Chapter 6 Past Events: Was I a demon who drained people's life essence? ...
"I always feel a sense of familiarity when I see you. What do your family members call you?"
"Xiao Zhi".
Despite being led by Jiang Yuzhi, Xiao Yao was still able to walk ahead. The two quickly passed through the storefront on the first floor, the tailoring room on the second floor, and then the bedroom in the back courtyard. When they passed the eaves, Fan Wujiu had already left.
Xie Bi'an and Bai Yan were sorting through bags of gifts when they saw the two of them walking over, chatting and laughing. They both gave each other a resentful look.
On the small couch in the bedroom was tea that Zhi'er had just brewed. Jiang Yuzhi sat down and picked up the teacup. In a daze, she seemed to notice specks of incense ash floating in the tea.
She slammed the lid on the teacup, and just as Xiao Yao was about to drink it, she quickly reached out and snatched the teacup away.
"Auntie, this tea doesn't smell very good to me. I'll go and get you a new cup."
Xiao Yao didn't care about these things, nor did she want to offend the young lady's good intentions, so she nodded to signal her to go.
With the elder brother gone, these paper figures have lost their support and are about to turn to ash.
Xie Bi'an caught a glimpse of his sister hurrying into the kitchen and knew something had happened. He told Bai Yan and went to find her in the kitchen.
Zhi'er stood motionless in the kitchen, like a mannequin.
It was just a fake person to begin with. Jiang Yuzhi refuted herself in her heart.
"Xiao Zhi, what's wrong?"
Looking up, Xie Bi'an was standing at the door, blocking most of the sunlight and any possible prying eyes.
"My elder brother is gone. Look at this paper figure."
Tiny gray spots appeared on Zhi'er's cuffs and fingernails.
"It's alright, I'll add some yellow paper to it, it'll still work."
Xie Bi'an rubbed his hands together, and a piece of yellow paper appeared in his hand. He carefully crushed it and smeared it on the gray spots on Zhi'er's hair. Anyone who didn't know better would think that some lecherous man was taking liberties with a young lady.
"Let me do it, Second Brother." Jiang Yuzhi couldn't bear to watch any longer and took the ashes from the paper to do it herself.
“Alright, speaking of which, I didn’t sense the aura of the Map of the State on the Princess.”
"Hmm, when I saw the Bai family head, the bell didn't react either. It must be with Bai Yan, but when I called him He Ji that day, he didn't seem to have heard of the name." Jiang Yuzhi had almost finished wiping away the ashes, and she lightly swept the rest into a small dish, intending to go out and find an opportunity to replenish some for the other three as well.
"Don't go yet. Who is He Ji?" Xie Bi'an had never heard of this unfamiliar name before, but the implication was clearly related to the Map of the State.
"Hmm...it might be the spirit of the Sheji Tu (a map of the land and its people)."
"possible?"
"He told me that, but I don't know if he's lying to me." Jiang Yuzhi's eyes darkened as she unconsciously twirled the remaining paper ash between her fingers.
Xie Bi'an's shocked voice suddenly exploded, "What!? The Sheji Tu has become a living being?!"
Realizing there were still outsiders in the courtyard, he quickly switched to a whisper, "Why didn't you say so sooner!"
“You didn’t ask. Let’s talk about it tonight, my aunt is waiting for me.” Jiang Yuzhi said, shoving the dish of ashes into the dazed Xie Bi’an’s hand, then quickly made a cup of flower tea and took it out.
"Go and fix the ash, I'll bring you tea."
"Oh, okay." Xie Bi'an responded subconsciously, having been fooled.
Xiao Yao had come out of the bedroom and was sitting with Bai Yan. The mother and son were talking about something.
"Tamaori, what's going on in the kitchen?"
Bai Yan then spoke his first words to Jiang Yuzhi that day.
"It's nothing, my brother broke the teacup and got scared." Jiang Yuzhi shifted the blame to Xie Bi'an, who was still processing the shocking news.
"Auntie, please have this. My brothers brought it from home."
The tea has a deep blue color, which looks a bit eerie, but it tastes surprisingly sweet.
The Crystal Orchid, a specialty of the underworld, is used to make tea that can solidify the soul. It is harmless for ordinary people to drink. It was sent along with the batch of medicines used for disguise.
Jiang Yuzhi really liked its taste. With her puppy-like, moist eyes, she looked at the woman expectantly, hoping that she would like it too.
Xiao Yao took just one sip, and her eyes lit up; she felt a sense of complete comfort.
"Xiao Zhi, this tea is quite good. Do you sell any at home?"
"The yield is not high, but Auntie likes it so I can decorate it for you." It has a high yield in the underworld. The seeds can grow a new crop in three days after being sown. It is easier to harvest than chives. It is a plant in the underworld that is both practical and beautiful.
However, if placed in the human world, it is estimated that not a single one would grow. The human world does not have the nutrients that the crystal orchid needs, namely the ash from Broken Money Mountain and the excrement of some creatures from the underworld.
"Okay, let Mingze take it back. It's getting late, and I have some important things to take care of, so I have to go now. Xiaozhi, go visit your aunt when you have time."
"Oh, I'll definitely go, Auntie!" Jiang Yuzhi was initially a little disappointed, but she quickly cheered up and gave Xiao Yao a bright and sweet smile.
Xiao Yao couldn't resist reaching out to touch this adorable young woman, just like a puppy she had picked up when she was a child, which would wag its tail happily at her for a little food.
Although its origins are somewhat questionable, it doesn't seem to pose a threat at the moment, but I'll still let my younger brother investigate.
Even after the carriage had been gone for quite some time, Jiang Yuzhi stared intently at Xiao Yao for a long while after she left.
She failed to protect her family, misjudged people, and became arrogant and complacent, ultimately causing her entire family to meet a tragic end.
Perhaps she can't remember where her relatives are because they don't want to see her or appear before her.
She wanted to be like Xiao Yao. If the world couldn't accept her, then she would fight her way through the world with the people she cared about, and there would always be a place for them.
Her vision blurred, as if blood had covered half of Jiang Yuzhi's eye. She reached up and wiped her face, but there was nothing there.
But the sounds of wailing and crying filled her ears. She knelt on the execution platform, surrounded by the curses of the people below, who seemed to be saying, "Heaven has eyes! With such a tyrannical ruler in power, even the most virtuous people are no longer tolerated!"
The guards dragged away the person who had shouted the loudest, and the execution ground fell silent.
She turned her head with some difficulty, and on both sides were the figures of her parents, brother, and other relatives. Although she could only see a blurry silhouette, she could feel that it belonged to her mother, who was smiling gently at her.
Little Knitter, don't be afraid.
Looking up again, her brother had an unusually serious expression. He patted her head. They were standing at the back door of the Jiang residence.
The noise in the house couldn't drown out the brother's admonitions.
Little Zhi, run! Survive!
She wanted to say no, but she couldn't open her mouth. Her brother turned her around and pushed her away, and her legs started running uncontrollably.
The sudden blizzard made it impossible for her to open her eyes.
The snow had just stopped, and there was a bamboo grove by the stream where she used to go for a spring outing.
Following the stream toward the bamboo grove, the boy sat down against a bamboo stalk. When he saw her, his tense body relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his pale face.
Sister, could you please help me again?
He took out a cloth bundle from his bosom.
Before she could take it, cracks appeared on the boy's body, and it shattered into pieces before her eyes. She couldn't bear to watch any longer and instinctively closed her eyes.
How are you?
It was her own voice.
Things changed again; she returned to the back door of her house.
Like a bystander, he watched as his brother called over and helped the boy who had fallen to the ground into the house.
You look much better than yesterday.
Um.
What's your name?
He Ji.
Is it really okay not to call a doctor to take a look?
Need not.
I'm older than you, so be my younger brother.
don't want.
You're so boring! Want to read a storybook?
I won't watch it.
All right.
As the days went by, the boy and girl grew closer and closer.
One night, He Ji left without a word. Jiang Yuzhi silently watched herself sulk over his actions and cried to her brother, saying that He Ji hadn't treated her friend at all.
When her mother came in, she wiped away her tears shyly and said it was nothing, then went out with her mother.
The mother and daughter passed through Jiang Yuzhi's body, taking away a tear that hadn't yet fallen from the corner of her eye, and walked away chatting and laughing, turning into a wisp of smoke and disappearing.
"Little Zhi, Little Zhi..."
Someone is calling her.
Bai Yan was extremely anxious. His wife was standing there motionless, and he called her several times without any response. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but his wife's body seemed somewhat transparent.
Bai Yan stepped forward to see what was wrong, but as soon as his hand touched Jiang Yuzhi, she collapsed limply, her eyes closed and her face deathly pale.
He was so frightened that he held Jiang Yuzhi tightly in his arms. Just then, Xie Bi'an came out and saw the situation. His expression was solemn. He told Bai Yan to carry the person into the house while he went to brew medicine.
Without a second thought, the person in his arms felt so light that even his frail body could easily lift him, which made him feel even more heartache.
Ghosts have virtually no weight, and Xie Bi'an wasn't actually going to brew medicine; he was just looking for an excuse to cover up the transfer of ghostly power later.
Before Jiang Yuzhi even opened her eyes, she tasted a nauseating, bitter flavor in her mouth. She sat up abruptly and leaned over the bed, dry heaving.
Bai Yan looked worried and gently patted Jiang Yuzhi's back.
"water……"
"Here you go." Xie Bi'an didn't dare to look at Jiang Yuzhi, turned his face away, and handed over the crystal orchid tea that he had prepared in advance.
After taking a big gulp, the nausea in my mouth finally subsided a bit.
What did you give me to eat?
"It's my second brother's medicine. He woke up after drinking it," Bai Yan explained, handing Jiang Yuzhi a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
Xie Bi'an! It's hard for her not to suspect that this is a deliberate act of revenge!
It's clearly not that medicine that's working, but Xie Bi'an, with his petty mind, made it so bitter for her!
"Heh, thank you so much, Second Brother. I'll give Uncle Yan a good compliment next time," Jiang Yuzhi said through gritted teeth.
Xie Bi'an actually flinched slightly.
Yan is the surname of the Emperor of Fengdu, but his given name has been lost to history because it has been forgotten for so long.
"No need, no need, Xiao Zhi, how could we trouble him?" Xie Bi'an really didn't mean it; he just grabbed a handful from the pile of medicine and had no idea what it tasted like.
"Why did you suddenly faint just now?" Bai Yan didn't care about anything else, he just wanted to know why his wife, who was perfectly healthy, would suddenly faint. Could it be that he had absorbed his wife's life force?
Otherwise, how can you explain that his health improved when he was near his wife, while his wife's condition worsened?
To be honest, Bai Yan didn't disbelieve the medicine Xie Bi'an prescribed, but he also didn't think it was very useful.
Perhaps the prescription was meant to cover up Jiang Yuzhi's secret.
He didn't want to pry too much; his wife would tell him when the time came. But since it concerned his wife's health, he had to ask her for clarification.
"...I must have been overcome with anger because I remembered some things I shouldn't have forgotten." I was angry at myself for being so weak and useless.
Can you tell me about it?
"..."
"I understand, I won't ask anymore. Let bygones be bygones, and live in the present, okay?"
Bai Yan frowned slightly, looking at Jiang Yuzhi with concern.
These were clearly two completely different faces, yet at this moment they strangely overlapped.
"good."
The study was usually quiet, but now it felt suffocatingly quiet.
“I really thought you all knew about He Ji’s matter. You can’t blame me. Besides, didn’t we already get our revenge with the bitter medicine that made us feel nauseous this afternoon?” Jiang Yuzhi preemptively struck.
Xie Bi'an sighed, "Now I know, the Map of the State has a spirit, if those people in heaven knew..."
A note from the author:
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I'm so lonely, is anyone watching? [Chin resting on hand]
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