Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 88

When Jiang Rui woke up early this morning, he noticed a dull, throbbing pain radiating from his right thumb. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he used his left hand to gently pinch the joint of his right thumb, hoping the pressure might alleviate the discomfort.

Rong Jing-tang sat up from within the bed, the covers sliding down to his waist. His bare upper torso was fully revealed before Jiang Rui. Despite having seen this sight countless times, Jiang Rui still felt a momentary breathlessness whenever he looked at him.

Rong Jing-tang’s skin was very pale—not the sickly pallor of the past, but a healthy fairness. After years of careful recuperation, and because Jiang Rui had been feeding him various tonics and spiritual supplements without regard for cost, his health had improved significantly. By the standards of a mortal lifespan, Rong Jing-tang would likely live long enough to become an “old monster.”

Jiang Rui laughed suddenly, imagining Rong Jing-tang a century from now, white-haired and covered in wrinkles. However, his own lifespan would likely far exceed Rong’s. Because of this, the idea of leading Rong Jing-tang onto the path of cultivation had crossed his mind many times, yet he had never been able to voice it. It had been on the tip of his tongue several times, only to be delayed by various circumstances.

“Up so early?” Rong Jing-tang’s voice was raspy with sleep—low and deep enough to send goosebumps down Jiang Rui’s arms.

Jiang Rui nodded, touched his right thumb again, and said with a smile, “I need to make a trip to Jinlin.”

Rong Jing-tang didn’t reply. He simply propped himself up lazily on one arm, his gaze fixed on Jiang Rui’s smooth back. When Jiang Rui turned around, he felt a sudden impulse for mischief; he leaned down and pressed a light kiss against the side of Rong Jing-tang’s face. Seeing the other man dazed for a moment, he smiled and said, “Good morning.”

The corners of Rong Jing-tang’s mouth curled uncontrollably. He tapped his own lips with a finger and teased, “What about here?”

Jiang Rui’s eyes crinkled. Feeling a rare sense of lightheartedness, he pressed his lips together and gave him a proper kiss. Satisfied, Rong Jing-tang returned the gesture before lying back down leisurely and closing his eyes right in front of Jiang Rui.

Jiang Rui watched him for a moment longer before getting up to dress.

The pain in his right thumb was connected to the jade pendant he had given to Xiao Lu-nan. That pendant had already blocked many disasters for Xiao; the last time they met, the jade had been riddled with cracks. Jiang Rui had wanted to take it back then, but Xiao Lu-nan had stopped him. After all, it was the first thing Jiang Rui had ever given him. Though it seemed a bit ridiculous, for that reason alone, Xiao Lu-nan had kept the shattered pieces sealed in a brocade box as a memento.

Later, Jiang Rui gave him a new piece of jade. Unlike the previous one, this new jade was crafted using the essence of a Spiritual Marrow. In every respect, it was many times stronger than its predecessor. Since the pain in his thumb wasn’t severe, Jiang Rui deduced that Xiao Lu-nan’s injury wasn’t life-threatening, which was why he wasn’t in a frantic rush. As for the cause—Xiao Lu-nan had a fiery temper; suffering a little hardship wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Jiang Rui arrived at one of Xiao Lu-nan’s many hideouts just a few minutes after leaving.

The basement was cramped, located beneath a very quiet residential area. No one would imagine that a rising figure about to take over half the sky in Jinlin was staying here. When he pushed the door open, the dilapidated iron door let out a piercing screech that felt exceptionally jarring in the silence.

Jiang Rui pushed aside a short blade held to his throat and a pistol pointed at his forehead. “What happened?” he asked calmly.

The room full of men stared at him as if they had seen a ghost. Xiao Wu was the most shocked; he hopped over to Jiang Rui, ignoring his arm which was encased in a plaster cast. “Whoa, Second Brother! How do you always find us no matter where we hide?”

Jiang Rui smiled but didn’t answer. Glancing at Xiao Wu’s arm, he tossed him a jar of medicine. “Rub this on your arm. It’ll be healed in about a week.” Xiao Wu’s eyes lit up, and he scurried off clutching the jar like a precious treasure.

Walking further in, Jiang Rui caught a faint scent of blood. Earlier, the crowded room and the heavy scent of sweat had masked it, but now it was unmistakable.

The injured person was indeed Xiao Lu-nan. As Jiang Rui stepped inside, he saw a completely unexpected figure.

“Xi-xi? Why are you here?” Jiang Rui’s expression changed.

Jiang Xi was a mess, her ponytail disheveled and her clothes torn. She looked as though she had suffered a great ordeal. Upon seeing Jiang Rui, she could no longer hold back her sobs. Limping, she threw herself into his arms. “Cousin… hic… Mom and Dad were taken away by bad people!”

On the other side of the room, Xiao Lu-nan was being treated for a gunshot wound. A refined-looking man in gold-rimmed glasses was performing a makeshift surgery. Under local anesthesia, Xiao Lu-nan didn’t seem to feel much pain. He glanced at Jiang Rui and managed to say, “It was Wang Cheng-hui.”

He took a strained breath and closed his eyes to recover his strength. Jiang Rui knew that this man—who would rather die than lose—was blaming himself for failing to protect Jiang Rui’s aunt and uncle.

“You went to Qing City?” Jiang Rui held Jiang Xi’s small body, realizing the child was running a fever and was extremely weak. She clearly hadn’t had a decent meal in a long time.

He reached into his “Secret Realm” (hidden space) and pulled out a fresh honey cake. Jiang Xi looked at the sweet cake hungrily and licked her lips, but she hesitated. “Brother, everyone else hasn’t eaten in a long time either.”

She then briefly recounted what had happened.

Xiao Lu-nan had gone to Qing City for a medicinal herb deal with Jiang Rui’s uncle-in-law, Zhou Yong-ping. On the way, he spotted a scarred man working for Wang Cheng-hui acting suspiciously. Xiao Lu-nan sent Xiao Wu to follow them while he went to Zhou Yong-ping’s office.

While waiting in the VIP room, he received a call from Xiao Wu. The men had broken into a house and abducted two adults and a child. Realizing the girl was Jiang Rui’s younger sister, Xiao Lu-nan abandoned his meeting and rushed to the scene. They intercepted the kidnappers in the outskirts under the cover of night. Unfortunately, in the chaos, they were only able to rescue the child; the two adults were taken away.

“Mom untied my ropes…” Jiang Xi said softly, showing her wrists which were bruised deep purple. “When they were fighting, glass broke on the floor. Mom used a shard to cut me free and told me to run.”

She looked at Xiao Lu-nan, her face falling as she saw his pale complexion. “They fired a gun at me. This uncle carried me and ran… that’s when he got hit.”

Jiang Rui gritted his teeth. He pretended to pull a box of bread from his backpack—enough to feed everyone present. Only then did Jiang Xi start eating in small bites. “These uncles are all good people,” she whispered. “They gave me all their food on the way here.”

Jiang Rui felt a wave of complicated emotions. He knew that if it weren’t for the fact that Jiang Xi was his sister, Xiao Lu-nan—no matter how kindhearted—would likely have just called the police rather than risking his life under gunfire to save a child.

Jiang Rui stepped forward and said sincerely, “Thank you, Lu-nan.”

“We’re brothers, stop talking nonsense,” Xiao Lu-nan waved his uninjured hand, feigning irritation.

Jiang Rui smiled. As if performing a magic trick, he produced a large bottle of water and several paper cups. He mixed in some water from the Spiritual Spring in his Secret Realm and passed the cups around. “Eating that bread is dry work. Have some water.”

As the men ate and drank, their spirits visibly lifted. Jiang Rui personally fed a cup to Xiao Lu-nan. “Lu-nan, I’ll take it from here.”

He had originally intended to stop looking for trouble with Wang Cheng-hui, thinking—as Miao Xuan had said—that karma would eventually catch up to him in the next life. But that did not apply when others were harmed.

If someone crosses me, I will cross them until they are dead.

The thought felt slightly strange coming from his own mind. Jiang Rui smiled thinly and led Jiang Xi out of the basement. “Xi-xi, close your eyes. Brother is going to take you somewhere, okay?”

Jiang Xi glanced back at the basement and bit her lip. “Brother, those uncles down there are hurt. I want to help them.”

Jiang Rui froze. He suddenly noticed that on Jiang Xi’s ring finger, a faint, pale pink line had appeared…

When did this “peach blossom” (fate of love) begin to bloom?