Chapter 64 — The Agreed Upon Blood Vomiting
Edited by DancingDolphinsYo
A wedding that was supposed to be jubilant, finally ended with being surrounded by the troops and people from the magistrate’s office.
They did not make things difficult for the women of the Yue family, and Official Fang only took away the men of the Yue family, not leaving a single one behind. The wedding hall was in bleak silence, and all the guests felt antsy. They wanted to leave, but dared not do so without any authorisation. After all, the General was still seated in the hall, drinking tea as he looked perfectly calm.
Lu Zezhi was still dressed in his bright red wedding attire, but his headdress had already been removed. Miss Yue was standing next to her mother, quietly consoling the dazed, tearful woman.
Unlike her daughter, Madam Yue was a female so gentle that she was a little weak. Both her son and her husband had been taken away, and she had lost all her mainstays in the blink of an eye. It seemed as though she had aged a lot in this short period of time, and her hand that was grasping onto her daughter was trembling.
“Laoshi.” After a period of time, which seemed like years to the guests, Guan Shanjin suddenly called out.
His voice was soft and sweet, as though it carried endless affection within. Lu Zezhi, standing in the center of the wedding hall, shuddered violently. The tips of his ears turned slightly red, yet on his face was anger, and he looked over with a frown.
“You don’t blame me, right?” Guan Shanjin asked, his voice gentle and low. Towards the vicious glare shot at him by Miss Yue, he feigned ignorance, as if there was only Lu Zezhi in his eyes.
“Now that things are at this stage…” Was there still a point in asking him that? Lu Zezhi’s head sagged, exposing his pale, slender neck from his bright red clothes, smooth and unusual like a beautiful piece of nephrite jade.
He could not distinguish whether he was feeling resentful or prideful. Although in the end, he was unable to establish a connection with the Yue family, it seemed clear that his position in Guan Shanjin’s heart was unshakeable. At the end of the day, the Yue family was only a merchant family. Compared to the Great Southern Garrison General, they were like ants to a giant, and Guan Shanjin could easily replace them with another noble family.
Previously, Lu Zezhi had thought that the Yue family could become his support, but it seemed like he had overestimated Yue Dade.
“Laoshi, let’s return.” Guan Shanjin stood up, dusting off his robes. Walking forward, he clasped onto Lu Zezhi’s shoulder, his voice doting, “I’ll have to go back to the capital to submit my reports in a few days. Laoshi, you haven’t been back in a while, I believe you miss your hometown as well, don’t you?”
“The capital?” Lu Zezhi blinked. After sighing lightly, a small smile surfaced. “Alright, let’s go back.”
It was evident that Miss Yue was still in front of him, and where they were standing was their wedding hall, but Lu Zezhi seemed as though he did not see any of it. His past gentleness and affections were so phoney that it completely disgusted Yue Mingzhu.
She watched this man frostily, not even willing to spare an iota of energy on cursing him.
Guan Shanjin tenderly straightened Lu Zezhi’s clothes for him, and just like this, he led his people back home.
It was until they could no longer hear a single sound did the guests all gasp in relief, hurriedly bidding their farewells and leaving. The Yue family was clearly on the brink of collapse, and the power in Bastion City was about to make a huge shift. The ones who were invited to the wedding were all smart people, and they all now had to quickly return home and come up with plans. If they were lucky, they might be able to swallow this territory left empty by the Yue family, and feast upon the benefits that came along with the Great Southern General!
Yue Mingzhu looked at the wedding hall that had emptied out in a second. Gritting her teeth, she stubbornly did not shed a single tear.
※※※
The wedding hall was not within the General’s estate, but two streets away, in a new residence that they had prepared for Mr. Lu a few months ago.
Leaving the place, Guan Shanjin immediately stepped away from Lu Zezhi. Swinging himself up his horse, he sprinted away without a word.
Man Yue grinned as he waved Mr. Lu up the carriage. “Don’t mind him, Mr. Lu. It’s inevitable that the General is a little unhappy, just let him cool down and he’ll be fine.”
“Mn.” Lu Zezhi looked at the black figure that quickly disappeared in the distance. Lowering his eyes, he concealed the uneasiness that was swiftly welling up in him. He could feel that there was something wrong with Guan Shanjin’s attitude.
As for what was wrong with it, for now, he could not describe it.
He had clearly destroyed the Yue family for him in front of half of the noble families in Bastion City, and this showed evidently how unique Lu Zezhi’s position in Guan Shanjin’s heart was. However, this was different from his deep affections in the past… It seemed as though he was too indifferent?
No, it could not be! Haiwang might only still be angry with him, that was it! Lu Zezhi comforted himself in his heart, with a growing determination that his speculation was not wrong.
However, what he did not know was that while he was trying his best to reassure himself, Guan Shanjin who had first returned to the General’s estate did not head for Wangshu Residence, but went to Shuanghe Yard.
The fresh scent of earth could still be traced throughout Shuanghe Yard like usual. The vegetables in the garden had nearly been harvested completely, the only things left being inedible stems and leaves. A few yellow flowers lay scattered across the dirt, most of them showing signs of having been crushed under one’s feet.
Guan Shanjin’s eyes darkened. A sense of alarm ran explicably through him. With great strides, he cut through the courtyard and slammed the door open. As he did not control his strength, the carved wooden door almost split apart.
There was no presence of people in the house at all, and the air was cool and still. With a grim face, he entered the house, and step by step, he walked into Wu Xingzi’s bedroom.
The blanket was folded on the bed, so neat as though it was a piece of dried beancurd.
Abruptly, Guan Shanjin felt that he could barely breathe. His footsteps did not have their usual steadiness and resoluteness, and he made his way to the bed, his pace disordered.
At this time, Wu Xingzi should not still be lazing in bed. Guan Shanjin’s slender fingers smoothed across the soft blanket, the coolness diffusing right into his blood. A quiver, uncontrolled, ran through him.
The bedroom seemed no different from the past. Wu Xingzi had lived here for a few months, but he did not have many belongings. The things Guan Shanjin had asked others to deliver to him were all carefully kept in the storeroom, untouched, and the room looked as simple as the one in Qingcheng County.
Finally, despite the unusually cold bed, Guan Shanjin recovered from his shock and slowly surveyed the bedroom.
The qin he had given to Wu Xingzi a while ago was placed neatly on its stand. If one did not pay close attention, they would have missed it, as it was placed in the corner of the room.
All the windows were closed. The rays of the sun made their way through the tiny gaps, scattering light and shadows on the round table in the center of the room. There was something on the table.
Guan Shanjin went closer, discovering that it was a pile of silver taels, about a hundred and twenty in total. A note was tucked under a corner, and the words on it were very familiar to him — the clear and distinct yet somewhat feeble handwriting of Wu Xingzi.
“Haiwang, I’ve left. These taels are the monthly allowances given by the General’s estate, and there’s a total of a hundred and twenty of them. After accompanying each other for so long, we have to say our farewells at last. Don’t look for me, and live well together with Mr. Lu. —Wu Xingzi.”
Clutching the note, Guan Shanjin was speechless. He recognised every single word written on it, but the sentences they formed, he could not understand them at all. Reading it over and over again, as though insane, he wished desperately that he could peel every word apart and read them even more carefully.
Guan Shanjin could still remember the confidences he shared with Wu Xingzi last night while hugging him. He had promised Wu Xingzi that once he passed on, he would bury him, and pay respects to his family. One’s life was decreed by the heavens, and he would not dread it. Even if it was just one more day, Guan Shanjin would try his best and survive, and take care of Wu Xingzi’s grave.
He had thought that once he pushed Lu Zezhi out to the foreground, he would be able to bring Wu Xingzi to the capital, taking him to eat all the delicious food and explore all the fun things the capital had, and show him all sorts of different sights. Once he was done with all the miscellaneous duties he had in the capital, they would be able to spend the rest of their lives together at ease.
However, Wu Xingzi did not wait for him.
This old fellow, who had always been thinking about leaving him ever since the first time they met, had really ran away this time!
Guan Shanjin felt an abrupt wave of dizziness crashing over him. He staggered to a stool by the table, looking at the hundred and twenty taels in a daze.
He thought that he should be furious, that he should be in a towering rage because Wu Xingzi left without saying goodbye. There had never been anyone who had stamped upon his true affections like this before. Guan Shanjin felt that he had regarded Wu Xingzi like the ultimate treasure, and because he was afraid that Wu Xingzi would be dragged into a political dispute, he had even pushed Lu Zezhi out to the foreground as a shield.
Were the promises he had given insufficient? Guan Shanjin registered how lost and dazed he was. After Wu Xingzi had left, he actually did not know what he should do.
Should he look for him? Wu Xingzi had Hei’er with him. It was almost impossible for him to have left so silently, and the only explanation was that Hei’er was the person who helped him flee. There were only the two girls taking care of Shuanghe Yard, and they were truly loyal to Wu Xingzi. Now, there was no sight of them, and it was likely that they had left together.
This was definitely not a moment of impulse, and they most certainly had been planning this for a while.
When he was confessing his feelings to Wu Xingzi and giving him his promises, that old fellow was actually thinking about how to leave him?
Guan Shanjin abruptly burst into low laughter, laughing until his shoulders were quaking. His eyes had turned bloodshot, and he could not catch his breath, yet he still continued laughing non-stop.
When Man Yue came to Shuanghe Yard, he happened across Guan Shanjin’s disordered, maniac laughter.
“General?” Realising in alarm that something was wrong, Man Yue shot forward. When he placed his hand on Guan Shanjin’s shoulder, he immediately felt his inner force pulsing out of control under his skin, as though he was a man that was losing his sanity.
“Haiwang-gege!” Alarm shot through Man Yue. Just as he wanted to use his own inner force to calm Guan Shanjin’s churning inner force, the laughter came to a sudden stop. Guan Shanjin turned and glanced at him. His alluring, emotional eyes seemed as though they were bathed in blood, the whites streaked deeply with red. His pupils looked like dim, dull black crystals, and they were fixed tightly onto Man Yue’s face.
“Man… Yue…” Gurgles escaped Guan Shanjin’s throat. His voice was hoarse and bizarre, sounding as though he had spent all his efforts to squeeze out the smidge of sound from his chest.
“Haiwang…” Man Yue stared at Guan Shanjin in horror, watching as a trail of red spilled past his lips. His brain blanked out. Before he could reach out to help him, blood sprayed out from Guan Shanjin’s open mouth, and dots of red stained both their clothes.
Before the first spray of blood had even cooled down, Guan Shanjin spat out a second and a third mouthful. His fair complexion paled so quickly that it seemed almost transparent, and he exuded a vague aura of death. Finally, after he vomited out his fourth mouthful of blood, Man Yue jabbed at some of his pressure points, forcing his blood back into his body.
Guan Shanjin released a groan, collapsing right into Man Yue’s arms. His robes had long been soaked in blood, now dripping slowly onto the ground.
Seeing this situation, Man Yue was extremely anxious. Yelling at the personal guards that had followed him in to call for the physician, he pressed his palm onto Guan Shanjin’s back, sending his own inner force through him, barely managing to protect his visceral organs. Still, Guan Shanjin’s inner force was much greater and more advanced than his. This loss of sanity had affected his pulse, and Man Yue’s aid was inadequate.
The physician arrived very quickly, and chaos overtook. Both needles and medication were applied, and it took many hours before the ghastly, deathly look on Guan Shanjin’s face faded away. He was still very pale, and his breathing was difficult, but they could finally be a little more relieved.
Guan Shanjin had a strong physical foundation, and once he woke up and directed his inner force back into its place, there would be nothing left to worry over.
After seeing the physician off, Man Yue returned to the bedside, studying Guan Shanjin with a conflicted gaze. The bloodstained clothes of the man on the bed had already been replaced. Wearing a silk inner robe, Guan Shanjin looked even paler than the snow white clothes.
Although unconscious, Guan Shanjin was still holding tightly onto the note that Wu Xingzi had left. With spatters of bloodstains on it, it somehow looked a little despairing.
“Ai…” Man Yue sighed. He tried a few times, but could not get the note out, and had no choice but to give up. “Did I… go overboard?”
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