Chapter 11 Zhuangzi's Dream (XI) A Born Freak
Having long suspected him of being mentally unstable, Song San's suspicions only grew stronger upon hearing his delusions. He quickly took a step back, asking, "Whom are you calling senior brother? Who is your senior brother?"
Young Master Gu smiled and said, "Of course it's Senior Brother Song."
Sigh! He's managed to get involved now.
Song San's lips twitched slightly, and he asked in confusion, "Why?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the man smiled mysteriously and remained silent.
After carefully recalling everything that happened in the illusion, Song San frowned and asked uncertainly, "Is it because of Uncle-Master Nie?"
Gu Lianzhou then lowered his hand and stood up straight. "You have already seen him in the dream. Nie Fengxi is my master, and you call him Uncle-Master. According to seniority, it is not inappropriate for me to call you 'Senior Brother'."
That's the truth, but it's the first time I've been called "senior brother".
Song San paused for a moment, unwilling to continue the conversation, and simply changed the subject, "I was just about to ask you, what has Uncle Nie gone through all these years, and how did he become your retainer?"
"I wouldn't call myself a retainer," Gu Lianzhou shook his head. "None of my family members know of my master's existence."
Song San raised an eyebrow; those words sounded rather strange.
Taking on a master is no small matter, yet the Gu family was unaware of it?
Young Master Gu straightened his clothes, then sat down again. Once he was deeply embedded in the armchair, he sighed, "This is a long story..."
Song San didn't waste any time. He immediately dragged over a long bench and sat down in front of Gu Lianzhou. "I am all ears."
The lamp swayed, blurring the shadows of people into a hazy mass.
Watching Gu Lianzhou's snow-white face gleam under the light, Song San, resting her chin on her hand, was gradually drawn to the deep male voice.
“When I first met my master, I was still young. That day I was on the estate and caught a cold with a persistent high fever. My master happened to stay overnight and saved my life.”
“My master’s health wasn’t much better than mine back then. He smelled strongly of medicine, and even the children didn’t want to get close to him, and I was no exception.”
Song San couldn't help but comment, "You little ingrate."
Gu Lianzhou glanced at her and chuckled, “My master said the same thing about me. Although I was young at the time, I had a very unruly personality. If someone wanted to get close to me, I would reject that person even more until they dared not approach me. As a result, I offended everyone in the mansion.”
"..."
This is like being covered in thorns that pierce through others.
“That was not my intention.” Gu Lianzhou picked up the teacup on the table, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and said calmly, “I am a born freak, and it is no exaggeration to say that I am a jinx. Anyone who gets close to me will not have a good ending.”
Song San was taken aback.
Then, she raised her finger and pointed at herself, "Young Master Gu, you must be cursing me."
Gu Lianzhou took a sip of tea and almost burst out laughing upon hearing this. "Senior Brother Song is joking. Now that I dare to come, I am not afraid of harming Senior Brother Song."
Song San choked for a moment, then gestured for the other person to continue.
The lamp oil burned with a muffled "pop" sound. Gu Lianzhou raised his hand to shield the warm yellow light source, his neatly trimmed nails also stained golden. He asked, "Senior Brother Song, have you ever heard of 'the ability to see ghosts'?"
Song San nodded: "Of course I know."
The Yin-Yang Eye, also known as the 'Heavenly Eye,' allows one to see demons and evil spirits invisible to ordinary people. It is a technique that the sorcerers of the Heavenly Mystery Sect pursue throughout their lives.
But now, when the word "t" comes from Gu Lianzhou's mouth, it has a different meaning.
"From the time I was able to see, I could see layers upon layers of phantom images. Their faces were so hideous and their shapes so terrifying that they often caused me to be terrified and cry incessantly. After a long time, my family thought I was possessed by an evil spirit. They invited several Taoist masters to exorcise the evil spirits for me, but to no avail. So they simply sent me to the village."
Song San couldn't help but look into his eyes.
As an adult, Gu Lianzhou's features had become more relaxed, and his long, narrow phoenix eyes looked even more tender in the candlelight.
Dark pupils were set in deep-set eye sockets, with a thin layer of bloodshot showing at the corners of the eyes. Looking at them...
They were clearly eyes filled with tender affection.
As if anticipating Song San's reaction, Gu Lianzhou curved his lips into a smile and said, "After that, you couldn't see it anymore."
At this point, he feigned regret, "Otherwise, I wouldn't have let that evil spirit from Warm Spring Pavilion get close to me."
At this moment, he suddenly felt confident.
Song San smiled dismissively, thinking to himself that even if you have the ability to see ghosts, it's all for naught without magic.
Moreover, she had witnessed his movements in the illusion before, and they were simply... unbearable to watch.
It's unknown what he has learned during the years he has been a disciple of his master.
Just as he was thinking this, a hand suddenly appeared in front of him, and in the next instant, the celadon teacup on the table was flipped over, and hot tea was poured into it.
Song San looked up and met a pair of eager eyes.
"It's chilly at night, Senior Brother, have some hot tea to warm yourself up." Gu Lianzhou pushed the teacup towards her again.
The heat from the bath gradually dissipated, and a slight chill crept up the back of my hand, threatening to climb further.
Song San took the cup, brought it to his lips, took a sip, and nodded, saying, "Thank you."
Seeing this, Gu Lianzhou withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and continued to recount his wonderful past with Uncle Nie, "Master dispelled the evil spirits, cured my high fever, and even sealed my yin-yang eyes. Originally, I was gloomy and violent, so I restrained my nature. After that, every first day of the new year, I would receive Master's sealing magic. In this way, Master protected my peace for more than ten years."
"No one in the Gu family knew that my master had accepted me as his disciple. This was not something I did intentionally, but rather my master's idea. Although I don't know why, my master didn't want to have much to do with the Gu family, so over the years, I've had very few opportunities to meet with him."
"Until two years ago, my master's old illness relapsed, and in order to take care of him, I settled him in Nuanchun Pavilion."
At this point, everything seems to have come together.
Thinking of Uncle Nie who was coughing incessantly in Gu Lianzhou's dream, Song San couldn't help but ask with concern, "How is Uncle Nie's health?"
Gu Lianzhou shook his head, his expression grave. "It's not good. The doctors in Huaidu are all helpless with Master's condition, and some have even predicted that he won't live past this winter..."
Song San's expression cracked slightly. "What? You won't survive this winter?!"
How could it be so serious?
"Brother, please calm down." Seeing that Song San seemed about to get angry with him, Gu Lianzhou gently persuaded him, "The doctor also said that if Master can get through this winter, there is hope for a full recovery. I send people to Nuanchun Pavilion every day to deliver life-saving ginseng. The last time I saw Master, he was already able to walk on the ground."
That's how it is.
Song San breathed a sigh of relief, then, remembering something, couldn't help but ask, "When was the last time you saw your martial uncle?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Lianzhou blinked, "Naturally, it was before I fell into a deep sleep..."
Several days have passed!
After much thought, Song San was still uneasy, so he simply said, "Tomorrow, I'll go to Nuanchun Pavilion with you."
Gu Lianzhou was stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "That's how it should be."
After finishing a cup of tea, the two fell silent.
The crackling sound of burning lamp oil filled my ears.
The gaze, like a flowing stream, paused for a moment upon encountering the rocks.
Gu Lianzhou's gaze fell on her half-dry hair and the slender neck beneath her oversized coat.
It was late at night, and the light was dim and yellowish. Only then did he realize that this thin junior brother Song seemed to have a handsome face...
Since waking up from the dream, his mind has often been hazy and his vision has been unclear. The gray shadows also seem to be rekindling. Wherever he goes, there are mostly unclean gray shadows.
But Senior Brother Song is different.
He was always clean and tidy, and being with him always brought me a sense of peace.
Now that I see him cleansed and dressed in new clothes, looking even more fair and handsome, I can't help but feel a sense of closeness to him.
Because of their master, Senior Brother Song could be considered half a family member to him...
While he was in a daze, he felt a gust of wind sweep past his eyes, and the next moment, icy water droplets splashed all over his face.
Gu Lianzhou wiped his face blankly, then looked up to see Senior Brother Song roughly pull off the towel from his head and rub it into the ends of his hair.
He said, "It's getting late. I have important business to attend to tomorrow. Please take care, Young Master Gu."
Gu Lianzhou was pushed out the door.
The nearly eight-foot-tall man stood in the cold wind, looking somewhat helpless.
It seems that Senior Brother Song is very capable, so he naturally has some arrogance. He has his own reasons for doing everything. Even if he pushes him, it's because he thinks that his movements are too slow and that he might delay his rest.
Everything has a traceable pattern.
Senior Brother Song is indeed a man of strong character, and he doesn't fuss over trivial matters when doing things.
To comfort himself, Gu Lianzhou tightened his cloak, picked up the lantern, and trudged back through the snow.
-
The next day, as soon as it was light, Gu Lianzhou changed into a fashionable outfit and stood in Song Sanyuan to greet her. When she sleepily pushed open the door, he went up to her and said, "Good morning, senior brother."
Holding his toothbrush cup and biting a willow twig, Song San mumbled something indistinctly, then walked past the brightly colored butterfly towards the withered tree in the center of the courtyard.
Despite being ignored again, Gu Lianzhou was not discouraged and strolled closer.
I saw Senior Brother Song lift up his shirt and squat down under the tree, brushing his teeth with a powerful and unrestrained motion, quite unlike ordinary people.
After he spat out the last mouthful of water, Gu Lianzhou's eyes were full of smiles.
Song San wiped the water from his lips, stood up with his knees on his hands, and met the refreshed Gu Lianzhou's gaze. He subconsciously took a step back.
She glanced at the gold-embroidered peony pendant on his clothes and the jingling jade belt at his waist, then slowly closed her eyes.
This person caught her eye.
-
During the day, Nuanchun Pavilion is different from its bustling nighttime atmosphere; it is as quiet as any ordinary restaurant.
Because of Gu Lianzhou's status as a regular customer, the shopkeeper was very hospitable and made a move to serve him the best wine and food. Gu Lianzhou tossed a silver ingot into the man's arms, said "Looking for someone," and led Song San to the backyard.
The two walked without any obstacles, following the path they had seen in their dream, and indeed arrived at that secluded room.
"It seems like no one is in the room." Song San walked around the screen and looked at the empty bed, exchanging glances with Gu Lianzhou.
It seems that Nie Fengxi was not idle during the days he was unconscious.
Gu Lianzhou paced around the room for a moment, his gaze falling on the wooden table in front of the bed. Then, he walked over and moved the tea set on the tea tray one by one, revealing a pale yellow envelope underneath.
Seeing this, Song San quickly went over to them.
Gu Lianzhou pursed his lips and remained silent, unfolding the letter and reading it quickly.
Song San glanced at the letter and shook his head, saying, "Unfortunately, my martial uncle has already left."
According to Nie Fengxi's letter, he knew that his health was deteriorating day by day. Rather than living a miserable life in the brothels of Huaidu, he would rather take a gamble and go to Nancheng to earn a way out for himself.
The Murong family of Nancheng widely recruits talented and righteous people, and holds a martial arts tournament every three years. The top three winners will have the opportunity to obtain a five-stage pill, which is said to have the miraculous effect of reviving the dead and healing bones.
Given his current condition, he can't wait even a day longer.
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