Chapter 39: Mask

At this moment, Li Si had also hooked open the blister with the dagger. He turned his head and said to Luo Ye, “Brother Luo, help me find a roll of white cloth strips in the book box, and bring the realgar wine over too.”

“Mm, all right.” Luo Ye answered, then walked to the side of the book box and found the white cloth strips and wine gourd inside.

Then he took out the cloth strips and wine gourd, walked to Li Si’s side, and handed both things to him.

“Many thanks, Brother Luo.” Li Si casually accepted the cloth strips and wine gourd, but at the same time, he grabbed Luo Ye’s hand.

Luo Ye’s expression changed slightly. At this moment, Li Si sighed and said, “Brother Luo, I also know that you and Brother Cao shared deep loyalty, but your wife is still waiting for you at home. When the time comes, you must absolutely not act recklessly.”

As he spoke, he patted Luo Ye’s hand and said with sincere feeling, “You must protect yourself well.”

“Many thanks for Scholar Li’s concern. This Luo will definitely protect himself well.” A moved expression appeared in Luo Ye’s eyes.

Seeing Luo Ye say this, Li Si smiled and nodded, released Luo Ye’s hand, lowered his head, poured realgar wine onto the cloth strip, and after soaking it, wrapped the cloth strip around the wound once. Then he put on his shoes.

“Brother Cao is rather unfortunate.” Li Si sat on the blue stone, looked at the pool in front of him, and sighed.

Seeing him like this, Luo Ye sat down beside him and sighed. “Yes, it is unfortunate. But revenge is something that must be done.”

“Yes. If I were him, I would do the same.” Li Si clearly agreed with Luo Ye’s words and nodded. But then, as if thinking of something, he said, “Then what about a grudge between parents and children? How should that be avenged?”

Luo Ye’s gaze froze, and his breathing caught. He took a deep breath and smiled. “How could there be children in this world who seek revenge against their parents?”

“Oh, is that so?” Li Si nodded, then said, “Then what if the parents want to kill their child?”

Luo Ye’s heart paused. He let out a light breath, then sighed and said, “Then he can only let them kill him. After all, a child’s flesh and blood also come from his parents. If they want to take it, then let them take it.”

“Haha...” Li Si suddenly laughed, then said, “Look at what you are saying. How could there be parents who would want to kill their child? After all, even a vicious tiger does not eat its cubs, and humans would be even less likely to do such a thing.”

Hearing Li Si say this, Luo Ye looked in another direction. Deep in his eyes, a wisp of pale white flame was burning.

“If it is as Brother Luo says, and there really are parents who want to kill their child, then the child about to be killed by his parents would probably be extremely angry inside, hating his parents for wanting to kill him, yet unable to do anything at all. That feeling would never be pleasant.” Li Si looked deeply at the pool in front of him and said in a low voice.

“Naturally, it would not be pleasant.” The pale flame deep in Luo Ye’s eyes grew increasingly blazing.

“If he was so angry at his parents, would he show it?” Li Si continued asking.

“No. If his parents knew, his days afterward would not be easy.” The pale white flame in Luo Ye’s eyes gradually dimmed and returned to normal.

“Yes. He could only keep holding it in, as if wearing a mask.” Li Si sighed, then said, “This is like the fox demon I met in the market. It was also wearing a mask. That fox demon was clearly a beast, yet pretended to look like a human.”

“Oh. Then Scholar Li, are you wearing such a mask?” A pale white flame flashed deep in Luo Ye’s eyes as he asked indifferently.

“Me?” Hearing Luo Ye’s words, Li Si’s expression froze. Then he shook his head and sighed. “Naturally, I am. Sometimes, you also must wear such a mask.”

“Since Scholar Li also wears such a mask, why did you curse that fox demon?” A trace of mockery appeared in Luo Ye’s eyes as he asked Li Si.

“Haha...” Li Si smiled and shook his head helplessly. “I wear this mask only because I want to live normally, while that fox wore a mask because it wanted to become human.”

“So what if it wanted to become human?” Luo Ye continued asking.

“It wanted to become human, but in its bones, it was still a beast!” Li Si laughed and sighed.

“Actually, there is nothing much wrong with a beast wanting to become human. It is just that some people want to become someone else.” Luo Ye seemed to be hinting at something, and the pale white flame deep in his eyes burned once again.

Li Si froze. Then he pondered for a while, nodded, and said seriously, “That is indeed so. When I think of a person disguising himself as someone else, saying someone else’s words, and doing someone else’s things, even imagining it makes me shudder.” As he spoke, his whole body trembled, as if he had truly been frightened by that scene.

Luo Ye’s cheek twitched. Then he lowered his head and looked at his own attire, and the pale flame deep in his eyes became even hotter.

“Scholar Li, your rice is already cooked.” Luo Ye rose, the flames in his eyes already dispersed and returned to normal. He walked to the side of the earthen jar. At this moment, the flames had already gone out.

Li Si turned his head back and saw that the fire in the stove he had built had gone out. He shook his head and said, “The fire is out. It definitely is not cooked. I cannot eat it.”

“Then I will light it for you and cook it a while longer.” Seeing Li Si say this, Luo Ye suggested.

“Forget it. I do not want to eat anymore either.” Li Si shook his head and refused.

“It is not good to waste it either.” Luo Ye advised. Deep in his eyes, flames were already beginning to appear uncontrollably.

Li Si scratched his head and said in distress, “But my cured meat already had bitter mould growing on it. If I eat it, I will definitely get sick.”

“No, you will not. I have eaten this kind of meat before, and nothing happened.” Luo Ye took a deep breath and continued persuading him.

“Then... all right.” Li Si reluctantly agreed.

Luo Ye breathed out and went to pick up branches. Afterward, he continued heating the earthen jar. At this moment, neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere became quiet for a while, and somewhat awkward.

After some time passed, the fragrance of rice mixed with cured meat drifted out of the earthen jar. Luo Ye rose and prepared to take the earthen jar down.

At this moment, Li Si’s voice suddenly came over without warning. “Brother Luo, I feel I still do not want to eat it.”

Luo Ye’s back suddenly froze. He clenched his teeth tightly, and the flames in his eyes were about to break through his eyeballs. A burst of pale flames also emerged from between his teeth, but soon vanished.

“You should still eat it. How can it be all right not to eat?” Luo Ye turned his head and looked at Li Si, his tone somewhat strained.

“No. I feel that there is a problem with what Brother Luo said. Just because you ate it and nothing happened does not mean I can eat it and nothing will happen. What if something happens to me after I eat it? In these deep mountains and old forests, I cannot find a doctor. If I cannot find one...” Li Si said as if it were a serious matter.

“Enough!!!” Luo Ye roared. Then his gaze turned icy as he looked at Li Si, and he said in a hoarse voice, “When did you discover me?”