Chapter 192 It's alright, it will be alright.
The discomfort in her body did not stop Achan. The demonic energy continued to seep into her body, and the veins on the back of her hand gradually turned a strange blue color, slowly spreading up her upper arm.
The temperature on her arm gradually dropped, and the blood in her veins seemed to freeze, leaving her hand almost numb.
Just then, a warm breeze blew in. It might have been just an ordinary evening breeze, but it felt exceptionally warm on her cold arms.
But why is there wind in the room?
The thought flashed through her mind, and Achan's body paused slightly. She lowered her hand, slowly turned around, and saw the door that had been opened at some point, and Bai Xiuming standing expressionlessly outside the door.
This version of Bai Xiuming felt both familiar and strange to her. The way he looked at her when they first met was very similar to how he looked at her now.
The hidden secret was thus discovered, and Achan was much calmer than she had expected.
She sat there, watching Bai Xiuming step into the house, the door closing silently behind him.
She thought absentmindedly that perhaps at this moment, the room had been isolated, and Hui Niang probably wouldn't notice anything unusual.
Bai Xiuming stood in front of A Chan, looking down at the golden inner core that was still spinning.
After a long silence, he finally spoke: "The five internal core pills."
Achan's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't speak.
"You went to the wilderness just for this inner core?"
Bai Xiuming was smart enough that he didn't need to ask A Chan for confirmation; he had already guessed the origin of the inner core.
He almost forgot that his father had taken Achan's body, claiming it was the offspring of an old friend. And among his father's old friends happened to be a fox demon of the fifth realm, whom he had recently visited to pay his respects.
All the events that had transpired in the wilderness flashed before his eyes: her unusual behavior when he went to worship Xijing, and the high priest's special favor towards her—now all had their answers.
"No, I originally went there just to look for traces of my parents. I never thought they were gone." Now that things had come to this, there was no point in hiding it, and Achan appeared remarkably calm.
However, when she mentioned her parents, her voice choked up slightly.
Bai Xiuming's heart skipped a beat, but he forcefully suppressed the emotion.
"It was the high priest who gave you the inner core."
Achan nodded: "Yes."
"What do you want to use it for?"
Achan turned her head away, avoiding his piercing gaze.
Bai Xiuming pinched her delicate chin, forcefully turning her face back and asking, word by word, "Tell me, what do you want to use it for?"
Achan was forced to look up at him. His eyes were dark and deep, like an abyss that could swallow people up. They seemed calm and still, but underneath they concealed mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
He's angry, very angry.
Achan's heart was pounding. Her body told her that the person in front of her was dangerous, but her mind didn't want to leave him and even wanted to coax him.
She didn't do that; she simply answered his question calmly: "Didn't you see? I want to go back to how I was before."
Bai Xiuming gritted his teeth: "But you are a human now. Do you know the consequences of forcibly absorbing demonic energy into your body?"
"I know that if I succeed, I will transform from a human into a demon, and if I fail, I will die." He applied a bit too much force to his hand, and Achan frowned slightly.
Bai Xiuming lowered his hand, staring intently at A Chan, his Adam's apple bobbing: "And what happens after you become a demon?"
He said to Achan, "You know, there is only one fate for demons above the Three Realms who enter Shangjing, and that is death."
Achan knew that the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty was a forbidden area for the demon race.
"Of course, there can be exceptions, but if that means leaving a mark on you, are you willing?"
Achan didn't need to answer; this option was never within her consideration, and Bai Xiuming knew she couldn't possibly agree to it.
Her silence was the best answer.
Bai Xiuming bent his knees and knelt in front of her, looking her in the eye: "You don't want to marry me because you haven't thought about a future with me, right?"
His hand caressed Achan's cheek, his fingers slipping into her hair. With just a little pressure, Achan leaned towards him.
They were so close that she could almost hear Bai Xiuming's breathing.
"say!"
"I hadn't thought about it."
This answer did not surprise Bai Xiuming, but hearing it from Achan's mouth successfully ignited his anger.
"What am I to you, just a pastime?"
Achan grabbed his wrist and whispered, "No."
He was the only person she had ever fallen for, and the person who would make her unconsciously happy every time she thought of him.
Bai Xiuming laughed angrily: "No. It's just that there's no place for me in your future."
If I hadn't discovered it, were you never going to tell me, and instead just disappear from my life someday?
Ah Chan hadn't actually thought about this step yet, but if she really got there, perhaps she would make this choice.
Bai Xiuming already knew the answer just by looking at her subtle changes in expression.
"Achan, do you have a heart?"
Amidst such questioning, Achan only uttered three words: "I'm sorry."
I don't want to hear "I'm sorry".
But if he wanted to hear it, Achan couldn't tell him.
Both remained silent, and Bai Xiuming never received the answer he wanted.
He closed his eyes briefly, then tightened his grip on the back of Achan's head, bringing their lips together. He held her down, preventing her from pulling away, forcing her to open her teeth and bit and grind against her.
Achan felt the pain, but she kept her eyes closed and endured his outburst until Bai Xiuming stopped on his own.
He cupped her face in his hands, their foreheads touching, and they breathed heavily.
Achan's breath tasted of rust; their blood had mingled together.
"Achan," Bai Xiuming's voice was hoarse and trembling, "please comfort me."
He would accept it even if she lied to him, as long as she spoke.
Achan was very good at coaxing him. In the past, even before he realized he liked her, he couldn't resist her.
But this time, she refused silently.
On her porcelain-white face, there was neither joy nor sorrow. She simply looked at him, offering neither explanation nor pleading. She made it clear to him that he would not be among her choices.
"Is there absolutely no possibility?" he still wouldn't give up.
"……No."
"You're really ruthless." He fed her those words, and then they touched her lips.
Bai Xiuming stood up, stared intently at A Chan, and then turned away.
Before leaving, he whispered, "Bai Zhanhuang recognized you. Be careful."
After saying that, he strode away without the slightest hesitation.
The door opened and then closed, leaving Ah Chan alone in the room.
Achan looked at the closed door. Bai Xiuming asked her if she had thought about the future. She had actually thought about it.
In the stillness of the night, she thought about it over and over again. But on the other side of the scale stood her father and mother. She had searched for them for so long, and her longing for them had already seeped into her very bones. She couldn't let go and choose Bai Xiuming.
Therefore, there's no need to let him know.
That night, Achan didn't sleep a wink. She sat curled up on the bed, feeling very cold.
Even though she had already made her choice and wouldn't look back, just thinking about Bai Xiuming made her feel like she couldn't breathe, her heart ached, and tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.
She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't control herself.
The next morning, at the usual time when Achan got up, Chen Hui still didn't hear any movement from the room, so she went up and knocked on the door.
"Achan, are you awake?"
"I'm here." Achan's voice came from inside, her voice so hoarse it was unnatural. Chen Hui was startled and pushed the door open.
She walked into the room and immediately saw Achan sitting on the bed with her eyes red and swollen.
"What's wrong?" Chen Hui walked quickly to the bedside, her voice filled with concern.
Achan looked up at Chen Hui, sniffed, and said, "Bai Xiuming knows."
"Know what..." Chen Hui paused, then realized something and asked, "He knows your identity?"
"Hmm." Achan nodded slowly.
No matter what, Chen Hui always favored A Chan. She said, "So what if he knows? If he can't accept it, it just means you two were never meant to be."
Achan rested her chin on her knees and said in a muffled voice, "He accepted."
In fact, she discovered that her true identity did not surprise Bai Xiuming. What he cared about from the beginning was something else entirely.
He specifically mentioned Bai Zhanhuang before leaving, suggesting that the two had likely clashed before she knew it.
This time, it was Chen Hui's turn to be confused: "What's wrong with you?"
“Last night he saw me absorbing the demonic energy from my inner core, and he knows I want to turn back into a demon.”
Chen Hui's eyes were initially blank, then they became clear.
Achan turning back into a demon has no impact on her whatsoever. If they can't stay in the capital, they can go anywhere else.
But Bai Xiuming probably couldn't make such a decision.
A living person always has various ties and responsibilities. Bai Xiuming's identity meant that he could not abandon everything and leave with Achan.
Therefore, the day Achan decided to leave was the day he was abandoned.
Knowing these things in advance will only cause the conflict to erupt sooner, and will not solve the problem.
Achan has her own choices, and the other party has their own principles; there's no solution to this.
Chen Hui sighed. In her eyes, Bai Xiuming had many flaws, but he was good enough to A Chan.
But emotions are never everything in life.
Unable to judge who was right and who was wrong, she could only gently pat Achan's back and say to her, "How about I cook you a bowl of chicken soup wontons? Eat it and then take a nap. Think about these things again when you wake up."
"Okay." Achan nodded obediently.
Our first argument was so damaging. It wasn't really an argument, but it truly hurt my body and my heart.
Several days passed, and Bai Xiuming never appeared again. Achan seemed to have begun to accept this ending, but she still couldn't muster any enthusiasm.
Fortunately, thanks to Chen Hui's care, she was not injured.
Meanwhile, after missing three consecutive morning court sessions, the Ming King appeared at Bai Xiuming's residence.
He searched the entire mansion and finally found the person on the waterside pavilion.
Bai Xiuming sat cross-legged on one leg, leaning against a corner pillar of the waterside pavilion. He rested his arm on his leg and held a wine pot in his hand.
On the ground beside him, there were many empty wine jars piled up haphazardly.
Upon seeing the King of Light appear, he merely tilted his head back and called out, "Father."
Seeing his dejected appearance, the King of Ming did not reprimand him, but simply asked, "What happened?"
Bai Xiuming closed his eyes and whispered, "It's alright, it will be fine."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
