Chapter 16
Song Ling woke up, disoriented. She couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality, unsure which events of the previous night had actually transpired. She sat up awkwardly, observing Li Xinjun’s expression, relieved to find no signs of discomfort. However, a pang of disappointment lingered.
She wished Li Xinjun’s confession had been real. She noticed a slight swelling on Li Xinjun’s lips, deepening her confusion. Lost in thought, trying to piece together the events of the night, she didn’t notice Li Xinjun sitting up and leaning towards her.
Li Xinjun waved a hand in front of Song Ling’s face, startling her. Song Ling jumped up in a panic, accidentally bumping her head against Li Xinjun’s forehead. Li Xinjun fell back onto the bed, tears springing to her eyes from the impact and the pain from her injuries.
“I’m so sorry, Jun’er! Are you alright?”
“Sister Ling, what are you doing? You’re so jumpy! You bumped my head, and it hurts!”
“Let me see.”
Song Ling helped Li Xinjun sit up and examined her neck, relieved to find no further damage. She realized that her infatuation was growing stronger. Her gaze lingered on Li Xinjun’s collarbone, her thoughts racing. She felt an urge to confess her feelings, her heart battling with her head.
Li Xinjun, observing Song Ling’s spaced-out expression, got out of bed, picked up a spirit-clearing talisman from the table, and slapped it on Song Ling’s forehead, chanting an incantation. Song Ling stared at her, speechless, three black lines appearing on her forehead. She silently cursed Li Xinjun for her cluelessness.
“Sister Ling, you seem out of it. Were you possessed by an evil spirit last night?”
“You’re the one possessed! I’m a prized disciple of the Tianshan Sect. I’m not easily possessed. Do you think I’m a half-baked cultivator like you? And you better stay here in the magistrate’s office and recover from your injuries. If you’re bored, practice your martial arts. Don’t go out there and embarrass me, hmph!”
Song Ling angrily removed the talisman from her forehead, tossed it back on the table, and stormed out of the room.
Li Xinjun watched her leave, bewildered. This was the first time Song Ling had snapped at her. She felt hurt but didn’t understand what she had done wrong. Feeling wronged, she went to find Brother Wu.
Song Ling, despite her anger, knew that it wasn’t Li Xinjun’s fault. However, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated that Li Xinjun didn’t understand her feelings. After walking for a while, she regretted her outburst and decided to go back and apologize to Li Xinjun.
Returning to the west wing, she expected to find Li Xinjun, but she was gone. She checked the other rooms, but Li Xinjun was nowhere to be found.
Song Ling thought for a moment and decided that Li Xinjun might have gone to find Brother Wu. She headed towards his room and, as expected, found Li Xinjun sitting at the table outside his door, chatting with him.
“Brother Wu, do you think I should apologize to Sister Ling?”
“But do you know what you did wrong?”
“That’s why I came to ask you! I don’t know.”
“Then what are you apologizing for? Maybe Doctor Song isn’t even angry with you.”
“But Brother Wu, Sister Ling has never spoken to me like that before. Do you think she’s starting to dislike me? Will she ignore me from now on?”
“Hahaha, Little Jun, you make it sound like Doctor Song is your lover.”
Brother Wu affectionately patted Li Xinjun’s head. Li Xinjun, her face creased with worry, looked down at the table, letting Brother Wu stroke her hair, but remained silent. Song Ling, watching them from a distance, felt a pang of jealousy. She had never imagined that anyone else would dote on Li Xinjun like this.
She realized that if she didn’t confess her feelings soon, someone else might steal Li Xinjun’s heart, and her own affections would remain forever hidden.
Suppressing her emotions, she approached them and patted Li Xinjun’s shoulder. Li Xinjun looked up and, upon seeing Song Ling, broke into a bright smile.
“Sister Ling, what are you doing here?”
“Can’t I come here?”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m just happy to see you.”
“Come with me!”
Song Ling grabbed Li Xinjun’s hand and led her back to their room. Li Xinjun followed obediently, not daring to speak, her expression meek. Once inside the room, Song Ling made Li Xinjun sit on the bed. She stood before her, looking down at her.
“Li Xinjun, listen to me. From now on, I forbid you from letting anyone else touch you, and you’re not allowed to be so close to anyone else. Do you understand?”
“Huh? Oh… Understood.”
Li Xinjun looked at Song Ling innocently. She sensed Song Ling’s displeasure and didn’t dare to question her. Seeing Li Xinjun’s innocent expression, Song Ling’s anger subsided. She knew it was her own issue and shouldn’t take it out on Li Xinjun. She crouched down, meeting Li Xinjun’s eyes, and softened her tone.
“Jun’er, will you promise me something?”
“Sure! Anything.”
“Can you please try to avoid too much physical contact with others?”
“You too?”
“Except me.”
“No problem! Can I hug you then?”
“You can only hug me. No one else!”
“Oh, can I hug you now?”
Li Xinjun’s pleading eyes were irresistible. Song Ling leaned forward and pulled Li Xinjun’s head into her embrace. Li Xinjun happily hugged Song Ling’s waist, her eyes closed, savoring Song Ling’s scent.
It had been so long since she had held Song Ling like this, ever since Song Ling had insisted on sleeping separately. Li Xinjun cherished this moment. She thought to herself that if it weren’t for the jiangshi outbreak, they wouldn’t have come to Chen Family Village, and she wouldn’t have this opportunity to be held by Song Ling. Maybe the jiangshi outbreak wasn’t all bad after all.
Song Ling, unaware of Li Xinjun’s thoughts, closed her eyes, enjoying their rare moment of intimacy. She resolved to confess her feelings to Li Xinjun after they resolved this crisis. She didn’t want to lose her.
After a while, Li Xinjun pulled away. Song Ling stroked her hair affectionately and told her to stay in the magistrate’s office and recover from her injuries. She had to go out and deal with the remaining jiangshi. Li Xinjun nodded obediently, her sweet smile assuring Song Ling that she wouldn’t wander off. Reassured, Song Ling left the room.
Song Ling, accompanied by several soldiers, went to the site of the previous night’s battle. She learned that the soldiers had already transported the defeated jiangshi and the bodies of the fallen soldiers to the mortuary on the outskirts of the village. She instructed the soldiers to guard the mortuary carefully and report any unusual activity immediately.
Song Ling encountered Magistrate Wang outside a villager’s house, supervising soldiers as they hung strings of garlic. She approached him and offered to help.
“Good day, Magistrate Wang.”
“Ah, Doctor Song! You’re here! Are we hanging these correctly?”
“Yes, yes. The key is to hang them around the doors and windows to prevent those afflicted individuals from entering.”
“Men, hang all the garlic on the windows and doors!”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers adjusted the garlic, ensuring that it was properly placed around the openings. Many villagers also helped, hanging garlic around their own homes. Within half a day, every house in the village was adorned with garlic.
Song Ling, satisfied with the progress, returned to the magistrate’s office with Magistrate Wang to discuss their strategy for the night. Inside the office, Magistrate Wang summoned Brother Wu and several other officers for a meeting. Song Ling presented her plan.
“Magistrate Wang, I suggest we set up the same trap as last night, using chicken blood to lure the afflicted individuals. However, this time, in addition to ropes, I would like to add a large net to prevent them from escaping. I also recommend deploying more men to make it easier to subdue them.”
“Alright, Ah Qi, go and have the men prepare ropes and fishing nets. Then lead them to set the trap.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll leave immediately.” Ah Qi turned and left.
“Doctor Song, I will deploy all the soldiers from the magistrate’s office to assist you tonight. I hope you can successfully capture all those monsters.”
“Thank you, Magistrate Wang. In addition, I would like to request some cotton thread soaked in chicken blood. I will need it tonight.”
“Certainly, I will have that arranged. Is there anything else you need?”
Brother Wu thought for a moment and then stood up. “Magistrate Wang, Doctor Song, I have an idea. What if we dig a deep pit in the designated area and lure the monsters into it? Do you think that’s feasible?”
“I think that’s an excellent idea. It will prevent them from escaping. It should work,” Song Ling agreed.
“Alright, we’ll split into two teams. Brother Wu, you take the remaining men and dig the pit. Ah Qi will handle the ropes. We must eliminate all those monsters tonight.”
“Yes, sir!”
Brother Wu, his suggestion accepted, left immediately. Song Ling and Magistrate Wang were left alone.
“Magistrate Wang, Jun’er will be staying here to recover from her injuries tonight. I’m afraid she might sneak out to help. Please keep an eye on her and make sure she stays inside the magistrate’s office.”
“Don’t worry, Doctor Song. I will ensure her safety. You must also be careful.”
“Yes, I will. Thank you, sir. I’m going to help them prepare for tonight. I’ll leave Jun’er in your care.”
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