Evil Spirit - chapter 14

Chapter 14

Dark alley.

A dozen burly men, their faces covered with cloth and twin blades strapped to their backs, blocked both exits so tightly that not even a bird could escape.

Their outfits were identical: tight clothing, bracers, a rough cowhide back guard on top, and on the back of each man’s hand, a dark crescent tattoo.

In the center of the alley, a man in white stood tall and straight.

He listened to the raucous sounds from outside the alley, murmuring to himself, “She should have come back by now.”

If she returned and didn’t see him, she would surely blow up again.

The round cheeks of a girl appeared vividly before his eyes. Duan Qinglian’s lips unconsciously curved up, his eyes filled with ease.

However you think of it, she’s really very cute.

The assassins looked at each other-in their experience, it was the first time anyone smiled so warmly under their blades.

“You are truly patient, having followed me all this way. If it were me, I’d have lost patience and made a move long ago.”

The sound of blades being drawn snapped Duan Qinglian back to himself. He lowered his lashes, his gaze as gentle as willow leaves in the smoky haze of March, looking exceedingly kind.

These assassins had been tailing him in secret ever since he left Guilin Town, following all the way into Qingyang City.

Though he didn’t know their intentions, it would suffice just to kill them.

“If she looks for me too long, she’ll get angry. You’d best all come at once.”

Just as he was about to make a move, the indistinct words the girl had murmured last night echoed in his ears.

“You must be a good person…”

He sighed and withdrew a section of the Sword Line hidden in his sleeve.

“Are you good people?”

…

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a man in snow-white robes walked out of the alley.

Both his sleeve and shoes were flecked with dots of red, yet it didn’t diminish his gentle, warm smile.

After leaving the alley, he followed the road to the right all the way to the end, but could not find the noodle shop he’d visited earlier.

He was lost.

Only then did he realize it, the corners of his upturned eyes drooping a little.

It seemed that anger was inevitable this time. Although he didn’t dislike her being angry-he actually found her flustered appearance quite cute-he liked even more her eyes full of hope and delight.

He changed direction and continued searching for that noodle shop.

Searching and pausing, pausing and searching, in the end Duan Qinglian was stopped at the foot of a tall building.

“Young master, where are you going?”

A woman wrapped in thin gauze leaned against a thick wooden pillar, her waist slender and soft, her voice alluring.

Above her head hung a wooden plaque-Fengyue Tower.

“I’m looking for a noodle shop. Do you know where it is?”

The young master before her had jade-like features and a smile as gentle as the spring breeze. The woman was naturally happy to give directions: “There are many noodle shops in Qingyang. Which one are you searching for?”

He lowered his gaze and thought for a moment. “The one with chili oil.”

This reply made the woman burst into laughter. “Every noodle shop in Qingyang has chili oil. If you search like that, it’ll take you days.”

“Is that so.”

His tone carried disappointment, his clear eyes tinged with a faint mist, looking particularly pitiable.

“If young master wants noodles, we have them here at Fengyue Tower too.” The woman lifted the gauze at her elbow to cover her lips. “Besides, we’re much more interesting than a noodle shop.”

“By ‘interesting,’ do you mean this?” The man in white looked through the wide open door into the main hall.

The woman turned. Inside, music and dance filled the air. Colorful gauze was wrapped around the waists of various women-her sisters-who laughed and joked with guests who had come seeking pleasure.

His gaze fell on one woman, who was nestled in a guest’s arms, her slender hand tracing his features, her red lips pressing down in a gentle kiss. Both looked intoxicated.

“That’s Yan’er’s lover. Yan’er likes him, her heart is all his.” The woman looked away from the hall, seeming rather dissatisfied with what she saw.

Though they sold their bodies, very few were willing to kiss a guest-doing so was like handing over their heart, and this was something women of the dust most avoided.

“Is kissing the same as liking?”

“I suppose so.” The woman found it amusing. It was the first time someone had asked her such a question. This young master, with such looks, turned out to be such an innocent type.

She grew more and more interested, and was about to go down the steps to greet him-who was still lingering outside-when a crisp girl’s voice rang out.

“Duan Qinglian!”

The girl’s face was full of anger, and she was holding a handful of half-melted crushed ice.

Duan Qinglian turned, his lips curving up.

“Why are you running around? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you!?”

Upon seeing Duan Qinglian, Li Jiaojiao somewhat roughly pressed the crushed ice to his lips. “Hold it yourself.”

Duan Qinglian obediently held the ice against his lips.

The woman instantly saw what was going on and retreated.

The girl seemed still angry, but the man in white kept his head lowered and smiled, appearing extremely mild-tempered. This look immediately smothered half of the girl’s anger, so she awkwardly tugged the white-robed young man away.

By the time they returned to the inn, the sun was nearly setting.

After instructing Duan Qinglian with a few words, Li Jiaojiao went back to her own room to catch up on some sleep-she hadn’t slept well the night before when her poisoning flared up.

When she woke, her room had already sunk into total darkness.

She left her room and went to the counter to inquire. The other two rooms she had booked were still unoccupied, meaning Shen Yunlan and Fang Zhiyi had yet to return.

“And the man in white who came with me?”

The innkeeper scratched his head, thinking for a moment.

That white-robed young master was strikingly handsome-he couldn’t help but take a few more glances-so he quickly recalled: “That young master went out some time ago and hasn’t come back yet.”

Duan Qinglian had disappeared yet again.

“Did he say anything?” Li Jiaojiao was a little helpless.

“He didn’t say much, only asked me where the highest place in Qingyang was,” the innkeeper replied.

“Where is that?”

“Stork Tower.”

…

By the time Li Jiaojiao climbed to the top of the highest building in Qingyang City, she was already gasping for breath from exhaustion.

Stork Tower was indeed tall-high enough to overlook all of Qingyang City. Duan Qinglian was sitting on the balustrade of the rooftop, his head leaning against a vermilion wooden pillar.
The spring winds came frequently, tossing his loose black hair and robe sleeves. His figure was slender, swaying precariously in the wind.

Especially his billowing sleeves, which made Li Jiaojiao’s heart race with fear. “Ah Qing, come down quickly!”

“You’re here.” Duan Qinglian turned his head, his smile gentle, like the white epiphyllum blooming in the spring breeze.

For a moment, Li Jiaojiao truly felt he might turn into a spring blossom and be blown away by the wind.

“Do you want to join me?”

Li Jiaojiao was speechless. His talent for filtering words was growing more refined by the day.

“No!”

“Why?” Duan Qinglian tilted his head, the Sword Line trailing from his sleeve, tangling with his black hair.

She felt a headache coming on. After coaxing him down, she’d have to untangle his hair.

“Did you forget what happened last time on the back mountain of Guilin Town? You almost killed me! I don’t want to die!”

No kidding, last time in Guilin Town, the System had a rare moment of conscience and conjured a lake, saving her life. But now, this was Qingyang City-how could a lake suddenly appear in the middle of the street?

“I’ve seen a cat jump down from a rooftop. It didn’t die.” Duan Qinglian pursed his lips, his gaze unfocused, as if recalling the sight of the cat leaping from a tall building.

“I’m not a cat!”

Li Jiaojiao touched her rapidly beating heart. She felt she needed to ask the System for a Quick-Acting Heart-Saving Pill before communicating with Duan Qinglian.

Duan Qinglian didn’t reply. He leaned his head against a wooden pillar, the colorful lanterns hanging under the eaves casting a faint glow as his lashes flickered.

Indeed, having a handsome face was useful. Most of Li Jiaojiao’s anger dissipated, and she wasn’t as mad anymore.

“It’s late. Come down, we should return to the inn.”

“You seem very eager for me to come down?”

Li Jiaojiao nodded sincerely.

“Then kiss me, and I’ll come down.”

……

Is this ever going to end?

Li Jiaojiao’s hesitant look fell into Duan Qinglian’s eyes. He recalled the intoxicating songs and dances in Fengyue Tower, the shimmering gold and silver, and pulled out a money pouch from his sleeve.

“Will this do?”

Li Jiaojiao’s face instantly darkened.

Where did this brat learn the tricks of visiting brothels? Did he take her for a courtesan?

“No!”

Duan Qinglian was puzzled, his brows furrowed as he stared straight at her.

Why did she seem even angrier than before?

“Alright.”

After a pause, he seemed to give up, sighing softly as he turned the money pouch upside down. Gold and silver coins poured out like a stream, cascading from the high building.

“What the hell! What are you doing?”

Li Jiaojiao was frantic.

That was gold! That was silver! Enough to rent the inn for a year!

In contrast, Duan Qinglian was calm, his tone indifferent: “If you don’t want it, then it’s useless.”

Another gust of wind swept by, making Duan Qinglian’s thin figure seem even more precarious.

And the topic returned to the beginning.

“Come down quickly.”

“Then kiss me.”

Li Jiaojiao: ……

After a long silence, she finally compromised. Fine, a kiss-after all, Duan Qinglian was good-looking, so she wouldn’t lose out.

She walked to the railing, stood on tiptoe, and planted a light kiss on his rosy lips.

At such close distance, Duan Qinglian’s brows, eyes, lips, and nose were clearer and more beautiful than ever, especially when his lashes trembled and his pupils shimmered. Li Jiaojiao’s breath caught for several seconds.

“So this is a kiss.”

After Li Jiaojiao pulled away, he touched his lips and murmured.

The feeling was somewhat familiar. His body instinctively told him he didn’t like it, even found it repulsive, but his memories were hazy, and he couldn’t recall.

“Can you come down now?”

Li Jiaojiao stomped her foot, her face flushed red.

“Alright.”

Satisfied, Duan Qinglian obediently withdrew from the railing and leapt onto the floor.

“Don’t do such dangerous things again, understand?” Li Jiaojiao gathered Duan Qinglian’s loose black hair to her chest and began to untangle the knots of Sword Line.

“You always say things like that.” Duan Qinglian’s gaze fell on the girl’s fingers entwined with his hair.

It seemed that ever since they met, she had always been like this-telling him not to kill, not to get hurt, not to feel pain.

“Of course, because I care about you.”

Li Jiaojiao rolled her eyes. Did he think she liked meddling for no reason?

“Why do you care about me?”

“Because you matter to me.”

“Matter?” Duan Qinglian nodded thoughtfully. “Many girls have said that to me before. They said they care because they like me. Do you like me?”

Li Jiaojiao was stunned for a moment, then looked up. “Didn’t I say so from the start? I like you.”

“And, are there many girls who like you?”

She couldn’t quite recall the plot of Yin-Yang Master, but it seemed to be the case. Duan Qinglian’s madness was all hidden beneath his handsome exterior, attracting many girls to fall for him. Madmen have no feelings, so those girls’ affections became his amusement, toying with their feelings and trampling them underfoot was something he often did.

That day in the Capital, Shen Yunshu was the best example.

“I can’t remember, but they all ran away crying. Only you didn’t run, so do you like me more than they did?”

His logic… was truly unique.

“Yes, so you mustn’t think about killing me again, or no one will like you.” Li Jiaojiao didn’t bother to argue. She was starting to figure out how to talk to Duan Qinglian-just go along with him.

“Alright.”

As she spoke, the knot of hair and Sword Line was finally undone. The girl proudly raised her hand and stuffed the Sword Line into his palm.

Her brows arched, her bright eyes seemed to gather all the shimmering lights of Qingyang City, making him dazed for a moment.