Return of the Swallow

nly knew that the prince possessed great power and was a decisive killing machine, but who could see the troubles unique to him in his high position? The most tragic thing for a human was to give everything that they were, but to be misunderstood or denounced in return.
Even his own family would lecture the prince for his ruthlessness at times, exhorting him to stop showing such blatant disregard for life.
But who understood the prince’s helplessness in the matter? He really had no other choice sometimes.

Creak. The door broke the solemn silence within the temple.
Pang Xiao and Huzi both turned to see Qin Yining of the crimson cape and the little nun Tang Meng entering arm-in-arm.
It looked like they were in good spirits, as Qin Yining’s particularly radiant smile, dimples, and merrily creased eyes were especially adorable.

Pang Xiao was momentarily stunned before he whipped himself back around.
His ears were bright red as he remained stiffly on his knees.
His head was tilted back up to the goddess’ image and he seemed to be deep in sincere prayer.

There were three prayer rush cushions arrayed before them.
Huzi had been on the leftmost one, but he had risen and was standing off to the side now.
Pang Xiao had occupied the center one, leaving the two on his side free.
Qin Yining hesitated, but it was a public premise and she had no right to ask him to leave.
She settled for ignoring the man and lit incense sticks with Tang Meng, taking the cushion on the right and closing her eyes in pious prayer.
Tang Meng took the left cushion and also made the grand gesture of Taoist piety.

Although Pang Xiao was still kneeling and hadn’t moved his head, his eyes had already flicked toward Qin Yining by his side.
She looks so cute and fragile, but her destiny has been such a troubled one…

She should be fourteen by now?

He’d been her current age when they’d first met.
The seven year old’s clothing was nothing more than rags, but were faded clean from all the washings they’d received.
She’d been haggling vociferously with the shopkeeper of a medicine shop that her family apparently had a tab open with, but she’d been swept out empty-handed with nothing for her foster mother’s sickness.
A shop associate had even pushed her roughly to the ground.

He’d been watching from close by with Sir Zheng and Guard Zhao, and the guard’s snicker of schadenfreude had made him uncomfortable.
He’d thought she’d cry then, she really did have a reason to, but she’d only stood up, dusted herself off, and stubbornly shouldered her tattered wicker basket, using her remaining copper coins to buy two meat buns for her foster mother.
Even now he’d been unable to forget that pair of large and bright eyes in the small face.
She’d patted her flat little tummy and put on a brave smile to tell her foster mother that she’d already eaten.

He hadn’t been able to leave just like that and pretended to pass by her house, asking for a sip of water.
The little girl was stunned silly when she saw him, taking a few long moments before crying out, “Brother Beauty!” and running off to boil some water.
He’d handed his entire money pouch to her when he drank.
There were roughly ten taels of silver and a handful of coins inside.
She’d been scared silly by the amount of money and wouldn’t take it no matter what, so he’d forced a supercilious, disdainful look on his face and sniffed that this was merely some loose change for pathetic beggars.
He’d then departed in style under the baleful glares of Sir Zheng and Guard Zhao.

The two men were his father’s old troops and complained angrily in highly charged voices as soon as they left.

“Why did you help the enemy’s daughter?!”

“That sonuvabitch Qin Huaiyuan deserves to die! That bastard’s schemes are the reason General Pang died from false crimes i! The general was carved alive into slices and fed to the dogs! None of the Pangs survived that tragedy…”

Pang Xiao had been fifteen years old, a year into his military service after Li Qitian had found him.
The now Great Zhou emperor had hoisted the banner of General Pang high and made revenge for this wrongful death a key reason for overthrowing the old emperor.
However, no one had ever asked Pang Xiao if he was willing to participate.
The army had just suddenly stopped outside one of his grandfather’s restaurants one day and carried him off… no one had even known that Pang Xiao himself was just the product of one of General Pang’s drunken nights.
Possibly the general himself didn’t even remember the boy existed.
And if the matriarch of the Pang household had been a kind soul, why would she have soundlessly swept Pang Xiao’s birth mother out the door?

His life had been decided by others the moment he was born, and how was this girl any different? He’d asked Sir Zheng back then, “What does this little girl know? You all stole her away that year and put her through endless suffering all this time.
Seven years of this should be enough! If you really have it in you, why not seek revenge on her father? Why visit agony on an innocent child?!”

Sir Zheng had only responded with—the crimes of the father are the sins of the daughter.
It was a fundamental disagreement in principles, and it wasn’t something that arguments could resolve.

A year later, Pang Xiao had built up a certain level of authority in the army and turned into a killer with steady hands, even when taking life in cold blood.
But whenever he thought of the little girl, a patch of tenderness would visit his stone cold heart.
He’d sent people to go find her, wanting to help her some.
But the city of Liang had already been ravaged and looted.
There was only an empty, broken shell left of her home.
He’d captured people to interrogate, to ascertain the girl’s whereabouts, but had only learned that her foster mother had died a month prior and the girl had been missing since then.

He’d thought she was dead.
A mature little girl, someone who called him ‘Brother Beauty’ in a soft, sweet voice, a child who filled him with guilt and pity, had died just like that.
Soundlessly.
Unnoticed.
Her grievances unanswered.

Who would’ve thought that he’d see her again seven years later? She’d blossomed into a beautiful flower, and caught him off guard whenever she entered his eyes.

Does this girl never get tired of wearing it!

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