Chapter 28 028 "Okay, I'll be waiting."
Unfortunately, she couldn't spit at him again. Her hands, feet, and even her jaw were all pinned down by this guy and she couldn't move. Her almond-shaped eyes, which were bright red with anger, stared at the young man in front of her who claimed to be in control of everything for a long time. Because she hadn't blinked for a long time, her eyes were filled with a layer of water. If you ignored the murderous daggers in her eyes that seemed to want to tear people to pieces, she actually looked somewhat pitiful.
The hand gripping her chin was incredibly strong; several veins, like coiled dragons, bulged on the back of his alabaster hand. There was no way around it; the woman under his grasp wasn't just anyone, but more like… a wild, untamed beast, and one wrong move could lead to her being harmed.
Just like right now.
The little devil clamped two fingers between her teeth, forcing her to tilt her head back and part her lips slightly. Strands of glistening saliva trickled down his long, jade-like fingers that held her captive. At that moment, he no longer cared about his damned germaphobia. Actually, Jiang Ling'er had almost forgotten about his germaphobia, because he hadn't had an episode for a very, very long time—so long that she had almost forgotten how difficult he was to please. Who would have thought that when it did flare up, it would be enough to kill her!
For what purpose?
Was it because the sun was too strong and the wind too fierce that it disturbed his peace?
Was he angry because she didn't come after waiting for so long?
Or perhaps... he was just in a bad mood and was causing her trouble?
Feeling the woman beneath his grasp finally cease her struggles, her long eyelashes drooping, concealing the anger in her eyes and revealing a touch of feminine gentleness, the little poisoner raised an eyebrow slightly. The inexplicably surging flames seemed to be miraculously soothed by her dense, seaweed-like eyelashes. He stared at Jiang Ling'er's pale face, still covered in cold sweat. The lividity had vanished completely, her face smooth as ever, and color had returned to her pale lips. She seemed reborn, yet upon closer inspection, her body still trembled, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the overwhelming fear of death. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he had done something wrong.
The little poisoner stared blankly at her half-closed eyes, suddenly wondering what she was thinking. Unfortunately, the sun was low and casting shadows on her, making her eyes appear dim and indistinct. His gaze then fell upon a pair of pale, pursed lips.
For no reason at all, he suddenly wanted to hear her call him "My Lord" one more time.
If she calls him again, or says something gentle, he might...
What is he?
Realizing what he was thinking, Little Poison's handsome face contorted in shock for a moment. As if facing a raging flood, he abruptly withdrew the hands and feet that had been binding the person in front of him. His gaze scattered, and he fled in a disheveled state, refusing to look at the person in front of him. Suddenly, his wandering gaze fixed on a pair of bare feet that were scraped and bleeding from the gravel, and he stopped moving.
Enraged and panicked, she ran so hastily that she didn't even have time to put on her shoes. Her once pampered feet were now stained with blood beneath their snowy backs, making the sight all the more shocking.
He stared at the blood-red stain for a long time before slowly opening his lips. The rage in his eyes had long since vanished. He coughed softly, then released his grip on her chin, giving a rare, good-natured snort. The matter was considered closed: "This is unacceptable..."
Before he could finish speaking, his hand had barely moved an inch when it was suddenly touched by something icy cold. Jiang Ling'er had grabbed his hand and bit down hard on the web of his hand!
……grass!
A piercing pain shot through him. The little venomous creature's long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, but before it could move, the person who had bitten it quickly released its grip, took a step back, and pressed its back tightly against the tree trunk behind it. It wiped the blood from its lips with the back of its hand, then raised its almond-shaped eyes, which shone with astonishing brightness, and glared at the little venomous creature, uttering each word distinctly:
"One day...one day I will beat you! I will definitely beat you!"
The little poisonous creature paused, stunned, and remained rooted to the ground. After a long while, as if amused by her naiveté and boastful words, it ignored the wound on its hand, rubbing its aching temple with its fingertips in apparent distress. It took a while to stop laughing. Fu raised his eyes, his gaze darkening as he stared at the woman before him. He carelessly wiped away the beads of blood from his hand, placed his hands behind his back, and with a wicked smile, said softly:
"Okay, I'll be waiting."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Jiang Ling'er remained silent, staring at his retreating figure for a long time before slowly clenching her hands, hidden in her sleeves, into fists, and finally followed him.
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That day, both of them returned with injuries of varying degrees, except for Little Poison. At that time, Jiang Ling'er was consumed by rage and used almost all the skills she had learned in her life, striking with ruthless force. Although Little Poison blocked most of them, she still suffered some injuries, all of which were visible and not covered by her clothes. Even her porcelain-like jaw had three bloody scratches left by fingernails, not like cat scratches, but more like a tiger's claw strike. She attracted countless stares along the way, completely confirming the rumors of her being a shrew.
The little poisoner didn't care and continued his life as usual, staying in his room every day, whether sleeping or playing with his insects, no one knew. Jiang Ling'er, on the other hand, became increasingly silent and went on to practice martial arts like a madwoman.
Especially after the start of the hottest period of summer, farm work was temporarily put aside, and she practically neglected sleep and meals, practicing martial arts with her puppet to an astonishing degree, day and night. By the way, the boy named "Yang San'er" was indeed a kind-hearted person who kept trying to find work for Jiang Ling'er, but she ruthlessly rejected him and refused his visits. She didn't dislike this overly enthusiastic young man, nor was she afraid he would identify the little poisoner as an imposter, Yang Dalang. Even after more than ten years, Yang Da Niang hadn't recognized him, let alone him?
She not only didn't dislike the boy, but you could even say she liked him a little. Seeing him always reminded her of Yuan Zao, a more talkative girl her age. However, staying away from her and this little poisoner was best for him.
Whether it was him, or everyone else in the village, they were all like that.
--
Noon.
During the dog days of summer, the air was as hot as a giant oven. Jiang Ling'er's clothes were soaked through after just one round of chasing the puppet. When she appeared at the dining table, drenched in sweat, Aunt Yang and Little Poison were already waiting for her. To be precise, only Aunt Yang was waiting for her; Little Poison, like a boneless cat, lazily nestled in a round chair, half-heartedly sipping his thin porridge.
It's too hot outside, and only thin porridge is barely palatable.
"Mom, how many times have I told you, you don't need to wait for me."
Grandma Yang was an extremely simple and honest country woman and the softest-hearted mother in the world. She had finally found her beloved "eldest son" and now her greatest wish was simply to be with her son and daughter, whom she had lost and then regained, to eat three meals a day, and to work at sunrise and rest at sunset. That was all.
Jiang Ling'er thought that since they had borrowed Yang Dalang's identity, there was no reason to refuse such a small wish. The difficulty was that she was afraid the little poisoner would refuse. He was used to being aloof and did not seem like the kind of person who would share food with others.
Therefore, she was quite nervous when she asked him for help. However, the little poisoner only glanced at her up and down, sneered, and said, "What do you take me for? A flood, a ferocious beast, or a jackal or tiger? Do you think I would eat people?"
Jiang Ling'er was stunned by these words, completely baffled and unable to understand them for a long time. Fortunately, the little poisonous creature always made an appearance at mealtimes.
It makes sense. Even if Little Poison is extremely strange, he is still a person who needs to eat, drink, and relieve himself. There's no reason for him not to eat what's offered to him, and even less reason for not granting Aunt Yang such a small wish. After all, they went to great lengths to settle down here, and they can't afford to arouse suspicion from others because of this.
Therefore, Jiang Ling'er quickly put this little incident aside. At this moment, she wiped herself with a handkerchief and changed her clothes before rushing over. Her long hair was still wet, and she casually tied it back with a chopstick. When Aunt Yang heard the sound, she hurriedly invited her to sit down. As soon as she raised her hand, she touched her shoulders, which were wet with long hair, and immediately couldn't sit still: "You child, you don't listen to advice again. You forgot you'll catch a cold..."
Jiang Ling'er quickly pulled Aunt Yang down to sit, then grabbed the already cooled bowl of porridge with her other hand and gulped down half of it like a cow drinking water. She heard a low sneer, mocking her for being as rude as a cow, but by this point she didn't care anymore. After all, she had heard even harsher things. She pretended not to hear it, took a breath, and then gulped down the remaining half of the porridge before slamming the bowl down on the table with a "thud."
"Mother, I'm leaving!"
In fact, ever since their unpleasant parting in the woods last time, the two had been in a cold war. Unless he begged Xiao Du to swallow his pride and eat at the same table with them like last time, Jiang Ling'er ignored him at all times, no matter how much Xiao Du mocked him.
She used to have a temper ten times worse than Little Poison, and would explode at the slightest sound. But now she's gradually become more tolerant. Even when she hears people gossiping about Old Chief Jiang while working in the fields, she can pretend she didn't hear it and just focus on what she's doing.
"Hey, you're full already? Any more... Sigh, never mind, go ahead. Why are you, a girl, always getting involved with knives and guns..."
Knowing she couldn't persuade Jiang Ling'er, Aunt Yang muttered a few words and stopped trying. She turned around and earnestly urged the little poisoner to eat more. Jiang Ling'er thought to herself, "With that little poisoner's tiny stomach, she doesn't even eat as much as I do. Half a bowl is enough for her!"
As expected, the little poisonous creature responded rather perfunctorily, and the porridge at the bottom of the bowl barely reached a third of its full volume before it stopped flowing. Then, Aunt Yang said hesitantly:
"Eat more, eat more, look how thin you all are..." She paused, then added cautiously, as if testing the waters, "Eldest son, there's something that's been lingering in my mind day and night. I know... I know asking won't help, but I just can't put my mind at ease. In these past ten years since I left home, how have you been...?"
Jiang Ling'er had already stepped halfway out the door when she heard this, so she stopped and didn't move.
The little poisoner's tone remained indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger, only impatience: "It's good or bad, what do you want to hear?"
After the little poisoner earnestly called out "Mother" a few times on the first day, he never called Aunt Yang "Mother" again. Fortunately, Aunt Yang didn't mind. Perhaps Jiang Ling'er called him "Mother" as well, and each time she called him "Mother," it sounded more intimate and pleasant to the ear.
As soon as the little poisoner finished speaking, not only Aunt Yang, but also Jiang Ling'er's ears perked up.
"Tell me, good or bad, Mother... Mother wants to hear it all."
"If things are good, as you can see, they're standing before you unharmed, which is the best thing. If not..." A disgruntled "tsk" was heard, chopsticks were lightly slammed onto the table, and accompanied by a mocking laugh, the usually clear and deep voice of the young boy, Little Poison, became shrill. "I've been cheated and deceived, fought with dogs for food, and even been sold when I was at my lowest point. I've been passed around several times, encountering both good and bad people. The good people weren't necessarily all that good; well, thinking about it, even though they were short of food and didn't beat or scold me, I could barely be considered good people. As for the bad people, they were truly wicked, wicked to the extreme, there's so much to say about them that it would take days and nights to finish..."
The little poisoner seemed to be deep in thought, while Aunt Yang and Jiang Ling'er were dumbfounded, unable to recover for a long time. Then they heard the little poisoner quickly continue:
"But who am I? Of course I ran away, and I didn't let that person get away with it either. He dared to put a slave mark on my shoulder, so I dared to poison his whole family and wipe out his entire clan!" Despite the scorching sun and unbearable heat, the little poisoner seemed to be shrouded in an impenetrable layer of ice. Her elegant eyebrows and eyes were clouded with gloom. When she said the words "wipe out his entire clan," her eyes gleamed with an eerie light. Aunt Yang couldn't see it, but Jiang Ling'er saw it clearly and couldn't help but shiver in broad daylight.
The little poisoner seemed oblivious to the fear, shock, and lament on their faces, lost in that dark and bloodthirsty time. The more she spoke, the brighter the eerie light in her eyes became, sending chills down one's spine. "Then I ran away, ran to the ends of the earth. That man, though seemingly respectable, had some prestige. People from all over came seeking revenge for him. Now I had nowhere to go. I clung to a strange old man, determined to learn something from him, not his quack remedies, but his poison-using tricks, the more poisonous the better! Ah..." The little poisoner He scratched his head in frustration. "These... shouldn't be considered 'bad,' right? Although I pride myself on having seen the worst people in the world, I only realized after meeting that strange old man that there are no worst people in the world, only worse ones! No matter how bad that person was, he couldn't compare to even a tenth of that strange old man. But... they should still be considered 'good.' Was I wrong? What does it matter if they're all safe and sound? I've poisoned everyone who has ever bullied me since I was a child, I've used the most potent poison in the world, making them wish they were dead. Is there anything better in the world than getting revenge?!"
The little poisoner spoke the last sentence while staring into Jiang Ling'er's eyes. As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Ling'er's body trembled, startled.
It wasn't that the little poisoner intentionally told Jiang Ling'er these things; it was just that Jiang Ling'er was his only listener. Aunt Yang had already turned deathly pale and was swaying precariously, but the little poisoner was still not satisfied. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, speaking cruelly word by word, yet with a chilling smile on his face:
"Do you know how they died? Those were the world's best Gu worms, which I personally crafted. Those Gu worms would burrow into their flesh and gnaw at their bones..."
"Enough!"
Jiang Ling'er suddenly shouted angrily at him, interrupting him, and rushed to the side of the unconscious Granny Yang. Before she fell to the ground, she caught Granny Yang in her arms and patted her back repeatedly, trying to soothe the pent-up emotions in her chest. After a long while, the pent-up emotions finally dissipated, and Granny Yang, her face pale, burst into tears.
“My son, you have such a hard life…my son, you have such a hard life! It’s all my fault, I should have…I should have found you sooner, it’s all my fault! Eldest brother…eldest brother…”
Grandma Yang cried out, her hands stroking in the air in the direction of the little poison creature. Every word she uttered was heartbreaking. However, the little poison creature responded with a swift slap on her back. Before Jiang Ling'er could even react, Grandma Yang had already fainted in her arms.
Jiang Ling'er: "!!!"
Jiang Ling'er hurriedly reached out to check Yang Da Niang's nose, and seeing that she was still breathing, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked up and glared angrily at the little poisoner: "You!"
The little poisoner crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow slightly: "Don't worry, she won't die. Extreme anger can affect the heart, and extreme sorrow can also affect the heart. I'm saving her, you know?"
Jiang Ling'er choked, furious: "...That's all because of what you said!"
The little poisoner frowned slightly, his expression turning unfriendly: "Isn't it what she wants to hear?"
"She wants to hear it, so just say it?!" Jiang Ling'er had no idea when the little devil had become so obedient! She had witnessed his ability to lie without batting an eye before. Whether he was pretending to be rich at the inn or impersonating Yang Dalang, if he wanted to, he could turn black into white with a flick of his tongue, incredibly smooth! She had thought this time would be the same…
As if reading her mind, the little poisoner sneered, his exquisitely handsome face full of a mean smile: "What, do you think I need to put in the effort to make up stories about a country bumpkin like her?"
Jiang Ling'er had never seen the little poisoner so eloquent, and he even spoke with such conviction. She suspected that he was deliberately venting his anger on Aunt Yang because of their recent cold war. She became even angrier, having long forgotten about being a slave or servant. She glared at him, and her words, fueled by her anger, became barbed and sarcastic:
"Aunt Yang wants to hear about Yang Dalang's experiences, do you think she wants to hear your story? You're just an imposter, do you really think you're 'Yang Dalang'?!"
She must have spent too much time with this guy; her martial arts skills haven't improved, but she's picked up a bit of his meanness! Before the little poisoner could even react, Jiang Ling'er was stunned.
She was usually carefree, but she had a gut feeling that something was wrong. As for what was wrong, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Anyway... these weren't words she should have said; she shouldn't be like this. She felt terribly unfamiliar with herself, and the suddenly silent little poison creature in front of her also felt unfamiliar, especially the way the little poison creature looked at her.
His indifference and silence felt more suffocating than ever before, as if a huge boulder was pressing on her heart. Even when the little poisoner was choking her and trying to kill her, he didn't have this expression.
She... really said the wrong thing.
Realizing this, Jiang Ling'er was speechless for a long time before adding, "Can't you...can't you say something nice to coax her?"
But her words were spoken weakly and without conviction. Especially when the little poisoner stepped forward and questioned her:
"What makes you think that Yang Dalang, a child who was also abducted at a young age, would have had a better experience than me?"
Jiang Ling'er was speechless, and after a long pause, she stammered, "Then you shouldn't...don't scare her, Aunt Yang is already so old..."
"I'm scaring her?" The little poisoner sneered. "She's crazy, not stupid. In these chaotic times, even an adult like her is living like a monster. How can a child survive? Do you think she'll believe me if I say nice things? She's already incredibly lucky to be alive, probably even if she's been through a lot. What do you think?"
The little poisoner had a sharp tongue, but what he said was true, and Jiang Ling'er had to admit that he was right.
Jiang Ling'er was speechless for a long time before belatedly asking, "So...what you said is all true?"
The little poisonous creature scoffed lightly: "It was true all along."
Jiang Ling'er was completely stunned.
Seeing Jiang Ling'er's stunned and foolish expression, the little poisoner sneered:
"You're scared already? Do you think I'm cruel and terrifying? Well, you've always seen me as a wolf or a tiger..."
Unexpectedly, Jiang Ling'er quickly shook her head, and now it was the little poisoner's turn to be stunned.
The little poisoner furrowed his delicate eyebrows and stared intently at the woman in front of him, his eyes somewhat unfathomable.
Jiang Ling'er did not back down. Facing the little poisonous creature's probing and oppressive gaze, she shook her head again, her gaze equally fixed on those dark eyes, and said earnestly:
“I don’t think you’re cruel or scary, nor do I think you’re a jackal or tiger. I think you… are very powerful.” Suddenly, he paused, pursed his lips, and, afraid that the little poisonous creature wouldn’t believe him, stared into his dark eyes and repeated, “You really are powerful, very powerful.”
After speaking, the little poisoner paused, his thin lips pressed into a line, staring intently at the woman in front of him.
A nervous tremor ran through the little finger hidden in the sleeve as it gripped the bamboo flute tucked at the waist tightly.
Jiang Ling'er carefully helped the unconscious Granny Yang lean against the corner of the table to rest, then got up, biting her thumbnail between her teeth as she carefully chose her words, and slowly said:
"Since then, my father... since he committed suicide, since he opened his eyes in that wilderness, it seems that he has truly lived a full life, experienced the joys and sorrows of life, witnessed the real world of martial arts, and also realized that there are always people more capable than oneself."
The little poisonous creature listened silently until it heard that sentence—
"Although you deliberately embarrassed me by calling me 'Auntie,' I feel ashamed. I'm only a few years older than you, and I've lived six years longer than you, which is far less than what you have."
The little poisonous creature, with its long eyelashes fluttering like a butterfly, suddenly trembled and tightened its grip on the bamboo flute at its waist.
Jiang Ling'er's voice sounded extremely frustrated and sad. She didn't even dare to look directly into the little poisoner's eyes, afraid of seeing the mockery in them. She lowered her head and chanted like a sutra: "You're so young, wandering the martial world, living a life of pleasure and revenge. You're only in your teens, yet you possess such profound martial arts skills. I'm no match for you, and even that scoundrel Zhao Xiao might not be able to beat you. As for me, I've been protected by my father since childhood, and after getting married, I've delegated everything to those around me. I've lived to be twenty-four years old. In ordinary families, I'd already be a mother, but I... and I'm still so stupid and clumsy, my kung fu is even worse than awful. I can't even hold onto my position as a head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), I... I can't even avenge my father. What have I been doing... what have I been doing all these years..."
As Jiang Ling'er spoke, her voice involuntarily turned to tears. She covered her face with her hands in shame, squatted down, buried her face in her arms, and her shoulders trembled slightly. She could no longer continue speaking.
If she keeps talking, she'll be heartbroken.
The little poisoner stared at the person who was curled up in a small ball. He had seen Jiang Ling'er kneeling down and begging him, Jiang Ling'er pressing down on him and trying to seduce him, and Jiang Ling'er angrily wanting to bite off the word "slave" on his left shoulder, but he had never seen her like this.
It's like a child who has done something wrong has locked himself away and shut everyone else out.
He stared at Jiang Ling'er's thick, dark hair, which she held back with a chopstick, and his Adam's apple bobbed awkwardly. For the first time, he felt helpless.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally half-squatted down beside Jiang Ling'er. His slender, jade-like hand loosened and clenched repeatedly, before finally making a decision and slowly reaching out to Jiang Ling'er's slightly trembling shoulder: "Hey..."
"But seeing you reminds me of my past."
Suddenly, Jiang Ling'er's soft voice came from behind. The little poisoner paused, and the hand that was about to comfort her was now hanging three inches above her shoulder.
The person who was curled up suddenly raised her face and unexpectedly found herself face to face with the little poisonous creature crouching beside her.
The little poisonous creature was startled. It didn't have time to escape and could only freeze in place, subconsciously holding its breath.
They were so close that they could hear each other's breath, like mirrors, so close that they could see their own reflections clearly in each other's pupils.
Seeing Jiang Ling'er staring blankly at him with dazed eyes, her red lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something.
The little poisoner tensed up, staring intently at the hesitant lips without blinking, its Adam's apple bobbing up and down with difficulty.
Finally, those lips parted and uttered words. Jiang Ling'er stared blankly at the exquisitely handsome face before her, murmuring as if in a dream:
"Seeing you reminds me of my past self. We're so alike, so similar in temperament... I never knew I was so annoying."
A tone of sudden realization.
The little poisonous creature froze on the spot, its hand clenched into a fist as it hovered in mid-air.
The next second, his face darkened.
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Author's Note: Ahhhhh, I'm so sorry everyone, I'll never spout nonsense again [biting handkerchief.jpg]!!!
I'm working hard, there will be one more update today!
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