After the Stand-in Hugged the White Moonlight's Thigh Tightly - Chapter 36(1.2)

Chapter 36(1.2): Don’t Speak Ill of My Senior Brother in Front of Me…

With an extra person on the road, the travel speed was actually faster. When Song Chenxi learned that Ruan Mingyu was going to find his missing cousin, he immediately carried him on his sword to Cangzhou.

Ruan Mingyu was silent throughout the journey, unlike his usual chatty self.

Song Chenxi assumed there might be some upheaval at home, so he didn’t offer any empty words of comfort, only silently slipped a money pouch into his hand.

Ruan Mingyu felt both touched and amused when he received the heavy pouch of spirit stones.

Seeing him stare blankly at the pouch, Song Chenxi said: “You don’t want it? Give it back if you don’t.”

Ruan Mingyu quickly tucked it away: “I didn’t say I don’t want it.”

Song Chenxi patted his shoulder and said: “You’re cultivating now. Try to take things easy.”

Ruan Mingyu lowered his head: “I’m only cultivating, not yet an immortal. How can I take things easy?”

Song Chenxi’s words were still unpleasant: “If you truly can’t move past it, I can send you on your way.”

“…”

Ruan Mingyu sighed softly. Why bother arguing with Song Chenxi? The lifespan of a cultivator is much longer than a mortal’s. Birth and death are commonplace in their eyes.

The passing and birth of life are like the falling and blooming of flowers.

It’s better to… take things easy…

Song Chenxi reached out and rubbed his head, then placed his finger on his furrowed brow, as if trying to smooth away his worries.

He was serious for once: “I don’t want to see you like this. I want to see you smile, a bright, cheerful smile.”

Ruan Mingyu moved his hand away from his head, shaking his head: “Senior Brother, I can’t do that right now.”

Song Chenxi suddenly leaned in and gave him a tight hug. This seemed to be the only way he knew how to comfort people. He lowered his head slightly and whispered in his ear: “Then I will allow you to be sad for today. Tomorrow, you are not allowed to look like this anymore.”

Ruan Mingyu was stunned. He slowly registered what Song Chenxi was saying. The emotions that had been building up for a long time burst forth at this moment. Ruan Mingyu buried his head in Song Chenxi’s chest, his shoulders shaking as he wept silently.

The usually cheerful Little Sparrow could also have such a sad day. His state left Song Chenxi speechless.

He gently patted Ruan Mingyu’s back to comfort him.

Song Chenxi’s chest was already soaked with Ruan Mingyu’s tears, but he didn’t push him away at all.

Ruan Mingyu cried until he was exhausted. He didn’t dare to look up. He felt he must look pathetic, crying at the drop of a hat, something he hadn’t done before.

Song Chenxi seemed to know what he was thinking. He lifted his chin: “Are you trying to wash my clothes with your tears?”

Ruan Mingyu’s eyes were red, and tears clung to his long lashes, about to fall. Even his nose was red from crying. He covered his face with his hands, not wanting Song Chenxi to see him like this, but Song Chenxi took his hands away.

He kissed the corner of Ruan Mingyu’s mouth: “When you’re done crying, we’ll continue on our journey.”

Song Chenxi expressed his affection without reservation, but Ruan Mingyu was startled by his sudden action, temporarily forgetting to cry.

With a touch of vengefulness, he grabbed Song Chenxi’s sleeve and wiped his tears on it.

Although Song Chenxi had allowed him to hug and cry on him just now, his inherently clean nature still found it quite distasteful.

Fortunately, he had restrained himself a lot over the years. If this were back when they first met, Song Chenxi would probably have hung Ruan Mingyu from the rafters.

He immediately changed into a new set of clothes, discarding the soiled ones without hesitation.

Ruan Mingyu: “Senior Brother, are you looking down on me?”

Song Chenxi said indifferently: “How dare I? If I truly looked down on you, wouldn’t you go complain to your master or your Senior Sister when we return?”

Ruan Mingyu was so angry his teeth were itching. A leopard never changes its spots; Song Chenxi never changes his sarcastic demeanor. He said resentfully: “Just you wait. I’ll spread bad things about you behind your back when I get back.”

Song Chenxi curled his lips: “It’s fine to say it to my face, too.”

Ruan Mingyu had no recourse and changed the topic: “When will we arrive?”

“Tomorrow at the latest.”

“That’s quite fast.”

“Don’t forget who is taking you.”

Song Chenxi flew quickly, surprisingly managing to get Ruan Mingyu to Cangzhou city today. However, it was already late, pitch black outside. The massive city had barely a few lights lit.

There were no guards at the main gate, and the city gates were tightly shut, isolating the world inside and outside the city.

Song Chenxi took Ruan Mingyu and sneaked into the city. Ruan Mingyu soon noticed that something was wrong.

The city was pitch black, doors were tightly shut everywhere, and there wasn’t a single living creature to be seen on the street, not even a stray cat or dog.

A strong smell of medicine permeated the city, making Ruan Mingyu cough a few times.

The two wandered aimlessly on the street. How were they supposed to find his cousin in such a large place?

After walking for a while, they suddenly heard a sound of heavy breathing, similar to that of a wild beast, coming from ahead.

Approaching the source of the sound, Ruan Mingyu found a disheveled man huddled in a corner.

Ruan Mingyu kindly asked: “Are you alright?”

The next moment, the man turned around. Ruan Mingyu was startled. The man’s face was covered in blood blisters, he had sharp teeth, and his eyes glowed green. Like a zombie, he lunged, trying to bite him.

Song Chenxi quickly grabbed Ruan Mingyu by the collar and yanked him back, then kicked the monster. The kick was so forceful that it embedded the man in the wall, rendering him immobile.

The loud noise attracted attention. Soon, two people dressed as soldiers in armor and holding spears came over.

The city’s residents were deeply afflicted by the strange illness and understood its horrors. They would never wander outside late at night. These must be some ill-informed outsiders who secretly snuck into the city!

The soldier shouted: “Who allowed you to sneak in!” He was about to use iron chains to restrain them. Song Chenxi was about to use his power, but Ruan Mingyu signaled him with his eyes to stop.

These two were clearly government officials. Perhaps they could help locate his cousin?

Song Chenxi was not a person who would willingly be restrained. With a gust of energy, he pushed the two soldiers to the ground, picked up Ruan Mingyu, and was about to leave.

Ruan Mingyu whispered in his ear: “If I follow them, maybe I can find my cousin’s whereabouts.”

Song Chenxi: “What’s so difficult about that? I’ll just capture their City Lord. Won’t we find one person then?”

Ruan Mingyu: “Don’t be too conspicuous.”

Song Chenxi: “You really want to go with them?”

Ruan Mingyu: “Let’s split up. We’ll be more efficient. I’ll go with them, and you can make your own plans.”

Song Chenxi: “Why should I do that?”

Ruan Mingyu didn’t really know how to answer that question.

Song Chenxi: “How about this, let’s make a bet: who can find your cousin first?”

He smiled: “If I win, you have to agree to one request of mine. How about it?”

Ruan Mingyu thought for a moment and nodded: “I won’t do anything unethical.”

Song Chenxi: “It’s a deal then.”

Song Chenxi wasn’t worried about Ruan Mingyu’s safety. He was a cultivator after all. What could a few mortals do to him?

The two parted ways. Ruan Mingyu picked up the iron chains on the ground and said: “Big brothers, let’s go.”

The two soldiers were annoyed but managed a laugh. They chained Ruan Mingyu’s hands and led him away, taking him to the encampment set up near the city walls.

Upon arriving, the smell of medicine here was even stronger than on the streets outside. In the center of the open space were several huge medicine vats, where people were laboriously stirring the medicinal ingredients, presumably brewing medicine.

Ruan Mingyu was brought here, naturally, to contribute his labor. Currently, the camp was full of patients, and people were overwhelmed. Most people were afraid of infection and unwilling to come, so there was an extreme shortage of hands.

He was assigned the most dangerous task: delivering medicine to the patients, distributing bowls of medicine to those afflicted.

The scene was gruesome. The patients’ common symptoms included blood blisters on their bodies, sharp teeth growing in their mouths, a fear of light, and a lack of self-awareness. They would bite people, seeming to have truly transformed into blood-drinking monsters, and were all tied up with ropes.

Ruan Mingyu had to force the medicine into their mouths. The disease was contagious; one careless bite could lead to similar symptoms.

Ruan Mingyu wasn’t afraid of being infected, but for the first time, he realized that feeding medicine was physically demanding. He had to pry their mouths open to feed them. After feeding a crowd of people, he was completely exhausted.

Finally finished, Ruan Mingyu wandered around. Beside the huge medicine vats stood a woman, elegant and dignified, who appeared to be a doctor, giving instructions on brewing the medicine.

Ruan Mingyu watched her add two herbs with conflicting properties and asked: “Aren’t you afraid of creating a greater toxin by putting these two herbs together?”

Gu Yashao looked at him in surprise: “Are you a doctor too?”

“You could say that,” Ruan Mingyu replied.

After a brief conversation, Gu Yashao determined that Ruan Mingyu could be useful and instructed him to stay by her side to discuss healing methods together.

Gu Yashao led him into a tent and pointed to the person on the bed: “This is the patient who has recovered the best.”

This person no longer looked as fierce as the others, and he could exercise some voluntary control, but the fangs in his mouth had not receded, and his hands and feet were still bound with iron chains.

“Doctor Gu, when can I go back to see my mother?” the patient asked anxiously.

Gu Yashao said: “Soon. You can go when you are well.”

This person was originally a waiter at an inn. He had frequent contact with people and naturally contracted the strange illness. He said he was a native of Cangzhou and knew everyone and everything in the city.

Ruan Mingyu quickly asked him: “Did you notice a man dressed as a monk entering the city a few months ago?”

“Several months ago, Zhenning Temple held a grand Buddhist event, and many monks from other places did come. You can try looking at the temple.”

Ruan Mingyu made up his mind to go to the temple tomorrow to see if he could find his cousin.

Gu Yashao showed him her prescription, and Ruan Mingyu offered his views and suggestions.

She immediately noticed his unusual qualities and asked him: “Are you a cultivator?”

When traveling, one’s identity is self-determined. Ruan Mingyu didn’t reveal his background, saying: “I only have some knowledge of alchemy. I wouldn’t call myself a cultivator.”

Gu Yashao persisted: “Which sect are you from?”

Ruan Mingyu consistently played dumb: “I’m a person without a sect or school. My master, Zhao Ziping, is also a famous doctor.” Since he had obtained the medical book left by Zhao Ziping, he could consider himself his apprentice.

Gu Yashao was clearly unconvinced but didn’t say much more.

She surprisingly entrusted the prescription directly to Ruan Mingyu, telling him that if he found any areas that could be improved, he should let her know.

Ruan Mingyu carefully examined the prescription, circled a few ingredients, and wrote down his suggested changes next to them. As the two were talking, a man suddenly pulled back the curtain. Seeing Ruan Mingyu sitting inside, he was surprised: “Ruan Qiang, I didn’t expect to run into you again?”

Ruan Mingyu suddenly looked up and saw an old acquaintance: wasn’t this Gu Xiaoxiao, the one he had conned into buying pills?

Oh no, is this guy going to settle scores with me? He still remembers something that happened years ago.

“Do you know each other?” Gu Yashao asked Gu Xiaoxiao.

Gu Xiaoxiao was very familiar, hooking his arm over Ruan Mingyu’s shoulder: “This is my brother!”

Ruan Mingyu gave an awkward smile, pushing his hand away.

It’s over. This blockhead’s family is actually in the same profession.

He hadn’t noticed anything unusual about the medicine Ruan Mingyu sold him last time. Either he was too cunning, or he was utterly clueless. Ruan Mingyu leaned toward the latter.

Gu Xiaoxiao: “It’s fate! We can meet again in this vast sea of people. This is fate.”

Bullshit fate, Ruan Mingyu thought.

Gu Xiaoxiao rambled on, saying he had never met anyone who understood him like Ruan Mingyu and asked when they could drink together again.

No wonder! Ruan Mingyu thought. If you want to earn his money, you naturally have to understand him first.

Ruan Mingyu made an excuse, saying he had something to do, and slipped away.

The next day, he went to the temple early. As soon as he left the camp, Gu Xiaoxiao called out: “Where are you going?”

Since Ruan Mingyu didn’t know the way, Gu Xiaoxiao enthusiastically offered to take him there.

Unexpectedly, the temple gates were also tightly shut. Since the sick feared light, they wouldn’t be active during the day. Only a few scattered people were visible on the streets, and a faint aura of death hung over the city’s residents.

Ruan Mingyu felt anguish, but his most urgent task now was to find his cousin.

At Zhenning Temple, Ruan Mingyu found a secluded spot and climbed over the wall to enter. Given his agility, this seemed to be a familiar maneuver.

Gu Xiaoxiao: “I didn’t realize you were so good at wall-climbing.”

After Ruan Mingyu climbed in, Gu Xiaoxiao asked him to pull him up.

Ruan Mingyu turned and said to him: “You should go back. I’ll handle the rest myself.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared.

Gu Xiaoxiao was left bewildered in the wind. How could he use me and then kick me out?

The temple was deserted. Usually, the monks should be chanting scriptures at this time. The Buddhist hall was empty.Ruan Mingyu wandered around the spacious temple and finally found a living person in the monks’ living quarters.