life."

Her lack of surprise was not lost on him, for many men had been enchanted by her beauty. She knew well the impulses of youth.

"But even after twenty years, I'd still say the same," Yang JingTian chuckled.

"Twenty years from now, you will be in your prime, and I—aging and faded. Would you still find me desirable then?" Meng Lin asked, challenging him.

"You underestimate me by suggesting I'm so shallow," he replied earnestly.

"Many promises of eternal love turn out to be lies, especially from the young," she observed wryly.

"Perhaps you doubt the forever, but you shouldn't doubt my sincerity in this very moment," Yang JingTian spoke seriously.

"Give me a reason to accept your feelings," Meng Lin challenged.

"Considering how I just saved you from distress, it's only right for you to bestow your heart upon me," he jested.

Her body trembled at his words, and she gently refuted, "Taking advantage at a moment of vulnerability is not the act of a hero."

"If being a hero is that hard, I'd rather just be a common man. Before you, I only want to be a husband," Yang JingTian smiled warmly, taking hold of the moment.

Meng Lin trembled slightly, contrasting him with another, "You're nothing like him. He was truly a gentleman, but you, you're more like a rogue."

"Perhaps, but I'm wiser than he was and understand what a woman needs: love. Being called a rogue isn't so bad if it means living less tiresomely," Yang JingTian retorted.

"You're wrong. He was smarter and understood women better. But he led a weary life, for he was a gentleman, and too many women loved him," Meng Lin pointed out.

Yang JingTian, piqued by her comparison, insisted, "At least I'm more handsome than he is."

Meng Lin gazed at Yang JingTian's handsome face and sighed, "That's true, though he was quite the looker himself."

Hearing Meng Lin praise him yet also her former love frustrated Yang JingTian, who retorted with a touch of jealousy, "Beauty is a term for women; men are called handsome. He was just a pretty-faced dandy."

Meng Lin offered no argument but added, "You know, when you're silent, you're quite captivating," recalling how enamored she was of his pensive figure on the stormy night.

That moment had stirred her heart more than her romantic encounter sixteen years ago. Yang JingTian's imposing and ruthless intervention amidst the stormy waves had captivated her in an instant, much like his display of masculinity in the forest battle, leaving any woman who witnessed it infatuated.

And Meng Lin was no exception. Thus, a flower bud long since withered bloomed anew within her heart today, sixteen years later.