88 - Little Peasant Wife

She furrowed her brow with distress, still feeling quite inconvenienced. It was simply that Wu Zhiyong's house was too small. This room was originally Wu Zhiyong's, and upon their arrival, they had taken over the young girl Wu Mengqiu's space as well. Qin Yishu, being unwell, naturally needed attendants by her side, but those attendants had nowhere to stay. Stomping her foot in frustration, as Jing Aoxue was passing by the door, she overheard their conversation. Remembering her old courtyard and having a favorable impression of Qin Yishu, she turned back and said, "I have an old house in the village. If General Qin doesn't mind, you could move there." Qin Yishu smiled and said, "Thank you." Gu Baiwei's eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward, saying, "How is your house? Take me to see it." Jing Aoxue originally intended to head home, but a trip wasn't an inconvenience to her. Thus, after seeing Gu Baiwei give some instructions to Qin Yishu, she took Gu Baiwei by carriage to the courtyard at the edge of the village. The courtyard was well-built, spacious inside, and easy to tidy up. Although Gu Baiwei felt the courtyard was still too small, it was the best option available. She smiled, expressed her gratitude, and offered Jing Aoxue a thousand taels of silver to buy the property. Jing Aoxue was surprised. She had long known Gu Baiwei was affluent, but the amount was excessive. Not being in need of money, Jing Aoxue quickly declined, "There's no need. It was just an unused old house. Having you stay there resolves a concern of mine. If you sincerely wish to thank me, perhaps you could give me some rare herbs, so I might prepare medicine for General Qin." Gu Baiwei exclaimed with delight, "Sure! My household never lacks for medicinal herbs. Just wait, I'll have a carriage-full sent from the town tomorrow." A carriage-full... Jing Aoxue pulled at the corners of her mouth, amused by the generosity, thinking: No wonder so many people want to befriend someone with wealth. Being a beneficiary in this situation, she smiled and expressed her thanks. After inspecting the courtyard, she and Gu Baiwei returned by carriage to Wu Zhiyong's place. Gu Baiwei swiftly arranged for the servants to move house. Observing the bustling activity and noting the late hour, she took Liu'er and bid farewell to return home. Chapter Fifty-Four: Soul Possession Upon returning home, Jing Aoxue saw that Shen Lüman was in the main room cutting fabric. On the stool beside her was a set of clothes already sewn, and by the style and design, it was undoubtedly made for her. A warm feeling arose in her heart as she approached Shen Lüman, rubbing her shoulders, "You've worked hard, my dear." Shen Lüman threaded a string, asking, "How are things at Wu Zhiyong’s?" While massaging her, Jing Aoxue replied, "General Qin came to the village, along with that Miss Gu from the Baicao Hall. For Wu Zhiyong’s sake, I checked her pulse and discovered something significant." "Oh?" Shen Lüman asked with curiosity, "What is it?" Jing Aoxue watched as Liuer handed a cup of water to Shen Lüman, then smiled and said, "It's nothing too serious. General Qin has Gu insects in her body. These insects are gathering in her limbs and meridians, draining her energy. If it weren’t for her profound inner strength, she would likely have been killed by now." Shen Lüman sighed in awe, "General Qin is a good person. It's thanks to her that the mundane world has some peace now, guarding the nation against external enemies." After learning of General Qin’s deeds, she felt quite fond of this war goddess and naturally didn't wish for her to suffer such a fate. The current emperor, while not utterly incompetent, listened too much to the treacherous advice of the national teacher. Apart from removing dissidents, he engaged in numerous costly and laborious projects, causing growing discontent among the people. Only because the weather had been favorable could the people still get by. But if things continued like this and natural disasters struck, the country would certainly fall into chaos. Though Shen Lüman lived in a quiet village far from the capital, she knew such upheavals would inevitably affect ordinary folks like her. She frowned, "Since you mentioned it, do you have any way to save her?" Jing Aoxue paused, feeling a bit jealous of her evident concern for General Qin. Sourly, she said, “Why are you so concerned about an outsider, my dear?” Shen Lüman laughed softly, unable to help herself, "I'm not particularly concerned about her—it's the thought of the nation falling into turmoil that concerns me. I feel like the world is becoming increasingly unstable." With a sigh, she added, "If there’s no way to resolve it, let it be. Anyway, there are many countries in this mortal realm. With just the three of us and plenty of money, we can move whenever we want." Hearing her thoughts, Jing Aoxue quickly reassured her, "No need to worry. I'll find a way to help General Qin. She’s wise and ambitious, a victim of the emperor’s cruelty. If given just one more push, she might rise and take control. She's no ordinary person, and helping her would be a good-spirited endeavor." What she didn’t say was her admiration for Qin Yishu's character. Sitting beside Shen Lüman, she inquired, “I heard General Qin mention the insect in her meridians is called the Heart-Locking Gu. I vaguely recall the name but can’t remember where I heard it. Do you know anything about it?” Shen Lüman furrowed her brow in thought; wasn’t the Heart-Locking Gu something used by demonic cultivators? Once upon a time, several genius disciples of the cultivation world fell unexpectedly or became useless due to accidents. Initially, these events only drew brief sympathy from the public without much resolution. That was until the issue involved the Canghan Immortal City, one of the top ten immortal cities in the cultivation world. The young city lord, son of a formidable Nascent Soul stage cultivator, met with misfortune, causing his overprotective and imperious father to react with intense anger. In his outrage, he uprooted countless implicated cultivators within the city after unraveling the demonic cultivator’s plot, eradicating a budding demonic sect. That’s when the cultivation community learned about the demonic cultivators' conspiracy, leading to a series of campaigns against them. This resulted in a war between good and evil, which only paused when the beast tide from the Monster Forest forced a temporary truce between the two sides. Though hostilities ceased, tensions deepened. Subsequent investigations revealed that the Heart-Locking Gu had sabotaged not only talents from righteous sects but also those from demonic sects through even more insidious means. However, as is the norm in demonic cultivation, strength is paramount, and failure to protect oneself is tantamount to forfeiting one's life. Thus, instead of widespread chaos, these methods only caused minor disturbances among demonic circles. Not until the demonic sect’s elders executed all involved did the matter close, with the Heart-Locking Gu affair shelved. As a result, few in the cultivation world know about it today. Jing Aoxue recalled her grandfather, a knowledgeable patriarch, initially suspecting the presence of Heart-Locking Gu when she emerged from a secret realm. He believed the Jing family, a mid-tier cultivation family, could resolve such an issue. Later, it turned out not to be the case, as Jing Aoxue's spiritual roots were scorched by a strange fire... Shen Lüman knew about this because, within the demon race, matters taboo among humans were often openly discussed. After all, humans and demons took different paths. Whereas demonic and righteous cultivators might cooperate for mutual benefit, humans and demons remained in eternal opposition. The demon world and the cultivation world were separated by the vast Monster Forest, which erupted every fifty years, leading swarms of beasts invading cultivation lands, seizing resources, and causing havoc. This invasion also presented opportunities for the cultivation world, given that high-level beasts were treasure troves. Their blood could inscribe talismans, bones could forge artifacts, and even their fur could weave magic tools. Being of mixed blood, Shen Lüman had faced discrimination in her tribe. If not for her father’s high status, she would never have survived, let alone have been tutored by the priest. Recalling her past, Shen Lüman's eyes fell into a hollow trance. Jing Aoxue exchanged a glance with Liuer, who leaned on Shen Lüman’s leg, "Mother." Shen Lüman returned to her senses, smoothing Liuer’s hair, reflecting on the words of the Baima Priest. He had foretold Liuer’s destiny as a representative of humanity to marry the demon king of the demon race, the Phoenix. Even as a mixed race, in the face of the Phoenix’s noble lineage, Liuer would have to bow. The demon race is proud, and even more so... Shen Lüman dismissed the thought. Prophecies aren’t always accurate; hadn't the Baima Priest previously declared Jing Aoxue had an early fatality, expected to die over a month ago? Yet now, Jing Aoxue was vibrant as ever, even turning over a new leaf... Wait! A dangerous idea rushed into Shen Lüman’s mind. Typically, a cultivator, upon enduring immense hardship, might attain enlightenment, dramatically altering their personality. Centuries ago, a Nascent Soul powerhouse underwent such a change after a personal disaster, plunging into demonhood and becoming an enemy of orthodox cultivators, ruthlessly slaying many. She always assumed this was Jing Aoxue’s case but overlooked another possibility. A cultivator’s personality might radically shift after another kind of event, manifesting new abilities, seeming like a completely different person. This possibility is known as—soul possession. Swallowing hard, Shen Lüman found it darkly ironic; how could someone as stubborn as Jing Aoxue suddenly reform after a mere beating? Why hadn’t she considered earlier that a more powerful cultivator could have seized Aoxue’s body during her weakness, blending with her memories, and thus seamlessly transforming into another person? Such instances were not unheard of. But... Silently upset, Shen Lüman maintained an unreadable expression, her gaze fixed on Jing Aoxue, trying to perceive the person beneath the exterior. Unaware of what was going on, Jing Aoxue suddenly found herself the focus of an intense, scrutinizing stare, making her skin crawl, "Darling, if you can’t remember, it's fine. Why are you staring at me like that? It's scary." Lowering her gaze, Shen Lüman responded, “It’s nothing.” Perhaps she was mistaken. If someone had truly possessed Jing Aoxue, possessing such prowess, why remain here? It would have been easier to leave her and Liuer, two burdens, behind. Her mind in turmoil, with Liuer now tugging on her, "Mom, I’m hungry." Shen Lüman looked up at the darkening sky above the courtyard; it was time to prepare dinner. Desiring not to ponder further, knowing no immediate answer could be found, she opted to bide her time until a solution presented itself.