Chapter 51 051 "I'm not afraid of you scheming against me or using me, so..."

Jiang Ling'er stared at the two new graves, one large and one small, for a long, long time, unaware that snow had fallen all over her.

The little poisoner, unusually, remained silent after explaining his purpose, without his usual sarcastic remarks. He simply stood half a step away from Jiang Ling'er, silently watching her through the swirling frost flowers.

She seemed hesitant and apprehensive, wanting to approach but unable to get close to the two new graves. After a long while, Jiang Ling'er finally uttered a sound like a dream, her voice slightly hoarse:

"This...you made it?"

"Um."

"Why?"

Jiang Ling'er finally stopped looking at the two new graves and turned her gaze towards the little poisoner, staring at him.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and you could even hear a very faint "creaking" sound as his bones tightened.

Her almond-shaped eyes, veiled in a layer of moisture, shone exceptionally bright. Especially amidst the swirling snow, their piercing brightness carried the sharp, murderous aura characteristic of martial artists, a chilling intensity born of the biting wind and snow. Like a wounded little beast cornered in a desperate situation, she questioned him:

Why did you do this? What right did you have to do this? Who gave you permission to do this?

A barrage of questions caught the little poisoner off guard, completely disrupting its composure and leaving it utterly helpless.

"You...are you angry? Why?"

"Why are you angry?"

He was utterly puzzled. Shouldn't he... should he thank him?

Feeling bewildered that he had done a good deed only to be met with such an outcome, the little poisoner seemed stunned, yet showed no resentment. Instead, he appeared afraid of angering Jiang Ling'er, and despite a rare stutter, he recounted in detail how, due to the Gu worms within him, he had deliberately been imprisoned in the dungeon of the World's Number One Escort Agency to find the right person and the right internal energy to forcefully expel the Gu worms. He later learned that this method wouldn't work, but that's another story. He naturally blamed everything on Jiang Ling'er, who had inadvertently released him with a whip, disrupting his plans.

To vent his anger, he naturally sought revenge on Jiang Ling'er, but unexpectedly, Jiang Ling'er was killed first. The person who killed her was actually his own master, a master who wished he could kill him as soon as possible. In this respect, the two were in the same boat.

However, Little Poison showed no sympathy or discouragement whatsoever. He was a narrow-minded and vindictive person, and even if he was dead, he would drag him out and whip his corpse to vent his hatred! But he didn't expect that there would be new trouble. Jiang Ling'er's infatuated husband... no, he should be called her old flame, Ji Yunshu, the young master of Sun and Moon Fortress.

This was the first time in Little Poison's life that he had ever seen anyone other than himself who was completely unafraid of corpses, even more so than him. This person clung to Jiang Ling'er's dead body for three whole days and nights without letting go... Anyone who interfered with his revenge deserved to die! Little Poison then began to hate this sickly ghost as well.

Oh, back then Ji Yunshu wasn't sickly yet.

However, since this sickly fellow was the young master of Sun and Moon Fortress, it was difficult to make a move against him. It took the little poisoner some effort to find the right opportunity to drug Ji Yunshu, take Jiang Ling'er's body, and not only that, he also took the old镖头's body.

Whether this was a birthday banquet, a trap, or a small martial arts gathering, the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) was a gathering of heroes from all over the world, each a dragon or phoenix among their respective sects.

Now that the creditor was lying on the ground, he decided to blame everyone else for the suffering he had endured at the World's Number One Escort!

He wasn't foolish enough to risk his life against everyone present. He wasn't confident in his physical skills, but when it came to the art of corpse driving, he was second to none!

Since everyone wanted the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort), or more accurately, wanted him to hand over the "Longevity Manual," he also took the old镖头's corpse.

Watching them suspect and fight each other, tearing off their facades of righteousness, is incredibly satisfying!

"Ha, these self-proclaimed righteous sects, all shouting about eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path, killing villains and acting on behalf of Heaven, yet after the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) committed suicide, they revealed their ugly side, fighting each other over the corpse of the 'old hero' they once spoke of, and even worse..."

The little poisoner glanced at Jiang Ling'er's noticeably thinner face. He vividly remembered their first encounter in the dungeon. She held a long whip, her red dress fiery and vibrant, her personality fiery and energetic. Her full face and healthy wheat-colored skin made her seem like a burning flame, illuminating the gloomy dungeon. Now, however, her face was so thin it was barely the size of a palm, and against the backdrop of the snowflakes, it appeared even whiter than the snow itself…

Thinking of this, the little poisonous creature suddenly paused, silently swallowed the rest of its words, and said no more.

The rest is history. The old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) committed suicide, leaving no chance of survival. The little poisoner then dug a grave for him. Jiang Ling'er, however, was not destined to die; her unborn child saved her life. He then casually built a smaller grave next to the old镖头's, though frankly, he didn't know why he did it. It was just a casual thing to do…

Was it really just because it was convenient?

If it was just something he did on a whim, that would be great. In his entire life, when has he ever done anything good on a whim?

Perhaps it was because this old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) was a decent person; although he was dead, he died heroically, more so than any of the hypocrites on the field that day.

The little poisoner finished speaking and pursed his thin lips, his handsome face tense. He felt he hadn't done anything wrong and there was absolutely no way he would bow down to Jiang Ling'er! It was she who didn't know what was good for her! If he hadn't secretly taken away the old镖头's body, who knows how it would have been defiled and ravaged! She... she actually dared to act arrogantly? She actually dared to act arrogantly!

The little poisoner thought this to himself, yet he couldn't help but steal glances at Jiang Ling'er's expression. His tense, handsome face involuntarily relaxed, and with a hint of trepidation and ingratiation he was pricking his words, he dryly said:

"...Alright, next time...next time I promise I won't touch your father's corpse, don't be angry..."

He knew that his skill of transporting corpses was considered the lowest and even most ominous by most people, so it was understandable that she would be afraid and disgusted.

But there was no next time; the little poisonous creature, blinded by concern, started talking nonsense.

Jiang Ling'er didn't argue with him. After hearing what the little poisoner said, Jiang Ling'er didn't react for a long time. The snowflakes clung to her long eyelashes without moving. She was silent like a statue. Just when the little poisoner thought she would remain silent forever, Jiang Ling'er suddenly knelt down in front of him without any warning!

The little poisonous creature paused for a moment, then reacted swiftly, grabbing Jiang Ling'er's arms with both hands to prevent her from kneeling. Its dark, beautiful eyes glared at her, and it said sharply:

"What are you doing! I... I didn't mean for you to do this!" He scratched his hair in frustration, furious. He didn't even know why he was so angry, and in his anger, he started sneering again, "Ha, didn't you say I couldn't take it? Why are you kneeling?! I don't care if you kneel, and I don't want you to kneel to me. Get up!"

"But I...but I..."

Jiang Ling'er looked up at the boy in front of her and murmured, feeling more lost than ever before.

But I have nothing left to give you.

He saw her almond-shaped eyes, wet with tears, reflecting the swirling snowflakes and the tiny figures of his own. Looking into them, he saw nothing but bewilderment and helplessness. The little venomous creature paused for a moment, then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. The next second, its tail was wagging high in the air. He knew she was grateful to him; how could she possibly hate him!

He held Jiang Ling'er's arms firmly, helping her stand upright before letting go.

“I’m not some Arhat or Buddha. I don’t need you to kneel before me, nor do I need you to say those stale and outdated words of thanks. Who cares about your thanks? You just…” The little poisonous creature suddenly paused, turned its head slightly, scratched its nose, and its voice suddenly lowered, “Just like now, staying by my side is… that’s enough.”

The little poisoner's voice trailed off, scattering in the north wind. He wasn't sure if Jiang Ling'er had heard him; he wanted her to hear, yet he didn't want her to. But he quickly stopped worrying about it. Jiang Ling'er's slightly hoarse voice drifted on the wind:

"...Please help me."

The little poisonous creature paused, then saw Jiang Ling'er carrying stones from somewhere and quickly went over to lend a hand.

They placed stones on the two new graves, and Little Poison handed Jiang Ling'er his personal dagger.

Jiang Ling'er was carving words on the old镖头's tombstone. She originally wanted to carve the words "Jiang Leilong, the number one镖头 in the world", but then she remembered that the old镖头 was in a situation where his grave might be dug up to search for the "Longevity Manual". Thinking of the sharp tip of the dagger leaving deep scratches, Jiang Ling'er took a deep breath and swallowed the blood churning in her chest before picking up the dagger again and carving the old镖头's favorite poem on the stone - "The Short Day".

Flying light, flying light, let me offer you a cup of wine. I know not the height of the blue sky, nor the thickness of the yellow earth. I only see the cold moon and the warm sun, which come to erode human life.

Eating bear makes one fat, eating frog makes one thin. Where is the Divine Lord? Where is Taiyi? In the eastern sky grows the Ruomu tree, beneath which sits a candle-holding dragon.

I will cut off the dragon's feet and chew its flesh, so that it may not return in the morning or lie down at night.

The dagger's sharp blade painstakingly carved into the rough stone surface; the little poisoner, who had intended to help Jiang Ling'er, was refused.

The little poisonous creature couldn't write or read, so naturally she didn't know what she was carving. By the time Jiang Ling'er finished carving stroke by stroke, dusk was approaching, and the evening glow had turned half the sky red.

The wind and snow stopped at some unknown time.

Jiang Ling'er didn't carve anything on the stone in front of the small grave next to the old镖头's grave; she just stroked the stone with her fingertips for a long, long time.

Finally, she solemnly kowtowed three times in front of the old镖头's grave.

"Father, I will definitely avenge you!"

"Father, I will definitely clear your name!"

"Father, I will definitely win back the title of the best dart in the world!"

"Father...Father..." Jiang Ling'er pouted, clasped her hands in front of her forehead, and buried her head deeply in the snow. "I miss you so much."

For a very long time, he did not raise his head; only his shoulders trembled slightly.

Throughout the time, the little poisonous creature stood beside her with its arms crossed.

After waiting a while, seeing that the person was still buried in the snow, he squinted and yawned:

Are you crying right now?

The person buried in the snow remained silent for a while before speaking in a muffled voice, tinged with a hint of gritted teeth:

"……Shut up."

Well, they forgot his great kindness in less than half a day.

The little poisonous creature was quiet for a moment, then said, "Are you really not planning to get up?"

Jiang Ling'er: "..."

The little poisonous creature sneered: "If another one freezes to death, I won't dig up a third grave."

Jiang Ling'er: "…………"

Unable to bear it any longer, Jiang Ling'er emerged from the snow with her small, frost-covered face. The whiter her face, the more her almond-shaped eyes appeared red, as if shrouded in the misty rain of Jiangnan.

The little poisoner, without making a sound, took in Jiang Ling'er's rare, gentle beauty, unique to women from the Jiangnan water towns, and suddenly said:

"Actually, I'm not angry."

Jiang Ling'er was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was referring to their previous argument. Since that night at the ruined temple, she had repeatedly tried to get close to Xiao Duzi, but he had rejected her every time. Xiao Duzi even pointed out that she was deliberately trying to please him in order to use him to achieve her goal of taking her to find that "truth"... She thought he was angry and that she had completely messed up.

"I'm not afraid of you scheming against me or using me; I'm just afraid you have no ulterior motives." The little poisoner glanced at her, raising an eyebrow with smug satisfaction. "So it seems I'm quite useful, right?"

Seeing Jiang Ling'er staring blankly at him, the little poisoner suddenly became wicked again: "Look at your stupid face, you can't accomplish anything without me! No wonder you would resort to this honey trap."

Jiang Ling'er: "..."

"You really should do that. If you serve your grandfather well, then naturally..."

Seeing that the words were getting increasingly offensive, a vein suddenly bulged on Jiang Ling'er's forehead. Unable to bear it any longer, she stood up abruptly from the snow, hooked her arm around the little poisoner's neck and pulled him down, then lifted her toes and pressed her lips against his, sealing his mouth with a kiss.

Finally, it's quiet.

The little poisonous creature's eyes trembled, but the cool touch on its lips vanished in an instant.

Jiang Ling'er interrupted the little poisoner just as he was about to speak:

“That night in the dilapidated temple, I really wanted to save you. Even though you refused to take me to Dagushan to find some little immortal Taoist priest, I know you are chaste and even if you hate me for it in the end... I would still do it.”

As Jiang Ling'er spoke, she stared straight at the little poisonous creature, her gaze open and honest, like a patch of white in the vast world, clean, sincere, and intense.

The two looked at each other, and there was something there that could ignite at any moment.

With a "snap," it was as if a string called "reason" had suddenly snapped!

The little poisonous creature grabbed Jiang Ling'er by the back of the head and suddenly pushed her down into the snow. Under the starry sky, with the heavens above and the earth below, the fierce bite seemed like a fire spreading from her lips down her neck. Its hand reached under Jiang Ling'er's waist and was suddenly grabbed.

Jiang Ling'er glared at him, her breath uneven, her face flushed, her eyes even redder. Despite the snowy weather, a spring-like quality emanated from her almond-shaped eyes, misty and alluring. Unlike the softness on her face, Jiang Ling'er's voice was undeniably righteous and indignant:

"no!"

As soon as Jiang Ling'er finished speaking, the little poisonous creature buried its head in her neck and sniffed like a dog, gritting its teeth indignantly:

"Your period is over, right?!"

As he spoke, ignoring Jiang Ling'er's attempts to stop him, he reached forward even further and suddenly grabbed her... Jiang Ling'er gasped and slapped him across the face!

The little poisonous creature's face immediately turned away!

His impossibly handsome face instantly darkened, his eyes turning fierce. Even the best of moods were shattered by that slap. But Jiang Ling'er was even angrier than him, throwing his hand out of her collar and practically roaring:

"Dad's watching!"

The little poisonous creature choked, looked up, and saw the large stone with the inscription standing in front of them, seemingly watching them coldly...

Little Poison: "..."

"…………"

The little poisoner's handsome face stiffened slightly. The two stared at each other for a while before he gritted his teeth, rolled off Jiang Ling'er, and lay down next to her on the snow. They looked up at the starry sky, panted heavily for a few moments, and finally calmed down.

Jiang Ling'er's hand was still numb from hitting him. After a long while, she finally felt guilty and asked with concern:

"Are you... alright?"

The little poisonous creature snorted, rested one arm behind its neck, stared at the brightest North Star among the countless stars, and ignored her.

That slap was really too much. Seeing the glaring red mark on his exceptionally handsome face, Jiang Ling'er was wondering whether she should apologize when she suddenly heard the little poisoner say something out of the blue:

"Let's go to Dagushan. We'll leave tomorrow."

Jiang Ling'er was stunned for a moment, then her eyes brightened, more dazzling than any star in the sky. She turned and hugged the little poisoner tightly, screaming in his ear, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Unlike Jiang Ling'er's excitement, the little poisoner simply hummed softly and turned his head away to avoid her gaze.

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Ten days later.

Qingshi Town is located at the foot of Dagushan Mountain.

After enduring wind and rain and sleeping in the open, Jiang Ling'er and Xiao Duwu finally met people and were able to eat hot noodles.

As the two wolfed down their noodles at the stall, they listened to the lively conversation of several people at the next table. The conversation ranged from the vast territory of the Song Dynasty invaded by the Jurchen cavalry to the tragic fate of the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort), and even to the terrifying duo of Asuras that emerged from an obscure little village!

"It is said that they were a young couple, a man and a woman, who were ruthless and highly skilled in martial arts! The man was adept at using poisons, and the woman wielded a woodcutter's knife with incredible skill! Yet they were content to live in anonymity in the countryside as an ordinary couple..."

Jiang Ling'er was listening with great interest, but the more she listened, the more something seemed off. Then she heard—

"These Asura Duo are truly formidable. Their martial arts are so extraordinary that even Di Qing and Huo Wu, two of the seven great masters of the Demonic Sect, are no match for them. They were both slaughtered and buried deep in the mountains! The Demonic Sect is furious and has issued a warrant for their capture, the highest bounty ever offered, a full—" At this point, the storyteller gulped down a mouthful of tea, his folding fan snapped open with a "whoosh," and he gestured with one finger, "a full ten thousand taels of gold! They say they'll search heaven and earth, dig three feet into the ground, to personally avenge this blood feud and wash away the shame of the Demonic Sect!"

The noodles were suddenly bitten off in one bite.

Jiang Ling'er looked up and exchanged glances with the little poisoner, speechless for a long time before finally saying:

"Why does that sound...so familiar???"

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Author's Note: Little Poison: Are you sure it's just a little bit?

I spent a day organizing the outline for the new map, and the next chapter will be updated on Thursday! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2024-01-10 22:17:29 and 2024-01-12 03:29:00!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Little Cookie regrets cooking 3 bottles along the Milky Way;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!