Chapter 10

◎It’s me, don’t be afraid◎

A strong murderous intent swept over her like a tide, almost swallowing Chi Lu. She raised her fair elbow, turned her wrist, and slapped Jing Shuxing on the head with the back of her hand.

“It’s me, don’t be afraid.”

In the past, when she was practicing and nearly had a cultivation deviation, the sect leader gently patted her like this and said these words, bringing her consciousness back. Now, she was applying the same method.

The murderous intent did not fade at all, the five fingers constricting her throat were still tightening. Even though Jing Shuxing couldn’t exert any strength and posed no threat to her life, Chi Lu was still extremely uncomfortable.

“——It’s me!” She elongated her tone, then swiftly reached out her hand and pinched the soft flesh around Jing Shuxing’s waist.

The murderous intent that almost drowned her receded like a tide, disappearing quickly without a trace.

Chi Lu noticed Jing Shuxing stiffen slightly, and his body suddenly leaned back. His warm, wet clothes slipped from her fingertips and fell away.

She instinctively reached out to grab him, but his body was like a disobedient eel, dodging left and right, not letting her touch him, and then quickly shrinking down.

A moment of clarity and shock flashed across his handsome face as he half-layed there, soon to be covered by another emotion.

With a “thud”, the back of Jing Shuxing’s head hit the smooth jade basin heavily.

The solid and dull sound made Chi Lu wince in pain, she couldn’t help but hiss.

The person who really took the hit didn’t care at all, he shrank into the medicinal basin in one breath. The water splashed up and fell back down, creating ripples on the dim surface of the basin like blooming flowers.

The orchid basin was square, about the same size as the bed he used to rest, the depth was indeed worrying for a grown man.

Not long after Jing Shuxing submerged into the water, his ink-black hair floated and swayed on the water surface, moving with the ripples, as if enticing Chi Lu.

Chi Lu was startled by the lightning-fast scene, she blinked, then blinked again.

“Pfft——”

She let out a very short, yet very clear laugh.

Then she couldn’t hold it back anymore, her fair jade hand gradually tightened, her knuckles clearly visible. She held onto the edge of the basin, squatted on the ground, and laughed so hard that she couldn’t catch her breath.

The oppression and fear that the system and the people of Fengyue City had brought her all vanished at this moment.

“Come out, come out quickly.” In the midst of her hearty laughter, Chi Lu didn’t forget to lightly pat the water surface, coaxing like she was dealing with a child.

“Don’t worry, I will keep your secret. I absolutely won’t let others know what you look like now.”

The current situation must be caused by the pain-relieving and mind-calming herbs in the medicinal water.

Ying Lianyi’s medical skills were superb, and she was determined to save the man Chi Lu wanted. So, she spared no effort in adding spiritual medicine into the mix. These medicines themselves had no side effects, but once the dosage was too high, even though they could better exert their medicinal effects, they could easily cause the patient’s thoughts to become disordered.

Even if Jing Shuxing was alert in his heart, he still couldn’t resist the instinct of his body, gradually becoming drowsy and numb.

Just like now, his thoughts were intermittent, like a drunken fool, acting solely on the reaction of his body.

After a while, a few bubbles emerged from the water surface. Jing Shuxing’s moist eyes were filled with mist, his pupils were pale and filled with confusion. He poked out half of his head, like a mischievous puppy, his black eyes blinking.

Chi Lu took a deep breath forcefully, to calm down.

He was a living person, not a spiritual pet. How could she suddenly feel a sense of closeness to him?

She reached out and beckoned, “Come here.”

Jing Shuxing blinked in confusion, his hollow eyes staring at the darkness in front of him. That sentence, like a faint spell, seeped into his thoughts, and he leaned forward at the sound, and touched the cold palm.

Chi Lu couldn’t help but raise her other hand, lightly covering her lips, to hide the surprised expression on her face.

Jing Shuxing’s body leaned forward, in the steaming mist, his black hair clung to his pale face and neck, his long raven eyelashes trembling lightly, like a well-behaved spiritual beast, and he rested his chin in Chi Lu’s palm.

The moisture on his lower jaw condensed in the cold palm, winding and twisting, mixed with the gaps between her fingers, unwilling to flow away. 

Chi Lu tightly covered her mouth, preventing herself from exclaiming in surprise. She swallowed the cry that was about to escape her lips, held back her laughter, and pointed her fingers between Jing Shuxing’s eyebrows.

With a gentle touch, spiritual power was infused, and the purely ethereal expression quickly faded away, and a vigilant look suddenly appeared on Jing Shuxing’s face.

He quickly realized his situation and guessed what had just happened.

A familiar voice rang in his ears: “Are you awake?”

Along with it came a strange feeling on his face. The unexpected guest hooked her finger and scratched his chin.

He immediately realized what had happened. Those people took advantage of his inability to resist and stuffed him into the orchid basin, and the previous “expert” took this opportunity to enter again.

What was she here for? Was it not enough to send him to the powerful, did she want more?

A sense of humiliation rose, and was suppressed by hatred. Jing Shuxing hated that he was numb all over, his ugly state was exposed, and he was laughed at by her again.

He didn’t know what that person would demand from him using this opportunity.

Jing Shuxing bit his tongue hard, the pain mixed with the taste of blood swept over him, suppressing his emotions. He kept his body bent over and didn’t move, telling himself that this was better.

“I wonder when you arrived? I didn’t notice.” The words he spoke were calm, without any negative emotions.

He put on a docile appearance, still resting his chin lightly on Chi Lu’s palm.

A hand was placed on his back, helping him to sit up straight, leaning back against the jade basin again.

That “expert” seemed not to care about his attitude.

“How effective are the herbs from Linghua Sect?” Chi Lu leaned lightly against the edge of the basin and asked with a smile.

Jing Shuxing bit his lip, his tongue and mouth were damaged, and the taste of blood flowed down his throat, stimulating his nerves, preventing him from losing consciousness.

He carefully pondered the deep meaning in Chi Lu’s words, contemplated for a long time, and then asked in a deep voice.

“Is the Great Elder of Linghua Sect, your person?”

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why the young sect leader of Linghua Sect was impatient with him on the surface, but was not eager to achieve results when treating him. Instead, she intended to nourish and repair his body from the root.

Chi Lu didn’t know why Jing Shuxing said this, so she turned her eyes and readily admitted.

“Yes, that’s right, it’s me.”

As long as she takes credit for the good things and blames the “young sect leader of Linghua Sect” for the bad things, she is sure to successfully complete the plot mission.

“Young sect leader Chi Lu is simply wilting, her malicious methods are endless.”

Chi Lu patted her chest and assured: “It was me who let you escape from her hands, of course I will protect you from harm.”

She was waiting for Jing Shuxing to question her, to ask her why she wrote the letter, or why she didn’t consider his feelings.

But Jing Shuxing just lowered his head docilely, and a faint smile crept onto his lips: “Thank you for your help.”

Chi Lu choked: “Don’t you have anything to ask me?”

Jing Shuxing’s eyebrows arched, and in the next instant, he smoothed out the furrowed brows, returning to his original expression.

He couldn’t see, but he could imagine the expression on the face of the person opposite him at this moment, surely full of insincere smiles, treating him like a foolish person.

She was both gracious and threatening, using kindness to win him over, and tactics to coerce him.

“Allow me to ask a question.” He said, lowering his gaze.

Here it comes.

Chi Lu braced herself, with a confident smile on her face, and her thoughts going around in circles, ready to answer all of Jing Shuxing’s questions.

But all she heard Jing Shuxing say was: “What else do you need me to do?”

Chi Lu’s smile froze on her face.

She lifted her hand to support her cheeks, leaned forward a bit, and her pitch-black eyes wide open, examining Jing Shuxing’s eyes and eyebrows. 

Jing Shuxing’s expression seemed as gentle as a spring breeze, but in reality, it was like the dark clouds at the edge of the sky, layered under his calm and rippleless face.

“If you have other intentions, you might as well say them. I’m already a decaying body, not worth your careful planning and scheming.”

“You’ve definitely misunderstood me!”

Chi Lu raised her hand and flicked Jing Shuxing’s forehead with a force of seven points, taking advantage of the moment when Jing Shuxing subconsciously opened his mouth to gasp in pain.

With quick eyes and quick hands, she reached into her space bag, took out a candied fruit, and stuffed it into Jing Shuxing’s mouth.