Makeup (Part 7)
Meng Shizhuang paused, stopped, and stood silently on the other side of the window.
The moon, slowly revealing its full form, cast its light before him, shifting its focus to the old, rusted sword. The sword was so old that the first time he drew it, it was too rusty to pull out. With much difficulty, he scraped away the rust, and the paper-thin sword was free. He slid it out of its scabbard, and the rust within drizzled down like a fine rain.
After using the sword for a few days, he discovered for the first time that there was a spot on the scabbard that shone in the moonlight. Whenever he and Lao Ju looked at each other, they were always dazzled by the light and had to look away.
Lao Ju didn't ask a second time and stood stubbornly by the window.
There was no wind tonight, and the itch that had always been nagging at his chest was silent, as if it knew that a quarrel was about to break out.
Meng Shizhuang picked up the sword he had just put down and said casually, "We have a chance to go down the mountain."
Lao Ju's sharp intuition suddenly burst through his mind, and a fierce look appeared on his face, and the tone of his voice was so sharp that it almost broke: "I don't allow it!"
This sound exploded in Meng Shizhuang's ears, igniting a resentment and anger he hadn't felt in days. He imitated Lao Ju's stance, one hand on the scabbard, the other on the hilt, repeatedly drawing and sheathing the sword, a trembling sound that made one's teeth ache.
Lao Ju's voice was as fragile as the sword, his lips trembling. "Luo Shun came to find you, didn't he? He said something to you! Go find him and take back what you promised."
He recalled his chance to descend the mountain that year, his vision blurred. The cold moonlight turned to a terrifying bloody color, and the old wounds on his arms ached wildly. He fought his way through the twelve gates one by one, forcing himself down the mountain, holding the baby in his arms.
I went to the nearest town and saw a fatal notice posted on the bulletin board.
The news of "buying life for wealth" in Ming Hunzhou blew to Daohai City.
He finally gave up hope and went up the mountain again with Meng Shizhuang in his arms. The door he had opened with great effort had not yet been closed, and Luo Shun was standing at the last door.
——Looking at him with a smile.
Lao Ju didn't want to tell Meng Shizhuang about this past, but he knew that coming from Luo Shun, it must be a trap. He swallowed his panic and fear and repeated with a straight face, "Go find him and tell him you won't do it, that you won't come down the mountain!"
Meng Shizhuang also told him word by word.
"I'm going to take you down the mountain!"
The pain in his arms made Lao Ju sweat profusely. He let out a breath, wishing he could tear apart the calmness in his chest and cough in front of Meng Shizhuang. It would be best if he could cough heart-wrenchingly and cough up blood.
In this way, Ah Shi had no choice but to compromise.
But no matter how hard he tried, his chest and throat felt as comfortable as if soaked in warm water, as if separated from the other pain in his body.
Lao Ju had no choice but to soften his tone: "Yes, you will come down the mountain. Didn't I tell you that there will definitely be a day when you will come down the mountain? I have a way. Don't believe Luo Shun's words. I can..."
Meng Shizhuang didn't want to look into his begging eyes, but still refuted him one sentence at a time.
"I told you I'm going to take you down the mountain. Do you think you have a solution? Do you want to ask Lao Hu for help? Or one of your old friends who's been hiding in the mountains for so long? If they were really helpful, you wouldn't have been sick in the mountains for so many years."
His throat was choked with sobs, and it was difficult for him to utter a single word. He tried his best to suppress the violent rise and fall of his chest to finish his words, "I can only listen to Luo Shun."
Lao Ju found it difficult to understand Meng Shizhuang's thoughts. He wanted to tell the young man that the red-robed leader on the mountain was a demon steeped in hatred. But Meng Shizhuang's eyes clearly revealed his true intentions.
He came to his senses. Perhaps Meng Shizhuang was not unaware of this, but was tempted by the conditions proposed by Luo Shun. Compared to the unknown trap, Meng Shizhuang wanted to take a chance.
Lao Ju put aside his usual coldness and coaxed him like he did when they were children.
"Yes, if it weren't for Lao Hu and the others turning a blind eye all these years, we would have died here long ago. How can we ask others to sacrifice their lives and futures for us?"
He tried to retreat in order to advance, but he persuaded her, "I have another way to get you down the mountain. Or, do you trust Luo Shun but not me?"
Meng Shizhuang, after hearing Luo Shun's brief recounting of past events, suddenly saw through Lao Ju's "method": "I can't use other people's lives and futures, so I can only use yours?"
Lao Ju saw his red eyes and didn't know whose heart he was tearing out with his words.
"I squeezed your blood and ate your flesh. Thirteen years ago, I hindered your future and health. Now, you plan to sacrifice your life to fulfill my wish, right?"
How could Meng Shizhuang not think of this?
Lao Ju said he wouldn't lie to him, which meant there must be a way to get him down the mountain. What was the difference between thirteen years ago and now? It was simply that back then, there was no one to trust Meng Shizhuang with, and now that Meng Shizhuang had grown up, it would be easier for her to go down the mountain alone than to live there.
Lao Ju could no longer say anything to persuade him.
Silence spread again.
Meng Shizhuang turned his head away and continued practicing sword.
A resolute light flashed in Lao Ju's eyes. He planned to take action tomorrow. As if to inform him, he said, "Yes, I will let you go down the mountain. So many people on the mountain have helped you. Don't force yourself to do anything, okay?"
Meng Shizhuang said coldly: "I, no!"
He turned around and looked at Lao Ju, who clearly saw the unwillingness and hatred in his eyes.
Meng Shizhuang: "If you can't help me escape from the sea of suffering, you are insulting me."
Lao Ju's head ached, and a wave of turmoil surged within him. He refused to admit that the child he had raised, despite all the setbacks, actually bore some resemblance to Luo Shun. He knew Meng Shizhuang had no intention of blaming him, but he couldn't help but feel hurt by her words.
Has he never thought about it?
Perhaps he chose Meng Shizhuang over Luo Shun simply to use the innocent child to atone for his guilt. He forced Meng Shizhuang to stay, without even asking if she wanted to live and grow up this way. He pinned his feelings for her on her, making it seem like she owed him something.
Lao Ju stared at the moonlight, his eyes sore and tears streaming down his face.
He walked back to the inner room, holding on to the wall, and subconsciously looked at the calligraphy.
My heart is like a sword, sharpened to face challenges.
These eight words broke free from the mist of tears and were clearly imprinted in his eyes. He couldn't even breathe, lying on the couch, waiting for dawn to go find Lao Hu.
-
Lao Ju didn't wait until he went to look for Lao Hu.
He lay on the couch with his eyes open all night, and Meng Shizhuang did not enter the room.
It was just daybreak when the dilapidated wooden door outside the house began to make a sound as if it could not bear the weight.
Lao Ju sat up like a frightened bird and walked out quickly. He saw Meng Shizhuang and two disciples going out. A burning redness appeared in his sight - Luo Shun smiled at him from a distance.
Meng Shizhuang heard the sound and turned around.
He looked confused and annoyed, not knowing what to say to Lao Ju. As soon as Lao Ju came back home last night, he regretted it again.
I shouldn’t have quarreled with Lao Ju.
He calmed his expression and said, "I've warmed the food and medicine in the pot."
Lao Ju couldn't hear what he said, and almost begged: "Ah, don't listen to him."
Meng Shizhuang gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to listen to Lao Ju. He had long thought that even if it was a losing trap, it might waste Lao Ju's thirteen years of hard work. Then let him die before Lao Ju.
He said, "Wait for me to come back. I will definitely come back."
Then he walked forward without hesitation.
Lao Ju wanted to chase after him, but he couldn't walk fast enough.
Until Meng Shizhuang disappeared from view and the sound of the mountain gate opening was heard, his throat, which had been resting for a night, began to itch and ache, and he bent over and coughed.
Unfortunately, even though he vomited blood, the sound of his cough could not drown out the deafening sound of the mountain gate opening and closing.
-
Lao Hu didn't expect to see Meng Shizhuang in the group. He walked over quickly and put his hand on Meng Shizhuang's shoulder. "Why are you here instead of staying with Lao Ju?"
Meng Shizhuang's grip hurt, and he pondered the moment the disciples opened the mountain gate. No one in the group was wary of him watching, probably because they felt it wouldn't be useful. Opening the mountain gate only required fiddling with a few simple valves, not as complicated as Lao Ju had suggested. He was just contemplating the potential implications when Lao Hu suddenly interrupted him.
When he heard Lao Hu mention Lao Ju again, guilt and confusion surged in his heart. He just stared at Lao Hu indifferently without saying a word.
Lao Hu was almost furious at his behavior. He looked around but didn't see Luo Shun. Thinking that Lao Ju might be worried, he immediately ordered his disciple, "Hai Ke, come and take him back up the mountain."
Hai Ke was startled, and before he could respond, Luo Shun slowly emerged from behind Lao Hu and said, "I asked him to come."
Lao Hu's back was stiff.
He ignored Luo Shun and urged Hai Ke, "Quick, send him back!"
Facing Luo Shun's smile, Hai Ke's scalp tingled. He scrambled to Meng Shizhuang's side, intending to lead him back the way he'd come. Before he could even touch Meng Shizhuang, two other Sushantang disciples blocked his way.
Lao Hu clenched the sword in his hand: "What on earth are you going to do!"
Luo Shun said, "Master, what are you afraid of? I won't do anything to him. I just brought him down because I have something I need him to verify."
The smile on his face made people feel uncomfortable.
Lao Hu looked at the situation in the team and realized that if he used force, it would definitely cause trouble.
Luo Shun continued, "You wouldn't believe me if I said anything nice about him seeing the world. It would be better if I sent two disciples to keep an eye on him. I won't stop you."
His tone was relaxed, and he didn't think he was the culprit for the tense atmosphere. Old Hu simply felt something was amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint the underlying cause. Following Luo Shun's lead, he realized that since the person had been brought out, this was the only possible outcome.
Lao Hu spoke in a gruff voice, his eyes darkening as he said, "Hai Ke, find two disciples to stay with Meng Shizhuang. They are not allowed to leave for even a moment."
Hai Ke hurriedly embraced his sword and responded, avoiding Luo Shun's gaze. He picked out two disciples from Zhongyi Hall who were quite familiar to him, and placed them on the left, right, and back, flanking Meng Shizhuang to separate the people from Sushan Hall.
Lao Hu looked at Luo Shun: "Luo Shun, don't do anything!"
Luo Shun ignored his warning and continued to smile, "I can't decide what happens to him. Don't worry, I won't do anything to him. I mean what I say."
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