Chapter 94: A chilling, deeply malicious scene unfolded in the bamboo forest...
After getting used to the empty space around her body, Jiang Geyun now realized how clearly her heartbeat could be heard.
As the limbs and bones awaken from their slumber, the heartbeat and the sound of blood flowing freely become "chirping" and ring in the ears.
Looking back now, she has a clearer understanding of her past lifeless state. So this is what breathing feels like, so this is what a heartbeat feels like.
However.
She tried her best to calm down and listen.
There was no sound coming from his direction.
The umbrella in Su Heng's hand disappeared along with the changing environment, but this illusory rain belonging to the past did not fall on her.
The surroundings turned into a blank canvas of color, with some traces still remaining, like an old photograph that had been left for a very long time, retaining a few traces of the past, not much clearer than memories.
Jiang Geyun noticed that this place was extremely similar to Chao Wujiu's painting.
It seems that whether it's the illusion brought by the white-clothed ghost, Chao Wujiu's painting, or everything before her eyes, they are all essentially the influence of people's hearts and obsessions. It's just that here, everything is presented to her in a real state.
She suddenly understood the concept of "hell is other people" in another world.
Did her escape attempt ultimately fail...?
In the silence, he gently stroked her hair with his free hand, with great care, and then, almost with a sigh, he said:
"This wasn't easy for me either. I'm late, my wife. Is everything alright?"
Jiang Geyun hesitated for a moment, then made no move.
It's not that she didn't want to respond.
It's really...
Even if I wanted to do something, being held so tightly... it would be difficult...
“A blessing in disguise,” Su Heng said gently, not minding her silence. “If it weren’t for our current situation, I wouldn’t have been able to learn about my past with you, my lady.”
Her "past"?
Are you referring to this time?
Judging from his tone and based on her understanding of him, this shouldn't be the first time.
Along with that, she also thought of him from the past.
The little Su Heng who was willing to sacrifice himself to give up her freedom.
My heart softened a little.
The panic and anger brought by Su Heng's sudden arrival dissolved like water. She couldn't help but wonder, what was his current state? To what extent did he understand and control this world?
...And how much have they paid for all of this?
Jiang Geyun stopped thinking about it and simply said, "...No, even if it were all made up of you, you wouldn't be happy."
A moment of silence.
Su Heng's embrace was still as tight as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
He showed no surprise and calmly replied in a soft voice, "Everything in this world is relative. Compared to the other situation, I am certainly happy now that you will no longer be in any danger from anywhere."
"Is that so?" Jiang Geyun remained noncommittal.
Su Heng said, "Or, would you like to use the blade in your bosom? That's fine, it's your prerogative. I won't blame you for whatever you try."
Jiang Geyun: "..."
If you really want to see if she'll do that, then let go first!
Jiang Geyun shook her head helplessly.
After thinking for a moment, she patted Su Heng on the back.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly distanced himself from her.
The physical distance between them increased, but their line of sight did not.
He continued to stare intently at her, his gaze intense and undisguised.
Moving under such a gaze always feels more difficult.
Jiang Geyun sighed, took out a short sword from her bosom, and casually tossed it aside under his gaze.
“I’m not referring to him,” Jiang Geyun said. “You and I both know that the problems between us haven’t been resolved, there’s something that hasn’t ended, and there’s someone else who doesn’t want to see this situation.”
“I will handle it,” Su Heng said.
He took out a dagger that both of them were very familiar with from his side. Jiang Geyun looked down to see it—it was Shou Zhuo.
There are far too many stories involved.
Layers of paper falling like snow waves, the dazed feeling as they pierce the abdomen and dissect the chest cavity, their unknown past and future.
In order to shake off Su Heng's pursuit and ensure a complete escape, Jiang Geyun discarded the dagger that she had carried with her since "transmigrating into the book" and which had brought her a sense of security on several occasions.
Seeing it now, it's hard not to feel like it's been just yesterday.
For some unknown reason, Shouzhuo seemed to have developed some intelligence under her care; whenever she touched it, she could sense its emotions.
At a time like this, he acted like this and even brought up Shouzhuo. If she accepted it, she would definitely be able to sense Shouzhuo's emotions. This was practically him... being affectionate with her.
Whether it's giving her "resurrection" or bringing Shouzhuo here, I wonder how the main villain... Su Heng, managed to do it.
It seems that he invaded the forbidden area and "took over" everything here, which led to this change, but he clearly did not come here in person.
That's amazing.
If it were a different setting, a different past, and if the worries and confusion in her heart were gone, or didn't need to be, she would probably ask directly, "Husband, how did you do that?"
But there's no need to ask anymore.
“This isn’t so easy for me either,” Jiang Geyun thought, unwilling to think too deeply about what would make him say such a thing.
“It’s too late,” she shook her head and said, “Besides, I’ve already made up my mind.”
She raised her hand, along with the one he was holding tightly in hers.
She shook it and said, "Look."
Su Heng's hand was gradually becoming transparent, revealing her skin underneath.
He didn't look down at her hands clasped with his; instead, he continued to look at her.
Jiang Geyun remained silent, returning his gaze.
For a fleeting moment, she even wished that she could simply stay by his side without thinking about anything else.
Taking initiative to do something is never an easy thing, and even though she has done it countless times, she still feels hesitant before the next time.
The confusion and fear brought by the unknown can crush anyone.
But in the end, this emotion only appeared for that one moment.
It's time to say goodbye.
Everything in sight was disappearing, falling like a sudden snowfall.
In the very end, she heard something.
Upon hearing this, he was stunned for a long time.
However, no matter how she reacted, the scene before her eyes had changed.
...
To say it would change the world wouldn't be entirely accurate.
Before me was another bamboo forest, much like the others.
This custom of the Great Zhou Dynasty taught people that wherever they went, the ferry crossing felt like the same place.
Footsteps sounded behind me.
It must be the person who brought her here.
Jiang Geyun had already noticed.
Su Heng arrived in haste, and if she wanted to leave, or if anyone wanted to take her away, this was the best opportunity.
If Su Heng is given a little more time, she will surely be hidden away by him and never be able to escape again.
Who will appear? Jiang Geyun thought calmly.
"Whether you want to kill him or save him, go to Jingzhou. There you will find all the answers."
Was it the person who told her that?
She turned around with the answer already obvious.
The newcomer was dressed in plain clothes, bathed in a soft glow, her figure ethereal and hazy. It was the same gentle face she had seen last night, a face she knew all too well.
Cheng Jiao.
Cheng Jiao looked around cautiously with concern, then stepped forward and carefully examined Jiang Geyun's condition before letting out a sigh of relief and saying:
"Ah Yun, are you alright?"
*
The morning mist had not yet dissipated.
When Jiang Geyun woke up, she heard restrained footsteps in the courtyard, as well as deliberately hushed whispers to the birds.
Her residence with Cheng Jiao was hidden deep in a quiet alley in Fulong, Yingzhou. It was a house with a small courtyard. In the corner of the courtyard grew a tall phoenix tree, which was not in bloom at the moment. Only its lush leaves rustled in the wind.
After washing up, Jiang Geyun pushed open the door.
Cheng Jiao was looking up at the birds under the phoenix tree, and breakfast was already laid out on the small table in the courtyard.
After a while, Jiang Geyun rubbed her eyes and said, "Suguang, you got up too early."
Cheng Jiao turned around and said with a smile, "Ah Yun got up too late. The freshest fish and shrimp at Fulong Morning Market will be gone if you go too late."
Jiang Geyun stepped forward, sat down, and lowered her head to drink her porridge. Upon hearing this, she mumbled, "...Then call me tomorrow."
Cheng Jiao agreed, "Okay."
There was a moment of silence.
Jiang Geyun suddenly said, "Yingzhou is so quiet."
As always, there is a quietness here that is unaffected by the outside world. It is indeed a first-class place of exile, carefully selected by the Great Zhou royal family for a hundred years.
The situation outside is unknown. According to the "original work," ghost towns will probably appear one after another, and his ideal is being realized step by step.
Without the involvement of Xie Jiming, the "protagonist" with his own halo, it would only be more tragic than the "original story," right?
Cheng Jiao's gaze dimmed slightly as she said, "If it incites public outrage and helps stop this matter, that would be fine. But many people actually support this inexplicable change, feeling that the wicked have been punished and are very pleased with it. They even want to thank this trial, saying it's like a divine intervention..."
“That makes sense,” Jiang Geyun said.
Cheng Jiao paused, and after a moment, she smiled and said, "Is that what A-Yun thinks? I thought A-Yun wouldn't like this kind of thing."
Jiang Geyun said, "Your problem was resolved thanks to him, which is why I said that."
"Is that so?" Cheng Jiao seemed a little touched, her eyes brimming with a gentle spring. "Let's not think about these things for now. I went through so much trouble to bring you out, A-Yun, not so you could continue to wallow in bad things. I only came here when I was very young. A-Yun, would you like to tell me about your hometown?"
That's right, "it was quite a feat to get her out of here."
Jiang Geyun originally thought that Pei Xueyi, who still has the most mysteries surrounding her, would take her away from the forbidden area of Jingzhou. Unexpectedly, it was Cheng Jiao who appeared in front of her.
Cheng Jiao claimed to have sensed her cries and rushed to save her. Even though she didn't know what had happened between her and the Crown Prince, she was determined to take her away when she saw that she wanted to leave.
Then, according to the consensus of the people of Da Zhou, when there was no other way to escape, they might as well choose Yingzhou, so they came to Yingzhou.
This place is special; it can only be considered when all other options are exhausted. But right now, we are at our wits' end, so we can't think about that anymore.
Jiang Geyun swallowed the last mouthful of porridge and said "thank you" to Cheng Jiao, who smiled and shook her head.
It should have been Jiang Geyun, a healthy person—who, no matter what happened before, is now healthy again—who took on the responsibility of caring for the two of them. However, in recent days, it has been Cheng Jiao who has been busy with other things.
Perhaps because she was good at handling medicinal herbs, Cheng Jiao was also very good at cooking, especially when it came to processing fish and shrimp. With swift and skillful knife work, she could stun them, scrape off the scales, and remove the internal organs as smoothly as flowing water.
At night, they would huddle together in the house, light a bright oil lamp, and make prayer knots together under the lamp. Jiang Geyun made them very slowly and very seriously.
Logically, she should have played it when she was young, so she shouldn't be so unfamiliar with it. However, she hadn't played it for so long that she was even less skilled than Cheng Jiao, and was practically a beginner.
After they finished making the knots, the two gave each other the knots they had made, and they took turns wearing them.
If one didn't know those things before coming here, thus being able to deduce the current situation in the outside world, this tranquil and perfect pastoral scene, exactly as Jiang Geyun had imagined in the past, would truly make one feel as if they were in a dream they didn't want to wake up from.
It seemed as if there was nothing to worry about, and that things could continue indefinitely.
Jiang Geyun stared at the tassel on Cheng Jiao's waist, speechless for a moment.
Seeing her silence, Cheng Jiao said with concern, "Ayun, you don't seem to be in a good mood. I was hesitant to ask you before, but I know you'll get better eventually. But I'm still worried. Ayun, is there anything you can tell me?"
Jiang Geyun's gaze moved to her face, and her concern seemed genuine.
"Could it be..." Cheng Jiao hesitated, then finally gritted her teeth and said, "A-Yun, you actually didn't want to come here, did you? You still want to do this for the Crown Prince..."
Jiang Geyun interrupted her, saying, "I was just thinking—"
Cheng Jiao looked up at her with expectant eyes.
"I have never told Su Guang that I am a Fulong person."
The surroundings were deathly silent; not even the birds dared to make a sound.
After a long while, Cheng Jiao smiled and said, "Oh, I thought you didn't want to talk to me anymore."
“That’s part of the reason, but I do want to be friends with Su Guang,” Jiang Geyun said sincerely. “I realized I haven’t had a chance to tell her yet—that I genuinely like her and want to be her friend.”
“I want to tell her that we have different interests and experiences. Even if we have the opportunity to spend a long time together, it will probably only be a shallow friendship because of these differences, and we will find it difficult to open up to each other. But I still believe that this friendship is a precious thing to me. When I saw her, I was certain that she was a friend I would never meet again in my life.”
Cheng Jiao remained silent, her eyes filled with tears again, looking at Jiang Geyun with deep emotion.
Jiang Geyun continued, "To this day, I still don't know why Su Guang went to Yunshui Temple, or why she was willing to die. There are many things she didn't tell me, and of course, there are many things I didn't tell her either. But even so, she still took the risk—"
Tell me, I have the aura of death on me.
"This is not an easy thing; it took me a very long time to understand it."
Cheng Jiao said, "Ayun... I'm very touched that you understand these things."
Jiang Geyun stopped, looking quite puzzled, and said, "What does this have to do with you? What are you so moved about?"
"……oh?"
"I forgot to ask, what should I call you?" Jiang Ge asked casually, "Miss Xueyi?"
...
Jiang Geyun thought about it for a long time.
If she was able to come to this world and enter the so-called "original body," it was because of the transmigration system.
So why didn't she die after the system was removed? Why didn't she return to her "original world"? Why was she still able to stay in this body?
Why is there such a high degree of similarity between her and the so-called "original body" in terms of personality, appearance, and past? Why can she receive another person's memories so easily?
It's almost as if they were the same person from the very beginning.
Looking at it this way, the timing of the system's appearance is also extremely strange. It was neither before she came to this world, nor when she came to this world, but rather—when she met Pei Xueyi and the other two.
She once suspected that Xie Jiming might be the problem.
After all, he seemed to be the one who could benefit most from this. According to the so-called original work, he was the protagonist, and Jiang Geyun was to be a tool to clear obstacles for him and complete his own story.
But after several attempts to test him, Xie Jiming showed no difference. When she met Pei Xuexiao again, she even learned that Xie Jiming had been arrested.
So, who else could it be?
Pei Xuexiao?
If it were him, why would he need to play the "Do you have a sister?" game with her?
Moreover, his vision has always been limited to the world itself, and he has never shown any subtlety or transcendence of it.
...Where is Pei Xueyi?
It has to be said that once Jiang Geyun focused her attention on Pei Xueyi, she found that many things that were difficult to understand in the past finally made sense.
At those crucial junctures, the "key advice" given to her always seemed to be related to Pei Xueyi... and Yuantian Shenjun.
So, Pei Xueyi must be a follower of this utterly wicked god.
For a certain goal of the Divine Lord, he had been plotting for a long time, proceeding step by step, and using Jiang Geyun as the most crucial pawn.
She and that deity were the real villains, hiding behind the "big villain" and plotting to reap the benefits.
Cheng Jiao, still grieving, asked, "Ayun, what's wrong with you? Why are you saying such things?"
Jiang Geyun said, "Besides the fact that I am a Fulong person, Su Guang is very concerned about the death aura on my body. I originally thought that anyone could detect it, but later I realized that was not the case. It must be very important..."
“Yes,” Cheng Jiao said, resting her chin on her hand and smiling softly and weakly, looking pitiful. However, there was a hint of indifference in her eyes as she casually traced her fingers on the table. “You were born with a split soul, living in different worlds, separated by the Sea of Karma. Over time, indelible marks have been left deep in your soul. Anyone who sees you will think you are dead.”
...Don't you want to keep pretending anymore?
Jiang Geyun stared silently at the person in front of her.
Cheng Jiao looked up and thought for a moment, then casually said, "Speaking of which, you used to sleep poorly, but it's gradually gotten better since you came here, right? It's all thanks to me. If I hadn't given you this opportunity, the pain of your split soul would have made you have little connection with your family in both worlds, and you would have died young."
Jiang Geyun took a deep breath and said, "Pei Xueyi? You're in cahoots with Yuantian Divine Lord, aren't you?"
“You could say that,” the person in front of her clapped his hands, and Jiang Geyun’s vision blurred for a moment, but she could still hear the person in front of her speaking, “You could also say that I am one of His myriad incarnations, and also His true self.”
My vision became clear again.
The person before her was neither Cheng Jiao nor Pei Xueyi, but the young deity she had seen at the mountain villa, when confronting Wuer, and at the Jingzhou Temple, sitting on a high platform with compassion in his eyes.
She, or rather he, or perhaps He, raised his hand and clapped again. Instead of being embarrassed by the prediction, he smiled with joy and said, "You're really amazing. You made the right choice in selecting A-Yun."
For a moment, everything stood still. This was not a sensory change, but something real. Birds fell silent, the wind stopped completely, and every leaf of the phoenix tree froze in the present moment, no longer swaying.
"Don't call me that," Jiang Geyun said coldly. "What did you do to Cheng Jiao?"
He shook his head, still looking compassionate. "Didn't you ask that guy? She was completely dead from the very beginning. I only cooperated with you to perform the soul-summoning ritual so as not to make you too sad."
"If simply being more powerful could bring the dead back to life, the Xuandu Bureau could have done this countless times. What would be the point of dying? You've clearly read so many books... Indeed, people are more willing to believe they are the special one."
"Or are you really that naive, that you actually believe Cheng Jiao can come back?"
Jiang Geyun's expression froze.
"In the end, why do you think you can let her live as before? In all this time, have you seen any ghosts that are normal?" He continued, and suddenly, as if he had discovered something new and interesting, he moved closer to Jiang Geyun and said affectionately, "Oh, you're trembling, that's rare."
Jiang Geyun suddenly grabbed his collar.
He did not resist, like a gentle deity indulging the ignorant believers.
Jiang Geyun pounded her chest violently, and said hatefully, "You want to kill Su Heng, that's between you two, why..."
"Hush, shh, don't rush," He said gently, as if admonishing, "You've just recovered from a serious illness, and your body isn't suited to getting angry right now. Aren't you worried I might kill you on a whim?"
Jiang Geyun didn't let go, gritting her teeth as she said, "You won't."
“Alright, I really can’t bear to,” He shook his head and said, “Ah Yun, you’re so smart, you should be able to sense it too. The reason I discovered all this is because I wanted to tell you the truth. Otherwise, if I wanted to continue deceiving you, wouldn’t it be easy? You’ve guessed who I am, haven’t you guessed even more?”
"You're trying to trick me into revealing information," Jiang Geyun said coldly.
He laughed again and said, "Why be so tense? The final conclusion is still the same. You've noticed, haven't you? No matter what kind of being I am, the path your husband has taken is still problematic, just like..."
He was about to say something, but Jiang Geyun gripped his collar tightly, preventing him from making a sound. He could only cough helplessly a few times.
Jiang Geyun said, "So, you're saying you're righteous? You want to save the world?"
He patted Jiang Geyun's hand that was gripping his collar.
Jiang Geyun released her grip as if she had been electrocuted, shaking her hand with a look of disgust on her face.
He didn't mind at all, and still spoke in a refined manner, "You know that Su Heng's actions are no different from destroying this world. I foresaw this long ago and have been trying to help you resolve this danger. I've given you so many hints, how can you be so ungrateful?"
Jiang Geyun said, "I understand. You can't directly confront him, right?"
His expression changed for the first time, from a compassionate smile to a blank expression.
Jiang Geyun then realized that this "divine ruler" had nothing to do with compassion in his appearance; instead, he possessed an extremely sharp, chilling beauty, tinged with deep malice.
He quickly put on a smile, propped his forehead up, and looked at her.
But Jiang Geyun could not forget that deep malice. Despite the chill in her heart, she slowly said, "But you were able to take me away from the forbidden area in front of Su Heng. Why? When you talked about Su Guang's death earlier, you said that I asked that guy if he knew about that Senior White Dragon. Why?"
He rose, and the tassel at his waist swayed slightly.
With the warmest smile, He said, "You have too many questions. I'm getting a little impatient."
-----------------------
Author's Note: The emotions of the clouds in the first half of this chapter are extremely complex, and I struggled to write them. I've never had such a clear "This is so hard to write!" feeling before—the lingering anger towards the past, the melancholy of failing to escape, the uncertainty about the future, the speculation about the mastermind behind it all, and the gradual emergence of how to deal with it. There's some fear and exhaustion, but also a resolute determination to do it anyway. I wonder if this will be the empty feeling in my heart during our last meeting... I also have to be subtle and not write it out directly like a writer's note, which is really driving me crazy...
And then my computer broke down! What a useless thing!!! I hope the formatting and layout won't be a problem since I wrote this on a tablet.
I've tried my best to write it, and I'll come back to revise it if I come up with better ideas later. I hope you all enjoy reading it!
Also: Regarding the title of this chapter, the original work known as "Rashomon" is not actually "Rashomon", but "In a Bamboo Grove".
Youyou: The countdown to the end is on! The main story will conclude within 100 chapters~
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