Two incidents occurred in Jiangzhou, causing widespread street talk and alley gossip.
First, the eldest grandson of the Prefect of Jiangzhou jumped into Lake Taiye at his birthday banquet. Second, also at the birthday banquet, the son of the Magistrate of Yushan County fainted and fell into a coma, running a high fever that wouldn’t subside.
Rumors had it that someone present revealed the Prefect of Jiangzhou’s eldest grandson jumped into the lake from the cabin of the Magistrate of Yushan County’s son. At the time, only the two of them were in the cabin, which is precisely why it led to speculation about whether a rift had occurred between them.
Whether Lin Zhixue attempted suicide on impulse or fell into the lake due to a dispute, outsiders could not know the specifics.
However, it was indeed true that the Magistrate of Yushan County’s son fainted on the spot and, after returning home, ran a high fever that wouldn’t subside.
It was heard that the Magistrate of Yushan County invited all the famous doctors in Jiangzhou. The patient remained feverish and unconscious, and for two consecutive days, the entire Xin residence was filled with the bitter scent of medicine.
Hen Zhen, who was involved in both incidents, knew best.
He really was a bastard.
Firstly, Hen Zhen hadn’t expected Xin Hexue to still be afraid of snakes even after reincarnation. Secondly, in his urgency at the time, he didn’t realize that he had possessed a silver-bellied water snake.
Like a house-bound spirit, he stayed by Xin Hexue’s side in the bedroom.
He had considered using some healing arts, but unfortunately, he was a great demon. This was like a pest trying to learn pollination from a beneficial insect…completely impossible.
Frustrated, Hen Zhen pondered and recalled a method to extract the illness threads by taking it upon oneself.
But unfortunately, it was useless.
Remembering Lord Bodhi’s instructions before departure, he figured since he couldn’t even show his true face before Xin Hexue, let alone such spells, it was within reason that it wouldn’t work.
“Little fish,” Hen Zhen sighed deeply, “Get well quickly.”
Two maidservants entered with medicinal soup. Hen Zhen immediately transformed into a shadow under the bed, invisible to others.
“Young Master, Young Master.”
The maidservant gently patted beside the pillow, but the person on the bed remained unresponsive, eyes tightly closed.
Xin Hexue was indeed severely ill.
The night wind and dew in August were cold. Doors and windows were tightly closed, forming an almost sealed space inside. The patient was covered with a quilt below the chest, his white undergarment revealing his neck. A few candle flames revealed that the inside of his jade-white neck was already damp with sweat, reflecting the candlelight like glowing pearl radiance.
Moreover, with the high fever, his face was flushed crimson, and damp hair clung to his temples. His tightly closed eyelids made his eyelashes stick together, and he looked very pitiful.
The maidservant couldn’t bear it either, and her eyes reddened. She used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from the patient’s temples and neck. “Young Master, wake up and drink some medicine. The master is very distressed, he won’t eat or drink…”
The young master remained unresponsive, and the maidservant wept softly, “Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva, protect him, ensure the young master’s safety and well-being, good people have heaven’s blessings.”
But the Bodhisattva is the one lying sick on the bed.
Hen Zhen frowned tightly.
One maidservant supported the back of Xin Hexue’s neck while the other slowly spoon-fed him. Fortunately, although Xin Hexue was half unconscious, he still had the instinct to swallow. This way, they managed to feed him half a bowl of medicinal soup.
After the two maidservants left, the shadow on the ground extended from under the bed, forming a tall, strong adult male figure, standing upright.
Hen Zhen sneered, took the handkerchief the maidservant had left by the pillow moments ago, discarded it on the ground, and stomped on it a few times.
Was it really convulsions and high fever from fear?
A flicker of doubt passed through Hen Zhen’s mind. He heard the maidservants and servants chatting in the courtyard outside. It turned out the Magistrate of Yushan County had gone to Bixia Mountain outside the southern city to seek immortals, and brought back several black cats from the temple to expel evil.
What use was seeking this?
Hen Zhen sneered. Where could there be real immortals in the world?
Sure enough, there were cat cries in the courtyard, one after another.
In the later part of the night, Xin Hexue’s consciousness indeed awoke. He mumbled, “Water… water…”
The attendant keeping watch outside the inner chamber door was dozing off, and didn’t hear the movement.
Hen Zhen used a minor art to make the attending servant fall completely asleep, then took a white porcelain cup to feed Xin Hexue water.
The fever-flushed lips received sweet dew. The Adam’s apple below moved as he swallowed, and the plain water was drunk down.
It was actually Ganoderma water that Hen Zhen had obtained by capturing a Ganoderma spirit outside and forcing it to offer up the water.
Even so, there was no guarantee the medicine would cure the disease immediately.
After drinking the water, Xin Hexue opened his eyes, half-unconscious, half-awake. Before his eyes was actually a shadowy figure with no facial features. He mumbled in a daze, “There’s a ghost, there’s a ghost…”
Hen Zhen looked around. “There’s no ghost.”
He realized, “Good boy, it’s not a ghost, it’s your husband.”
Hen Zhen earnestly tried to teach him. “It’s your husband, husband…”
As soon as he lowered his head, the patient clawed at his face.
The patient was irritated with his noise and slapped his face.
He received it and laughed with delight: “Your slap is excellent.”
‘My wife is good at slapping.’
‘Sure enough, whether in this life or the next, he always loves me so much.’
Hen Zhen chuckled softly, rubbing the lingering warmth on his face.
…….
The next morning, when the Magistrate of Yushan County entered the room to visit his beloved son, Xin Hexue woke up.
The Magistrate of Yushan County was a tall, portly man with an amiable, prosperous appearance. Seeing his beloved son awake, he wept with joy. “The people at Bixia Temple were indeed right, right… Didn’t you just wake up?!”
“Father…”
Xin Hexue sat up and held his forehead. The high fever had already subsided and his eyes were much clearer. He took the water cup, and moistened his dry throat. “Father, you went to Bixia Temple? It’s not a big deal, just a fever. There’s no need to seek gods and Buddhas.”
His son was a jade, his wife died early, and he never remarried afterward. He treasured his only son like the apple of his eye. The apple of his eye fell ill, how could he not worry?
“Following the words of the people at Bixia Temple, I brought back three black cats from Bixia Temple. Also, at the second watch, I bowed three times toward the southeast, and didn’t you just wake up?” The Magistrate of Yushan County was overflowing with joy, and he explained why he did all that. “You’ve never had such a serious illness before, only this year. First, there was the fire at the school, and now you fainted by Lake Taiye… It’s the year of your coming of age at 20, I don’t know which aspect conflicts…”
The more he spoke, the more worried and anxious he became.
The Magistrate of Yushan County said to the attendant beside him, “What are you standing here for? Quickly go fetch things for your master to wash up, and tell the kitchen to prepare some stomach-nourishing congee.”
Two or three attendants retreated, and the Magistrate of Yushan County held Xin Hexue’s hand. “My son, don’t worry. Even if the sky falls, your father will handle it for you. Don’t be afraid.”
Father and son chatted warmly for a while. Afraid of delaying Xin Hexue’s rest, and with official duties also requiring attendance, the Magistrate of Yushan County left.
Having just recovered from a serious illness, Xin Hexue drank two bowls of congee. He originally wanted to take a walk in the courtyard, but the maidservant dissuaded him. “Young Master, you just recovered from illness, you must not be exposed to wind. It’s better if you go back inside quickly. If the master returns…”
Xin Hexue always avoided putting subordinates in difficult positions.
His body indeed hadn’t fully recovered yet, and his steps still felt somewhat unsteady.
Back in his room, he could only read to relieve boredom.
As the son of an official, he studied at the state school, and was originally a government student. Unlike sons of other commoners, he didn’t have to take the prefectural exam. He could go to the capital in winter to participate in the Ministry of Rites examination.
Xin Hexue propped his chin with one hand, lazily rolling a volume of travelogue with the other.
Now he felt really lazy. He felt he should stretch in the sunlight to drive away the illness energy.
He stretched his spine upward, his shoulder blades spreading back, and squinted his eyes. When he opened them again, he suddenly froze…
A cluster of crystal clear, snow-white lotuses had appeared on the red sandalwood table.
The shadow rising from the ground transformed into human form, awakening his memories from last night. His pupils instantly contracted. “Who are you?!”
The shadow was taller than an ordinary adult man, leaning lazily against the table with a casual posture. Though the face had no features, Xin Hexue could guess the other party was probably smiling.
Indeed, Hen Zhen said with a smile, “Don’t you like the flowers, Qingqing?”
Whether in his previous life or now, Hen Zhen had never truly pursued anyone. He roughly knew the process of betrothal and marriage, but his first real face-to-face meeting with Xin Hexue had been in bed.
On Du Zhi’s bed, using Du Zhi’s body, he licked Xin Hexue until he couldn’t stop flowing.
Hen Zhen absolutely had no such thoughts in this life. Before, it was because his physical body was locked in the Anning Tower and he had no other choice but to borrow another’s body.
Although he was an evil demon and acted on instinct, he was now also tainted with the karmic concept of”consequences” from the human world.
In this life, he wanted to make Xin Hexue truly fall in love with him properly.
Since that’s the case, he would follow mortal methods.
He picked thousand-year snow lotuses from the peak of Kunlun Mountain…wasn’t that sincere?
Xin Hexue retreated away from him, frowning tightly. “Are you human or ghost?”
How could a human have no facial features?
Xin Hexue: “Are you the ghost from last night?”
Before Xin Hexue recalled all his memories, Hen Zhen couldn’t show his true face to him, nor could he inform him of past events, for fear that the law of karma would harm Xin Hexue.
Thus, unwilling to adopt a false face and unwilling to borrow another man’s body, he had no choice but to use this shadowy appearance.
Hen Zhen stepped forward. Horrified, Xin Hexue immediately threw the book in his hand, hitting him hard.
The effect was negligible.
He was merely the son of a county magistrate, a weak scholar with no strength to even bind a chicken. He cried out for help, “There’s a ghost! There’s a ghost!”
Hen Zhen smiled. “Young Master, didn’t the books of sages mention that ghosts have boundary-setting methods? Your cries for help are useless; they can’t hear. Of course, you could smash the window and call them. I won’t harm you. As for them…”
He had tried to suppress his evil nature, but unfortunately, changing one’s nature is harder than moving mountains.
Seeing that he showed no intention of taking his life, Xin Hexue calmed himself down and tentatively tried to communicate with him. “Who are you exactly? If you are a ghost, why are you in the human world? As long as you don’t harm me, I will try my best to fulfill whatever requests you have.”
A ghost drifting in the human world must have a reason.
“Me?” Hen Zhen couldn’t reveal his real name, so he blurted out, “Who am I? I am your watchdog, your horse, your donkey, your husband.”
‘What nonsense is this?’
He didn’t keep so many livestock.
Xin Hexue made sure to maintain his distance from him. “I am not married, let alone have a fiance. In the sea of karma, life is full of twists and turns, and all grudges and favors have their place. You’ve found the wrong person. Please leave.”
“Not married, and also no fiance?” Hen Zhen leaned back, a wave of joy spreading in his heart. “What Young Master says makes sense. Entanglements of love and hate must ultimately face the rightful person. It’s right that you have no husband, and there’s no need to seek one. Your husband has already arrived.”
