Chapter 6
Chapter 6
It was said that those devoured by tigers would turn into Chang Ghosts, enslaved by the tiger and made to lure other innocent people into becoming food for its jaws.
That was where the phrase “helping the tiger do evil” came from.
“So Wang Dalang and Sanniang’s child was carried off and eaten by the tiger. They may have gone up the mountain to search for the child and died in the tiger’s mouth as well, which is why they turned into Chang Ghosts.”
Qiao Ying sat on the bed in the inn room, her swollen feet soaking in a basin of medicinal water. Looking at the white-haired youth in blue robes not far away, she voiced the guess in her heart.
Shen Qingyu sat in a chair, idly stroking the teacup on the table. With a soft laugh, he said, “Perhaps.”
He was not curious about where others came from, nor was he interested in their helplessness and suffering. Only in the instant he killed someone would he feel the slightest stir of excitement.
Shen Qingyu had brought Qiao Ying to this inn. She had quite a few scrapes on her body, but her feet were injured the worst. The innkeeper was a kindhearted man and had taken out some herbs for bruises and sprains, saying they worked wonders on external injuries.
By rights, a woman was not supposed to remove her shoes and socks in front of a man and reveal her feet. But Shen Qingyu could not see, and more importantly, Qiao Ying had already developed an ominous premonition.
This youth, who did not look dangerous at all, was very much like a venomous snake lying in wait. And for some unknown reason, she had been targeted by him.
Qiao Ying had seen his methods when he killed the Chang Ghosts and the Tiger yaoguai[^1]. She knew full well she was no match for him, so she simply chose to go with the flow. As long as she could keep her life, anything else could be discussed.
In any case, he was probably only temporarily curious about her. Once that curiosity faded, he would surely lose interest.
All Qiao Ying had to do was wait for that day to come.
Curious, she asked, “But they seemed unable to leave the area around the Boundary Stele. Why is that?”
“Someone left behind a trace of Sword Intent that became a barrier. The Yaoguai and ghosts inside can’t get out. Unfortunately, that person was already at the end of their life, so a barrier was all they could leave behind.”
So that was the origin of the mark on the Boundary Stele.
Qiao Ying grew rather nervous. “Are there many monsters and ghosts in this world?”
He smiled. “Yes. Quite a lot.”
Qiao Ying shivered for no reason and rubbed her arms. Those monsters and ghosts usually looked no different from ordinary people. Unless one was a person of extraordinary talents, it truly would be difficult to notice anything amiss.
She looked again at the youth in the candlelight. His hair was as white as snow, and his skin was fair and flawless. If not for his blindness, he would truly be as perfect as a figure carved from jade.
“You discovered long ago that there was something wrong with that household. And you guessed long ago that I would fall into their hands.”
Shen Qingyu nodded frankly. “Yes.”
Most Yaoguai and demons were greedy. Even when they knew there was risk, they were reluctant to let go. To “them,” Qiao Ying was indeed exceptionally delicious.
Qiao Ying lowered her eyes and sighed.
Shen Qingyu asked, “You’re not angry?”
“Why should I be angry?”
“I clearly could have warned you and helped you avoid the danger.”
Qiao Ying said, “But in the end, you still came back to save me, didn’t you?”
The gentle smile at the corners of Shen Qingyu’s lips faded slightly.
Qiao Ying stirred the water in the basin with her feet and went on, “The ones who wanted to kill me weren’t you. We were strangers brought together by chance, neither kin nor friends. Even if you had watched me die, there would have been nothing strange about it. But you came back, and you saved me. I should be grateful to you.”
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.
Shen Qingyu suddenly lost interest. Resting his chin on one hand, the corners of his lips, which always seemed ready to curve upward, lost their light arc. In a flat voice, he said, “How boring.”
[^1]: Yaoguai are supernatural creatures from Chinese folklore, often comparable to demons or monsters.
Qiao Ying glanced at him, then calmly picked up the towel and dried her feet. She moved the basin aside, lay down on the bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and closed her eyes.
Before long, something soft fell across her face, brushing against her skin and making it itch.
Qiao Ying reached out and caught the thing that was moving about. When she opened her eyes again, the face so close to hers startled the breath right out of her, and the lock of white hair caught in her hand felt even more unusual to the touch.
At some point, Shen Qingyu had sat down at the edge of the bed and was leaning over her. His body seemed thin, but compared to her, he was surprisingly tall.
At the very least, when he bent over her, his white hair spilled down like a dense net cast over her, shrouding her whole body along with his shadow. It was like a cage had trapped her in place, giving him an even better chance to study every last detail of her face.
Qiao Ying even had the illusion that he could truly see through the white silk blindfold covering his eyes and look at her face, that his gaze had collided with hers.
Her body went taut, but there was nowhere to hide. “What are you doing?”
“How can you be so at ease?”
Qiao Ying said, “Huh?”
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“I don’t think I can beat you, so even if I’m scared, it won’t do me any good. I might as well stay calm. That way, I’ll feel a little better. Besides…”
He asked, “Besides?”
“Besides, you’re better-looking than those things called Chang Ghost. If I really do get scared, I can just look at your face. At least then I can comfort myself with the thought that dying beneath the peonies makes one a romantic ghost.”
He laughed aloud, his voice clear and bright, as carefree as an ordinary boy of sixteen or seventeen.
Qiao Ying felt his breath. This celestial being, who seemed as cool and pure as jade, had warm breath after all.
He said, “You’re so strange.”
“So you’re even more interested in me now?”
He nodded, a smile rippling across the corners of his lips. “Mm. I’m even more interested in you now.”
“Then it looks like my life is safe for the time being.” Qiao Ying let out a relaxed sigh. “It’s very late. I’m exhausted, and I want to sleep. May I?”
“You may.”
Qiao Ying had thought he would go rest in another room. She had not expected Shen Qingyu to simply lie down on his side beside her.
He propped his head up with one hand. His pale fingers touched a lock of black hair spread across the bed and gently wound it around his fingertip. All the while, he wore a smile, seeming to be in a very pleasant mood.
How had she failed to notice earlier that there seemed to be something a little wrong with him?
Qiao Ying reflected on herself. After realizing she could not come up with an answer, she stopped making things difficult for herself. She gave him half the blanket and covered him with it, lest he fall ill, get into a bad mood, and come looking for trouble with her.
Then she peacefully closed her eyes, and before long, she sank into sleep.
She truly seemed heartless and carefree, her breathing long and even, the space between her brows relaxed. She slept very sweetly.
Shen Qingyu held a lock of her hair and brushed the ends against her face. In her dreams, she impatiently slapped his hand away.
Yet he was not angry at all. A gentle smile bloomed on his lips once more.
“You really are so strange,” he murmured, then called her name. “Qiao Ying.”
Shen Qingyu shifted into another position. Beneath the blanket, he found her hand, just as he had that night when she had held his and led him out of the prison cell. It was rather excessively warm.
He whispered softly by her ear, “Could it be that you’re an idiot?”