The night is getting quiet and dark clouds are covering the moon.
Jiang Yuebai returned from his inspection and went straight to Song Peier's house. When he reached the entrance of the village, he saw Lu Ying leaning against the wall of an empty house, her face pale and her eyes empty.
"Lu Ying, what's wrong with you?"
Jiang Yuebai walked over, and Lu Ying trembled all over and retreated as if frightened.
"Don't come over here!"
Jiang Yuebai paused, and stood far away looking at Lu Ying, "What happened? Why can't you just tell me directly? I can help you, Lu Ying."
Lu Ying lowered her eyes and tears welled up in them. She didn't dare to look Jiang Yuebai in the eye. "Help me? Even gods can't help me. You are nothing! You are so self-righteous. Are you so great as an inner sect disciple? Help me? Ridiculous!"
Jiang Yuebai frowned, "Lü Ying, you have repeatedly provoked me with words, just to make me leave, but I am no longer the impulsive and irritable Jiang Yuebai. If you have something to hide, just look at me."
Lu Ying clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh, and she struggled internally.
In the end, she still didn't look up.
"Okay, if you don't tell me, I'll go ask Song Pei'er."
Jiang Yuebai was determined and walked away, passing by Lu Ying.
"She's dying!"
Lu Ying turned around and called Jiang Yuebai, then slowly raised her head.
When their eyes met, tears welled up in Lu Ying's eyes, filled with struggle and fear. Her face became paler and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Jiang Yuebai looked at her. Her lips trembled and she opened her mouth several times before she squeezed out a plea from her throat.
"Don't go..."
Jiang Yuebai's eyes flickered slightly, and he avoided Lu Ying's gaze first, lowered his eyes to glance at the ground, and chuckled.
"So you don't want me to see her miserable death, so you want to save her some face? No problem, I'll go see her, maybe I can cure her."
Lu Ying shook her head vigorously, but Jiang Yuebai didn't look at her, just turned and left.
Lu Ying took two steps forward and watched Jiang Yuebai walk towards Song Peier's yard. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions. She wanted to call her, but she could no longer muster the courage.
Even, there was a sense of relief.
"Lü Ying, you are a bastard, you are a bastard..."
Lu Ying fell to the ground, her shoulders shaking violently, and she covered her mouth and sobbed.
＊
Pushing open the gate, Jiang Yuebai walked in and looked around the courtyard walls.
She recalled that year when she and Lu Ying were playing with mud, getting their heads and faces all covered with mud, and they were smearing the mud on the wall while playing.
Song Pei'er acted like an ordinary mother, scolding them for getting their clothes dirty and making egg custard for them to eat.
Before leaving, Song Pei'er gave her a basket of eggs and asked her to take them back to nourish her grandfather.
The past is still vivid in my mind, but now the cracks in the wall are broken and no one has repaired them.
"Is that you, girl Yuebai? Come in and talk, cough, cough, cough."
Song Pei'er's old and tired voice was heard from inside. Jiang Yuebai walked in, but did not see Song Pei'er. He walked through the front room to the backyard and saw the wooden door of the cellar was lifted.
"Ying'er's birthday is coming soon, cough cough, she loves to drink the fruit wine I brew, but this cellar is too dark, girl Yuebai, come down and help me move the wine jars, cough cough cough, okay?"
"Coming soon."
Jiang Yuebai took off the cold jade pendant, stuffed a pill into his sleeve, and walked slowly into the cellar.
Bang!
The cellar door slammed shut. The dark room was dark and no lights were on. Song Pei'er was still dressed in a cherry pink dress, like a young woman, sitting upright on the armchair in the middle.
A faint glow flashed everywhere, and there was a hint of wine amidst the damp and rotten smell.
Jiang Yuebai covered his mouth and nose with his sleeves, moved his throat slightly, and walked slowly towards Song Peier.
"Senior Sister Song, what do you mean?"
"Ahem, as you can see, I'm dying."
Jiang Yuebai stood far away opposite her, "So you want to tell me your last words?"
"Heh~" Song Pei'er laughed contemptuously, "I'm afraid you are the one who should leave your last words. This incense burner of mine contains a dream of immortality. Even if you are a foundation-building cultivator, it is difficult to resist. Ordinary detoxification pills will not have any effect."
Jiang Yuebai frowned and sensed it for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "It's really amazing. I can't mobilize my spiritual energy anymore, and my body is weak."
"Aren't you afraid?" Song Pei'er was surprised. Jiang Yuebai acted very calmly, without any nervousness or fear.
"If I were afraid, I wouldn't come in."
Song Pei'er narrowed her eyes, "So you knew what I was going to do but still volunteered to come in? Ying'er actually made a good friend!"
Jiang Yuebai's legs felt weak, and he took a few steps back and leaned on the wine jar. "Lü Ying gave me the spring of March, and I will give her the peach blossoms of April. She deserves it."
"What a worthy one, but you even risked your life? Tao Fengnian really taught a good child to be grateful and repay his kindness!"
"Don't mention my grandfather. It makes me sick when I hear his name coming out of your mouth!" Jiang Yuebai responded coldly.
"I didn't know why grandpa was always on guard against you and ignored you before, even refusing to accept the eggs you gave me. Now it seems that grandpa has a keen eye and knew that you have a vicious heart!"
Song Pei'er sneered disdainfully, "What's the point of saying so much? Now he's dead and I'm alive! If he could be a third as vicious as I am, he would have taken over your body earlier, wouldn't that be a bright future for him?"
Jiang Yuebai slid to the ground, his whole body limp. "My grandfather is naturally different from you. Even at the last moment, he never thought of taking over my body. Lu Ying has taken care of you all these years. Don't you really have any gratitude or love for her?"
"She takes care of me? I've always taken care of her! She eats my food and uses my things, and relies on my guidance for cultivation. Without me, how could she be where she is today? Of course, even if you keep a dog around, you will have some feelings for it."
"If I hadn't been seriously injured by Xiao Ankuo and had no time left, I would naturally not have taken her body. In the final analysis, all this is because of Tao Fengnian. He owes me. I just want to live. What have I done wrong!"
Jiang Yuebai looked up and said, "Okay, since my grandfather owes you, I will pay you back today. No matter how you threaten Lu Ying, let her go and I will let you take over her body."
Song Pei'er looked at him warily, "Are you really so kind?"
"How can a beast like you understand the thoughts of people like me and Grandpa?"
Song Peier coughed violently, "Ahem, actually, you are not my best choice, cough, cough, cough."
"What else do you want?" Jiang Yuebai was on guard.
Song Pei'er looked at Jiang Yuebai, her eyes and tone full of temptation.
"You have five spiritual roots and have had great luck to become an inner sect disciple. It has been extremely difficult for you to come this far. Are you really willing to be replaced by me?"
Song Pei'er propped herself up and moved closer. "I heard that you and Lu Nanzhi are close friends. As long as you bring her here and help me take her body, I can let you go."
"If you don't want to see me at that time, I will leave Tianyan Sect. If you can accept it, I can also stay as the Lu family's Tianjiao and become your backer in the future. How about that?"
Jiang Yuebai felt so sick that his stomach was boiling. "You are greedy! You are wishful thinking!"
Song Pei'er narrowed her eyes dangerously, "It seems that you are unwilling. If so, don't blame me for not giving you a chance. Your spiritual roots are a little weak, but your cultivation speed is not inferior to Lu Nanzhi and his ilk. You must have a secret. When I take over your body, everything you have will be mine."
As soon as she finished speaking, Song Pei'er saw that the time was ripe and Jiang Yuebai was no longer able to struggle, so she immediately activated the body-snatching formation that had been prepared in the cellar.
A red light lit up from under Song Pei'er's feet and quickly moved across the ground to form strange runes.
Song Pei'er stood up slowly, her face looked hideous in the red light. She had been preparing in this dark cellar for so many years just for this moment of rebirth!
The rune took shape, and the red light gathered at one point, rushing towards Jiang Yuebai.
Jiang Yuebai suddenly raised his head, letting the red light pierce his eyebrows, his eyes shining with brilliance.
"You want to die, I will grant your wish!"
Song Pei'er's soul left her body and crashed into Jiang Yuebai's sea of consciousness, where she saw thunder and lightning across the sky, heavy snow pouring down, and a turquoise lantern hanging above the full ears of wheat, with phosphorous flames surging and staring hungrily!
"No!!!"
The shrill screams and remorse echoed through the depths of the sea of consciousness, and it was absolutely beautiful.
(End of this chapter)