Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Why be content with living an ordinary, mediocre life?
I never thought about that question.
Because simply being alive was hard enough. Why think about things like that and make life even harder for myself?
On the way to dispose of the bodies, a cool breeze swept over us, refreshing and pleasant.
Scattered starlight and a round, full moon lit the road ahead.
Li Kuo pushed the handcart while I chewed on a sugarcane stalk.
Remembering the scars on his body, I asked casually, “Who beat you?”
Li Kuo froze for a moment before saying flatly, “Some were from my mother when she was having an episode. Some were from my stepmother when she punished me.”
I clicked my tongue. “Then your father really is a piece of work.”
When he heard that, he glanced at me and smiled.
I thought to myself, This kid really is pretty good-looking.
Once he was washed clean and changed into some old clothes, his features looked cool and distant, with a certain charm to them.
Pity. No matter how good he looked, he could only live until tonight.
I had decided that once we reached the charity morgue, I would kill him.
The two of us had nothing else to say, and we made our way toward the charity morgue outside the city.
When we passed the city gate, the guard lifted the straw mat and took a look.
He said in disgust, “Taking death row prisoners to Coroner Lin again?”
I handed the guard my other sugarcane stalk and sighed. “Yeah. Two of them just died in the prison, so I’m taking them to the charity morgue while they’re still fresh.”
The guard waved us on, telling me to hurry up and leave.
No one wanted to get involved with something this unlucky.
Three years ago, I took over this job: hauling death row prisoners who had been tortured to death out to the charity morgue beyond the city.
A few dozen wen per trip. Other people thought it was too little. I didn’t.
A mosquito’s leg was still meat, no matter how skinny it was.
When we arrived at the charity morgue, I carried the corpses inside with practiced ease.
Coroner Lin glanced at the wounds on the bodies and said in dissatisfaction, “Your killing technique has gotten worse!”
I said offhandedly, “I’ll get better with more practice.”
Coroner Lin glanced at Li Kuo and let out a meaningful “oh-ho.” “Brought a live one, did you?”
I cupped my hands to him and said politely, “He’ll be dead in a moment. Sorry to trouble you, but please leave him with an intact corpse.”
Li Kuo stood there, his indifferent eyes fixed on me.
I called to him, “What are you standing around for? Hurry up and pick yourself a bed!”
Li Kuo lowered his eyes. His lashes trembled slightly as he said softly, “You recognized who I was a long time ago.”
Well, well, well.
Shameless little bastard.
He had impersonated that ungrateful, heartless fiancé of mine and swindled me out of eight taels of silver.
I hadn’t even pressed him to pay me back yet, and now he was acting wronged!
Earlier, he had been covered in blood and filth, his hair a tangled mess.
Between his brows and eyes, he really had resembled the Li Kuo in my memory somewhat.
But once he was cleaned up, I could tell with one glance that he was definitely not Li Kuo.
He had to have escaped while using Li Kuo’s identity.
I smiled sweetly at him and said, “Your Highness, your father rebelled, and now you’ve fallen on hard times. I am merely a petty nobody, and I have no desire to get tangled up in the karma of you noble people. If you die here today, my life will be peaceful again.”
This prince’s father truly had no conscience.
He had shed his shell and escaped with his army, leaving this son behind to take the blame.
But Li Kuo looked at me and said calmly, “Zhaoming Saintess, your junior sister is in the capital enjoying wealth and honor under your name, while you live in destitution. I am merely a mortal, and I have no desire to know what schemes you cultivators are plotting. It’s just that today, I don’t want to die. I must trouble you to be accommodating.”
I stopped smiling and rubbed the dagger at my waist.
Li Kuo gave a cool, distant smile and watched me patiently.
Coroner Lin looked at me, then at Li Kuo, and burst into loud laughter. “You wretched girl! So there are times when you trip up too! I’d say the two of you are a match made in heaven, both black-hearted little devils. Why not get married and consummate the marriage right here today? I’ll officiate for you! And look, there are so many guests here to drink the wedding wine. Wonderful, wonderful!”