Chapter 113 Wu Tianzi's Mixed Blood and Jie Shuang's Feelings
Yu Cang did not accept Jiang Ya's duel request.
Not to mention that there is no suitable venue for a duel here, as the object of "fighting", Gu Jieshuang cannot just stand by and watch Jiang Ya make trouble.
She first gave Yu Cang an apologetic look, then pulled Jiang Ya into a small alley. No sound came from inside. When they returned, Yu Cang saw Jiang Ya standing behind Gu Jieshuang, tears in her eyes, looking extremely aggrieved.
But it also quieted down.
After Lin Yunqing came back, Gu Jieshuang brought everyone to her home.
This is a two-story bungalow with a small courtyard. Yu Cang followed Gu Jieshuang and pushed the door open. As soon as he entered the house, he suddenly felt cold all over.
The temperature inside is much lower than outside.
Yu Cang and the others were fine, since they were soul card masters after all, but Qi'er, who had a weaker endurance, shuddered on the spot and hugged himself.
Yu Cang was a little confused.
The air conditioner is a bit too high.
"Jie Shuang, you're back."
A gentle female voice came from upstairs, and then a middle-aged woman slowly walked down from upstairs.
She was wearing very plain clothes, and her face had few wrinkles, but they were all very deep. Although she looked young, her hair was already full of silver.
The woman's face was pale, and she seemed to be in poor health.
"Mom! Let me introduce you." Gu Jieshuang came to Gu Zhihan, "This is Jiang Ya, the one I told you about coming back with me..."
"Hello, Auntie! I..." Jiang Ya became a little more energetic and was about to show off her attitude when Gu Jieshuang interrupted her mercilessly.
"This one! He's my boss... and of course, he's also my senior now."
"You are Yu Cang." Gu Zhihan smiled. "I've heard Jie Shuang mention you many times. Please take care of this child."
"Hello, Auntie." Yu Cang smiled, "I didn't do anything."
"And this one, Yu Qier, is the boss's sister. The last one is Lin Yunqing, my classmate... The boss came here with the army because he's busy with a major military overhaul. I asked Mom to help arrange accommodations for him..."
Hearing this, Gu Zhihan's eyes seemed to brighten, and there was a bit more appreciation in his eyes when he looked at Yu Cang.
She said, "Welcome...Everyone, just treat it like you're at home and sit wherever you want. Jie Shuang, go play with your friends first. I'll go prepare lunch."
After saying that, she smiled and turned to go upstairs.
I don’t know if it was an illusion, but after she went upstairs, the temperature in the air suddenly became much normal.
"Wait a moment, I'll go turn on the air conditioner." Gu Jieshuang led everyone to the living room and then turned to go to another room.
Yu Cang raised his brows.
No air conditioning? Why is it so cold? Could it be...
Yu Cang tried to extract the entry for this house, and to his surprise, a countdown of six hours appeared on it.
After hesitating for a moment, Yu Cang canceled the withdrawal.
After all, he would follow the army into the alien space in the afternoon, which was a rare opportunity, so he planned to retrieve it then.
As for this place, let’s talk about it after we come out of the alien space.
Nothing noteworthy happened in the following time. After everyone had lunch and was assigned to their rooms, they began to wait for the military camp to depart in the afternoon.
At this time, Gu Jieshuang suddenly found Yu Cang.
"Boss." Gu Jieshuang poked her head out of the door. "Want to go out for a walk? I'll take you around the neighborhood."
Before Yu Cang could react, Qi'er hugged his arm and looked at him with pleading eyes: "Brother, let's go out for a walk... It's so boring here."
"Well... okay." Yu Cang smiled.
There are many sycamore trees planted on both sides of the road in Wuling Village. As autumn approaches, the leaves on the trees have begun to turn yellow. It happened that there was a heavy rain a few days ago, and countless leaves fell to the ground, changing the color of the ground.
Qi'er was still holding their hands, staring at the road with his big eyes without blinking, as if he was deliberately choosing a complete sycamore leaf to step on.
Of course, apart from this, Qi'er's attention has always been focused on the conversation between Yu Cang and Gu Jieshuang, eavesdropping silently.
"Come to think of it," Yu Cang said, "there are still a few days until the Fire Festival. Where do you get the vacation time?"
"I came back early because by the Fire Festival, there were too many people and the roads were hard to walk on." Gu Jieshuang massaged Qi'er's hands as they walked. "Since there were no classes anymore and the boss was away, school was a bit boring, so I went home early."
"Hmm... I didn't expect that I would still run into you after traveling so far with the army."
"I'm surprised too." Gu Jieshuang raised her head, looked at Yu Cang's profile, and chuckled a few times, "Boss, I haven't told you about my family yet, right?"
"Indeed not. Tell me about it?"
"Actually, I'm from quite a prominent background! Boss, don't be scared by me." Gu Jieshuang put her hands on her hips, looking very proud. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
Step, step...
After passing through a small alley covered with fallen sycamore leaves and turning a corner, the view in front of him suddenly opened up, and an ancient temple with mottled walls came into Yu Cang's sight.
An old man wearing a straw raincoat was sweeping the dew-soaked fallen leaves on the stone steps. An ancient fragrance wafted through the air, making Yu Cang feel a lot calmer.
He raised his head and looked at the plaque under the eaves.
"Temple of Emperor Wu?"
"yes."
Gu Jieshuang led the two of them into the temple, and Qi'er pouted.
All the leaves here have been swept away, so she has nothing to step on!
If there are no leaves to step on, you will die... Fortunately, you still have a lot of lives, um... Let's pause for now.
As he entered the temple, a tall statue came into view. Yu Cang was very familiar with this statue, having seen it countless times in history textbooks. It was the legendary Emperor Wu who had led a three thousand mile expedition with a sword more than two thousand years ago.
Considering what Gu Jieshuang had said before, Yu Cang raised his eyebrows, as if he had guessed something, and said, "You're not going to say that you're a descendant of Emperor Wu, are you?"
"Uh... that's not the case." Gu Jieshuang scratched the side of his face with his fingers. "But it is also related to Emperor Wu. Boss, have you heard of the Xuanhuang Guard?"
"Well, I heard they were Emperor Wu's personal soldiers. Although they were called personal soldiers, Emperor Wu used them as an expeditionary force. Since their establishment, the Xuanhuang Guard has been engaged in external wars, almost without stopping."
"That's right." Gu Jieshuang nodded and looked at Wu Tianzi standing on the altar. "My ancestor was a general of the Xuanhuang Guard."
"Really?" Yu Cang looked at Gu Jieshuang. "I heard that in order to drive the wild beasts out of the Wu Dynasty, the Xuanhuang Guards fought everywhere. The average length of service in the team is less than a year... Jieshuang, you can be considered the descendant of a hero."
"Well... Growing up, my mother and the elders have always told me that I'm a descendant of the Xuanhuang Guard and must not let their name down." Gu Jieshuang smiled, but her tone gradually became more complicated. "But... now, the name of the Xuanhuang Guard has long since become a string of words in history books. Even for us, it's more of a shackle than an honor."
"……What's the meaning?"
"You might not know this." Gu Jieshuang sighed softly, "Every member of the Xuanhuang Guard was personally selected by Emperor Wu, and Emperor Wu had only one standard - that was human-animal hybrid!"
"Half-blood?"
"Yes... Long ago, spirit beasts were the masters of this world. They were powerful and free, roaming freely between heaven and earth. Humans, however, could only hide in corners, seeking survival under the wings of certain spirit beasts, until the wild beasts appeared in this world.
"After the Ancestral Dragon Emperor opened up the Land of the True Dragon's Death, the Martial Emperor emerged. He wanted to drive all the wild beasts out of this land, but he couldn't do it with just his own myth. So he thought, although the spirit beasts are powerful, they can be infected by the wild beasts, while humans don't have this concern. So, if he just formed an army of human-beast hybrids, wouldn't he be invincible?
"So, Emperor Wu summoned all the mixed-bloods in the world to form the Xuanhuang Guard. After the expedition began, the Xuanhuang Guard suffered heavy losses, so Emperor Wu issued an order encouraging intermarriage with spirit beasts. After all, at that time, the surviving spirit beasts could only rely on us for survival and had no way to resist Emperor Wu's orders." Gu Jieshuang turned her head and looked at Yu Cang with a smile. "I am also... a human-animal hybrid."
Yu Cang was silent and didn't say anything.
He had guessed this a long time ago.
After all, his first legendary entry [Bloodline: Frost Wings] was obtained from Gu Jieshuang.
But at that time, he didn't know what it meant.
"It sounds like Wu Tianzi's approach was very successful." Yu Cang hesitated, "But... from what you said, this human-beast hybrid's physique is... not good for you now?"
"It's not that bad." Gu Jieshuang turned and came in front of Yu Cang. "Being human-beast hybrid will make our meditation speed very fast, and as long as we choose the right deck, our combat power will be much higher than that of our peers. But the price is - our lifespan will be very short. I have no complaints about this. There are pros and cons. I have enjoyed the benefits, so I have to pay the price."
"Lifespan..." Yu Cang's eyes moved slightly, as if he realized something.
In Wuling Village...it seems that no old people have been seen.
The only one was the old man sweeping the floor whom I had just seen at the temple entrance.
Gu Jieshuang continued, "My father passed away when I was very young, as did all my other relatives. Now, only my mother is still alive, but the blood conflict in her body has caused her to suffer from a severe case of Gu's hypothermia—an incurable disease named after us. It causes an uncontrollable loss of body temperature, and in advanced stages, it can even affect the surrounding environment, ultimately leading to an irreversible death in the extreme cold."
"Sister..." Qi'er held Gu Jieshuang's hand with both of her own, her tone full of heartache.
"I'm fine, Qi'er. I still have a long life ahead of me." Gu Jieshuang touched the girl's head. "Mother is only forty-two, but her hair is already full of white. In fact, mother is considered long-lived in the village. Many people die before they even reach twenty-five."
Yu Cang was silent: "...Is there no way to treat it?"
"No...at least not yet." Gu Jieshuang paused. "But I heard that during the time of Emperor Wu, human-animal hybrids weren't like this. Our ancestor, Gu Qianshan, one of the commanders of the Xuanhuang Guard, seemed to have lived to the end without any illness or disaster. It's only after Emperor Wu's death that something seems to have been lost, which led to the hybrids becoming what they are now."
"Any clues? Maybe I can help find them."
"Thanks, boss. But it's impossible." Gu Jieshuang sighed. "This is just speculation. It's hard to say whether the lost item even exists... Besides, I'm not dissatisfied with the current situation. After all, this bloodline has made me a leader among my peers."
Gu Jieshuang tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.
"I haven't finished yet... Didn't the history textbooks say that after the death of Emperor Zulong, the Desolate Heaven Realm was shattered, and countless fragments of alien space were scattered across the territory of Yan State. After Emperor Wu drove out all the wild beasts, he disbanded the Xuanhuang Guards, ordering them to retreat to the mountains and forests, guarding the nearby space fragments to prevent the wild beasts from escaping and wreaking havoc on the world... This is the origin of Wuling Village.
"Actually, there are many more Wuling villages in this mountain area, because there are so many spatial fragments here... But now, with the army here, we're not really needed." Gu Jieshuang chuckled, "That's why my mother agreed to send me to school. Otherwise, I'd have to stay here like everyone else in the village, staying here until I die. At most, I'd join the army, but I wouldn't have left too far."
"It's a good thing to keep pace with the times," said Yu Cang.
"Yeah... but sometimes I think it would have been better for me if it had stayed the same. After all, I only estimate I can live to be twenty-five or twenty-six. If I stay in the village forever, my whole life might be gone in the blink of an eye... But now, I'm out there, seeing a bigger and more beautiful world."
Gu Jieshuang closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and still had a smile on her face: "I just... feel a little unwilling."
Yu Cang was silent.
He didn't know how to comfort Gu Jieshuang.
Gu Jieshuang opened her eyes, looked at Yu Cang with a smile, then turned around and came to the statue of Emperor Wu, clasping her hands together.
"You know, boss, I once made a wish here."
“…What is it?”
"I can already see the end of this life, so I want to make this limited life shine! I want to participate in the World Soul Card Master League, stand on the duel field atop the Remains of the Dead God, and be watched by everyone. I want to go to the most desolate and dangerous place where no one has ever been, and witness how thunder and storms devour everything at the end of the earth. I want to go to the Sea Courtyard and touch the abyss of the Heavenly Waterfall, and see how it has lonely protected an entire country for thousands of years. I want to go to the Elephant Tower and witness the Sun-worshiping Temple, and see how the second sun extinguishes and reignites at the top of the tower... If I can die on this road, instead of on a hospital bed, I will have no regrets.
"There are so many things I want to do. I've thought about them all, but I haven't decided which ones to complete. I've been thinking, what if someone like this comes along, someone who will one day do something that might be one way or another, and we happen to be close friends, partners, or even something more intimate... Then, I'd join him on his journey, witness it all together, and even see each other through to the end of our lives... You know what, boss? I originally thought I'd never meet someone like him."
Hearing this, Yu Cang was somewhat moved. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
At this time, Gu Jieshuang turned around, and Yu Cang saw some crystal light accumulated in her eyes. He couldn't tell whether it was tears or expectation.
"Boss... you know, those things you said before to reject me are all plus points in my opinion." Gu Jieshuang gently came to Yu Cang's side, "Like you, I can't give a relationship a long-term future, but I still can't help but reach out to others. But you can hold back... Sigh, compared to you, I'm just a scumbag."
"...You are not. You have the right to be loved too."
"Really? Then..." Gu Jieshuang bit her lip, raised her head, and looked into Yu Cang's eyes, "Boss, are you willing to... love me?"
"I..." Yu Cang opened his mouth and suddenly stopped.
He has no experience in how to respond to affection.
On the other side, Qi'er had covered his face with his hands, and his little head was as red as a ripe apple.
Oh my god, I’m going crazy.
This is such a perfect match!
I don’t know what he was thinking about, but Qi’er’s face is now redder than Gu Jieshuang’s.
After a while, the girl still didn't hear Yu Cang's response. She took her hands away from her eyes, but saw the hesitant Yu Cang and Gu Jieshuang's face gradually gloomy.
What! What are you doing!
What are you still hesitating about? There is nothing to hesitate about.
Qi'er can't bear to see this.
Without hesitation, Qi'er immediately exerted all his strength and slammed hard into Yu Cang's back!
"Ah?" Yu Cang, who was thinking about something, was stunned by the collision. Before he could regain his balance, he felt a sweet and soft body being held in his arms.
"ah……"
"ah?"
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Qi'er's little hands were waving around.
Both of them were stunned at the same time.
"Um, I..." Yu Cang wanted to get away.
"Don't go... let me hold you for a while." Gu Jieshuang hugged him tighter, burying her flushed cheeks in Yu Cang's chest.
"……good."
Time passes quietly.
I don’t know how long it took.
Gu Jieshuang took a deep breath on Yu Cang's shoulder, let go of Yu Cang on her own initiative, took a few steps back, lowered her head, and tidied her hair on her forehead.
"I understand... I won't bother you anymore, boss." Gu Jieshuang's expression was gloomy and he was about to turn around and leave.
At this time, Yu Cang grabbed Gu Jieshuang's hand.
"etc!"
Gu Jieshuang paused, then raised her head and looked at Yu Cang with red eyes, not knowing what emotion was contained in them.
Yu Cang then said, "Give me some time, I will heal you... Wait until that time, when your life is no longer bound by anything, tell me that you love me again, okay?"
"I..." Gu Jieshuang's eyes widened slightly. She could no longer control herself. A smile spread across her face along with two streams of tears. "Okay!"
…
Qi'er's face turned red and he almost fainted.
Thanks to Hungry Clown and Wang__ for the rewards!
I have a bit of a headache, so much for now
(End of this chapter)
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