CH 9

Chapter 9: I’ve Spent A Hundred Taels Of Gold On You, But I Can’t Even Get A Kiss?

After hearing the words of the confused Qi Ci, Bian Zhonghua showed a more surprised and exaggerated expression than Qi Ci, cried a ‘hey!’, and said: “I’ve spent a hundred taels of gold on you, but I can’t even get a kiss?”

Qi Ci was stupefied, always feeling that something was wrong: “……No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“It’s just…. just….”

Qi Ci’s words stumbled for a long time, but in the end he couldn’t come out from Bian Zhonghua’s words. As he saw that there were several people coming to ask for the detoxification of the Gu worm, Bian Zhonghua greeted them with a smiling face, and one by one, he painted them a yellow talisman.

Qi Ci was speechless, so he simply stayed quiet for a while, sitting on a small wooden stool on the side with one hand holding his face, as he watched Bian Zhonghua hand over the talismans.

That night, in the brothel, before he fainted, he clearly heard Lord Qian call Bian Zhonghua a Demon Slayer.

Qi Ci knew what a Demon Slayer was.

The Demon Slayers were part of the Secret Servants, an organization set up by the Imperial Court in order to stop the most vicious creatures from harming the world, that traveled in all directions, eliminating monsters to keep the peace.

The Demon Slayers, who frightened the Monsters the most, were a legend that stood above everyone, a figure that only appeared in folklore and stories.

However, the Demon Slayers were too mysterious, and even though Qi Ci didn’t know whether Lord Qian recognized the wrong person that night, he was 100% sure that even if Bian Zhonghua wasn’t a Demon Slayer, he must be a Secret Servant.

He couldn’t afford to climb up high1.

After all, Bian Zhonghua and him were still strangers to each other.

At first, he was just a poor boy who had no father or mother, someone who had all of his belongings stolen from him. Someone who was supposed to get beaten and scolded in the brothel, humiliated and ridiculed by others. But now, he was merely a poor boy with a single copper coin.

And that single copper coin was given to him by Bian Zhonghua.

What a tragedy.

What a misery.

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard, and Qi Ci abruptly looked up. Sure enough, he saw the male prostitute that had mercilessly pushed him down the willow tree that night.

The young man lowered his head and didn’t see Qi Ci sitting behind Bian Zhonghua. As he took the yellow talisman handed over by Bian Zhonghua, he weakly asked: “This talisman…. can really…. really…. can really get rid of the Gu worm?”

Bian Zhonghua replied. “Don’t worry, it certainly will.”

The young man nodded, picked up the talisman, and was ready to go. However, as soon as he raised his eyes, his gaze collided with Qi Ci who was behind Bian Zhonghua. The young man suddenly showed an expression of fear and confusion, and without saying a word, he turned around and ran away.

Bian Zhonghua looked at the expressionless Qi Ci standing behind him, and asked: “What’s the issue between you two?”

Qi Ci said lightly: “It’s nothing, a trivial matter. He just pushed me down from the willow tree. Oh! And the dislocated wrist you cured this morning was caused by that fall.”

Bian Zhonghua uttered a curse. Immediately after, he recited an incantation and the dagger in his bosom turned into a silver mist, flowing away right after. At that moment, the young man who had run quite a distance suddenly rose into the air, causing a burst of shouting and screaming from the passers-by around him.

“How high?” Bian Zhonghua asked Qi Ci with a smile, his tone of voice was filled with playful amusement.

“What, what?” Qi Ci looked at the struggling young man hanging mid-air, unable to understand what Bian Zhonghua was talking about for a moment.

“How high was the tree?”

“How, how high? The tree?”

“Yes, how tall the tree was?”

“I don’t remember. I, well, it seems to be as high as the tree close to him, maybe?”

Bian Zhonghua nodded, and the young man suddenly soared up to the top of the tree. He struggled and screamed, but then he fell down violently, landing on his right arm. Although the fall wasn’t light, the young man seemed to realize something, said nothing after getting up, and ran away in a hurry.

Qi Ci was stunned for a long time, and then said to Bian Zhonghua: “Thank….. I…Thank you….”

Bian Zhonghua didn’t say much, he just turned his head and smiled at Qi Ci.

Later on, whether sleeping in a shabby straw hut or a sandalwood bed, Qi Ci would always dream of this smile.

The sky seemed white when the sun rose, and when the willows bloomed in spring, a great dream slowly faded away.