Chapter 55 055 "I thought you didn't want me anymore."...
Jiang Ling'er was stunned upon hearing this, blinking her almond-shaped eyes, completely bewildered:
"……What?"
The young Taoist priest seemed even more bewildered than she was, holding her hand tightly. Jiang Ling'er had long arms and legs, so her ten fingers were naturally slender and long, but they still looked small in the young man's hand, as if he could completely enclose them in one hand.
The young man's fingertips had a thin layer of calluses. He stroked Jiang Ling'er's slender wrist upwards, muttering something like a mantra in a nervous manner:
“It shouldn’t be like this, it shouldn’t be like this… Fate is what we call destiny. Although it cannot be called fate, things like wealth, poverty, longevity, and premature death are also predetermined…”
The two sat on the donkey, which was small to begin with and could barely carry one adult, let alone two.
Jiang Ling'er belatedly realized that the two of them were extremely close, especially since the man was holding her hand tightly, almost at the point where they could smell each other's breath.
Even when Jiang Ling'er raised her eyes, her long eyelashes swept over the young man's Adam's apple, which was just inches away. She could even smell the faint floral fragrance emanating from his crescent-white collar.
As for what kind of flower it is... it looks familiar, but I can't remember it for a moment.
But that's not important. What's important is that Jiang Ling'er, having regained her senses, had her brows furrowed deeply, and her face as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Hello……"
It wasn't that Jiang Ling'er didn't want to break free; she tried, but couldn't!
The young man looked tall and thin, and didn't seem to be a martial artist, but his strength was surprisingly great. She didn't even have a chance to resist and could only let him knead, rub, and study her hands from head to toe.
One hand wasn't enough; the young man cupped Jiang Ling'er's right hand in both, raising it to his eyes, his high, straight nose almost touching her palm. From wrist to finger bones to fingertips, he didn't miss a single detail—the lines of her palm, the calluses on her fingertips, and even the chilblains caused by the cold. His calloused fingertips rubbed inch by inch across her skin and every line on her palm, muttering to himself:
“Fate is the essence, fortune is the function. One who has fate may not have fortune. One who has no fate may not be without fortune. To have both fate and fortune is called the balance of fate and fortune②... Your fate is over, your fortune is exhausted, it shouldn't be like this... it shouldn't be like this..."
The young man was chanting to himself, speaking rapidly and in a low voice. Jiang Ling'er couldn't hear what he was saying, but she felt that this young Taoist priest was very mysterious and sinister, which inadvertently confirmed what the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) had told her when she first escorted a shipment:
[The Four Taboos in the Martial World: Taoist priests, Buddhist monks, women, and children. You should never mess with these four types of people, understand?]
She didn't understand it then, but now she understands it to some extent.
For example, this mysterious young man in front of us is actually the number one ranked Taoist priest.
Adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, especially since she was now part of the "Asura Duo" burdened with a reward of ten thousand taels of gold, Jiang Ling'er patiently and politely questioned the Taoist priest. However, the man remained immersed in his own world, and his right hand, which had been gently touched, became tingly with unease. A vein throbbed on Jiang Ling'er's forehead, and her almond-shaped eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Hey... how long are you going to keep touching me?"
The handsome young Taoist priest seemed oblivious to everything and continued chanting scriptures!
"Where exactly did things go wrong...? This shouldn't be...this shouldn't be..."
Perhaps it was because of the dim light of the setting sun, but he held her right hand even closer to his eyes, not only lightly touching the tip of her high nose in her palm, but also clearly brushing his soft, thin lips across her fingertips...
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Jiang Ling'er: "…………"
At this moment, not only was her arm tingling, but her whole body was covered in goosebumps! Jiang Ling'er could no longer bear it, and with her intact left hand, she slapped the fair-skinned handsome face right in front of her!
With a crisp, ear-piercing "smack!", Junrong was knocked aside.
The chanting finally stopped, and all was quiet.
A deathly silence spread, and even the donkey beneath them trembled uncomfortably three times.
Jiang Ling'er glared at him, a murderous glint flashing in her almond-shaped eyes: "Let go!"
Jiang Ling'er tried to pull her right hand away, but she couldn't. It was as if it was shackled. The dark mark of the palm print was visible on the young man's smooth profile, but he still held onto Jiang Ling'er's right hand tightly.
"you……"
Jiang Ling'er gritted her teeth, truly enraged. Ignoring the attention their commotion drew from passersby, she focused her energy on her left palm, gathering thirty percent of her inner strength to unleash a "Thunderous" strike towards the young man's chest. Suddenly, the young man grabbed her wrist, raised it above his head, and firmly restrained her!
soon.
Faster than before.
The young man gripped her wrists with both hands, drawing closer to her. The two, already almost pressed together, now had no space between them. His dark, phoenix-shaped eyes reflected Jiang Ling'er's astonished gaze, and he spoke each word in a voice only they could hear:
"Your life is over; you shouldn't live any longer in this world... Are you a human or a ghost?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Ling'er was completely stunned.
The hands that had been trying to struggle lost their strength, and the struggle ended with them staring blankly at the person in front of them.
he……
How could he know?
At the same time, a woman's high-pitched roar came from behind, growing louder as it approached:
"You damned rogue Taoist priest, let's see where you dare to run now!"
Along with the woman's roar, a rolling pin came hurtling through the air with the force of thunder, piercing through thousands of frost flowers and striking the young man squarely on the back of the head!
The rolling pin was clearly imbued with terrifying internal force. With a loud "bang," Jiang Ling'er could even hear the bone breaking, a sound that sent chills down her spine!
The young man trembled all over and let out a soft "uh." Jiang Ling'er's pupils dilated.
"Are you... are you alright...?"
The donkey was clearly startled by the sudden shoveling of the rolling pin. It let out a long whinny and its two front legs lurched through the air, throwing Jiang Ling'er and the young man off its back!
I fell into the snow!
To be precise, the young man fell into the snow, and Jiang Ling'er fell on top of him!
All she heard was a low groan from below. Jiang Ling'er wanted to dodge, but her hands were still firmly held by this guy, and she couldn't break free. She just fell down like that!
The roof was covered in snow.
Passersby were stunned and gathered around.
The woman who had been roaring and throwing her rolling pin just moments before finally came running over, and was stunned by what she saw.
Blood seeped from the snowdrift that resembled a small hill where the two people were buried.
It gradually spread, like a vast expanse of red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.
The woman was taken aback and involuntarily took two steps back.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Tofu seller, you're killing someone!"
"Qin Xiangyu, you're something else! Killing three husbands wasn't enough, now you've taken another... no, two lives!"
The woman, nicknamed "Tofu Beauty," was plump, pretty, and quite feisty. Upon hearing this, she immediately put her hands on her hips and began cursing at the crowd:
"I'm going to die! Who saw me kill someone?! Who was it? Dare to step forward!"
The crowd stirred hushedly, but no one dared to step forward. Jiang Ling'er, unable to bear it any longer, poked her head out of the snowdrift, panting heavily. Qin Xiangyu was startled, then exclaimed in surprise:
"Thank goodness, girl, you're alright!"
Jiang Ling'er didn't have time to reply. She shouted sharply at the snowdrift beneath her, "Hey! Let go!"
Although she poked her head out, her waist and abdomen, including her hands, were still buried in the snow.
The only answer she received was the bloodstains spreading across the snowdrift, a sight that sent a chill down one's spine.
Jiang Ling'er could only be annoyed. Gritting her teeth, she shouted, "Come out!"
As if pulling a radish with mud attached, they yanked the person buried in the snow beneath her out!
Snowflakes fell like a waterfall, and the two men's intertwined arms were like entwined vines. The young, reckless Taoist priest was finally pulled out.
"You loosen it for me..."
Jiang Ling'er looked up and met a pair of incredibly bright phoenix eyes, and... a face and head covered in ink-like blood...
He froze, the words he was about to say stuck in his throat, unable to be swallowed or spat out.
I've never seen anyone like this before.
Although I have often heard the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) sigh about some martial arts fanatics in the martial arts world who practice martial arts from dawn till dusk and forget to eat and sleep, I have never seen anyone so obsessed with someone else's hand!
I've seen crazy people, but I've never seen anyone this crazy.
Is her hand inlaid with gold or adorned with jade, or...? What's going on? It's like she's possessed.
Are all cultivators this crazy?
"I see!"
The young man suddenly shouted, startling Jiang Ling'er. As he spoke, the young man was still holding her hand, and blood was still gushing down the back of his head.
Jiang Ling'er was truly puzzled and startled by the young man's sudden outburst, so much so that she stammered and forgot to struggle:
"You...what do you know?"
Qin Xiangyu, the tofu seller, also recovered from her shock, seemingly not expecting that she had actually hurt the young man, and murmured:
"You filthy rogue Taoist priest, why didn't you dodge..."
The young Taoist priest seemed not to hear her, gripping Jiang Ling'er's left wrist tightly, with such force that Jiang Ling'er felt as if he were about to crush it. He stared at Jiang Ling'er, the light in his phoenix eyes almost terrifying. His entire body was covered in blood; if it weren't for the gleaming light in his eyes, he would truly look like a demon seeking a life.
"I understand! I understand! Moreover, I've heard that the lifespan of a virtuous person is determined by fate. Nowadays, those who discuss fate only consider the major cycles, but they don't realize that minor cycles are also crucial. Even if the major cycle is auspicious, if the minor cycles are unfavorable, one cannot immediately conclude that it's auspicious. Conversely, even if the major cycle is inauspicious, if the minor cycles are auspicious, one cannot immediately conclude that it's inauspicious..."
"What nonsense is this..." Jiang Ling'er naturally had no idea what he was chanting, only that her head was throbbing from the noise. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and said, "Speak like a human being!"
The young man paused slightly, but the light in his eyes remained undiminished:
"Did you hit the jackpot?"
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Jiang Ling'er wondered if she had misheard: "...Huh?"
"What kind of 'luck'? What kind of 'luck' can defy fate and change one's destiny... Tell me."
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
For some reason, the little poisoner's handsome face appeared before my eyes.
How can a little poison not be considered her "great luck"?
If it weren't for the little poison, she might just be a corpse in a mass grave right now.
"What kind of 'luck' could possibly turn the tide..."
When Jiang Ling'er came to her senses, the young man was already close in front of her again. When he landed, she realized that he was extremely tall, and his tall figure could completely cover her. He looked down at her, his blood-stained face and dark phoenix eyes reflecting Jiang Ling'er's slightly pale face. He was completely unaware of the increasing number of pedestrians surrounding them, as if only he and Jiang Ling'er remained in the world.
His voice was slightly low and hoarse, as if possessing some kind of allure, as he whispered:
Please tell me.
Jiang Ling'er inexplicably held her breath and looked away: "..."
She glanced at the growing number of pedestrians around her, a sense of unease creeping over her. Her gaze shifted warily to the person before her, uttering not a word, her cold stare carrying a hint of murderous intent.
"This has nothing to do with you, right?"
The young Taoist priest was taken aback, and suddenly said, "Have I... seen you somewhere before?"
Jiang Ling'er was stunned: "...What?"
The young Taoist priest, Pei Xuan, sized Jiang Ling'er up and down. Her skin was slightly pale, her eyes large and almond-shaped. Unlike the well-shaped eyebrows of most women, her eyebrows weren't the typical willow-leaf shape; the ends were slightly messy, like wildly growing weeds. She had a high, delicate nose and smooth facial features…
Her lips are also well-formed.
What a dashing and beautiful woman!
Seeing that the young Taoist priest just stared at her silently for a long time without saying anything, Jiang Ling'er frowned: "?"
Qin Xiangyu, the tofu beauty who had been watching from the sidelines for a long time, finally couldn't help but interject:
"Hey, you filthy Taoist priest, what are you up to now...?"
Ignoring what the tofu seller was saying, the young Taoist priest, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly blurted out:
"How can a girl's hands be like this?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the long fingers gripping Jiang Ling'er's wrist gently stroked the calluses on her palm, and then—
They started kneading/pinching it.
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Jiang Ling'er: "…………"
He used both hands to knead, pinch, and play with Jiang Ling'er's slender, fair hands, while murmuring with a hint of tenderness:
"A girl's hands are precious, they're like a second face, they must be carefully protected..."
A vein bulged on Jiang Ling'er's forehead. She took a deep breath, abruptly raised her eyes, and unleashed a "Thunderclap" palm strike towards the young man's chest.
"lecher!"
The young Taoist priest was suddenly sent flying sideways, his back slamming into a dead tree by the street. His head lolled to the side, and he passed out.
Tofu Beauty: "..."
pedestrian:"……"
Everyone fell silent, terrified.
Jiang Ling'er finally exhaled a breath of stale air, picked up a handful of fallen snow, and scrubbed her left hand, which the young man had rubbed, back and forth with the snow twice before picking up the oil-paper umbrella that had fallen to the ground, opening the umbrella, and walking into the depths of the alley.
Everyone watched as Jiang Ling'er's figure disappeared around the corner...
"This girl... she looks unfamiliar, she doesn't seem to be from our town."
"Yes, yes, I'm sure I'll remember such a pretty girl..."
"..."
On the other side, out of everyone's sight, the little donkey slowly walked up to the unconscious young man, licked the bloodstains on the young man's face with its wet tongue, opened its mouth, grabbed the young man's collar, and suddenly swung him onto its back, slowly carrying the young man to the other side of the road.
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The inexplicable appearance of the rogue Taoist priest delayed Jiang Ling'er considerably, preventing her from finding the little poisonous creature before sunset. Furthermore, she lacked spatial awareness, fearing she would lose herself if she didn't find the creature. Therefore, she had no choice but to return to the inn, praying that the little poisonous creature would stop its tantrums, and then she too returned to the inn…
Yes, what if the little poisoner has already returned to the inn?
Thinking this, Jiang Ling'er walked faster and faster with her oil-paper umbrella in hand, almost impatient to fly over. But when she reached the door, she slowed down, walked forward slowly, and finally stood in front of the door.
The boy, who was squatting on the threshold, leaned towards the oil-paper umbrella, which was now held tightly in his hand.
The little poisonous creature had been sitting there for who knows how long, its body covered in snow, even its long eyelashes were covered in snow.
Jiang Ling'er's breath hitched. From her angle, she could see that the boy's already pale profile was now even more bloodless, like an ice sculpture.
The two spoke at the same time:
Why don't you go in?
Why didn't you come to find me?
The boy's voice was deep and hoarse. As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Ling'er wanted to explain something, but suddenly she felt a not-so-soft touch on her waist and abdomen. It was the little poisonous creature pressing its head against her waist and abdomen.
The coldness seeped through the clothes.
Jiang Ling'er's fingertips trembled slightly from the cold, and she could barely hold onto the oil-paper umbrella.
I thought you didn't want me anymore.
After a moment of silence, his muffled voice finally broke the silence. Like a drowning puppy, the little poisonous creature wrapped his arms around Jiang Ling'er's slender waist, buried his face in her soft abdomen, took a deep breath, inhaling Jiang Ling'er's scent, and then slowly spoke:
"Don't... abandon me."
"Let's not fight anymore, okay?"
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Author's Note: ① This is from "The Last Will and Testament"
②From "A Study and Critique of Chinese Fortune Telling"
③From Bai Juyi's "Xue Zhongcheng"
④ From "Sanming Tonghui"
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