Chapter 47
Mark, despite his reservations, agreed to Song Ling’s desperate request. He asked her to leave the room and then looked at Li Xinjun, who was on the verge of death, lying pale and still on the bed. He sighed and whispered,
“Don’t blame me for this.”
He leaned down, revealing his sharp fangs, and sank his teeth into her neck, drawing blood from her artery. His eyes turned crimson, his body surging with power.
A strong demonic aura emanated from him. Song Ling, standing outside the door, sensed the surge of energy and knew what was happening. She closed her eyes tightly, her fists clenched, her breath catching in her throat. Tears streamed down her face.
She knew that everything would be different from now on, but she had no regrets. She knew she would never regret this decision. As long as Li Xinjun lived, no matter the form, it didn’t matter.
A short while later, Mark emerged from the room. Song Ling rushed to him. Mark said nothing, simply nodding before leaving.
Song Ling entered the room and saw Li Xinjun still unconscious, two puncture marks on her neck, blood staining the edges. Her heart ached as she gazed at the wounds. She went to fetch a wet cloth and gently wiped away the blood.
“Jun’er, no matter what you become, I will always love you.”
She leaned down and kissed Li Xinjun’s lips softly. Although she had saved Li Xinjun’s life, her heart was heavy with worry. She held Li Xinjun’s hand tightly, refusing to let go.
She was also injured, but she was determined to stay by Li Xinjun’s side until she woke up. Exhausted, she slumped against the bed, her head resting on Li Xinjun’s arm, and drifted off to sleep.
When she awoke, it was morning, but Li Xinjun was still unconscious. Song Ling watched her chest rise and fall with each breath, her heart filled with uncertainty. She didn’t know what state Li Xinjun was in, whether she was human or monster, alive or dead. The only sign of life was the slight movement of her abdomen.
Ignoring her own injuries, she got out of bed and went downstairs to the living room, where she found Mark and General Henry chatting. She sat down and joined their conversation.
“Miss Song, I just spoke with Count Mark. He wants to take Miss Li to his castle for treatment. Although the chances are slim, there’s still a glimmer of hope. What do you think?”
Song Ling looked at Henry and Mark, confused. Mark gave her a subtle look, and she understood. He was trying to protect his secret. Henry didn’t know Mark’s true identity, so Song Ling had to play along.
“Count? Since when is Mark a count?”
“Oh, I only learned recently through correspondence. It turns out that he’s a descendant of Count Marcus, who was the only son of Charles, Earl of Name, and a Qing princess. There was a terrible plague in the Qing Dynasty, and everyone thought they had died.
No one knew that Count Marcus had any descendants. When Mark returned to his homeland, he discovered his heritage and rightfully inherited his ancestor’s title.
I invited him here to celebrate, and it was fortunate that he was here when you had your accident. Otherwise, you might not have been rescued. It’s just a pity that Miss Li… Sigh…”
“General Henry, it seems we’ll have to postpone our celebration. The priority now is to take Li Xinjun to my castle for treatment. We’ll return and celebrate with you once she’s recovered.”
“Yes, of course. But your physician said that Miss Li… Is there really any hope? Will she survive the journey?”
“General Henry, no matter what the physician said, as long as there’s a chance, I have to try. Since Count Mark believes he can help, I must take Jun’er to him.”
“Alright, if that’s what you both believe, then I won’t stop you. I also hope for Miss Li’s recovery. Good luck. I’ll be waiting for good news. Are you leaving tomorrow morning?”
“No, we’re leaving now,” Mark replied firmly.
“Now? But it’s still raining,” Henry said, looking at Mark in surprise.
“Yes, now. We can’t delay any longer.”
“Very well. I’ll have a carriage prepared for you immediately.”
“Thank you, General Henry.”
Once the carriage was ready, Song Ling went upstairs and carried the unconscious Li Xinjun down. Mark, wanting to keep his secret, declined Henry’s offer of a coachman and chose to drive the carriage himself. He instructed Song Ling to stay inside the carriage and tend to Li Xinjun.
Song Ling watched as Li Xinjun stirred in her sleep. She noticed movement beneath her eyelids, a sign that she was about to wake up. She grabbed Li Xinjun’s hand and called out to her softly,
“Jun’er, Jun’er, it’s Song Ling. Can you hear me? Jun’er, wake up.”
Li Xinjun’s eyelids fluttered, but she didn’t open her eyes. Song Ling went to the front of the carriage and opened the small window, calling out to Mark.
“Mark, I think Jun’er is about to wake up. Her eyes are moving. Can you come and take a look?”
Mark stopped the carriage and turned around, looking at Li Xinjun through the window. He nodded.
“Yes, it seems she’s about to wake up. There’s an abandoned house not far from here. Let’s stop there and rest for a while. We can assess her condition then.”
“Okay, thank you, Mark.”
“Don’t thank me. Whatever happens next is up to you. I’m just offering transportation.”
Song Ling understood what he meant. Her heart was a mix of hope and fear. She was relieved that Li Xinjun was about to wake up but also worried about her condition. However, she was determined to face whatever challenges lay ahead, as long as she could be with Li Xinjun.
They soon arrived at the abandoned house Mark had mentioned. It looked dilapidated, with parts of the roof caved in, but it would suffice for a night’s shelter. Song Ling carried Li Xinjun inside. Mark arranged two long benches side by side for her to lay Li Xinjun down.
Mark gathered some twigs and dry grass to start a fire. Song Ling, curious, approached him.
“Why aren’t you afraid of fire?”
Mark looked at her, confused.
“Why should I be afraid of fire?”
“Aren’t all jiangshi afraid of fire? The ones we encountered before were.”
“You’re comparing me to those low-level jiangshi? How insulting…”
“Are you different? Can you tell me more about jiangshi? You know, since Jun’er and I… I need to learn to adapt.”
Mark looked at her sincere expression and sighed, sitting down by the fire.
“Come, sit with me.”
Song Ling sat down beside him, her gaze fixed on him, waiting for him to speak. Mark, throwing more twigs onto the fire, began to explain.
“The jiangshi you encountered before weren’t true jiangshi. They were different from me. They were created by humans, while I was transformed by a celestial being. Although our essence is similar, our abilities are vastly different.”
“But weren’t you working with them? I saw them obeying your commands in Chen Family Village.”
“They did obey my commands, but that’s not because we were allies. It’s because they could sense the energy emanating from me. They perceived me as powerful, as their leader, but I didn’t know them.”
“But you were in that cave with them. I sensed your demonic aura there.”
“You were in that cave?”
“Yes, Jun’er and I went there. That’s how we discovered your existence. I even tracked you for a while, following your aura.”
“I know. I thought you first encountered me in Chen Family Village. I didn’t realize you had been to the cave. So, you killed the jiangshi in the cave?”
“Yes, Jun’er and I killed it.”
“Why? Why did you kill it?”
“Because it was a monster. My master taught me to slay demons and monsters, to protect the innocent.”
Mark stared at her, speechless, her self-righteousness annoying him.
“So, should you kill me and Li Xinjun now? We’re monsters too.”
Now it was Song Ling’s turn to be speechless. She looked down, embarrassed, and mumbled,
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Sigh, I understand why you did it. But those jiangshi were just tools, manipulated by someone else. They only attacked humans because they needed blood to survive. And most importantly, they couldn’t think. They were like wild beasts. The real enemy is the mastermind behind their creation, the one who refined them.”
“But if that’s the case, why could the jiangshi in the capital think like humans?”
“Those were different. They were transformed through bites, while still alive. Their brains hadn’t died yet, so they could still think. I suspect those people discovered that they couldn’t control the jiangshi created from corpses, so they started using live humans instead.”
“So, you had nothing to do with it? Then why were there so many jiangshi wherever you went?”
“I was also trying to find the mastermind, so I followed the trail of jiangshi.”
“Who is this mastermind?”
“I’m not sure yet, but it must be someone in the imperial court. When I arrived in the capital, I discovered that the jiangshi were being controlled by the soldiers.”
“Soldiers?!”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you continue investigating?”
“You killed all the jiangshi in the capital. How could I continue investigating? And besides, I had the opportunity to return to Britain with General Henry, so I took it.”
“So, you’re not going back?”
“Sigh… Although I want to find the mastermind, I’ll have to see. It’s difficult to do it alone. And besides, I have nothing left in the Qing Dynasty. My wife is dead, and I have no other family. It’s better to start a new life here, isn’t it?”
“You had a wife?”
“Yes, I became a jiangshi because of her. Sigh… But that was a long, long time ago…”
Mark recounted his story, how he had become a jiangshi and how he had chosen to be buried alive to prevent further harm. Song Ling’s perception of him, and of jiangshi in general, changed completely.
She looked at Li Xinjun, still unconscious, and sighed, hoping that Li Xinjun wouldn’t resent her for this decision. She turned back to Mark.
“Do you regret it?”
“Regret what?”
“Becoming a jiangshi for your wife.”
“No. I only regret that I couldn’t save her. If I had, I wouldn’t be so alone now. But sometimes, I think it’s for the best. If I had turned her into a jiangshi, I don’t know if she could have accepted it. She couldn’t even bear to kill a mosquito. If she had to live on blood, she might have chosen death instead.”
Song Ling, seeing the sadness in his eyes, understood. When Mark had asked her if she regretted her decision, he was probably thinking of his own past. He had helped her because he had made the same choice himself.
“How have you been surviving all this time?”
“I’ve been relying on animal blood and the blood of the recently deceased.”
“But won’t the dead turn into jiangshi?”
“I don’t bite them directly. I use a knife to draw blood from their wrists and collect it in a bottle. As for animals, it’s fine to bite them directly. They won’t turn into jiangshi. But animal blood isn’t as potent. I get hungry again soon. Human blood can sustain me for several days.”
“I see. So, will Jun’er be like you or like those other jiangshi?”
“Like me, of course. Because I bit her directly. Those other jiangshi were transformed by the refined jiangshi. It’s different. Don’t worry. Aside from needing blood to survive and having enhanced strength, she’ll be mostly human. She’ll still have emotions and desires. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have helped you. If she were like those mindless jiangshi, I think death would be preferable.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“What you should be worried about is whether she can accept being a jiangshi. If she can overcome that, everything else will be fine.”
“I’m going to become a jiangshi too. That way, I can be with her forever.”
“I figured you would say that. Wait until she wakes up. It’s tiring enough taking care of one of you. I don’t want to have to deal with two.”
“No, I want Jun’er to do it.”
“Yes, I understand. Well, it’s almost time. Li Xinjun should be waking up soon. Go and see her. I’ll go see if I can catch some rabbits or pheasants for dinner. Give you two some time alone.”
“There’s no need. It’s getting dark. Will you be able to find anything?”
“Haha, we can see perfectly well at night. Our vision is much better than humans’.”
“… Alright, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy your reunion.”
