Chapter 279 World Eleven (Twenty)
Bao Shan closed his palm and put the double bone chains into his wide sleeves.
Mother Tan, still feeling apprehensive, stepped forward tentatively and asked softly, "Has the lovesick ghost been eliminated?"
You Dongjun retracted the peach wood sword and said calmly, "The soul has dispersed, so it has naturally been eliminated."
Mother Tan hurriedly asked, "According to what the lovesick ghost said, my son Qianfan's soul is imprisoned by her side. Now... is it possible that my son has returned to his physical body?"
You Dongjun raised his eyebrows slightly and said calmly, "Of course not. Mr. Tan's soul has merged with Huan Niang's, and they cannot be separated. Now that Huan Niang's soul has dispersed, Mr. Tan will naturally follow her."
After hearing this, Tan's mother staggered slightly, and the maidservant beside her hurried to support her. She dug her nails into her palms, forcing herself to regain her composure. After a long moment, she finally understood clearly that the current situation was the best outcome. If she forced Tan Qianfan's spirit to remain, Huan Niang would surely cause trouble in the Tan family, and the hundreds of people in the family would likely end up in a tragic end.
Tan Qianfan, the only son of the Tan family, had attracted a ghost due to his romantic affairs, and the story spread like wildfire in Liangcheng. Tan Qianfan's reputation as a wife-killer was shattered, but what good was a reputation after the man was dead?
You Dongjun and his companions had been staying in Liangcheng for several days. Now that the evil spirit had been eliminated, they naturally set off on their journey. As they were about to leave, a servant from the Tan family hurriedly caught up with them and stuffed an indigo-colored bundle into You Dongjun's hand.
You Dongjun frowned and unfolded the bundle to check. Inside were several envelopes of silver and a wooden box carved with intricate patterns.
You Dongjun gently opened the wooden box and saw a snow lotus with a soft color lying inside, shining brightly.
You Dongjun was unwilling to accept it, but the servant who came to see him off said, "The young Taoist priest is leaving Liangcheng, and my lady wanted to come and see him off in person.
But the young master died, and the lady had to take care of his remains and arrange the funeral.
On the other hand, the Tan family was a wealthy and powerful family, and it was originally intended to be left to the young master to carry on and develop.
Now that the young master is gone, other relatives all want to get a piece of the pie. They have been pestering the master and his mistress these past few days, telling her how smart and filial their own husbands are, without hiding their feelings at all.
These people are just wishful thinking. Madam loves you so much, and no matter how good those young men are, what does it have to do with Madam?"
Gu Xiaoxiao loved the hustle and bustle, so upon hearing this, she leaned forward and asked, "But what about the Tan family's assets?"
This question was rude. How could he elaborate on the Tan family's private affairs with an outsider like Gu Xiaoxiao? But the servant was not annoyed. He just said, "Madam has her own plans, whether to have one or more children. How could I know?"
The servant pushed the wooden box into You Dongjun's arms, glanced at the frail Baoshan, and lowered his voice to urge You Dongjun to accept the snow lotus: "Little Taoist, please don't refuse. You are a hermit and don't care about these material things. But this snow lotus is rare and a priceless treasure. Miss Baoshan is frail, so use more nourishing foods. This will also make me less worried in the future."
You Dongjun's body stiffened, but he didn't say anything to refute.
After the servant left, the three of them left Liangcheng.
Gu Xiaoxiao noticed something strange about the two of them. On weekdays, Baoshan was like You Dongjun's bird, circling around him and speaking softly.
But at this moment, when they were walking, Gu Xiaoxiao stood in the middle, You Dongjun and Bao Shan, one stood to the west, and the other leaned to the east, as if there was a Milky Way separating the two of them.
Gu Xiaoxiao couldn't figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it. She was happy that Baoshan was no longer close to You Dongjun, so she could talk to You Dongjun like before.
Gu Xiaoxiao wasn't one for quiet moments, and she chattered away all along the way, chattering about exciting things. But in You Dongjun's ears, all she got were a few "hmm"s and "so." If it weren't for Bao Shan and You Dongjun's interactions to contrast, Gu Xiaoxiao would have been accustomed to this kind of reaction.
But Gu Xiaoxiao remembered that when Bao Shan spoke softly to You Dongjun, he could still say three or five words from time to time, but why was he so indifferent when it was her turn?
Looking at You Dongjun's face which was colder than ice, Gu Xiaoxiao was extremely angry. She stopped talking about the funny things and turned her head away, facing away from You Dongjun.
Baoshan walked slowly, took off the sachet on her waist, opened it gently, and hung the double bone chain on her fingertips.
In the sunlight, the double chain of bones appears crystal clear, not like human bones, but a piece of lustrous jade.
——That’s right. No matter who sees it, no one will mistake this bone chain for human bones. They will probably think it is a bone chain made from some precious jade that has been carved.
Gu Xiaoxiao suddenly said, "Is this the bone chain left behind after Huan Niang's soul dissipated?"
After saying that, Gu Xiaoxiao's face turned awkward. She didn't want to talk to Bao Shan.
But the journey was too boring, and You Dongjun's attitude was extremely cold, so all that was left was a treasure fan.
Bao Shan didn't take Gu Xiaoxiao's stiff attitude to heart. She nodded gently and said, "It's a gift from Huan Niang. Miss Gu, would you like to take a look?"
With that, Bao Shan handed the double bone chain to Gu Xiaoxiao. Gu Xiaoxiao nodded softly and took it. The double bone chain was made of two slender bones, intertwined. They were white, smooth, and slightly cool, making them perfect for wearing during the summer heat.
But Gu Xiaoxiao frowned, remembering that the double bone chain was made from the withered bones of Huan Niang and Tan Qianfan. She said unhappily for a moment, "It looks good, but the bones of a foolish ghost and a playboy will make you look stupid if you wear them. You are..."
Baoshan raised her head upon hearing the voice and looked at Gu Xiaoxiao with her watery eyes.
Being stared at by such pure eyes, Gu Xiaoxiao couldn't bring herself to say "You are cowardly and stupid". Gu Xiaoxiao changed her words and said, "You are not smart to begin with. You will be more easily deceived after wearing it."
Bao Shan explained softly, "I don't want to wear it, I just want to put it in the sachet."
A cold voice sounded: "This double chain of bones has the remaining souls of male and female ghosts on it.
The yin and yang nourish this bone chain, and wearing it can nourish those who are weak."
When Bao Shan saw You Dongjun speak, her beautiful eyes trembled slightly, and she said softly, "I will wear the sachet every day."
You Dongjun turned around and said no more.
He was still angry, not knowing whether he was angry at the treasure fan or at himself.
What happened that day was You Dongjun's fault. Baoshan had completely forgotten about it, which was a good thing for him.
You Dongjun did not have to face Baoshan's tearful eyes, nor did he have to worry about how to deal with the relationship between him and Baoshan.
Before Baoshan woke up, You Dongjun had already done a lot of thinking, wondering whether he should continue to seek the truth or return to the mortal world to give Baoshan an explanation.
But what he didn't expect was that Baoshan only knew that someone was flirting with her, but she had no impression of that person at all.
You Dongjun felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart, and he couldn't help but reflect: That day, wasn't he brave enough... not strong enough... that's why Baoshan didn't even remember half a piece of his clothes.
But whether it was the snow lotus or the double chain of bones left by Huan Niang.
It would be beneficial for the weak Bao Fan. You Dongjun spoke rashly regardless of his own depression.
A few people walked to the small town. Although it was not as prosperous as the streets of Liangcheng and not as crowded with people, it had its own lively scene.
There were many vendors on both sides of the street. Some of them set up wooden boards, some spread a layer of cloth on the ground, and then started shouting.
Baoshan stopped in front of a string of hawthorns dipped in sugar, her beautiful eyes moving slightly.
Seeing this, You Dongjun's mind moved slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Gu Xiaoxiao throw out copper coins and take out five or six strings of candied haws.
Gu Xiaoxiao took one off and practically stuffed it into Baoshan's hand: "Why are you being so petty? We can't even afford a candied haws. Letting you stare at it eagerly is just making people laugh."
Baoshan lowered her head timidly and thanked him softly. Gu Xiaoxiao wanted to say a few more words, but she saw Baoshan's sleeve slip down, revealing traces that looked like plum blossoms, which was scary.
Gu Xiaoxiao thought that it must have been scratched by Huan Niang. She closed her mouth for a moment and said in a muffled voice, "Why hasn't the wound on your hand healed yet?"
Bao Shan was puzzled. She followed Gu Xiaoxiao's gaze and saw the shameful marks.
Bao Shan quickly covered her face with her sleeves, and her timid eyes met with You Dongjun's.
You Dongjun's heart trembled, and he felt his throat tighten. He listened attentively to Baoshan's words.
Bao Shan only said: "It's not an injury, it's... Miss Gu, please don't worry."
Gu Xiaoxiao thought, she didn't want to worry about it. But the scar on the treasure fan was caused by saving her. If Gu Xiaoxiao really didn't care, wouldn't she be a heartless person?
Gu Xiaoxiao snorted coldly and said in a muffled voice, "Who cares about you? It's just that if you get scars and you cry, it's annoying to hear.
There should be a pharmacy in town. I'll buy some ointment and you should use it honestly. Don't wait until you get a scar and then blame me!"
Baoshan opened her lips slightly, not understanding why Gu Xiaoxiao said that. This mark had nothing to do with Gu Xiaoxiao.
Even if it leaves scars, she should still vent her anger on that scoundrel, who was so reckless—
This nibbling and biting, and many of the shameful places that were not exposed were suddenly covered with scarlet marks, especially the snow-white and soft...
These days, when Bao Shan saw it while bathing, she couldn't help but blush and her heart beat fast.
But seeing Gu Xiaoxiao's tense face, Bao Shan felt timid and didn't dare to ask any further questions, so he could only respond softly.
Suddenly, distracting thoughts arose in You Dongjun's calm mind. He thought about the marks on the treasure fan, and it was like a ball of fire burning and spreading in his chest.
As Bao Shan walked into the crowd, a beggar, covered in dirt, suddenly rushed out. Bao Shan turned gently, intending to make way for him. Unexpectedly, the beggar, as he passed Bao Shan, bent over and tore off the sachet on Bao Shan's waist, taking it and the double bone chain with him.
The precious fan was bumped by the beggar and fell straight into You Dongjun's arms.
You Dongjun stretched out his arms to protect Baoshan's body to prevent her from being bumped into again.
You Dongjun looked at Baoshan's pale cheeks and asked in a deep voice, "How is it?"
Bao Shan shook her head slightly, caressed You Dongjun's arm with her soft hand, and said in a trembling voice, "The bone chain... was snatched away by him."
The beggar also took away the silver on Gu Xiaoxiao.
Although it was only a few taels of silver, Gu Xiaoxiao could not stand such humiliation. She immediately rolled up her sleeves and tried to catch up with the thief.
You Dongjun calmed down the treasure fan and followed after him. After all, the double bone chain was used to nourish the soul and must not be taken away by anyone.
You Dongjun walked quickly and in a short while, he forced the thief into a dilapidated temple.
The thief started out with some arrogant words, but when he saw that he couldn't frighten You Dongjun and was easily suppressed by him, he threw the sachet to You Dongjun.
You Dongjun opened the sachet, but found it was empty. It turned out to be a trick.
Not long after the thief broke free, he was caught by You Dongjun again. He had no choice but to raise his wrist and point at the double bone chain on his wrist. He said in a harsh tone: "It's just a jade chain. I just borrowed it for a while. Why are you so persistent in pursuing me?"
Gu Xiaoxiao pointed at the thief, her tone filled with anger: "Borrowing? Taking without asking is a crime. Besides, you didn't just take without asking. You stole it from me and Baoshan's waist. You're a robber!"
When the thief heard Gu Xiaoxiao call him a robber, his face immediately turned red and he retorted, "Who is a robber? You are talking nonsense and slandering me!"
Gu Xiaoxiao was about to curse again when Bao Shan stopped her and said, "Don't bother with him. Have you counted the silver?"
After being changed by Bao Shan's words, Gu Xiaoxiao stopped chasing the thief.
The sachet was broken, so Baoshan simply wore the double bone chain on his wrist.
The thief suddenly said, "What kind of jade is this? It's bright and lustrous, and feels delicate. It's not an ordinary jade."
Although he was a petty thief, Baoshan still replied softly, "This chain is not made of jade, but two bones..."
When the thief heard this, he trembled and stepped back, revealing a crescent-shaped birthmark on his waist.
Gu Xiaoxiao frowned and asked hesitantly, "Du Jinyi?"
The thief's eyes suddenly widened.
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