Chapter 49
As the first rays of dawn illuminated the sky, Li Xinjun awoke, feeling a surge of energy coursing through her body. There was no trace of the pain or weakness she had felt before. She sat up, surprised to find that she felt completely healed.
She looked at Song Ling and Mark, who were still asleep. She stretched her arms and legs, testing her body, confirming that she was indeed fine. She stood up and moved around, feeling a newfound agility and strength. She practiced a few punches and then, unable to contain her excitement, began to practice her martial arts, her movements fluid and powerful. She felt like she had consumed a magical elixir, her abilities enhanced. “Perhaps surviving a near-death experience grants you special powers,” she thought to herself.
The commotion woke Song Ling and Mark. Song Ling, seeing Li Xinjun moving around effortlessly, smiled and rushed over to her, embracing her tightly. Li Xinjun, startled, quickly returned the embrace, their bodies clinging to each other, savoring the warmth and familiar scent of their beloved. After a moment, Song Ling spoke, her voice filled with relief.
“Jun’er, you’re finally awake! I was so worried!”
“Sister Ling, look! I’m fine! I can move freely! It’s like I was never injured! No, it’s better than before! I feel so strong, like I’ve been given some kind of magical boost! Isn’t it a miracle?”
Li Xinjun, eager to prove her recovery, released Song Ling and demonstrated a few martial arts moves. Song Ling, watching her with a smile, felt a mix of emotions. She knew that Li Xinjun’s recovery wasn’t a miracle. It was because she had consumed Mark’s blood.
She wanted to tell Li Xinjun the truth but couldn’t bear to shatter her happiness. She opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, unsure how to approach the subject.
Li Xinjun, seeing her hesitation, stopped and approached her, her brow furrowed with concern.
“Sister Ling, what’s wrong? You look strange. Are you shocked by my recovery? I’m fine, really! I’m not lying!”
“I know, I’m just… so happy.”
Song Ling couldn’t bring herself to tell her the truth. Mark, observing them, shook his head, deciding not to interfere. This was between them. He stood up, brushed off his clothes, and gathered his belongings, heading towards the carriage outside.
“We should go.”
“Okay, we’re coming.”
Song Ling and Li Xinjun followed him out. Li Xinjun nimbly climbed into the carriage and then turned, offering her hand to help Song Ling up. Once they were both inside, Mark quickly fed the horses some carrots and then climbed onto the driver’s seat, setting off.
They traveled for a while, reaching a small village. It was a farming community, the fields stretching out before them. Li Xinjun and Song Ling watched the scenery through the carriage window. Li Xinjun turned to Song Ling.
“Sister Ling, I’m fully recovered now. Do we still need to go to Mark’s castle?”
“It’s best to go. You’ve just recovered. We don’t know if there will be any side effects.”
“Okay, you’re right. How long has it been since the accident?”
“Four days.”
“Wow, I’m completely healed in just four days! Did you find some magical medicine and feed it to me? How else could I have recovered so quickly? I thought I was dying.”
“Jun’er… I…”
“What is it?”
Li Xinjun finally noticed Song Ling’s troubled expression. She looked at her intently, waiting for an explanation.
Song Ling, knowing she couldn’t avoid the truth any longer, took a deep breath and met Li Xinjun’s gaze.
“Jun’er, what if I told you that I made a drastic decision to save your life? What would you think?”
“What did you do?”
“I mean, what if you could never live as a normal human again? Would that be a problem?”
“What do you mean, ‘not live as a normal human’? Sister Ling, I don’t understand. Can you be more specific?”
Song Ling sighed and, mustering her courage, said,
“Jun’er, I’m sorry… To save your life, I asked Mark to turn you into a jiangshi… I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”
Li Xinjun frowned, studying Song Ling’s serious expression. She knew Song Ling wasn’t joking, but she couldn’t believe her ears.
“You’re saying… you asked Mark to turn me into a jiangshi?”
“Yes.”
“But… Mark… How could he…? I don’t understand…”
“Mark… He’s the jiangshi king…”
“Mark is the jiangshi king?!”
Li Xinjun stared at Song Ling, stunned into silence. She then remembered Song Ling mentioning that she had sensed the jiangshi king’s aura from Mark. She turned to look at Mark, who was focused on driving, his back to them.
She frowned and looked back at Song Ling, who nodded silently. Li Xinjun tried to process this shocking information, her mind reeling. She asked again, wanting to make sure she understood correctly.
“Sister Ling… You’re saying that Mark is the jiangshi king, and to save my life, you asked him to turn me into a jiangshi too? Is that right?”
“Yes…”
Li Xinjun, confirming that she hadn’t misunderstood, fell silent. She lowered her head, her brow furrowed, her fists clenched, deep in thought.
Song Ling, worried, reached out to touch her back, wanting to comfort her, but Li Xinjun flinched away.
Song Ling, surprised by her reaction, withdrew her hand, her eyebrows raised in concern. Li Xinjun, realizing her overreaction, took a deep breath, trying to calm down before speaking again.
“So, I’m a jiangshi now?”
“Jun’er…”
“Answer me!”
Li Xinjun’s voice was laced with panic. She couldn’t accept this. She wished Song Ling would burst out laughing and tell her it was all a joke, but deep down, she knew Song Ling wouldn’t joke about something like this.
“Jun’er, please… No matter what you become, I will always love you… Calm down, okay?”
Although Song Ling hadn’t directly answered her question, her meaning was clear. Li Xinjun closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then tears streamed down her face. Song Ling immediately embraced her, holding her close. Li Xinjun didn’t resist, simply letting Song Ling comfort her.
After a moment of silence, Li Xinjun pulled away, her hands gripping Song Ling’s shoulders, her gaze intense.
“Sister Ling, what about you? Are you a jiangshi too?”
“No. You pushed me out of the way. I was seriously injured, but my life wasn’t in danger. But Jun’er, don’t worry. I’ve decided to let you turn me into a jiangshi too.
The moment I decided to let you become a jiangshi, I decided that I would become one with you, so we could be together forever. I believe that as long as we’re together, it doesn’t matter if we’re human or monster. We’ll be happy.”
“No… You can’t! I don’t want you to become a jiangshi!”
“Jun’er… Are you angry with me? Please forgive me! I just didn’t want you to die! I couldn’t bear to lose you! Can you understand?”
“I know. I’m not angry with you. I understand why you did it.”
“Then why…”
“Sister Ling, I don’t want you to become a jiangshi. You’ve dedicated your life to slaying demons and monsters. If you become a monster yourself, I can’t imagine…”
“Jun’er, I don’t mind. As long as I can be with you, I don’t mind anything.”
“But I mind! How can I bear to watch you become a monster? To watch you feed on innocent people? To live a life neither human nor ghost? How can I let you endure that?”
Mark, listening to their conversation, wanted to scream. He felt insulted, but he couldn’t interrupt them. He rolled his eyes, seeing that they had arrived at his castle. He stopped the carriage and got out.
“Ladies, we’ve arrived. I, as a creature neither human nor ghost, will leave you two alone. I’ll be inside resting. Join me when you’re done.”
Li Xinjun and Song Ling realized that their conversation had unintentionally offended Mark. They both felt awkward, watching him walk away. The tension between them dissipated.
Li Xinjun looked at Song Ling apologetically. Song Ling, seeing her adorable expression, couldn’t help but laugh. Their situation was a strange mix of sadness, humor, and awkwardness. Li Xinjun, also amused, felt her anger fade. She sighed.
“Sister Ling, let’s go inside. We can discuss this later.”
“Okay.”
As Li Xinjun was about to get out of the carriage, Song Ling pulled her back and kissed her passionately. Li Xinjun, caught off guard, surrendered to the kiss.
They had missed each other dearly, and this kiss allowed them to express their love and longing. Li Xinjun forgot her worries, lost in the moment.
After a while, Song Ling broke the kiss. They were both breathless. Song Ling looked at Li Xinjun, her eyes filled with love.
“Jun’er, I love you.”
Her simple confession warmed Li Xinjun’s heart. Suddenly, everything seemed alright. As long as they were together, nothing else mattered.
“I love you too.”
They got out of the carriage and entered the castle. The grand hall, although not as lavish as General Henry’s, was still elegant and impressive. They saw Mark sitting at a table laden with food. He wasn’t eating but was sipping a drink from a metal goblet.
Li Xinjun and Song Ling, hand in hand, approached the table and sat down. Li Xinjun looked at the food but felt no appetite. She was puzzled. She hadn’t eaten in days and should be famished, but the food held no appeal.
Mark, observing her, guessed what she was thinking. He picked up a goblet and pushed it towards her. Li Xinjun looked at the red liquid inside and realized it was blood. The reality of her transformation hit her again.
She pushed the goblet away. Mark didn’t say anything, simply shrugged and continued to drink his blood. Song Ling, oblivious, took some food from the table, placing it on her plate and also on Li Xinjun’s plate.
Li Xinjun, realizing that Song Ling hadn’t noticed anything, didn’t stop her and began to eat, taking small bites. Song Ling, seeing her eat, also started her meal.
Mark, watching them, didn’t say anything. They would adjust eventually. He didn’t need to worry about them. He savored his blood, ignoring the two women. After a few bites, Li Xinjun put down her fork and looked at Mark.
“Are you the jiangshi king?”
“I’m not a king. That’s just what you call me. But I am a jiangshi.”
“Then why do you harm innocent people?”
“… Have you seen me kill anyone?”
“No…”
“Then why do you assume I’m a villain?”
“Because you’re a jiangshi! And the jiangshi in the capital were all bitten by you, weren’t they?”
“You two are unbelievable… I already explained to Song Ling. It wasn’t me.”
Li Xinjun looked at Song Ling, who nodded in confirmation. She then turned back to Mark.
“During our voyage, I never saw you bite anyone. So you don’t need to drink blood to survive?”
Mark, remembering his ordeal on the ship, became agitated.
“Don’t remind me! Now that you know my identity, I’m going to settle the score! You have no idea how miserable I was!
Every time I tried to sneak away and drink my chicken blood, you would appear out of nowhere, forcing me to swallow the entire chicken whole! Do you know how many chickens I had to swallow?!
I wanted to bite you so badly! And you dare accuse me of being a bloodthirsty monster! If I were truly evil, I would have bitten you first!”
“Pfft!”
Li Xinjun and Song Ling burst out laughing, listening to his rant. Mark, seeing their amusement, felt even more frustrated. He continued to complain and rant until they had all calmed down.
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