Chapter 197 Sacrifices (2/2)

“I…I am Lin Muchuan.”

A name long buried by time.

He spoke slowly, like an old man in his twilight years, using his last strength to paint a faded and yellowed old painting.

“Lin Muchuan. My father said that ‘Lin’ means that he hopes I will be like a tree, taking root in this land.”

“‘Mu’ means that when my mother found me by the river, I was being washed by the water.”

"And the character '川' (chuan) represents my hope that my heart can be as vast as a river, encompassing all streams..."

His voice grew softer and softer until it finally broke into an uncontrollable sob.

None of those beautiful expectations were fulfilled.

"In the summer of 1954, there was a great flood. The river in our area breached its banks, and there was water everywhere, with people fleeing everywhere. My family was in chaos, and it was at that time... that I was taken away."

The story ends here.

Yan Yu looked at his face, contorted with pain, and during a pause in his speech, he suddenly asked, "Who took you away? In those days, it wasn't easy to go from Yan Country to Yinghua Country."

Upon hearing this, An Sanchuan suddenly sneered, his laughter filled with deep-seated contempt and physical disgust.

"Of course it's not easy! It's illegal immigration!"

"We were in a shabby little boat that smelled of fish, and we drifted at sea for more than ten days. We almost became turtle food!"

He suddenly looked up, his ashen face flushed with a sickly red from excitement, making him gag.

He covered his mouth and coughed violently, as if he were coughing up his internal organs.

Ruan Tang silently handed her a glass of warm water.

An Sanchuan waved his hand, and after a long while, he managed to suppress the nausea and continued:

"The man who took me away claimed to be my uncle. He told me I was a 'war orphan'... Ha, a war orphan!"

He repeated the word, his face contorted in extreme pain.

He said I am a seed left behind on this land by the people of the Cherry Blossom Country!

He said, "I was raised by my enemy, which is a disgrace to the family!"

"He took me back to that godforsaken place and taught me their disgusting Yin-Yang magic, training me into a dog that only knows how to bite!"

"Finally, they sent me back to the land that nurtured me... and made me come back to be a spy!"

Every word he uttered seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, filled with boundless hatred.

This hatred is directed not only at those who twisted his life, but also at himself.

The atmosphere inside the room was extremely oppressive.

Little White had somehow crawled out of Ruan Tang's arms. It looked at the two-legged creature on the ground that exuded a "stinky" and sad aura, and then at its little master's solemn face. It nudged Ruan Tang's arm with its little head uneasily.

[Squeak! Little master, he stinks! Let's throw him out! The mice are being overwhelmed by the stench!]

Ruan Tang gently stroked its soft fur to soothe it, but her doubts grew deeper and deeper.

“No,” her sweet voice broke the silence, “If you were a spy they sent, your mission would have been to destroy the formation on Mao’er Mountain. But what I saw of you was maintaining the outer interception formation.”

"That formation was set up by our Yan Kingdom's senior experts and has nothing to do with the Sakura Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, An Sanchuan stared blankly at Ruan Tang, a faint glimmer of light appearing in his empty eyes for the first time.

He nodded, a smile that looked more like a grimace tugging at the corners of his mouth. (This chapter has been read. Please click to continue reading the next chapter!)