Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Memory

Liu Shi arrived very quickly.

When Bai Zhengliu first saw her, she was still about ten paces away. But in the blink of an eye, she was already standing in front of the swordsman.

Bai Zhengliu heard Wang Shi's startled cry behind him and shouted, “Lady Liu, we—”

He was likely still caught up in the thought that “perhaps there is some hidden reason behind Liu Shi’s actions” and, facing a vengeful ghost, he wanted to reason with her through words and actions.

But Bai Zhengliu had no such intention.

He was the one closest to the front of the group and the one most able to sense the danger Liu Shi posed.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Zhengliu shoved Hu the butcher aside. In the moment of danger, he didn’t even have time to check whether Hu the butcher had landed on the roof or had rolled down to the ground.

All Bai Zhengliu remembered was drawing his blade.

But the moment when he pushed Hu the butcher aside still made him a step too slow. The "Twenty-Eight Generals" was still sheathed, and the swordsman only had time to grasp the hilt of the sword when Liu Shi made her move.

An ice-cold ghostly hand grabbed Bai Zhengliu’s neck and began to slowly tighten.

...

...

“Get out! Get out of my house!”

“I am the true wife of the master, what are you?!”

...

...

What was that sound?

An eerie chill spread down the swordsman’s neck, directly pressing against his heart.

His arm stiffened instantly, and the only sensation left was the feeling of his palm touching the hilt of the "Twenty-Eight Generals." But Bai Zhengliu had no time to act. In that instant, everything before his eyes blurred.He saw the scene shifting—one moment it was heavy rain, and the next it transformed into a clear, sunny day. Before him stood a familiar courtyard, and the sharp, harsh screams reached Bai Zhengliu's ears.

It took him a moment to realize: this was Liu Shi’s memory.

He had been dragged into the most painful memory of Liu Shi’s by the vengeful ghost.

...

...

Liu Shi had originally believed her husband was dead.

Years ago, when Master Chang went to the capital for the imperial examination, he did not return for a long time. She was anxious, but then she heard the news. After her husband had left, there had been a case involving river bandits who harmed people.

The entire boat of people had been poisoned to death, and the officials were investigating the whereabouts of the bandits. As for the bodies of the poisoned, they were temporarily placed in the local county where the incident occurred.

To prevent the bodies from decaying and causing an epidemic, the local government gave twenty days for people to claim the bodies, after which they would bury them all. Unfortunately, by the time Liu Shi heard the news, it was already too late. Despite rushing there, she only found a few unclaimed bodies with their clothing intact.

As for the identification documents, they had already been thrown into the water by the river bandits and could not be found.

The local officials were reasonable. As long as she could identify the body of a family member, they allowed Liu Shi to bury them in her home village. But at that time, Liu Shi was in a state of confusion. There had been more than one scholar on the boat, and her husband had not been wearing his usual clothes made by her, but had instead bought ready-made garments from the town. When she saw the bodies with similar builds and clothes of similar color, she could not tell which one was her husband’s.

But it had been so long since her husband left, and there had been no word from home. If he hadn't died at the hands of the river bandits, then what had happened?

Liu Shi collapsed on the ground, crying, finally accepting her cruel fate.

She never expected that a year later, things would take another turn.

Someone told her that her husband had not died, but had stayed in the capital and married someone else.

At first, Liu Shi didn't believe it. But the messenger spoke with such certainty that, gradually, she began to entertain the thought: “I must go see him, otherwise, I will never be at peace.”

With this thought in mind, Liu Shi went to Guang'an Prefecture. When she finally saw her husband, she didn't know whether to feel sad or happy. Complex emotions welled up in her heart, and she hadn't even decided if she should confront her husband or report him to the authorities for marrying another woman when she saw his new wife.

She was a woman completely different from Liu Shi.Having worked the land for many years, Liu Shi’s physique, though not as strong as the village men, was still far more robust than most women’s.

Along with the hard work she had endured, her face was rough and dark, and when standing next to Miss Huang, anyone would only think she was a servant.

Liu Shi knew she had been overshadowed.

She felt bitter, sad… these emotions were fully reflected in Bai Zhengliu at that moment.

Through Liu Shi’s memories, Bai Zhengliu saw the Miss Huang in her eyes, and simultaneously felt the emotions Liu Shi had when they first met.

She was struck down by a strong sense of inferiority, to the point where she didn’t want to stay in front of the Chang family’s gate for long.

But just as she was about to leave, Master Chang appeared.

He looked just as Liu Shi remembered him, but after marrying Miss Huang, he had clearly been living a life of comfort. His face hadn't changed, but the overall aura he projected was different.

When he saw Liu Shi, Master Chang was first stunned. Then, something Liu Shi hadn’t expected happened.

He didn’t deny knowing her, nor did he chase her away. On the contrary, he turned to Miss Huang with a gentle smile, and told her that this was his wife whom he had married in the countryside.

Miss Huang stood frozen in place. Looking at her pale face, Liu Shi inexplicably felt a surge of satisfaction.

You have beauty! You know poetry and books! Your family is wealthy!

But, my husband still cares for me! He values me! He loves me!

What made Liu Shi even happier was Miss Huang's reaction.

She stood stunned for a moment after hearing Master Chang's words, and then, like a madwoman, lunged at Liu Shi, trying to force her out of the house.

“Leave! Leave!!”

Miss Huang screamed hoarsely, using all her strength, but she could do nothing to move Liu Shi.

Liu Shi, whose hands had once seemed rough and inferior from all the farm work, now realized their advantage. At least with Miss Huang’s delicate wrists, she couldn’t possibly push Liu Shi away.

“Get out! Get out…”Unable to push her away, Miss Huang was on the verge of breaking down. She even cried, her eyes turning a deep red as she repeatedly muttered similar words to Liu Shi.

“I am Master Chang’s wife.” Miss Huang sobbed, “I am, I am!”

Liu Shi remained still, only glancing at her husband to see how he would react to the scene.

Master Chang pushed Miss Huang’s hand off Liu Shi’s clothing and said, “Enough! In public, crying like this, what kind of behavior is this!”

And so, Liu Shi stayed in the Chang residence.

The rain pattered, continually falling on Bai Zhengliu’s face.

He could still smell the overwhelming stench of decay from the vengeful ghost, but he couldn’t make a move.

It felt as if the voices of others were reaching his ears. Judging by the noises, they were clearly in trouble and couldn’t support Bai Zhengliu.

The swordsman could only continue listening and watching.

Although Liu Shi stayed at the Chang residence, she remained deeply cautious around Miss Huang.

On the other hand, after the initial hysterics, Miss Huang seemed to have accepted the fact that there was now an old wife of her husband in the house. She began trying to get along with Liu Shi.

Liu Shi wasn’t well-versed in literature and couldn’t understand the books or paintings that Miss Huang liked. It didn’t matter. Miss Huang made sure to prepare good meat and dishes for her and even took her to see the most popular theater troupe in the city.

Days passed, and Liu Shi gradually began to lower her guard. When Miss Huang brought her something, she could now smile and say "thank you."

In her heart, Liu Shi also knew. She pitied herself, but what of Miss Huang’s pity? A good young lady like her was deceived by her own husband into marriage. If her father were still alive, perhaps things would have been different, but he was gone, and here she was at Liu Shi’s doorstep. Aside from venting her frustration, what else could Miss Huang do?

She could only accept it.As she thought this, Liu Shi raised her head and saw Miss Huang smiling as she brought over a bowl of medicinal soup.

She told Liu Shi, “You’ve worked too hard in the past. Though you look healthier than I do, you’ve actually suffered a great deal. It may not matter now, but later, it will cause discomfort! Drink this medicine, I specifically had it prepared for you.”

Liu Shi laughed as she listened and said, “What have I lost? You, on the other hand, should focus on your health! Next year, you should give Master Chang a child.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the medicinal soup in Miss Huang’s hands spilled out.

A look of panic appeared on Miss Huang’s face, but Liu Shi, at that moment, didn’t notice. She simply took a breath and quickly reached for a handkerchief to wipe Miss Huang’s hands.

But Bai Zhengliu, who was observing the past through Liu Shi’s memories, clearly saw the look of pain on Miss Huang’s face in that moment.

For a brief moment, he thought, “Liu Niangzi said, ‘also’ give Master Chang a child. So, Wang A-jie’s previous suspicion was indeed correct...?”

As his thoughts continued, the next scene appeared.

This time, it wasn’t a direct interaction between Liu Shi and Miss Huang, but a scene of eavesdropping.

Liu Shi stood outside Miss Huang’s window, listening to the sounds coming from inside.

“Is the child really gone?” A soft voice asked. With the previous experience, Bai Zhengliu could confirm that the speaker was undoubtedly Miss Huang.

Then, another female voice answered her, “It’s really gone! Madam doesn’t know how much blood was lost that day! Her entire skirt was soaked red.”

As the conversation continued, the answering voice hesitated slightly and asked in a low voice, “But Madam, if Master Chang finds out what you’ve done...”

Miss Huang immediately replied, “He must never know! Absolutely not!”

The answering voice seemed to be comforting her, “Alright, alright, you keep it a secret, I’ll keep it a secret, and we’ll keep Liu Niangzi in the dark too. Only the three of us were there that day, and as long as none of us speak, how would Master Chang ever know?”

Miss Huang hesitated and asked, “But will she help us keep it a secret? If Master Chang finds out, it won’t harm her at all.”

The answering voice hesitated, then sighed, “My poor wife…”

Throughout the entire conversation, Liu Shi remained motionless outside the window, like a wandering soul.

Bai Zhengliu seemed to see her raise her hand, as if she were about to push open the window.But he did not truly see what happened next.

His consciousness was suddenly pulled out of Liu Shi’s memories and returned to the present.

Liu Shi was still in front of him, and even the swollen, decaying ghostly hands were still gripping Bai Zhengliu’s neck. However, Bai Zhengliu no longer felt the cold; his internal energy began to flow again within him.

At first, Bai Zhengliu didn’t understand what had happened.

Until his gaze slightly lowered and he saw the blade protruding from Liu Shi’s shoulder.

It was his familiar "Twenty-Eight Generals."

On the blade, a thin, faint halo began to glow.

Behind Liu Shi, however, there was nothing; no one was holding the blade.

Author's Note:

MVP of this scene: Twenty-Eight Generals

P.S. I’ve realized that the most painful symptom is actually a stuffy nose. QAQ It’s so uncomfortable having to breathe through my mouth; it’s both cold and dry in the middle of winter.