After Marrying the Evil God - Chapter 10

Xie Chouzhuang never expected that trouble would find him even in broad daylight. He felt completely numb. He didn’t know if Gu Yuan had been enticed by a ghost to attack him or not. While her words had been unpleasant, her life was still a human life! If he had indirectly caused her death…

With trembling hands, Xie Chouzhuang reached into his pocket for the talisman, only to find that it had been reduced to ash.

Since a death was involved, the police arrived quickly. As a key witness, Xie Chouzhuang was taken to the station for questioning. Fortunately, the resort’s surveillance equipment was in perfect working order. The footage clearly captured the entire process of Gu Yuan’s death: she had indeed accidentally tripped and fallen onto the steak knife, which then pierced her skull.

The police attempted to contact the deceased’s family, but the calls wouldn’t go through. Consequently, Xie Chouzhuang was allowed to return home for the time being. Exhausted, he collapsed onto his bed.

The Digital Consultation

Xie Chouzhuang: [Brother Ci, the talisman you gave me failed.]

Liu Ci: [Failed?! How is that possible! That was my latest prototype; it should be able to hold off even a powerful wraith for a while.]

Xie Chouzhuang recounted the events and placed special emphasis on the dark shadow he had seen.

Xie Chouzhuang: [Could Gu Yuan have died because I attracted a ghost?]

Liu Ci: [Theoretically, no. Ghosts don’t just wander around in broad daylight. Could it have been your husband?]

Xie Chouzhuang: [Surely not?]

Liu Ci: [It’s possible. You said she died while trying to kill you, which suggests the shadow was protecting you. Maybe your husband sent it to look after you.]

Xie Chouzhuang pursed his lips and didn’t reply. He didn’t know what to do. Ji Sixian was a deity; why would he suddenly move against Gu Yuan?

Liu Ci: [Babe, there’s no need to overthink it. Why don’t you just ask your husband directly?]

Xie Chouzhuang: [He hasn’t shown up in a long time.]

Liu Ci: [Don’t stress. A righteous god killing someone involves complex karma; your husband certainly wouldn’t kill the innocent. Isn’t your wedding in half a month anyway? Just ask him then.]

Xie Chouzhuang: [I suppose that’s all I can do.]

The Shadow in the Room

With his mind weighed down by worries, Xie Chouzhuang skipped dinner, washed up, and went to sleep. In a state between dreaming and waking, he felt a wisp of icy coldness crawl onto his exposed calf. The chill continued to move upward, eventually lingering around his waist.

Xie Chouzhuang jolted awake and threw back the quilt, only for a dark shadow to pounce on him.

“Who are you?! Mmm—”

A black mist suddenly muffled his voice. Xie Chouzhuang struggled instinctively, but countless thin threads composed of black mist instantly bound his entire body. He turned his head away to dodge the mist. “Ji Sixian? Is that you?”

At the mention of the name, the black mist seemed provoked, and its movements became even more intense. Xie Chouzhuang trembled as his clothes were forced open by the mist. The black fog clung to his chest, the extreme temperature difference making him shudder.

“Get away!” Xie Chouzhuang’s face was flushed with shame, his eyes reddening with anger.

A thread of mist separated and slithered into his mouth, churning incessantly. Nectar he couldn’t swallow slid from the corner of his lips, only to be brushed away by the fog. Xie Chouzhuang’s entire body turned a shade of pink; the more he struggled, the tighter the mist bound him, and the more liberties it took. Eventually, his eyes grew vacant, his heart filled with a deep sense of desolation.

The Evil God’s Truth

“Scoundrel!”

With a roar of fury, Ji Sixian appeared in the room. The black mist seemed startled and zipped away instantly. When Ji Sixian’s gaze landed on Xie Chouzhuang’s exposed skin, the tips of his ears turned red. He reached out to cover the boy with the quilt, his voice laced with guilt. “I’m sorry.”

“Ji Sixian!” Xie Chouzhuang wailed, throwing his arms around Ji Sixian and sobbing.

Ji Sixian froze for a moment before returning the embrace. “I’m sorry. I came too late.”

Anyone would have been terrified by such treatment. The mere thought of that black mist filled Xie Chouzhuang with lingering fear. After crying for a while, he realized he had made a mess of Ji Sixian’s shirt and felt a wave of embarrassment.

Ji Sixian released him and cupped Xie Chouzhuang’s face, sighing softly. “Your eyes are swollen.”

This was the first time Xie Chouzhuang had seen Ji Sixian’s face clearly. It was an exquisitely refined visage: sword-like brows slanting into his temples, eyes that were narrow and deep blacker than night yet shimmering with the brilliance of stars. Beneath a high-bridged nose, his thin lips were beautifully shaped, and his jawline was tight and smooth, appearing even more defined in the interplay of light and shadow. His skin was fair and delicate with a healthy luster, and with his thick, dark short hair, he appeared cold, noble, and commanding.

“You…” Xie Chouzhuang felt awkward. Technically, this was only their second meeting; he really didn’t know what to say.

Ji Sixian sighed. “I had planned to prepare properly, but I didn’t expect this meeting to be so terrible. That black mist just now was actually my ‘Evil Intent.’ I am, by nature, an Evil God who sustains himself by absorbing the wickedness of heaven and earth. I didn’t expect a strand of that intent to escape.”

At this point, Ji Sixian also looked somewhat embarrassed. “This strand of intent has no mind of its own; it acts purely on instinct. Since it is a part of my body, that is why it did those things to you…”

Xie Chouzhuang’s face turned bright red. “How… how could it be so…”

“I can’t help it,” Ji Sixian said. “It likes you too much.”

Xie Chouzhuang looked dazed. “Why would you like me?”

“You are so beautiful; why wouldn’t I like you? I liked you from the very first moment I saw you.”

Xie Chouzhuang muttered softly, “And yet you still scared me.”

Ji Sixian followed the lead smoothly. “I’m sorry. My methods back then were indeed extreme.”

“I don’t blame you. You saved me, after all. If it weren’t for you, I would have long since… I’m just a little unadjusted.”

Xie Chouzhuang suddenly remembered something and spoke hesitantly. “Was what happened to Gu Yuan today also caused by your ‘Evil Intent’?”

Ji Sixian did not deny it. “That classmate of yours had several lives on her hands. Her death was well-deserved. Rest assured, it was not your fault.”

Xie Chouzhuang was stunned. “Gu Yuan killed people?”

“I checked her life history,” Ji Sixian explained. “When she was a child, to prevent her younger sister from stealing her parents’ affection, she scalded her to death with boiling water. She staged it to look like the sister had accidentally knocked over the kettle, then went out to play with her friends as if nothing had happened.”

“How can someone be so wicked?” Xie Chouzhuang felt a pang in his heart at the thought of a living child being scalded to death.

“When she was ten, she threw a rock from a building that caused the immediate death of a pregnant woman. She framed a neighbor’s child who had autism. That family became pariahs, hated by everyone, and was driven to bankruptcy by the compensation. Her attack on you happened because her accumulated sins were too heavy; they had already warped her mind, leading her to act irrationally.”

“You don’t need to feel guilty; it wasn’t your fault. Even if she hadn’t confessed to you, she wouldn’t have lived another three months. I simply accelerated the process.”

“I heard from Brother Ci that practitioners of the Dao care deeply about karma,” Xie Chouzhuang said, sounding worried. “Will killing her affect you?”