Chapter 9 009 "Let me stay by your side, don't send me away..."

He gazed at her with a composed air. Her excessively pale skin made her thin lips appear even redder, especially with the bloodstains that had not yet been wiped away. Her extraordinary, even dazzling, beauty seemed to carry an ominous aura. Despite her bright and beautiful face, her words were like the spitting tongue of a venomous snake, and her eyes held naked and undisguised malice that sent chills down one's spine.

After a long, deathly silence, a low, dreamlike voice began to murmur:

"You mean... I'm pregnant? My unborn child... took my life for me?"

It was too unbelievable, even absurd, but... but Jiang Ling'er couldn't fool herself. She could feel something... something slipping away from the abdomen the young man was resting on.

A sudden surge of emptiness and an unprecedented, excruciating pain made her gasp for breath and her whole body tremble.

At the same time, after she spoke, Jiang Ling'er belatedly realized that she could speak. Her stiff limbs seemed to be gradually thawing as a warm current flowed into them. With her subconscious slight trembling, she could even feel the "crackling" sound of bones inside her flesh. Her lower abdomen, which was being supported by the young man, felt warm. However, as the young man got up and left, the warmth in her lower abdomen disappeared in the blink of an eye. Her limbs, which had been thawed, seemed to be frozen again, but it was still much better than before when she had no feeling at all. Jiang Ling'er glanced at the handsome young man three feet away from her, as if she realized something, or perhaps... she was even more confused.

My throat felt as if it were filled with lead again, and I couldn't utter a single word.

Seemingly having enjoyed her astonishment and despair enough, the young man slowly moved towards her again. As he drew closer, Jiang Ling'er felt her frozen limbs begin to come alive again.

The closer the young man got to her, the more she could feel the energy she had been losing frantically flowing back in. Her stiff, pale skin regained its color at a visible speed. Her pupils trembled, filled with a mixture of fear and... indescribable anticipation.

She stared intently at the young man who was getting closer and closer to her. It was her survival instinct that made her yearn for him, for him to come closer to her.

Finally, the young man stopped in front of her, looking down at her. His long, dark hair was soaked from the previous heavy rain and hung down over his shoulders. Even when he was seen in the Discipline Hall that day, he had let his hair fall like this. Beneath his wet hair were dark eyes, and under one eye was a vermilion tear mole, so bright red it was almost blinding.

In the dim light, a sliver of ghostly light appeared, revealing a peach blossom face①.

In this desolate wilderness, the young man was more like a ghost than she was, or even more like a beautiful ghost than the skeletons scattered on the ground.

"A person has three flames on their body. One is on their head."

As soon as she finished speaking, the bamboo flute touched her forehead. Jiang Ling'er was stunned, and suddenly a small tuft of faint blue flames ignited from the top of her hair!

Jiang Ling'er: "!"

Jiang Ling'er couldn't see what was happening above her head, but she could see her own reflection in those dark eyes right in front of her, as well as a small but not insignificant flame.

"Two on the left and right shoulders."

The bamboo flute tapped her shoulders lightly again, but this time no flames ignited. Jiang Ling'er looked up and followed the flute's direction. She saw the flute twirl gracefully in the young man's hand before he held it over his right shoulder. He glared at her, exuding a wicked and unrestrained air.

A wisp of eerie blue flame was seen burning fiercely on the bamboo flute held by the young man. The flames spewed out tiny, eerie blue tongues of fire that flowed wildly down the bamboo flute and along the young man's slender, jade-like fingers, into his body!

Jiang Ling'er's pupils constricted as she saw the young man engulfed in a blazing, eerie blue flame. The flames licked at him, yet did not harm him in the slightest, as if he were born one with this eerie blue fire. This eerie blue flame did not bring any warmth, only a bone-chilling cold. However, Jiang Ling'er was constantly drawn to this raging flame, like a moth drawn to a flame, wanting to embrace it. She bit her lower lip so hard that it bled, barely managing to suppress the tremor and attraction that came from her very soul.

Clearly, this young man was not the charlatan from western Hunan who the bodyguards described as someone who only knew how to deceive people with supernatural tricks; he was... serious!

She had heard of some unorthodox and disreputable cultivation methods since she was a child, such as nourishing yin and replenishing yang, and even using virgins to practice. But none of them were as shocking as the young man in front of her who looked a few years younger than her.

This was a bizarre cultivation method far beyond the Six Directions. She didn't know how he did it, but it was clear that he was using the eerie blue flames around him to control the corpses, including hers. Only when she was close to him did she feel alive. Once she was far away from this fire, she could not feel the slightest bit of the temperature of this strange flame, and she was no different from a dead body.

The young man stared at her, gave a soft scoff, and slightly raised his chin, pointing at the withered skeletons around him: "A man has three flames, a dead man naturally has none. But you..." He suddenly paused, his gaze shifting to Jiang Ling'er, narrowing his eyes at the faint flame on the top of her hair, "Life and death are fate. If Yama decrees you to die at midnight, he won't allow you to live past four. You're lucky, having an unborn child to shield you from disaster. Though your fate isn't over, so what? You'd be better off dead than a monster that's neither human nor ghost."

There's not even a need to lift a finger; such a faint firefly's flame would probably be completely extinguished by dawn.

He wasted all his breath just to see her face contorted in despair and shock. Now that he had his fill of that, he naturally turned and left.

But as soon as he turned around, a hurried voice came from behind him:

"...It was me! No matter what, it was I who released you from the Discipline Hall! If it weren't for me, you would still be being tortured there! You...you deserve..."

The young man stopped abruptly, slowly turning his eyes to glance at her sideways.

What should I do?

“You…” Jiang Ling’er paused. The young man had only taken one step away from her when her fingers became numb with cold. She couldn’t help but quietly take a step forward. Only when she felt the intense heat of the dark blue sparks emanating from the young man’s body as they burned her skin did her numb fingertips return to normal. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and made a certain decision.

The young man seemed oblivious to her subtle movements, staring at her expressionlessly.

Noticing the young man's cold gaze, Jiang Ling'er's initial relief quickly turned into a lump in her throat. She pursed her dry lips, her voice low and growing softer with each word:

"You should...you should at least repay kindness, shouldn't you?" Even if Jiang Ling'er was lazy and gluttonous, she knew that using kindness to coerce others was against the right path. Therefore, she spoke with great difficulty, and the words, tinged with blood, rolled around in her throat. She didn't even dare to look the young man in the eye. This was the first time in her life that she had asked someone for help.

Suddenly, those difficult words seemed to get stuck in the gears of an old machine, and she knelt down.

He knelt before the young man, his hands on the ground, his ten fingers digging deep into the mud.

The young man's eyebrows twitched, and he lowered his eyes to look at her seriously for the first time tonight.

Her slender body, draped in wet clothes, didn't appear particularly weak due to years of martial arts training; she was merely pitiful, like a drowned rat. A closer look revealed a slight tremor, perhaps from inexperience or embarrassment, but her hands, embedded in the mud with spiderweb-like blue veins on the back, were not to be ignored. She looked up at him, pleading, her eyes, washed by the downpour, unusually bright, each word dripping with tears:

"Please...please let me stay by your side, I'll do anything! I have very important things to do, I can't die now. After I find out the truth, avenge my father's murder, and...and avenge the child in my womb, I will accept my death! I..."

The young man suddenly interrupted her: "How novel."

Jiang Ling'er paused: "...What?"

The young man tilted his head and looked down at her. She was still wearing the same fiery red dress, but the original color was no longer recognizable. After another downpour, it was wrinkled and stuck to her body. Some people would believe she was a water ghost.

The more imposing he was when he brandished his whip in the Discipline Hall that day, and the more arrogant and domineering he was when he grabbed his collar, the more pathetic he looked now.

The young man's thin, crimson lips curled into a cruel smile, and he sighed, "Life's twists and turns are truly wondrous."

Jiang Ling'er couldn't understand the implied meaning, and immediately froze, her ten fingers embedded in the mud clenching into fists.

"You think I'd be grateful to you for saving me?" The young man was clearly not one to show mercy to women. He seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He tucked his bamboo flute into his waistband, and a smirk curled his lips, making him bend over with laughter, his expression full of mockery. "What is the Discipline Hall? What is the Number One Escort in the World? They can come and go as they please, just like I want! Those scum in the Discipline Hall barely have any decent internal strength or skill. If you hadn't let them go and ruined my plans, why would I have dragged a few useless ghosts into this desolate wilderness to fill my teeth, only to suffer the backlash of the formation because of you, half-dead!"

Jiang Ling'er was taken aback: "...Huh?"

Um? ! !

I never expected the inside story to be like this.

She thought that Heaven had shown mercy and had unintentionally saved the young man from his predicament, but unexpectedly... she ended up hurting him twice.

"If we're talking about repaying a debt of gratitude, you should be the one kneeling before me and kowtowing in thanks. If I hadn't abducted your body, that pretty boy... that pretty boy is your husband?" The young man seemed to remember something and looked disgusted.

When the young man suddenly mentioned Ji Yunshu, Jiang Ling'er was startled, and her long eyelashes trembled.

"Your husband was quite the devoted one, holding your corpse for three days and three nights without closing his eyes. If I hadn't used some tricks, he probably wouldn't have let go, even if it meant death." Thinking this, the young man's beautiful face twisted for a moment. It was his inherently vengeful nature that made him so. This woman had ruined his plans and died a violent death; most people would have let it go, no matter how much they hated her. But who was he? Even as a corpse, she would seek revenge! He just hadn't expected her to turn the tables on him in the end. Thinking of this, his blood surged, and despite his severe injuries, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his lips.

However, in a short while, the young man's temperament became even more fickle than the weather. Just a moment ago he was all smiles, but now his handsome face was clouded with gloom. Before Jiang Ling'er could even react, she was grabbed by the neck and lifted up with one hand!

Blood trickled down his lips, dripping onto his clothes and falling into the mud at his feet. He stared at Jiang Ling'er, whose face was gradually turning ashen again, and tightened his grip on her neck, speaking slowly and deliberately:

"Huh? What do you mean by 'huh'? I hate being threatened more than anything in my life. You're the first person to dare to scheme against me twice. Letting you die like this is too good for you."

Jiang Ling'er futilely pried open the five fingers that were gripping her neck, but she couldn't muster even the slightest bit of strength. How strange! Even though the intense, dark blue flames burning on the young man's body were almost engulfing her, she didn't feel the boundless strength she had just experienced. It wasn't until she saw her reflection in the young man's dark eyes that the golden flames on her head, like candles flickering in the wind, were gradually swallowed up by the powerful and eerie dark blue flames.

In the end, she had no strength left to struggle. Her despair was even greater than when the longsword pierced her chest that day. She watched helplessly as death enveloped her, watched as the arrogant, blazing, ghostly blue flames eroded and devoured the small, flickering golden flame, just as they were about to engulf that tiny golden spark. Then, from afar, the voices of dozens of men drifted over:

"You little poisoner! Get out here! This place is surrounded by my brothers from Sun and Moon Fortress, you can't escape!"

The young man's brows furrowed instantly, his handsome features becoming even more sinister. He stared at Jiang Ling'er, whose face was ashen, in his palm, a cold smile playing on his lips:

"Well, your old flame is really devoted. Even though he was a dead body, he chased me for ten miles and wouldn't give up. Even I was moved."

The young man was smiling, but blood kept flowing from the corner of his lips. His handsome face was completely drained of color, clearly indicating that he had suffered severe injuries from the backlash of the formation, not much better than her.

Otherwise, with her tiny spark, it wouldn't have taken her so long.

The threatening sounds rose and fell, growing closer and closer. There were not only human voices but also the sound of horses' hooves. He hadn't noticed the sound of hooves because the heavy rain had masked it earlier, but now it sounded like there were at least dozens of horses.

"You little poisoner, you've touched someone you shouldn't have! Return the lady's body to me and I'll leave you with a whole corpse!"

Jiang Ling'er recognized the voice; it belonged to Gao Yang, Ji Yunshu's confidant. Gao Yang had always handled many affairs for Sun Moon Fortress and was a well-known figure in the martial arts world, someone she had to respectfully address as "Mr. Gao." She never expected him to appear in this desolate wilderness.

How ridiculous it is to try and retrieve her guilty corpse.

"...Tsk." A sneer rang in her ears, "Little poisoner, little poisoner, is this the etiquette of you upright people? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were crying for your parents."

As the young man said this, blood gushed from the corner of his lips like a spring, unstoppable, soaking half of his clothes. The hand gripping her neck loosened its grip by half, allowing Jiang Ling'er to regain some life and her mind, which had been clouded by suffocation, cleared up a bit.

...Little Poisoner? She vaguely remembered hearing about this person from the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), but the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) never liked hearing such names of evil and heretical people, so she knew very little about him.

Everyone used to say that the old镖头 (head镖师, a term for a powerful and influential figure in the martial arts world) doted on his daughter and spoiled her excessively, but Jiang Ling'er never thought much of it. It was only at this moment that Jiang Ling'er realized that she had been overprotected by the old镖头 all along. Having traveled the country with the镖队 (镖队) since childhood, all she knew was what her father had instructed her to know. She knew absolutely nothing about the real martial arts world.

For some reason, Ji Yunshu's last gaze upon her and the words he spoke to her flashed into her mind:

Jiang Ling'er, you know nothing.

She closed her eyes briefly, forcing back the tears welling up, then looked up at the person before her, speaking with difficulty but with each word clear:

“Gao…Gao Yang is the top leader of Sun Moon Fortress. You are too badly injured. You are no match for him now. If you don’t want to die, I can save you.”

"You think you can sneer?" The young man was about to sneer, but instead, he coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

Meanwhile, the voices of the Sun and Moon Fortress disciples were almost right in front of him: "Mr. Gao! There are dozens of corpses ahead!"

Gao Yang's voice was cold: "The shoe prints are still wet. We need to find the person alive or dead. Dismount and search! They can't have gone far!"

"yes!"

"yes!"

The sound of everyone dismounting was unusually jarring in the empty wilderness. Jiang Ling'er stared at the young man's unusually pale face and repeated her previous words:

“I can save you,” the last added. “You know, I… don’t want to die either.”

The young man stared at her for a while, and Jiang Ling'er looked directly at him, unwavering, letting him scrutinize her. The sounds of the search grew closer, soon reaching them. Suddenly, a cold snort rang out, and the young man swiftly released his grip. Just as he withdrew his hand, he was suddenly tackled and pinned down!

Just then, a clump of bushes blocked their view, and beneath them lay mud washed clean by the torrential rain. On top of them lay a body still showing signs of rigor mortis, neither particularly soft nor rigid, but still soft and cool. More importantly, it was also covered in mud, not much better than the filth beneath it. The little poisonous creature's brow twitched sharply, and it suddenly opened its beautiful eyes wide. Just as it was about to say something, a cool hand covered its lips!

Jiang Ling'er glared at him, a silent warning, "Go ahead and scream if you want to die!" But she spoke to Gao Yang instead:

"Mr. Gao, please go back."

His thin lips brushed against his palm, unsurprisingly ending up with a mouthful of mud. Remembering how Jiang Ling'er's fingers had sunk into the mud earlier, the little poisoner's brow twitched violently, his handsome face turning ashen, but he ultimately kept quiet.

Jiang Ling'er's voice wasn't loud, but it was especially jarring in the dead of night in this desolate wilderness. As soon as she landed, the air seemed to freeze, and after a moment of deathly silence, a series of panicked cries suddenly erupted.

"You...you heard that?"

"That is indeed, it is definitely the lady's voice..."

"But didn't Madam already... already... we both saw it with our own eyes..."

"Could it be...?"

Gao Yang stared intently at the bushes not far away, gripped his sword tightly, and shouted, "Who's playing tricks? Show yourself!"

Although their whereabouts had been exposed, the search had indeed ceased. Jiang Ling'er stared intently at the young man beneath her, released her hand from his, stood up, slowly turned around, and looked directly at Gao Yang on his tall horse not far away:

“Mr. Gao, Ji Yunshu and I have severed our karmic ties as husband and wife. Please leave. There is no need to search any further.”

A cold wind swept by, and the ground was covered with pink skulls. The lone woman stood behind the bushes, silently watching the crowd, no longer speaking.

She was soaking wet, her long hair hanging down to her waist, and her red dress was stained with mud, blood, and the loneliness of the cold moon.

Although her facial features were obscured by the distance, those familiar with Jiang Ling'er knew it was undoubtedly her.

New ghosts are troubled and old ghosts weep; the sound of their chirping echoes in the damp, overcast sky.

It started raining again sometime later.

The cool night wind, along with the raindrops, seeped straight into their bones. Everyone shivered as if waking from a dream, and the timid ones fell off their horses, crying out, "Ghost...ghost!"

Before he could finish speaking, someone covered his mouth. Everyone turned to look at the middle-aged man on the tall horse, Gao Yang.

"Mr. Gao, what do you think..."

Gao Yang frowned, staring at the beautiful figure with a somber expression for a long time without saying a word. It's no wonder these seven-foot-tall men were ashen-faced with fear. The news of the death of their young mistress, the former leader of the world's number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort service), Jiang Ling'er, was known to everyone in Jinling. Moreover, each of them had personally witnessed their young lord holding his young mistress's body for three days without closing his eyes… And this woman before them…

"go back."

Gao Yang pulled on the reins and immediately rode away.

Everyone was stunned and hurriedly asked, "Mr. Gao, we chased him for ten miles and then just left like that? We still haven't seen that little poisoner. If we don't execute him on the spot to prevent future troubles, given that old poisoner Gongye Chi's vengeful nature, he definitely won't let it go..."

However, Gao Yang seemed oblivious to the resolute departure, and soon all that could be seen was the dust and sand that had been kicked up.

The crowd glanced at Mr. Gao's figure as he turned and left without hesitation, then turned back to look through the rain at that solitary, elegant figure, as if silently watching them. A sudden gust of cold wind chilled them to the bone, and their skin cracked open. Without further hesitation, they all reined in their horses and left.

The sound was deafening. Only when the sound of horses' hooves could no longer be heard did Jiang Ling'er breathe a sigh of relief. It was as if a bowstring stretched to its limit had suddenly been released. She staggered two steps and fell to the ground. Only then did she realize that the young man was too far away from her, so far that her limbs began to stiffen again, and a deathly aura enveloped her brow.

Sure enough, the young man had gotten up from the mud sometime earlier and sat under a large tree not far from her. Raindrops streamed down his handsome features. He glanced at Jiang Ling'er coolly and scoffed softly.

"This is the renowned Sun and Moon Fortress? Ha, you were scared out of your wits after just one look. You have such a cowardly heart, yet you dared to chase me for ten miles?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling'er lowered her eyes slightly, and raindrops rolled down her long eyelashes: "Mr. Gao has never liked me. Regardless of whether it's true or not, it would be best to go back and report to him."

"I think you just want to get rid of this hot potato, don't you?" The young man slightly raised his chin, glancing at her with a sarcastic and cold smile, mercilessly exposing her. "A gentleman is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. Whether or not the 'Longevity Manual' is with you and your father, you and your father are like rats crossing the street, everyone who passes by will spit on you. Whether you are dead or alive, any smart person should know that it's better to stay away from you, right?"

Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated Jiang Ling'er's pale, bloodless face. Only a few days had passed; the healthy rosy hue had faded from her face, revealing a deathly pallor.

The little poisoner snorted coldly and got up from the ground. He had originally intended to grind her to dust, but firstly, he was indeed seriously injured, and he valued his life very much, so it was better for him to rest. Secondly, she had kept her promise and driven away the people from Sun and Moon Fortress, so he decided to save his energy and let her fend for herself, which was a rare act of kindness on his part.

Unfortunately, some people don't know what's good for them.

He had only taken two steps, leaning against the tree, when the person behind him brazenly grabbed him tightly around the waist from behind. Firstly, his injuries were too severe for him to break free immediately; secondly, Jiang Ling'er, once pressed against him, seemed to be drawn to him like two magnets. She continuously drew upon the ghostly blue flames emanating from him, making her incredibly strong, firmly binding his waist. Her voice trembled, whether from the cold night rain or from the coldness of the flame she was holding, she shivered all over, yet clung to him even tighter. Though she was pleading with him, her words were forceful:

"Let me stay with you, don't send me away."

The young poisoner's handsome face turned ashen; he was truly enraged now. Jiang Ling'er, fearing he might use some other unorthodox move, snatched the bamboo flute from his waist and threw it on the ground. He couldn't pry open the hands locked around his waist. Since learning the old poisoner's wicked skills, he had rarely... no, never felt so passive and humiliated as he was now.

A vein bulged on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and cursed angrily:

What use are you to me?!

The woman's deep voice behind him seemed to whisper in his ear like a mantra:

“I can wash your clothes and tie your hair, serve you at your beck and call, and stand in front of you like I do today.”

The little poisonous creature sneered: "Even without you, it would only take some time, and even if they risked their lives, I would still turn them into dried corpses."

The hoarse voice behind him remained silent for a moment before speaking:

"I'll do anything you want, just don't send me away... okay?"

The little poisoner just laughed, and as he laughed, he pried open the hands clamped around his waist one by one:

"What use is your dying body to me? Besides, you're the daughter of Jiang Leilong, a lackey of the Jurchens, whom everyone wants to kill. Are you just asking for trouble?"

He finally broke free from Jiang Ling'er's control, bent down to pick up the bamboo flute, and the cold rain hitting his face was nothing compared to the chill in his eyes. He stared at the gloomy woman before him, tapping the bamboo flute against his palm again and again, each word a warning:

"If you dare to keep bothering me, don't blame me..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was tackled to the ground again!

Even worse than last time, his back slammed heavily into the mud, and to make matters worse, the person in front of him sat directly on him! They wrapped their arms around his neck and pressed almost their entire upper body against him!

How could the young man bear it? A faint blue flame suddenly ignited on the bamboo flute, and without further ado, he struck the faint candlelight above Jiang Ling'er's head!

Just as the bamboo flute was about to strike his forehead, a sharp, high-pitched cry suddenly rang out:

"Look! As long as you're here, I'm not a corpse!"

Jiang Ling'er clung tightly to the young man's long neck with both arms. After several pushes, her rain-soaked sleeves slipped down to her elbows, her bare skin touching his, cool against warm. The scattered lividity seemed to recede like the tide. Jiang Ling'er straddled him, her arms around his neck, her upper body arched. It was hard to tell if the rain or tears were the cause of her tears. Raindrops slid down her thin jawline, and her angry, tearful voice screamed at him:

"I am a human being... a living, breathing human being! I still have very, very important things to do. I want to clear my father's name, I want to exonerate him. My father could not have colluded with the evil cult, much less be a lackey of the Jurchens! I want revenge. I want to behead all those who drove my father to his death, harmed me, and harmed the child in my womb. How can I die? I cannot die!"

After several shoving incidents, both she and he were disheveled.

Jiang Ling'er accidentally tore off his right shoulder, and the torrential rain washed away the splashed mud, revealing a patch of fair and smooth skin. In particular, the palm-sized "slave" brand on his shoulder and neck was even more conspicuous.

Xi Nu Yin.

Jiang Ling'er didn't know who the "little poisoner" and "old poisoner" that Gao Yang and the others were talking about were, but she knew what a "slave mark" was. These days, some wealthy and powerful men who indulged in homosexuality would brand their beautiful male concubines with a slave mark. It signified that they were protected and would be their slaves for generations, and also symbolized…a disgrace.

Seeing Jiang Ling'er's gaze fixed on him, the little poisoner's handsome face darkened, revealing a genuine killing intent rather than rage. He released the bamboo flute, then silently raised his right palm, intending to strike her on the top of her head, but missed. Jiang Ling'er suddenly buried her head and bit down on the "slave" mark on his right shoulder!

The little poisonous creature let out a muffled groan, then its handsome face turned ashen, and it flew into a rage:

"You're asking for it!"

The young man looked down at the person in front of him, grabbed her arm with one hand, and was about to make a move when he suddenly stopped.

A rumble of thunder sounded overhead. Jiang Ling'er leaned down and nestled against his shoulder, her tongue swirling the bead of blood from the "slave" mark she had bitten herself into her mouth. She then nestled into his arms, resting her head on the mark, her chin slightly raised, gazing at him. Her voice was as soft and low as she could muster, but her eyes betrayed her—an excessive calmness.

"Jiang Ling'er is dead. My name is 'Anu,' and I am your slave."

Finally, she paused, then, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, she remembered a stray cat she had once fed by the roadside. Imitating the kitten, she rubbed against his shoulder. Seeing the young man flinch as if tickled, she laughed, her breath sweet as orchids, sounding more like a threat than a playful gesture.

"I am your slave, I belong to you now, you can't abandon me. Do you understand?"

A note from the author:

----------------------

①From Huang Zhongze's "Dian Jiang Chun".

②From Feng Menglong's "Stories to Awaken the World".

③From Du Fu's "The Ballad of the War Chariots".

Sorry, sorry! I finally don't have to go to the hospital anymore! Here's one chapter for now, so don't wait for updates. I'm saving up chapters this week, and updates will resume on the 11th!