Mercy of a Woman

Xiao Zhenfen spoke with determination: “Therefore, only two other methods seem suitable. First, I willingly die by your hand, as I will not resist, and so after you kill me, your murderous intent will be spent, and you will no longer harm my children. Second, we arrange another time and place to settle our grievances alone. My children will not be present, and with everything explained beforehand, regardless of the outcome, our hatred can be resolved.”

Seeing Bai Xuehua lost in thought, Xiao Tianfeng pulled Xiao Zhong close and whispered a few words in his ear. Suddenly, Xiao Zhong knelt before Bai Xuehua and pleaded, “Auntie, you are so beautiful, and your heart must be kind. Please, I beg you, do not harm my grandfather.”

Bai Xuehua looked at Xiao Zhong’s innocent face, her heart in turmoil. If Xiao Zhenfen were to duel her, she could stir up her killing intent and kill him without hesitation. But now, with Xiao Zhenfen not resisting and a child begging her, her innate kindness was awakened; her previously calm heart was no longer at peace.

Ever since her first kill, Bai Xuehua understood one truth: “The killer will eventually be killed.” Thus, her fate would be filled with blood and cruelty, though this was not her true wish.

Everything she thought and did was to avoid bloodshed as much as possible, but she could never escape the slaughter, just as an eagle cannot live without battling the rabbit. Back then, White Eagle adopted her for the sole purpose of having her fight for the Bai family. She was their trained eagle, forever bound to bloody combat, unless she left the Bai family or died.

Seeing her silent, Xiao Zhenfen continued, “Miss Bai, I can see you are not the legendary witch people say you are. You’re seeking revenge for your foster father, which I completely understand. But my children are here now. If you kill me in their presence, they will surely seek vengeance against you.

If you also destroy my descendants to eliminate future threats, then you will truly become a witch, living forever in bloody sin. In my opinion, it is best to resolve our enmity five days from now, at Sky Cliff on Shouyang Mountain in the Qinling range. Please consider carefully.”

No one knows one’s character better than an enemy, and Xiao Zhenfen understood Bai Xuehua’s heart well.

Bai Xuehua had to kill Xiao Zhenfen as White Eagle’s adopted daughter, but she did not wish to kill someone who did not resist, nor did she want to kill the innocent. Few in the world could understand how much she longed to be free from the bloody and cruel vendettas of the martial world. Whenever she was forced to kill, she would drink strong wine to numb her heart.

She believed only wine truly understood her loneliness and pain. Now Xiao Zhenfen’s proposal to duel five days later at Sky Cliff on Shouyang Mountain made some sense.

However, Bai Xuehua also realized that the duel five days later would be very disadvantageous for her. In the Central Plains, she had no friends—only enemies.

If Xiao Zhenfen invited others to help and set traps at Sky Cliff, her situation would be perilous. But Bai Xuehua was not someone who would change her principles out of fear. She possessed adaptability, but even more, a terrifying persistence.

Bai Xuehua gazed at Xiao Zhenfen’s head of white hair and desolate face, the anxious and helpless expressions of the Xiao brothers, and the pleading faces of Xiao Tianfeng and Xiao Zhong. Her once-calm heart was now disturbed. Clearly, today was not the right day for a duel. So she said, “Xiao Zhenfen, I accept. Five days from now, at Sky Cliff on Shouyang Mountain, we will settle this once and for all.”

Xiao Zhenfen was overjoyed at her acceptance, but said, “Very well, it is rare that you understand me, Miss Bai. I only hope that five days from now my head can resolve this grievance.”

Bai Xuehua replied coldly, “Xiao Zhenfen, whether your words are sincere or not, for the sake of your children, I will trust you this time.” With that, she glanced at Xiao Zhenfen and departed gracefully.

On the way back, Bai Xuehua let out a helpless, bitter smile. She knew she had made a mistake today.

Today she gave up a chance to kill Xiao Zhenfen. Five days later, things would be different, for Xiao Zhenfen would surely make thorough preparations to deal with her. The fight would be extremely dangerous. Yet Bai Xuehua still gave her opponent a chance, simply because she was too kind.

Kind people often let their emotions rule them. Those who let emotions rule them rarely achieve great things. In any case, Bai Xuehua was not truly a martial world witch. She could not be cold and ruthless, and so was not suited for the bloody battles of the jianghu.

She was too kind, and her kindness doomed her to pay a painful price. But if she ever truly became cold and ruthless, she would live forever in the sea of vengeance, and life would lose all meaning for her.

At Xiao Manor, Bai Xuehua came and left swiftly. After she departed, Xiao Sanxiong felt both joy and fear. He was glad Bai Xuehua had spared his father for now, but fearful of the duel five days hence. He naturally did not want his father hurt, but if Bai Xuehua were to die, he would feel a sense of loss.

Xiao Zhenfen’s thoughts were different. He knew Bai Xuehua’s abilities all too well; if she was not eliminated, she would pose a great threat to Xiao Manor. Though he recognized her kindness now, he could not guarantee she would never harm his children in the future. The only way to ensure his children’s safety was to kill Bai Xuehua and remove the threat once and for all.

But Bai Xuehua was not an opponent easily killed. If he failed to deliver a fatal blow, the consequences would be dire. Yet Xiao Zhenfen had no other choice, for if he did not kill Bai Xuehua five days from now, he would be the one to die, and perhaps even lose more members of his family.

Xiao Tianxiong and Xiao Tianfeng were worried about how their father would defeat Bai Xuehua in five days. Xiao Tianxiong had just sparred with her and sensed that his father was not her match. He asked apprehensively, “Father, how confident are you about your duel with that witch in five days?”

Xiao Zhenfen replied, “Tianxiong, I struck you earlier, and you felt wronged. Think carefully—if I were confident of defeating that witch, I would not have needed to strike you or arrange a duel five days hence. I could have fought her today.”

Xiao Tianxiong said quietly, “Father, are you saying you are not confident in killing this witch?” Xiao Zhenfen sighed, “She is terrifying. Who would dare claim certainty of victory against her?”

Xiao Sanxiong commented, “Father, I don’t think this witch is as bad as the legends say.” Xiao Tianfeng nodded, “Yes, from her actions today, it’s clear she does not like to kill the innocent. I wonder why her reputation is so awful?”

Xiao Zhenfen sighed, “It’s all because her skills are so formidable—even the Martial Alliance Leader Zhao Wuying feels threatened by her.”

Xiao Sanxiong asked, “Does she have a grudge with Zhao Wuying?”

Xiao Zhenfen replied, “There is no enmity between them, but you all know that for the powerful, if they cannot possess something, they must destroy it.”