Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 87: Can’t Wait Another Second

　　【He is Pei Zhou.】

　　As the system’s flat electronic voice echoed in An Jiu's mind, she saw Hua Mei’s expression freeze.

　　Hua Mei stared unblinkingly at the hunched old man. After a moment of daze, her lips trembled as she forced out two words. “Pei… Pei Lang?”

　　An Jiu whispered, “Wow…”

　　What a huge revelation.

　　The Pei Lang Hua Mei just called was, without a doubt, Pei Zhou — the father of Pei Ji, who in the original story had already been dead for ten years.

　　An Jiu was sure she had spoken quietly, but whether it was just her imagination or not, the white-robed young man standing ahead of her seemed to casually tilt his face ever so slightly in her direction when she blurted out in shock.

　　An Jiu quickly covered her mouth and held her breath.

　　Fortunately, he didn’t fully turn around to look at her.

　　At this moment, everyone’s eyes were on the old man and Hua Mei. They had become the center of attention.

　　The old man said, “It’s me.”

　　His tone was utterly calm, as still as the dead water in his eyes. Even though countless people were watching him, it seemed as if he didn’t feel it at all.

　　Pei Zhou’s answer was like a thunderclap from the heavens. An Jiu heard a faint commotion ripple through the hall.

　　The Medicine King, Pei Zhou, was no ordinary man. Even though he had disappeared for ten years, his name still echoed throughout the martial world.

　　No one could have expected that he was actually alive — and that he would appear here.

　　An Jiu didn’t bother thinking about why the plot had deviated this far. Her mind was entirely consumed by gossip. Very few people knew the scandalous story between Hua Mei and Pei Zhou back then, but she knew it like the back of her hand.

　　She was dying to see what Pei Zhou would do.

　　Did he come to help Pei Ji?

　　Could it be that, deep down, he still cared about his son?

　　Just as this thought surfaced in An Jiu’s mind, Hua Mei’s sudden, sharp cry shattered her train of thought.

　　“No, you’re not, you’re not Pei Lang! My Pei Lang is over there!”

　　Hua Mei shook her head fiercely, her gaze shifting without hesitation to Pei Ji as she pointed at him and shouted.

　　An Jiu: Damn.

　　This woman changed faces way too fast. She was definitely a hopeless face-obsessor!

　　“Son, go and grab him for me! I want him to stay and marry me!” Hua Mei’s voice was sharp and piercing.

　　Paired with her current expression and appearance, she looked just like an old witch lusting after the tender flesh of a young man.

　　But Hua Xuan didn’t move. He remained standing at Hua Mei’s side, completely still, as if he hadn’t heard his mother’s command at all.

　　Behind the mask of a fierce Demon Mask, his long, narrow black eyes narrowed, studying Pei Zhou with curiosity.

　　He was not like that brainless, crazy woman. Pei Zhou had been missing for ten years and now suddenly appeared at an occasion like this. No one in their right mind would believe he was simply here to rekindle old feelings.

　　Even though Pei Zhou now looked like an ordinary old man, Hua Xuan wasn’t going to let his guard down.

　　“Son, why won’t you listen to me? That’s not your father, don’t let him fool you. Your father died a long time ago!” Hua Mei’s voice grew frantic, her features twisting into something ferocious, teetering on the edge of madness again.

　　Hua Xuan didn’t want to provoke her, so he lazily smiled and said, “Mother, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. It’s just that Pei the Little Divine Doctor is covered in poison. How could I possibly dare to get close to him?”

　　As soon as Hua Mei heard this, she quickly handed him the red silk scarf in her hand and said, “Take this, and you’ll be fine.”

　　This wasn’t an ordinary red scarf. Every thread had been soaked in poison and then specially woven into this piece of crimson silk, filled with countless rare poisons and equally rare antidotes from across the world.

　　It had once been Hua Mei’s signature weapon.

　　In the past, she would drape this red scarf over her shoulders every day. If anyone dared to show her the slightest disrespect, even someone who simply failed to greet her on the road, she would kill them without hesitation.

　　Because her poison skills were so advanced, she could kill without even getting close. Back then, terrifying rumors spread throughout the Demonic Sect, claiming that the Saintess was a monster who could kill someone with just a single glance.

　　After Hua Mei went mad, her red silk scarf was sealed away, untouched by anyone. No one dared to approach it.

　　Not even Hua Qing. Since she couldn’t cure its poison, she wouldn’t risk her life.

　　After Hua Mei regained her sanity, the red scarf returned to her hands.

　　Even Hua Xuan usually kept his distance from her and never casually got close.

　　Now holding the red scarf, Hua Xuan couldn’t help but smile.

　　He wrapped the silk around his wrist, and with a flick of his sleeve, a pitch-black curved blade slid out, its cold edge gleaming sharply. A powerful, domineering surge of blade aura instantly swept through the entire hall.

　　An Jiu wasn’t inside but standing just outside the hall. Still, she could feel a chill climbing up her spine from the base of her tailbone.

　　The next moment, Hua Xuan’s figure suddenly vanished. His lightness skill was extraordinary, and he practically turned into a streak of shadow, rushing straight toward the father and son of Medicine King Valley standing at the entrance.

　　Those two were still his so-called father and brother in name.

　　Yet Hua Xuan’s speed didn’t falter in the slightest. The corners of his long, narrow eyes curved upward, and a flash of excitement and bloodthirst flickered in his gaze.

　　Now this was going to be fun.

　　“Pei Ji, watch out!”

　　“Brother Pei, I’ll help you!”

　　At the same time, two voices rang out from inside the hall, followed by a figure leaping swiftly toward the entrance.

　　It was He Ziqing.

　　Both he and Lin Qingyan had originally been poisoned, but Lin Qingyan had a rare antidote pill that Pei Ji had given her earlier. It could neutralize all poisons, and she only had one.

　　Lin Qingyan gave the antidote to He Ziqing, planning to pretend he was still poisoned and wait for the right moment to strike.

　　But now, seeing this sudden turn of events, He Ziqing couldn’t hold back any longer. He leaped out at once, ready to rescue Pei Ji.

　　“Sigh…” 

　　Another soft sigh drifted slowly past everyone’s ears.

　　An Jiu’s attention was once again drawn to him.

　　That kind of heavy, weary sigh—like someone crushed under an unbearable weight—she had only ever heard from one person.

　　The old man who had just admitted he was Pei Zhou, the Medicine King, once again lowered his head. From his hunched back, he looked like a man utterly defeated by life.

　　But in that very moment, a faint mist suddenly rose from his body.

　　It looked like the steam that rises from sweat after intense exercise. The moment it appeared, it began to dissolve into the surrounding air, almost as if it vanished completely—no, not completely.

　　An Jiu caught a whiff of a faint fragrance, like the delicate scent of blooming flowers. It was lovely, yet so subtle that it almost felt like a hallucination.

　　When people encounter a scent that light, their natural instinct is to take a deeper breath, trying to smell it again.

　　It was pure reflex.

　　An Jiu did exactly that. The next thing she knew, the world spun around her, and when her senses returned, she was already lying flat on the ground. Other than her eyes, not a single part of her body could move—not even a strand of hair.

　　Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Ah Qi had also collapsed beside her.

　　Moments later, she heard two heavy thuds nearby. No need to guess—it had to be the two people who had just rushed forward.

　　An Jiu had fallen in an oddly convenient position, facing the hall. Even though her field of vision was limited, she could still see He Ziqing and Hua Xuan crashing to the ground like dumplings dropped into a pot.

　　She slowly rolled her eyes to glance at Pei Ji’s wheelchair, which had drifted slightly in her direction, but only moved a little before coming to a stop.

　　He was sitting, so she couldn’t see high enough to tell if he had been poisoned, but from that instinctive reaction, he probably wasn’t affected.

　　The next moment, Pei Zhou, who had only spoken two sentences since his arrival, finally spoke again.

　　“I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. They hid you from me, and I couldn’t find you. But it doesn’t matter. I was willing to wait. Until I saw you die with my own eyes, I would never believe it.”

　　“Luckily, I’ve waited long enough.”

　　His voice, soft like a sigh, carried not a trace of joy—only boundless sorrow.

　　“I came here for you, Hua Mei. Do you still remember Ah Yan?”

　　Footsteps slowly approached, step by step, then stopped at a certain distance.

　　“I thought of many ways to kill you. But I was never as skilled with poison as you. Then I figured it out. I would turn myself into a poison vessel, immune to all toxins, untouched by illness. I would become poison itself.”

　　“Don't worry, you won’t die so easily. Everything Ah Yan suffered back then—you haven’t even begun to repay it. How could I let you die that quickly?”

　　The sound of footsteps echoed again, this time accompanied by the dragging of something heavy.

　　Pei Zhou was pulling something along as he walked to the entrance. He suddenly stopped, as if explaining to someone, and said, “This poison will wear off on its own in half an hour. Pei Zhou is dead. I will not involve myself in your conflicts. Do as you wish.”

　　With that, he dragged the heavy object and slowly walked away.

　　From beginning to end, he never spoke a single word to either of his sons—not to Pei Ji, not to Hua Xuan.

　　Just like he said, he came here for one person. Now that he had found her, it was time for him to leave.

　　An Jiu couldn’t speak, so she could only talk to the system in her mind.

　　“Pei Ji's father doesn’t seem all that normal either. He stayed hidden in the Demonic Sect for ten years, just waiting for Hua Mei to appear? That’s some serious willpower.”

　　【He is nothing more than a walking corpse now.】

　　An Jiu let out a soft sigh in her mind. “Maybe the only thing keeping him alive now is the drive to take revenge on Hua Mei.”

　　That’s why, in the original story, since Hua Mei never appeared, Pei Zhou never appeared either.

　　Thinking of this, An Jiu suddenly jolted. “Why did Hua Mei appear this time?”

　　【Perhaps it was because of that martial arts manual.】

　　The system’s answer made her freeze on the spot.

　　It took her a long while to speak. “So this whole thing… actually has something to do with me.”

　　If it weren’t for the changes she made back at Jinshe Manor, Hua Mei wouldn’t have recovered, and Pei Zhou might never have had the chance to take his revenge until the day he died.

　　For a moment, An Jiu’s feelings were complicated.

　　All this time, she had forced herself not to get too emotionally involved with this world.

　　She never actively tried to make friends and never wanted to form attachments. Even though she had crossed paths deeply with people like Jin Yanwan and Ming Yi, and even though they treated her as a friend, An Jiu never truly let them into her heart.

　　To her, this was just a novel world. It was only a book.

　　No matter how real the people in this story seemed, in the end, she would still leave.

　　Or if she failed her final mission, she might never go back, and when that time came, her fate would probably not end well.

　　That was why An Jiu always chose to watch everything here as an outsider.

　　Sure, she would occasionally tweak the storyline here and there when it was within her power, but those were just casual actions along the way.

　　She never thought of herself as noble, or kind, or someone who had done great things.

　　The parts of the plot she changed, or the fates she altered—they had nothing to do with her now, and they wouldn’t matter to her in the future. She would never start thinking highly of herself or proudly see herself as some kind of savior.

　　Yet in this moment, a strange sense of belonging quietly settled in her heart.

　　For the first time, An Jiu thought that maybe, just maybe, some of the things she had done in this world did have a little meaning.

　　She had expected to lie on the ground for a full hour, but not long after Pei Zhou left, she suddenly saw the wheelchair at the edge of her vision slowly rolling toward her.

　　It stopped right in front of her.

　　Pei Ji’s calm voice sounded. “Still awake?”

　　An Jiu couldn’t speak, so she furiously blinked in response.

　　From Pei Ji’s perspective, all he saw was the girl’s long eyelashes fluttering rapidly, like the wings of a butterfly.

　　Half of her face was pressed against the ground, and her soft, fair cheek was dusted with dirt. She seemed to be straining to look up at him, her eyelids trying hard to lift.

　　He could have just ignored her.

　　But then he thought of the girl’s delicate, spoiled nature.

　　If he really left her here for half an hour and let her recover on her own, she would probably throw a tantrum later.

　　“I understand.”

　　The young man in white responded softly, then bent down and firmly grabbed her arm, scooping the girl up from the ground.

　　An Jiu felt her vision blur, and in the next instant, she found herself in a broad, steady embrace. The familiar bitter scent of medicine filled her nose, strangely bringing her a sense of security.

　　She was now sitting on Pei Ji’s lap, his arm wrapped around her waist, her head resting weakly on his shoulder. In front of her was his gentle, handsome side profile.

　　Pei Ji lowered his gaze slightly and turned his face toward her.

　　They had never been this close before, except for that one chaotic night at Wuyin Temple.

　　Suddenly, the young man’s gaze paused on something.

　　Hidden beneath the girl’s dark hair, her small, flawless earlobe as pale as jade was slowly being tinted with a faint blush under his steady gaze.

　　His long lashes lowered slightly as a flicker of doubt crossed his mind.

　　Why is she blushing?

　　But Pei Ji didn’t dwell on it for long, because he soon met the girl’s sharp, glaring eyes.

　　Her expressions had always been vivid—whatever she thought, it would clearly show on her face or in those lively, jet-black eyes.

　　Right now, Pei Ji could easily understand what she was trying to say just from her gaze.

　　Her eyes darted downward, and Pei Ji immediately understood—she wanted him to wipe the dust off her face.

　　He paused for quite a while. The girl’s gaze grew more and more insistent, her eyes practically glaring at him, urging him to hurry. Only then did he slowly raise his hand.

　　His slender fingers, well-defined and cool at the tips, lightly touched the girl’s soft, delicate cheek.

　　The moment his fingers brushed against her skin, it felt as though a faint current passed through him, and his hand trembled ever so slightly.

　　Pei Ji noticed her ears turning even redder, the flush slowly spreading down, tinting her neck with a faint pink hue.

　　At the same time, the girl shot him another fierce glare.

　　The message was clear: hurry up!

　　His fingers paused briefly, then he quickly picked up the pace. To save her from growing impatient, he simply cupped her face with his whole hand.

　　His palm was broad, dry, and slightly rough as it swept across her cheek, carefully wiping away the dust and revealing her fresh, pretty face once again.

　　Whether he rubbed too hard or her skin was just too delicate, by the time he finished, her cheeks were flushed bright red.

　　Seeing this, Pei Ji’s gaze flickered.

　　But he quickly pushed the strange feeling aside, because An Jiu was already glaring at him again.

　　This time, she was ordering him to help detoxify her.

　　Pei Ji said, “This isn’t a simple poison. I can’t cure it.”

　　Upon hearing this, the girl rolled her eyes at him with obvious disdain.

　　Even without her saying a word, Pei Ji somehow perfectly understood the message in her look: Useless.

　　Pei Ji: “…”

　　A strange tightness rose in his chest, a quiet frustration he couldn’t shake.

　　The young man in white pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze, his fingertips curling slightly inside his sleeve.

　　She had looked down on him many times before, but each time, it still unsettled him.

　　And this time, the feeling was especially heavy.

　　Perhaps it was because Pei Ji knew deep down that in today’s confrontation, there was indeed something where he could not compare to Pei Zhou—that man who was his father in name.

　　Although he never truly regarded Pei Zhou as a father, maybe because he had grown up being called Young Valley Master, Little Divine Doctor, Pei Ji had always held a strange, stubborn obsession with Pei Zhou, along with a deep desire to surpass him.

　　He wanted people to call him Divine Doctor Pei, not Little Divine Doctor.

　　He didn’t want to spend his life trapped in that man’s shadow.

　　This was actually the very reason he founded the Qiānshā Pavilion back then. It was a power that belonged to him alone. He had never believed himself inferior to Pei Zhou.

　　Pei Ji’s mood soured, and he no longer wished to speak.

　　But Pei Ji was never one to talk much, and now the one who loved to talk had been forced into silence, leaving the air between them quiet and still.

　　An Jiu leaned against him, bored out of her mind. The sun was warm and cozy, its gentle heat making her feel a little drowsy.

　　In the comfort of that sleepy haze, An Jiu had a faint feeling that she was forgetting something.

　　Her lazy brain stirred but couldn’t recall what it was. After a moment, she simply gave up on trying.

　　Time slipped by bit by bit. She had no idea how long had passed when she suddenly felt the sensation returning to her body. It started from her fingertips, as if her blood was finally circulating again.

　　An Jiu’s eyes shot open. Before she could feel any joy, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark figure.

　　In that instant, she remembered what she had forgotten.

　　Hua Xuan!

　　Hua Xuan was still alive and well!

　　Pei Zhou had only taken Hua Mei. He had left Hua Xuan behind, and this man was a walking weapon.

　　Hua Xuan was a martial artist and recovered faster than An Jiu. Just as she opened her eyes, he had already dashed toward them at lightning speed, his ink-black blade roaring like a stormy sea, crashing down upon them with deadly force.

　　An Jiu’s eyes widened in shock. Acting almost purely on instinct, she flipped over and threw herself onto Pei Ji, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

　　But that deadly black light never struck her.

　　Just as the blade was about to reach them, a flash of sword light intercepted it mid-air, stopping it firmly.

　　“Demon Mask, your opponent is me!” He Ziqing’s shout rang out as he caught up and clashed with Hua Xuan.

　　At the same time, Ah Qi rolled to his feet and charged toward Hua Xuan as well.

　　Even now, An Jiu was still trembling inside.

　　Her heart was pounding wildly, threatening to leap out of her throat.

　　A muffled voice, low and breathless, sounded against her chest. “What… are you doing?”

　　An Jiu froze for a long moment. Feeling the slight push at her waist, she slowly lowered her head and released his face from her embrace, then gradually backed away.

　　The young man in white finally lifted his head from the soft suffocation, his fair, handsome face flushed red.

　　Whether it was from being smothered or from something else, no one could say.

　　He hadn’t seen anything at all just now—one second he was sitting quietly, and the next, the girl had shot upright like she’d been jolted by electricity and grabbed his head, pressing him tightly into her chest. That soft, overwhelming sensation almost suffocated him on the spot.

　　Finally escaping her grasp, Pei Ji quickly wheeled himself backward.

　　Her reaction had been so sudden that he hadn’t even noticed the sound of clashing weapons behind him.

　　His mind was a complete mess, filled with nothing but the memory of that impossible softness, the strange, faint fragrance that always lingered on her, and the frantic beating of her heart right against his ear.

　　That scent was familiar—every time he got close to her, he could smell it.

　　But this time, it was especially strong. It completely overwhelmed him, flooding his senses.

　　“You just now…”

　　“I didn’t do anything just now!” the girl suddenly shouted, quickly turning her back to him as soon as he looked her way.

　　Pei Ji’s throat moved as if he wanted to ask why she had done that.

　　But after opening and closing his mouth several times, no words came out.

　　His gaze drifted, landing on the back of the girl in front of him. The tips of her ears were as red as blood jade. As if burned, the young man in white immediately turned his face away too.

　　There was no one else around, yet neither of them would look at the other.

　　“Ah!”

　　Suddenly, the girl’s startled cry rang out beside him. Pei Ji’s head snapped toward her at once.

　　The girl who had just been standing there was now in the grasp of another man. He wore yellow robes, his face lecherous, his gaze filthy as he shamelessly sized her up.

　　“Well, well, there’s still a little beauty here~” he sneered.

　　From the man’s clothing, the flute at his waist, and his greasy face, Pei Ji instantly recognized him as one of the Four Great Protectors of the Demonic Sect—Protector Ju, an old lecher who practiced the art of harvesting yin to replenish yang.

　　Pei Ji’s eyes swept across the hall. The place was now surrounded by many people, all seemingly from the Demonic Sect.

　　The martial artists of the Central Plains were all lying on the ground, still paralyzed. The only ones who could still fight were He Ziqing and Ah Qi.

　　Both were locked in fierce battle with Hua Xuan. The demonic arts Hua Xuan had mastered were formidable—he could hold his own against both men at once. Clearly, they had no time to come to An Jiu’s rescue.

　　If Pei Ji wanted to save her now, he had only two options.

　　Either he could focus on detoxifying the martial artists in the hall, which would take time, or he could expose his own martial arts and act himself.

　　“Pei Ji, save me!”

　　The girl in red was trapped in the man’s arm. The color had drained from her face, leaving her pale with fear.

　　Her dark eyes shimmered with tears, desperately looking at the young man in white sitting in his wheelchair.

　　Protector Ju’s gaze flicked back and forth between them, his expression twisting into a wicked grin. “Oh, so you two have a little something going on. Little beauty, your brave protector is a cripple—how do you expect him to save you?”

　　As soon as those words were spoken, the girl’s face turned even paler. She clearly realized the same thing.

　　Protector Ju chuckled, “I’m a man who cherishes beauty. I can’t bear to separate you two. How about you both come with me?”

　　From a distance, a charming and seductive woman called out with a playful smile, “Old Ju, the Sect Master said that kid knows how to use poison. Don’t get too close. Be careful you don’t end up messing this up.”

　　Protector Ju got his nickname Ju because he didn’t discriminate between men and women—he welcomed all. In fact, if not for his particular cultivation method, he actually preferred delicate, beautiful young men. That was how he earned his infamous title.

　　Protector Ju sighed with regret, “What a pity…”

　　Before he could finish his sentence, a flash of silver suddenly shot across his vision. The light was so fine, so fast, that it was almost impossible to see with the naked eye. By the time he reacted, the silver light was already inches from his face, aiming straight for his forehead.

　　Right after the silver flash, the young man in white flew through the air, a row of silver needles clutched between his slender, graceful fingers.

　　His usual gentle, soft expression had completely vanished, replaced by a sharp, icy edge. In Pei Ji’s dark eyes, there was nothing but an overwhelming, bone-chilling killing intent.

　　With a flick of his fingers, countless silver needles scattered, carried by a powerful burst of energy, roaring forward like a sudden storm.

　　He could not wait even a second longer.

________________

Author’s Note:

What secret identity?

What careful plan?

What great ambition to rule the martial world?

Forget all that.

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