Chapter 49
Jiang Kaile stared intently at Xie Xubai, trying to force a smile, attempting to pretend she didn't care and to face her teacher as usual.
Every word he uttered was choked with sobs, and his red eyes were brimming with tears.
Seeing him like this, Xie Xubai felt a pang of pain in his heart. He pulled Jiang Kaile into his arms and gently rubbed the boy's fluffy head with his broad palms.
"Jiang did a great job, sleeping obediently while waiting for the teacher, so the teacher came to keep her promise."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Kaile became even more unable to hold back. She suddenly clutched Xie Xubai's clothes tightly and hid in his broad, thin embrace, sobbing incessantly. Soon, her scalding tears soaked his clothes.
He pleaded eagerly, "Then I, we can do it now—"
Unexpectedly, Xie Xubai said, "Not yet."
Upon hearing the unexpected answer, Jiang Kaile froze for a moment.
Like a cat that has been provoked and its fur has stood on end, the Crimson Beast's pupils involuntarily narrowed into a needle-like vertical line.
It is no exaggeration to say that Xie Xubai is now to Jiang Kaile what a piece of driftwood he sees in the roaring waves before he is drowning.
He was so excited his eyes were almost popping out of their sockets, desperately and frantically trying to grasp at this lifeline, terrified of all the unexpected things that might happen before that.
Feeling the tremor beneath his palm, Xie Xubai gave Jiang Kaile no time to overthink and immediately took out the boy's lost half of his heart.
The bright red heart, like a splash of new green in the vast, cold winter, forcefully entered Jiang Kaile's field of vision.
Compared to the grayish-white body parts that players initially saw, the half heart in front of them has changed drastically.
Its color is rosy, its flesh is plump, and it pulsates regularly and rhythmically, making anyone feel its health.
That was proof that the boy was a human being.
Jiang Kaile's pupils constricted sharply when the important item he had been searching for for so long was suddenly found again.
He was stunned at first glance and didn't dare to touch it, feeling as if he were gazing at the moon's reflection in the water in a dreamlike state.
I stared intently at it the second time, afraid that if I blinked, it would suddenly disappear.
It wasn't until the third glance that the boy mustered the courage to reach out and carefully take the half of the heart.
When he truly felt the heavy weight, Jiang Kaile, who had unconsciously held his breath, suddenly gasped for air, his chest heaving violently.
He clutched his heart tightly to his chest, and large tears fell from his eyes again, pattering onto the smooth, cold tiles. He felt like a fish that had been stranded on the shore and was about to die, but had been pulled back into the water.
Extremely disheveled, yet incredibly lucky.
It was at this moment that Hu Chang, covered in wounds, suddenly ran back.
He looked very unwell, staggering and unsteady on his feet, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes rolling back in his head, and he was gripping his throat tightly with one hand, trying to make hissing sounds.
It felt as if something was tightly strangling his neck, making it hard for him to breathe.
Upon seeing the half-heart Jiang Kaile was holding, Hu Chang's eyes widened. Like a desperate fugitive suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope, a maniacal laugh erupted from his pale, exhausted face as he gripped his weapon and charged forward.
Bang!
Chan Sheng suddenly appeared, and before Hu Chang could even touch Jiang Kaile's clothes, he was kicked away.
The players who had been hiding in the shadows all came out and worked together to restrain Hu Chang's hands and feet, making him unable to move.
"Ahhh! Let me go... Damn it, let me go—!"
Yan Yue swiftly used the restraint tools to completely subdue the person.
Seeing Hu Chang cursing incessantly, the woman with the ponytail grabbed a blackboard eraser that had fallen to the ground and shoved it into his mouth. She then kicked him twice in anger, yelling, "You dare to backstab me in the back, steal things and frame us? Do you really think we wouldn't dare to kill you?"
Although they knew that the world was full of wonders and that there would always be one or two idiots with mental problems, Hu Chang's actions still disgusted them to no end.
The other players' expressions were equally cold and aloof.
They have many grievances to settle with Hu Chang, including the mysterious organization behind him that maliciously obstructs those who attempt to pass through the checkpoint; they can't finish interrogating him in just a few words.
To prevent affecting Xie Xubai and the other two and delaying their progress in the trial, the players thoughtfully gagged Hu Chang and dragged him away.
Xie Xubai did not turn around.
He wouldn't joke about Jiang Kaile's heart; the reason he dared to openly show it off was because he had arranged for players to be on guard nearby beforehand.
"Chan Sheng, could you wait at the door for a moment?"
Chan Sheng hadn't gone with the other players to begin with, and was peering expectantly at Xie Xubai and the other person. Upon hearing this, he immediately replied loudly, "Okay!"
It was at this moment that Jiang Kaile heard Xie Xubai's gentle yet steady voice.
"Before coming to see you, we carried this half of your heart throughout the Jiang family. Dr. Wu, your mother, the Jiang family servants who took care of you since you were a child, all our blessings for you have been poured into this place."
Xie Xubai gently stroked his heart with his fingers: "Now it only needs a little bit of kindness to be fully activated, so I let Chansheng stay."
"He is your friend and will not hesitate to give you his final blessings."
Jiang Kaile was taken aback and turned to look at Chansheng.
Chan Sheng could hear their conversation, but he couldn't quite understand what they were saying.
Noticing the boy's reddened eyes and the tear stains on his face, he seemed to sense the boy's nervousness and unease, and quickly assured him again and again, "I haven't left, I won't leave, I've always been here, right here!"
Every word was emphasized, like an unwavering vow.
Jiang Kaile stood frozen for a long time, looking at Chan Sheng and then at Xie Xubai. An unprecedented sense of security enveloped him like the warm winter sun.
He awkwardly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, sniffed, and said in a muffled voice, "Is there some trouble or concern that the teacher doesn't want Chansheng to come over now?"
“It’s not a problem, and I have no concerns,” Xie Xubai asked. “Jiang, why don’t you dare look at your arm?”
Jiang Kaile's movements froze in mid-air once again.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.
Even after Xie Xubai pointed out the problem, his peripheral vision kept frantically shifting elsewhere.
I dare not look at the crimson scales on my arms, nor can I look directly at the hideous reflection on the floor tiles.
He felt that he looked extremely ugly as a monster.
Xie Xubai understood Jiang Kaile's inner turmoil better than anyone else, and he also knew how afraid Jiang Kaile was of facing this cruel reality.
However, the horrific state of Ping An before her death will be distorted and fixed, and Jiang Kaile's abnormality will most likely accompany her for life.
He hoped to free Jiang Kaile from the cycle completely, rather than letting her live in constant fear and anxiety in the shadows for the rest of her life.
Xie Xubai looked at Jiang Kaile: "Jiang, you've seen my resume, so you should know that I once had my scholarship spot taken away from me at school, but do you know how I resolved that?"
Jiang Kaile was still in a daze, but Xie Xubai's calm and unwavering gaze always gave him a sense of security amidst his panic.
He instinctively replied, "...Report or expose?"
If it were Jiang Kaile himself, he would definitely cause a huge uproar.
But his teacher is upright and honest, and even if faced with injustice and exploitation, he would probably use legitimate means to defend his rights.
Xie Xubai smiled helplessly and shook his head: "That person is a relative of the principal. They're all in cahoots. No matter how many letters of denunciation you write, it won't help. It will only bring you a lot of trouble."
"So I secretly followed the principal and discovered clues that he was keeping a mistress. I spread rumors in the shop that the principal was about to be promoted. Soon after, the mistress confronted the principal's wife and blocked the school gate several times, demanding a huge sum of hush money from the principal."
“The principal was too busy to help himself, so no one was there to support the student who took my spot,” Xie Xubai said. “I did the same thing and asked students from other schools to help me, implying that he had stolen someone else’s work to enter the competition and win an award. Before long, the competition organizers came to me.”
"That's a well-known competition, and cheating is absolutely not allowed. In fact, he didn't steal anyone else's work; he had foreign help behind the scenes polishing and conceiving it."
"But once the rumors spread, he was investigated and found to be morally corrupt, including drugging other contestants, threatening seeded players to withdraw from the competition, and even forcing female and male students to have sex with him on several occasions. After the evidence was verified, his qualifications and awards were revoked, his reputation was ruined, and he was placed on probation at the school."
"I got my scholarship back as I wished."
Seeing Jiang Kaile's astonished face, Xie Xubai smiled and said, "You find it unbelievable, don't you? The teacher would actually use such a despicable method."
"No way!" Jiang Kaile immediately tried to deny it.
Those people deserved their fate, and he felt that Xie Xubai was doing the people a favor by eliminating a scourge.
"No matter how happy the outcome is, it cannot change the essence of the event."
Xie Xubai looked at Jiang Kaile, his gaze still gentle: "In fact, it's just as you heard. Teachers aren't as upright as they seem. In order to achieve their goals and protect their own interests, they will also resort to extreme measures."
"This is the negative aspect that teachers need to face squarely."
Jiang Kaile immediately realized that Xie Xubai was encouraging him to accept his alienated self.
When he learned this, he was far from calm as he had imagined; his breathing suddenly quickened: "No—"
He grinned, exhaling a scorching breath, and questioned sharply, "This isn't my true self! I'm not a monster!"
—No, you are a monster.
A cold voice rang out, filled with an indescribable self-loathing.
No! No! It's not!
—What are you still deceiving yourself about? Think about what you've done. Or look down at your own scales, glance at the windowpane, the floor tiles… Why can't you look?
Jiang Kaile shuddered and lowered his head tremblingly.
The gleaming marble floor tiles clearly reflected his mutated figure; his grotesque form was a size larger than the teacher's, and...
Before Jiang Kaile could even understand what was happening, Xie Xubai instantly lifted her head up, pulling her gaze away from that nightmarish scene.
Jiang Kaile looked at Xie Xubai's face again, which was as gentle as ever.
He couldn't help but blink, and more hot liquid slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the back of Xie Xubai's hand that was holding him.
"Does even the teacher think I'm essentially a terrifying monster?" Jiang Kaile felt she hadn't cried as much as she had in years, feeling utterly pathetic. She stubbornly asked, "If I don't accept it, will the teacher abandon me?"
"No." To everyone's surprise, Xie Xubai uttered a firm and powerful word.
"How could our sunny, cheerful, charming, brave, and kind-hearted young hero Jiang be a terrifying monster?"
Xie Xubai said, "The two people in the ancestral hall did not die because of you. Jiang Shirong tortured them, and they died on the afternoon they were put in the coffins."
Jiang Kaile was shocked to learn this shocking truth.
"Since Young Master Jiang has not done anything truly evil, how could he be a terrifying monster? It is because he is insignificant and weak that he has to grow sharp fangs and hard scales."
Xie Xubai took Jiang Kaile's hand and gradually brought the fiery red scales into Jiang Kaile's view, laughing, "This is clearly the armor of a hero who charges forward bravely."
Jiang Kaile then looked at the back of his hand, which was covered in scales, his pupils trembling uncontrollably.
Once he had calmed down a bit, Xie Xubai answered without hesitation: "As for the second question, Teacher will absolutely not abandon Young Hero Jiang."
"If Jiang can't accept it, then we won't accept it." Xie Xubai called out to Chansheng at the door, "Chansheng, are you still there? Would you be willing to offer your blessings to our young hero Jiang in a little while?"
"Yes! I'm willing!" Chan Sheng understood these words and nodded vigorously.
"Young Master Jiang, did you hear that?"
Xie Xubai patted the boy's head and said seriously, word by word, "You can refuse to accept it, you can run away, you can do whatever you want."
"No matter what decision Young Master Jiang makes in the end, his teacher and Chan Sheng will always be there for him."
"You..." Jiang Kaile began, but then realized she was already sobbing uncontrollably, wiping away tears. "Why are you all so good to me? I..."
"Because Jiang is just that good."
Xie Xubai pressed Jiang Kaile's hand to his heart again: "Can you feel everyone's blessings for you?"
Jiang Kaile stared blankly at the scene, tears welling in her eyes.
His fingers pressed against the soft skin of his heart, and with a slight pressure, words of blessing burst forth, pouring into his parched and wounded heart.
The young master is very good.
[She is a kind child.]
[Smart and brave, just a little mischievous sometimes.]
Without his protection back then, I might have died long ago.
...
"You're not a bad kid, you're a good kid. You're not a scary monster, you're a kind-hearted young hero. You deserve to be loved, loved by many people."
Xie Xubai uttered these words with unwavering conviction, and every word conveyed his sincerity, making him utterly believable.
He shook Jiang Kaile's hand and said, "I accept your armor."
He touched half of his heart again: "I accept your kindness."
Finally, he placed his palms together with Jiang Kaile's, cradling his heart against her chest, and smiled gently, encouraging her: "Now, let us offer a blessing for the future we are about to embark on?"
Jiang Kaile burst into tears.
He cried silently for a long time, then suddenly gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and looked at the reflection on the tiles.
This time, Xie Xubai did not stop him.
Jiang Kaile examined it closely, scrutinizing every detail: the scarlet beast's eyes, the ferocious fangs, the jagged red phosphorescence, and the face that was completely unlike a human's.
I thought I would feel immense pain from this self-destructive behavior, but I didn't at all.
"...Wow, he's so handsome! He scared me for a long time, I thought I was disfigured."
Jiang Kaile held back her tears for a long time before bursting into laughter. She opened her mouth and asked Xie Xubai, "Teacher, my mouth is so itchy. Is it because I have a lot of teeth?"
The teacher just fed him a piece of candy, and he chewed it up in one bite without even having a chance to lick it twice. What a pity.
To everyone's surprise, Xie Xubai actually counted them carefully for him. They were arranged in a regular pattern and were not difficult to count: "One hundred and twenty-three. Jiang will probably need to use five toothbrushes to brush his teeth from now on."
Jiang Kaile grumbled, "I can brush with just one stick, I can just get up fifteen minutes earlier."
Xie Xubai chuckled and bluntly exposed him: "Who was the one who promised the teacher to get up at the crack of dawn to practice martial arts, but ended up lying in bed for ages and refusing to get up? Hmm, it certainly wasn't our young hero Jiang."
Jiang Kaile blushed.
The teacher and student stared at each other for a long time. Just as Xie Xubai was about to pat the boy's hair again, he suddenly heard the other say in a firm voice, "I hope that I can become a chivalrous hero in the future, doing what is right and bravely, and traveling the world with my sword."
"But I hope even more that I have the ability to protect my teacher and protect Chan Sheng."
Jiang Kaile turned her gaze to the two people she cared about.
Even now, he is still very panicked and scared.
But the teacher walked the first ninety-nine steps for him, and Chan Sheng was standing at the hundredth step, reaching out his hand to him.
Jiang Kaile thought to himself, what else does he have to be afraid of? He is already the happiest person in the world.
He took a deep breath and pressed one hand against the red scales on his arm. The hard scales, with their metallic coolness, revealed their powerful strength to him.
"...Teacher, I feel it, this is my armor."
As he uttered those words, Jiang Kaile felt a sense of relief wash over him, his eyes sparkling.
The feelings of fear and self-loathing vanished like smoke.
From then on, year after year, he will be fearless and invincible for those he cares about.
The moment Jiang Kaile finished speaking, the heart in his hand suddenly burst into flames!
Author's Note:
I'm not used to getting up early to write, but there's still one more chapter to go. I have to finish writing this chapter; I won't sleep until it's done (slams face).
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