Chapter 27 The slap-like pleasure gripped Meng Shutai's soul...

The monk gave all the prayer papers in the hall to Yue Jin.

The little girl initially accepted the assignment happily, ready to put her skills to good use, but after writing only a few words, she began to lament.

Her handwriting is so ugly!

The exquisite paper with its gold-sprinkled swastika pattern was utterly ruined by her "worm-scratching" handwriting.

Recalling Meng Shutai's vigorous handwriting on the paper when he copied scriptures at the Stele Forest, she felt embarrassed.

I originally wanted to plaster the posters with blessings, hoping to earn some of Meng Shutai's gratitude so I could have some moral interest to save my life.

But even if she wrote her love confession in the most exquisite style of ancient and modern times, such ugly characters would still not catch Meng Shutai's eye, right? So, would her "flattery" still be of any use?

But she had never learned calligraphy. You can't blame her for that.

However, ugly handwriting won't arouse suspicion, since "Le Jin" is inherently uneducated... Oh well, who cares!

Anyway, Meng Shutai is only worth her ugly reputation.

There were fifty or sixty sheets of paper with wishes in her hand. It was hard for Le Jin to write calligraphy. When she finished and looked up, the sun had already set.

The setting sun cast its rays through the openwork carvings on the palace gate onto the black stone floor, like shattered bronze mirrors scattered on the ground, or like spilled malt sugar.

I'm so hungry.

Le Jin quickly pasted the written wishes onto the offering lamps and called to the head monk, "Master, I've finished writing them, please light the lamps!"

The only response to Le Jin was the brightly lit hall.

"Master?"

I have a bad feeling in my heart.

She went to look for him, but where was he? The hall, which was full of people during the day, was nowhere to be seen, and a sense of emptiness and loneliness quickly overwhelmed her.

Le Jin took a deep breath to calm herself.

It was getting late, and it was dinnertime. Perhaps the masters had gone to eat and forgot to call her.

She nodded. That's how it is. It's nothing; she can walk by herself.

He strode to the palace gate and pushed it open, revealing the tightly closed door.

It remained completely still.

With her arms braced against the door and her back kicking back with all her might, Le Jin pushed the door with all her might, but it was still no use.

The door was locked.

The setting sun, distorted into a jagged shape by the carved details, pressed against Le Jin's cheek, feeling hot and uncomfortable.

Le Jin felt a pang of panic.

She gave them a priceless jade bracelet, how could they possibly abandon her and lock the door?

"Hello—is anyone home? I'm still inside! Open the door!"

"Help! Open the door! Let me out!"

...

The cool, moist vermilion lacquer on the door gradually warmed under Le Jin's palm, and the sustained exertion caused her wrist to throb with pain. The pain traveled back to her arm and then to her heart, and Le Jin suddenly remembered the little thatched cottage on Tiger Head Mountain.

Fear washed over her mouth and nose like cold water.

Who locked the door? Why did they lock her out of the way? Will anyone be coming back tonight?

Le Jin stood on tiptoe and watched through the crack in the latticed window as the red sun sank into the deep mountains, the most dazzling crimson light on the horizon disappearing.

Like death.

The pale orange sunset light fell on her, the dappled light and shadows intertwining like a merciless net that strangles swimming fish.

Suddenly, a person appeared in my mind.

Le Jin's legs went weak, and she slipped and sat down on the ground.

Meng Shutai wants to kill her!

It must be him! Did he see through her lie? Or did he guess that she wasn't the one from Shuzhou?

...

Le Jin's heart was like boiling water, with countless, inexplicable, chaotic guesses churning together.

Before she could even come up with a name for it, Le Jin pushed herself up and got to her feet.

She wouldn't sit idly by and wait to die; she wouldn't let herself die twice at the hands of one person.

How could she get out? She looked around anxiously, but there were only offering lamps in the hall.

Yes, the light!

A burning lamp spilled its light onto the curtains in the hall, and the sparks from the fragrant oil burned up the tassels and straight up to the coffered ceiling.

One cup wasn't enough, so Yue Jin poured four or five more, and the fire suddenly became fierce, with thick smoke billowing out of the hall.

Grayish-white smoke swept past Le Jin's eyes. She casually tossed aside the empty offering lamp. The glass object shattered upon touching the ground, reflecting the shimmering firelight.

Le Jin covered her mouth and nose and stepped over the wishing paper with the names of high-ranking officials and generals written on it.

Surrounded by the blazing firelight, she suddenly felt fearless.

No one can kill her anymore, no one.

She must live well.

The lamps were placed on iron platforms covered with fireproof cloth, arranged in eight different directions at varying heights.

Le Jin rushed toward the lamp closest to her, grabbed the velvet cloth, and with a "crash," nearly a hundred lamps shattered at the same time, and a large amount of sesame oil flowed out of the door crack, burning into a river of fire.

She crouched behind the door, listening intently to the sounds outside.

"The Lantern Palace is on fire! Come quickly and see!"

The noise outside dispelled Le Jin's fear of death.

She seized the opportunity to pound violently on the palace doors, crying out, "Help!"

Abbot Huizang was anxiously waiting outside the door when he saw that there were still people in the firelight of the lamp hall.

"Quickly, quickly rescue that woman."

When Meng Shutai heard that the Lamp Hall was on fire, he rushed over without regard for his appearance. When he arrived, Le Jin was being helped out of the fire by a monk. He was covered in soot and was coughing and trembling.

However, upon seeing him, Le Jin's eyes instantly brightened, and a burning hatred shot out from them, aimed directly at Meng Shutai.

She turned away from the support of others and ran towards Meng Shutai.

"happy……"

"Smack—"

The sounds of wind howling, fire raging, wood cracking, gasps from the crowd, and the clear sound of slaps mingled together in an instant, creating a terrifying and chaotic cacophony that silenced all who heard it.

On Meng Shutai's beautiful face, which was as lovely as a blooming peony, a clear handprint appeared, even slightly raised, like a rouge relief on his fair skin.

The beautiful woman, as clear and translucent as jade porcelain, stood frozen in place, one hand reaching out to touch her face but stopping abruptly, hovering only by her cheek, her eyes flushed with a watery red.

Amidst the surprise in her phoenix eyes, there was also a hint that went unnoticed by anyone else…

excited.

Le Jin swung her hand with all her might, putting all her strength into the slap. She didn't even have the strength to raise her hand to hit again.

She glared at Meng Shutai and cursed him angrily, "Bastard!"

Like any wronged auntie or grandma in the countryside, Le Jin didn't care about etiquette or saving face at this moment. She kicked Meng Shutai's shin repeatedly, venting her anger and hatred: "Bastard! Bastard! Die, die, die..."

Qi Sheng was shocked and rushed to stop the agitated Yue Jin, shouting, "Are you crazy! You mustn't hurt our young master!"

However, before anyone could get close to Le Jin, Meng Shutai glared at him and said sternly:

"Step back."

...It was clearly this crazy woman who was hitting and kicking him, yet the husband was being fierce towards him?!

Meng Shutai bit his lip and groaned as he took the kick from Le Jin.

He released her lips when she stopped catching her breath and stepped forward to support her, but a deep, bloody gash ran down her lip. The vibrant blood seeped out, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

"It's alright, it's alright..."

Meng Shutai patted Le Jin's back gently, as if coaxing a child, his tone full of tenderness and tolerance.

Le Jin felt goosebumps all over her body. She pushed Meng Shutai away and spat at him, "Pah! Get lost!"

After she finished cursing, she looked around at the horrified monks and the indignant sound of chess pieces, then her gaze fell back on Meng Shutai.

He was the only one among everyone present who cared for her, worried about her, comforted her, and even repaid evil with kindness.

Still pretending...

That's absolutely disgusting.

Le Jin's eyes were filled with hatred like a flood, and she glared at Meng Shutai with an aura that seemed to want to drown him, before turning around and running away.

She doesn't want to be with this madman!

If she saw that hypocritical face again, she would definitely go crazy!

Le Jin dared not stop. The wind howled in her ears, gradually forming a pair of invisible hands that covered her ears, allowing her to temporarily avoid hearing the man's chilling whispers.

Clearly... clearly, as long as the two of them were at peace, she could suppress her hatred for being killed last time and continue to be with him until the mission was completed, but she underestimated that madman.

"Immeasurable Light," guarding the temple as punishment... He wasn't showing any kindness; he wanted to lock her up in the temple and kill her.

Anger and hatred subsided slightly, but resentment and helplessness intensified, and the east wind prevailed over the west wind.

She was terrified.

Hot tears fell, like a dam bursting, and all the pain that had been endured through gritted teeth began to loosen, then the earth collapsed.

Le Jin leaned against a sloping hillside, buried her face in her knees, and wailed loudly.

She's only sixteen years old, why is she doing something so difficult?

Thinking about the root cause, it was all because he was already dead in reality, which made him even more heartbroken, and he suddenly felt that there was no place for her in the world.

Night fell, darkness enveloped the surroundings, and insects chirped softly beside her. Le Jin's crying subsided, and she began to feel drowsy.

Afraid of falling, she stood up and moved around, but the loose soil slipped under her feet, and she stumbled and slid to the front of the "slope".

—This was not a mound of earth, but a grave.

The name "Jiu'an" is clearly written on the tombstone.

Le Jin froze, completely disoriented.

Meng Shutai shared the same sentiment.

This was the first time someone had humiliated him like this, and in front of everyone.

Qi Sheng gritted his teeth: "If I had known, I should have kicked that delusional madwoman out from the beginning."

But Meng Shutai shook his head, and his fingers, which hadn't touched his face for a while, finally touched his cheek.

"hiss……"

It hurts so much, it feels like my body is about to break apart, and it's also a little hot. I can vaguely feel the outline of her hand.

She hated it so much.

Meng Shutai raised the corners of his mouth, recalling the deep, hateful look she gave him before she left.

His heart pounded like never before. The slap on his face was branded into his heart, a dense, suffocating pleasure gripping Meng Shutai's soul. But just as he was about to lose consciousness, he ran out of strength.

not enough.

not enough.

The ferocity within him was raging, a chilling wind howled, and a fierce desire to tear apart the mask he had maintained for so many years was about to burst forth.

Looking at the devastation left by the fire, Master Huizang broke out in a cold sweat. While wiping his brow, he glanced furtively at Meng Shutai, who had been beaten.

Compared to the loud slaps and punches he had just received, even the complete burning of the lamp palace wouldn't have been as terrifying as it had been.

That's the eldest son of the illustrious Meng family!

A man of profound integrity and lofty character, a man of pure and upright character, is now being treated so cruelly by an unknown and insignificant woman? The worst part is... that they all witnessed it.

Moreover, if this matter gets out, it will cause an even bigger uproar. Even if Lord Meng is kind-hearted, what about the reputation of the Meng family in Luojing?

Huizang swallowed hard, his white beard trembling three times, and he looked timidly at Meng Shutai, "My lord..."

As the abbot of the state temple, he had seen the political turmoil of officialdom and had accumulated some skills to protect himself. At this moment, he decisively stood behind the Meng family.

"That woman is acting recklessly and violently. Should we seal off her residence in the temple and arrest her?"

However, this rational consideration of taking sides shattered instantly when it met with the incomprehension and resentment in Meng Shutai's bright phoenix eyes.

"My fiancée committed a crime?"

What wrong did she do?

Those around were astonished, their eyes widening in shock.

fiancée?

The woman's actions just now were more than enough to warrant being divorced, so why is Young Master Meng still so eager to protect her?

Huizang was dumbfounded. How could he, as the abbot, not know that the future lady of the Meng family was in the temple? Moreover, he hadn't heard Meng Langjun inform them before. How could everything have changed so suddenly?

How strange! Could it be that the woman only became Meng Langjun's fiancée today?

Huizang trembled as if he were being roasted over a fire, saying, "When that woman entered the temple, she only said she came from Shuzhou, and she had no proof whatsoever..."

“I am her proof.”

Meng Shutai lowered his eyes, his voice gentle as water, neither too loud nor too soft, yet it contained an undeniable power.

"She is my future wife."

He turned around, his gaze cold and unyielding, staring directly at the host: "How did this fire start? How did my wife end up in the inferno?"

Meng Shutai stepped forward, his tall and elegant figure exuding an oppressive aura like a dark cloud descending upon the city.

"I want an explanation."

A note from the author:

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Meng Shutai: This strange attribute has caught my eye! [starry-eyed]