The Beautiful Pariah Thought He Could Be Loved - Chapter 38.2

Chapter 38.2

“Elder He, your disciple won today’s match and successfully entered the second round. I came to ask about some things… I encountered something today… there were some parts I couldn’t understand…”

“Hmm, that technique isn’t common. Generally…”

Dan Yu? Only now did Xin Qishu regain a sliver of reason from the sea of desire, realizing what He Lvqing had said.

If Dan Yu was here, then the rabbit must be nearby…

The image of that rabbit appeared in his mind—snow-white fur, one ear cocked… blood-red eyes staring.

Xin Qishu suppressed his desire and grit his teeth, circulating his cultivation technique. He gave a silent scream. His soul was tightly bound by a golden chain; the moment he tried to flee, his soul was scorched by it.

Xin Qishu used all his demonic energy to crash against it. Amidst the clattering of the chains, a loophole finally appeared. Xin Qishu was overjoyed and forced a sliver of his soul to escape through the gap.

The image of the rabbit was deeply etched in his mind. He wasn’t going to possess just any rabbit—it was the one Dan Yu always kept with him!

With a dizzying spin, Xin Qishu felt his soul push something aside. When he opened his eyes again, a face with a shy smile was right in front of him.

It was the male disciple responsible for taking care of the rabbit for Dan Yu.

The wind blew exceptionally hard. The ground was soft beneath him as he stepped on the green grass. Someone stroked his back, and Xin Qishu gave a start; the sensation was quite strange.

A girl’s voice asked from the side, “What does it usually eat?”

“Uh, hahahaha…” The male disciple laughed awkwardly. “This guy, well, it eats everything and nothing, hahahaha…”

The girl was dissatisfied: “What kind of answer is that?”

Xin Qishu tried to hop. His vision indeed wobbled; it seemed he had merged well with the rabbit. The girl cried out in surprise, “Why did it suddenly jump?”

“Uh…” The male disciple also looked at the rabbit in surprise, stammering out no explanation.

Xin Qishu didn’t waste time. He bypassed them and hopped toward Ye Zijin’s room.

This rabbit was indeed no ordinary creature; one hop could cover dozens of meters. The only reason it hadn’t attained human form was probably some method Dan Yu used to suppress it.

But Ye Zijin’s residence was still a bit far. Xin Qishu hopped with great effort, all the while keeping an eye on his original body’s condition.

He finally reached the vicinity before night had fully fallen.

During that time, He Lvqing had entered the room, released the control over him, kissed him, dressed him, and then hurriedly left. Something big seemed to have happened.

Fortunately, Ye Ting hadn’t reset the barrier after leaving earlier that day. The rabbit slammed open the door like a cannonball.

He couldn’t manage to close the door. It didn’t matter; they wouldn’t be able to trace it back to him anyway.

Compared to the daytime, the scent in the room was much fainter, but Xin Qishu was now a rabbit with a very keen sense of smell. He determined the source of the medicinal scent was the bed.

And luckily, the pain Xin Qishu felt in the rabbit’s body was not as intense as it had been during the day.

The rabbit hopped onto the bed, leaving a few dirty footprints. He lowered his body and nudged the jade pillow aside with his body, revealing a white porcelain bottle tucked into the bedding.

This was the source of the medicinal scent. It was also the medicine Ye Qing had given to Ye Zijin. This was a very important item.

How was he going to take it back? Carry it in his mouth? Xin Qishu was sharing the rabbit’s senses now, and the thought of it made him feel pain.

He didn’t want to go back, but he had to be in human form to see Ye Qing.

Suddenly, his cocked ears twitched, catching some sounds. The rabbit hurriedly pushed the jade pillow back into place and scurried into an empty flower vase in the corner.

A moment later.

“Hmm? Why is the door open?” Ye Qing asked, puzzled.

“Perhaps the Manor Lord was too grief-stricken when she left and forgot to close it,” spoke the voice of the burly man, Xiao Wu.

The white rabbit curled into a small ball, his long ears drooping to cover his eyes. Dammit, he had to run into Ye Qing.

“Whatever came in was clearly an animal. Is it someone’s spiritual pet?” Ye Qing scanned the room warily, spotting a bit of white fur at the mouth of the flower vase in the corner.

He folded his fan and approached the vase silently.

Xiao Wu nodded to him. Ye Qing spoke: “What are you doing here, little fellow? Did your master send you?”

His voice was like flowing spring water, yet with a slight rasp.

Ye Qing looked down. There was a small ball of white inside the vase, its long ears twitching. Ye Qing’s elegant brows furrowed slowly, and he said sternly, “What are you doing here?”

Xin Qishu’s first reaction was that he had been recognized, but he soon realized that wasn’t right. Ye Qing knew this rabbit.

Ye Qing was talking to a rabbit that hadn’t yet gained intelligence?

The next moment, Ye Qing called the rabbit by name: “Dan Yu, what are you meddling for?”

Both of the rabbit’s ears perked up. He looked up with his beady, blood-red eyes, gave a strange cry, and then hopped from the vase onto Ye Qing.

“Hiss…” Xin Qishu hadn’t held back his strength when he jumped, and the force was a bit much for a mortal like Ye Qing, making him take a few steps back.

Seeing it was the familiar white rabbit, Ye Qing relaxed. Ignoring the rabbit curled on his shoulder, he hurried further into the room.

Ye Qing also looked uncomfortable, and the pain in Xin Qishu’s body suddenly felt much more manageable. The scent on Ye Qing was both a trigger and an antidote.

Xiao Wu stayed at the door to keep watch.

Ye Qing brushed past the table with the stone tablet without giving it a single glance. The cold tablet flickered with a faint light.

Ye Qing pushed aside the jade pillow and saw the porcelain bottle, a joyful smile appearing on his face. “Fortunately, they didn’t notice.”

He decisively tucked the bottle into his robes.

He stroked Xin Qishu’s fur. “Don’t blame me for being slow. Ye Ting has been suspicious of me and had Ye Zijin’s room sealed.”

“Today, Han Wan bypassed me to see Ye Ting with He Lvqing. Who knows what they said, but Ye Ting finally opened the barrier.”

“I have to put on a show at the teahouse every day to make her lower her guard. I came as soon as I heard the news. Speaking of which, how did you find out?”

Ye Qing was talking to Dan Yu. They actually knew each other. When Ye Qing left that day, the person he went to see was likely Dan Yu.

Why was Dan Yu meddling in the family affairs of Hanshuang Manor?

Hadn’t he joined the Court of Dharma Rain as a young child?

“Let’s talk back at my place.” Seeing the rabbit ignore him, Ye Qing, pressed for time, put the medicine in his robes, scooped up the rabbit, closed the door, and left in a hurry. From start to finish, he never looked at the tablet on the table.

Under the moonlight, the small cottage fell silent once more. There seemed to be the sound of crying inside, but upon closer listening, it was gone.

Ye Qing’s residence was somewhat far from Ye Zijin’s room, yet the decor was more lavish than Ye Zijin’s. Many pieces of furniture were inlaid with gold, and incense burned in a burner in the corner.

The incense was also a scent familiar to Xin Qishu; He Lvqing had burned the same one for him before, and he had been furious upon waking.

This incense was for aiding sleep.

Ye Qing crouched down and let the rabbit hop onto the floor. The thick carpet absorbed the sound, so the rabbit made no noise as he landed.

Ye Qing relaxed his body and slumped into a chair, letting out a long sigh. A faint redness appeared on his face, and his eyes grew strangely dazed as he stared into space, lost in thought.

The temperature in the room was high and warm.

Xin Qishu looked around and hopped into a high compartment on the bookshelf. From this position, he could overlook the entire room.

Ye Qing’s room was also filled with many items; it was clear he knew how to enjoy himself. Xin Qishu had originally wanted to see if there were any specially treated items in the room, but scanning around, he couldn’t find any.

All the items were placed in their proper spots.

The door opened for a moment as the night wind rushed in, and Xiao Wu turned to close the door. He first scanned the room and found the rabbit high on the bookshelf, his fierce gaze fixed on it.

Ye Qing coughed violently, and Xiao Wu withdrew his gaze, stepping forward to take a porcelain bottle from his storage space. He handed it to Ye Qing, his voice somewhat stiff: “Master, take your medicine.”

Ye Qing didn’t refuse, nor did he ask questions. He poured a pill from the bottle and swallowed it with his eyes closed. He seemed to be in extreme pain, leaning back against the chair, his head sinking into the long fur.

After a while, he felt better. He opened his eyes and said, “I’m still not at ease. Ye Ting and He Lvqing probably didn’t notice anything. Han Wan is hard to say; she has tree spiritual energy and might also have a reaction to this medicine.”

“Find a way to draw He Lvqing away another day, and I’ll go see Han Wan again. I’m afraid things might change.”

“Regardless, I must use this trigger to gather Ye Ting and Zheng Xiao together. Then I can activate the medicine’s power. Whatever happens to them can be blamed on Han Wan.”

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Ye Qing panted heavily, suddenly realizing that Dan Yu hadn’t said a word since they met.

Dan Yu wasn’t a spiritual cultivator, yet Ye Qing truly believed he could still speak even in rabbit form; the rabbit must have spoken in front of him before. A terrifying realization dawned on Xin Qishu: this rabbit wasn’t Dan Yu’s spiritual pet or avatar—it was Dan Yu himself!

Dan Yu had brought this rabbit when he went up the mountain. Did he already have ties to Hanshuang Manor when he was still a prince? That would be why he was helping Ye Qing…

Recalling the feeling when he had possessed the rabbit, he had probably pushed Dan Yu’s soul out. He left in a hurry because something had happened to Dan Yu.

Ye Qing would likely hear of this news soon. If he made the connection to the rabbit’s strange behavior, then he would… realize that someone had learned his secret tonight.

Xin Qishu’s hair stood on end, and he broke into a cold sweat. He had to finish his task before Ye Qing found out the cause of Dan Yu’s illness.

Everything had to be sped up.

Xin Qishu felt immense pressure. He could barely mobilize a few bits of cultivation, which would be enough to suppress a mortal like Ye Qing. But first, he had to get Xiao Wu away.

The rabbit’s blood-red eyes reflected the burly man’s stern expression, and he gave a few squeaks.

Ye Qing waved his hand tiredly. “Xiao Wu, you go back. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

Xiao Wu stood his ground, his expression stubborn. Only after Ye Qing spoke a second time did he leave reluctantly.

This Xiao Wu… didn’t seem quite normal either. Xin Qishu felt something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

Xin Qishu pricked up his ears to listen, confirming no one was outside.

Having taken the medicine, Ye Qing’s condition had improved much, and he returned to his usual self. “Haha, don’t take it to heart. I raised Xiao Wu myself; he’s close to me. He’s always worried someone might harm me.”

Raised him?

“Overall, things are going smoothly. Both you and I will get our wishes in the end.” What did Dan Yu want? First place in the Immortal Struggle Assembly?

Xin Qishu subconsciously dismissed that answer. What Dan Yu sought was definitely not that simple.

Combined with the rabbit, Dan Yu was truly shrouded in mystery.

Xin Qishu hadn’t known Dan Yu for long and didn’t understand him well enough to mimic his voice. The rabbit hopped a few times as a response.

“After that day, I’ll be the master of Hanshuang Manor.” Fortunately, Ye Qing didn’t dwell on that point. After speaking, he laughed freely, seemingly already imagining the scene.

Xin Qishu’s first reaction was that it was impossible. No matter how cunning Ye Qing was, he was still just a mortal; others wouldn’t allow him to take the position of Manor Lord.

Unless this person had other secrets or something to rely on… a question flashed in his mind: had Ye Qing also gotten his medicine from that Lingxiao Pavilion disciple?

Based on Ye Zijin’s abnormal cultivation, he must have been in contact with the medicine for a long time before he died. There were no major competitions in Hanshuang Manor back then; would a Lingxiao Pavilion disciple have appeared?

It was hard to say, as cultivators are often unpredictable, especially those who could glimpse the future. But it was like a loose thread that one couldn’t help but pull.

A medical cultivator usually has certain characteristics: thin and weak from frequently testing medicines; and since they need to prepare medicines, they usually live in the mountains and forests, often carrying the scent of herbs.

Medical cultivators are special—those with cultivation are called medical cultivators, and those without are called physicians. But the difference between the two isn’t actually that great.

A physician with a cultivator by their side can achieve the same results as a medical cultivator.

Ye Qing indeed looked thin. The only scent on him was the medicinal one Xin Qishu had smelled.

But those characteristics all depend on the person being a physician by trade. If they had learned it in the past but weren’t currently practicing, all of that would be moot.

Ye Qing lived at Hanshuang Manor as a manager and couldn’t be constantly steeped in the scent of herbs. In short, Ye Qing might be a medical cultivator, or he might not; there was no concrete evidence. The thread wouldn’t budge.

Sometimes, Xin Qishu was quite lucky. For instance, at this moment, Ye Qing stood up and went to a wooden cabinet, pulling out a drawer. “Hmph… actually, I know you’re worried I’ll go back on my word and stop refining medicine for you.”

He turned around and tossed an ice-blue porcelain bottle to Xin Qishu. “Don’t worry, I, Ye Qing, am not that kind of person. Though I am a poison cultivator, I still have a conscience.”

“I heard He Lvqing asked my senior brother for a pill for you a few days ago? Bring it to me so I can study it.”

Ye Qing shrugged with a casual smile. “The downside of defecting from the sect is that it’s hard to improve one’s skills.”

Senior brother??! Ye Qing was once a disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion! This news was so shocking that it took Xin Qishu a moment to react.

Hadn’t Ye Qing been adopted by Ye Ting when he was very young? When did he have the time to go to Lingxiao Pavilion to study?

Did Ye Ting know Ye Qing was a poison cultivator? Xin Qishu leaned toward the possibility that she might have some suspicions but hadn’t thought of him being a poison cultivator. If she had known, she would have said so earlier that evening.

A cloyingly sweet scent wafted from the gap between the bottle and the stopper. Xin Qishu felt nauseous, but the rabbit’s body moved beyond his control, leaning forward.

The sensation was incredibly unpleasant. Since it was his first time possessing an animal, some details hadn’t been handled well. The feeling just then was like having a chain around his neck, pulling him forward.

He felt a moment of daze, and Ye Qing’s face before him became blurred. The lavish background vanished instantly.

He was back in his original body, in a room of the disciples’ courtyard. The dim moonlight shone into the room as he sat in a chair, his face reflected in the bronze mirror.

On his palm-sized face, his thin lips were stained with pale red lip mud, his brows had been carefully drawn, and a diamond-shaped floral mark had been painted between his brows.

He was wearing a red gauze garment. Lvqing was standing behind him, his fingers running through his hair, smoothing it out strand by strand, holding a hairpin to style his hair.

His possession time had ended.

No! Let him go back for just a moment! He couldn’t let the rabbit swallow that pill; he couldn’t let Dan Yu wake up so soon.

At this moment, Xin Qishu was also lucky. The next instant, he was back in the rabbit’s body, with Ye Qing’s smooth face flickering in the lamplight.

“You…”

The rabbit snatched the porcelain bottle and bolted out the door, a white blur.

The bottle flew through the air and fell into the nearby river with a “plop,” sinking to the bottom.

Moonlight like water flowed from the sky, falling on the two of them.

“What do you think?” Lvqing asked as he tucked a stray hair behind his ear.

The person in the bronze mirror had delicate features, yet there was a hint of heroism and ruthlessness in his expression. His raven-black hair was neatly held up by a hairpin.

Xin Qishu’s soul returned. The blurry bronze mirror reflected the general colors of the two people; He Lvqing stood behind him, his hands on his shoulders, while he kept his head slightly lowered. On his ivory skin, his long, dark brows flew toward his temples, and a pair of light-green eyes stared with a hint of a smile.

Xin Qishu didn’t dwell on that smile; he threw cold water on him immediately: “Why are you doing these useless things? Can’t you just hold your sword properly?”

Lvqing’s expression didn’t change as he whispered, “If you don’t like this style, I’ll change it for another.”

“It’s not the style I don’t like; it’s you,” Xin Qishu said, knowing it was futile—He Lvqing would still do as he pleased.

Xin Qishu only said these things to ease his own nervousness.

“Is it worth your time to do these frivolous things? Is it worthy of the effort you once put in?” Xin Qishu wasn’t scolding him out of kindness; he had unintentionally learned He Lvqing’s weakness and wanted to use it to make him suffer.

He got his wish. Lvqing’s eyes flickered, his smile vanished, and his lips thinned. He did care.

When it came to making someone suffer, He Lvqing might have the advantage of circumstances, but Xin Qishu definitely had more talent.

Xin Qishu quickly changed the subject. He needed to know the current situation and more information, so he asked with faked curiosity, “Why did you go out earlier?”

“Something happened to Dan Yu. He suddenly fainted while we were talking and couldn’t be woken up,” He Lvqing spoke as he pulled out the hairpin, letting the black hair fall like a waterfall. “He hasn’t woken up yet, and they’re still investigating.”

“The imperial family will probably blame you then.”

“No,” He Lvqing didn’t know why he had suddenly brought up Dan Yu, but talking about anything was better than his sarcasm. “The imperial family doesn’t care much about him. He ran into a mad Daoist when he was young and fell out of favor.”

“Is there a causal relationship between the two?” Xin Qishu said.

“Perhaps,” He Lvqing said as he combed his hair. “Actually, the concept of the union of spirit and body isn’t just valued by cultivators; mortals care about it too. If the spirit and body aren’t one, it might attract ghosts. How can a tangible mortal fight against intangible ghosts?”

“So he fell out of favor because he attracted ghosts?” Xin Qishu didn’t really pay attention to mortal affairs.

“No, his spirit and body just weren’t one, and people were afraid he’d attract ghosts or turn into a monster or something. So he was sent up the mountain… to cultivate.” He Lvqing didn’t try to style Xin Qishu’s hair again, just combed it through strand by strand.

“In most cases of spirit and body not being one, the soul is split in half. The difference between individuals lies in where the other half went.” As he spoke, He Lvqing chuckled softly. It wasn’t a mocking laugh, but a very gentle one. “After saying all this, would you consider calling me ‘Teacher’?”

“No, do teachers do this to their students?” Xin Qishu looked at him, his eyes filled with fire.

He Lvqing laughed more heartily, but the moonlight illuminated the melancholy on his face. He brought up another unrelated matter, his tone gentle: “Qishu, do you know? In some regions, before a bride gets married, an elder will comb her hair for her.”

“While combing, they say—”

As he spoke, he pressed the wooden comb down slightly through the hair.

“One comb to the end,” [1]

The comb slid down.

“Two combs for white hair to live together in old age,”

The comb slid down from the crown again.

“Three combs for a house full of children and grandchildren.”

The comb slid down from the crown once more.

In the quiet moonlit night, the long black hair was as beautiful as silk.

In the bronze mirror, a long white shape stood next to a pink one.

He Lvqing brushed his thumb against Xin Qishu’s cheek, the skin beneath his thumb delicate. He also stared straight into the mirror.

“Qishu, let’s have another wedding banquet.”

Though they stood right next to each other, they only looked at each other through the mirror.