Ji Wushang was stunned. This guy was so strange.
"What are you standing there for? As long as I die, you can get your revenge. You don't have to marry me. You can choose another good marriage..." He seemed to be telling a story from a century ago, his eyes looking at the clouds on the horizon.
Ji Wushang felt as if his heart had been clenched. Yes, he hated him! If he could kill this man, he could vent his hatred, and he could cancel the marriage without disobeying the imperial decree. Then, he could wait for Yiyun to come to the city! He could wait for the man he loved!
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes as she picked up the dagger from her feet and slowly walked forward.
Nan Xuzong turned his gaze back, his eyes shifting from disbelief to affection, and then to a burning, obsessive look.
Ji Wushang drew the dagger from his hand, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
That cold light was so chilling, as if mocking their love for each other, making it so fragile.
Nan Xuzong suddenly smiled, a bitter smile, and then he closed his eyes.
☆、143 No Sorrow, how to break this deadlock?
"Why would I kill you?" Ji Wushang suddenly asked, not because she couldn't bring herself to do it, but because his last smile seemed so familiar, so very familiar... "If I kill you, wouldn't everyone know I'm an executioner? I won't do that." She carefully put the dagger away and placed it in his hand.
He was startled, then opened his deep eyes. "You'll regret it if you don't kill me."
"No regrets." Ji Wushang's eyes were clear as he affirmed again, "I never regret what I do."
"Help me." Nan Xuzong didn't say anything more at this moment. "Help me to a chair, it's getting late." He paused, and then said, "You don't actually hate me as much as you think, do you? You love me instead." He smiled as he spoke.
Ji Wushang was taken aback by these words. What had he just said?!
"Because you love me, and I love you too," he murmured. "Wu Shang, Wu Shang!"
The smell seemed to be sighing and telling a story. Ji Wushang was completely at a loss. Looking at it, his hands and feet became clumsy.
Ji Wushang lowered her head and remained silent. Then she helped him up. He seemed to be deliberately leaning forward, his entire body pressing down on her, making her feel heavy and oppressed.
"You, you're so heavy!" Ji Wushang finally couldn't help but say.
“It’s not my fault,” Nan Xuzong said, then looked at her temples, which were damp with sweat, and his hand couldn’t help but reach out to touch them.
But seeing her serious expression, he withdrew his hand, cooperated with her, and sat back in his wheelchair. At that moment, he couldn't help but sigh.
A scene seemed to flash through Ji Wushang's mind, and he didn't know if it was the same scene as now. It seemed like he had done the same thing before... Ji Wushang narrowed his eyes. Could it be that, as he said, he had really forgotten what happened between him and Ji Wushang?
It seems like there really is some intricate connection between us, but why is there always a voice in my heart shouting, "Hate him, Ji Wushang, the person you hate is him, you hate him!"
Ji Wushang stood there, stunned.
"I'll take my leave now." Nan Xuzong looked at her, then began to turn his wheelchair and walked out.
Ji Wushang stared at him, somewhat dazed.
——
Yi Yun Muchen had no idea what was wrong with him; he had slept for two days straight. During these two days, Bei Gong Jue Shi patiently took care of him, but this care was limited to Bei Gong Jue Shi fetching some good food from other inns. Originally, he had planned to take Yi Yun Muchen to an inn to help him recover faster, but Yi Yun Muchen refused to go, saying it would bring him death. Bei Gong Jue Shi suggested taking him to a clinic to see why he was still unconscious, but Yi Yun Muchen refused to go either.
He wondered what would happen if the doctor discovered he was a woman when he went to see a physician. Besides, he knew he had simply lost too much blood, all thanks to him. Why would he need to see a doctor?
It was early morning when Bei Gong Jue Shi brought back roast chicken and some duck meat from outside. Looking at Yi Yun Muchen, who was still fast asleep, Bei Gong Jue Shi put the food aside and then nudged him, calling out, "Chen Mu, Chen Mu."
Upon hearing the voice, Yi Yunmu Chen immediately opened his eyes. "It's you. Is the food here? I'm hungry."
Three black lines appeared on Bei Gong Jueshi's forehead. He definitely couldn't think of anything else besides eating. What was the point of keeping such a boring person around and taking care of him? He was utterly useless. It seemed that since nothing important had happened, he should just go back to Wudang Mountain.
I definitely can't go to the frontier, and frankly, I don't know the roads very well. It's much more comfortable to go back to Wudang Mountain and practice swordsmanship.
Yi Yun Muchen was already struggling. Bei Gong Jueshi frowned slightly, squinting at his struggling appearance, which seemed frail and weak. "Since your body is so weak, why do you still want me to drink your blood!"
"Wasn't it to repay your life?" Yi Yun Muchen said irritably. With his help, she managed to sit up and reached out to take the roast chicken, but she couldn't reach it.
Bei Gong Jue Shi glanced at her helplessly, then took the roast chicken, tore off a leg, and placed it in front of him, indicating that he should take it and eat it himself.
"Thank you." Yi Yunmu took it and slowly began to eat. Bei Gongjueshi looked at him and felt that his every move was like a woman's. No, this is a brat, it's normal for him to be a little effeminate.
Bei Gong Jue Shi turned his face away and then ate his own food.
Neither of them spoke, and they cooperated in a very cooperative manner. After Yi Yun Muchen finished eating, Bei Gong Jue Shi would tear off another piece of meat for him, and it was always a good piece of breast meat, chicken leg, or duck leg.
Before long, the two of them had finished eating everything.
Yi Yun Muchen roughly wiped his mouth with his sleeve, a gesture that seemed perfectly natural. Bei Gong Jueshi watched, shaking his head. A beggar is a beggar; that can't be changed. Knowing there was some grease on his lips, he picked up his silk handkerchief and wiped it with utmost elegance.
Yi Yun Muchen glared at him, arrogant and conceited, "I've rested enough, I'm leaving now, let's go our separate ways!"
"Where are you going?" Bei Gong Jue Shi asked immediately upon hearing this. "Can you walk by yourself now?"
“I’ve wasted too much time. I’m not afraid to tell you, I need to find my brother.” Yi Yun Muchen looked at him. “I know my own path to walk, and I don’t want to hold you back. Let’s part amicably.” As Yi Yun Muchen spoke, he began to pack, but what could he possibly pack? He was penniless, and all he had in his pocket was some medicinal powder, which was still a problem for self-defense.
Yi Yun Muchen stood up, patted the straw off his clothes, and then saw that he was still sitting on the haystack, his heterochromatic eyes staring at him. Yi Yun Muchen felt a little embarrassed. "Well, goodbye."
She said it softly, and then walked out.
Bei Gong Jue Shi watched him leave, then stood up and saw him off.
"Bastard! Bullshit! He didn't even say goodbye! I should teach him a lesson! You've drained my blood! Yes, we're even now! Hmph, heartless and ungrateful, couldn't you at least say goodbye? It's so hard to send me away! You bad guy! When I find my brother, I'll make sure he teaches you a lesson! So what if you're good at martial arts? You just like bullying people! My brother is much better than you! I'm going to refine medicine, and every time I see you, I'll poison you!" After leaving the City God Temple, Yi Yun Muchen was still angry, cursing and swearing, treating the air as if it were Bei Gong Jue Shi, almost ready to punch and kick it.
Bei Gong Jue Shi smiled. "Bastard, bullshit, bad guy—those words are quite fitting. Heartless and ungrateful—isn't that the kind of person I like to be? Unfortunately, I've always had feelings. I wanted to be evil, but now, I'm forced to wander this world."
Perhaps this is truly a cursed lone star! Even after his master removed his cursed aura upon ascending the mountain, he still couldn't escape his fate of solitude. Oh well, at Wudang Mountain, he still has his master; sparring with him wouldn't be bad either.
Bei Gong Jue Shi returned to the City God Temple, then looked at the haystack to make sure nothing was left behind before leaving. But just as he turned around, he saw something flashing.
Turning around, he bent down and picked up the object. It was half a piece of crescent-shaped jade. The jade was crystal clear, shimmering with a cold light under the sunlight. It was ancient jadeite, rare in the world. Whose is this? Bei Gong Jueshi turned it over and examined it, repeatedly touching the jade. Finally, he could make out the faint characters. He leaned closer to look; they appeared to be two ancient pictographs, difficult for him to understand. However, he was certain that these characters were not from the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty. That meant this jade belonged to him?
Bei Gong Jue Shi examined it closely, and after a long time, he finally recognized that the bottom part resembled the character "辰" (Chen). Bei Gong Jue Shi narrowed his eyes, "Isn't he Chen Mu? How come it's this '辰'? Could I have misunderstood?"
Putting it away, Bei Gong Jue Shi felt he had made a new decision.
Yi Yunmu Chen walked along the street, searching for signs to meet up with Yi Yun Shangcheng, but unfortunately, he found nothing.
"Wasn't this where we were supposed to meet? We agreed to meet in Xuzhou, but there's not a single mark. We've wasted so much time." Yi Yun Muchen muttered to herself. Suddenly, a "cooing" sound came from the air. Yi Yun Muchen frowned, remembering that she had walked so far and cursed Bei Gong Jueshi so much. She was already parched and hungry.
"Alright, it's time to eat something good." Yi Yun Muchen looked left and right, finally spotting an inn ahead. The scene of their first meeting flashed before her eyes. Was he really that foolish? Would she be so lucky this time? But Yi Yun Muchen didn't care; she still needed to eat. Otherwise, how could she find someone?
I straightened my clothes; they were a bit dirty, but at least they made me look a little more presentable. This inn should be able to serve some vegetarian dishes and rice, right? That way, I wouldn't be kicked out.
Having made up her mind, Yi Yun Muchen walked in gracefully.
The waiter saw someone come in and was about to greet them with a smile, but when he saw that it was Yi Yun Muchen dressed like this, he immediately started cursing, "Who are you? You beggar, get out, get away from me!"
"Me? I'm a beggar? Are you blind?" Yi Yun Muchen bristled with anger, "You blind bastard, someone invited me in for a meal! I was in such a hurry that I forgot to change into nice clothes!" With that, he turned to go inside.
The waiter was also difficult to deal with, blocking him from entering, saying, "Who invited you? Point it out to me right now."
"It's him! No, it's him!" Yi Yun Muchen pointed at two people at once. Perhaps someone heard the commotion in front of the door and turned around. Yi Yun Muchen could see the faces of those people. They were all fat and big-eared. She was so scared that she withdrew her hand and didn't know who to point at for a moment.
"You filthy wretch! How dare you talk nonsense here!" the waiter said impatiently. "Get out of here right now, or I'll make you regret it!" He raised his hand to hit him.
"Wait a minute." A gentle voice suddenly called out, and he used his folded fan to block the waiter's raised hand that was about to hit him.
Yi Yun Muchen looked forward and saw that the man was handsome, talented, and radiant. He had delicate features and a sharp look in his eyes. There were several servants behind him. When the servants saw their young master blocking the waiter, they immediately stepped forward and pulled the waiter away.
"Don't be rude." The man smiled and stopped his servant. After watching his servant release the waiter, he said, "This young man, he is my honored guest." As he spoke, he pointed at Yi Yun Muchen, who was immediately startled.
"Young Master Tang, you're too kind. Please, please come this way." The waiter immediately led him forward, glancing at Yi Yun Muchen with a hint of unease in his eyes. How could this person know someone like Young Master Tang?
Yi Yun Muchen's attention wasn't on the waiter, but on this so-called Young Master Tang. She didn't know whether she should go in, but she was really hungry.
"Young master, please come in." Tang Le stepped forward with a smile and then politely invited Yi Yun Muchen. Yi Yun Muchen was a little embarrassed. Could it be that he had really run into good luck? He had met so many kind people in a row, so he wouldn't have to worry about going hungry!
“Well then, I’ll gladly accept your offer.” Yi Yunmu Chen smiled and followed him inside.
Yi Yun Muchen thought that this Young Master Tang must be a very wealthy and noble person, otherwise, he wouldn't have invited her to this private room! Good heavens, she never dreamed that she would one day enter such an elegant room.
Therefore, I should investigate his identity. If he is one of the wealthiest people in Xuzhou, then I might be able to befriend him and ask him to help me find my brother so that I can help him regain his rightful place.
"Young master, may I ask your name?" Tang Le's eyes curved into crescents as she scanned Yi Yun Muchen's entire body several times before smiling and meeting his crescent-shaped eyes. She then poured two cups of wine from the wine pot in both hands.
"My name is Chen Mu," Yi Yunmu Chen smiled. "May I ask how you are addressed, young master?" These people from the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty are so troublesome. If they want to ask someone's name, they should at least state their own first! Why do I have to ask them myself!
"My name is Tang Le. Oh, the third young master of Tang Family Manor." Tang Le's lips curled slightly, then he moved the wine glass in front of him. "Please."
"Oh, okay." Having grown up drinking, what's a little wine to me? It's just that I haven't had any alcohol in a long time. Yi Yun Muchen picked up his glass. "I'm truly honored that Young Master Tang doesn't mind and brought me here for a drink!"
"Not at all. It's just that I feel Young Master Chen is handsome and talented, truly a dragon among men. So, feeling that a kindred spirit is hard to find, I invited Young Master Chen to have a few drinks with me," Tang Le said, raising his wine glass.
Yi Yun Muchen frowned slightly. He was dressed like a beggar, his clothes were very old, and he didn't know when he had wiped his face with water. Yet he still recognized that he had delicate features.
"Please, have a drink," Tang Le said with a smile.
"Okay." After drinking this glass of wine, she would ask for his help. Yi Yun Muchen nodded, then raised her glass, clinked glasses with him, and then tilted her head back to drink it down.
Tang Le smiled wickedly, watching him drink it down, while he himself remained suspended in mid-air. Taking advantage of Yi Yun Muchen tilting his head back, he spilled all the wine in the glass.
...
Bei Gong Jue Shi happened to arrive here at this time. It was midday, and unexpectedly, they entered the same inn.
He was wearing a cloak, but the clean and gorgeous robes he wore couldn't hide his elegance, so the waiter immediately came over and said, "Sir, please have a seat here."
Bei Gong Jue Shi nodded, then found a relatively secluded spot to sit down. "Two ounces of wine, one pound, no, two pounds of beef." Bei Gong Jue Shi thought for a moment. He probably wouldn't be far away so soon. If he ordered more, maybe he could run into him for a meal.
"Alright!" the waiter said cheerfully and then walked away.
Bei Gong Jue Shi slowly ate the chopped beef while sipping a few glasses of light wine. His gaze, however, frequently darted outside, hoping to spot that brat. That brat was definitely not simple.
He looks so young, but he has so many tricks up his sleeve that I almost got fooled.
"Hey, did you see that just now? Young Master Tang pulled another little boy into the private room." Unexpectedly, someone at the next table was gossiping.
"I saw it, so short! And that boy, he's filthy and smelly. I don't know if Young Master Tang is too fond of homosexuality, that he wouldn't even spare a child like this!"
"Exactly. You don't know that boy, tsk tsk, he must be from out of town. His eyes are quite beautiful, like they're about to sparkle. Oh, what a pity, he's so skinny you could crush his bones at any moment. I wonder if Young Master Tang will... kill him." This person's eyes were extremely ambiguous as he leaned over to his deskmate and said this.
"You're right. I've heard that this young master Tang has a very strong libido in that area, and he also likes young boys."
...
Upon hearing this, Bei Gong Jue Shi's face froze. Damn it, could this boy be him? His knuckles turned white, and he threw some loose silver on the table. Then, after looking at the layout of the inn and seeing the waiter leading some guests to the upstairs rooms, Bei Gong Jue Shi immediately ran upstairs.
...
"Young Master Chen? Wake up, Young Master Chen?" Tang Le called out several times, but Yi Yun Muchen, who was lying on the table, was completely unaware and fast asleep.
Tang Le's lips curled up, and then he immediately stepped forward. "My goodness, it's so tender! It must be incredibly delicious!" He rubbed his hands together, and drool was practically dripping from his mouth. "Although it's a bit dirty, it looks incredibly tender!" With that, he picked up Yi Yun Muchen from the table, walked into the beaded curtain, and threw Yi Yun Muchen onto the bed.
Instantly, Yi Yun Muchen was thrown around and felt dizzy, letting out a muffled groan.