Chapter 83 Never Look at Her Heart and Blood
The sky and the earth were shrouded in darkness.
There were only two points of light, one on the shore and the other in the water.
Su Heng stood alone on the shore, holding an umbrella. His attendants remained hidden all around, not daring to approach without his order.
The torrential rain pounded on the umbrella, the raindrops falling to the ground and the lake, then splashing upwards, wetting the hem of his robe. Yet he remained spotless, his expression calm, only his knuckles were white as he gripped the umbrella handle.
The ship was approaching quickly, or perhaps slowly.
Su Heng breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems she didn't do anything drastic, such as jumping ship in this weather or getting into a fight with the boatmen.
The latter is indeed not something she would do. She cares about fairness and is unwilling to hurt others. Even if she doesn't say it out loud or even think it in her heart, her actual choices speak for her time and time again.
So he was very worried, worried that she might harm her body, which was something he absolutely did not want to see.
He had seen her injured many times, but he was always the one who offered a helping hand. He knew how important it was to her, so he was unwilling to turn to the other side.
As for the rest, as long as she is by his side, there is plenty of time in the future.
The ship docked.
Jiang Geyun lifted the curtain and looked towards Su Heng on the shore.
Actually, given the distance and the heavy rain, she couldn't see his face clearly, but she still managed a smile and stepped into the rain.
Su Heng extended a hand to her.
This scene inevitably reminded her of the rainy night when she was investigating a case in Lianzhou Prefecture, but her state of mind was completely different. The more she felt these similarities, the colder she felt.
How could it have turned out like this?
She ignored his hand and leaped to his side.
The umbrella immediately covered her.
Jiang Geyun looked into the darkness behind him, her gaze unwavering, and said softly, "Let's go back."
Su Heng withdrew his hand, his eyelashes lowered. Just then, he noticed the empty small cup on the boat and, slightly surprised, turned to look at her.
Jiang Geyun didn't turn around, but as if she knew what he was thinking, she turned her head to him and smiled, saying, "You need to be full to have strength."
Rain soaked her hair and coat, and the night wind was biting. The method she had painstakingly devised fell apart in the downpour, but the light in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest. At this moment, it was burning his chest.
The bright moon and misty rain at night are just as they were at the beginning.
At this moment, he thought that even if she felt hatred when she thought of him, it didn't matter. This was exactly what he wanted; what he wanted was indeed "belonging."
She offered no explanation, and he didn't ask a single question.
"The rain is too heavy, tell them to stop looking."
"good."
*
The telepathic connection lit up again, and at the same time, a slow, deliberate knocking sounded.
Jiang Geyun shook her hand, first wrote "Come apologize?" on Lingxi, and then walked to the door and opened the unlocked door.
Su Heng's gaze fell on what was behind her.
The dimly lit room, the golden flames flickering within, and the bloodstains on the ground—it was something both of them knew all too well: the soul-summoning ritual.
"Tell me, what's going on?" Jiang Geyun asked in a tone as if seeking advice or discussing something. "All the conditions are in place, and my strength far surpasses that of the manor back then, so why can't I summon Su Guang's soul?"
In recent days, Jiang Geyun has been in a very calm state, so calm that it is almost eerie. She has not cried, made a scene, or gone on a hunger strike, nor has she made any further attempts, as if she has completely accepted everything that is being imposed upon her.
She was especially reserved when talking to him.
This wasn't the case a few days ago. Back then, she would deliberately avoid mentioning his two different identities in her words, and whenever he tried to probe her, she would feel evasive and anxious.
Now, however, she is able to bring up the past in front of him.
The blood from her hands flowed onto Lingxi.
The telepathic connection was glowing brightly, and countless messages were being transmitted from the other end.
Su Heng glanced down at it.
It seems that Ge Yun has angered Su Jin.
He didn't care much, his gaze shifting to the blood stained Lingxi's face.
Jiang Geyun generously handed the Lingxi to him, saying, "Look if you want to. It's much easier to look like this, right? Here you go."
Su Heng did not react to these words.
He did not take Lingxi, but instead held her hand and said, "Death is an extension of life. Only the living can attain enlightenment. As for ghosts, if they did not have obsessions in life, they will return to the sea of karma after death without leaving any trace. Cheng Jiao must have lost all her obsessions, which is why she disappeared."
As he spoke, he wiped the blood from her palms with a clean handkerchief.
Jiang Geyun looked at her hands and thought to herself, "I wonder if this person had always had the habit of carrying a handkerchief or if it was something she developed because of me."
She replied listlessly, "Su Guang never harbored any resentment from the beginning. According to you, she shouldn't have been summoned by me when she was at the manor, but that's not the case."
Su Heng had already put away the handkerchief, and instead took out the wound medicine that they were both familiar with, and sprinkled it evenly on her palm.
He said, "Perhaps there's a side of her you don't know about."
"Like you?"
Su Heng did not answer, focusing on applying the medicine.
Jiang Geyun used her free hand to take away Lingxi and began to read the message sent by Zhengyi.
"Why should I apologize? Do you know the truth? I didn't betray you."
"I'm here to tell you not to use prison magic indiscriminately. What I can see, he can see now. Who could have imagined he would act so quickly? I did my best."
...
"Okay, I admit I wasn't careful enough, but it's not entirely my fault. Your foolproof plan was also seen through. We're both equally bad."
"Why aren't you going back? What did that madman do to you?"
"If you're about to die, just say so, and I might find a way to help you."
...
That's about it.
Jiang Geyun glanced at the hand Su Heng was holding, who had finished applying the medicine and was bandaging her wound. She looked away and wrote with one hand, "I still prefer the confident look on your face when you agreed."
After finishing writing, she stopped looking at the increasingly frequent lights on the Spirit Coin and casually stuffed it into the arms of the person in front of her.
His focused gaze paused for a moment, as if nothing had happened, then he wrapped the bandage around again and said gently, "It's for you."
Jiang Geyun said, "What?"
After bandaging, Su Heng freed his hand and pointed to his chest.
He was definitely not referring to the magic rhinoceros horn she had slipped to him; rather, he was answering the question that had just crossed her mind: why he always carried a handkerchief with him.
This was both an answer and a reaffirmation that he knew everything she was thinking.
“That’s annoying.” Jiang Geyun looked directly into his eyes.
"It is not what I wanted."
Su Heng gently shook his head.
This secret has been unknown to anyone since his birth, and now he presents it to her. He doesn't know how much she will believe him.
But he noticed that her hand paused for a moment.
That is useful.
Jiang Geyun sighed.
After a long while, she withdrew her hand.
Su Heng didn't press the matter further and cooperated, saying, "I..."
Jiang Geyun said, "Go."
Su Heng paused for a few seconds before putting on a gentle smile again and turning to leave.
As Jiang Geyun leaned against the door and looked out, she inexplicably thought that he must have seen her back many times in the past.
She shook her head slightly.
She had already tried extremely hard to come up with a solution, but it wasn't enough, not enough.
We need to go further.
She looked down at her bandaged hand.
...As expected, the villain didn't return Lingxi to her.
*
"Your Majesty is indeed... the Chief Physician of the Imperial Hospital..."
"If... I'm not mistaken... the thinnest barrier between the mortal world and the sea of sins is... if the Lord desires..."
"The prayer ceremony is over, but... now..."
Several people were sitting inside, each of them a remarkable individual, discussing something in hushed tones.
The previous reporting and discussion session has ended, and now everyone is speaking more casually than they were earlier.
Su Heng sat at the head of the table, letting the people below talk as he lightly traced the rim of his teacup with his fingers, his face expressionless.
Suddenly a servant came running up quickly.
The already low murmur of the crowd abruptly ceased, and all eyes turned to the attendant.
Within this room, everyone was poised and commanding, and although they all had to be mindful of the expression of the person at the head of the table, they were clearly not to be disturbed by ordinary matters when they wanted to discuss something. Even if what they were talking about was just idle chatter, ordinary people were not allowed to eavesdrop.
The attendants had clear goals.
Upon reaching Su Heng's side, he cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, the Crown Princess... has been kidnapped!"
Su Heng's expression remained unchanged, only his fingers, which were caressing the rim of the cup, paused.
He knew she wouldn't easily fall into any danger.
This was true when I was alone in the past, and it is even more true now.
Is it because she couldn't stand it anymore, and a new round of hide-and-seek has begun?
Why did she have to choose this time? Her hand injury hadn't even healed yet.
Su Heng put down his teacup and waved his hand.
The attendant understood and withdrew.
One of the people below volunteered, "I have said everything I wanted to say."
The man didn't mention that Su Heng should make the decision; he simply summarized what he had said earlier.
Today's matter has indeed been discussed and concluded. The only reason everyone is still here is because the person at the head of the table has not yet given the order for everyone to leave.
Minor matters won't reach this scene, and major matters can't be resolved in a day or two. We have to wait, wait for the right opportunity, and wait for the decision of the person above us. Therefore, the timing of this news is quite good.
Su Heng remained silent, experiencing the state of the Life-Death Pact.
She is not injured or in any danger.
Give her more chances.
Make her realize the reality that she can't leave no matter what she tries.
He was well aware of how uncertain the future was once someone was gone, and he was unwilling to gamble, especially on this matter.
Su Heng waved his hand, and the crowd below withdrew as instructed.
He lowered his head, gently rubbed his temples, and was about to say, "It's alright."
He still had to solve that problem for her today, so he couldn't wait until she had her fill of fun. He'd better let it pass quickly after a short while.
At that moment, the Pact of Life and Death trembled violently in his heart!
An unprecedented warning has been issued!
Instantly, his face paled, and he said solemnly, "Take me there!"
The remaining servants, seeing the Crown Prince so moved for the first time, exchanged bewildered glances.
...
...
He was traveling at his maximum speed, and with the Life and Death Pact guiding him, he didn't even need anyone to lead the way, saving him most of the time spent searching.
But Su Heng still felt it wasn't enough.
For the first time in many days, he felt such intense unease.
She shouldn't be harmed. Not to mention that with her current strength, she has very few opponents and cannot be easily kidnapped. Even if she were kidnapped, neither Shouzhuo nor the people secretly protecting her would allow her to be easily injured!
Why?
Why would the Pact of Life and Death issue a warning?!
He rushed to the place where Jiang Geyun was "held hostage" as quickly as possible.
As expected, the surrounding area was already under the control of the guards, who all bowed to him upon his arrival.
My heart is pounding violently.
He failed to understand the large group of people kneeling in the courtyard, lost his patience, and his original idea of "waiting for a while" had completely disappeared. He broke down the door and entered the closed space!
The room was silent.
In the dimly lit room, the so-called hostage-taker lay unconscious to one side.
Su Heng glanced at it.
That man was the middle-aged man from the Mustard Seed Mountain incident.
He clearly didn't have the ability to take her hostage; rather, the way he sealed off the house seemed more like her doing.
He should have felt a little relieved, but instinct stopped him.
He grew increasingly uneasy.
A thin, golden wall of fire divided the room in two, with the unconscious middle-aged man in the outer half.
She's not here.
No, even disregarding everything else...
How could she possibly bypass the Pact of Life and Death?
...
There is actually a way.
A tiny voice arose in his mind, refuting him with immense sarcasm, offering a possibility he absolutely refused to accept. At the same time, the curses around him became a hundred or a thousand times noisier than usual.
Su Heng stepped forward.
Other than that, he did nothing.
However, the golden wall of fire seemed to know the identity of the person who came, and as he approached, it automatically melted away to both sides, revealing the scene behind it.
There was no one there.
She's not here.
Behind the golden wall of fire, no one remained, but there was a massive amount of blood, the same blood he had seen before, splattered across it, like an ominous painting that was not white but instead painted in red.
In the very center of the painting, an unclaimed heart is slowly beating.
Because it lost its main body, it jumped slower and slower.
It seemed like it might stop at any moment.
Amidst the pool of blood, a dagger gleams faintly.
The ground was covered in blood, but it hadn't absorbed a single drop, showing utter despondency.
Endless red—this is the answer Jiang Geyun gave: if you seek her with blood, she will bleed to death and escape; if you seek her with your heart, she will tear out her heart and escape.
He came following her heart and blood.
She then abandoned her heart and blood.
Before Su Heng could process how she had planned her escape, he was gripped by a sudden, sharp pain in his chest.
So unfamiliar, so intense.
He was clearly unharmed, yet blood was seeping from his lips.
Now, how do we find her?
A pact of life and death? A meeting of minds? A life of simplicity?
In that instant, he could find no possibility.
-----------------------
Author's Note: The classic death escape scene is here! (Actually, it's not quite the same...)
I'm late, so as usual, I'll give out red envelopes in the comments. *kiss*
The next chapter will explain how Yun did it. I originally planned to write it in this chapter, but I've reached the word count and I've been staying up all night writing, which is making my heart ache. Hey, don't let it hurt! (#`O′)
Also: Speaking of which, didn't I just finish my job? Why do I have to work again?! Ugh! (stomping my chest in frustration.jpg) I was planning to write during my lunch break! But I only managed to write a little before work hit me again! I can't keep going! I can only write late at night! When I'm trying to kill the cold, a dispatch letter pops up! When I'm trying to leave the coast, a case filing pops up! This persistent work, ugh, this hatred will never end…
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