Chapter 149 [VIP]
"I won't be unlucky anymore."
"No more."
Jiang Chao's hands and face were covered in blisters and grime, making him look utterly disheveled. He shrank back in fear, reached for the purse hanging at his waist, hurriedly untied it, and loosened the knot.
"As long as this thing is still here, I won't be unlucky, I won't..."
He kept muttering the same sentence over and over again, his dry lips cracked and bleeding.
His fingers slipped, and the purse slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
"My purse, my purse!"
Jiang Chao's pupils were fixed on the sapphire blue purse. He lunged forward to pick it up, but an exquisitely embroidered shoe was faster than him, stepping on the purse. The gems and pearls on the embroidered shoe reflected the firelight, making Jiang Chao squint uncomfortably.
He made a hoarse, indistinct sound: "My, my purse."
He shouted as he desperately tried to pry open the embroidered shoe.
Gu Zhizhuo looked down at him and, as he wished, raised his foot slightly. Before he could happily pick up the purse, Gu Zhizhuo kicked him in the forehead, sending him sprawling on his back.
With a flick of her toes, she landed the purse steadily in her hand.
The satin of the purse was a bit worn, and it was embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks swimming side by side in the lake, their necks intertwined. A small mandarin duck followed beside them.
The purse had faded slightly from washing, but the satin threads remained unscathed, and the embroidery was neat and exquisite.
The knot has been half untied.
"Give it back to me!"
Jiang Chao roared with bloodshot eyes, his neck taut, like a trapped beast howling.
He crawled to Gu Zhizhuo's feet and reached out to snatch it.
"Give it back to me!"
First came a sharp retort, then a hint of grievance crept in: "Can you give it back to me?"
Gu Zhizhuo held the silk rope of the purse high, his fingers hooking the drooping tassels as if he could easily grasp them, yet the next moment they seemed far away.
Jiang Chao hesitated for a few moments but failed to grab it.
He tried to get up, but the soldiers pushed him back to the ground.
The flames were still rolling, the heat was intense, making his face look even more ferocious and terrifying.
"Please, give it back to me."
He knelt on the ground, his hands raised high, pleading softly with a sob in his voice.
"This is luck I borrowed."
Gu Zhizhuo ripped open the knot in the purse.
"Don't move!"
"don't want!"
"Mine, mine!"
Jiang Chao screamed, but Gu Zhizhuo ignored her and took out a talisman folded into a triangle from his purse.
The talisman was bright red, emitted a faint smell of blood, and felt sticky in the hand.
Without a doubt, this talisman had been soaked in blood.
Gu Zhizhuo skillfully unfolded the talisman, revealing blood-red runes on the paper. The runes were twisted and ugly, completely different from what Gu Zhizhuo had learned before. Without a doubt, it was the Zhuyin Incantation.
Jiang Chao's eyes were filled with madness, and his eyes were bloodshot. It was hard to tell whether it was blood or the reflection of firelight, but his eyes looked bloodshot and he seemed to be about to explode in a fit of hysteria.
The flames burned even more fiercely. Gu Zhizhuo glanced at the burning building. They were more than a hundred paces apart, and the raging fire was still scorching them, making them sweat profusely.
The air was filled with a constant series of crackling and popping sounds.
The water dragon hadn't arrived yet, and the waiters were running around in a panic, urging the guests to leave first.
The small building was teetering on the brink of collapse amidst the fire. Gu Zhizhuo made a decisive decision: "Fourth Young Master Zheng, take him away first."
Zheng Si signaled to the soldiers to go and drag Jiang Chao away.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Chao became excited. He didn't know where he got such strength from, but as soon as the soldier's hand reached out, he bit down hard, his teeth clenched so tightly they were stuck in the flesh, as if he wanted to tear the flesh off.
Even three or five soldiers couldn't pull them apart.
Gu Zhizhuo had no choice but to run back and wave the purse and talisman in front of him.
Jiang Chao released his mouth, blood flowing from the corner of his lips, his dazed gaze following the movement of the purse.
"Give me……"
He climbed up to Gu Zhizhuo and reached out his hands to her again.
"Who gave it to you?"
As Gu Zhizhuo asked the question, he signaled to the soldiers to find an opportunity to knock the man unconscious.
"Tell me, and I'll give it to you."
"If you don't tell me, I'll tear it up."
"I'll talk, I'll talk!" Gu Zhizhuo seemed to be clutching his life in his hand. Jiang Chao straightened his back and said urgently, "It's a real person..."
"continue."
Jiang Chao didn't know what "continue" meant. His eyes widened, reflecting the bright red talisman in his pupils, and he muttered whatever came to mind.
"The master said that I was plagued by bad luck, that my family would be destroyed, and that I would not have a good end. He was destined to be with me and gave me a few talismans."
"The master also said that it was necessary to soak the talisman in the blood of a young girl and then carry it on my body, which would change my luck."
Jiang Chao stared intently at her.
He tugged at the corners of his mouth, his stiff face a mixture of crying and laughing.
He still remembers that it was raining heavily that day. He was kicked out of the casino, penniless, and had sold all his shops and estates. There was no way he could ever turn his life around.
At first, he was winning all the time. Everyone in the casino said he was lucky. He thought that if he gambled big one more time, he could win back all the money he lost on the ship, and then he would never gamble again. Full of confidence, he bet all his savings, but he lost.
I lost everything.
The rain was heavy, and Jiang Chao was about to end it all by hanging himself when someone saved him.
In the rain, Jiang Chao couldn't even make out what the person looked like; he only saw a blue Taoist robe.
Jiang Chao initially didn't believe in such talk of changing one's luck, but when he was desperate, he was willing to try anything, since buying a little girl only cost five taels of silver.
"I... I only bought one."
Zheng Si walked over and told the soldiers to stop fighting. He asked with disgust, "What happened next? Tell me!"
“I drained her blood, soaked the talisman in the blood, and carried it with me.”
"My luck has really improved, really!"
Jiang Chao forced a smile, his face stiff, a smile that sent chills down one's spine.
“I went to gamble again, and I won. I even paid back all the money I owed the casino.”
“Just give me a little more time.” He gestured with his fingers, leaned forward excitedly, and chuckled, “I can redeem my entire fortune.”
His breathing was rapid and heavy.
"Give it back to me!"
He crawled over and tried to grab the hem of Gu Zhizhuo's skirt, but Gu Zhizhuo dodged, and he missed, falling to the ground.
Even when he fell, he stared intently at his purse, as if it were his life, his very soul.
"I've already told you, just give it to me now."
Please.
Jiang Chao's mouth was open, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing, his face twitching with each movement.
"Sister, has he gone mad?" Zheng Si asked in a low voice.
Gu Zhizhuo narrowed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Very likely.
Killing, bleeding.
It's easier said than done.
Even on the battlefield, new recruits often break down and commit suicide after their first kill. How much more so a businessman living in comfort? And the girl he killed was utterly defenseless.
No one can remain indifferent.
"It wouldn't be surprising if he went crazy."
Zheng Si stroked his chin and said, "Sister, my men said he won a lot of money, and it seems he redeemed all of the Jiang family's shops and estates. Now, no casino in the entire capital will let him in. Could it be that this really works?"
Gu Zhizhuo glanced at him sideways: "Don't be curious."
Zheng Si quickly waved his hand: "Sister, I'm absolutely not tempted, really. After seeing Liu Ling's behavior..." Just thinking about how Liu Nuo fawned over the old blind man made Zheng Si feel a chill.
"Sis, I would never touch this kind of stuff, even if you killed me."
*Smack*
Gu Zhizhu threw the empty royal blue purse in front of Jiang Chao, who grabbed it with ecstatic joy, revealing a mad smile.
"Hehehe..."
It's back.
Just a little bit more.
Once he has redeemed all his belongings, he will be able to redeem Qinniang and his daughter.
From now on, their family can live together and have a good life.
He smiled blankly, as if he were seeing some beautiful scene, his rough fingers stroking the three mandarin ducks—two large and one small—on his purse.
"Yaoyao, come here quickly."
Xie Yingchen suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Let's go first."
Xie Yingchen's internal organs were weak and he couldn't withstand the thick smoke. Gu Zhizhuo was downwind, so he told him not to come over.
But now, the fire is getting bigger and bigger, and the small building has been completely engulfed by flames. It is swaying precariously in the wind, and every now and then, tiles and other debris are swept out by the wind along with the thick smoke.
Xie Yingchen felt something was amiss.
Cough cough cough.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't ask anything, but only called out to Zheng Silang and the others, "Let's talk over there."
When the soldiers went to capture Jiang Chao, he remained motionless and obediently let them lift him up, dragging him forward on his toes.
The wind was blowing his messy hair.
"Ahhh!"
He suddenly yelled again, his dazed eyes widening abruptly, almost popping out of their sockets.
Jiang Chao waved his hands wildly, shouting, "Don't grab me!"
He possessed immense strength, shoving aside the soldiers and stumbling as he ran towards the small building, as if he had seen something terrifying.
"Don't come any closer..."
"Your parents sold you."
"Qinniang, Qinniang, you're here... They're bullying me."
Boom!
With a loud bang, flames shot into the sky.
The small building eventually succumbed to the raging flames and collapsed with a deafening roar. Tiles, broken wood, and bricks, along with the burning embers, flew in all directions under the impact.
Xie Yingchen instinctively pulled Gu Zhizhuo into his arms, his back to the small building, and covered her head with his arm.
"Young Master!!"
Chongjiu rushed over from not far away.
The sound of flames exploding filled my ears.
In that instant, Xie Yingchen felt a burning sensation rise in his chest.
A burning piece of wood flew past Xie Yingchen almost grazing his shoulder, landing at their feet and sending sparks flying, burning holes in his sleeves.
This should be a small section of railing, half of which is burned black, with embers still flickering.
Gu Zhizhu looked up at him, her voice choked with nervousness.
"fine."
Xie Yingchen pulled her a little further away, then took out a jade pendant from his clothes. The small jade pendant had a peace charm carved by Gu Zhizhuo himself, strung on a red string and hung around Xie Yingchen's neck. Now, the small jade pendant was broken into two whole halves.
Gu Zhizhuo looked at him carefully, pressing his cheeks with both hands, touching and examining them from top to bottom. Only a tuft of hair was curled up by the heat, while the rest of his hair was unharmed.
She breathed a sigh of relief; as her tense nerves relaxed, she almost collapsed.
Xie Yingchen supported her waist and laughed, "I brought so many amulets, how could anything happen?"
He then untied the lucky bag from his waist to show it to her.
"What my senior brother drew is completely useless. The ones you gave me are much more useful."
Gu Zhizhuo's phoenix eyes were filled with tears, moistening them.
Xie Yingchen teased her deliberately, "Is my bad luck over now?"
"You'll know if you ask the cat tomorrow. If it slaps you, it means everything's fine." At this point, Gu Zhizhuo couldn't help but laugh out loud, pressing her forehead against his chest.
Xie Yingchen patted her back gently to distract her, saying, "Jiang Chao seems to be dying."
Huh?
Gu Zhizhuo immediately turned his head and saw a charred chair leg that had just happened to pierce his throat. He lay on the ground with his eyes wide open, still clutching the purse in his hand.
Blood flowed from his wound, and his chest was no longer rising and falling.
Gu Zhizhuo gripped Xie Yingchen's hand, still feeling lingering fear.
She glanced around at Zheng Si and the others. Only one soldier had been hit on the shoulder. Zheng Si was grimacing and shaking his hand, as if the back of his hand had been touched by a spark.
As Gu Zhizhuo looked around, Xie Yingchen pulled her forward.
The fire brigade finally arrived, and more than a dozen soldiers rushed in from the front and began to extinguish the fire with practiced ease.
To allow guests to enjoy the best views of the garden, the small building was built against a pond, surrounded by artificial hills and sparsely populated with flowers and trees. Fortunately, even though it was burned so badly, the fire did not spread.
Even if you don't do anything, it will stop naturally once the fire is finished burning.
"If it's burned down, it's burned down. We can just build a new one."
As the person in charge behind Tianxi Tower, Gu Zhizhuo had the confidence to say this, and instructed the manager who rushed over: "Life is more important, don't force yourself."
The shopkeeper repeatedly agreed.
"The guests in front have all been evacuated."
Amidst the chaos, no one noticed that the blood flowing from Jiang Chao's neck wound was all flowing in the same direction.
"Miss Gu!"
As they were talking, Prince Li shouted from the front, "Come quickly and see! Something bad has happened to the Duke of Wei!"
Gu Zhizhuo instructed, "Prepare a large red envelope for the Water Dragon Bureau," and then pulled Xie Yingchen along with him.
When Duke Wei was rescued, Gu Zhizhuo glanced at him briefly. He only had some burns on his body, apparently caused by wine stains on his clothes. Fortunately, the soldiers carried him out in time, and after extinguishing the fire, he was unharmed.
He was still conscious, except that his breathing was a little heavy, he coughed incessantly, his limbs were weak and limp, and his pulse showed no signs of any recurrence of his old illness.
But less than a cup of tea later, when I looked again, his eyes were lifeless, his mouth was half-open, his lips were pale, and his breathing was getting faster and shorter. His hands were on his neck, his fingers tightly curled and taut.
"Girl, he suddenly couldn't breathe."
Prince Li was extremely anxious and urged, "Go and see him quickly."
Earlier, Prince Li had noticed that his breathing was a little rapid. He had just come out of the fire and was choked by the smoke, so it was normal for his breathing to be rapid. But not long after, he suddenly couldn't catch his breath, and he opened his mouth wide to breathe, and then his condition worsened.
The Duke of Wei let out a series of wheezing sounds from his throat, as if he were about to run out of breath, and his eyes kept rolling upwards.
Gu Zhizhuo placed his hand on his neck pulse: "It's an asthma attack."
Duke Wei's "old ailment" is really deadly.
Asthma isn't usually considered a serious illness; it can be treated with medication and acupuncture. However, he had just inhaled too much smoke, causing the attack to be too rapid and severe.
Gu Zhizhuo felt the faint vibration coming from his throat with her fingers, and her brows furrowed more and more tightly.
There's definitely no time to take medicine, let alone brew it; he wouldn't even have time to get the medicine.
The attack was so severe that there wasn't even time for acupuncture.
The only way is...
"Only by cutting open his trachea can he breathe again."
Gu Zhizhuo put two fingers together and pointed to the location of the trachea in the neck.
Cut, cut...you're going to cut off the Duke of Wei's neck?! Prince Li was stunned, his body swayed, and he almost fell over.
If you cut someone's neck, can they still live?
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