Jiang Chuting disembarked as soon as she reached the shore. She walked quickly through the streets, but seemed somewhat distracted.
When he came to his senses, he realized he had just stopped in front of a pharmacy. On a whim, he stepped inside to inquire. Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon a wonderful opportunity. The owner was from southern Xinjiang and had specially developed medicine pouches and solutions to repel poisonous insects and snakes, which were said to be remarkably effective.
When the shopkeeper heard that there were many snakes in the area he was going to, he suggested that he not only buy a medicine pouch to wear on his body, but also buy the medicine solution to take a bath with, for double protection and absolutely no mistakes.
After paying, Jiang Chuting packed up the items and walked out of the pharmacy.
She had only descended half the stairs when she looked up, her previously calm breathing suddenly jerked in shock, and she stood frozen in place, expressionless.
Lin Zhi, soaking wet, stood less than five steps away, staring at him with a dazed look.
"Chu Ting..."
He looked so disheveled that passersby were staring at him. Lin Zhi ignored them completely, approaching him step by step, her gaze seemingly fixed on his face, never wavering.
Jiang Chuting was surprised that he could swim so fast and catch up with her.
But what exactly does he want? He's already married, so why is he suddenly acting differently and coming to find him again?
They didn't seem to be there to cause him trouble.
Jiang Chuting didn't move. When Lin Zhi walked up to him, he smiled slightly, his tone distant, and asked first, "Young Master Lin, it's been a long time. May I ask what brings you here?"
Lin Zhi's hair and face were still dripping with water, and when he spoke like that, his lips drooped as if he was about to cry.
Even though the person wasn't ignoring him or being rude, that one polite remark inadvertently created an insurmountable chasm between them.
He choked up and said, "Chu Ting, I didn't get married. It was my mother who arranged it. I wasn't the one who went through the wedding ceremony. I've been looking for you for the past two years."
They weren't married? Then all the rumors circulating outside were just Lin Xi's doing, to make him realize he should give up on Lin Zhi?
This woman is really insane.
However, what she didn't know was that even if Lin Zhi didn't get married later, he wouldn't change his mind.
Jiang Chuting nodded and said, "You came all this way just to tell me this?"
Lin Zhi didn't expect Jiang Chuting to forgive him so quickly, but the fact that she showed no surprise or reaction after learning that he wasn't married at all made him very flustered.
"You, you don't believe me?" Lin Zhi involuntarily raised his hand to grab his wrist, but Jiang Chuting subtly dodged it, glancing down at his hand. Only after Lin Zhi shrank back did Jiang Chuting raise his head, his tone calm: "I believe you. I know you're not married. If you've finished speaking, then I'll take my leave."
A chill ran through Lin Zhi, who felt completely lost. She tentatively asked again, "Chu Ting, did you hear me when I called you just now?"
Jiang Chuting answered truthfully, "I heard it."
Lin Zhi's eyes instantly welled up with tears: "Then why didn't you turn around and look at me?"
Jiang Chuting chuckled and countered, "Does hearing something mean you have to turn around? It seems there's no such rule in the laws of the world."
Lin Zhi could no longer hold back, tears streaming down her face and mixing with the water on her cheeks. Forcing herself to calm down, she said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant."
Jiang Chuting gave a faint "hmm".
Lin Zhi clenched her hands and asked cautiously, "Chu Ting, where have you been all these years? I can't find you no matter how hard I look."
Jiang Chuting asked curiously, "Why are you looking for me?"
Lin Zhi's tears flowed even more fiercely, her voice thick with a nasal tone: "I know I was wrong, I've been misunderstanding you all along. I went to apologize to you, but you were already gone... Chu Ting, I've always loved you, and that has never changed. I wasn't thinking clearly before, and I said those awful things to you and did those things to you... I'm sorry."
Jiang Chuting slowly tightened his grip on the sword, swallowed hard, and smiled nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned.
"No need to apologize. I've been doing quite well since leaving you, and my mind has become much more open. You don't need to dwell on the past anymore; just live your life well from now on."
Lin Zhi felt as if each word was tearing at his heart: "But, without you, how can I live a good life?"
Jiang Chuting said, "That's your business."
Lin Zhi was stunned. Jiang Chuting walked past him to leave, but Lin Zhi caught up with him, grabbed his wrist, and blocked his way.
“I know you’re angry with me, just like I was back then, saying things you didn’t mean.”
Jiang Chuting seemed amused by him, and after a moment of helpless contemplation, she looked at him and said, "Lin Zhi, I am not like you."
"Chu Ting, don't ignore me. You still have feelings for me, don't you?" Lin Zhi desperately tried to keep him, and began to stammer, "Even if, even if you treat me like someone else from now on, I don't care. I'll accept it. As long as you don't kick me out, I'll do anything! Really!"
Jiang Chuting lowered her eyes slightly, and the curve of her lips gradually hardened.
“I’ve never considered you anyone special, and I took my feelings for you very seriously. But…” Jiang Chuting pulled her hand back, her dark eyes meeting his tear-filled eyes, and said, word by word, “In the end, I was blind and loved the wrong person.”
Lin Zhi froze, her head throbbing with a buzzing pain.
He once said this to Jiang Chuting.
So this is what it feels like to have your heart ripped out.
"A breakup is a breakup. My feelings are no longer the same. Your regrets and love are irrelevant to me, so please stop this pointless entanglement." Jiang Chuting left these words coldly, not looking at him again, and strode away.
Jiang Chuting's business wasn't finished yet, so he couldn't deliberately avoid Lin Zhi just because he ran into her. He randomly found an inn to stay in, and the waiter, as he instructed, brought hot water to his room.
Jiang Chuting poured the medicine he bought into the water, and a cool scent immediately filled his nose.
The doctor said he should soak for at least 45 minutes, so he took off his clothes and soaked in the water, intending to close his eyes and rest.
She had just closed her eyes when she opened them again, glancing towards the doorway.
There was a soft rustling sound of clothes rubbing together; you knew without even thinking who it was.
Jiang Chuting's breathing became slightly heavy, and he ignored it. After taking a bath and changing his clothes, a short while later, the waiter came up to deliver the meal and knocked on the door.
Jiang Chuting opened the door to get it, and Lin Zhi sat on the ground next to the door, hugging her knees. Water dripped from her body and she looked up at him with wet eyes.
"I misspoke just now, please don't be angry, I'm sorry."
Jiang Chuting had nothing more to say to him, and pretended not to see him, closing the door behind her.
Lin Zhi rubbed her eyes, but she wasn't discouraged.
Although I really want to hug and kiss him... I'm already satisfied just to see him right now. This is only the beginning, so I absolutely can't give up.
The next morning, Jiang Chuting put on his medicine pouch, grabbed his sword, and went out, with a purple figure always following behind him at a distance.
Jiang Chuting leaped onto the roof, and amidst the gasps of the crowd below, she disappeared in a few graceful leaps. Lin Zhiyi mustered his courage and relentlessly chased after her.
When Jiang Chuting arrived at the place where he had stopped yesterday, the snakes hissed and flicked their tongues, but none of them approached him.
He took a few steps forward, and they all scurried away. The medicine was truly effective.
Just as they were about to continue on their way, they suddenly heard someone calling out from afar behind them: "Chu Ting, Chu Ting!"
Jiang Chuting initially didn't want to pay attention, but then, remembering something, she flew back and stopped the people who were following her in front of a large patch of Muxu grass.
"Hold your breath, don't move forward."
Seeing that his mouth and nose were covered with a white cloth, Lin Zhi knew that something must be wrong, so she quickly obeyed him and retreated with him.
Upon arriving at a certain place, Jiang Chuting stopped, and Lin Zhi took a step closer to him, her gaze lingering on his exposed eyebrows and eyes.
Lin Zhi had also heard about the Madman's Tower and knew his personality, so she had a rough idea of what was going on. She pleaded, "You want to investigate that tower, right? Can I help you?"
Jiang Chuting decisively said, "No need, you can go."
Lin Zhi raised her hand to touch him, but hesitated. Just as she was about to say something, Jiang Chuting closed his eyes and said, "Go away, don't cause me any trouble."
Lin Zhi choked, then withdrew his hand. Jiang Chuting had no time to pay him any more attention and turned to leave.
Lin Zhi called out from behind him, "I won't cause any trouble, I'll wait for you here. Please be careful in everything you do!"
This time, there was no third obstacle as expected, and Jiang Chuting went straight to the tower.
A sinister atmosphere permeated the area around the tower.
Jiang Chuting walked around the tower and found that the original entrance and the windows on the upper floor were all sealed off.
Jiang Chuting stepped back, aimed at the entrance, and swung his sword down with sword energy. Bricks and stones shattered and flew everywhere, creating an opening more than a meter high.
Jiang Chuting didn't go in immediately; instead, he leaped backward because yellow poisonous smoke was billowing out. If he hadn't reacted quickly and retreated in time, he would definitely have been poisoned.
Just as Jiang Chuting reached a safe place, she discovered that the yellow smoke had turned into thick black smoke.
Inside the tower, a fire actually broke out.
"Oh no." They must have set up a trap to prevent someone from breaking in. If anyone tries to break in, they will burn the place down and leave nothing behind.
Going in now would be tantamount to suicide. Jiang Chuting made a decisive move, leaping into the air and using the slightly upturned roof ridges extending outwards from each level of the tower, quickly climbing to the top floor. Her robes fluttering as she stood atop the ridge, she raised her sword and slashed down at the sealed window. Rocks flew everywhere; now that the poisonous smoke was gone, Jiang Chuting successfully entered the tower through the opening.
The space inside was huge, and it was almost entirely filled with corpses, which was truly shocking.
The walls were covered with cinnabar arrays, and an incense table was placed against the wall with a wooden box covered with talismans.
Jiang Chuting tore off the talisman and used his sword to open the box, revealing a thick book with a bright yellow cover.
Jiang Chuting opened it, and on the first page were three lines written in vermilion ink: "Respectfully offered to the Ghost King Emperor, the list of those who suppress evil is here, may they never be reincarnated."
The roster, needless to say, recorded the names, hometowns, and birth dates of the victims; each line represented a wronged soul. The roster fell, rolling across the ground in a long line; its sheer number was chilling.
Perhaps the person who sealed the tower never expected that after the poisonous herbs, snakes, smoke, and fire, someone would still break into the top floor and obtain the roster. On the last page of the roster, the mastermind's name was written.
Those who paid homage: Qin Ye and Hong Jun.
His place of origin and date of birth followed. Qin Ye was expected, so who was Hong Jun...?
“Hong Jun, from Anyang…” Jiang Chuting remembered; he was Lin Xuan’s subordinate. However, he was timid and hesitant in his actions. Lin Xuan valued his sister, Hong Yufei, more, who was now the head of Feihua Pavilion, which had established its own business. She was also the mastermind behind the current initiative of using people for drug trials.
In Liu Guang's previous account, the person who insisted on suppressing the wronged spirits must have been Hong Jun.
He was probably the one who added those two names to the last part of the roster.
There was no time to waste. Jiang Chuting put the booklet away and picked up a medicine bottle that had rolled over against the wall. Before leaving, she glanced back at it.
I'm so sorry, I can't give you a proper burial.
Not long after Jiang Chuting descended the tower, thick black smoke began to rise from the top. He sighed silently and turned to leave.
Just as Jiang Chuting used his lightness skill to fly over the Muxu grass and land on the ground, he saw Lin Zhi rushing towards him.
"Chu Ting!" Lin Zhi looked at him anxiously. "Are you alright? I just saw what looked like a fire over there. I'm so worried... Chu Ting, Chu Ting!"
Jiang Chuting remained indifferent, and with a swift movement, she had already walked to the front.
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
I checked my pre-orders and found that the next chapter I really wanted to write had the fewest favorites. I'm so disappointed.
It's that story, "[My Ex-Boyfriend Became a Superstar]", which is somewhat similar to my previous story, "[He Was Deceived and Collapsed]". It follows the typical melodramatic and cheesy plot: first, the innocent seme is tormented by the breakup, then the seme becomes a bit dark/corrupt and torments the uke. The synopsis isn't finished yet, so bookmark it if you're interested!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
