Chapter 30-030 "This young lady is quite ruthless. All women are like this..."
Seeing Ji Yunshu again felt like a lifetime had passed; Jiang Ling'er didn't even recognize him for a moment.
However, after only a few months apart, Ji Yunshu was the same handsome young man in his memory, yet he was not quite the same person he remembered.
The him I remember was a handsome young man, his gentle smile like the moon embracing me, even eclipsing its brilliance. But the him now—
In the sweltering heat of summer, he was draped in a fox fur coat, his entire body so thin it resembled bones wrapped in human skin. The flickering firelight cast shadows on his face, revealing his still exquisitely handsome features, yet his emaciated appearance was frightening. His thin, pale skin was tinged with a sickly bluish-white, while the bright red firelight cast a gaudy, warm hue on his face. Pale skin, crimson lips, and dark, almost impenetrable, peach-blossom eyes... he resembled a glamorous ghost.
This isn't like him.
It wasn't him either.
How could he... have become like this?
If it weren't for the person she used to spend every day with, and if she hadn't seen Gao Yang, who was willing to be his pawn, beside him... Jiang Ling'er really might not have recognized that person as Ji Yunshu.
Once upon a time, Ji Yunshu was such a refined and unrestrained gentleman.
"What's wrong? You saw your old flame and can't even say a word?"
The little poisoner suddenly whispered sinisterly in her ear.
Noticing Jiang Ling'er's unusual behavior, the little poisoner wasn't stupid. He quickly realized who the person was. He sullenly shifted his gaze from Jiang Ling'er and instead stared at Ji Yunshu in the crowd. He stared at the young master of Sun Moon Fortress, whose refined and unconventional air was still evident even though he was terminally ill and frail. He sneered.
Well, she looks much more haggard than when he last saw her; she is indeed a rare and devoted lover.
The little poisoner then noticed Jiang Ling'er staring blankly at the consumptive ghost. He called her name again, but she still couldn't come to her senses. A sarcastic smile appeared on his thin lips. His mood was extremely bad, as if an unnamed fire was burning in his heart, making his eyes a little red.
He wanted to kill someone.
I want to kill all these scumbags.
He was clearly furious, but he smiled and released his grip on Jiang Ling'er's waist, instead giving her a push that nearly sent her flying out of the haystack!
Jiang Ling'er finally snapped out of her daze, quite startled. She instinctively grabbed the little poisoner's hand, swaying slightly before regaining her balance. She glanced at the group of people not far away—each one a top-tier expert among the younger generation of martial artists. Seeing that no one had noticed, she breathed a sigh of relief, then glared angrily at the little poisoner, cursing him in a low voice:
"What are you doing?!" What kind of crazy outburst is this?!
"I'm sending you to see your old flame. What, you don't want to?"
Despite saying this, the little poisoner's eyes were fixed on Jiang Ling'er, as if he would... if she really left with that sickly man.
What did he do?
He didn't know.
He only knew that if he was having a hard time, no one else should have a good time either!
"I clearly said last time that our marriage was over... Didn't Mr. Gao tell Ji Yunshu?" Jiang Ling'er was completely puzzled and was muttering to herself when she turned around and saw the little devil looking at her as if he wanted to eat her alive. She was stunned. "It's not you... Why are you so angry?"
Jiang Ling'er's muttered words naturally reached the little poisoner's ears without exception. He paused very slightly, and his tense muscles relaxed slightly. However, he still squinted and carefully examined Jiang Ling'er, assessing the truthfulness of her words. Seeing Jiang Ling'er's blank expression, and seeing his face clearly reflected in her round almond eyes, his burning, wicked emotions finally felt somewhat released, making him feel more comfortable and in a better mood. He turned his head away and gave a cold snort:
"Who would have thought that he would chase after even a corpse to the ends of the earth? He's truly a devoted lover."
Jiang Ling'er stared at the little poisoner, her brows furrowed. She had thought she had at least grasped some of his temperament, but now she realized she still didn't understand him. The more she looked at him, the more bewildered she became. She thought that although this guy had more experience in the martial world than she did, he was still just a brat who had barely come of age. He hadn't lacked any of the recklessness and impulsiveness that came with it, and she was getting a little angry. Unable to contain her anger, she lightly nudged his waist with her elbow.
“Speak properly, stop being sarcastic! Individually, those people might not be a match for you, but if they gang up on us, we won't be able to escape! You... control your temper, stop throwing tantrums!”
Jiang Ling'er never imagined that one day she would be the one earnestly advising others; in the past, she was always the one being advised.
She glanced at the little poison creature again, and the more she looked at it, the more it resembled her former self.
They really need to be disciplined.
Sure enough, his unpredictable temperament was just like hers; even though she had given him a hard time, his mood strangely improved.
The little monster, hearing the words "those," "these," "you," and "we," and noticing Jiang Ling'er's automatic distinction of "we," felt its last trace of displeasure vanish. In high spirits, it wrapped its arms around Jiang Ling'er's waist, resting its chin on her raven-feather-like hair, inhaling the fragrance of her hair. Suddenly, it became lazy, like a large cat draped over her, claiming its territory. A lazy, slightly husky voice, typical of a young man, came from above:
"Hey, I'm asking you a question, so answer me seriously. A lover becomes emaciated for you, like you young girls... don't you feel sorry for him?"
The excessive intimacy, whether it was the hand on her waist or the breath on her hair, made Jiang Ling'er uncomfortable. However, the area behind the haystack was narrow, barely enough for one person, so it was inevitable that they would be so close. Jiang Ling'er had been traveling the world since childhood and was used to being unconventional, so her discomfort was fleeting and she quickly adapted.
She just felt that the little poisoner was acting strangely tonight, not only in his behavior but also in his questions, but she didn't think much of it and answered without hesitation:
"What's there to feel sorry for? Feel sorry for the few pounds he lost? If he were truly devoted, why didn't he do this sooner? Besides, was it for me? Maybe he just went astray while practicing his martial arts and suffered a qi deviation. How can you blame it on me?"
Jiang Ling'er's words were not without basis. She had sparred with Ji Yunshu and knew that Ji Yunshu secretly practiced evil and heretical methods.
As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on the long sword that Gao Yang had placed around Yang Da Niang's neck, as if afraid that the sword might hurt Yang Da Niang. She had never met her own mother, and during the time they had spent together, she had truly come to regard Yang Da Niang as family.
After she finished speaking, the person who had rested his chin on her head remained silent for a long time. Just when Jiang Ling'er thought he wouldn't speak again, the little poisonous creature spoke again, his voice filled with a hint of gritted teeth. He was both pleased that she hadn't shown any mercy to that sickly man, and yet, upon reflection, he also hated her ruthlessness:
"Young lady, you're quite ruthless. Are all women as ruthless as you?"
Seeing the little poisoner start his sarcastic remarks again, Jiang Ling'er ignored him this time, because Gao Yang was about to stab Granny Yang with his sword! Jiang Ling'er's pupils dilated, and just as she was about to pounce, the little poisoner, knowing her thoughts, preemptively bound her hands and feet, holding her firmly in his arms. He buried his head in her neck, his thin lips pressed against her jade-white earlobe, warm currents brushing against her cool earlobe, speaking rapidly:
"Remember how we tested Aunt Yang? Don't worry, Aunt Yang will be fine. They wouldn't dare to touch her."
"Just watch, as long as they dare to fly the banner of Sun and Moon Fortress, as long as they wear the skin of so-called righteousness, they will not dare to or be able to make a move."
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The light from the numerous torches cast long shadows on the wall, making the figures appear like ghosts. The evening breeze swept through the forest, carrying with it an atmosphere of chilling dread.
Just as the little poisoner had said, the long sword hovered just an inch in front of Granny Yang's eyes and then stopped moving.
Since Aunt Yang didn't even blink, it's clear that she was just an ordinary, even blind, peasant woman, and what she said was true.
They've already tested the waters; bullying the elderly, weak, women, and children is not the style of Sun and Moon Fortress.
“But…” Gao Yang sheathed his longsword, picked up the doll from the ground, and frowned deeply as he looked at Ji Yunshu’s indifferent handsome face. “This doll was indeed found in this old woman’s woodshed. It even took three disciples to besiege and defeat this tiny doll. Could it be that someone deliberately framed this old woman? Or was it dropped unintentionally? How could such a small village have such a wonderful object?”
Since discovering the puppet, Ji Yunshu's indifferent expression has never changed in the slightest. He merely toyed with the small golden dart in his palm, his voice remaining flat, revealing no emotion.
"Continue the search."
Gao Yang frowned, hesitated, but still spoke his mind:
"That little poison master is a disciple of the old poison master Gongye Chi, and is skilled in poison. But this puppet seems to be made using the Thousand Machines Sect's techniques, so I think the little poison master might not be here..."
Ji Yunshu interrupted him calmly, glancing at him. The small golden dart in her palm gleamed with an eerie red light under the torchlight, and within that red light, Ji Yunshu's excessively gaunt and handsome face flickered, making him appear even more sinister and ghostly.
"Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free, Mr. Gao. Do you have any further questions?"
Gao Yang paused, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and without saying another word, he called out a few disciples:
"You, you, you, each lead ten disciples and search separately! Don't overlook any clues!"
The disciples shouted in unison, "Yes!"
In the blink of an eye, the well-trained disciples of Sun Moon Fortress, under the guise of eliminating evil, dispersed to search various parts of the small village, leaving only Ji Yunshu, Gao Yang, and Granny Yang, who was crawling on the ground, behind.
A sweltering evening breeze swept across his face, and the young man in the fox fur coat suddenly bent over and coughed violently. He gripped a small golden dart tightly in his palm, his knuckles turning white with force. He couldn't stop coughing, and the sound of his coughing echoed from his chest. Gao Yang quickly went to help Ji Yunshu: "Young Master, it's windy at night. You should go back to the carriage first."
Ji Yunshu coughed and slowly shook her head, refusing Gao Yang's offer to help her up and his suggestion. It took a long time before the muffled coughing stopped.
"...I'm fine."
Gao Yang looked at Ji Yunshu's handsome face, which appeared even paler after coughing, and wanted to say something but could only purse his lips and step back.
As soon as he stepped back, Ji Yunshu's trailing fox fur coat was suddenly grabbed by a pair of aged hands.
Blind Granny Yang could only futilely grasp at empty air, but unexpectedly, she managed to grab onto Ji Yunshu's hem. Once she held on, she wouldn't let go, pleading with him with a frantic expression:
"Kind-hearted person, please have mercy! My son should have come home long ago, but he hasn't. Please help me find him, please help me find my son..."
Gao Yang wanted to chase the old woman away, but Ji Yunshu shook her head and stopped him.
Ji Yunshu paused slightly, bent down to help the old woman up, coughed twice, and said gently, "We were rude to you earlier while trying to catch the thief, I hope you won't take offense. Please tell me your son's name and appearance, so I can have my brothers look for him."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Yang's eyes lit up, and she quickly said:
“Don’t blame me, don’t blame me. My son’s name is ‘Dalang’, he has a mole on his face…” Seeing Aunt Yang gesture to show Yang Dalang’s figure and appearance, Ji Yunshu’s usually calm peach blossom eyes suddenly flickered. But the next second, she heard Aunt Yang say, “And my daughter-in-law, they left together and haven’t returned yet! My daughter-in-law’s name is ‘Anu’, she and my son were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since they were little. They got married when they were young, and their relationship is incredibly good. If you find my son, you’ll definitely find my daughter-in-law too…”
Aunt Yang's madness was unpredictable; she would forget things she had told her more than ten times in a row. She even sewed and mended many things herself. Therefore, when she heard that the two were "young couples," Ji Yunshu's dark eyes, which had been turbulent, turned into two pools of still water. She agreed verbally, but let go of Aunt Yang's hand, her interest waning, and her eyes returned to their lifeless state.
--
An hour later, the disciples who had searched each house returned one after another, and without exception, they found nothing.
Just like the days and nights of the past half month.
Everyone looked at Ji Yunshu, at their young master, awaiting his orders.
Ji Yunshu silently glanced at everything around her. The small village had been turned upside down. Her face remained calm, but her hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched into a fist with such force that a golden dart embedded itself in her flesh, and beads of blood trickled down her fingers and fell into the mud.
Ji Yunshu slowly exhaled a sigh of frustration, about to order a retreat, when her peripheral vision unexpectedly fell upon the haystack hidden in the shadows, and she suddenly said:
"Has that area not been searched yet?"
Gao Yang paused, followed Ji Yunshu's gaze, and nodded.
Ji Yunshu's fingertips traced the small "Jiang" character engraved on the golden dart. Her beautiful, indifferent peach blossom eyes were fixed on the haystack hidden in the darkness. Her thin lips parted slightly, and she uttered two words softly:
"Go search."
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Author's note: OK! Time to rest!
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