Chapter 13 Yin-Yang Stream (Part 1) Binding, Binding, Me

In the countryside, there are many legends about ghosts and monsters.

Snow fairies are inherently kind, but their size is terrifying; ordinary people who see them will inevitably have nightmares for several nights.

Therefore, as soon as the sky began to lighten, people drove their carriages and horses away from the post station as if fleeing.

Song San, still half asleep, held a large bowl, listened to the deliberately hushed voice beside him, and tasted a mouthful of corn porridge in the bowl.

The warm food slid down my throat and into my stomach, and a wave of heat surged through my limbs and bones.

"Someone thought it was a black bear spirit that was walking upright and disguised as a human to hunt for food."

"No, no, I saw it from afar last night, and that thing was very agile, it didn't seem like a black bear spirit at all."

"A starving black bear is bound to be agile!"

"..."

At this point, the person seemed to be persuaded again and gradually quieted down.

Song San shook his head, slowly chewing on the corn stubble, his gaze falling on a hand on the table.

The chewing motion suddenly stopped.

The hand casually resting on the edge of the table has long, slender fingers, neatly trimmed nails, and five clear, full lunulae, silently proclaiming its owner's pampered status.

Song San lifted his eyelids and looked up.

But then they saw that the person opposite them was wearing a straw hat in broad daylight, covering most of his face except for half of his pointed chin.

The corn stubble was a bit scratchy on the throat, causing me to cough a few times.

The man in the straw hat reacted quickly, picked up the water bottle on the table, poured a glass of water, and handed it over.

Song San lowered his eyes to look at the water glass, but did not take it. After standing still for a moment, he tilted his head back and drank the remaining porridge in the bowl. With his cheeks puffed out, he put down the empty bowl and left the table in a few steps.

That probing gaze lingered, as if it were tangibly glued to my back, impossible to shake off.

A moment later, footsteps followed.

The heel landed, the sound steady and rhythmic, following closely behind.

After going upstairs and returning to his room, Song San locked the door behind him and watched as the figure outside slowly approached.

"Knock knock—"

The man knocked on the door politely.

Before he could speak, Song San lowered his voice and said, "After parting ways at the Gu residence, the money and goods have been settled, and there is no further connection. Why is Young Master Gu still bothering me like this?"

"Ah." Gu Lianzhou exclaimed in surprise from outside the door, "Senior brother has such discerning eyes that he saw through my disguise at a glance."

Song San closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, saying, "In the entire post station, I'm afraid you can't find anyone dressed as meticulously as Young Master Gu."

Gu Lianzhou asked, puzzled, "Really?"

He had clearly changed into a sky-blue cotton robe, and didn't even wear a cloak anymore, so he didn't attract any attention.

Furthermore, he was wearing a straw hat, which concealed nine-tenths of his face...

"And that straw hat of yours, I don't even want to talk about it." Song San said with exasperation, "If the Gu family wanted to take you back, they could find you with just a glance in the main hall."

Gu Lianzhou paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Senior brother is right. I was careless in my planning and my appearance was sloppy."

Is that what she meant?!

Song San tried to avoid this clingy pest as if it were nothing. "Young Master Gu, now that you've run away, the Gu family must be chasing you. I am powerless to accompany you. Please let me go."

Gu Lianzhou immediately expressed his understanding: "Then, shall I follow from a distance?"

Isn't this still the same thing?

Song San's lips twitched, and even his voice deflated, "Why have you been following me?"

Could it be that she violated heavenly rules in her past life, and heaven sent down her nemesis to bring her down?

Young Master Gu hesitated and said, "It's a long story."

"Then get to the point." With that, Song San unlatched the door and pulled the man inside.

The tall, slender man staggered into the room. Before he could speak, someone pressed him down into a chair. Looking up, he saw Song San standing against the light, looking down at him and warning, "Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear. Also, I didn't let you in to form an alliance. Think carefully before you speak."

His eyes lit up under the brim of his hat.

Gu Lianzhou thought to himself, "Senior Brother Song is soft-hearted after all. He was afraid that I would get cold outside, so he let me in."

Feeling so grateful, she naturally said the most agreeable things, "Senior brother is right to reprimand me; it was my negligence."

"Senior brother, you may not know this, but since I woke up last time, I have seen some unclean things. Recently, these symptoms seem to be getting worse. I think it is because the first month is approaching and the restrictions that Master set for me have loosened."

Song San understood: "That should be the case."

Then she realized, "You want to use me to stabilize the restriction for you?"

“No.” Gu Lianzhou shook his head and said, “Master once said that sealing techniques are not a long-term solution. Unless the eyes are gouged out, they cannot be eradicated. Besides, I am older now and not as timid as I was when I was a child. My Yin-Yang eyes are not so scary anymore.”

"Seeing demons isn't a big deal, but those demons seem to have their eyes on me and have actually followed me out of Huaidu..."

That's a novel idea.

Song San immediately became interested, "The local environment breeds its own demons and monsters. They're not vengeful spirits, so how could a demon and monster follow a person on a long journey? Besides, I just recently dispelled that dream demon for you... wait a minute."

Could it be some other kind of demon?

Meeting Young Master Gu's curious gaze, Song San took off the cumbersome bamboo hat, then slowly bent down and stopped an inch away from the tip of his nose.

Gu Lianzhou immediately held his breath, his index fingers fidgeting helplessly under his sleeves.

When they got close, he didn't dare to move at all, just staring blankly into his senior brother's eyes.

My senior brother was handsome and refined, with clear features. Despite his travels, he hadn't experienced the hardships of life. In the morning light, you could even see the light down on his cheeks, like a tender, ripe peach...

If we were to carefully consider their ages, she would probably be a few years younger than him.

Just as I was pondering this, I suddenly saw Senior Brother Song's nose twitch as he took a deep sniff.

He was actually smelling himself...

Gu Lianzhou suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and slowly widened his eyes, "Senior brother?"

He was having trouble breathing, let alone speaking; just two words had exhausted his strength.

In the blink of an eye, Senior Brother Song had already retreated, and concluded, "You do indeed possess other demonic energy."

The invisible anxiety dissipated instantly, and the cool air rushed into the room through the cracks in the window. Gu Lianzhou came back to his senses and replied, "Yes, more than one."

"I just don't know when they'll start causing trouble." He took the straw hat from Song San's hand, lowered his eyelashes, and said, "They start to stir when we're in crowded places."

Song San crossed his arms and looked at Gu Lianzhou with a more inquisitive gaze.

Could it be that the snow sprite she encountered last night was attracted by this guy's aura?

She couldn't help but ask, "When did you arrive at the post station?"

Gu Lianzhou paused for a moment, then honestly replied, "It should have been midnight last night."

That's exactly right.

Song San chuckled, "Your constitution is quite rare."

Gu Lianzhou gripped the drawstring on his straw hat tightly, as if he had made up his mind. He looked up at Song San and said, "I would like to beg you, senior brother, to allow me to stay by your side and keep me in check, so that I will not cause any great disaster before I find our master."

To bind, to tie, to me.

Looking at the lips opening and closing in front of him, Song San wondered if there was something wrong with his ears.

"Of course, to show my sincerity, I have prepared a generous commission as a reward for your hard work, senior brother."

The clinking sound of the yellow and white food falling into the plate still lingered in my ears, but the words of refusal that were about to be spoken were abruptly cut off.

Song San frowned and pondered: Gu Lianzhou puts the overall situation first and does not act for his own selfish interests; he is a sincere person.

However, his constitution, which attracts evil spirits, is a menace wherever he goes. With her own abilities alone, she is not entirely confident that she can guarantee Gu Lianzhou's safety before meeting Uncle Nie.

This matter is indeed very difficult.

"Can't the Gu family find any other sorcerers?" she asked instinctively.

As soon as he finished speaking, Young Master Gu looked stunned, and his expression seemed to be on the verge of breaking down.

Oh right, she had completely forgotten about the complicated and unresolved relationship between the man opposite her.

Although she was unwilling to admit it, Gu Lianzhou was indeed her junior brother in name only.

Now that her junior brother is in trouble, she, as his "senior brother," should lend a helping hand.

"I did not mean that……"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Lianzhou suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him, saying earnestly, "Senior brother, I only trust you."

He lowered his head, took out the bulging brocade pouch from his waist, and stuffed it into Song San's hand without saying a word. "If you don't mind, senior brother, please accept this silver first. It's a small token of my appreciation."

The embroidered pouch rubbed against his palm, still warm from his body. Song San looked at Gu Lianzhou's burning gaze and slowly tightened his grip.

It is said that one is obligated to pay for what one eats, and one is obligated to give what one takes. Moreover, she does need to save money, and what is right in front of her is a ready-made gold mine.

While pondering, Song San glanced at Gu Lianzhou.

As long as the person is delivered safely to the Murong family in Nancheng, the promise will be fulfilled, so it's not that difficult...

-

The wheels rolled on, struggling to move across the snow.

Song San rested his chin on his elbow, holding the reins and staring blankly at the bare road ahead.

She didn't know how things had turned out this way.

She only remembered being given several bowls of bewitching soup by Gu Lianzhou, and then being swayed by dazzling gold and silver, and she agreed in a daze.

By the time she came to her senses, she was already on her way with a huge burden, with no room for regret.

The heavy snow had stopped, but the north wind was still fierce, whipping up snowflakes and lashing people's faces. Song San squinted and turned his head to urge, "Are you done yet?"

A muffled reply came from inside the carriage: "Alright, alright."

Song San immediately tightened the reins and stopped the horse with a "whoosh".

A moment later, the car door behind him was opened, and Gu Lianzhou crawled out with difficulty, his back hunched over.

"Dressed like this, you shouldn't attract attention." He tightened the belt around his waist, sat down next to Song San, and took the reins from him.

Upon hearing this, Song San turned his head and looked the person up and down.

After removing the bamboo hat, the man's handsome features were fully revealed. His cotton robe, embroidered with gold thread, had been replaced with a simple, dark-colored one. His jade belt had also been replaced with a plain, simple tie, and the long string of jade rings that used to jingle at his waist had all been removed.

At first glance, he looked like a handsome scholar.

"Not conspicuous." Song San's gaze lingered for a moment before slowly shifting away.

The person changed his clothes and looked much better.

Because the carriage was cramped, Gu Lianzhou's neck was already sore from changing clothes. He raised his hand to rub his neck and shoulders and muttered, "I feel like something is missing."

Something is missing, isn't it?

Song San glanced at him and said indifferently, "The flower butterfly is gone; it has turned into a gray butterfly."

It's likely that Young Master Gu's soul, along with that dazzling suit of clothing, was thrown into the sedan chair.