Chapter Seventy-One
On a night when Baozhu was not around, Li Zhi lit an oil lamp and sat in the study with Xiao Ban Yao Hui.
Hui frowned, holding a book that Li Zhi had given him, deep in thought.
Li Zhi buried himself in the files that obscured his view, reading them at a rapid pace.
The two were both engrossed in their own worlds and appeared to be in perfect harmony.
Until Hui suddenly spoke up.
“Li Zhi…” Hui frowned, pointing to the words in the book and asking Li Zhi, “What’s this pronounced? I forgot.”
“念已 (niàn yǐ) means ‘oneself’ or ‘already’; these are two different words.”
Li Zhi's thoughts were interrupted, but he didn't care at all. He calmly wrote the two words again on the paper and showed them to Hui.
Hui thanked Li Zhi shyly, then lowered her head and continued reading with a bitter expression.
Seeing that he was looking at it intently, muttering to himself, and occasionally taking out a charcoal pencil to scribble something on the paper, Li Zhi felt a sense of novelty.
Li Zhi simply read the book word by word, and Hui memorized most of it.
Many years ago, he also taught Baozhu to read.
Both being demons, Baozhu insisted on being held in Li Zhi's arms. He had to say all sorts of nice things and make many promises. In the end, they had to make a scene in bed before she would finally learn to recognize a few words properly.
Baozhu rarely forgets any words she has learned. She is actually very smart, but she is impatient and can't sit still. She hates things that are complicated and convoluted.
Looking at the obedient little demon, Li Zhi recalled the moments he had spent with Baozhu and couldn't help but smile.
At this moment, Hui secretly looked up and saw Li Zhi smiling at her. A surge of excitement rushed through her, and she quickly focused on reading silently, her mouth moving as she read aloud, while holding a charcoal pencil in her hand to trace the words.
Li Zhi was completely unaware of Hui's little scheme. He chuckled to himself for a while, then lowered his head and pulled out a tattered dossier to open.
Upon seeing this, his expression suddenly turned serious.
The file was titled "The Case of Ruan Tianzheng Raising Demons" at the top.
A strange feeling arose in Li Zhi's heart, and he quickly continued reading.
This is a case that is over a hundred years old. This Ruan Tianzheng is the owner of Ruan Garden, where Li Zhi stayed in both his previous and current lives.
Legend has it that he once served as Minister of War and did many good deeds for the people, until he was framed by a villain, which led to the decline of his family and his descendants were unable to even keep a garden.
But this is not the reason why Li Zhi felt strange.
He had recently written a petition about the Gejiabao case, and he remembered that when they were in Jiangbei Prefecture, Pei Xuanji found records about Gejiabao in the local chronicles.
— Gejiabao was once frequented by bandits, but Ruan Tianzheng led troops to wipe them out.
Ruan Tianzheng, Gejiabao, and the demon-raising.
The combination of these three words made Li Zhi think twice.
He read the file carefully, and the more he read, the more alarmed he became.
It turns out that when Ruan Tianzheng was serving as Minister of War, he also served as Minister of the Court of Eminent Persons, which was a proper official position with rank. Ruan Tianzheng was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), so there was no problem with that.
However, although Ruan Tianzheng was not a formally initiated Celestial Master, he still possessed the skills of one. At that time, there were demons in the north who formed an alliance and harmed many innocent people, causing the hatred of demons among the people to reach its peak.
Therefore, Ruan Tianzheng personally led many Taoist masters and spent several months in the north to finally wipe out the evil monsters.
This incident greatly enhanced his prestige among the people.
Then, Ruan Tianzheng pressed on and marched south to Jiangbei Prefecture, where he led his troops to wipe out the bandits of Gejiabao who had been harassing the surrounding people for a long time.
After this battle, Nguyen Thien Trung's prestige reached its peak.
However, Ruan Tianzheng's glory did not last long. A few years later, someone suddenly exposed him, saying that he kept a monster at home and allowed it to eat people and cause harm to the local area.
Ruan Tianzheng was still serving as the Minister of the Temple of Foreigners at the time, and as a result, he was immediately dismissed and investigated.
His influence in the Temple of Strange People was so great that no Celestial Master dared to investigate the truth of the case. It was only when a Celestial Master surnamed Chen obtained the crucial evidence from the Ruan family—the tamed demon—that Ruan Tianzheng was brought down.
The file states that this demon was actually half human, with gray hair, beard, and eyes, and a small red mole under his temple. After being imprisoned, he immediately confessed that all his crimes were instigated by Ruan Tianzheng.
Upon reading this, Li Zhi abruptly put down the file in his hand and looked at Hui opposite him.
Under the oil lamp, Hui's light gray hair and eyes became even more prominent. Li Zhi stood up and gestured for Hui to lift the ends of her hair behind her ear.
There was also a small red mole on Hui's temple, which was covered by her hair.
Hui looked at Li Zhi blankly and whispered, "What's wrong?"
Li Zhi stared at his small mole for a while, then sighed and said, "It's nothing, keep reading."
Hui looked at Li Zhi strangely for a while, scratched her head, and then lowered her head to struggle with her book.
Li Zhi took a deep breath, sorted out the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and then began to read the case file.
The file continued, saying that since the half-demon had confessed, Ruan Tianzheng no longer concealed anything and explained that he had brought the demon back from Gejiabao because he felt sorry for it and wanted to use a method to suppress the demon bloodline in the half-demon and completely transform it into a human.
The temple official asked, "Does this practice require cannibalism?"
Ruan Tianzheng replied that it was not so; he was unaware that the half-demon ate people.
The temple official asked, "If that's the case, why did the half-demon accuse Ruan Tianzheng of instigating his cannibalism?"
Ruan Tianzheng replied, "I brought him back to my residence and treated him as my son. I really don't know why he answered in this way."
Later, Ruan Tianzheng offered many explanations, such as that the half-demon was born to a woman in Gejiabao. He was born with feathers, which was considered an omen of bad luck by everyone in the fort, so they abandoned him in the stable and left him to fend for himself.
But the half-demon survived and found a way to contact Ruan Tianzheng. He led him to take a shortcut and suddenly attacked Gejiabao, killing 151 bandits in the fort.
He took pity on the half-demon because he was young and pitiful, and had a kind heart, so he brought him back to his mansion and raised him with great care. Perhaps it was because he disciplined him too much that the half-demon turned on him.
Even though Ruan Tianzheng refused to confess, there were witnesses, and in the end, the court, considering his previous merits in eliminating demons and suppressing bandits, only stripped him of his official position and demoted him to a commoner.
The case file also described the fate of the half-demon: after the interrogation, the half-demon suddenly disappeared from the prison and was never seen again.
After finishing reading the file, Li Zhi closed his eyes and put down the book.
The case file does not mention what happened to Nguyen Thien Thiong afterward, but there are many folk tales about it.
It is said that after Minister Ruan was demoted to a commoner and returned to his hometown, his old illness relapsed, and he died not long after.
That half-demon from a hundred years ago actually suppressed his demon bloodline and became completely human. He stepped on Ruan Tianzheng's back and became the master of the Strange People's Temple. Not only that, he also suppressed the Ruan family for generations, ensuring they could never rise again.
Rong Qi, a ruthless embodiment of evil.
He wore a glamorous mask, frolicking and committing evil deeds in the human world, never paying the price.
This dossier reveals Rong Qi's origins, but the Imperial Preceptor who appears before the public is clearly a mortal. Who can say that he has any connection with that half-demon from a hundred years ago?
Only by knowing that Rong Qi was the mastermind behind the Gejiabao case, understanding Hui's background, and seeing this case file, can the layers of mystery surrounding him be dispelled.
Li Zhi thought and thought, but it seemed that he could not find a second way to sort everything out.
It was late at night. Li Zhi was deep in thought. Baozhu had not yet returned. The little demon had been reading for a long time and was getting sleepy. He was nodding his head and suddenly bumped it on the table.
With a thud, Li Zhi finally came to his senses. He looked at Hui and said, "Since you're sleepy, go to sleep."
Hui observed Li Zhi's expression and shook her head, saying, "I'll wait for Baozhu to come back too."
The sound of the night watchman could be heard in the distance; it was past the fourth watch.
Li Zhi didn't know when Baozhu would return, but he figured that if Baozhu came back and saw Hui still awake, she probably wouldn't be very happy.
He frowned slightly and said, "The child should be asleep by now."
Hui was most afraid of people with sullen faces, so upon seeing this, she quickly replied, "Then I'll go to sleep."
Li Zhi nodded and tentatively asked, "In that case, why don't we go to the bedroom?"
Hui waved her hand and said, "Didn't you say you would give me the study? I'll sleep here."
After saying that, the little demon obediently curled up into a ball, turned its back to Li Zhi, and lay down on the small bed in the study where it was used to rest.
After a while, Li Zhi noticed that his breathing was still very light, so he got up and went over to him, coughing once.
Hui immediately closed his eyes, and after a while, he fell asleep, his breathing becoming long and even.
Li Zhi sat back down, satisfied.
Now, Baozhu shouldn't be dissatisfied when she returns.
Li Zhi sat alone at the table and opened a new file.
As dawn broke, he finished reading the last book and finally heard a noise coming from the courtyard.
Baozhu, carrying a bag of biscuits, pushed open the front door and saw that the light was still on in the study. She exclaimed "Eh!" and turned around to go into the study, peeking inside.
Li Zhi also looked up at her.
Li Zhi, who had stayed up all night, had a bluish chin and red eyes.
Baozhu saw this and her heart softened. She quickly stepped forward to coax him, "I came back late, and you stayed up too late."
After saying that, she reached out and gently stroked Li Zhi's chin, sighing, "How did it grow so quickly? It's prickly."
Li Zhi did not answer this. He grasped Baozhu's hand and accused her, "What did you do last night? You didn't tell me right away."
Baozhu giggled and whispered a long string of words in his ear.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhi's eyes lit up, and he praised, "From now on, who won't respectfully call you King Baozhu?"
Baozhu was delighted by the praise, and proudly hugged Li Zhi's neck, gave him a loud kiss on the cheek, and laughed, "Of course."
After the kiss, Baozhu was still not satisfied. She turned around and sat on Li Zhi's lap, whining and asking him to massage her legs—she had run a lot last night and her legs hurt—and then pouted and asked Li Zhi to kiss her.
Li Zhi readily kissed Baozhu's lips, then looked up and gave Hui, who was stiff and motionless on the small bed, a warning look.
After much commotion, Li Zhi finally told Baozhu about his discovery from the previous night, and then asked her when she had arranged to meet Pei Xuanji.
Just as Baozhu was about to answer, she suddenly saw a paper crane appear before her. She reached out, took it, glanced at it, stopped smiling, and said to Li Zhi, "It's today."
Pei Xuanji chose a restaurant owned by the Pei family as the venue. Baozhu refused Li Zhi's request to accompany her and went to the appointment alone with Hui.
She hadn't slept a wink all night, yet she looked radiant. Pei Xuanji, who was waiting at the restaurant entrance, was also taken aback when he saw her.
“Baozhu, why does it look like…” Pei Xuanji murmured.
"How does it look?" Baozhu asked.
"No, let's go inside first."
After saying this, Pei Xuanji forced herself not to look at Hui, who was being led by Baozhu, and walked ahead to lead the way for them.
The three filed into a small courtyard in the backyard. Pei Xuanji waved away the servants who were waiting on the side, turned around and whispered to Baozhu, "My brother-in-law said he would come alone. Don't worry, I am very familiar with this place. If anything happens, I can take you away through the secret passage immediately."
Baozhu asked in surprise, "Your restaurant even has a secret passage?"
Pei Xuanji smiled but didn't offer any further explanation.
They waited for a while in the room in the courtyard. During this time, Baozhu told Pei Xuanji about Li Zhi's discovery the night before.
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuanji frowned and said angrily, "This person has truly committed numerous evils. If he is this vicious in the things that can be verified, then what about the things that no one knows about him? He must be even worse."
Baozhu sighed as well, "I have never seen such a wicked thing."
They were cursing Rong Qi together, completely unaware that he was Hui's biological father.
Hui heard these words and carefully hid himself behind Baozhu. His face burned with embarrassment, as if he were the one who had done these bad things. He wished he could shrink into a ball and hide in some crevice.
Pei Xuanji caught a glimpse of his expression out of the corner of her eye, and only then did she realize what was happening. Somewhat awkwardly, she gave Baozhu a meaningful look.
Baozhu glanced back and quickly shut her mouth.
The room fell silent for a moment.
After a while, just as Baozhu was about to start a conversation, she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.
The three people inside looked towards the door and saw Sun San, dressed in inconspicuous casual clothes, push the door open and enter.
Just as Pei Xuanji was about to say something, Sun San's gaze swept around the room and landed on Hui's face.
In that instant, the tall man's face turned pale.
Seeing this, Pei Xuanji knew she didn't need to say anything more, sighed inwardly, and lowered her eyes.
The other two people in the room seemed not to exist. Hui's teeth chattered, and she trembled under Sun San's gaze.
He understood perfectly well that this man wanted him dead immediately, but even so, Hui could not back down. He had once said that he was willing to die for his mother.
Sun San ignored Pei Xuanji and Baozhu, his eyes fixed on Hui with a sinister look, and walked towards him step by step.
He couldn't hear what Pei Xuanji said.
Baozhu also shouted something, but Sun San seemed not to hear her.
Sun San didn't come to his senses until Baozhu tightly grasped his outstretched hand towards Hui.
He looked at Baozhu with bloodshot eyes.
The most powerful man in the world gritted his teeth, his arm trembling in Baozhu's hand.
Baozhu, however, did not care at all.
She looked at Sun San and smiled slightly, "Don't you know who you want to hate?"
Sun San snapped out of his daze and said in a trembling voice, "I understand, but do you understand how difficult it is to kill him?"
At this time, Sun San had not yet developed such a strong sense of vigilance towards Rong Qi. He never imagined that he had done something foolish like letting a wolf into his house, harming his Xian Hui, and causing the woman he loved to suffer unbearable pain.
He only understands this now.
But now, does he have the ability to kill that person with a single blow?
Sun San was almost in despair. He felt endless regret. If he could, he would give his life to bring back the original Xianhui.
At this moment, it seems that the only thing he can use immediately is his own life.
Sun San clenched his fist so tightly that his fingernails pierced his palm, and blood dripped from his hand.
Baozhu did not flinch or avoid his gaze, but looked directly into his eyes.
She laughed and said, "I have an idea that can help you kill that man."
"I am a fox demon. I know many powerful demons who have been working hard so that our fellow demons can share this world with mortals. They searched desperately but could never find the way. War and trickery are not ways for demons to stand openly under the sun."
"But today, Mountain Lord, Granny Rat, I, and perhaps Golden Scale, want to make a deal with you. We monsters swear an oath to you, to risk our lives to kill Rong Qi for you, and in return, you will help us live openly and honestly in this world."
Baozhu stared at Sun San without moving for a moment. She raised her eyebrows and said softly, "Are you willing?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com