Chapter 38
I hadn't intended to continue lying to him about the dream, but it was like someone offering food to a hungry person. The opportunity was right in front of me, so why shouldn't I use it to test him?
While still pondering how to play the fork, Chu Yingyu changed his usual indifference and politely invited him, "Come in and sit down."
"Okay, but as a friend, can I meet Xiao E? You've kept her body in an ice coffin, so a meeting is fine, right?"
“…”
Seeing his hesitation, I said sternly, "Forget it. Do you know why Xiao'e didn't show you in your dreams?"
"I killed her. I don't ask for forgiveness, but I did dream about her."
I was startled and asked, "You dreamed about her? What did you dream about?"
"She came to me to avenge her life, saying she was in so much pain."
“…”
Don't stigmatize me! This must be a nightmare! Could it be that in my dream I was chasing you with my head in my arms?
It seemed Chu Yingyu cherished this nightmare very much. His eyes were filled with tenderness as he said wistfully, "If only you could come back to life and kill me."
Why is your mind full of killing?
Suddenly I realized a problem. Although I had been following the soul during that period, I had never talked to him and had no idea what he was thinking!
I followed the young man into the yard. This time he had set up tables and chairs under the tree in the front yard. I could enjoy the breeze, drink tea and the scenery in the shade. It was quite comfortable.
This time, Chu Yingyu brought some cakes. He must have bought some because a peddler had come in to sell his wares. The cakes in Taohua Village were still different from those outside.
Seeing me take a few pieces to eat, he raised his eyelids and said lightly, "Xiao E likes it too."
"Then I'll eat a few more pieces for her." I said shamelessly and took another one and stuffed it into my mouth.
Chu Yingyu gave me food and drink not to try to make friends with me, but to hear if I had any dreams.
After eating, I also thought of some words to fool him.
"I did dream about her again, and she told me some things."
"What did you say?"
“She asked me, ‘Does your body still hurt?’
“…”
I really didn't expect that just two sentences would make Chu Yingyu break down. His face changed and his eyes became a little red. He probably didn't want to cry in front of outsiders, so he turned his back and restrained himself for a long time.
Like a good kid being questioned by his teacher, he put his legs together, placed his hands on the table, and replied, "My body doesn't hurt anymore, but my heart hurts."
Me: “What does that mean?”
Chu Yingyu covered his heart and said, "It's not like the pain from being injured, but rather a dull pain."
I slammed the table and said, "I understand. It's heartache!"
In the past, the body pain was caused by poisoning, but now the heart pain is probably caused by sadness, and the physical pain has shifted to the psychological side.
“Is this what heartache is?”
"yes."
"Zhang Shan, are you like this too?"
"Everyone in love will feel this way. It's normal. Have you never experienced this before?"
"noob……"
That’s it, both pets and partners are gone, and I’m destined to be alone.
He said something like "Xiaobai" and stopped talking without caring whether Zhang Shan understood him or not. I saw that he showed no signs of going crazy or collapsing, so I continued to guide him.
"Brother Chu, you said you were happily married to Xiao'e, so why did you suddenly kill her? Xiao'e said in her dream that you were possessed by a Gu. Is that true?"
"Whether she's poisoned or not, I'll kill her."
"Then tell me, what was going through your mind when you were holding the sword?"
Chu Yingyu's eyes wandered, and he was a little panicked. He was recalling the details of their wedding night. Just like when he was asked to recall the process of killing Xiaobai, he also appeared very unstable this time.
His brows were furrowed, beads of sweat appeared on his face, and it seemed difficult for him to recall the scene at that time.
I don’t know much about Xiaobai’s murder, but I remember all the details of my murder!
"Brother Chu, think about it. The moon was beautiful that night, and Xiao'e was very happy to marry you. You two went through the ceremony, and she was waiting for you to lift your veil. And then you took the sword. Does that make any impression?"
Chu Yingyu stood up with a headache and hit the tree with his fists, as if he was resisting some obstacle.
I pretended to be calm and watched him struggling. I didn't hold him in my arms like I used to, but just watched him as a bystander.
Sometimes, you still have to rely on your own efforts. Even if the food is placed in front of your mouth, you still have to open your mouth and eat and chew it.
Force yourself to stay calm, don't empathize with his discomfort, and don't let him draw his own conclusions.
I hugged him in the same way at the beginning, believing that the two of us could overcome reality, but in the end we lost.
Perhaps because of thinking about what happened that night, Chu Yingyu's mind was disturbed again. He began to feel pain in his body. He knelt down beside the tree, holding his chest, gasping for breath with a dark face.
It was clearly a sign of the poison taking effect. I quickly stood up and walked over to him and asked, "Are you okay?"
I immediately remembered one thing. The Medicine King’s closed disciples were all here. Why didn’t I think of asking Chu Yingyu to go and see him before?
"Chu Yingyu! Let's go find Wu Yunran for treatment!"
He shook off my support in pain, and I was pushed to the ground, staring at him in a daze as he struggled on his own.
Are you afraid to see a doctor because of your illness?
I got up from the ground, grasped the boy's strong arms, and shouted desperately: "Go get treated! I will tell you everything about Xiao'e. If you cooperate and get cured, maybe you can see Xiao'e again!"
"You're lying. Xiao'e is dead. I slit her throat."
"Don't you remember what happened that night? You're poisoned and your mind is clouded, so you think killing the person you love will protect her and bring you eternal peace of mind!"
"What do you know!"
Chu Yingyu roared at me, his forehead brimming with rage, but he didn't attack me. His entire body was trembling, and just as he reached out his right hand towards me, it was suddenly pinned down by his left.
It's like fighting for control with myself.
"roll!"
"Okay!"
In the past, I would have yelled, "I won't leave," and then rushed over for a hug. But now, I was using Zhang Shan's severely injured body, so I still had to protect myself, so I simply made a quick move and left.
It looked like I'd left Chu Yingyu alone in the front yard, but in reality, I hadn't left. I'd simply taken a detour to the backyard. He was in so much pain that he couldn't focus on his surroundings.
I climbed over the fence and groped my way into the kitchen in the backyard. I picked up a thick firewood stick and waved it in the air a few times. It made a whistling sound and felt great in my hand.
At this moment I was very calm, appeared behind Chu Yingyu again, and shouted.
"Xiao'e's body was stolen!"
Poor Chu Yingyu was about to react when I ruthlessly knocked him unconscious with a stick.
The first killer ended up with a stick.
When Xiao Ruoyin came to find me, she saw me sitting cross-legged next to the unconscious boy, eating cakes and drinking tea, looking as leisurely as if I were about to murder my husband.
After making sure I wasn't injured, Xiao Ruoyin sneered again, "I saw you hadn't returned after such a long time, and I thought you had run away with him. So you came here to kill him?"
"Even after I knocked you unconscious, I knew you would come looking for me. Carry Chu Yingyu and we'll take him to Wu Yunran for treatment."
"Do you think Wu Yunran can cure his poison? Is it possible that he himself is mentally ill?"
"His thoughts and the poison complement each other. Stop talking nonsense and act quickly."
Xiao Ruoyin tutted in dissatisfaction, carried the man on his back, and complained, "You are so calculating, how come you were killed before?"
"I thought I was the heroine, that I could conquer everything with love, but it turns out I was overthinking it."
"I don't understand."
"It's okay if you don't understand. Anyway, I will return your heroine to you intact."
“…”
Wu Yunran was surprised when he saw Chu Yingyu lying on the bamboo couch. I moved a stool and sat beside him, saying, "He's been poisoned by Qu Yesi for a long time. I'd like to trouble you, Senior Wu, to take a look."
"I'm just curious, how did you knock him down?" Wu Yunran turned his gaze to Xiao Ruoyin.
Xiao Ruoyin didn't know how to explain and looked at me again.
"He was already under the spell of the Gu poison, and I lied to him and said his wife's body had been stolen. He became overly concerned, so I hit him with a stick."
"I can see that you used a lot of force. There's a big bump on the back of your head." Wu Yunran looked at the round head and pointed at a swollen area.
He can even wipe my neck, so what if I give him a big bag of love!
What followed was that Wu Yunran treated Chu Yingyu. I told him that I would take responsibility if anything happened, so he could focus on treating the disease.
During this period, Chu Yingyu also lost half a bowl of blood. I helped him and treated his wound with gauze and medicine powder.
"Miss Zhang, you're not feeling well yourself, so there's no need to stay by his side like this. Even though I look lazy, I'm still a doctor after all, and I'll treat him well."
At night, Wu Yunran saw that I was still guarding here, so he came over to me and tried to persuade me.
There was obviously gossip in the handsome uncle's eyes. I was guarding Chu Yingyu here like this, so what kind of loser was Xiao Ruoyin who was particularly nervous about me?
After thinking about it, I felt that I didn’t need to be too anxious, so I listened to Wu Yunran and went back to my room obediently.
"Are you willing to come back?"
"ah!"
I was startled and shuddered. Seeing Xiao Ruoyin standing by the door, I rolled my eyes and said, "Why don't you go to bed so late? Are you just sitting there waiting for something to happen?"
"I generously let you use Zhang Shan's body to guard him for a whole day, and you still have this attitude?"
"Zhang Shan isn't as stingy as you. She definitely won't mind."
Xiao Ruoyin and I glared at each other at the door. Finally, he gave in and I also took a step back.
"I won't let anything happen to Zhang Shan's body. You should get some rest early. Thank you for helping me carry Chu Yingyu back today."
Tsundere didn't argue with him, but instead felt uncomfortable. She simply put aside her prejudice and said to me, "I'm not stopping you from being nice to him, but Chu Yingyu's situation is unclear at the moment. It's not a good thing for you to rashly reveal your identity."
"I'm still hesitant and haven't mentioned this matter yet. What's going on with the Xuanyin Sect?"
"We've already contacted the confidants within the sect, and none of the three guardians dared to start a fight. The second guardian, Zhao Yuan, is willing to support us. He's a kind and modest man, and can be trusted."
"Xiao Ruoyin, I have a question for you."
"What?"
"How did you and Zhang Shan become senior and junior sisters? I'm just curious. It's okay if you don't want to tell me."
Xiao Ruoyin was quite open-minded and simply said, "It's a matter of reciprocity. You said yours, and I should say mine. You know the Dragon Scale Sword, right? It was you who pulled it out and gave it to Chu Yingyu."
Me: “…Uh, yes.”
"The Dragon Scale Sword is a divine sword guarded by the Xiao family for generations, and it is for this reason that our family became famous. Three hundred years ago, a strange phenomenon appeared in the heavens and the earth: a phoenix descended from the sky, and a dragon emerged from the deep sea. The ancestors of the Xiao family obtained the dragon's scales and forged the peerless Dragon Scale Sword, while the Phoenix Feather Cloak became the property of the Xuanyin Cult."
"Originally, we each guarded the dragon and phoenix treasures and lived in peace. But greed took over, and when I was still young, Ouyang Qingjun wiped out my entire Xiao family, killing a total of 103 people."
"I was found hiding in the cellar. Zhang Shan and my master saved my life. Ouyang Qingjun spared my life because he needed me to find the Dragon Scale Sword. I joined the Xuanyin Sect out of revenge."
The past that was being recounted was also bloody. It sounded much more miserable than Chu Yingyu's, but it was indeed similar to the cause and effect I had imagined in my mind.
Xiao Ruoyin then said that Zhang Shan’s father was the former protector and had great hopes of becoming the leader, but he was framed by Ouyang Qingjun, which led to his sudden death.
Zhang Shan was still young at that time and didn't know that her father died at the hands of Ouyang Qingjun. Fortunately, she didn't know, so she was spared.
Ouyang Qingjun appointed his confidant Jiang Huang to be Zhang Shan's master in order to control her.
Later, after years of getting along, Xiao Ruoyin gradually developed a deep affection for his master and sister who took care of him. As his master, Jiang Huang also felt sympathy and told the truth about Zhang Shan's father's sudden death before he died.
After sorting out the cause and effect, I looked at Xiao Ruoyin in front of me and sighed, "So you two are the orthodox male and female protagonists of martial arts dramas!"
Xiao Ruoyin: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Nothing, now that you have avenged your great hatred, you will soon regain the position of leader. Good days are not far away!"
"I don't want the position of leader. I don't even care about the Dragon Scale Sword. I just want Zhang Shan to come back."
"I will! Go to bed early, bro!"
Hearing about the hero's miserable past and offering comfort and so on is Zhang Shan's job. I'm not going to mess around anymore and just go to bed. I'm still waiting for the diagnosis and treatment results tomorrow.
The next day.
I was about to go find Wu Yunran to ask something early in the morning, when suddenly, a black shadow flashed before my eyes, and I was covered with my mouth and nose and dragged into a corner.
Can you still be attacked in the clinic?
When I saw the other person clearly, I couldn't help but widen my eyes. It was Chu Yingyu who had woken up.
"Where's Xiao'e's body?"
"Wuwuwu!" You covered my mouth, how can I explain!
I finally managed to break free, but he grabbed my neck again. I slapped his hands and said, "It hurts so much! Please let me go! My body is still here! I was lying when I said I was gone!"
The force that was strangling his neck suddenly loosened, and Chu Yingyu turned around to leave. He didn't mind being hit by a sneak attack with a club by me, now he just wanted to go back and check on my body.
"I have something to ask you! Yesterday you suddenly told me to get lost, without even having time to talk about anything. Why didn't you go back to Yae Palace?"
"I will go."
"Take Xiao'e's body with you?"
"No."
At this point, Chu Yingyu turned around and said, "Xiao E wants to ask you to take care of her."
"You just choked me, and now you want me to take care of Xiao E. You're dreaming." I pointed at someone unhappily.
"I was wrong."
“…”
"I'll be back in half a month at most."
Suddenly I noticed something was wrong with him. "What are you going to do?" I asked in a low voice, grabbing his sleeve.
Chu Yingyu looked down at my little action in a daze, and then stared at me straight.
I immediately realized that I often pulled his sleeves when I was alive, and there were too many overlapping small behaviors, so he naturally felt it was subtle.
I stiffly let go of my hand and took a step back. Chu Yingyu walked forward relentlessly, looking straight at me, "Why do you care about this?"
"Because, because I want to regain the position of leader of the Xuanyin Sect, I also want to ask for your help. You can even kill Ouyang Qingjun, so taking you with me can intimidate the opposition to a certain extent."
"Okay, I'm back to help you."
So easy to talk to?
I was shocked. Seeing that he was about to leave again, I didn't care about anything else and grabbed the corner of his clothes, "Chu Yingyu! What do you want to do? Tell me!"
"Withdraw from the Eightfold Palace and fight a decisive battle with Palace Master Qu Yesi."
“…”
Before I could recover from my shock, Chu Yingyu gently pressed my shoulder and asked in confusion.
"Now it's my turn to ask. Can you tell me why you're becoming more and more like Xiao'e? Are you imitating her? Whether it's your words, actions, or your expression and attitude, I almost think she's right next to me."
So, it is still difficult to hide things between close people.
Ignoring his slightly painful expression with difficulty, I continued to control the direction of the conversation, hoping to get more out of him.
"I will answer you, but you have to answer my question first."
"you say."
"Why do you suddenly want to quit the Eightfold Palace and bother the Palace Master? You've already eliminated your weaknesses and can return to the top. Why bother leaving the organization after losing Xiao'e? You're stuck in a dead end now. The smarter choice is to take advantage of the situation and return to the top of the Eightfold Palace."
I really wanted Chu Yingyu to leave Bajong Palace. He never mentioned giving up the organization before we got married. I didn't expect that he would figure it out at this critical moment.
After all, he is very proud of his skills, and believes that only by being number one can he avoid being hurt and control the weak.
The boy raised his hands, stared at his palms, and spoke each word in a soft but affirmative voice.
"I should have used these hands to protect Xiao'e. She trusted me so deeply, but I failed her. Because of the poison, I can't remember the details of killing either Xiaobai or Xiao'e. I just think that eliminating important people will make things easier for myself."
"Are you relaxed and happy now?"
Chu Yingyu shook his head.
"Without her, nothing is meaningful. Leaving the Eightfold Palace was Xiao'e's last wish before her death, and I want to fulfill this regret. And challenging the Palace Master is to atone for my sins. I lost to the poison, it's my own fault."
"Are you going to kill Qu Yesi?"
"No, he also raised me. I can't kill him. But I want to atone for my sins for the rest of my life."
I didn't expect that Chu Yingyu would become so clear-headed after being hit by me. His previous chaotic state also disappeared, and it was obvious that he had a goal.
Maybe Wu Yunran’s treatment of him yesterday was effective?
Overjoyed, I immediately said, "Don't seek revenge! Just leave Yajō Palace. Revenge isn't important!"
"It doesn't matter how, you are not her."
"I'm Xiao'e! I'm Qin Xiao'e! I'm telling you in person, it doesn't matter!"
“…”
Yes, our acquaintance was so hasty and untimely, but I do feel that he has grown up.
Revenge is not important, I just want him to live a good life, be a free young man, and go wherever he wants!
"Laifu! You gave our black dog to Aunt Ding, and I haven't even come close to settling the score with you yet! I celebrated your 18th birthday with the birthday song and the duet dance. We planned to get married in the summer, and you even gave me a phoenix bracelet! The vegetables in the backyard are growing, and that swing is so fun. We have so many memories!"
I said this excitedly, but afraid that he wouldn't believe me, I started to hum the birthday song quietly and made the starting moves of a duet dance towards him.
"You did kill me, but my soul couldn't leave. It stayed with you for a long time before it found Zhang Shan's dying body and possessed her. That's why you think Zhang Shan's words and actions are like me!"
After my explanation, his expression changed from numb and indifferent to lively, and the shock and cautiousness were intertwined with each other, giving rise to emotions such as anticipation, fear, and panic.
His voice was low and hoarse, almost choked, and he struggled to make a trembling sound in his throat.
"Are you really Xiao'e?"
"Yes, wait! You can't hug me, this body belongs to Zhang Shan! Be quiet!"
“…”
The young man, whose emotions were fluctuating greatly, stopped just one step away from me. His outstretched hands fell awkwardly at his sides. The light in Chu Yingyu's eyes flickered, and his ecstatic look looked silly.
Their reactions were opposite to Xiao Ruoyin's when he knew the truth. One became cold, and the other became enthusiastic.
He pinched his face, perhaps not feeling the pain, and began to try to bite the back of his hand. I punched him.
"It's true! It's not a dream! The reason I'm telling you now is because I'm afraid you'll lose control and go crazy again and kill me, and then my plan will fail."
Chu Yingyu's face froze, and he was even more afraid to approach me.
"No, I won't hurt you again."
"Words are not enough. Who said he would be nice to me, but then he cut my neck?"
“…”
He was so glared at by me that he dared not say a word. After a moment, he glanced at me and asked, "What are your plans?"
"To free you from the poison and gain your freedom. I wasn't sure if you would leave the Eightfold Palace, but now we both have the same idea."
"I almost died twice when I heard your voice. Were you by my side then?"
"Wow, did you really hear me calling you? I was indeed here. Whether you were fighting Ouyang Qingjun or being harassed by two Jianghu people, I was there. I also saw you being beaten to a pulp..."
Because I was watching him behave in such an ugly way throughout the whole process, Chu Yingyu looked a little embarrassed. After all, he was a young man and didn't want to show his embarrassing side.
"You, you're half dead. A real man should be brave and responsible, just like Chongying said. Either protect your woman like Yun Wuyou, or kill her and forget about it! You can't be stuck in the middle."
"You also think Yun Wuyou is better."
"He is indeed more mature and far-sighted in his treatment of his daughter-in-law."
“…”
He was almost unable to hold his head up in front of me. But educating him was not a matter of urgency; there were more important things at hand.
The reason why I am willing to recognize you now is because Chu Yingyu has changed his mind. He wants to seek freedom and leave the Eightfold Palace.
Self-help is always the most effective.
He clearly wanted to touch me, but he endured it. Chu Yingyu pointed at me.
"Xiao'e, can you return to your body?"
“I don’t know.”
“…”
"Why are you looking so aggrieved? You were the one who killed me, and I just wanted to live happily ever after with you. You've already wasted your chance!"
I scolded him again, but Chu Yingyu didn't care. A look of joy flashed across his face as he simply said, "It doesn't matter if I use this body, as long as it's you."
Your idea is a bit dangerous!
"It's a big deal, okay? You still want to steal someone else's wife? This is Zhang Shan's body. I borrowed it and I have to return it."
"Now that you've returned your body, where are you going?"
"It would be best if I could return to my body. My body is well preserved, so there must be a way to bring it back to life, right?" In fact, I said this to comfort him.
When I was a spirit, I could see a circle of light. After setting him free, my plan was to touch that light and leave this world and go home.
Chu Yingyu, who had no idea of my inner thoughts, was like a child who had been lost and found again. He looked at me expectantly and said seriously, "I will definitely find a way to bring you back to life."
"So, let's go find Wu Yunran to treat the disease first, okay? For example, the poison in your body?"
"good."
"After you've been treated, leave the Eightfold Palace. To prevent the Palace Master from causing you trouble, I'll announce that you'll join the Xuanyin Sect and become its guardian."
"good."
Now whatever I say, Chu Yingyu’s answer is always “good for you”, and I even doubt whether he listens to me at all.
"Why are you two here?"
Suddenly, Xiao Ruoyin's anxious voice rang out, and I was so frightened that I immediately defended myself: "I didn't use your senior sister's body to accuse you."
Xiao Ruoyin glanced at the two of us and simply said, "A lot of people from the Eightfold Palace have arrived!"
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