Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Chapter 129: Returning to Jingzhou

Bai Zhengliu was initially stunned by the words, then burst into laughter.

The young man’s laughter echoed across the stream and forest. Soon after, the bubbling of the soup and his exclamation, “Mmm, smells so good!” joined in. The nighttime gloom completely dissipated, replaced by the morning liveliness and the smell of smoke and fire.

Once their bodies were cleaned, the spiritual energy had repaired their wounds almost completely, and the hot soup warmed them from within… Bai Zhengliu murmured, “This is truly a life fit for immortals.”

Mei Yinghan glanced at him.

Bai Zhengliu came closer. The wind had carried away most of the bloodstains on the swordsman, leaving a sharp, killing aura—like the mountains and forests, yet like a blade. But at the same time, his body was warm, and the smile on his face was genuine.

He asked Mei Yinghan: “If this is a ‘life of immortals,’ then you and I must be ‘immortal lovers.’ Yinghan, don’t you agree?”

Mei Yinghan’s gaze flickered. After a few breaths, he nodded with a smile: “Yes.”

Of course.

If only I had met you earlier, known you earlier, fallen in love with you earlier…

Yet, even now like this, you and I are still immortal lovers.

…

…

After finishing the chicken soup, they burned the bloodied clothes at the fire, then doused the fire with the stream water.

By the time this was done, it was already noon. Bai and Mei were in high spirits and set out again.

This time, their destination was finally the Cheng family.

After all, returning from Du Village to Mount Tian always passed through Jingzhou City. Visiting the Cheng family on the way wouldn’t be a problem.

Bai and Mei resolved to ride for three days, and indeed, they arrived at the Cheng family once more.

Along the way, Bai Zhengliu laughed at Mei Yinghan: “I just wonder if that troupe master has paid a visit yet.”

Mei Yinghan, still tearful, asked: “Zhengliu, do you want him to visit or not?”

Bai Zhengliu stroked his chin, very humble: “We’ve already had so many troubles on this journey—it’s really not suitable to stir up more.”

Mei Yinghan looked at him with a smile.Bai Zhengliu lowered his voice: “But if he really hasn’t come, it’s only natural for us to go fetch him!”

After all, the silver they had taken from the troupe master was still in the swordsman’s pack.

They had repeatedly confirmed that the troupe master was just an ordinary person—not like the Chang family’s old ghost, who had caused them countless troubles. Capturing him wouldn’t really be difficult.

Thinking this way, Bai Zhengliu even felt a little eager. Truthfully, his current mood could be described as: “Just fought a battle with martial arts experts—though exhilarating and thrilling, also exhausting. Now on the road, encountering a rookie in the jianghu, I can make him cry without lifting a finger…”

Bai Zhengliu’s eyes sparkled.

Mei Yinghan looked at him, smiling and shaking his head.

The atmosphere between them was relaxed. This ease lasted all the way until they arrived at the Cheng family.

The one who greeted Bai and Mei at the door was still the same young servant, Long Ge. Seeing the two travelers, Long Ge first showed joy, then smiled warmly: “Our master and mistress have been talking! Heroes, you helped the family so much, yet hadn’t come to express thanks properly—it’s truly improper. But you are busy and have many matters. If we insisted on you delaying your affairs for the family, that would be even worse.

“Now it’s perfect! Heroes coming to Jingzhou, visiting the house again, the master and mistress will be extremely pleased. Come, I’ll lead you inside!”

Bai Zhengliu, seeing him chatter and act lively, decided to ask: “A few days ago, did anyone come to your house? About this tall, fairly thin…”

Long Ge’s eyes widened. “Ah, this is what I mean by ‘helped the family greatly!’”

Bai and Mei: “Hmm?”

Long Ge blinked, feeling he needed to explain from the start: “Heroes! Here’s the situation. Previously, you rescued the young lady in the house, and then went to slay the evil spirit—” As a close servant, he knew many details of the household, “For these deeds, the master and mistress are very grateful. Yet despite their gratitude, they still worry about the young lady’s future.”

What if Miss Yao remained stubborn? What if she still insisted on finding that “Song Lang”?

When Mr. Cheng and Mrs. Cheng discussed it privately, they had already made the worst-case plan. Mr. Cheng lamented privately that given his daughter’s age and temperament, sending her to Mount Tian was easier said than done. But sending her to a temple or monastery to live quietly for six months or a year might be feasible.

Unexpectedly, even before the plan began, a man arrived at their door to pay a visit.

He looked terrified, immediately knelt before Mr. Cheng, and said: “I initially impersonated that famous ‘Leshan Troupe’ to perform in Jingzhou City and used the opportunity to draw a formation on the young lady’s rooftop.” In just a few words, he confessed everything he had done.

The Old Wolf God was watching! That was a true immortal—how could he dare hide anything? Moreover, the “Immortal Master” had been absent for so long. The troupe master didn’t say it, but in his heart, he already believed that it was the impersonating evil spirit killed by the Old Wolf God, which led to that day’s confrontation.

If he didn’t confess a bit more, wouldn’t he also be implicated by the evil spirit? Yet he had clearly done nothing!

—Well, he had done some things. But “knowingly harming others” and “suspecting one is doing something bad but still acting under the threat of ‘disappearing’” were entirely different.

Thinking this through, the troupe master’s details poured out more and more. After all, if he didn’t speak now, when the Old Wolf God manifested again, he would still have no escape. Better to be honest—then, according to the Old Wolf God, the final judgment would come from the Cheng family. A whole family of living people was certainly better than relying on the mercy of the Old Wolf God.“But I was forced into it. The ones who made us do this… uh, demons and monsters! Yes, they definitely weren’t human, nor ‘Immortal Masters,’ at most just demons and monsters. They had already taken many people from the troupe, and to this day I don’t know where those people went. Master, I’m afraid! I’m truly afraid!”

Toward the end, the troupe master began to cry uncontrollably.

At first, there was a hint of pretense, but soon it became completely sincere.

Did he regret the things he had done before?

…Not really.

He had acted and survived, which allowed him to come to the Cheng family and make amends.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t scared.

Even if the Cheng family had a soft heart, what they might do to the troupe master was unknown. Just imagining it was enough to terrify him half to death.

He lay on the ground, begging and crying, unaware that Mr. Cheng above had an extremely complex, strange expression.

Behind the side screen, the young lady’s voice could faintly be heard, along with crying.

A few days later, Long Ge vividly recounted these scenes to Bai and Mei.

“After the heroes left, our master and mistress still didn’t dare leave the young lady’s side. The first few days went without saying, but later, since the evil spirit hadn’t appeared for a long time, the master and mistress should have felt relieved. Yet the heroes hadn’t shown up either, so they were still worried, wondering if they should go west. Although they weren’t as skilled as the heroes in martial arts or exorcism, they could at least lend a hand, right?

“While they were thinking this, the impostor troupe master came. He also informed our family that the heroes had returned safely, which immediately put them at ease!

“At that moment, our young lady was behind the screen. Whatever the troupe master said, she heard it clearly. I was also nearby, even closer to the screen. So I knew that when the troupe master cried before the master, the young lady cried along with the mistress.”

How could Cheng Yaoniang not cry? These past few days, “Song Lang” had not appeared in her dreams, and she was already deeply worried. She feared Song Lang might have grown tired of her, or worse, that something had happened to him, that he was no longer alive.

Even more, regarding her parents’ claim that “Song Lang is the evil spirit itself,” Cheng Yaoniang didn’t speak it out loud, but in her heart, she didn’t completely disbelieve it.

She had fallen in love, but she wasn’t blind to reason—well, maybe a little. But during those past days, her discomfort had been real. Later, after the two jianghu travelers dispelled the lingering evil energy from her, and with the Snow Lotus healing her body, her condition, though not back to her former self, was much better than when she had been near death.

This allowed her to notice the difference.

Though she longed for and trusted Song Lang… every time he came, she would feel a chill throughout her body for a while.

Was this what “entering a dream” should feel like? But then, why hadn’t the two jianghu travelers, who had experienced “entering a dream” themselves, mentioned it?

Or perhaps, just as her parents said, her lover wasn’t truly thinking of her well-being, but meant to harm her?

No, no!

At first, Cheng Yaoniang didn’t want to believe it; later, she dared not believe it. During the days when “Song Lang” did not appear, she felt worry, and also the tiniest, almost imperceptible relief.If “Song Lang” didn’t appear again, she wouldn’t have to think about these things anymore. She would rather have a lover who was gone, someone she could long for, than face the possibility that “the one I love so devotedly actually only wants to kill or harm me.”

Cheng Yaoniang was trying to convince herself.

At that moment, the troupe master arrived at her home.

It turned out that from the Dream-Seeking Record itself, to the troupe performing at her home, to the evil magic formation on her roof, it was all orchestrated by the same pair of hands behind the scenes.

Cheng Yaoniang could no longer escape reality. The troupe master’s words afterward—“If I didn’t follow the demon’s arrangement, I’d probably die like everyone else”—were no longer her focus.

The young lady was in a daze, overwhelmed with grief.

What kind of person had she really fallen in love with? Was he even human?

The man who visited her in dreams every night, who discussed poetry and essays with her, whose talent made her heart incline toward him—had he actually never existed?

When Long Ge spoke up to this point, he coincidentally also guided Bai and Mei to the house of the three Cheng family members.

When Bai and Mei had left, the place looked one way; now returning, the house looked the same.

Only, time had passed, and the Cheng couple and Cheng Yaoniang could no longer stay awake all night. So they added a small bed in front of the screen. At night, Mrs. Cheng and her daughter would sleep inside the room, while Mr. Cheng stayed in the main hall.

Also, there was the scent of medicinal herbs drifting in the room.

“Master, Mistress!” Long Ge called inside, “The two heroes have arrived! They say they’ve completely eliminated that evil spirit and are here to check the situation before returning to Tianshan!”

Hearing this, the Cheng couple immediately came to see. Seeing the two young men standing there, still poised and impressive, they both visibly relaxed.

Half of their relief was for Bai and Mei’s safety. Even though they had already heard it from the troupe master, seeing it firsthand was much better! The other half was relief for themselves.

They had truly escaped the crisis. The only remaining concern was Yaoniang’s health… but that could be managed. With more care, she would gradually recover. After all, she was still young, and her resilience was much stronger than that of older people.

“Please, come in, come in!” Mr. Cheng immediately invited them. “Long Ge, go check the kitchen. Prepare more dishes tonight to welcome the heroes!”

Author’s note:

Good morning~