After My Engagement Was Broken, I Married My Fiancé's Uncle - Chapter 18

Jiang Xingyuan suddenly remembered the brainless words he had just blurted out.

Oh boy, that’s bad!

In a moment of carelessness, he had accidentally insulted everyone with the surname Xie, he almost forgot that Ninth Uncle was also a Xie.

In the end, this was his own blunder.

Jiang Xingyuan poked his head into the room and tried a tentative call: “Ninth Uncle?”

However, there was no response. He scratched his head.

No way, is he actually angry?

What should he do? Coax him?

Wait, no… he should just say a few nice things to smooth things over. He tapped his head, praising himself for being such a clever guy.

Jiang Xingyuan finished dressing and tiptoed inside. The room was deathly silent; not a single sound could be heard. The stillness was eerie. A cold wind blew softly, lifting the white window curtains and creating a desolate atmosphere.

He immediately saw a slender figure leaning against the window. The silver moonlight spilled gently over the man, highlighting his meticulously carved, handsome features. His long eyelashes cast elongated shadows beneath his eyes, tracing a fine line across his polished face. His nose was high and straight, and the contours of his lips were sharp and distinct. Though his features were inherently sharp, in Jiang Xingyuan’s eyes, they appeared softened.

Perhaps it was the Buddhist aura that Xie Junqing carried year round, or perhaps it was the indulgence the man had shown him previously. To Jiang Xingyuan, Xie Junqing was definitely a “good uncle.”

However, at this moment, Xie Junqing was exerting his utmost effort to endure a bone-deep pain. The desires growing wildly in the darkness were beyond his control. His fingertips pressed into the prayer beads, turning them soundlessly as he struggled to suppress every dark, greedy urge.

How could he achieve a state of being without infatuation, without resentment, and without desire?

“What are you smiling like an idiot at?” Xie Junqing said faintly, his eyes still closed.

By all rights, he should have ordered the boy to get out, yet he didn’t. He allowed Jiang Xingyuan to approach. He simply wanted to see if this boy would truly be the death of him.

Hearing those words, the smile on Jiang Xingyuan’s face vanished instantly. An awkward expression flickered over his features, he hadn’t noticed that something was wrong with the other man.

Lowering his head, he rubbed the tip of his nose. “I… I came to apologize.”

“That, uh, I didn’t mean it just now. I wasn’t talking about you. You’re so good to me, and you have such a great temper, not like those other people named Xie…”

As Jiang Xingyuan continued to babble, he sensed something was off. It was too quiet. He slowly looked up and saw, to his astonishment, that Xie Junqing’s face was deathly pale. Fine beads of sweat had broken out on his forehead, and his brow was furrowed in agony.

“Ninth Uncle?”

Jiang Xingyuan stopped worrying about anything else and stepped forward. Seeing Xie Junqing’s pained state, panic rose in his heart. Is it a fever?

Just as he reached out to touch him, his wrist was suddenly seized by a powerful force. He looked up in alarm, meeting a pair of sharp eyes shot through with bloodred veins. That deep, dark gaze made Jiang Xingyuan’s heart skip a beat.

“What do you want to do?” Xie Junqing asked coldly.

Jiang Xingyuan was frantic. What do I want to do? He didn’t want to “do” anything!

“I just want to check on you!”

The pain Xie Junqing was suffering was so intense that the boy’s silhouette before him had split into two. The Heart Calming Mantra was useless, the pain radiated from his cervical spine and spread outward, momentarily stripping him of his ability to move.

“Ninth Uncle, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Jiang Xingyuan looked anxious. One of his hands was pinned, but he had another. He tentatively reached out with his free hand. However, under Xie Junqing’s icy stare, that hand froze mid-air.

Jiang Xingyuan coaxed him carefully, “Ninth Uncle, I’ll just touch you for a second, really. I want to see if you have a fever.”

Xie Junqing remained silent, watching the boy. In those shimmering eyes, he saw a reflection of his own current, pathetic state. He also saw a tension and worry that was entirely genuine.

This piqued a shred of curiosity in him. He recalled Jiang Xingyuan’s words.

Care about him?

His gaze darkened, and a cold sneer twitched at the corner of his mouth. “Caring about me? Is that the truth, or a lie?”

He reached out, grabbing Jiang Xingyuan’s chin and pulling him close. He wanted to know if the words were real. After all, Jiang Xingyuan’s mouth was legendary for its lies. If it were a lie, at that thought, a murderous aura surged in his eyes.

Then I’ll kill him.

Yet, the moment that thought surfaced, Xie Junqing’s brain felt as though it were being pierced by a thousand needles. The pain was so sharp he could hardly breathe.

Jiang Xingyuan’s face was being squished. Because they were so close, their noses almost touched, and their breaths intermingled. His eyes widened with terror. This position was extremely dangerous!

He looked at Xie Junqing, who seemed like a completely different person. The man looked sinister and murderous, as if he might end Jiang Xingyuan’s life at any second.

Jiang Xingyuan swallowed hard, his throat tight, but his eyes still held worry. His face was being pinched out of shape, making his mouth pout as he struggled to speak. “Ninh Un-coo… don be like dis, I’m scawed!”

He really was scared. Xie Junqing looked like he was having a sudden breakdown! What if he had a split personality? Everyone knew that “the mentally ill don’t go to jail for murder!”

To stabilize the man’s emotions, he quickly remembered Xie Junqing’s question and tried to soothe him. “It’s weal! I weally care ’bout chu!”

“Yow are like my own blood un-coo!”

Jiang Xingyuan grabbed Xie Junqing’s hand with both of his, trying to break free. But despite his strength, the man’s hand didn’t budge.

Good grief! Such strength! He’s going to pinch me to death!

“How about you let go first? Tell me if you’re uncomfortable anywhere.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay here with you. I promise I won’t leave!”

Seeing that soft words weren’t working, Jiang Xingyuan decided to try a tougher approach. Just as he opened his mouth, preparing to bite down on the man’s hand…

In the next second, the hand gripping his face suddenly let go. Jiang Xingyuan bit down on nothing but his own lip, and the sharp pain brought the taste of blood to his mouth. “Ow, ow, ow!!! It hurts!!!”

“Get out.”

Xie Junqing seemed to have regained a sliver of sanity. He turned his back and spoke coldly.

Jiang Xingyuan swallowed the bloody spit, heard the eviction notice, and immediately bolted for the door. “Okay, Ninth Uncle, bye!”

Hearing the sound of Jiang Xingyuan’s departing footsteps, Xie Junqing let out a mocking laugh.

See? He just promised to stay with me, yet he left in an instant.

However, having run out of the room, Jiang Xingyuan came to a dead stop. He felt like a total jerk. How could he just run away? Ninth Uncle usually treated him well, even before this episode, the man had applied medicine to his wounds. He was a good person, he couldn’t just leave him there in pain!

He hurried back. Looking at the man standing by the window, radiating an aura that warned everyone to stay away, Jiang Xingyuan took a deep breath and walked right up to him. His expression was one of “heroic sacrifice.”

Hearing the footsteps, Xie Junqing’s fingers on the prayer beads paused. He lifted his lids, his deep eyes looking at the youth. “I thought you left. Why come back?”

Jiang Xingyuan covered his sore mouth and said, “Uncle, you’re wronging me! You’re the one who told me to go! I didn’t want to leave.”

“Since you don’t want to leave, then stay. But do not regret it.”

Hearing the boy’s words, a smile finally appeared on Xie Junqing’s expressionless face but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Looking at that cold smirk, Jiang Xingyuan’s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he felt like a lamb to the slaughter, having not only walked back into the trap but having done so with incredible stupidity.

He shivered slightly, shaking off his wild thoughts. He spoke up timidly, “Ninth Uncle… if you don’t want to smile, then don’t. My heart is small, you’re really scaring me.”

“Go over there. Bring the zither.”

Jiang Xingyuan ran quickly and brought the ancient instrument over. Xie Junqing’s gaze fell on Jiang Xingyuan’s hands. Only then did he notice that the boy had very beautiful hands, perfect for playing the zither. They were well-proportioned with long fingers, the pale skin showing faint blue veins, looking like polished white jade. The only flaw was the prominent scars on the back of his hand.

“Do you know how to play?”

Hearing this, Jiang Xingyuan shook his head like a rattle. “I don’t. And don’t teach me! I’m naturally slow; I’ll never learn in this lifetime.”

He was terrified that Xie Junqing might suddenly get the urge to give him lessons. Xie Junqing fell silent for a moment.

“Go fetch a sutra book.”

It seemed Xie Junqing really had intended to teach him, or at least have him study. Jiang Xingyuan fumbled around and eventually produced a sutra book that had been folded into thirds. Under Xie Junqing’s gaze, Jiang Xingyuan’s hand froze, then he quickly began smoothing out the wrinkled pages.

“I… it was an accident,” Jiang Xingyuan said with a fawning smile.

Xie Junqing didn’t speak for several seconds. Finally, he said, “Recite what I taught you yesterday.”

A pop quiz now?

Jiang Xingyuan flipped open the book, racking his brain for yesterday’s content. He stumbled through the words: “Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, practicing deep Prajna Paramita… form is emptiness, emptiness is form…”

As soon as Jiang Xingyuan began to speak, the ethereal, hollow sound of the zither flowed from Xie Junqing’s fingertips. The moment Jiang Xingyuan heard the music, his agitated heart settled. He watched the man playing, the sound of the strings conjured images of jade-green pools deep in the mountains, bubbling springs, and rolling hills.

The man’s cold face was silver-edged in the moonlight. He looked like a refined gentleman, peaceful and holy under the baptism of the Buddhist music. He was a far cry from the madness of moments ago.

Jiang Xingyuan blinked. Seeing that Xie Junqing had returned to normal, he breathed a sigh of relief. That really scared me to death!

However… he suddenly caught a faint whiff of blood. He crinkled his nose, but when he tried to sniff again, the scent was masked by a heavy aroma of sandalwood. Was it just my imagination?

He poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, the spot he had bitten earlier stung, and the unhealed wound gave him another taste of copper.

When the song ended, Xie Junqing rested his hands on the strings and said coldly, “Su Quan, see the guest out.”

The moment the words fell, a middle-aged man emerged silently from the shadows, bowing respectfully to Jiang Xingyuan. “Master Jiang, please follow me.”

Jiang Xingyuan was stunned. He stared at the man who had appeared out of nowhere. When did he get here? I didn’t sense him at all.

“Oh.” Jiang Xingyuan stood up. He looked at Xie Junqing, who remained seated. “Ninth Uncle, I’m leaving then.”

He turned to go, but at the door, he remembered something. He turned back to say, “Ninth Uncle… if you’re feeling unwell anywhere…” you should see a doctor.

But the words died in his throat. His eyes widened as they landed on Xie Junqing’s back. On the man’s light-colored loungewear, a long streak of blood had soaked through, snaking down his spine.

“Ninth Uncle…”

What happened?

Just as Jiang Xingyuan was about to rush back to investigate, a gloomy face appeared before him. The middle-aged man, Su Quan, blocked his path and closed the door.

“Master Jiang, it is time to go.”

“What’s wrong with Ninth Uncle? I saw blood, is he hurt?” Jiang Xingyuan asked urgently.

But Su Quan replied, “Master Jiang, you must have misseen. Master Ninth is perfectly fine, how could he be injured?”

Jiang Xingyuan frowned. He was certain he hadn’t seen wrong. But before he could think further, he was ushered out.

“Master Jiang, Master Ninth asked me to inform you: you read fifty-one characters incorrectly during your morning recitation today. You are punished with copying the sutra ten times. You are to return to the Buddha Hall every evening to continue your studies.”

What!

Jiang Xingyuan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He was fuming!

To think I was actually worried about him! I was just being sentimental for nothing! Since Xie Junqing had the time to count his mistakes, the injury couldn’t be that serious. The man could handle it himself; he didn’t need Jiang Xingyuan’s concern.

Jiang Xingyuan’s face twisted into a fake, pained smile. “Fine then. Ninth Uncle, I’m going. I’ll see you tonight. I hope you take very good care of your health.”

He gritted the last words out through his teeth.

Hearing Su Quan’s returning footsteps, Xie Junqing opened his eyes. “Is he gone?”

“Master Jiang has left.”

Su Quan dropped his cold mask. Seeing Xie Junqing’s pale face, he looked incredibly anxious. “Ninth Master, why must you suffer so! In a few days, we will find that ghost-doctor’s disciple, they can help you take that thing off.”

“If this ‘Scorpion Lock’ were so easy to remove, I wouldn’t have endured it for all these years.” Xie Junqing closed his eyes and said softly, “Su Quan, go get the medicine.”

Su Quan had no choice but to comply. When he returned, Xie Junqing slowly removed his blood-stained shirt.

There, on his white, jade-like back, starting from the seventh cervical vertebra, a scorpion with a metallic luster was crouched against his flesh. This position made it easy to hide with a high-collared shirt. Six pairs of appendages were deeply embedded into the muscle. The scorpion wasn’t large, but it had a long tail, and its venomous stinger was firmly hooked into the spine.

Just a bit more, and the entire scorpion would have been submerged into his body. The bright red blood trickled slowly down his spine.

Su Quan wiped the blood away, applied ointment, and bandaged the wound. “What precept did you break this time for it to react so violently?”

Xie Junqing gave a light, peaceful smile. “It was just the usual, greed, infatuation, and resentment.”

“How can a person born with such heavy karma find instant enlightenment and become a Buddha? It is not so easy.”

This was his “Constricting Headband.” Whenever he moved even slightly toward those earthly desires, he would be subjected to unbearable agony.

“Ninth Master, the situation in Kyushu has completely fallen,” Su Quan reported, his voice calm despite the news.

Xie Junqing put on a clean shirt. He looked at Su Quan. “I’ll say it again: if they can swallow it, let them take it all. But if they get too greedy and want more, then kill them without mercy.”

“Yes, Ninth Master.”

On the way back, the sky was beginning to brighten. Jiang Xingyuan returned to his room, looking exhausted. The image he had seen earlier kept flashing through his mind.

What is up with Xie Junqing?

“Do you have something on your mind?” Zhao Lou suddenly asked.

“No? What would I be worried about? I’m living well and eating well,” Jiang Xingyuan replied, taking a bite of an apple and refusing to admit anything.

Zhao Lou glanced at him. “That was the ninth time you’ve sighed this morning.”

“That many?” Jiang Xingyuan was a bit surprised. He felt like he had just taken a deep breath.

Thinking about those matters again, Jiang Xingyuan decided to drop it. Anyway, he had to report to Xie the Ninth this afternoon. “Forget it, forget it. Let’s go to school. I’m so sleepy.”

Zhao Lou felt helpless. After boarding the helicopter, Jiang Xingyuan collapsed into his seat and immediately began snoring. “Xiao Lou, I’m gonna sleep for a bit. Wake me when we get there.”

The next day, Jiang Yi woke up and stared at his familiar room for a few seconds. He sat up, nursing a headache, and realized where he was. How did he end up back at the Xie family ancestral home?

He was incredibly thirsty from the hangover. As he got out of bed to get some water, he heard the door open. “Cousin?”