The Paranoid Male Lead’s "White Moonlight" Has Reborn - Chapter 23.2

The others looked at Lin Rui as if they were looking at the King of Hell himself.

Seeing Tao Hong go for the doctor, Madam Jiang finally felt a bit more settled. She quickly checked on Jiang Chaoyun, only to find him sweating profusely and pale. He kept muttering that he was hot, causing her to weep, “My son…”

Han Jiangmu held Jiang Chaoyun, wiped his sweat, and took his pulse. His expression was exceptionally dark.

Seeing him take the pulse, Madam Jiang sobbed, “You… you know medicine?”

Han Jiangmu said in a low voice, “Madam, be silent.”

Madam Jiang immediately fell quiet. The others were also intimidated by a single glare from Lin Rui and didn’t dare to breathe loudly.

Han Jiangmu’s fingers trembled slightly, yet he maintained absolute calm. Suddenly, his eyes changed. His hand moved from the pulse and abruptly tore open Jiang Chaoyun’s cloak, followed by the thick padded jacket, outer robe, and undergarments.

Madam Jiang gasped, “What are you doing?!”

Lin Rui also stepped forward, his palm the size of a cattail leaf reaching out to grab Han Jiangmu.

However, the sight of Jiang Chaoyun’s exposed skin made Lin Rui freeze in place.

Madam Jiang was also terrified. “Wh-what is this?!”

On Jiang Chaoyun’s snow-white chest, countless blue veins had surfaced, tightly stretched into a web-like pattern. At the center of this web was a circular blue protrusion that was pulsating gently!

Looking at this scene, Han Jiangmu’s countless questions were finally answered. He whispered, “So it wasn’t poison… you were… cursed with a Gu parasite.”

Madam Jiang was stunned. “What did you say?”

Han Jiangmu did not look at her. In fact, other than Jiang Chaoyun, he had no desire to speak to anyone else.

Ma Wenfeng arrived in a hurry. Seeing this, he was also filled with disbelief. Immediately, he felt a wave of regret with this one mistake, he likely would never be trusted by Han Jiangmu again.

But even so, he had to make amends.

Ma Wenfeng re-examined Jiang Chaoyun’s pulse. This time he was exceptionally cautious—in fact, he was always cautious, but who could have imagined Jiang Chaoyun was cursed!

His medical skills weren’t the absolute best, but he was a disciple of the Sage of Southern Glory. Up until this year, he had basically never misdiagnosed anyone. The blame lay with this Gu being far too cunning; of all things, it chose to mimic a cold affliction. Because the patient felt cold, they would only keep adding clothes and would never expose any skin. It was for this reason he hadn’t discovered it.

After finishing the pulse, Ma Wenfeng examined the web-like pattern on Chaoyun. He held his breath for a moment before whispering under Han Jiangmu’s icy gaze: “It is indeed a Gu curse. But this Gu is very rare; there are no records in current texts that match it. However, any Gu parasite that can survive in a human body for a long time will have a ‘Mother Gu’ and a ‘Child Gu’ that influence and trigger each other.”

Han Jiangmu said, “So, does the Young Master have the Mother Gu or the Child Gu?”

Ma Wenfeng could barely breathe; at this point, even his breathing felt like a mistake. “…It is the Child Gu. Only the Child Gu reacts to the Mother Gu, and only the Mother Gu is safe and harmless.”

Han Jiangmu: “Oh. So you mean someone nearby has the Mother Gu, and every time the Young Master has an episode, it is being triggered by someone manually. Is that what you mean?”

Ma Wenfeng’s voice was squeezed out from between his teeth. “…Yes.”

The atmosphere between the two of them was quite strange, but at this moment, no one would suspect anything. Everyone was immersed in the fact that Jiang Chaoyun’s years of illness were actually man-made.

Madam Jiang suddenly glared at Jiang Zuoling and screamed, “Jiang Zuoling! Is it you!”

Jiang Zuoling, whose cheek was swollen from Lin Rui’s slap, spoke with a slur. “Yue-niang! Don’t talk nonsense! Chaoyun is also my son. Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs—I am a human, how could I harm my own son!”

Madam Jiang muttered, “Then who could it be? You never liked Chaoyun anyway. If it isn’t you, who else could it be?”

Ma Wenfeng frowned. After a while, he took a medicine bottle from his robe, opened it, and poured out a black pill, feeding it to Jiang Chaoyun. After taking the pill, Chaoyun’s furrowed brows finally eased.

Having done this, Ma Wenfeng said, “Since the Child Gu in the Young Master has been triggered, the Mother Gu should be nearby. I must trouble everyone to remove their clothes so I can check.”

Madam Jiang was the first to point at Jiang Zuoling. “You! Strip first!”

Jiang Zuoling hesitated.

Han Jiangmu and Ma Wenfeng exchanged a look. Before Ma Wenfeng could move, Lin Rui had already grabbed Jiang Zuoling. With a loud rip, his other hand tore open Jiang Zuoling’s thick clothing.

Immediately, Jiang Zuoling’s entire upper body was exposed to everyone.

Everyone fell silent. Madam Jiang let out another scream and slapped Jiang Zuoling. “Jiang Zuoling! You beast!”

Jiang Zuoling was still defending himself. “Yue-niang! You have to believe me! I know nothing about this!”

Even he felt his words were hollow, because on his chest, there was indeed a web-like pattern identical to Jiang Chaoyun’s. However, while Chaoyun’s was blue, his was a faint red, and in the center was something like a small mole that was slightly protruding.

It was much less noticeable than Chaoyun’s.

He rarely paid attention to his own body; perhaps he had noticed the pattern long ago but hadn’t cared. After all, he felt no pain or illness, so he was too lazy to see a doctor for such a small thing.

But now, who could believe him?

Jiang Zuoling himself felt a sense of despair.

However, at that moment, Han Jiangmu suddenly strode toward a corner and dragged out a woman. “Are you smiling?”

The woman looked up blankly, her face full of sorrow. “My lord, I was not smiling. You must have seen wrongly.”

Han Jiangmu’s voice was icy. “You were smiling. I saw it.”

The woman insisted on denying it. “I was not. My lord, I beg you to let us go. My son is still young; I will take him away from Huaizhou immediately and never appear before the Master or Madam again. I beg for mercy.”

Han Jiangmu drew his sword and said, “Do you want to be flayed, or suffer the death of a thousand cuts? I am skilled in both.”

As he spoke, he dragged the woman toward the door. Lin Rui called out to him, “Little brother!”

Han Jiangmu ignored him completely. He was so tall that dragging the woman was effortless. The others stood there blankly, allowing him to lead her to the doorway.

The woman began to scream, “Let me go! What are you trying to do?!”

Han Jiangmu flung her onto the cold ground. The servants in Jiang Zuoling’s courtyard peeked out fearfully but did not dare step forward.

Han Jiangmu flicked the cold blade with his finger, producing a crisp metallic sound. The corners of his mouth curled slightly, and his eyes were dark, like a black vortex that swallowed all light. “Flaying is too much trouble. I’ll give you the thousand cuts instead.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the long sword carved a white arc through the air. Blood immediately splattered across the bluestone floor, and the woman let out a horrific scream.

Her kneecap had been sliced off!!

Everyone inside the room heard the woman’s tragic cry. Lin Shiyan went out to look and retreated with a pale face.

Lin Rui, however, walked to the door and witnessed the scene. His expression changed slightly—what exquisite swordsmanship. With just one strike, he had perfectly removed the woman’s kneecap!

Han Jiangmu asked, “Will you speak?”

The woman wept in agony. “Let me go, I know nothing! I beg you! What you’re doing is against the law!”

As soon as she spoke, Han Jiangmu’s sword fell again. This time it was her other kneecap. The woman’s screams rang out again, each one blood-curdling.

The woman still said nothing. Han Jiangmu’s blood-stained blade slid up her dress and finally rested on her hand. “Do you still want these hands?”

The woman was surrounded by blood, and her breathing was weak. Yet she still whispered piteously, “My lord, have mercy. I really wasn’t smiling.”

Han Jiangmu swung his sword to cut off her hand, but a voice suddenly rang out: “My lord, please stay your hand.”

Han Jiangmu looked back; it was Jiang Yaozong.

There was no smile on Jiang Yaozong’s face. He said in a low voice, “Please spare her life. I have something to say.”

The woman’s eyes snapped open. Sweat and blood mixed on her face, making her look ghastly. Once those charming eyes were filled with resentment, she truly looked like an evil spirit crawling out of hell. Her kneecaps were gone, and she could no longer stand, but she still propped herself up to look at Jiang Yaozong. Her gaze was full of threat: “Don’t speak! Jiang Yaozong, don’t you dare speak!”

Jiang Yaozong did not look at her. “This Gu… my mother planted it sixteen years ago.”

The woman shrieked, “Jiang Yaozong! Why don’t you just die!! Die! Shut your mouth!”

Han Jiangmu kicked the woman’s mouth, dislocating her jaw so she couldn’t speak. She could only make “he-he” sounds as saliva dripped from her mouth.

Jiang Yaozong continued, “She met Jiang Zuoling sixteen years ago. At that time, Jiang Zuoling was already married and could not possibly marry her. But my mother fell in love with him. Upon learning she could not marry him or even be a concubine, she sought revenge. Thus, she planted the Gu in Jiang Zuoling and also in Jiang Chaoyun. It is called the ‘Ice Gu,’ which perfectly matches Chaoyun’s innate deficiency and tendency toward cold afflictions. That is why no doctor could discover it for over a decade.”

He paused and then added, “My mother and I originally lived in Lingnan. But at the end of this winter, it was very cold. My mother said she wanted to watch Jiang Chaoyun die, so she brought me to Huaizhou.”

Having finished, Jiang Yaozong’s gaze fell on the woman, devoid of joy or sorrow. “The primary condition for the Mother Gu to trigger the Child Gu is the host’s resentment toward the Child Gu’s host. Have you not noticed? Every time Jiang Chaoyun had an episode, it was after Jiang Zuoling had visited him. If there was a delay, it might have been because the room was too warm—the Ice Gu takes time to take effect—but it was never long after.”

The woman continued to make “he-he” sounds, her gaze toward Jiang Yaozong exceptionally venomous.

In this state, it seemed she wanted to see Jiang Zuoling’s family destroyed more than she cared for her own son.

Han Jiangmu’s expression was unreadable. “Are you finished?”

Jiang Yaozong knelt before Han Jiangmu. “Please spare her. If you wish to vent your anger, kill me. I am at your disposal.”

However, just as he finished, a black object flew through the air and landed in his lap.

Gasps erupted from the surroundings. Jiang Yaozong’s ears rang. In his lap sat a head with a distorted face.

Han Jiangmu’s cold voice sounded in his ear: “Why should I listen to you?”

Jiang Yaozong stared blankly at the severed head. After a moment, he croaked, “My mother… she could have cured the Gu.”

Han Jiangmu ignored him. He flicked the hilt, shaking the blood from his sword onto the ground, sheathed the blade, and walked back inside.

His aura was so terrifying that even Lin Rui instinctively made way for him.

Walking to his sister’s side, Lin Rui whispered, “Who is he?”

Madam Jiang’s eyes were filled with irrepressible terror. “…He is just a guard in our manor.”

Lin Rui shook his head. Such decisiveness in killing… he could not possibly be just a guard.

He had a suspicion, but as soon as it appeared, he quickly suppressed it.

As soon as Han Jiangmu entered, he asked Ma Wenfeng, “If the host of the Mother Gu is killed, will the host of the Child Gu be unharmed?”

Ma Wenfeng couldn’t help but glance at him, thinking that everyone was still present, but he didn’t dare not answer: “Theoretically, it is feasible.”

Jiang Zuoling realized something and finally snapped out of it. “What are you trying to do! Get this straight—you are just a guard!”

He was finally afraid. “And… and killing is against the law! Under the Emperor’s feet, how can you disregard the law like this!”

Han Jiangmu listened and nodded. “Master is right. It was my oversight.”

Jiang Zuoling was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Han Jiangmu drew his sword again. A flash of cold light later, Jiang Zuoling’s long hair was cut at the roots and fell in a heap to the floor.

Han Jiangmu said, “Write the ‘Letter of Release.’ Otherwise, the next thing to fall will be your head.”

Jiang Zuoling: “…”

For some reason, he feared this guard more than he feared Lin Rui. Clearly… he was just a guard!

Yet Jiang Zuoling dared not say a word. Just now, Han Jiangmu had decapitated a woman in front of everyone! No one had stopped him, and he didn’t seem afraid at all!

This man was an evil spirit, a absolute demon!

Terrified, Jiang Zuoling repeatedly agreed to write the letter.

Lin Shiyan promptly handed over the brush and ink. Jiang Zuoling’s hands were shaking, but with Han Jiangmu staring at him, he didn’t dare protest.

Han Jiangmu added, “And compensate Madam Jiang with 600,000 taels of silver.”

Jiang Zuoling’s hand jerked, but he added the clause. Everything considered, he finished writing the document properly.

The Old Madam and the servants didn’t dare speak, standing aside like quailing chicks with their heads tucked in. By now, the Old Madam didn’t even dare to sit down.

She was elderly and easily frightened; at this moment, there was a faint smell of urine on her, but no one dared help her away.

This farce had begun with Madam Jiang only wanting to pressure Jiang Zuoling, and the Old Madam thinking it was just a common dispute. No one had expected it to reach this point.

But now, no one dared to utter a word.

Madam Jiang was also in a daze as she watched Han Jiangmu force Jiang Zuoling to write the release.

A ‘Letter of Release’ was a mutual divorce, not being ‘discarded’ (repudiated), so it maintained her dignity. With her dowry and 600,000 taels of silver, no one would look down on her even if she returned to the Lin family.

But how could Chaoyun be cursed rather than ill?

Madam Jiang’s mind was a mess, and she couldn’t process everything at once, making her look uncharacteristically sluggish compared to her usual shrewd and serious self.

Han Jiangmu watched Jiang Zuoling finish, then urged both of them to press their thumbprints on it. The document became official; the two were no longer husband and wife.

Jiang Zuoling looked at Madam Jiang, trying to say something, but as Han Jiangmu’s gaze swept over him, the words died in his throat.

For some reason, he had a strong premonition that this “ordinary” guard would truly take his life.

Filled with dread, he stayed quiet. It must be said he had some luck; his survival instinct forced him to remain silent.

Han Jiangmu’s attention returned to Jiang Chaoyun. He asked Ma Wenfeng, “How is the Young Master now?”

Ma Wenfeng whispered, “The yang-natured medicines given to him previously are working. This type of cold-natured Gu does not like warm flesh, so this flare-up was short. The Young Master did not suffer much.”

Han Jiangmu looked down at Jiang Chaoyun, who was lying on the bench. He reached out and gently stroked his face. “I am taking him back to his room. You all handle the rest yourselves.”

Without caring for the gazes of others, he bent down, scooped Jiang Chaoyun up in his arms, and strode out.

Madam Jiang and Lin Rui looked at each other, but neither dared to stop him.