Un cœur pur dans un pot de jade

Chapitre 48

Out of selfishness, I manipulated other people's destinies and decided their lives.

...

Summer days are long, and Liangfeng Mountain Villa is located near the town. In the evening, the streets are even more lively than a temple fair, filled with all sorts of people who come out to cool off and take the opportunity to do small business.

In the Jiangzhe region, the rainy season has just ended, so there is both a beautiful sunset and a cool breeze.

“I’d rather it rain every day,” I said, looking at the sky, “than be scorched by the sun.”

"I feel the same way," Xu Yi echoed.

“The savages would say,” I murmured, “that if I see more sun, I can grow a few centimeters taller.”

"He's lying to you." Xu Yi was definitely doing it on purpose. "You're not going to grow any taller."

I simply stayed behind him and didn't move forward, so he turned around and asked, "What? Didn't you say you wanted to do sightseeing?"

"Snakes for sale!" I pointed to the roadside.

Xu Yishun pointed to the one I was pointing to, and I pulled him closer. "Let's buy one!" I urged. "And give it a name, and you can keep it!"

"Are you kidding me?" Xu Yi turned to ask me.

"What's so funny!" I pointed to the little snake that kept peeking out of the bamboo basket. "Look how cute it is, it suits you perfectly!"

I don't think so.

"Buy, buy!" I tugged at his clothes. "Pets can give you emotional support, they're good to you, really!"

"Sun Qingshan," Xu Yi said seriously, "what exactly do you want?"

I didn't say anything, just glanced at him sideways.

“That trick won’t work,” he said.

"I didn't take it from you—"

“That trick won’t work either,” he interrupted me.

“Buy it,” I softened my voice. “The white one will be called Bai Suzhen, and the green one will be called Shao Qingyou. Pamper Bai Suzhen and abuse Shao Qingyou. You’ll find that bullying the weak is a lot of fun.”

"I won't buy it," Xu Yi insisted. "It'll just starve to death even if I buy it, so why bother?"

"No, you can just catch a few mice for it to eat. It's very easy to raise."

“Sir,” the vendor suddenly interjected, “you can make snake soup even without raising it; it’s very nutritious.”

"Shut up!" I glared at the vendor. Xu Yi is in this line of work; does he need someone to teach him?

“Tell me,” Xu Yi then asked, “why do you want me to raise snakes?”

"Because I saw you spacing out yesterday," I said bluntly.

"Staring blankly?" Xu Yi was stunned.

"Then—then—" I exclaimed, "I'm stunned again!"

"You—!" Xu Yi shook his head, stared blankly, and couldn't utter a single word.

I can't tell him it's because I saw you draw Xiao Chenchen, or because I'm afraid you'll get bored and cause problems.

"Let's go." Xu Yi pulled me, which was rare for him to take the initiative to pull me. "I'm fine... Don't think of me as Shao Yanhe." He comforted me.

"Xu Yi!" He pulled me back and walked away, so I had to jump up and chase after him, quickly changing the subject, "I heard that Liangfeng Manor is holding a new election for the martial arts alliance leader. Can I sign up to participate?"

Xu Yi turned around, his eyes conveying a clear message: Go to hell!

Chapter 59...

The closer you get to the center of an event, the more information will be passed from one mouth to another, like a virus spreading far and wide. In the end, not wanting to hear anything and saying that I don't want to know any secrets is an absolute luxury.

But there is a kind of secret that can make people uneasy, especially when you only know half of it and not the whole story.

Legend has it that not long ago, Liangfeng Manor detained a person related to the Yan family's treasure—which has sparked speculation ever since.

Liangfeng Manor covers a large area, including two hills, a manor, and a town within its jurisdiction. If it were just about detaining one person, there would be absolutely no need to make it public knowledge.

Who wants this secret to eventually become a rumor? Who is the person who was detained? Could it be a savage?

If that's the case, it's terrible—"You said the savage was tortured to extract a confession?" I asked Xu Yi. "Could there be some conspiracy? Could it be that the fire was a deliberate attempt to make the savage disappear and then lock him up again?!"

As I asked these questions, my chest heaved, and I felt more nervous than ever before, as if the wind was howling and the earth was cracking.

Xu Yi sighed and comforted me, "There aren't that many conspiracies in the world."

“I don’t think so,” I shook my head. “Savages are easier to bully. Last time, the whole world ganged up on him and he didn’t even fight back before being outmaneuvered.”

"Why don't you say he did it on purpose?" Xu Yi retorted.

"He's not sick!" I glared at Xu Yi. "Did he deliberately walk into a trap?!"

“I know you were upset about the fire at the Nangong family's house a while ago,” Xu Yi paused three times as he spoke, afraid that I was still upset. “So there’s something you must have taken to heart.”

"What is it?" I asked.

"The head of the Nangong family is dead."

Who died?

Xu Yi's face immediately darkened. "Two people died in that fire, and you really didn't care at all?! Not only was Shao Yanhe burned to a crisp, but the long-absent head of the Nangong family was also burned to death—was this just another cover-up?!"

"Miracle Doctor!" I said coldly. "I know you're middle-aged and have complicated thoughts, but the savage wasn't that complicated. He wouldn't do so much just to kill someone. He—"

"I was overthinking it," the doctor patted my shoulder to comfort me, but at the same time his brows furrowed slightly.

“You know I’m a very straightforward person,” I said, looking at him. “So tell me what you’re thinking, at least let me be mentally prepared.”

“Yes,” he nodded, “I will say what needs to be said—but there are some things…” The doctor still frowned, and after a long while he asked, “Have you really never thought about giving up?”

"What's the meaning?"

“Abandon everything here and return to where you belong.”

"..." I remained silent, and Xu Yi took my hand, his fingertips twirling as he placed it on my wrist. "Pulse—neither floating nor sinking, gentle yet strong..." The divine physician smiled and said to me, "Keep it up."

"Tch!" I pulled my hand away. "You'll have to prescribe me three meals a day. If I'm not strong and healthy, I'll be letting you down!"

The miracle doctor was delighted and comforted.

I looked up at the sky, wondering if I should give up...

Even kindergarteners know that even if dark clouds loom overhead for a while, the sun will eventually shine again after the rain. I believed in the wild man so much, and I tried so hard to see him. I felt that even if the final outcome was unpredictable, I should at least find out what had happened—four years, all because my eyes were opened a crack.

...

Just as I finished saying that dark clouds were looming overhead, a thunderstorm struck.

People on the long street split into two groups, running to the left and to the right, all facing the rain. The view was bluish-gray, and the heavy rain washed over the stone pavement as everyone fled.

I raised my hands to shield my head, splashing happily in the puddles. Seeing that someone was running faster than me, I grabbed Xu Yi and pushed him to full speed ahead.

Passing by a roof over which they were taking shelter from the rain, they still clung to the miracle doctor, shamelessly squeezing in wherever they could.

I had just squeezed in when an innocent old man at the very back was pushed out of the shelter.

So I went all in. A large drop of water fell on my head from the eaves. With my back to the crowd and my face to the rain, I twisted my body and squeezed backward with all my might.

It wasn't that there was no profit to be made. Being scorned by the old man and receiving disdainful looks from those around me made me feel like a wriggling caterpillar, still leaking water... Doing such a shameful thing, which is not only immoral but also humiliating, was not because I was afraid of catching a cold or being unable to withstand even a rain shower. Of course, I had another purpose.

Since ancient times, places with large populations have been subject to many restrictions. Soon after, Liangfeng Manor was selecting a leader, so even this small town fifty miles away from Liangfeng Manor became like a World Cup event that was about to be held nearby, attracting many insightful people.

So the question is no longer whether we can meet the manor lord, but whether we can get close to Liangfeng Manor if we go another twenty miles.

The people in the manor set up checkpoints around the manor to prevent any unforeseen events. Anyone entering the manor had to either break through by force or present a visiting card.

With Xu Yi by my side, I wasn't worried about not having an invitation to the ceremony—but Xu Yi suddenly told me he didn't even want to be Xu Yi anymore. What could I do? I could only change my mindset and steal someone else's invitation to the ceremony.

There are opportunities when there are many people; that's what the wild man told me.

The savage also told me that the key is misdirection; when your brain commands you to look to the left, you will have a hard time noticing what is happening on your right at the same time.

"Do you even know what a brain is?" I laughed at him then.

The savage replied: "Teach according to aptitude." After answering, he stepped forward and kissed my cheek.

In the pouring rain, I spotted someone carrying a red dew-covered card. He had taken shelter from the rain here, and I followed him, squeezing to his side. I pushed Xu Yi to him and reached into his arms, but at the crucial moment, he took a step back. I gritted my teeth and stomped my foot backward, intending to kick him hard, but I felt someone push forward from behind, causing me to miss my foot and bump my heel.

By this time, I was soaked to the bone and my spine was cold. But the person on top of me accidentally placed one hand on my back. In that instant, I felt my bones jump three times from the cold. It was just a very brief touch, but I even thought of the Nine Yin White Bone Claw and the Bone-Melting Palm. What was most deadly was that the touch was on four fingers. So, what was incredibly strange was that this person seemed to be missing a middle finger.

My first reaction was to jump forward lightly. When I tried to turn around, someone suddenly pushed my shoulder as if to say "excuse me." The same hand had already passed me and stepped out of the roof the instant I turned around. I was stunned and could only see the other person's shoulder. The person was thin and dressed in blue. Compared to everyone else here who was soaked to the bone, this person was so dry that there wasn't a single drop of water on them. Even a single hair that accidentally landed on their shoulder could easily float into the air with the slightest movement.

When I looked again, I could only see the person's back.

"Wait a minute!" I called out, but I watched helplessly as the figure disappeared into the rain, vanishing without a trace in a flash.

...

A few days later, in front of Liangfeng Villa, Doctor Xu turned back to me one last time and said, "Don't forget what you promised me."

"Oh..." I frowned, "Are you ever going to stop? Is male menopause more troublesome than my mother's?!"

"Don't act rashly." He glared at me.

"I understand," I glared back, "Divine Doctor!"

The doctor had no choice but to straighten his clothes and lead me straight ahead.

To say that Xu Yi was arrogant and walked with his eyes straight ahead, although his gait was graceful, he always had the aura of a boss. You could say that he... was born to steal the spotlight.

Ever since he revived the Xu Yi brand, he no longer needed formal invitations along the way; he simply continued to advance, achieving nothing but success.

To be honest, from the moment I begged and threatened him in every way, to the first time the guards of the manor stopped me and questioned my background, Xu Yi had completely regained the disdainful air he had when he was in front of the brothel. As soon as he gave his name, the seventeen or eighteen martial arts practitioners who accompanied him all the way were like bees to honey, flocking to the divine doctor.

Immediately, someone prepared a sedan chair for the miracle doctor to carry him out. After he got out of the sedan chair, someone else was responsible for clearing the area for him.

Even so, the swarms of little bees that come and go around you are indispensable...

Everyone looked as if they were paying their respects to Xu Yi's remains, fearing that he might die without uttering a sound.

"His name is legendary, he's heard of it all..."

"I've heard so much about you..."

"Nice to meet you..."

"I've heard that the miraculous doctor's hands can bring the dead back to life... Ah..."

"...Disappeared for four years, and today I see you again, still as charming as ever... Ah..."