Chapter 79
At the Exorcism Bureau, Sui Fu met Gu Qingci.
She was learning some simple spells from the disciples of the Exorcism Bureau, her earnestness unlike that of the other disciples. This baby girl, whom Shi Wanqing had risked everything to save two hundred years ago, was now sixteen or seventeen years old; she had grown up.
Looking at Gu Qingci's background, Fang Xingyang thought of the days when they fought against the demons together. He said, "This is the county princess of the current dynasty. That prince's family only has this one daughter, and they cherish her like the apple of their eye."
"I heard about it on the way here," Shi Wanqing said, "You really have a good relationship with those below you, arranging such a good background for her. I didn't intend to do anything to her, I just wanted the silver bracelet on her wrist."
Fang Xingyang wondered if he had misheard. He pointed to the people not far away and said, "That bracelet has saved lives; it's a treasure." If the prince from the Gu family knew that someone was eyeing his daughter's life-saving charm, he would definitely fight him to the death.
"Fang Xingyang, do you think I'm that unreasonable?" Sui Fu glared at Fang Xingyang. "I have my own uses for that bracelet." He also found it strange; he had only asked for the bracelet, not intended to kill anyone, so why was the reaction so intense?
Fang Xingyang looked at Sui Fu, his distrust written all over his face. "Give me a reason, a reason that can convince that prince."
Sui Fu looked at Gu Qingci, as if looking through her at another person. After a long while, he said, "I once promised someone that I would complete a plan with her, and that bracelet is part of the plan."
This bracelet carries Shi Wanqing's scent. Could it be her? When did they become so close? He tentatively asked, "That person... is she still alive?"
"You all guessed it long ago, it's Shi Wanqing. I have fragments of her soul. For years I've been hiding in Guancheng repairing her broken soul, and now she needs that bracelet to nurture it." Saying these words felt like a long time had passed, yet I also felt much lighter.
Shi Wanqing is from Tianyu Mountain. How could such a big matter be handled by an outsider like him? Fang Xingyang asked, puzzled, "Who in Tianyu Mountain knows about this?"
“One of her martial uncles.” Sui Fu recalled the scene at the time, “She knew that a catastrophe would soon occur, a catastrophe that was caused by her, and she wanted to stop it.”
"Fake death to escape?" No, everyone saw her vanish into thin air, but now... she has a soul again. Is this something that only three people can do? Fang Xingyang couldn't understand it. He said seriously, "Tell me everything you know now, and I'll see if I can help."
Sui Fu saw that Fang Xingyang did not continue his sentence, but instead asked, "You should have heard a story in the capital, the protagonist of the story..." Fang Xingyang was very anxious now, "What time is it, and you still have the leisure to tell stories?"
“But you won’t understand unless I start from the beginning,” Sui Fu continued unhurriedly. “The protagonist of the story is Chonghua, and it’s about what happened before he went mad in the examination hall.”
Chonghua did indeed become possessed during the examination, and in fact, no one could understand why he would become possessed during the examination. He was a young scholar who had passed the imperial examination; even if he failed the first time, it wouldn't matter, there would be a second and third chance. He had no reason to become possessed at this time.
Everyone has heard the story circulating among the people, but what's often overlooked is the part about romantic love. Someone who can now end the demonic strife in the Boundless Realm, would fall into demonic possession because of romantic love? It just doesn't make sense.
Seeing Fang Xingyang's bewildered expression, Sui Fu seemed to have found a kindred spirit, "See! You can't understand either, and neither can I."
If he hadn't fought alongside Sui Fu back then and knew his personality, he would have kicked this "liar" out right now.
"Not only can I not understand it, but even Shi Wanqing can't understand it." Just thinking about Shi Wanqing's face looking like she'd eaten shit makes him want to laugh. "The female protagonist of the story is Shi Wanqing."
Fang Xingyang's expression now is the same as Shi Wanqing's expression back then when she learned that Chonghua had become a demon because of her.
"He has been dead for over two hundred years, don't make fun of him."
“Why would I lie to you? It’s true.” Sui Fu recalled, “Back then, when Shi Wanqing came down the mountain, you know she was alright at handling things, but she wasn’t very reliable when it came to dealing with people. Tianyu Mountain didn’t assign her any position, so she had nothing to do and spent her days causing trouble with the inner disciples. It was because of this junior sister that Shi Jueming’s medicine and medical practitioners at Tianyu Mountain spent all their time researching poisons.”
"Han Wenqing couldn't take it anymore, so he arranged for her to go down the mountain to gain experience, telling her not to come back for at least a hundred or two hundred years. Not to mention the strange encounters she had during this time, she spent a hundred years on the mountain exorcising demons and monsters, offending all sorts of demons, both those she should and shouldn't have offended."
During that time, she was ambushed by a group of demons. Although she won the battle, she was seriously injured and collapsed on the road. When she woke up, she learned that she had been found by a villager. The family's surname was Chong, and they had an only son named Hua.
At that time, her injuries hadn't healed, and she couldn't leave, so she stayed to recover. Luckily, she had some money, and the family wasn't malicious. She used the money to buy medicine and improve their lives. Later, Chonghua used this money to return to school. Shi Wanqing also made up for the lessons Chonghua missed.
Several years passed in a flash. Her injuries finally healed, and Chonghua passed the imperial examination with flying colors, becoming a successful candidate and reaching marriageable age. At the time, Shi Wanqing jokingly suggested that Chonghua come to the capital to marry a woman, citing a tradition of "catching a son-in-law after the exam results are announced." The boy was initially angry, but everyone assumed he was just shy.
As a fellow man, Fang Xingyang understood. "He's fallen for Shi Wanqing over time. She's his master, what a blasphemy!"
"Shi Wanqing always treated him as her disciple and taught him kung fu and magic."
After her injuries healed, Tianyu Mountain assigned her other tasks, which Shi Wanqing then embarked on. Before leaving, she promised to escort Chonghua to the capital to participate in the imperial examination. However, when she returned, everything had changed; something had happened to the Chong family. A family in the city, apparently with someone holding an official position in the capital, had taken a liking to the Chong family's land, seized it, and killed the head of the Chong family.
Chonghua's mother was furious and sued the family, but as you know, not only did she fail to get the land back, she was also falsely accused and flogged by the officials. When Shi Wanqing returned, she found Chonghua's mother barely alive. Before she died, Chonghua's mother wanted Shi Wanqing to take her son to the imperial examination, wanting to punish the family and not wanting her son to be implicated and unable to take the exam. Shi Wanqing agreed.
She kept vigil for Chonghua for three years, allowing him to observe mourning for his family.
Sui Fu looked at Fang Xingyang and said, "If you were Chonghua at this moment, what would you do?"
“Me? If it were me, I would study diligently, pass the imperial examination, and then identify the criminal in the imperial court.” Fang Xingyang said, “He is an official, and I am just an ordinary citizen. This is the only way I can do it.”
Sui Fu nodded and said, "Then you made the same decision as Shi Wanqing. She said that cultivators cannot get involved in matters between mortals, but she can guarantee Chonghua's safety and prevent him from being implicated in this matter. Shi Wanqing did not say how Chonghua reacted, but I guess he wanted to kill his enemies."
"Later, Shi Wanqing accompanied Chonghua to participate in the imperial examination. They arrived in the capital early. Chonghua studied and prepared for the exam, while Shi Wanqing found a young man who was an official of the Dali Temple. She wanted the Dali Temple to retry the case after the imperial examination began."
"Chonghua probably thought he could really marry Shi Wanqing! He was very angry when he saw Shi Wanqing associating with that young official. I don't know what he was thinking, and neither does Shi Wanqing."
Fang Xingyang poured Sui Fu a cup of tea. After talking for so long, he should have some water. While Sui Fu was drinking, he voiced his guess: "He probably feels incompetent. He always relied on Shi Wanqing for protection before, and now he still needs Shi Wanqing to run around for his family. He feels like a useless person."
It's not impossible. Although he's been in contact with people for a long time, Sui Fu is ultimately not human and cannot understand Chong Hua's behavioral logic. "What you said is very possible. We guessed at the time that Chong Hua encountered the demons at this time and became tainted by demonic energy."
"Wait a minute, it's impossible that someone tainted with demonic energy wouldn't have been discovered." Shi Wanqing's words were unreliable, but her strength was undeniable. If it weren't for her personality, she would have been the master of a peak, or even more.
"So, Chonghua is a genius. He was able to pass the imperial examination in just a few years. During this time, he also mastered the kung fu and magic taught by Shi Wanqing. If it weren't for Chonghua's parents' wish for him to live a normal life through the imperial examination, Shi Wanqing would have taken him back to Tianyu Mountain long ago."
Sui Fu couldn't help but sigh. Chong Hua had managed to hide the demonic energy using only the techniques taught by Shi Wanqing. Was this ability to apply knowledge to new situations and integrate different techniques really something an ordinary person could possess?
"What techniques did Shi Wanqing teach him?" Fang Xingyang asked curiously.
Sui Fu shook his head. At the time, Shi Wanqing didn't say anything, and he didn't ask. "In short, the more high-ranking officials and scions of wealthy families Shi Wanqing came into contact with in the capital, the angrier Chonghua became, and the deeper the demonic energy eroded him. Until he eventually fell into demonic possession during the examination."
This shouldn't be a coincidence. Fang Xingyang asked, "What did he see in the examination hall? What triggered his descent into madness?"
Sui Fu was unaware of this, and Shi Wanqing later investigated as well, but found nothing.
This also explains why Shi Wanqing was able to guard the mountain gate alone with her sword. It was out of guilt—guilt for not noticing the demonic energy in Chonghua after he had been by her side for so long; guilt for not being able to stop Chonghua from falling into demonic possession in time; and guilt towards the people of the world…
"This is the whole process of Chonghua's descent into demonic possession," Suifu said.
"What does this have to do with the bracelet?"
"More than two hundred years ago, Shi Wanqing's uncle foresaw that the demon race would invade again two hundred years later because of Shi Wanqing. You know her physical condition at the time; she simply couldn't hold on until today. So she came up with a plan, which can also be described as a way of escaping unscathed."
"This matter cannot be known to anyone else; she can only find me." When Sui Fu saw Shi Wanqing again after her spiritual mansion shattered, he couldn't even recognize her immediately. The thin, pale woman was so different from the person he remembered.
What puzzled Fang Xingyang was that Sui Fu and Shi Wanqing met during their joint resistance against the demon invasion, and not long after, the battle to defend the mountain gate occurred, during which Shi Wanqing's spiritual palace shattered. It didn't seem like their relationship was that good. He asked, "Are you two really that close?"
"Are you envious?"
Fang Xingyang found it unbelievable and looked at Sui Fu as if she were a fool. "She wants to stop Chonghua two hundred years from now? What makes her so sure that Chonghua still has human emotions and so-called love for her?"
“Because Chonghua is hunting me down. He wants Shi Wanqing’s remnant soul that I have. Why do you think he wants Shi Wanqing’s remnant soul? Why did he steal the divine artifact? Because he wants Shi Wanqing to live!” Sui Fu became more and more agitated as he spoke, and finally sighed to calm himself down. “We won the gamble.”
Besides shock, Fang Xingyang also had other emotions. He asked Sui Fu, "You've been setting up this scheme for two hundred years, and you're just telling me this?"
Sui Fu nodded. "Right now, only you, I, and that martial uncle know about this. Can you give me the bracelet now?"
Fang Xingyang was persuaded by their actions. He looked at Gu Qingci, who was still practicing magic not far away, and said, "Alright, I'll go and persuade that prince."
"Where is this county princess?"
"She would agree. She is Shi Wanqing, and all women in this world admire her."
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