Evil Spirit - chapter 11

Chapter 11

After reapplying medicine to Duan Qinglian, Li Jiaojiao picked a light gauze scarf from her bundle and wrapped it around her neck to cover the marks, then hurried off with Duan Qinglian to meet Shen Yunlan.

Duan Qinglian was born with a pleasing appearance, his brows and eyes always carrying a hint of fragility that evoked pity. He smiled often, a faint smile lingering at the corners of his lips at all times, making him seem harmless and endearing.

Li Jiaojiao had never been fond of his innocent look, but now it was proving very useful.

His appearance instantly lowered Fang Zhiyi’s guard by several degrees, and with the shopkeeper adding fuel to the fire with his embellishments, even Li Jiaojiao almost believed the person before her was truly compassionate and merciful, a lotus blooming in his heart.

Fortunately, the shopkeeper’s timely assistance helped, and Shen Yunlan reluctantly agreed to let Duan Qinglian travel with them.

But someone else did not agree.

“No, Jiaojiao, you must hurry back to the Capital. I will go to the Nine Paths Sect and ask Immortal Qianyu to come down the mountain to detoxify you.”

Fang Zhiyi, after much deliberation, refused Li Jiaojiao’s request to travel together.

“Why?!” Li Jiaojiao slapped the table and shouted.

“Don’t you know yourself? You’re just doing this on a whim for fun. You’re used to sleeping on silk quilts in the Junwang Mansion and eating delicacies in the Capital. How could you possibly endure the hardships of travel?”

Having grown up with Li Jiaojiao, how could Fang Zhiyi not know the temperament of this spoiled Junzhu? She had always been pampered. Now, with poison in her body, sending her back to the Capital at least meant she could find rare medicines to sustain her life. If something happened to her on the road, his father would skin him alive.

“But aren’t I sleeping on ordinary bedding and eating plain food right now?”

Li Jiaojiao’s cheeks flushed red, and after retorting, she turned to the shopkeeper and said, “Of course, Shopkeeper, I’m not saying your things aren’t good.”

Now that the shopkeeper knew the young lady before him was the only daughter of Duanhua Junwang from the Capital, he became even more respectful, only able to offer an awkward smile.

“Then what about the poison in your body? If it acts up on the road, do you know the consequences?”

“And if it acts up in the Capital, are there no consequences then?”

The two of them argued back and forth for quite a while.

The shopkeeper took the opportunity to slip away to the backyard and hide.

Shen Yunlan was getting a headache from their quarrel.

Duan Qinglian, with his own single-player buff, ignored everyone and started playing with his Sword Line again.

In the end, Li Jiaojiao argued until her mouth was dry, then pulled Fang Zhiyi aside to whisper.

“Do you really want me to go back to the Capital?” Li Jiaojiao lowered her voice.

Fang Zhiyi thought she was finally relenting and continued to persuade her earnestly: “Jiaojiao, you must understand, you are a Junzhu…”

“Then I’ll drag you back to the Capital with me.” Li Jiaojiao pouted. “If you refuse, I’ll ask Uncle Fang to drag you back himself.”

Sure enough, Fang Zhiyi’s expression turned awkward.

Glancing at Shen Yunlan, who was sitting upright in the hall, Li Jiaojiao continued, feigning reluctance: “Those Living Dead are very troublesome. Maybe this time Yunlan Sister will need a long time before she can return to the Capital-perhaps half a year, maybe a year?”

Li Jiaojiao had learned from Shen Yunlan that her purpose for this trip was not only to find her, but also to track down those Living Dead who abducted people to raise flowers.

This move hit Fang Zhiyi’s soft spot directly.

Fang Zhiyi was a hopeless romantic, as the original text made clear.

He gave up being a perfectly good Young General just to work as a menial in the Capital Guard Department for Shen Yunlan. Every time Fang Zhiyi’s father came to the Junwang Mansion to visit Duanhua Junwang, he would always complain during idle chat: “That rascal gave up being a perfectly good Young General just to be a security guard!”

The reason was that the Capital Guard Department was only a street away from the Yin-Yang Department.

Fang Zhiyi had fallen for Shen Yunlan when he was eight years old. Back then, he was mischievous, and the Yin-Yang Department had just been built. Out of curiosity, he climbed onto the wall of the Yin-Yang Department and saw Shen Yunlan practicing swordplay inside.

Love at first sight, infatuation at the second, and by the third meeting, he had pledged his life.
Of course, this was entirely one-sided on Fang Zhiyi’s part.

Although Shen Yunlan was a woman, her heart was wholly devoted to safeguarding Dawu’s peace and prosperity, so Fang Zhiyi’s subtle pursuit left her completely unmoved.

Then, his mischievous friends-who had read too many storybooks-gave him an even more wicked idea: make Shen Yunlan jealous.

The intention was good, but when Fang Zhiyi paraded around in front of Shen Yunlan with all sorts of beautiful girls on his arm, all he got in return was a roll of her eyes. What’s more, he earned himself the nickname “Capital Libertine,” which led to another beating from his father.

Li Jiaojiao knew that as long as Shen Yunlan was mentioned, Fang Zhiyi would be firmly under her control.

Sure enough, Fang Zhiyi compromised in the end.

In high spirits, Li Jiaojiao hummed a tune inside the carriage while Fang Zhiyi drove from outside.

The other three sat upright in the carriage, perhaps feeling a bit awkward, so Shen Yunlan eventually stepped outside to join Fang Zhiyi in driving the carriage.

Not long after Shen Yunlan left, something unfortunate happened in the midst of their joy.

Li Jiaojiao lowered the curtain, pulled her head back from the window, her brows drooping: “Ah Qing, I think the poison is acting up.”

This time, Li Jiaojiao wasn’t sure if she was lucky or not. There wasn’t the terrifying pain she’d imagined-just an overwhelming heat, as if a blazing fire was burning in her belly.

“Does it hurt?” Duan Qinglian asked.

“No, but it’s so hot.” Li Jiaojiao tugged at her collar.

“Is that so.”

Li Jiaojiao gritted her teeth, wishing she could land a punch on his regretful face, but the heat was simply unbearable.

Suddenly, she realized that being close to Duan Qinglian eased the heat a little-just a little.

She didn’t hold back; after all, she’d hugged him before, so she simply dove straight into his arms.

Sure enough, she felt much better.

Duan Qinglian’s body was cool, his palms almost devoid of warmth, his skin soft and smooth-he was like a perfect block of cooling ice.

But unlike ice, which melts when held too long, his body grew warm the longer she clung to him.

The heat rising from her belly grew more and more intense. Li Jiaojiao felt as if she was about to combust, sweat pouring from every inch of her skin, soaking her clothes. She needed more things to cool her down.

She rubbed against Duan Qinglian, trying to absorb as much coolness as she could.

“Feeling better?” a hazy voice sounded in her ear.

Li Jiaojiao struggled to open her eyes, and above her gaze was a blurry, smiling face.

“So uncomfortable…”

Shen Yunlan was attentive; hearing the rustling inside the carriage, she grew worried.

After a moment’s thought, she turned and lifted the curtain, and the scene before her stunned her.

Inside, the two were in disheveled clothing. The young Princess lay in the Evil Spirit’s arms, her gauzy skirt pulled up to her knees, revealing slender legs, her lotus-like arms tightly wrapped around his waist.

His collar was already rumpled from her rubbing, his thin clothes loose and hanging, exposing large swathes of fair skin, dotted with red marks-apparently the result of the young Princess’s restless movements.

The Evil Spirit did not resist, holding the young Princess by the shoulders, his jade-like proud face calm, his clear, ethereal eyes meeting Shen Yunlan’s gaze.

“Sorry to interrupt.”

Shen Yunlan quickly dropped the curtain and turned to sit down.

“What’s wrong?” Fang Zhiyi, holding the reins, noticed Shen Yunlan’s discomfort and asked.

At his question, a rare blush appeared on her usually cool face. She replied coldly, “Don’t ask.”

“Did something happen to Jiaojiao?” Fang Zhiyi grew more puzzled, preparing to turn and lift the curtain.

But Shen Yunlan stopped him at once: “Don’t look!”

Her raised voice startled Fang Zhiyi. Ever since he’d known Shen Yunlan, she’d always been calm and composed-he’d never seen her so flustered.

Though curious, Fang Zhiyi refrained from touching the curtain behind him.