Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Ruyi Rouge Pavilion
That night, Li Yan did not sleep well in the Mountain Deity temple. He had grown accustomed to physical discomfort over the years, but he was not used to having a girl by his side, nor to dreaming of a girl covered by a red veil and dressed in a red wedding gown.
He tossed and turned, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Mu Xi watched him with a complex expression.
“Mountain Deity Grandpa, did you already know that the bride in that coffin is his fiancée?”
Mu Xi raised her head and looked respectfully at the statue of Mountain Deity. A beam of white light flashed from the top of the statue, and soon the face of Mountain Deity became animated.
“Past life ties, present life debts; past life love, present life calamity. Mu Xi, some things are destined in the dark.”
“Mu Xi doesn’t understand!”
“Let me tell you the truth, Mu Xi. The woman in that coffin is indeed his fiancée. Unfortunately, these two are fated to be connected yet separated. This connection is from a past life, but it is not deep enough, thus it has turned into a debt in this life. You and he also share a past life love, but this love is different from that one. What result will it bring in this life? Even Mountain Deity Grandpa cannot say.”
“Is this what others mean by being arranged freely by fate?”
Mu Xi murmured as she looked at Li Yan.
What Mountain Deity Grandpa said was not entirely correct; her relationship with Li Yan was not only from a past life but also from this life. A few years ago, to escape disaster, she inadvertently fled into the military camp.
The camp was filled with men, heavy with yang energy, killing intent, and fierce aura—an ideal place to avoid calamity. Yet she accidentally stumbled into his tent.
At that time, he was still just a captain of guards. While others drank and chatted, falling into a stupor, he sat alone by the candlelight, engrossed in studying military texts. Occasionally, he would hear some mocking remarks from others, but he merely smiled and silently recited in his heart, "How can a sparrow know the ambitions of a swan?"
She looked at him, somewhat entranced. In a moment of distraction, she fell from the top of the tent, landing right in front of him.
At that moment, she felt a bit flustered because, to escape from danger, she had transformed into the form of a spider, and the spell had a time limit. She worried about what would happen if he crushed her. However, he merely glanced at her and said, "You, why are you so careless? Next time, remember to weave your web more securely; otherwise, the only one who will suffer is you."
Then, he gently blew towards her, sending her tumbling under the table.
"Quickly go find a safe place to weave your web!"
She heard his words but didn’t move at all. It wasn’t until he noticed her presence again, turned sideways, leaned down, and lightly touched her with his right pinky finger that he urged her again, "You, hurry up and go!"
She looked up at him with her spider eyes and noticed a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. It seemed like she was seeing him smile for the first time; usually, he wore a heavy expression as if burdened by many things. She hadn’t expected his smile to be so pure and natural.
Her heart thumped twice in her chest. She turned around and quickly crawled out of the tent, hiding in a nearby bush. She knew that there was a time limit to the danger; as long as she could endure this period, she would be safe until next year. As for next year, whether to continue hiding or face the danger head-on would be something to consider when the time came.
But Master seemed to sense her thoughts; the entire night was quiet—no flashes of lightning, no thunder, and no raging winds or torrential rain. By the later part of the night, moonlight broke through the clouds and illuminated the milky-white tents of Military Camp.
The campfire still burned brightly, filling the air with the aroma of meat and wine while the rough snores of soldiers could be heard.
This scene created an illusion for Mu Xi, making her mistakenly believe that the danger had passed. She stretched lazily and cautiously poked her head out from behind the bushes. Just as her spell was about to end and she was about to revert to her original form, a sudden bolt of lightning struck nearby with a loud bang.
Mu Xi endured the trial and passed one of the most crucial stages in her cultivation. From then on, she gained the ability to transform into human form. Before losing consciousness, his image flashed through her mind.
When Mu Xi opened her eyes again, she found herself still lying in Military Camp. However, at that moment, she was no longer in her original form or as a spider but as a human—a living person who could lie on a wooden bed.
In a daze, she had passed through one of the most important trials in her cultivation journey and gained the ability to transform into human form at any time. She was unsure what she looked like as a human; all she knew was that she was injured—severely burned. Through the eyes of Military Doctor, all she saw was herself wrapped entirely in white cotton cloth like a white "cocoon."
"Doctor Wang, how is she? Can she still come over?"
"Compared to the others in the Military Camp, her injuries are not severe. It's just that this face, I reckon, is going to be ruined," the Military Doctor shook his head. "I still have to see other patients. If she can get through tonight, she should be fine."
Mu Xi watched the old Military Doctor carrying his medical kit sway out of the tent, then heard Li Yan softly comforting her beside her ear, "Don't worry, the old Military Doctor said you won't die."
"I—" Mu Xi tried to speak but found her voice rough and hoarse, sounding terrible, so she swallowed the rest of her words.
"You are a villager from nearby, right? I heard that many villagers have been sneaking into our Military Camp at night. Has your family also fallen into hardship? Is there no food at home, so you thought of stealing some military supplies?"
Mu Xi looked at Li Yan in confusion and gently shook her head.
"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone about your situation," Li Yan said, taking off a cloth bag he carried and placing it beside Mu Xi. "Tonight, there was a sudden thunderstorm that burned several tents and injured quite a few people. You were one of them. Fortunately, your injuries are not serious; you should be able to leave by tomorrow morning.
Also, don't worry. This tent belongs to Doctor Wang; he promised me that he would help you leave by tomorrow morning. This bag contains my rations; although it's not much, it should help your family get by for a few days."
Mu Xi knew that Li Yan had misunderstood; she was not a villager from nearby and did not need Li Yan's rations. But at that moment, her throat seemed to be an issue as well; apart from making rough and unclear sounds, she couldn't say anything coherent.
Li Yan looked into Mu Xi's eyes for a long time before turning away. "I know you're wondering why I'm helping you since we barely know each other. Honestly, I don't know either. Just keep the rations; you don't need to worry about me. At least in this Military Camp, I won't go hungry. Also, this tent is Doctor Wang's; no one else knows you're here. When dawn breaks, you can sneak out from behind the tent.
I've already cut down the fence over there. Once you get out this way, just push through for a bit and you'll reach the village. Remember, military supplies are not easy to take; don't come back again."
Li Yan said as he lifted the blanket and placed the rations bag under her less severely injured hand before getting up and leaving the tent.
Mu Xi was a demon, and demons had remarkable recovery abilities. So before dawn, she was already able to get out of bed and even use some simple Spells. Taking advantage of the darkness before dawn, she quietly sneaked into the tent where Li Yan was and took a serious look at him.
At this moment, Li Yan was somewhat different from the last two times she had seen him. As he slept soundly, he resembled a child in fear. His body was in a state of extreme vigilance, ready to fight at any moment. For some reason, Mu Xi felt a slight ache in her heart.
This ordeal did not take Mu Xi's life; instead, it elevated her cultivation to a new level. Originally, these were things worth celebrating, except for her face.
To restore her appearance, Mu Xi had traveled to many places and tried various methods. Ultimately, she arrived at the Mountain God Temple to seek help from Mountain God Grandpa. He provided her with a method to restore her looks: to peel off a fresh piece of human skin and create a mask to apply to her own face.
This method, while not a permanent solution, could serve as a temporary fix. She was Mu Xi; she was a monster. She wanted to see Li Yan again, and thus a voice in her heart told her that a temporary fix would suffice. After all, ordinary humans would not be able to discern the difference. As long as she focused a little more, she could perfectly deceive Li Yan's eyes.
Fresh human skin was not hard to find.
It was an ordinary house hidden in the countryside, but late at night, terrifying screams echoed from within. Following the sound out of curiosity and seeking excitement, she stumbled upon a scene of human tragedy.
A girl dressed in bridal attire was alive and nailed into a coffin. Her beautiful face was marked by tears and fear. Sitting on the roof, propping her chin on her hand, Mu Xi watched everything unfold inside the house. When she saw the elderly butler drive a seven-inch wooden nail into the girl’s body, she felt the chilling air of the night.
Mu Xi knew that this girl had no chance of survival. Not only would she not live, but even her soul would be eternally trapped within that coffin. Gazing at the girl’s beautiful yet helpless face filled with fear, Mu Xi suddenly felt that this was Master giving her another opportunity. The girl's skin was beautiful enough and fresh enough; all she had to do was peel it off.
With this thought in mind, Mu Xi took action. She floated lightly into the room and used a spell to freeze time. Just as the coffin lid was about to close, she swiftly peeled off the girl’s skin, leaving behind her own grotesque visage.
Mu Xi understood the despair in the girl's eyes, but she could no longer afford to care. She took the girl's skin and allowed time to resume its flow. Little did she expect that her next encounter with Li Yan would be in the Mountain God Temple and that the skin she used would belong to his former fiancée.
Between Mu Xi and Li Yan, fate played its tricks once again!
Comment 0 Comment Count