If You See Snow

On the other side, Sang Chi Yu stared at the silent communication compass for a long time without saying a word.

“Sang Gongzi, are you ready?” A man not far in front of him opened a deep blue vortex. “This is my power, the Gate of Nothingness. Through this gate, you can go anywhere. My cultivation is still shallow, so I can only connect up to 300 miles away, which is enough to get you to the Black Street. Once you step into this gate, you will be one of us – a member of the Black Street. So, how about it, Gongzi? Do you need to think about it?”

Sang Chi Yu did not answer, but asked, “How long does your transmission take? Can it be finished by tomorrow morning?”

“Gongzi can leave at any time. This time, it’s just to let Gongzi get familiar with our Great Compassion Temple. Does Gongzi have other important matters?”

“No.”

Sang Chi Yu put away the compass and stepped into the vortex. The scenery before him changed dramatically. He arrived at a dilapidated temple, with the smell of charred meat in the air. Bright bonfires hit his eyes, and his cheeks felt the scorching heat. Countless men and women were drinking and eating meat around the bonfire, wrestling and fighting naked with each other, and some even rolled in the mud for fun. Most of them were people with spiritual power, whose appearance had undergone some slight mutations, with some having vertical pupils in their eyes, hairs growing on their cheeks, or lines appearing on their faces.

Along the dilapidated red wall, there were many happy Buddha sculptures, either sitting or lying down. Each Buddha statue was having intercourse with a delicate and charming woman in its arms. Various lanterns swayed around, casting eerie and mysterious shadows on the Buddha’s face.

Those who couldn’t walk in the sun gathered here, in the Black Street – a settlement for refugees, murderers, and scum. Some of them entered the Great Compassion Temple to become monks, and the temple bestowed upon them a secret medicine that gave them the power to confront the forces of light.

At the forefront of the temple was a strange black statue of Guan Yin (1). It had many twisted arms which stretched out in all directions, reminiscent of the terrifying tentacles of sea monsters. Standing on the statue was the owner of the Great Compassion Temple, and also the extraditor of Sang Chi Yu in the Black Street – Hei Guan Yin.

As soon as Sang Chi Yu entered, it was as if a bucket of ice had been poured into a boiling cauldron, and the noise immediately stopped. Everyone stared at him without blinking. Sang Chi Yu used to be their biggest enemy, and this man’s hands were stained with the blood of scum. Almost all of the top one hundred evil people on the Black Street had been killed one by one by Sang Chi Yu.

Hei Guan Yin reached out his hand towards Sang Chi Yu, and Sang Chi Yu stepped towards him.

Everyone else watched this silent man pass by, whispering to him:

“Sang Chi Yu, my brother was killed by you, do you remember?”

“My beloved woman died in your hands. You took her pretty little head.”

“Eleven years ago, during the opening of the Secret Sect, you killed my husband.”

Sang Chi Yu walked to the forefront. Hei Guan Yin smiled and said, “But we don’t hold any grudges against you. Killing on the Black Street is not a crime. In fact, we have long known that you will come to us someday. I don’t know if you have noticed, but the sins on your hands are much heavier than ours, despite being a descendant of a noble family and the first disciple of the Secret Sect. However, don’t worry, we won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Hei Guan Yin knew that Sang Chi Yu coming to the Black Street was a last resort. Kun Lun Secret Sect was where he grew up, and it was impossible to sever ties with his teachers, friends, and relatives in just one day. Moreover, Sang Chi Yu was a person of upright character, and it was already impressive that he could be persuaded to come to Black Street. As long as Hei Guan Yin could obtain information about Kun Lun Secret Sect from Sang Chi Yu, he would be satisfied.

“I want to ask you about someone,” Sang Chi Yu spoke up.

“Who?” Hei Guan Yin asked kindly.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd as a group of men with painted faces entered the ruins of the Great Compassion Temple. They carried spirit fire guns and swaggered in with unfriendly expressions. The monks gritted their teeth and stood at the ready. A black-haired man walked slowly into the ruins. He was the only one without paint on his face and without a gun. His pure black outer robe shone with a radiant aura, as if moonlight were splashed over it.

As long as one lived in the Black Street for a period of time, they would know that this was the most difficult gang to deal with in the Black Street – the Paradise Pavilion. They had no faith, no rules, and their only creed was to indulge in pleasure.

Han Ye clapped his hands and laughed, with a tone of sarcasm in his voice, “Sang Chi Yu, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Hei Guan Yin ignored him and only asked Sang Chi Yu, “Who does the gentleman seek? Ask me anything you want.”

“No need, he’s already here.” Sang Chi Yu’s gaze fell on Han Ye.

Han Ye stood under the Thousand-Armed Guan Yin statue and faced Sang Chi Yu from a distance. He spoke first, “Your Secret Sect has always regarded us as trash, as poisonous insects. Last time, when your people came to the Black Street, they all wore steel masks and claimed that the air here was toxic, and that just one breath would cause skin ulcers. Since Sang Gongzi has come, I have specially prepared something made of gold for you.”

He threw the thing in his hand forward, and a shiny golden object rolled to Sang Chi Yu’s feet. However, it was not a mask, but a muzzle.

Sang Chi Yu looked at him expressionlessly.

Han Ye laughed with malice, “Why don’t you try wearing it? I have always treated people from your Secret Sect with respect. Don’t believe me? Come on, let Sang Gongzi see his colleague.”

He clapped his hands and one of the subordinates from the Paradise Pavilion brought forward a crawling man, chained with a golden chain. The man wore the exact same golden muzzle as the one Han Ye had thrown at Sang Chi Yu, crawling on all fours like a dog. As soon as he tried to stand up, someone whipped his back immediately. His back was already bloody and mutilated, a gruesome sight. Sang Chi Yu recognized this man. His name was Li Meng. They were both part of the Secret Sect and often saw each other. His special power was Teleportation – a common power among members of the Secret Sect.

Li Meng also saw Sang Chi Yu and immediately burst into tears, calling out unintelligibly, “Save me!”

Han Ye raised his hand and the Paradise Pavilion member loosened the chain. Li Meng crawled and scrambled, dragging the jingling chain towards Sang Chi Yu, clinging to his leg with all his might. Han Ye laughed sinisterly. “Hei Guan Yin, you are too naive. Would Sang Gongzi really harm a colleague? Do you expect him to attack Kun Lun when they face each other in the future? I suggest you think about whether he will remember past kindness or seek revenge.”

Hei Guan Yin shook his head and laughed. “I believe Sang Gongzi is not that kind of person. The Great Compassion Temple has shown him goodwill, and he will not let us down.”

“You are extremely foolish.” Han Ye’s face turned cold.

As soon as he finished speaking, a scream of horror sounded from behind him, and everyone around took a sharp breath. Han Ye frowned, seeing the shocked expressions around him and feeling suspicious. He turned around and saw Sang Chi Yu calmly inserting his fingers into Li Meng’s eye sockets. The man, who had clung to Sang Chi Yu as if he was his last hope, trembled violently like a fish out of water. Blood flowed in rivulets, twisting around his face like snakes. He gradually weakened until he was motionless.

As Sang Chi Yu withdrew his fingers, the moment they left the man’s eye sockets, icy blue meridians retracted from his fingertips, unnoticed by anyone. He turned his face and met Han Ye’s astonished gaze with emotionless eyes. Only then did Han Ye realize that Sang Chi Yu had changed; he was no longer the first disciple of the Secret Sect who had helped the needy and saved the world.

The others did not expect Sang Chi Yu to really take action. Even Hei Guan Yin was somewhat surprised. What was even more surprising was that Sang Chi Yu not only made a move, but also did it so ruthlessly.

“I’ve heard that killing is not illegal in the Black Street,” Sang Chi Yu said.

“Indeed.” Han Ye suppressed his shock and said, “Sang Chi Yu, I didn’t expect…”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence. A chill ran down his spine as a shadow enveloped him. He once again saw the shocked expressions of the others. Sang Chi Yu, who had been standing in the distance, had disappeared without a trace. At the same time, a cold hand clasped his neck from behind.

The unexpected speed caught him off guard. He guessed that Sang Chi Yu had drunk a secret medicine, but he had not anticipated his power. The Black Street had a secret book that recorded all the information they had obtained about the Kun Lun Secret Sect so far, including the special powers of the Secret Sect’s top experts that they knew of. Sang Chi Yu was a blank slate in it. Even though they knew he was a spiritual power user, the Black Street had never heard of Sang Chi Yu using his power in the many years of confrontation. Unexpectedly, Sang Chi Yu’s special power, like his colleagues, was Teleportation. Han Ye’s heart turned icy, and his fingers grew cold inch by inch.

It would only take him five breaths to activate his Black Flame Fire, but he believed that Sang Chi Yu’s speed in breaking his neck would not exceed one breath.

He was doomed.

However, Sang Chi Yu did not make a move. He instead released his grip on Han Ye’s neck.

The icy breath receded, and Han Ye’s stiff back relaxed slightly. He turned his head in confusion, wondering why Sang Chi Yu didn’t kill him. He could clearly feel Sang Chi Yu’s chilling killing intent. Sang Chi Yu’s gaze seemed to fall on the top of his head, and he reached up to touch his hair, realizing that the black sandalwood hairpin was missing.

“Why aren’t you doing anything? Don’t expect me to be grateful,” Han Ye sneered.

Sang Chi Yu brushed past him, walking towards Hei Guan Yin.

This kid seemed to think he was better than him. Han Ye’s temple twitched as he restrained himself and said to Sang Chi Yu’s back, “Since you’ve made up your mind to join the Black Street, I won’t bother you anymore. By the way, my undercover agent retrieved some information from the Kun Lun Secret Sect, and I thought you might be interested.”

“Oh?” Hei Guan Yin became interested. “Please tell us more.”

Han Ye waved his hand, and the people of Paradise Pavilion stepped back. Hei Guan Yin nodded and the monks of Great Compassion Temple slowly withdrew. In the ruins, only the core members of the Paradise Pavilion and Great Compassion Temple remained. Sang Chi Yu was not interested in their conversation and wanted to leave, but Hei Guan Yin asked him to stay.

Han Ye slightly raised his lips and lowered his voice, “Su Ru Hui is not dead. My people saw him with their own eyes. The Kun Lun Secret Sect has hidden him.”

Sang Chi Yu was slightly startled, and his calm eyes looked at Han Ye without any ripple.

Footnotes

1. Guan Yin – a bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhism, is a figure who has attained enlightenment but chooses to remain in the world to help others reach enlightenment. Guan Yin is often depicted as a female figure, and is associated with compassion, mercy, and kindness.

Night gradually fell, and everything in the Jiang family was shrouded in darkness. The moonlight was faint and scattered, shattered into starry dots and falling on the ripples of the pool. Dead water plants floated far away, all black, and the sparse and scattered silhouettes had a foreboding appearance.

Staying at the Jiang residence was very dangerous and there could be trouble at night. Su Ru Hui quickly made a decision. Leaving the Jiang residence meant facing Han Ye, while staying at the residence meant facing the killer. Han Ye knew everything about the Jiang family, but the killer’s spiritual powers were elusive and killing without a trace, making it difficult to deal with. Su Ru Hui made a quick decision to leave the mansion. After putting on his clothes, Su Ru Hui was about to leave when he stepped on something hard. He looked down and saw a cat’s eye stone earring, with a barely visible bloodstain on the gold hook.

This valuable earring could only belong to Bai Cai Ping, but how did it get bloodstained?

Su Ru Hui furrowed his brows and crouched down to carefully examine the surroundings. There were bloodstains on the bed corners, the patterns on the Persian carpet, and the edges of the rosewood footrest, all centered around this four-poster bed.

What happened between Jiang family’s eldest son and Bai Cai Ping last night, apart from a three hundred-round battle?

Su Ru Hui leaned down and looked under the bed. He met a pair of wide-open eyes.

Bai Cai Ping’s face was blue-black, with a look of astonishment. This expression was quite terrifying and scared Su Ru Hui. After a while, Su Ru Hui realized that this was a corpse. After pulling the body out for inspection, there were bruises on the forehead and the back of the head, only one earring on the ear. An ice cicada jade was placed in her mouth to preserve the corpse.

[Obtained one dead Bai Cai Ping of the day.]

Su Ru Hui was shocked. Bai Cai Ping had died last night, so what was the thing he saw during the day?

Su Ru Hui remembered that when the system introduced the living Bai Cai Ping, it started with “judging from her appearance.” Damn this system, playing word games with him. The living Bai Cai Ping was a fake. No wonder she didn’t recognize Jiang Que Xie as a fake too.

Jiang mansion was no longer safe. Su Ru Hui quickly packed his things and left. He did not see any servants on his way out, and the mansion was as silent as death. Su Ru Hui sighed to himself, realizing that trouble was everywhere.

As he descended the stairs to the hall, he saw “Bai Cai Ping” sitting behind a lacquered screen. Her silhouette was reflected on a piece of paper. She was blocking Su Ru Hui’s path and was very difficult to deal with. Su Ru Hui bent down and drew a dagger from his boot, which he then placed behind his back. He slowly circled around the screen from behind. He could see Bai Cai Ping’s profile. She had a gentle smile, just like during the day, but her beautiful and delicate face seemed somewhat stiff and horrifying now.

He approached her step by step, but “Bai Cai Ping” did not move. Su Ru Hui waved his hand in front of her face, but she did not react. He found it very strange. Su Ru Hui leaned closer to her face and examined her eyebrows, eyes, and lips in detail. He finally understood that she was a puppet. He drew his dagger and cut the flesh on the back of her neck. There was no blood. He tore off the skin to reveal a rusty meteorite skeleton covered with layers of artificial meridians wrapped in cowhide. The head contained a set of spirit stones, forming Su Ru Hui’s own eight-trigram spirit star formation, which was the center of the flow of spiritual power and allowed the puppet to learn human behavior.

This puppet had a delicate appearance, but it had been used for too long. The meridians had aged, and the flow of spiritual power was blocked. The puppet had broken down.

[Information Unlock: This old but beautiful puppet was the first batch of song and dance puppets produced by the host when he was the boss of Paradise Pavilion. It has been modified for other purposes, such as disguising as Jiang Que Xie’s mother.]

Su Ru Hui lifted Bai Cai Ping’s face. His snowflake emblem was carved in the center of her brow, indicating that this puppet was his creation.

“This is interesting. Hasn’t the Secret Sect already taken control of my Phantom Puppets? Why does Jiang family still use the puppet I made?” Su Ru Hui asked.

[Indeed, the Secret Sect has taken control of the Phantom Puppets. However, they have not cracked the core secret of the puppet, so they cannot create second-tier or higher mechanical puppets. Most second-tier puppets are fake, and the world recognizes the great genius Boss Su as the true master of the dual-cultivation puppet-making technique. Only you can create the perfect sexual intercourse experience!]

Su Ru Hui: “…”

This was not a reputation he wanted.

Second-tier and fourth-tier puppets could only perform simple commands from their masters, but a first-tier puppet could learn how to speak and even think like a human. The so-called “super-first-tier puppet” was no different from a living human, and was even stronger than one. Puppets could learn from humans, but they were still not human. They followed their master’s orders and saw themselves as their master’s tools.

Forget it. It’s all in the past. These things had nothing to do with him anymore.

Su Ru Hui left the house and as he turned around, he saw a dark figure standing at the end of the wooden corridor. He stopped, and the figure slowly walked towards him. A fair face appeared from the shadows, and he saw a familiar face – Jiang Xue Ya. She had a smile on her face, her delicate eyebrows curved like a new moon, and she called out, “Little brother, you’re finally back.”

When Su Ru Hui was imprisoned in Kun Lun, Jiang Xue Ya visited him several times. At that time, the situation was not good, and their conversations were monitored. Every time they met, they couldn’t say much. Later, he fell seriously ill, and in his last meeting with Jiang Xue Ya, he struggled to say to her, “Senior sister, Zhou Xiao Su depends on you. Her husband has a twisted mind, and I’m really worried.”

Jiang Xue Ya held his shoulder and said solemnly, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Xiao Su. If that scumbag dares to bully her, I’ll lead my troops to crush You Zhou. You don’t have to worry, just die in peace.”

Sighing, Su Ru Hui thought to himself, this woman really didn’t know how to speak.

Su Ru Hui was still very worried, so he said, “What about you and Sang Chi Yu…”

Jiang Xue Ya’s expression became even more sorrowful. “It’s all my fault. I didn’t find out about that earlier.”

“About what?” Su Ru Hui asked, puzzled.

“Of course, it’s the matter of both of you being in love with me.” Jiang Xue Ya sighed deeply. “It’s my fault, causing you two brothers to become enemies.”

What the hell? Su Ru Hui was shocked and said, “No…”

Jiang Xue Ya interrupted him, “No need to say more, I already know. Although I don’t have any thoughts in that direction towards you or Sang Chi Yu, based on our many years of friendship, I can allow you both to enter my household together, as long as you get along well with my close friends. It’s a pity that you…sigh, your health is a bit poor. I don’t know if you can hold on until that day.”

Su Ru Hui struggled to explain, “Listen to me…”

“I don’t need an explanation,” Jiang Xue Ya said firmly.

“I must explain…”

Jiang Xue Ya sighed. “Alright, just say what you have to say. There’s no need to pour your heart out. Sorry, we’ve known each other for so many years. I feel a bit embarrassed.”

“I…”

Su Ru Hui wanted to speak, but suddenly felt dizzy from the effects of the poison. He fainted. So he couldn’t explain even until death. God had pity on him and gave him a chance to be reborn. He must make it clear that he didn’t like Jiang Xue Ya! It was a misunderstanding, a huge one!

But now he was Jiang Que Xie. How could he tell Jiang Xue Ya that Su Ru Hui didn’t like her? His gaze shifted to Jiang Xue Ya’s face. She smiled at him with narrowed eyes, the candlelight illuminating her eyebrows. Her eyes seemed to radiate an alluring light.

Wait.

Su Ru Hui suddenly realized that although he had met Jiang Xue Ya, the system didn’t give him the completion prompt for the “Find Jiang Xue Ya” task. This person was not Jiang Xue Ya at all.

[This is a poor imitator. If the host’s acting skills deserves an Oscar, she only deserves a Razzie.]

Although he didn’t understand what the system meant by Oscar and Razzie, Su Ru Hui realized that this person was a fake. Jiang Xue Ya had trained in martial arts with her master since she was young and excelled in swordsmanship and combat knife skills. She was not inferior to Sang Chi Yu at all. The fact that she could be replaced by someone else made Su Ru Hui’s heart tremble. However, he remained calm and respectful, bowed and said, “Sister, I pay my respects.”

“Jiang Xue Ya” nodded. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to see our father.”

It felt like a pot was hanging over Su Ru Hui’s heart. His fingers slightly tensed. Where was the real Jiang Xue Ya? Was she still alive? With the “Find Jiang Xue Ya” mission, were they looking for a living person or a corpse? Su Ru Hui wondered if the so-called “father” was still Jiang Huai Cang.

What had happened to the Jiang family?

Su Ru Hui lifted his head and quickly changed to a shy expression. “Please wait, Sister, I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for you.” “Jiang Xue Ya” smiled kindly.

She was really a “poor imitator,” Su Ru Hui thought. Jiang Xue Ya would never smile like this.

He entered the bathroom, closed the door, and turned to the chamber pot. He was about to take out his communication compass when he inadvertently glanced at the dirty chamber pot next to his feet. It hadn’t been cleaned for a long time and there were many people’s residues inside. Just as he took a glance, Su Ru Hui’s hand, which was reaching for the compass, froze. He saw “Jiang Xue Ya’s” face reflected in the yellowish liquid in the chamber pot. She was peeking from above the wooden door of the bathroom. Her round eyes stared directly at his back, and Su Ru Hui’s feelings were complicated.

Had he been exposed? Did she suspect him? Su Ru Hui’s heart tightened.

He glanced back at the liquid, and “Jiang Xue Ya” seemed quite interested, showing no intention of leaving. This peeping posture was incredibly familiar. The person who had spied on him outside the window of the small building must have been her.

It seemed that it wasn’t suspicion, but rather curiosity. This weird person seemed to have a habit of peeping.

However, if Su Ru Hui didn’t use the bathroom, he would probably be suspected.

Su Ru Hui gritted his teeth, untied his belt and took off his pants. He felt his scalp loosen, and the burning gaze behind him seemed to have disappeared. He turned his head, and the person was no longer there. Carefully peering out from the door, he saw her waiting at the end of the path and she didn’t approach again.

He squatted down and hurriedly took out a communication compass.

The spiritual power of the compass flowed through, and a light blue symbol appeared on the compass. He heard Sang Chi Yu’s voice: “What’s the matter?”

“Are you at home?” Su Ru Hui asked.

“Yeah.”

“What was the last sentence in the letter of divorce you wrote to me?”

There was silence on the other end, and it was only after a while that Sang Chi Yu replied, “May my husband be strong and healthy, live a thousand years.”

It was indeed Sang Chi Yu himself, and Su Ru Hui was relieved. He said, “I’ll pass that sentence on to you verbatim. Although I don’t know what you’re ashamed of or why, I know it’s no use being half-dead all the time. Take care of yourself first, and then you can find a way to make up for whatever mistake you’ve made.” Su Ru Hui spoke quickly, “There are a few meat buns in the kitchen. Eat them for dinner, and I’ll make breakfast for you tomorrow when I come back.”

After speaking, Su Ru Hui closed the compass. Sang Chi Yu was like a mud statue crossing the river, so he didn’t want to add to his troubles by telling him about the danger at Jiang residence. Jiang Xue Ya had to be found, alive or dead, and he had to see her. However, the situation at Jiang residence was unclear and dangerous, so it was better to plan for the long term. Retreating was the best strategy.

Su Ru Hui pulled up his pants, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.

Author’s Note:

This time, the role of intelligence was played by Su, the shou. He’s probably the smartest shou out of all four novels I have written.

Xiahou Lian: Am I stupid?

Qi Yin: Should I leave?

Bai Li Jueming: If I burn everyone smarter than me, then I’m the smartest.

Time was of the essence, so Su Ru Hui packed the wind spider and spirit fire gun he had made earlier into a bundle. He also made a few meat-filled buns wrapped in oil paper for Sang Chi Yu to eat as breakfast on the way. Then, he went to the stable and dug out the scrapped puppet horse. Nowadays, most people didn’t use real horses to pull carriages anymore, instead opting for puppet horses. These things didn’t need to be fed. As long as they had enough spirit stones and regular oiling of their gears, they could run just as fast as a real horse and were much more convenient.

After a thorough inspection, Su Ru Hui was relieved to find that the horse could be fixed. He replaced the balance meter in the horse’s stomach, and it was ready to run. He also laid a small furry blanket on the seat. Sang Chi Yu hobbled over, step by step, using his crutch, and climbed into the carriage. He moved slowly, and Su Ru Hui didn’t rush him. He watched as Sang Chi Yu crawled into the compartment and threw the warm meat buns into his lap.

Sang Chi Yu caught the meat buns and said, “After we return to the Jiang residence, I will inform your father about our divorce.”

After returning to the Jiang family, Su Ru Hui wouldn’t have to go back to the Sang family. Su Ru Hui understood. It turned out that what Sang Chi Yu meant last night when he said he would figure something out was this plan. When they returned to the Jiang family, the people from the Black Street wouldn’t dare to come and harass them, so they would naturally avoid disaster. If that’s the case, why bother going with him personally? Su Ru Hui could go by himself.

Oh… Su Ru Hui understood. Sang Chi Yu was afraid that the people from the Paradise Pavilion would come looking for trouble on the road.

Ah, this kid, what could he do even if he came along? The fireworks and firecrackers were all used up and he couldn’t borrow the power of the Kun Lun Secret Sect to scare people anymore. If they really met people, was he going to knock them dead with his wooden crutch?

Why was he so kind-hearted? Su Ru Hui was very helpless. He raised his hand and flicked him on the forehead.

Sang Chi Yu was stunned for a moment, and there was a strange color in his black eyes.

Su Ru Hui smiled and said, “You just got married, and now you want to leave. Aren’t you afraid of my dad killing you? Just take it easy. I know you don’t want to be with me. To be honest, I don’t want to be with you either. But we got married not too long ago and now we’re divorcing. It’s not good for my reputation. I was counting on leaving you after a while and then getting married again. If it spreads that I was cruel to my ex-husband and caused a divorce, who would want to be with me?”

Sang Chi Yu remained silent for a long time. The raven-like eyelashes trembled, and he nodded slowly.

“Now, can you eat something?” Su Ru Hui asked.

Sang Chi Yu’s gaze fell on the meat bun in his hand. He had fasted for a whole day yesterday, and his stomach was really hungry. He opened his mouth and took a bite. The salty and fragrant beef filled his mouth, and his empty stomach was soothed. Sang Chi Yu didn’t like oily and greasy food, but the meat in the bun had a chewy texture and the oil was just right. He didn’t dislike it.

Su Ru Hui was satisfied and put down the carriage curtain. He pulled the reins, and said in his heart: “System, show me the way.”

[Information unlocked: Jiang family route map.]

A green arrow pointing out the direction appeared in front of Su Ru Hui. He started the carriage and rolled slowly onto the main road, gradually speeding up until it was almost as fast as lightning. When it was almost noon, he arrived at the Jiang family’s mansion, which was located in Jing’an Fang in the northwest of Yun Zhou. The mansion had a red gate and white walls, with a red lantern hanging under the eaves. Looking along the eaves, every ten steps had a lantern, and the end could not be seen. Any house with a “Jiang” lantern hanging under the eaves was a Jiang family house.

The gatekeeper saw Jiang Que Xie but didn’t show any change in expression. He sent someone to inform the master of the house and had someone bring a wheelchair. The servant was truly thoughtful, and there was no hint of neglect towards Jiang Que Xie. However, this businesslike attitude already indicated a problem. Jiang Que Xie had lived in the Jiang family’s mansion until he was seventeen years old, but no one had noticed that he had been replaced half a year ago. Even now, the attitude of the servants was not particularly warm or familiar, indicating that Jiang Que Xie had little presence in the Jiang family.

[Reminder: Jiang Que Xie has 26 siblings, and his father Jiang Huai Cang probably doesn’t even remember what he looks like.]

This was a good thing. There were not many people familiar with Jiang Que Xie, which made it easier for Su Ru Hui to pretend to be him. The servant pushed the wheelchair for Sang Chi Yu and brought them to the small building where Jiang Que Xie used to live. Although it was remote, it was quite exquisite. The building was built over blue water, with eaves and ridges towering high, and red lotus blooming brightly in the pond. A beautiful woman stood by the doorstep. When she saw Jiang Que Xie, she burst into tears and cried out, “My son!”

[Judging from her appearance, this person is Jiang Que Xie’s birth mother, Bai Cai Ping. She is 33 years old and is Jiang Huai Cang’s 30th concubine. According to the information known to this system, Bai Cai Ping is having an affair with Jiang Huai Cang’s eldest son.]

Su Ru Hui smiled awkwardly and hugged Bai Cai Ping, shouting, “Mother dearest!”

Sang Chi Yu nodded and paid his respects to Bai Cai Ping without saying much. Bai Cai Ping turned her head away and wiped away tears when she saw Sang Chi Yu, saying to Su Ru Hui, “My poor child, it’s all because of your heartless father that you have to marry such a…”

Su Ru Hui instinctively glanced at Sang Chi Yu, who was sitting in a wheelchair, looking at the red lotus in the pond as if he hadn’t heard anything.

Bai Cai Ping choked up and said, “Your unfortunate mother has never been the favored concubine. Your father won’t come to see us today even though you’ve returned. Luckily, your elder brother has always taken care of us and has gone to prepare a feast in the kitchen. Let’s have a good reunion as a family today.”

Su Ru Hui nodded. “Elder brother is really kind. With him taking care of mother, I’m very reassured.”

Bai Cai Ping didn’t notice anything amiss and cried, “My child, you don’t have to force a smile. If you’ve suffered any grievances, tell me about them.”

Su Ru Hui laughed, pushing Sang Chi Yu forward. “Mother is worrying too much. My husband loves me very much, right, husband?’

Sang Chi Yu said nothing.

Bai Cai Ping was half-believing, half-skeptical, and followed them into the small building.

At the banquet, Su Ru Hui asked about Jiang Xue Ya, and Bai Cai Ping only said, “The twelfth lady leads the Secret Sect’s Iron Cavalry and is a busy person. I am a woman who only knows how to embroider and never leaves my house, so how could I meet her?’

It seemed that Su Ru Hui would have to try to run into her when she went out for a walk. The mansion was so big that the walking distance was a bit long, and Su Ru Hui felt tired just thinking about it. After dinner, Su Ru Hui led Sang Chi Yu back to their room to rest. After all, they were husband and wife, and Bai Cai Ping only gave them one room, which was originally Jiang Que Xie’s room.

Su Ru Hui was the first to see the four-poster bed in the room.

[Information Unlocked: Jiang Que Xie’s four-poster bed, where Bai Cai Ping and Jiang family’s eldest son had a 300-round battle last night, and Bai Cai Ping was exhausted and defeated.]

Su Ru Hui silently changed the bedding on the bed.

Sang Chi Yu said, “You rest here for the night. I’ll leave first.”

“You’re leaving right after dinner. That’s so rude. I just told my mother you’re good to me,” Su Ru Hui exclaimed.

Sang Chi Yu was silent for a moment and said, “I’m sorry.”

“Do you have to go?” Su Ru Hui sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him.

“Yeah.”

“Why? Is my room not big enough for you?” Su Ru Hui asked.

Sang Chi Yu didn’t say anything. He sat there quietly, looking calm and ethereal, like a person made of ice and snow.

Su Ru Hui felt depressed. He really didn’t know why Sang Chi Yu had become like this, half-dead and half-alive. He endured it when others treated him badly, but when others treated him well, he pushed them away.

What had he gone through?

“Husband, you’re such a melancholic person.” Su Ru Hui sighed. “When I hit you, you didn’t want to leave me, but when I treat you well, you want to leave me. Why? I’m curious, tell me why.”

Sang Chi Yu looked away, his black eyes devoid of emotion. He didn’t respond for a long time, and Su Ru Hui thought he was going to remain silent. Then he suddenly answered, “I have guilt in my heart and I’m suffering to atone for my sins.”

Su Ru Hui: “…”

Indeed, Sang Chi Yu was the type of person who could do anything he set his mind to. Su Ru Hui had no words to reply.

He continued to ask, “Is it that you’ll stay if I abuse you, trample on you, and bully you? Fine, you should have said so earlier. I’m an expert at bullying people.”

He stood up and walked step by step towards Sang Chi Yu. He had a wicked smile on his face, and just by looking at his face, one could tell he was full of bad intentions. He had a good-looking face, and when he smiled, his eyes sparkled, but he had a sly attitude that was not like a good person at all.

Sang Chi Yu looked at him, his brow furrowed slightly. “You…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Su Ru Hui hugged his slim waist with one hand and put the other hand under his knee, lifting him up horizontally.

“Your waist is so slender,” Su Ru Hui laughed.

Sang Chi Yu’s eyes widened with surprise, but he quickly suppressed it and said coldly, “Put me down.”

“Don’t you want me to bully you? I’m not done yet.” Su Ru Hui walked to the bed and threw him onto it.

Sang Chi Yu’s hairpin was askew, and Su Ru Hui crawled onto the bed, pressing against Sang Chi Yu. He lifted his hand and took away Sang Chi Yu’s jade hairpin. His long, black hair fell like a waterfall. Su Ru Hui held his hair and smelled it, saying, “It smells nice.”

This finally made Sang Chi Yu angry. His face turned pale, and his arms trembled as he supported himself on the bed. He gritted his teeth and said, “Get out.”

“What can you do if I don’t? You can’t beat me now that you have a lame leg, lost your spiritual power, and your body is weak.” Su Ru Hui grinned and put down his hair, then hooked his chin. “Your appearance is really pleasing to the eye.”

Sang Chi Yu could hardly pretend anymore and wished he could kick him off the bed. He moved his hand but suppressed it again. He didn’t want Su Ru Hui to know that he had merged with the heart core and devoured the old dog.

Sang Chi Yu closed his eyes and turned his head away, unwilling to look at this shameless lecher. Su Ru Hui moved closer, kneeling between Sang Chi Yu’s legs. Su Ru Hui’s gaze fell on his earlobe, which was pure white, like a small piece of jade. Su Ru Hui smiled maliciously and blew on his earlobe. Sure enough, the person beneath him trembled all over, like a plucked string.

“Why are you always so shameless?”

Many people had called Su Ru Hui shameless, and he usually took it as a compliment. While feeling proud, Sang Chi Yu suddenly opened his eyes and kicked Su Ru Hui’s knee. Su Ru Hui couldn’t support himself and fell on top of Sang Chi Yu. Sang Chi Yu flipped over, and in an instant, their positions were reversed, with Su Ru Hui being pressed down.

Su Ru Hui met Sang Chi Yu’s deep black eyes. Like a deep sea, one could sink into them endlessly. In the quiet depths of his eyes, Su Ru Hui saw his own surprise.

The two stared at each other for a moment, with hot breaths audible.

After a while, Sang Chi Yu covered his eyes with his hand.

“Don’t do this again next time.”

Su Ru Hui’s view was blocked, and he couldn’t see Sang Chi Yu’s face, but he could hear his voice, which sounded slightly hoarse.

Su Ru Hui was about to move, but Sang Chi Yu thought he was going to cause trouble. He flipped him over, wrapped him in a blanket, and rolled him up tightly so that he looked like a human stick, with only his head sticking out. Su Ru Hui was taken aback. “Let me out,” he said.

Sang Chi Yu sat up and looked at him expressionlessly.

Su Ru Hui wriggled like a caterpillar, but Sang Chi Yu held him down at the waist, making it impossible for him to free himself from the blanket.

“Please, let me out. I was wrong. Can’t you forgive me?” Su Ru Hui pleaded.

“Sleep,” Sang Chi Yu said, covering his eyes with his hand.

“I can’t sleep. Please, let me out,” Su Ru Hui begged.

Sang Chi Yu remained motionless, his cold hand covering Su Ru Hui’s eyelids. Surprisingly, it felt comfortable. After tossing and turning for a while, Su Ru Hui finally settled down. He could smell the fragrance on Sang Chi Yu’s sleeve, which was reminiscent of medicine. He fell into a deep, sweet dream.

When he woke up, it was getting dark outside. The room was dark and gloomy. Sang Chi Yu was gone, and the wheelchair was missing. Su Ru Hui assumed he had taken it with him.

Su Ru Hui looked over and saw a communication compass on the edge of the bed. Obviously, Sang Chi Yu had left it in case he needed to call for him. Su Ru Hui couldn’t help but laugh. After laughing, he couldn’t help but feel sad. Staying at Jiang family’s house was only a temporary measure, and he couldn’t stay here forever. He had to find a way to solve the big problem – Han Ye.

Casually lifting his eyes to look outside, he suddenly froze.

Because he saw a dark figure outside the opposite window. A blurry face appeared on the white paper pasted on the window frame.

Someone was peeking outside the window.

Su Ru Hui was still in the shadow of the bed curtain, and the person outside should not have noticed that Su Ru Hui was already awake. Su Ru Hui remained motionless, and the shadow also remained still. The Jiang family was rich, and the window paper was thick, so the face only had a rough outline and the features could not be seen clearly. Su Ru Hui squinted and looked for a long time, but he could not make out the person’s appearance. He stayed in this uncomfortable position for a long time, and his neck became extremely sore, like being pricked by a needle. When he could not hold it any longer, the shadow walked away.

Su Ru Hui asked in his heart, “System, who is that?”

【The system can only recognize clear images. The other party’s image is blurry and cannot be recognized.】

Useless system. Su Ru Hui cursed silently. He picked up the communication compass, put it in his pocket, and quietly walked out of the door, going to the window. The person was gone, but there were footprints on the ground. Su Ru Hui took a closer look, and his heart suddenly became cold. The shoe print was exactly the same as the shoe print Su Ru Hui had found on the windowsill of the Sang family on the day he woke up. Su Ru Hui had a good memory and could not have been mistaken.

The killer was in the Jiang family.