Chapter 93 A Heartbeat You are now entirely composed of what I have given you...
Upon opening her eyes, Jiang Geyun was filled with confusion.
She was thirsty, but there was no tea in the room, so she got up and went to the door. She pushed open the familiar door and saw a clear night with countless stars outside.
When was the last time I fell asleep?
Why is it nighttime now?
She quickly put her confusion aside.
Instead of figuring it out on her own, she might as well ask someone. Having lived here for so long, she was no longer unfamiliar with the place.
Now, she's going to find that acquaintance.
The night was truly clear; the moonlight, like water, washed the stone steps white, and the air was filled with the familiar scent of grass and trees from the mountains and forests.
Walking through the corridors is like parting flowers and brushing against willows.
Even under a bright moon, the distant mountains remain blurry when viewed at night, like slumbering giants, occasionally flashing by in the peripheral vision, which can evoke a subtle sense of dread.
That's not so scary; she's been to far more "scary" places while she's here.
Jiang Geyun withdrew her gaze, gave a slight smile, and walked lightly toward the temple not far away.
The palace doors were open, and the full moonlight shone through, making it bright enough even without lamps, but lamps were still lit inside the palace.
Jiang Geyun looked up.
A young girl was kneeling beneath a huge statue of a god. An ever-burning lamp was lit on a table in front of her. The girl had her head down and seemed to be performing some kind of ritual.
Even from just looking at her from behind, Jiang Geyun knew who the girl was.
This is the person she is looking for.
She stepped forward lightly, her tone devoid of any gloom, and called out, "Su Guang!"
The girl turned around, revealing a gentle face bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, and whispered in response, "Ah Yun, you've come."
Jiang Geyun casually found a seat next to her and said, "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be resting? What time is it now?"
Cheng Jiao didn't answer. Instead, she shook her head disapprovingly and said, "Ayun, this cushion is for us to kneel on. How can we sit on it like this? Also, we should be quiet in the temple. Shh—"
Jiang Geyun didn't move. She sat on the cushion specifically for kneeling, unable to stretch her legs out. So she simply hugged her knees, rested her head on them, and turned to look at Cheng Jiao.
“Su Guang has always been very devout… Whether it’s at times like this or during morning prayers, isn’t being ‘devout’ tiring?”
She seems to really like asking this question lately; she did it before...
Hmm, what was "before"?
Before Jiang Geyun could figure it out, Cheng Jiao replied with a smile, "Because doing this will bring you greater peace and bring you closer to where you want to go. Ayun should give it a try. How can you get tired when you're on the right path?"
Jiang Geyun sighed deeply and said, "That's what you all say."
Cheng Jiao said, "Is that so?"
Jiang Geyun asked, "I don't think so... Speaking of which, which god did you worship? Did He really help you? Not at all! You still ended up encountering the same thing!"
As she spoke, she was overcome by an excitement she didn't know came from, and when she finished speaking, she felt a slight dizziness.
Cheng Jiao looked at her silently for a while.
Just as Jiang Geyun was hesitating whether to apologize—after all, it was inappropriate to interfere with other people's beliefs—Cheng Jiao got up, brought out a pot of tea from somewhere, poured her a cup, and handed it to her.
Jiang Geyun obediently accepted the drink and drank it all in one gulp.
Cheng Jiao also poured herself a glass and sipped it for a while.
Perhaps she was deep in thought, because she spoke a little slowly: "We can only think of it this way: do our best and leave the rest to fate... I can't know whether praying to the gods will help me or not. If I had known beforehand that it wouldn't help me..."
Jiang Geyun repeated after her, "...If only I had known sooner?"
Cheng Jiao smiled and said, "Then I definitely won't believe it, I'll just worship some other god instead!"
Jiang Geyun burst into laughter at this witty remark.
Their laughter echoed and rang out in the empty temple at night.
Jiang Geyun wiped away tears, perhaps from laughter, from the corners of her eyes, and casually asked, "Which deity are you worshipping now?"
Cheng Jiao smiled and replied, "Lord Yuantian."
Jiang Geyun's smile froze.
"What's wrong?" Cheng Jiao asked when she noticed her unusual reaction. "Are you hungry? Although we're not allowed to bring food into the palace, I knew you'd be coming, so I prepared some in advance. Here you go."
Cheng Jiao handed over a small, delicate object wrapped in oil paper.
When Jiang Geyun first arrived here, she had a slight rebellion against her previous orderly life and decided to take a good rest. As a result, she stayed at home and her schedule became very irregular.
After meeting Cheng Jiao, she was helped by this girl to return to a normal life and even become healthier. This girl had asked her softly countless times what she needed and handed it to her in time.
Just like now.
Jiang Geyun shook her head, unable to hide her confusion, and said, "No... I feel... something's not quite right."
Cheng Jiao asked patiently, "Where is it?"
yes……
As the daughter of the Cheng family and a mole of the main villain, you shouldn't have died so easily. What exactly did you go through? Why did you die? Even though the villain has been punished, can we really let it go?
You never told me your identity, not even during the soul-summoning ceremony. Did you lie to me then? Your family isn't like that, but I really... didn't have the right to ask that question.
Cheng Jiao said slowly:
"Ah Yun, you've finally realized that you don't actually miss me that much..."
"Is your pursuit of me merely a result of your inability to accept the death you've witnessed?"
No, of course not!
……What?
Jiang Geyun suddenly looked up and stared wide-eyed!
The people before me, the moonlight, the towering, silent mountains and statues—all vanished, swallowed by ripples of blackness spreading outwards.
...
Once again, Jiang Geyun opened her eyes.
My chest felt empty, yet I could hear a rapid heartbeat in my ears. My mouth was dry, and I felt dizzy.
She sat up, propped her head up, and tapped it again after a while, but the pain in her head still hadn't gone away.
She sighed again and got up.
Just then, belated memories flooded her mind, and the things she had done before falling asleep appeared before her eyes one by one.
"I've been wanting to ask you, are you very tired?"
"You like it but don't say so. You don't eat much yourself, but you always feed me sweets. Do you think I didn't notice?"
"Would it be offensive if I said I had some doubts about her judgment?"
And, that kiss that's become second nature.
It’s over…
The planned covert investigation now seems impossible to keep secret.
She remembered that Moonshadow Dew didn't have any side effects...
No... could it be...?
Who knew that "those who take it will have a focused mind and clear thoughts" would have this meaning?!
However, as fate would have it, it was through this that I learned about Su Guang's background, how Su Heng became Cheng Xi, and what he wanted to do.
Jiang Geyun tapped her head again, struggled to sit up, and walked towards the door.
She pushed the door open.
Unsurprisingly, the door remained completely still.
A not-so-surprising guess popped into her mind.
Could it be that she was... again?
A voice came from behind: "You're awake."
Jiang Geyun paused for a moment and turned to look.
Pei Xuexiao stood with his arms crossed, looking at her with indifference and inquiry.
Jiang Geyun said calmly, "Yes, I didn't expect such an accident. Prince Jing is really terrifying. Lord Pei, why didn't you make a move back then?"
Tip: Question others before you question them!
Pei Xuexiao asked, "Who exactly are you?"
The tricks didn't work.
Jiang Geyun shrugged and said frankly, "I am Jiang Geyun. However, a lot has indeed happened. It's normal for you to feel something is wrong now, but I can explain everything. Even if you don't believe me, we have the same goal, you can feel that, right? Before exploring my true identity, let's solve the problem in Jingzhou first, shall we?"
"Besides, how easy is it to impersonate the Night Watcher? After this is over, I'll go back to the Xuandu Commandery with you, how about that?"
They're just making empty promises; we'll see if it works out in time.
Pei Xuexiao wasn't buying it, and snorted coldly, "I also thought it would be difficult to impersonate the Night Watcher, but even Xie Jiming, who was personally selected by the Supervisor, had problems, so what about you?"
"What?" Jiang Geyun was stunned.
Pei Xuexiao said, "You don't know? Xie Jiming's mind is not clear enough. He has not grasped the way of Xuandujian at all. He only managed to get in by chance with evil heretics. Now he has been captured by Commandant Zhao."
"The Way of Xuandujian"...
Jiang Geyun also thought about it.
Why do the people of Xuandujian, who possess extraordinary skills, still submit to the imperial family?
Firstly, a stable imperial power and a stable situation are also very important for cultivators. Moreover, there are people in the royal family who can control the Xuandu Bureau in every generation. Who will be the emperor and who will handle other matters is just a matter of division of labor. Secondly, the selection and appointment of the Night Watchers is done by the imperial power. If they do not obey, they will not be selected in the first place and can simply wear down that hard-won "spark" in the long course of their lives.
Finally, and most importantly, because attaining enlightenment requires a stable "anchor point," for the Night Watcher, "To repay your kindness on the Golden Terrace, I will wield the Jade Dragon and die for you" is that anchor point.
Only by understanding the necessity of this exchange and the price can one go further on this path; once malicious intent arises, the power will dissipate.
This is how the world is: the mind is the principle, and faith is the vision.
But what shocked Jiang Geyun was clearly not something like "Xie Jiming's mind is not clear enough," which was old news to her.
The important thing is, that's Xie Jiming!!!
Isn't he the main character in the original story?!
As the protagonist of the original work, how could his clues be discovered so easily?
Was it her, this butterfly, that caused the hurricane?
That doesn't make sense, does it? She didn't have any contact with Xie Jiming after that!
Moreover, the original novel also stated that Pei Xueyi was Xie Jiming's harem, although it seems that Xie Jiming did not succeed in this line later due to her influence.
That's highly suspicious!
What exactly is the original work?
Or rather... what exactly is a system?
Ignoring the turmoil in Jiang Geyun's heart, Pei Xuexiao asserted, "If Xie Jiming can have problems, why can't you? You're nothing like the person you used to be!"
Jiang Geyun was helpless.
What else does Pei Xuexiao know about her? She's not like she used to be.
If we're going to say something like that, it should be Su Heng who says it to make it believable.
...Tsk.
Jiang Geyun said, "So, what do you want to do now? Oh... you're the one who sealed this door."
“Otherwise?” Pei Xuexiao replied, then said seriously, “There’s no time to think about these things now. Whoever you are, you must join me in stopping Prince Jing’s death!”
"I see..." Jiang Geyun frowned, "The death of Prince Jing?"
Pei Xuexiao said solemnly, "It was the death of Prince Jing that led to the creation of forbidden areas in Jingzhou. Although those who harbor resentment will mostly become nourishment for the evil spirits, and things won't be so quiet, there will be no impact if we don't provoke them."
"But the current problem in Jingzhou is the impact of this forbidden area. If we let it continue to develop as before, it will repeat the same mistakes, and Jingzhou will become a ghost town!"
Jiang Geyun said, "In the end, isn't it still about me joining in to stop it? Is that any different from my previous suggestion? Tell me, what do I want to do?"
Pei Xuexiao tossed her something and said calmly, "There is a difference, and it's very important to me."
Jiang Geyun was no longer listening to what he was saying, and was focused on what she was holding.
It was a silver short sword.
Her figure suddenly stopped.
“This is my natal sword. I split it in two. You will use this one. This sword is connected to my will. If you make any moves, I will control it to kill you,” Pei Xuexiao said. “Now, follow me and kill everyone who wants to kill Prince Jing.”
Jiang Geyun did not answer, staring at the silver sword with no expression on her face.
Pei Xuexiao thought for a moment and said, "You mind killing people? I won't kill people easily either, but these aren't real people, as you know, so there's nothing to worry about."
After a long while, Jiang Geyun sheathed her silver sword and said, "Yes, there's nothing to worry about."
...
If she remembered correctly, when she first came to this world, she experienced a long day. It was daytime when she left the manor, and it was also daytime outside. It was like being in a place of polar day, which was really torturous.
And now, she is experiencing a long night.
The night that kiss happened, a night with moonlight so bright it felt cold, and now, a dark night, with chilly autumn rain falling.
Jiang Geyun rode forward on horseback, the silver sword in her bosom gleaming faintly.
...
She did not reject the solution that Pei Xuexiao had come up with.
that's right.
Regardless, his idea was wrong, even if... regardless, she disagreed, and disagreement is disagreement, so stopping him personally was the right thing to do.
She doesn't reject it.
Jiang Geyun counted her breaths to steady herself and stopped beside the bamboo forest.
Bamboo was often planted beside the ferry crossings of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
This plant has a well-developed root system, which can effectively anchor the soil on the riverbank and can also be used to build simple docks and sheds. In addition, the well-developed root system symbolizes "tying up" a traveler who is far away, hoping that he will return to his roots as soon as possible; the segmented growth symbolizes a safe journey and hopes that it will be smooth sailing. It is excellent in terms of both function and meaning.
The bamboo in this area has a special meaning of "longing for home".
She dismounted and led her horse into the woods.
The drizzle pattered against the cloak.
Pei Xuexiao gave her a choice.
The two most likely paths are one for her and one for him.
She chose this place.
The sound of her horse was too loud. Even though the rain could cover it up a bit, it certainly wouldn't escape that person's ears. So she dismounted, sacrificing her speed, and searched through the bamboo forest.
It didn't take very long to use.
In a clearing in the woods, the man in blue stood silently in the rain with his back to her. Blood droplets rolled down his long sword, leaving a thin red stain on it, like some kind of silk hanging on the blade.
At his feet, King Jing lay dead, his eyes wide open and a red line running down his throat.
As if sensing her arrival, the man slowly turned around. Rainwater dampened his temples, but he showed no signs of dishevelment; his face was so handsome that he seemed otherworldly.
A light drizzle fell obliquely as the young man in the blue robe gazed at her from afar.
It seems like they won't be moved by anyone.
He looked at her and smiled, "You've come."
Jiang Geyun wiped the water off her face and said, "Looks like we're late."
“It’s okay, you’ve answered many of my questions,” he said. “I will answer yours too, whatever you want to know.”
"I thought I would see you when I woke up."
The man in the blue robe was slightly surprised, and seemed a little embarrassed as he pursed his lips before saying, "That was what I originally thought, but this matter is too sudden and too important."
"Then," Jiang Geyun said softly, "why did this happen so suddenly?"
Her voice was low, but he heard it clearly.
Su Heng said gently, "The clues of the Imperial Uncle's secret preparations for the army were presented to the Emperor. Father, being naturally suspicious, sent his trusted spies to investigate. Unfortunately, the spies were captured by the Imperial Uncle and, under severe torture, revealed Father's secret decree. The Imperial Uncle was driven to the brink and hastily launched an uprising, but was discovered by the surviving spies and executed on Father's orders... That's roughly how it went."
Jiang Geyun said, "But there is no actual evidence in the capital that Prince Jing is plotting a rebellion."
If King Jing were executed for treason, he would not be the kind of person who receives no special recognition in the capital.
Su Heng nodded approvingly, his eyelashes already wet from the rain.
People and horses lay scattered on the ground. He bent down and pulled out an umbrella from somewhere.
Then, he opened the umbrella and walked towards her step by step.
"Yes, my uncle was so sincere, but Father's suspicion ruined him. If this gets out, it will be very bad. I hope... Miss Jiang will keep this secret with me."
He tilted the umbrella over her, and the rain that was falling on her stopped.
"The autumn rain is really cold," she thought to herself.
In this way, he dealt with his uncle who had ulterior motives, and then fabricated a case against his father.
Jiang Geyun looked up and met Su Heng's gaze.
The silver sword in his arms faintly emitted a dim light.
Su Heng asked, "What is this?"
Jiang Geyun was silent for a moment, then said, "What you can guess is no longer useful."
After she finished speaking, she waited a while for the person in front of her to ask why.
But no.
Moreover, the dark sky seemed to be gradually brightening.
...
Jiang Geyun seemed to sense something and raised her head.
The person in front of her was much taller than her, so she had to lower her arm even further to shield her from the rain.
"I've found you." His voice was extremely gentle, as if he was worried about disturbing the fragile dream.
The next moment, he lowered his head, completely disregarding the still glowing short sword, and pulled her into his arms.
Jiang Geyun remained rooted to the spot.
After a while, I felt as if I could hear my own heartbeat.
But she doesn't have a heart...?
Jiang Geyun seemed to sense something and reached out to press her hand against his chest, but he was holding her tightly in his arms with no space between them, so she could only place her hand against his back in vain.
She didn't hear the heartbeat she expected from beneath her palm.
Jiang Geyun suddenly gripped the back of his clothes tightly.
The man in brocade held her tightly in his arms and was naturally able to sense her movements.
He smiled, and she felt the vibration rising from his chest once more.
“That’s wonderful, Geyun,” he said, very softly, yet unable to contain his joy, “you are now entirely made up of what I have given you.”
-----------------------
Author's Note: In the abandoned version, there was a scene where Zhong Heng was persuaded by Yun, and at a critical moment, he told Yun, "Sing Yun, summon fire, and we can escape," hinting that Yun should use his natal fire to destroy and leave the place. However, after thinking about it again, no matter what stage, this person is not that kind of character at all... unless pretending to do this would make Yun feel sorry for him.
Additionally, I originally wanted to make Yun's dream more nightmarish, for example, when she disappeared at the end, she didn't just disappear directly, but rather her skin, flesh, and the outer shell of buildings and Buddha statues disappeared first, revealing the "structure below," "revealing" the past layer by layer. However, describing it was a bit too cheesy and too nightmarish, so I eventually gave up on it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
