Su Cheng felt as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Oh? On what grounds?"
“Your life is worth more than a dozen of our lives.”
Zou Wen's statement was recognized by these people, and as a result, more and more people stepped forward.
"Huh? Zou Wen, you've been with me for several years, have you forgotten what kind of person I am?" The wine glass was knocked to the ground, and Su Cheng was now without anything to play with. He frowned as he looked at his empty hands, and after a while, he picked up the jade pendant at his waist and started playing with it.
Zou Wen's face immediately turned panicked; he had completely forgotten Su Cheng's usual character.
"Alright, stop daydreaming. My life, Su Cheng's life, is not something you can just take away as you please. My life... heh..." Su Cheng slowly stood up, looking at Uncle Lü across the crowd, "So these are your tricks? Really—"
Although Su Cheng's words were unfinished, Lü Bo understood the unspoken meaning and was immediately enraged: "Hmph, I know why you are so fearless, it's just that you're waiting for Qingyan!" At this point, Lü Bo pushed aside the crowd blocking his way and stood in front of Su Cheng, pressing against him, saying, "Perhaps you're out of touch. Don't you know that Qingyan has already been taken?"
Su Cheng frowned in displeasure at Lu Bo's approach, but Lu Bo misunderstood that Su Cheng was unaware of Qing Yan's being taken away and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, you've finally met your match! Today is your death anniversary!"
Lu Bo's sinister words did not elicit any panic from Huan Le Su Cheng. He simply pushed Lu Bo away with disgust and stepped back slightly.
Feng Fei was taken aback by Lu Bo's words. Qing Yan's incident had just happened that afternoon, and Lu Bo had been at the copper coin shop the whole time. Could it be that Lu Bo possessed some methods that even Da Bao and Xiao Bao couldn't uncover?
Actually, this is not entirely Da Bao's fault. Da Bao and Xiao Bao were just trying to maintain the status quo and only wanted to put the decorations in the room. In addition, when Lu Bo was acting as the innkeeper, he did not raise any suspicions. It is normal for Da Bao and Xiao Bao to have overlooked this.
Just as Feng Fei was wondering how Lü Bo knew about Qing Yan, Lü Bo scooped out a dark flag.
“Young Master Su, you should recognize this flag.” Uncle Lu slowly stroked the flag handle, as if reminiscing about something. “These are the souls of those people, people you know very well, Young Master Su.”
Before Su Cheng could react, Uncle Lü, as if he had thought of something good, grinned at Su Cheng and said, "Young Master Su, you still don't know how I found out about Qingyan, do you? You also want to know how I got this flag, don't you?"
“I’ll tell you, it was your brother Su who told me. He told me about Qingyan’s situation, gave me this flag, and asked me to deliver a message to you. Hmm, let me think, what was it again?” Uncle Lu stroked his chin, seemingly having some difficulty recalling, and hurriedly plucked out a few strands of his beard before saying, “I remember now, Young Master Su told me to tell you, ‘I hate you, my brother who has no brotherly affection, who disregarded all the true feelings I had for you in my early years. From now on, even if you die, it has nothing to do with me. I will pretend that I never had a brother like you.’”
The light in Su Cheng's eyes immediately dimmed, but then focused again as he looked at Lu Bo: "These are just your words, how can I believe them?"
Seeing Su Cheng's nonchalant attitude, Lü Bo became furious and suddenly threw the flag in his hand in front of Su Cheng: "This flag is the evidence!"
As the flag fell to the ground, wisps of barely perceptible black mist drifted out from the broken point.
"Uncle Lü, your words are becoming increasingly unbelievable to me. Sigh, where did the Uncle Lü of the past go?" Su Cheng sighed casually, which made Uncle Lü's face flush.
Just as Lu Bo was about to retort, he noticed a terrifying black fog suddenly bursting out from the broken flag.
Everyone was startled. Although they took a few steps back out of fear, they couldn't suppress their curiosity and craned their necks to look at the strange sight of the broken flag on the ground.
When the flag broke, Feng Fei felt a sense of foreboding and instinctively tried to reveal himself, but he tripped over a stone.
Looking down, she saw a shiny black stone at her feet. Instinctively, she picked it up because she felt there was something special about it. As she came to her senses, a thick black mist burst forth.
As the black mist spread, eerie screams filled the air and reached everyone's ears.
In that instant, everyone realized something was wrong and tried to get away, but it was too late.
This flag belongs to Qingyan, the Ghost-Binding Flag. Half of it was released in the afternoon when she wanted to take the lives of Fengfei, Yuanjue, and Mingfeng. Now, the ghosts in the ghost mist have decreased significantly. But even with their numbers reduced, they are still far beyond the capabilities of the mortals present.
These ghostly creatures all had ferocious expressions, dragging terrifying bodies and blurry features; no one could escape their attacks.
For a moment, screams of agony echoed throughout the courtyard.
Should we go out and rescue them?
Feng Fei was kind-hearted after all. Seeing those people with their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths bitten off by evil spirits, or their limbs torn off, he couldn't help but ask.
Yuan Jue shook his head.
Although these people seem innocent, they may have been involved in Su Cheng's affairs, and they do not arouse any of his sympathy.
Everyone else was hiding, but Lu Bo stood still, looking at the evil spirits with a desolate expression, letting them tear flesh from his body, his brows furrowed tightly from the pain.
"Oh, my child, I'm so sorry for you, I'm so sorry for you."
Looking at these limbless ghosts and pregnant female ghosts, Uncle Lü couldn't help but think of his son Xuanlang and Yuanqing, as well as his grandson who died before he was even born.
"It's all my fault," Lu Bo's words grew weaker as the evil spirits devoured him.
"Yuanjue"
Feng Fei could no longer bear to watch. He let out a low shout and left. Although these people deserved to die, they shouldn't have died like this. Those who had died before had not yet been exonerated. Ming Feng naturally followed closely behind Feng Fei.
Seeing Feng Fei's impulsiveness, Yuan Jue could only sigh helplessly yet affectionately, and then followed him out.
Jin Ming, who had been lying in the flower bushes, saw Feng Fei, Yuan Jue, and Ming Feng run out, muttered a few words, and had no choice but to reveal himself as well. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit (.). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
Chapter 42 A Perverted Love
The scene was extremely chaotic. Yu Ming, who had previously disappeared into the darkness, was hesitating about whether to show himself when he saw Feng Fei and the other three appear. He pursed his lips and then disappeared again.
When Feng Fei and his companions came out, they did not immediately subdue these fierce ghosts and evil spirits. Although they felt sympathy for them, they also wanted to teach them a lesson they would never forget.
Because Feng Fei carried the relic, he was unaffected by these ghosts. The ghosts that were close to him would even try to get away, but the next moment they would turn ferocious and pounce on the mortals who were writhing in agony on the ground.
Because of his previous position, Su Cheng was now directly facing Uncle Lü. Uncle Lü stood straight and stared at Su Cheng, sometimes thinking painfully about the past, sometimes looking at Su Cheng with hatred. His complex emotions made the evil spirits that were devouring Uncle Lü even more ferocious.
Why, I won't, bite you.
Lu Bo forced out those five words through gritted teeth. He couldn't understand why, despite being mortals, Su Cheng was surrounded by no ghosts. He was unwilling to accept it.
Lu Bo took a shaky step forward, and blood seeped out even more from the many places on his body where flesh had been bitten away, dripping onto the ground. He was unwilling to accept this; he wanted Su Cheng to die with him.
As Su Cheng watched Lu Bo walk towards him, his body trembling, a hint of regret slowly appeared on his originally indifferent face. His gaze drifted into the distance, as if he had thought of something that made him happy, and the corners of his mouth curved into a touching smile.
“Su Cheng…”
"Uncle Lü, haha, are you unwilling to accept this? How could I be unwilling to accept it either?"
Suddenly, Su Cheng said to Uncle Lü in a sorrowful voice, "How could I be willing to accept this? Do you know that everyone knows I won't live past twenty-five. Originally, I didn't care, but—"
At this point, Su Cheng abruptly raised his head to look at Uncle Lü. His voice was chillingly cold: "Uncle Lü, you can die in peace. I'm twenty-five this year."
Lu Bo's consciousness had begun to fade after hearing the words "Su Cheng..." He hadn't heard Su Cheng's two sentences. He only felt his vision blurring, and even the pain in his body lessened considerably. Suddenly, Lu Bo seemed to see Xuan Lang and Yuan Qing, their faces serene, standing in the distance with their child, smiling gently at him. He excitedly ran towards them. Just as he was about to reunite with them, he saw his wife, whom he hadn't seen for decades in the countryside, smiling tenderly at him as well.
"My wife..."
With a murmur from Uncle Lu, his body collapsed to the ground with a thud, but a satisfied and peaceful smile remained on his face.
What seems like a long process actually happens in the blink of an eye.
After Feng Fei and his companions subdued and collected the vengeful spirits and evil ghosts that had scattered around them, they discovered Lu Bo's death, but could only sigh with regret.
Feng Fei stood slightly behind Yuan Jue, observing Su Cheng's inscrutable expression. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"You've all probably realized that there's no way out of Yangzi Town, right?" Su Cheng ignored the groans around him, smiling as he looked at Feng Fei and the other three. His gaze swept over them, then fixed on Feng Fei before finally settling on Yuan Jue.
"I can't believe that charlatan actually hit the nail on the head. My time is up! My time is almost up at twenty-five!"
Ignoring Feng Fei and the others' reactions, he leisurely turned around and sat back in his seat.
"It seems like you have a sure win, but," Su Cheng chuckled softly, picking up the fruit wine from the ground, wiping it gently, and pouring himself a glass of fruit wine. After taking a sip, he continued, "But do you know what? If I die, everyone in this entire Yangzi Town will be buried with me."
"Alas, there were auspicious omens at my birth, but a fortune teller happened to be passing through our Yangzi Town. After seeing this strange phenomenon and doing some calculations, he knew that it was because of me. So he rushed to our Su family and did a lot of calculations based on my birth date and time. In the end, he said that I would not live past the age of twenty-five. If I were lucky enough to live past the age of twenty-five, it would be the beginning of disaster for our Su family."
"Because of this old Taoist priest's words, everyone in this mansion wished I would die soon. Even my parents were always scheming to kill me. When I was one year old, my eldest brother was already five. My eldest brother was such a clever man. He pitied me for having to suffer these things at such a young age, so he helped me avoid many schemes, many schemes that would have cost me my life, and many schemes from my own parents."
Even so, I never hated anyone. Back then, I was grateful to have such a good older brother like Su Zai. Even if I were to die the next moment, I wouldn't feel any resentment. But why, why did my brother fall in love with that woman named Tao Wan? Why did he have to marry that woman? I was so vehemently opposed at the time, but all I got in return was my brother's words, "You're so immature. All my previous care and protection have been for nothing." From that moment on, my heart turned cold. I watched the people from the Tao family come to make the betrothal, watched them beam with joy, watched the people in the clan congratulate my brother, and the hatred in my heart began to grow and sprout uncontrollably.
Looking at my elder brother's increasingly radiant and handsome face, I felt an urge to tear him apart, to tear apart everything I could see. Later, my elder brother married Tao Wan. I thought that not seeing him would lessen my pain, but the people around me kept talking about my elder brother and Tao Wan, and how they had a beautiful and clever daughter, Tao Hui. I hated why that woman named Tao Wan had taken away my only happiness, but I hated my elder brother's heartlessness even more.
At this point, Su Cheng could no longer control his emotions, and his body trembled uncontrollably. Feng Fei saw the deep sorrow hidden in Su Cheng's eyes and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.
The groans throughout the courtyard gradually subsided. The evening breeze blew, dispersing the ghostly aura and the stench of blood, but also bringing a chill that pierced the body and soul.
"Heh heh, since I won't live past twenty-five anyway, then you can all be buried with me." Su Cheng suddenly chuckled nervously, slowly taking out a red heart-shaped stone from his pocket and gently stroking it, as if he were caressing his most cherished possession.
"Did you know that the closure of Yangzi Town was accomplished by this Heart Language stone? Oh, by the way, you probably don't know who Heart Language is." Su Cheng completely revealed the heart-shaped stone to Feng Fei and the others, a strange red light flashing across his face. "This is Heart Language. It's all thanks to Heart Language that I was able to do all this. Everything I have is given to me by Heart Language." At this point, Su Cheng paused again, a look of melancholy crossing his face: "Except for my elder brother's love, which Heart Language could never give me."
"Do you know that I didn't give any of the bone and blood wine made from human pigs to these mortals? How could these mortals be worthy of human pig bone and blood wine? I prepared all of this human pig wine for Xinyu. Look, I have fed Xinyu so much that she is so lively."
The people lying on the ground felt relieved upon hearing the first half of Su Cheng's sentence, but the second half made their hearts tighten.
Feng Fei and his companions looked at the red heart-shaped stone, which appeared to be oozing blood. Strange runes rippled around its edges. "Thump," they thought they heard the sound of a heart beating.
"Thump, thump..."
Perhaps because Feng Fei and the others had been staring at it for too long, the stone suddenly began to throb more frequently.
Feng Fei looked at Yuan Jue with concern, but also noticed a subtle worry in Yuan Jue's eyes. "Yuan Jue..." Feng Fei couldn't help but move closer to Yuan Jue and tightly grasp Yuan Jue's slightly cold left hand.
Yuan Jue was slightly startled, noticing that Feng Fei's hand was trembling slightly as she held him. She suppressed her thoughts and gave Feng Fei a reassuring look.
In that instant, Su Cheng swiftly slashed his wrist, blood gushing out and staining the already crimson, dripping heart-shaped stone even more horrifyingly. With the flow of blood, the heart-shaped stone pulsated even more violently, and numerous fine purplish-blue lines appeared on its once smooth surface. As time passed, these lines grew thicker, and the pulsating sensation became increasingly captivating.
"thump"
Another series of violent heartbeats struck everyone's hearts. The mortals in the courtyard either coughed up blood and fainted, and even Feng Fei and the others felt the heavy blow to their hearts, letting out a muffled groan and suppressing the sweet taste rising in their throats.
"Young Master Su—"
A mournful cry came from the backyard, followed by the sound of clothes being torn by the flowers, and a graceful figure appeared before everyone.
The newcomer wore a woman's hairstyle, but was dressed in a light green blouse, a pleated skirt with scattered floral patterns, and a light green gauze shawl. Her shoulders were like those of a sculpted woman, her waist slender and graceful, her skin as smooth and translucent as solidified cream, and her aura as delicate as a fragrant orchid. She was charming and alluring, yet possessed a captivating beauty.
This person was none other than Fu, the concubine of Su Cheng's father.
“Su Cheng, I’m still here with you in this world.” Madam Fu walked over slowly, her eyes filled with deep affection for Su Cheng. “Su Cheng, Su Cheng, I’ve wanted to call you by your name for a long time. Now, I can finally do so.”
Seemingly taken aback by Fu's appearance, Su Cheng stared blankly as Fu approached, but made no other reaction.
Fu slowly knelt down beside Su Cheng, looking at his wrist that was still bleeding profusely, tears streaming down her face: "Su Cheng, why were you so foolish? Why—"
She choked back a sob, seemingly too ashamed to speak, a blush of embarrassment flashing across Fu's face. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "Su Cheng, why are you so foolish? Do you know that there is someone in this world who keeps you in his heart, thinking of you every day, hoping that one day he can call you 'Su Cheng' like this?"
"I—love you—Su Cheng. I'm not telling you this as Fu, a concubine in the Su family, but as Fu, the laundry maid from back then. Su Cheng, I love you." (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit (.). Your support is my greatest motivation.)