Chapter Forty-Three: She Is Nothing but a Forbidden Pet
Ma Qingyun finally snapped out of his daze, his gaze regaining focus as he stared at the figure on the arena—Bo Er. Gradually, Bo Er’s face overlapped with that of Bo Yi.
In his heart, Ma Qingyun murmured: Is it you? Could it really be you?
Steadying himself, Ma Qingyun turned to ask Luo Changning, who sat at his right, “What’s the name of that person on the stage?”
He hadn’t paid much attention to the competing disciples before and naturally hadn’t bothered with their names.
Luo Changning, engrossed in the match, was startled by Ma Qingyun’s interruption. He paused before replying, “You mean Bo Er from Baishui Martial Hall?”
“Bo Er,” Ma Qingyun repeated, confirming that the man on the stage was indeed the descendant of Bo Yi, his mother’s loyal shadow guard.
Ordinarily, shadow guards would never have the chance to marry or bear children. Yet, Ma Qingyun’s mother was a kind woman who treated her subordinates well, never seeing them as mere shadows without autonomy, destined only to follow their master.
To her, the shadow guards were not just servants, but friends—people she had grown up with. It was because of her compassion that Bo Yi was able to leave behind descendants.
Ma Qingyun struggled to describe his feelings as he gazed at Bo Er’s familiar face; memories of a painful past surfaced unbidden.
He had never truly known whether his father loved his mother.
If he did not love her, why did he bestow all his tenderness upon her? Yet, if he did, Ma Qingyun hesitated to believe it.
A man who destroyed a grand, ancient family and then imprisoned another’s wife in a hidden chamber as a forbidden pet—could such a man truly understand love?
As these thoughts weighed on him, an image of Su Meng flashed through his mind.
He wondered: if Su Meng did not love him, if one day she chose another, how would he bear it?
Just imagining it sent chills surging outward from his heart.
No, he would not allow it—he absolutely would not allow such a thing to happen! Su Meng could belong only to him!
Exhaling deeply, Ma Qingyun thought: Perhaps, in essence, he and his father were indeed the same kind of man. Yet that did not mean he would forgive his father for what he did to his mother.
Especially as a child, Ma Qingyun had witnessed his so-called father force his mother into intimacy. Her screams, curses, and the look of sorrow and despair still haunted Ma Qingyun’s nightmares.
After giving birth to his sister, his mother bit her tongue and resolutely ended her own life. In her final moments, she glanced only at her daughter, ignoring everyone else—including Ma Qingyun.
It was his mother’s death that prompted his father to act against Bo Yi.
He had kept Bo Yi and the other shadow guards only to have more leverage over his mother, to prevent her from seeking death. Once she was gone, he no longer needed them…
---
Lowly, Ma Qingyun murmured, “If it were me, I would love only one woman. Once married, I would never touch another.”
But his father, besides his mother, possessed countless other women! He would even deliberately flaunt his affairs before her, seeking a trace of jealousy or sadness on her face.
Cruel and laughable!
It was as if only by doing so could he prove that their love was not a solitary performance. Yet his mother was destined to disappoint him.
On her face, there was never anything but mockery and disgust; if there was any other emotion, it was boundless hatred. Through her gaze, she silently declared to him that she did not love him, nor could she ever.
Who knows what his father felt when, while indulging in other women, he saw his beloved utterly indifferent, completely unaffected?
Resentment, anger, defeat—or even more frenzied torment…
Luo Changning noticed his friend’s strange expression. For some reason, he felt Ma Qingyun was surrounded by a chill and sorrow, and so broke the uncomfortable silence.
“Brother Ma, do you think Brother Chen can defeat that Bo Er?”
Ma Qingyun sneered at the question. “What do you think?”
“I’m afraid Brother Chen will leave here defeated.” Luo Changning’s tone was firm, without a hint of hesitation.
Liang Zhenyun, hearing this, looked at the arena in worry.
“How could that be? Impossible! Clearly, Brother Chen will defeat that scrawny fellow!” Ma Xue’e, hearing her brother and Luo Changning’s conversation, couldn’t help but retort.
“Exactly, how could Brother Chen lose to such a dark, skinny kid? If it were me, I’d knock him out with a single punch!” Xiang Yinglong chimed in from the side.
Mo Feng rolled his eyes and laughed, “It’s fine—even if we lose, aren’t there still the five of us? Our opponents are those rascals from Shenshou Martial Hall. We’d better save our strength for them.”
In truth, he held little respect for either Chen Xiangru or Bo Er; whoever won, he cared not at all.
Ma Xue’e protested, eyes wide, “Brother Mo, how can you say that? If Brother Chen loses, he’ll be heartbroken! Besides, I’m sure he won’t lose.”
Mo Feng was about to correct Ma Xue’e’s way of addressing him, but glanced at Ma Qingyun’s cold face. His heart skipped a beat, and he changed what he intended to say.
With an apologetic smile, he scratched his head, “Don’t be angry, Xue’e. I just didn’t consider that. But as martial artists, we must guard against arrogance and impatience. If we fail once or twice during our growth, it only motivates us further.”
“Isn’t there a saying that motivation is the key to progress? Losing this time doesn’t mean losing next time, and losing next time doesn’t mean losing forever. As long as Brother Chen trains diligently, one day he’ll surely defeat that brat.”
Luo Changning glanced at Mo Feng. He had never paid much attention to this baby-faced senior before. In fact, among the entire Luoyang Martial Hall, only Xiang Ao, Xiang Yinglong, Xiang Tong, and Chen Xiangru were truly familiar with him.
The others, including Liang Zhenyun, were mere acquaintances. Were it not for Xiang Yinglong, the hall’s young master, he and Mo Feng might never have interacted.
---
Yet Mo Feng’s words now made Luo Changning wonder: Was Mo Feng really as carefree and foolish as he appeared?
“Senior Mo Feng is right. Brother Xiangru’s future isn’t limited to this small Qiuhua Prefecture. More trials and growth will serve him well, so that when he ventures elsewhere he won’t suffer too much.”
Luo Changning’s voice carried a hint of distance and cool detachment. Only Ma Qingyun noticed, not even Mo Feng.
Ma Qingyun raised an eyebrow, thinking he had not misjudged Luo Changning.
With his pride and status, Ma Qingyun would not easily befriend others. Yet back on Mo Hui Mountain, the moment he met Luo Changning, he knew this man was worthy of friendship.
It wasn’t just the aura of hatred they both carried, but also the stubbornness and dignity in Luo Changning’s eyes.
The conversation faded, and as the thoughts stirred by the duel between Bo Er and Chen Xiangru settled, the focus returned to the arena.
Chen Xiangru’s legs and fists attacked Bo Er together. Just as everyone thought Bo Er was certain to lose, he evaded—completely unharmed.
Not only did he dodge, he appeared silently behind Chen Xiangru, landing a palm on his back.
Chen Xiangru’s posture was already at its limit, half crouched, supported by one leg. Struck by Bo Er, he lost balance entirely and crashed to the ground, eating dirt.
Chen Xiangru sprawled on the iron stage, his internal organs aching terribly, his right leg seemingly injured.
“Damn, that hurts like hell!” Chen Xiangru cursed under his breath.
The audience was stunned. What had they just witnessed? How did someone about to be defeated suddenly appear behind Chen Xiangru?
That movement was uncanny…
“My god, I didn’t expect Baishui Martial Hall to produce such a dark horse this year. Looks like I’ve got another rival.”
“Hmph, you can’t even beat Chen Xiangru!” came a contemptuous reply.
“Hey, did anyone just see how Bo Er suddenly ended up behind Chen Xiangru?”
“How should I know? You ask me, who should I ask?”
…
Everyone chattered in astonishment, convinced Bo Er’s movement techniques were truly bizarre.