Chapter 17 is about how she saw it on Shang Xinglan's back. ...
(17)
"And it won't be soon tonight."
Chu Li shuddered inexplicably, thinking of that night with Shang Xinglan many years ago. It really hurt, as if her body was being torn apart, forcibly forced to accept it.
The effects of the medication lingered all night, and my legs were so weak that I didn't even have the strength to move. I fainted several times and lost consciousness. It was truly terrifying, like a nightmare.
She clenched her fingers and whispered, "Can we skip the wedding night today?"
"What couple doesn't consummate their marriage on their wedding day?" he said casually. "Take it off."
Shang Xinglan knew that Chu Li did not want to share a room with him, but Chu Li had not asked him whether he was willing or not. The strong medicine almost killed him.
He wanted to repay her for this.
If Chu Li were willing, could it still be called retaliation?
As he drew closer and closer, bending down onto the bed, Chu Li instinctively reached out and braced herself against his shoulder, pleading softly, "It hurts, I'm afraid of pain."
Shang Xinglan stared at her lips, wanting to laugh inwardly.
She's afraid of pain, but how could she not be afraid of pain when she hits someone? Back then, she could pin a burly old woman who was a head taller than her to the ground and slap her. Whether she's afraid of pain or not depends entirely on her mood.
He gently grasped Chu Li's wrist and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll take it slow this time."
Chu Li gritted her teeth and decided to use the same trick again, snuggling into his arms and squeezing out a few tears. "You can't treat me like this. I'm your wife now. You should cherish me."
Every time she came close, his heart would tremble. He couldn't tell if it was hatred or something else; if he had to say, it was fear.
Chu Li's every gesture of goodwill was always for various purposes.
Yet, he always overlooked the crimes the woman in front of him had committed against him, and was easily deceived by her gentle words.
Shang Xinglan was terrified of this feeling; he didn't want to be led by the nose by Chu Li anymore.
He's here to collect a debt from Chu Li, Shang Xinglan repeatedly told herself.
Thinking of this, he unceremoniously pushed her into the soft quilt and whispered, "Of course I will cherish you, my wife. From now on, I will live a good life with you."
Seeing that he wasn't buying it, Chu Li became even more anxious. She quickly pressed his hand down and said in a low voice, "Alright, since you've said that, shouldn't we be completely open with each other? Take off your mask, and I'll take mine off."
Shang Xinglan paused, looked up at her, and said, "No."
Chu Li was stunned for a moment, then said as if she had caught him red-handed, "You keep saying you want to live a good life with me, but do you mean you want to wear a mask for the rest of your life? I don't even know what you look like, how can I be honest with you?"
"I said no."
Shang Xinglan didn't even look at her, and carelessly loosened his belt. "I only have one request for you: you must not take off this mask. Otherwise, I'll do anything."
Chu Li couldn't stop him, and a surge of anger rose in her heart. She threw the coat he had taken off onto the ground angrily. "Fine, take it off! Anyway, this is how my life is going to be. I'm unlucky. I married two husbands who didn't care about me. I accept it!"
"..." Shang Xinglan really wanted to know how she could say such a thing. Had she lost her conscience?
Chu Li lowered her head and began to sob, her voice choked with sobs, "My ex-husband forced himself on me like that. You men are all the same, you don't care about a woman's feelings at all, you only care about your own pleasure."
Shang Xinglan looked at her silently.
Okay, you're still spreading rumors. What are you going to make up next? Is her ex-husband a bully or a thug?
"I thought marrying you would be different, that at least you would care if I was in pain." Chu Li cried even more heartbreakingly, tears streaming down her face. "Why am I so unlucky? I shouldn't have been born. If my mother had thrown me into the snow and I had frozen to death, I wouldn't be living such a miserable life now..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shang Xinglan's expression stiffened slightly.
His fingertips trembled slightly as he covered the sobbing lips, "Stop talking."
She sniffed, her eyelashes glistening with tears, and pulled his hand away. "Please, have some love for me, my husband?"
Shang Xinglan lowered his eyes in silence. After a long while, he slowly got up and picked up his coat.
Chu Li watched him leave the room with bated breath until she heard a soft thud from the door, at which point she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
I was worried that this trick wouldn't work, since she had a long and tragic backstory that she hadn't told me yet. I didn't expect that he would give up so easily.
Come to think of it, she used the same trick to win over Shang Xinglan back then, and Shang Xinglan cried as soon as she heard about her past.
Do all men fall for this?
Scattered like stars, the Yinchuan River overflows.
The moon, like a large, smooth, flawless piece of jade, hung low, its clear light casting a silvery glow on the mountains and trees.
The night air is filled with the fragrance of grass, trees, and wildflowers.
The cicadas have fallen silent, and only unknown summer insects chirp in response in the grass.
Shang Xinglan sat in a rattan chair in the courtyard, wearing that coat, and caught a ray of moonlight through the gaps in the trees in her palm.
Gu Ye and Yan Xinbai returned from their cultivation and saw him from afar.
The two exchanged a glance, tacitly pretending not to have seen anything.
"No way, so fast again."
"Don't gossip about your master's private affairs... Everyone has flaws."
Shang Xinglan glanced at them, then looked away, casually grabbed a handful of millet from the bamboo mat, and tossed it to the chicks on the ground.
Chu Li treats the chicks better than him, raising them to be so fat.
Eat up, eat up, we'll all be slaughtered and used for soup sooner or later.
The chick buried its head in its food, while Shang Xinglan sighed and listlessly lay down in the wicker chair to look at the moon.
He heard soft footsteps behind him, but he didn't turn around. He simply said in a low voice, "Can't sleep?"
Behind him, the little cub trembled and dared not move.
Shang Xinglan turned around and beckoned to him, "Come here."
The little boy was on the verge of tears; if he had known this would happen, he would have held his pee until tomorrow morning.
He steeled himself and walked up to Shang Xinglan, asking in a low voice, "Have you finished dealing with things with your mother?"
Hearing him mention this, Shang Xinglan's head ached even more. She reached out and scooped the little one onto her lap, saying, "You don't need to worry about it. Just rest with me for a while."
The little one was so nervous he wanted to cry, but dared not make a move, so he could only sit obediently on his lap.
The warm little body brought Shang Xinglan a long-lost sense of peace.
"How have you and your mother been these past five years?"
He had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but had no reason to ask it.
He probably wanted her to be unhappy.
The little boy felt uneasy and said softly, "It's fine."
Shang Xinglan pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly, "How should I put it? Aren't you familiar with your mother? You can't even explain this?"
Provoked by him, the little boy took the bait and said seriously with a frown, "We were all fine before you came! Mother taught me to read and write, and also taught me manners. She knew everything and could do everything. She even fixed the roof herself when it was broken!"
From the time he could remember, Chu Li was an omnipotent being in his heart. No matter what kind of problem he encountered, she would solve it.
She fetched water, did laundry, cooked, and tidied the room herself. Every morning when she woke up, there would always be his favorite dishes laid out on the table.
Chu Li never said a harsh word to him, nor did she ever lose her temper with him.
She is beautiful, strong, brave, and gentle. She sets an example for the little one, teaching him how to be a better person. She is the little one's only support and his first teacher.
Shang Xinglan listened quietly to Chu Li's story. The Chu Li he used to argue with seemed to be gradually becoming blurry in his memory.
“My mother was always polite to everyone. She taught me to knock before entering a house, to say thank you when someone is kind to me, and to greet my friends. My mother said that if I did this, I could become the Prince Huaijin in the future…”
Shang Xinglan's gaze froze, and she tilted her head incredulously to look at him. "What?"
The little boy was startled by his sudden change in tone, and his voice became much softer, "Mother said that this way I can become Lord Huaijin..."
Shang Xinglan stared at him blankly, "Do you know what Huaijin Jun is?"
“I know,” the little boy twisted the corner of his clothes. “Mother said that only the most virtuous and talented noble gentlemen in the world can be called this name.”
Shang Xinglan: "...She said that herself?"
The little boy nodded.
After a while, Shang Xinglan covered her lips with her hand and suddenly burst into laughter.
Chu Li did change a lot after his death.
She was trying to become a better person for her little one, but the standard for becoming a better person was actually him.
How stupid! How could you be so stupid?
The more he thought about it, the funnier it seemed.
— Huaijin Jun is his Taoist name.
Chu Li had never called him that before. She had only heard his friends mention it a few times when she accompanied him out. At those times, she had no expression on her face, as if she hadn't heard it at all, and sat beside him quietly drinking tea and eating snacks.
He inexplicably imagined Chu Li secretly memorizing this name in her heart, even though she clearly didn't know many characters back then.
So, in Chu Li's heart, is he really that good?
A man of noble character, exceptional talent, and refined elegance… Shang Xinglan couldn’t help but laugh out loud again.
It's impressive that she came up with so many words to describe it.
"What are you laughing at?" The little boy glared at him, a bit annoyed, thinking he was mocking their peasant background and their unrealistic dreams. "I will definitely become one. Although I am still young now, I will definitely study hard and earn money in the future. I will buy my mother a big house and move to the city. Then, everyone will know how well my mother has taught me."
Upon hearing this, Shang Xinglan immediately stopped smiling and reached out to stroke the top of his head. "You will, you will do better than Huaijin."
Because Yin Yin was born without immortal bones, she does not have to bear any mission and can live for a very long time, even longer than his own age.
By then, he will definitely be better than Huaijin.
The little boy looked at him blankly, feeling the warmth of his palm. Through that terrifying mask, the gentle look in his eyes was so strange.
His eyes looked just like his mother's when she looked at him.
"Go back to sleep, Yinyin, and listen to your mother more often."
Shang Xinglan put the little cub on the ground, patted his little bottom, and said, "Go to sleep early and stop overthinking."
The little boy ran quickly to the door of the side room as if fleeing, but stopped and looked back at the people in the yard when he got close to the door.
Under the lonely moon, Shang Xinglan tossed down a grain of millet, which slipped through his fingers.
He was extremely calm, but why did his back look so sad?
It's probably just my imagination.
*
The next morning, Chu Li got up, ate breakfast, and taught the little boy to read.
Listening to the little boy reciting his lessons aloud, she lowered her head little by little, so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyelids open.
It's strange today; she didn't see Wuming at all.
Gu Ye and Yan Xinbai are still there. The two of them work every day. Yan Xinbai planted a lot of vegetable seedlings on her family's land. These two devils watered and plowed the land when they had nothing to do, becoming farmers without complaint, and they seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.
“Jade, as an object, is warm and lustrous, which represents benevolence. It is also meticulous and wise…” The little boy was halfway through reciting when he suddenly saw Chu Li stand up.
She really couldn't sit still. Previously, Wuming had taken over the task of supervising the little boy's reading, which meant that Chu Li hadn't heard the little boy read for a long time, and the mere thought of it made her itchy all over.
"Mother will go see what those demons are doing. You continue reading." Chu Li patted his little head. "We can't let our guard down. After Xie Liyi comes to rescue us, Mother will take you to school in the city."
The little cub nodded emphatically.
Since Xie Liyi left, their escape plan has come to a temporary halt—after all, Xie Liyi will come to rescue them.
Chu Li stepped outside. The morning breeze was slightly chilly. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself and saw Gu Ye carrying a giant tree taller than himself. Her eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing?"
Hearing her voice, Gu Ye greeted her with a smile, "Madam, you're awake so early. I chopped some wood. The Master... the Lord said to expand the house a bit."
Chu Li asked in surprise, "Did they ask for my opinion?"
"I don't know, didn't he ask?"
What do you think?
Gu Ye freed one hand and scratched his chin. "That's none of my business. I just need to follow my master's orders."
He tossed the giant log high into the air with one hand, then drew a long knife from his waist and, in the blink of an eye, shaved the log into neat pieces.
The biting wind nearly blew Chu Li away. She barely managed to hold onto the door frame, her heart pounding as she cried out, "Don't tear my house down!"
This is a house that she and Shang Xinglan worked hard to build, even though she was just helping out by checking if the house was crooked.
"No, I know what I'm doing." Gu Ye finished stacking the wood and turned to look at her. "Aren't you afraid of me now?"
They even dared to yell at him.
He still remembered how Chu Li trembled and begged them to spare her life at the beginning. But thinking about it carefully, Chu Li dared to talk back to him back then. She was both timid and bold.
Chu Li brushed aside her wind-blown hair and glared at him, "I am your master now too."
Upon hearing this, Gu Ye almost burst out laughing.
"Yes, yes, Madam is of course my mistress."
She's really good at using the "fox borrowing the tiger's power" tactic.
Seeing that he was quite sensible, Chu Li slowly walked up to him, her fingers hidden in her sleeves gently digging into her palms, though she was still a little scared.
This Gu Ye is much crazier than Wuming. The expression on his face when he killed people was as if human life was no different from grass and trees in his eyes.
“I’m asking you,” she whispered, “where is the Nameless One?”
Gu Ye raised an eyebrow. "Missing him?"
Chu Li: "..." I wish he were dead.
“Master is busy today. Just tell me what you need, Madam.” After Gu Ye finished speaking, he suddenly seemed to remember something and mysteriously took out a small wine pot from his bosom. “Oh, right, take this.”
Chu Li frowned and took the wine pot. "What is this?"
Gu Ye curled his lips into a meaningful smile, "For entertainment. The master is too embarrassed to ask me, so you feed him."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Li flung the bottle away as if he had touched something dirty, his face turning deathly pale.
She remembered the day she drugged Shang Xinglan.
She would never touch such a thing again, even if it meant her death!
Seeing her strong reaction, Gu Ye stared at her in confusion, picked up the broken pieces of the wine pot from the ground, and said, "Is it really that big of a deal? This wine is very expensive, what a pity." He had made a special trip to the Northern Border to buy it.
Well, after all, she's a shy young woman and wouldn't do something like drugging her husband, so I can understand.
Chu Li had no idea what he was thinking. She took a deep breath and ordered him, "The weather is nice today. Take your clothes to the river to wash them."
Gu Ye: "Trying to get rid of me and escape, huh? Yan Xinbai went to wash up, didn't expect that, did you?"
Chu Li bit her lip, her thoughts exposed. "You're overthinking it. I'm quite comfortable being the master now. What's there to run away from? Since the clothes are washed, you can build the house. I'll keep an eye on it."
Gu Ye chuckled. "Fine."
He actually started expanding her little house. Chu Li watched him smash the wall with a hammer, and her heart began to bleed.
She loved their little house; although it was small and a bit old, it had everything she needed.
This is her home.
As Gu Ye smashed the wall, he struck up a conversation with her, "Madam, you're really something. How did you manage to bewitch the master?"
This is what he has always been most curious about.
Chu Li glanced at him, crossed her arms, and said, "I'm good-looking."
Gu Ye remained silent for a moment, then stopped asking.
She really has a lot of confidence in herself.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Chu Li became interested. "Gu Ye, it seems that your master wants to stay here indefinitely and make you a farmer. Are you really willing to do that?"
Gu Ye paused, then said in a low voice, "Trying to turn me against you? That's a terrible tactic. Can you come up with a better one?"
Chu Li gritted her teeth, but before she could speak, she heard him say in a low voice, "Don't worry, he won't stay here forever."
Upon hearing this, Chu Li's expression faltered slightly.
But Wuming clearly told her last night that he wanted to live a good life with her. Doesn't that mean he wants to stay here forever?
"Of course I'll take you away." Gu Ye seemed to have guessed what she was thinking and smiled. "It's so nice to go back to the Demon Realm. There are just a lot of demon cultivators around, but you'll get used to it."
Chu Li suddenly opened her eyes wide. If Wuming took her to the Demon Cave, she and her cub would never be able to escape in this lifetime!
She paced back and forth restlessly, a plan gradually forming in her mind. Until Xie Liyi came to rescue them, she had to keep Wuming here. She had to treat him well, make him feel that staying here wasn't so bad…
Just kidding.
Gu Ye suddenly smiled and said calmly, "He's in poor health and will die before he's twenty-five."
Chu Li froze.
"It's strange, this is the first time I've seen a demon cultivator suffer from such a strange disease. There are many crack-like wounds on his back that cannot heal on their own. A master once said that if it cannot be cured, he will die before the age of twenty-five. I don't know if it can be cured." Gu Ye smashed the last piece of the wall and said calmly, "We came out this time to find someone to treat the disease, and we just met you on the way."
If he can't be cured, Wuming will probably stay here for the rest of his life.
After Wuming's death, Gu Ye and Yan Xinbai could only part ways and go their separate ways. Therefore, they would not stay here for too long, at most only half a year.
Half a year is but a blink of an eye for a demonic cultivator.
Chu Li listened to his words in a daze, and asked softly in a daze, "What kind of crack or wound is it?"
Gu Ye hadn't expected her to be interested. After a moment's thought, a wisp of demonic energy rose from his palm. He raised his hand, and the demonic energy instantly transformed into a bolt of purple lightning, striking the wood in front of him.
He pointed to the charred, black grooves on the wood, where countless tiny, dense branches split off from the edge of the main vein, the jagged veins a shocking sight.
"Look, like this, golden." Gu Ye teased with a smile, "What, you've seen it before?"
Chu Li stared at the traces of lightning, her breathing gradually stopping.
Yes, she had seen it.
I've seen it on Shang Xinglan's back.
A note from the author:
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