"Ayan?"
"—Why did you call me?"
Whether it was Gu Zhong's gaze that was too intense or the sudden surge of emotions that was too scalding, Ling Yan's embarrassment and shock at being interrupted returned to her face, turning her cheeks red.
"Um...it's nothing, just calling you."
He strode over to Ling Yan, dragged over a wooden stool and sat down. Gu Zhong propped his chin up and stared at Ling Yan more closely, a smile he couldn't hide on his lips.
Ling Yan glared at her fiercely, then turned her head away. Where Gu Zhong couldn't see, her eyes were filled with turmoil and struggle.
From the moment she first saw Gu Zhong, a strange seed began to grow in her heart. That seed seemed to be rooted deep in her soul, embedded in the soil of her heart, drawing upon all her emotions.
Nourished by these nutrients, it flourished even more, becoming uncontrollable.
Now she knows that the seed is called joy.
However, Gu Zhong is a demon—even if she has human nature.
If the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion continues to pursue her relentlessly, she is destined to live a life of exile, never finding peace.
Even with her superb swordsmanship, her pursuers were endless.
She, too, harbors countless secrets.
How can humans and demons live together? What will they face? Lingyan had too many worries, but right now every moment felt like walking on the edge of a cliff, leaving her no time to think about anything else.
Love is a luxury that should not be touched, yet it comes so inexplicably and fiercely, in just a moment.
A single glance, a single word, and they understood each other perfectly, their souls connected.
But since it has come and cannot be controlled, why worry too much?
Life is unpredictable; if there were no tomorrow…
It's better to live in the present.
"Ayan, would you like to hear a song?"
Gu Zhong leaned closer to Ling Yan, winked playfully, and suddenly asked a question.
"Play it if you want, why are you asking me?"
Still feeling shy, Ling Yan pretended to be angry at Gu Zhong.
Seeing that she was being petulant, Gu Zhong chuckled and pulled out a pottery flute from somewhere.
"You can play such an ancient instrument?"
The surface of the pottery flute is coated with a layer of black, but over time some of the color has been peeled off, and the rings of time have etched marks on it.
“This is the last gift my clan gave me… At that time, there weren’t many musical instruments. Apart from the chime bells, which were too bulky, the xun was the only instrument we could play.”
Gu Zhong stroked the ocarina with his fingers, his eyes filled with nostalgia.
"If I remember correctly, that's ancient history that only existed several hundred years ago. How old are you exactly this year?"
Lingyan leaned closer to her, carefully poked the ocarina with her fingertip, and tilted her head to ask a sincere question.
"...Even though I'm hundreds of years old, I don't really want to reveal my real age."
Gu Zhong was unusually agitated for a moment. Even for an old-fashioned person, she was still a woman, and a woman's age was the last thing one should pry into.
He placed the xun to his lips, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to play softly.
The melody was neither the song and dance of a prosperous era nor the life and death of a chaotic world, but a much more ancient rhythm.
A gentle breeze caresses the verdant grassland, and the morning light pierces the sky and the ground.
From the highest heavens, immortals came to guide us, bringing with them utmost solemnity and tranquility.
This was melodious, ethereal music, and Lingyan felt a sense of familiarity that came from her very soul.
It seemed like a very, very long time ago, she had heard it countless times…
——
Gu Zhong finally granted Ling Yan's wish and agreed to investigate the demons lurking in the red-light district.
They began to move between different brothels, trying to find out where the demon was.
However, the result left them quite helpless. This demon was well-versed in the essence of guerrilla warfare, and its location of appearance was different each time, making it unpredictable.
However, it's not entirely without pattern; it seems to prefer targeting one of two women with a very close relationship, as if seeing the other woman break down and suffer is its true purpose.
Fortunately, Gu Zhong and Ling Yan met these conditions, but it was not easy to get demons to come to them willingly; at the very least, they had to hear enough stories about their deeds.
So the two went even further, showing off their affection in public and even hiring people to spread the word.
Rumors quickly spread throughout the entire red-light district.
—And here comes another pair of women who have fallen in love.
They didn't have to wait long.
In the middle of the night, thick clouds obscured the moonlight, making the night sky appear even darker and more desolate.
"Tap tap..."
A gentle knock came at the door, and Gu Zhong and Ling Yan were lying facing each other, seemingly fast asleep.
"Knock knock knock!"
The knocking, which had gone unanswered, began again, this time more intensely.
Finally, they woke one of them up.
Lingyan, still half asleep, climbed out of bed and walked to the door.
Who is it?
"Miss Yan, it's me..."
The madam's voice came from outside the door.
"What's up?"
Lingyan didn't open the door, but instead asked warily.
The continuous noise woke Gu Zhong from her sleep. She got up, holding her sword, and stood behind the curtain, watching the commotion by the door.
“A guest has been clamoring to hear you two play, and he’s been making a fuss all night. I really have no choice but to ask you two ladies for help.”
The brothel madam outside the door pleaded earnestly.
Ling Yan sighed softly and opened the door.
The madam stood outside the door with her head bowed, displaying an eerily humble demeanor.
Seeing Lingyan open the door without any warning, she slowly raised her head, revealing a chilling smile, and tilted her head to the left.
It let out a sharp shriek and suddenly pounced on Ling Yan.
However, she couldn't advance even an inch before being cleaved in two by a sword beam.
A cloud of black mist swiftly withdrew from the madam's body and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Gu Zhong drew his sword and was about to give chase.
A golden seal suddenly appeared, blocking her path.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-04-14 23:23:47 and 2022-04-15 23:44:02!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Your dad is still your dad, 10 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 134 Swordsman and Exorcist (Part 20)
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Gu Zhong had no choice but to retreat abruptly to avoid the falling golden seal.
A familiar figure appeared in front of them.
His once handsome and cheerful face was now filled with gloom, and his former radiance was gone.
He exuded a dejected aura from the inside out.
"Chu City?"
Ling Yan exclaimed in surprise and quickly stepped forward to stand beside Gu Zhong, adopting a posture of standing shoulder to shoulder.
"Miss Ling, you still have a chance if you turn back now."
Chu Cheng once again raised the golden seal, facing Gu Zhong.
Are you alone?
After waiting for a while, no one from the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion appeared, which surprised Gu Zhong.
"I can handle you all by myself."
Chu Cheng said angrily, and immediately hurled the golden seal at Gu Zhong again.
"That will disappoint you."
With a few light leaps, Gu Zhong dodged Jin Yin's seemingly dazzling and unexpected attack.
"Chu Cheng! Stop! There are so many people in this brothel, are you just going to disregard their lives?"
Lingyan stood in front of Gu Zhong and reprimanded him sternly.
“One of you is already dead.”
Chu Cheng looked at the corpse that had been broken in two not far away.
“That’s right, she’s dead, ever since the moment she was possessed by a demon—a rather immature method of possession.”
Gu Zhong clearly had a different interpretation.