Chapter 123: Clear Weather Day Chapter 102: Kill Our Way Out

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

"Many wounds, excessive blood loss, and..." the Spider Woman's voice still trembled, and when she placed her fingers on Shaowei's wrist, her fingers also trembled once.

Not quite right...

A person who appears covered in injuries and near death, yet her pulse is completely different...

Surging, boiling hot blood, tough and resilient meridians, unyielding tendons and bones — through the thin wrist skin covered in blood and grime, they conveyed an astonishing, even inhuman, determined life force.

This strange, powerful force transmitted through her fingertips; in a trance, the Spider Woman hallucinated that at this moment she seemed to share the awe-inspiring presence from gods and ghosts.

In silence, she received the summons once more; the pact made at the wellside was firmed again.

Shaowei closed her eyes again, looking weak to the extreme.

Zhu Zhi impatiently pressed: "What else?"

"She's been poisoned..." the Spider Woman received Shaowei's hint and said tensely: "Her internal Qi is in chaos, her strength utterly severed — I fear she won't survive twelve shichen!"

Zhu Zhi: "Twelve shichen... just let her live through twelve shichen!"

He was about to order someone to lock her in a cage, but still felt uneasy, so he instructed the Spider Woman: "Needle her, seal her acupoints, make it so she cannot move a single bit!"

Although she said her strength was already severed, she is very strange... cannot be treated as a normal person!

The Spider Woman had no choice but to comply; trembling, she reached out and turned Shaowei from a curled side-lying position to lying flat.

Shaowei seemed already powerless to struggle in any way; her breathing weak and uneven, as those silver needles pierced into her acupoints one by one.

Zhu Zhi was very satisfied; he was a martial artist and knew acupoints somewhat, especially those that could drain a person's strength. He observed carefully and knew the Spider Woman had not needled haphazardly or perfunctorily.

But Shaowei could perceive that, beneath the cover of her disheveled hair, the depth of each silver needle's insertion was somewhat lacking.

Finally, the Spider Woman added a few more needles; these few needles went in with sufficient depth. Shaowei also knew medical theory, so she knew these covert needles had the effect of regulating her internal breath and reducing pain.

Shaowei had long been in so much pain she was numb, but as these few needles went in, her pupils moistened slightly.

This was trust and protection in a life-and-death desperate situation.

Shaowei regretted deeply for having mistakenly trusted good intentions; trapped in a pitch-black tomb, her body tainted with cold corpse qi, nearly falling into the extreme Abyss — these few needles pierced open that mass of dark human nature, letting her rethink between black and white, enabling her to stand in the gray area.

That day she caught up to the Spider Woman who wanted to throw herself into the well, also burying for herself a redemption against falling.

Tears spilled from Shaowei's eyes, her expression still numb, until a face suddenly loomed close above her line of sight — Zhu Zhi's.

She lay on the ground; Zhu Zhi lowered his body from above and brought his face near hers. The two faces faced each other in opposite directions. Zhu Zhi's face drew closer and closer; his gaze sinister and excited: "Can't move? Crying? Scared? You feel fear too?"

Shaowei's body trembled slightly, because she felt incomparable disgust, and also had to suppress her immature killing intent.

"Truly scared!" Zhu Zhi suddenly closed his eyes, took several deep sniffs of the dense bloody scent on the young woman. He trembled with excitement, as if he had already tasted the prey's flavor in advance.

The longed-for prey would surely be cooked into a grand feast.

Just needed to endure and wait a bit more.

Zhu Zhi shuddered as he straightened up; he could no longer stay here, otherwise he feared he could not restrain himself.

Moreover, he still had to bathe, burn incense, and rush to Changling; he needed a clean body to meet gods and ghosts.

He ordered the prey locked in the cage, still uneasy, and instructed again: "Have people guard this place strictly — absolutely cannot let her escape!"

Even though those guards could not imagine how a broken prey with barely any life left, locked in a cage, could possibly escape, they still answered in unison: "Yes!"

The huge iron cage was already locked; the Spider Woman still knelt trembling in the spot where she had just needled.

Until Zhu Zhi looked back: "Useless thing, still not following?"

Because of his surging Qi and blood, his arm began to ache again; he still needed this Wu Nu to needle him once more.

This Wu Nu, timid as a mouse, had a finger chopped off by him, yet he still couldn't remember her name — only vaguely recalled it seemed like the name of a crawling insect or ant, befittingly cowardly like her person.

The prison cell door was shut, guarded tightly by people.

Both iron cages reeked of stale iron rust. Shaowei's hands were bound behind her back; she half-lay, half-leaned in the cage. Shan Gu crawled and knelt toward her from inside the cage behind her back, and said behind her: "A Jie, it's all my fault!"

"I implicated you—" this one sentence was two voices overlapping, one heavy, one light.

At the end of the words, both froze simultaneously.

Shaowei couldn't see Shan Gu's expression, only heard him say: "No, A Jie, it was me who implicated you!"

Even though there were two people guarding not far away inside the room, this matter could be spoken; if they stayed silent the whole time that would be strange — who knows what bad thing they're holding back.

Therefore Shan Gu spoke in a low voice the whole story.

Zhu Zhi often humiliated him. That day Zhu Zhi washed his feet, and also made the two of them escort him to kneel to the side. He refused to serve; those two then pressed his head into the foot-washing basin.

Water poured into his mouth, nose, and ears; on the verge of suffocation, he was grabbed by the hair and lifted up. Just as his mind and five senses were muddled, he saw an extra person in the room delivering a message, while Zhu Zhi held a talisman paper in his hand, murderous intent surging all over.

Zhu Zhi rose with a boom; the talisman paper fluttered down into the foot-washing basin. Only then did he see a pair of incomparably lifelike eyes drawn on that talisman paper. He immediately struggled up, terrified: 【What do you want to do! If you want to kill, kill me!】

This sentence immediately drew Zhu Zhi's gaze.

【I'll kill her instead — what will you do?】 Zhu Zhi probed with a few sentences and figured it all out: 【I know now! You now bear the surname Zhou, but originally you're that Zhou from Taoxi Township! You're the Zhou family's adopted son!】

Zhu Zhi laughed loudly on the spot. This story is long to tell...

Last year on the Double Ninth Festival, together with Chi Yang he captured and killed that Baili Youyi who suddenly turned from a man into a woman. Originally he didn't take the subsequent "uprooting" matter to heart. Plus this matter was half-hidden from the Emperor, not suitable to expand influence, so at the time he didn't think to investigate what neighbors or such connected to Baili Youyi's master-disciple friends might be involved—

Moreover, they were merely fellow townspeople, not relatives. Baili Youyi is the dignified National Preceptor; her disciple would surely have eyes above the top — how would she care about lowly townspeople's lives? Even if caught, they couldn't serve as hostages. And what little disciple — would Embroidered Uniform Guards killing them not be easy? Why need hostages? Therefore he disdained to waste thought on it.

But afterward his thinking changed.

Uprooting failed; that little disciple chased him to kill him!

Heavily injured and panicked, he hurried back to the capital. A severed arm was already a blood-deep hatred. Moreover, someone who would risk their life for a dead person is mostly a fool heavy on sentiment. Friendly townspeople might not be useless after all!

So he sent people to investigate and search, but learned this master-disciple pair in Taoxi Township called each other sisters. The elder sister was entangled in rumors; the younger sister had a weird temperament. Therefore very few families were close to them — only two households. One had already moved away; the other household's adopted son had gone on a distant journey, and that Zhou couple had also suddenly disappeared... truly hateful.

It turned out the bastard he had found was that adopted son who had gone on a long journey—since he was already in hand, he naturally had to test how much weight and use he had.

That was why Shan Gu was now saying those words of repeated guilt: "It's my stupidity; back then I should have just pretended not to recognize him!"

"You really did a poor job." Shaowei spoke matter-of-factly, but also frowned to show understanding: "But your brain was addled at the time, and in a panic it's somewhat excusable; you must not do it again next time."

"Mm!" Shan Gu nodded heavily, tears in his voice: "A Jie, I won't ever do it again!"

This matter would give him the most profound lesson, and he would never commit the same fault again until death.

Hearing that his tone truly showed he had learned his lesson, Shaowei asked: "Since you say he previously didn't know you and I were acquainted, why did he capture you to humiliate you?"

Her speaking voice had always been very faint and weak, seriously playing the part of a dying person.

Shan Gu's voice wasn't loud either, and now it was even lower: "He said... my grandmother was his wet nurse. My mother was his concubine."

"He's your father?!" Shaowei turned her head back, barely managing to control her voice, and added: I don't agree!

Though such a thing couldn't be controlled by her, how could she calmly accept and agree!

Didn't Ji Jin say that beastly fathers in this world were still very few? Why then did they proliferate like green algae on the river surface, covering the sky and earth!

Shan Gu hurriedly denied: "No, he isn't! That's why he wants to kill me to take revenge on me!"

Having said that, he turned his head to look at a large wooden bucket in the damp corner of the wall.

Shaowei couldn't see his expression; at this moment she only breathed a sigh of relief and said in a low voice: "I didn't implicate you, and you didn't implicate me either; even without you, he would still want to kill me."

For Shaowei, even being implicated was better than implicating others, in terms of saving face. The household slave was indeed right; Zhu Zhi couldn't possibly have caught Shan Bo so quickly following her lead; previously she had thought of herself too much as a jinx.

"A Jie, you mean..." Shan Gu whispered: "Why are you also in Chang'an? These past days you..."

"Let's not talk about these unimportant things first." Shaowei: "Save some strength."

Shan Gu obediently suppressed his doubts, and was about to say something more important, but saw A Jie turn her head slightly and say softly: "You saw his severed arm, right?"

Shan Gu nodded.

Shaowei felt this matter could be mentioned casually: "It was I who cut it off."

Shan Gu was speechless, extremely shocked and admiring.

"But it's still not enough..." Shaowei murmured, her voice like a mosquito's hum, her eyes gazing forward.

"A Jie." Shan Gu sensed something; his voice was low but unusually firm, already prepared to fight to the death to escort A Jie away.

Shaowei knew him well enough; at this moment she said: "I saved you twice; from now on you must also repay me well."

Only by leaving alive can there be a future.

Shan Gu's nose felt sour; he nodded lightly and called out again: "A Jie..."

The two had not a single word of discussion in their talk; even if one leaned close to listen, no clue could be heard. Until now, Shaowei spoke in a voice only the two could hear, like wind and breath, slowly saying: "Together with me, kill our way out."

This was the only choice.

The news of Hua Li's disappearance would certainly not be spread with great fanfare, but as long as Zhu Zhi went to Changling, there was an eighty or ninety percent chance he would hear the wind.

The ruse failed, the evil creature returned; death was certain.

Therefore, it was absolutely necessary to kill our way out before Zhu Zhi left and after he returned, and then kill him.

Zhu Zhi had finished his Peach Blossom Bath on the Third Day of the Third Month, changed into new clothes and new shoes, and stood before the incense burner burning Heaven and Earth Incense, taking a final deep breath of the fragrance.

The confidant behind him saw this and felt some worry; the Head of Household seemed increasingly addicted to this fragrance, and his spirit was becoming more and more excited, but Heaven and Earth Incense was bought from different places and had nothing unusual about it; food, drink, and medicine were naturally repeatedly checked.

It could only be explained that the Head of Household placed too many hopes on tonight's Nuo Ritual sacrifice; but as for matters of ghosts and spirits, who could say for sure? If the Head of Household failed to achieve his wish...

The confidant dared not think further, but participating in tonight's Great Sacrifice was permission the Head of Household had finally obtained from the Emperor with great difficulty; no matter the result, having a chance to see His Majesty again was always a good thing.

He thus spoke up to remind: "Head of Household, it's time to set out."

It was now afternoon; riding a carriage to reach Changling would take nearly one time unit.

As Zhu Zhi turned around, he glanced at the Wu Nu kneeling tremblingly in place.

The confidant asked: "Head of Household, should we bring her along?"

"Unnecessary; I'll be back tonight." Zhu Zhi lifted his foot to leave: "I'm afraid she might hurt herself and her kind, and speak nonsense in front of the people at the Shen Ci."

On the night of the Great Sacrifice, before the Emperor, do not add any more trouble; he wants to calmly and attentively face the power of ghosts and spirits.

Zhu Zhi stepped out of the Hall Gate, gazing at the sun that faintly glowed red as if burning, and murmured to himself: "Wait until tomorrow; everything here will be offered to the ghosts and spirits..."

He walked into the sunlight, wearing new attire, to go meet his new life.

Dozens of confidants in the courtyard followed him away.

The kneeling Spider Woman slowly stood up.

She was very clear that now it was a matter of life and death; this was not just the life and death of one or two people.

She had been secretly paying attention to the movements; Zhu Zhi had recently had people deliver large quantities of Fire Oil; whether or not he could achieve his wish tonight, he had prepared to burn this Villa to the ground.

This madman wanted to kill the people in the cage, wanted to destroy all evidence, wanted to erase everything here, return to the city, and start his delusional new life anew.

But on what basis?

The Spider Woman stood under the sun that was beginning to slant westward, and finally felt a bit of anger.

She stepped out, from slow to fast, all the way to that Prison Cell.

Facing the interception and questioning, she held the Medicine Box and said as usual: "Head of Household Zhu has ordered that I must pay close attention to her movements, to prevent her from having a chance to escape, and also to avoid her dying prematurely."

This was indeed something the Head of Household would order; if an accident occurred, no one could bear the responsibility, so the Leader let her pass.

The Spider Woman quickly entered, came before the iron cage, knelt down, and opened the Medicine Box.

Shaowei quietly ordered Shan Gu: "Call out."

Shan Gu: "... Don't touch my A Jie, get away!"

The Spider Woman once again applied needles to Hua Li, not asking why she had been captured; the situation was urgent, every word was critical, and she only asked in a low voice: "What should be done?"

Shaowei remained motionless: "How many people?"

Shan Gu shouted in a hoarse voice, his body colliding with the iron cage: "Get out! Take your hands away!"

The Spider Woman's hands moved while she spoke quickly: "Excluding the maidservant, a total of one hundred people; he took away thirty, leaving seventy; forty are guarding outside this Prison Cell."

Logically, a dying person hardly needs so many guards; it shows Zhu Zhi is both very cautious and very afraid of the Flower Fox.

Shaowei frowned involuntarily, but immediately asked: "What news and movements have there been here recently?"

The military treatise says to adapt to the time, place, and people, making use of everything as much as possible.

The Spider Woman spoke and acted on her side, while Shan Gu had no words left, simply crying out in shame, indignation, guilt, and self-reproach, her voice shaking heaven and earth, like a desperate great dog impaled in mud, struggling wretchedly.

Before the Golden Crow completely fell into Xi Shan, a streak of fire-red light outshone its radiance.

That was firelight, suddenly burning and quickly growing larger.

The place where this fire broke out was very close to the row houses where the Doctors lived, separated by only one connecting corridor; the Doctors' servants instantly panicked, and in the chaos, no one knew who first passed along a sentence, but soon everyone knew—Zhu Zhi intended to burn everyone here to death!

Though this was madness, mad people doing mad things was all too normal; they had long lived in daily anxiety, and soon they fled in panic.

Guards from all sides soon rushed to fight the fire, while stopping those Doctors' servants from fleeing absurdly.

Shouts, argument voices, loud weeping, running sounds, pleading voices, water-collecting sounds—all in a jumble.

Under the leaking fire oil, the blaze could not be stopped; it soon burned two courtyards, and a guard ran to outside the prison cell: "Not enough manpower for firefighting! If this continues, the entire villa may not be saved!"

Those guarding the prison cell had to lend over ten people; though the other side still felt it was not enough, the fire had started strangely, and the guards were uneasy in their hearts, truly unwilling to move all their manpower away.

Accompanied by the clamor outside, the boy in the cage let out a shrill cry: "A Jie, you must not die!"

The two people guarding inside the room were already tense from hearing the commotion outside; upon hearing this cry, one immediately stepped forward to check, only to see the girl in the cage with her head bowed, her face snow-white, as if she had no breath left at all!

Those who have seen corpses know this deathly appearance was truly lifelike, not at all fake!

That person hurriedly squatted and knelt, took out a key to open the cage door, and reached out to probe the girl's neck pulse; the next moment, the girl suddenly opened her eyes, and faster still were her hands.

She had no weapon, with silver needles sticking on her forehead and head, shaking about, and her hands tied behind her back should have been unable to move, but the hemp rope had somehow loosened; as she turned and raised her hand, the hemp rope flew off, and before the guard could react at all, his neck was snapped off.

"Swish! Swish!"

Two blades were almost simultaneously unsheathed; one belonged to another guard who stepped forward, the other was drawn by Shaowei from the body of the prey she had slain; as she quickly drew her blade, she kicked aside the corpse blocking the cage door.

The girl emerging from the cage stood upright, her complexion pale, her gaze fierce; she did not dodge but met the attack, leaping up with her blade to strike down, cleaving open the chest of the one who played the tiger's accomplice, then cleaving open Shan Gu's cage door.

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